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LG's 2020 OLED TVs ship soon, start at $1,500 and go up to $30,000

Just in time for shut-in entertainment, CNET's favorite high-end TVs include a new 48-inch size and a pair of 8K models.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
4 min read
LG Signature OLED 8K

LG's new TVs include 8K models that start at 20 grand for 77 inches.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Amid all the bad news about the coronavirus pandemic, TV tech nerds can take solace in one constant: TV makers have mostly told me new sets will ship on schedule this spring. And that includes my favorite high-end TV over the last few years, LG's OLED-based models. The newest versions, first announced at CES in January, range widely in size and price but none are cheap: they start at $1,500 for the baseline 55-inch and a new 48-inch size. But if you're sitting at home streaming more Netflix than ever and hungering for a sweet new TV to watch it all on, it doesn't get much sweeter than these.

LG confirmed to CNET that its 2020 TVs will ship on time despite the COVID-19 outbreak. "As a multinational corporation, LG Electronics maintains manufacturing facilities and suppliers all over the world, giving us the flexibility to best manage our supply chain," said John Taylor, senior vice president of public affairs. "Although at this time we are not experiencing major disruptions, LG is looking into ways to minimize the effect on our production schedule in the event of a drawn-out scenario."

Watch this: LG's OLED 2020 TVs are rollable, 8K and flush-mount

The first 2020 OLED models are scheduled to arrive this month with more becoming available through June. Here's where I remind you that if you want a good bargain, now is not the best time to buy a 2020 TV. New models just started coming out, prices are at their highest and they'll fall throughout the year until November (aka Black Friday time). The 65-inch B9 went down from $2,300 to $1,800 last year and there's no reason to expect the 2020 version -- which starts at the same price -- won't follow the same pattern.

LG 2020 OLED TVs

Series ModelSizePriceShipping
BX OLED55BXPUA55-inch$1,500May
BX OLED65BXPUA65-inch$2,300May
CX OLED48CXPUA48-inch$1,500June
CX OLED55CXPUA55-inch$1,800March
CX OLED65CXPUA65-inch$2,800April
CX OLED77CXPUA77-inch$5,000May
GX OLED55GXPUA55-inch$2,500April
GX OLED65GXPUA65-inch$3,500April
GX OLED77GXPUA77-inch$6,000April
WX OLED65WXPUA65-inch$5,000June
ZX (8K) OLED77GXPUA77-inch$20,000May
ZX (8K) OLEDGXPUA85-inch$30,000May

Lineup breakdown, new features

BX series: For the last two years, LG's entry-level OLEDs like the B9 have garnered my highest praise by delivering basically-just-as-good picture quality (despite their step-down processors) for less. The BX has all of the features of the CX (below) aside from the Gen 3 processor and Nvidia G-Sync.

In addition to Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, all 2020 OLED models get Filmmaker Mode, which is designed to better reflect the director's intent by disabling the soap opera effect and tweaking other picture and processor settings. It will replace the Technicolor mode found on older LG sets. Separately, new LG OLEDs also get Dolby Vision IQ, another new 2020 feature exclusive to Dolby Vision HDR content.

011-lg-48-inch-cx-gaming

LG's newest screen size, a relatively small 48 inches, seen here in a gaming setup as a plus-sized monitor.

Sarah Tew/CNET

CX series: The workhorse of the 2020 lineup and the first to ship, this is the only one to include the new 48-inch size and the cheapest to get LG's latest processor. Compared to the A9 Gen 2 found on 2019 models like the C9, it has improved "AI picture enhancement" technology and can automatically optimize picture and sound quality based on genre. I've found it tough to spot processing differences in the past so we'll see if 2020 is any different. 

LG introduced Nvidia G-Sync compatibility last year and in 2020 it's again offering the feature, which improved gaming video quality with compatible devices, on CX and higher models. All LG sets also offer variable refresh rate with compatible PCs and consoles. 

GX series: The chassis of the "Gallery" GX is ultrathin, just 20mm in depth and comes with a proprietary mount that keeps it almost flush with the wall. The GX and more expensive series also get two features not found on the CX and BX: NextGen TV (aka ATSC 3.0) over-the-air tuners that work with the newest antenna broadcasts, and built-in microphones that can be set to always-on, always listening so you won't have to use the voice remote to access LG's own ThinQ voice service ("Hi, LG"). Like last year, LG TVs have both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in, too -- but to access them you'll need to speak into the remote.

016-lg-gx-series

A special flush mount lets the super-slim GX series hug the wall.

Sarah Tew/CNET

WX series: Want your wall mount even more flush? The 2020 version of the "wallpaper" OLED TV is the most expensive that isn't 8K.

ZX series: LG's only 2020 OLED TVs with 8K resolution come in two massive sizes and you can't afford either one. LG touts better image quality than competing Samsung 8K TVs thanks to so-called Real 8K technology, enough to earn them the CTA 8K Ultra HD logo. I won't get into the gory details since what really matters is whether anybody can see any difference -- a question best left until I can review one. 

Speaking of really expensive TVs LG didn't provide updated availability or official pricing on the RX series, its rollable model, saying that information would come at a later date. Last I was told its unofficial price was $60,000 and it would ship in the second or third quarter. 

Note that, as with a certain phone, LG wants us to say "10" instead of "X," so the CX is pronounced "C10" and so on. I'll try to remember to do that.

When can we expect reviews, Katzmaier?

Sorry, guys, but like everything else this spring, new TV reviews will be delayed. I had a meeting scheduled for this week with LG's reps to go over the first sample I'll be receiving, a 65-inch CX, but that's put on hold while we sort everything out. Right now like many people I'm working from home, which means not going into the lab for reviews. 

I can't say when I expect to get reviews rolling again but when that happens, LG's new OLEDs will be among my first priorities.

The biggest and best TVs of CES 2020

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