I tested LG's new webOS on its latest TVs and I loved these 3 big upgrades

Date:
Sat, 06 Apr 2024 15:30:17 +0000

Description:
LGs 2024 TVs will come with the latest iteration of its smart TV platform,
and during my testing of it (on LGs new mini-LED TV), here are three features I loved.

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LGs smart TV platform, webOS, has been a mainstay feature on its TVs and continues to evolve every year. Its easily one of the best smart TV platforms out there, but hasnt been without its share of criticisms in the past.

Last years version, webOS 23, featured on some of the best TVs on the market, including the LG C3 , LG G3 and LG B3 . We frequently praised it for its
level of customization, its ease of navigation thanks to its new Quick Cards and quick menu, and its overall layout. Overall, it was a big improvement
over webOS 22.

Ive recently been testing one of LGs latest mini-LED TVs for 2024, the LG QNED91T, and this comes installed with the latest version of webOS, webOS 24 which will also be available on the LG C4 and LG G4 along with the rest of
the range. While on the surface it may not seem like much has changed, there are some new features and upgrades that have been introduced and improved on that makes this arguably the best smart TV platform Ive used in several years of both reviewing TVs and working in TV retail. Here are the three features that really jumped out to me. US: Browse LG's 2024 TV available to order UK: Browse LG's 2024 TVs available for pre-order Aus: Browse LG's 2024 TVs available to pre-order 1. A neater, toned down layout Further down the home page on webOS 24 (pictured) shows a tidier and easier to navigate layout. (Image credit: Future)

Although a simple change, webOS 24s home screen layout and appearance is easily one of its best features. Last year, webOS 23 improved greatly on
webOS 22s cluttered ad and recommendation-heavy home screen in a big way, and webOS 24 has taken this a step further.

Quick Cards, an addition to webOS 23 last year, collects any apps relevant into its category such as Game, Sport (more on that below), Music and more. So, for example, the Game quick card collects all the cloud based gaming services that webOS is compatible with such as Nvidia GeForce Now, Luna, Utomix and so on. In webOS 24, these cards have taken an even more slimmed down appearance on the home page and have become even more intuitive.

As you scroll down the home page, rather than being confronted with tons of ads and recommendations, youre now met with a leaner set of menus. LG has opted for a more simple approach, such as the Now Streaming section in the picture above, which rather than spreading out every individual streaming service to its own line has collated them with a side-scrolling option to the relevant service you want.

If you use broadcast TV, theres also a live TV guide that shows whats live now, a Lifes Good Hub with LG recommendations and more. But if you dont want these on your home menu, you can simply remove them, leaving you with a compact home menu that simply shows your favorite apps. 2. Sports quick card and My Team The My Team section of the Sport Quick Card (pictured) in webOS
24 is very useful for sports fans, like myself. (Image credit: Future)

For a sports fan like myself, the sport quick card has undergone some changes and includes a feature called My Team. In this, you can select your favorite team from a fairly extensive list and itll keep track of live score, a teams schedule, recent results and even relevant videos.

Admittedly, as a rugby fan, there werent many options, but there were plenty of other options to choose from and LG covered its bases well with soccer teams from major leagues including the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and more. There was also extensive coverage of the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL as well.

As a fairly new (and still somewhat casual) baseball fan, keeping track of
the 162 regular season games can be daunting. So, I tested webOS 24 by choosing my favorite baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays, in My Team. Immediately, I was shown all the Blue Jays recent scores and games and their upcoming schedule. I was even shown that I could stream one of the upcoming games on Prime Video, in its Discovery Plus add-on something I didnt know.

The main home page of the sports quick card takes on a broader approach and still includes popular video such as Premier League highlights and headline scores for those interested in multiple sports and combined with the My Team feature, this was one of my favorite webOS 24 features. 3. Improved accessibility features The Accessibility Quick Card allows users direct
access to accessibility features if they need them and even previews what users are getting. (Image credit: Future)

More TV brands are starting to go to great lengths to make TV accessible for everyone, via voice assist, audio description, subtitles and so on. In webOS 24, LG has introduced an accessibility Quick Card, meaning it's easy for
those who need these features to access them, because it sits front and
center on the home page. In the past, these accessibility features were
often, and still are in some cases, buried in settings screens.

On this accessibility Quick Card, these accessibility features are not only easy to access, but do a great job of demonstrating just what the user is getting. Something as simple as a visual demonstration of what subtitles turned on will look like on screen (as shown in the photo below) is a further step to make things easier for the user.

Finally, theres the introduction of the AI chatbot. This tool is designed to assist in issues users may be experiencing with the TV such as the screen being too dark, sound being too quiet and so on, and assist where possible.
It can be used via voice command or on-screen with inputs from the remote.
Its certainly a useful feature that, while it may not be the most extensive, will certainly aid some users having basic issues and not knowing where to start with fixing them, and will no doubt be improved in further updates. (Image credit: Future) US: Browse LG's 2024 TV available to order UK: Browse LG's 2024 TVs available for pre-order Aus: Browse LG's 2024 TVs available to pre-order You might also like... I saw the LG C4 OLED TV in action, and the brightness boost is very real I saw the new LG G4 OLED TV and the brighter picture is just the beginning Why the entry-level LG B4 is my most
anticipated OLED TV of 2024



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/i-tested-lgs-new-webos-on-its-latest-tvs -and-i-loved-these-3-big-upgrades


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