LG A2 vs B2: which cheap OLED TV should you buy on Black Friday?
The big OLED decision
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Type: OLEDResolution: 4KHDR: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10120Hz: No
The LG A2 is a great entry-level OLED TV option, offering deep blacks, rich color, and fine detail. Brightness is limited compared to the top OLED models, however, and so are its gaming features. Still, LG’s A2 OLEDs are perfect for movie fans on a budget who don’t mind dimming the lights for viewing.
Not yet reviewed
Type: OLEDResolution: 4KHDR: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10120Hz: Yes
The LG B2 is the company’s step-up OLED , offering the same deep blacks and rich color as the A2, but also the same limited brightness. The B2’s main advantage is gaming-related features such as 120Hz display, VRR, and FreeSync. It costs a bit more, but for gamers will be worth it.
LG’sOLEDTVs are revered for their great overall picture quality, which is characterized by deep blacks, rich color, and deft handling of4KHDRsources. The company’s OLED range consists of four lineups, the higher-endG2“Gallery” andC2series and the entry-level B2 and A2 series, with a key differentiator being LG’s use of a higher-brightness OLED Evo display panel for its G2 and C2 sets.
Another feature found in LG’s higher-end OLEDs is HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for 120 Hz video from next-gen PS5 and Xbox series X gaming consoles, along with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), FreeSync, and G-Sync. Those additions make LG’s top OLEDs serious gamer TVs, with both models ranking on our list of thebest 120 Hz 4K TVs for gaming.
But LG didn’t withhold gaming-friendly features from its more budget-oriented TV lines: the B2 series fully matches its higher-end OLED family members on that front, though it only provides a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports instead of the 4 that you’ll find on both the G2 and C2 series sets.
The A2 series, in contrast, offers only regular HDMI 2.0b connections, and its refresh rate tops out at 60 Hz. Even so, the A2 series offers ALLM plus the same Game Optimizer mode with Game Dashboard found on both the B2 series OLEDs and LG’s step-up models. Also, when wereviewed a 55-inch LG A2 series TV, we measured its input lag with Game Optimizer mode active at 10ms – a very impressive result.
With earlyBlack Friday TV dealsnow coming in hot and heavy along with generalBlack Friday deals, you might be wondering which of LG’s budget OLED TVs is the right choice for you. Both the B2 and A2 series are seeing some great Black Friday sales, so choosing between them will mainly come down to which features are important to you, and if they’re worth the extra money – in the case of the B2 at least.
Here’s a breakdown of B2 and A2 OLED TV highlights:
LG B2 Series features
LG A2 Series features
Price comparison
LG B2 series OLED TVs are getting deep early Black Friday sales, with the 55-inch model available for$997 at Amazon, the 65-inch model for$1,297 at Amazon, and the 77-inch model for$1,997 at Amazon. (B2 models in all screen sizes are currently out of stock on theAmazonUK site.)
The A2 series models are also seeing some great Black Friday deals, with the 55-inch model being sold for$897 at Amazonand the 65-inch model for$1,197 at Amazonin the US. (A2 models in all screen sizes are currently out of stock on the Amazon UK site.)
Comparing prices between LG’s two budget LG OLED lines, you are basically looking at a $100 cost differential for the 55- and 65-inch models. And at just under $2,000, the 77-inch B2 is an impressive deal for an OLED TV with a screen that size, and represents a record low price for the model.
Performance Comparison
Having reviewed LG’s A2 series TV, we remain very impressed with what you’re getting for the price when it comes to picture performance. The company’s entry-level OLED model offers up the same deep, detailed shadows, enhanced color (98.8% DCI-P3 color space coverage according to our measurements), and ultra-wide viewing angle as the company’s higher end OLED TVs. A key picture difference is peak light output: the 55-inch A2 Series set we tested topped out at 524 nits (in Standard picture mode), while the C2 and G2 models offer around twice that level of peak brightness.
Having run an initial series of tests on a 65-inch LG B2 Series OLED (full review coming soon), we can confirm that it measured almost identically to the A2 Series model, meaning that there isn’t a difference between the two when it comes to picture performance.
Which budget LG OLED TV should you buy?
With such slight price differences between the B2 and A2 series models during this Black Friday selling season, the B2 series is an easy choice if you anticipate an upgrade to a PS5 or Xbox Series X game console in the near future. With the same suite of features as the company’s higher-end models, B2 series OLEDs are a fantastic budget TV option for gaming.
If you’re mainly a movie fan and don’t plan on using your TV for gaming, or are content with using an older console, the A2 series will be a perfectly good choice and you’ll also save some money — but not that much at the moment! Either way both LG’s B2 and the A2 series OLED TVs are an easy recommendation.
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Al Griffin has been writing about and reviewing A/V tech since the days LaserDiscs roamed the earth, and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine.
When not reviewing the latest and greatest gear or watching movies at home, he can usually be found out and about on a bike.
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