LG in 2019: Alexa, 8K, and smarter image processing for OLEDs

LG TV

Get ready for some brand new TVs. Ahead of the CES 2019 convention in Las Vegas next week, where LG is expected to showcase their new TV ranges for 2019, we've received official confirmation of at least some of the sets that will be tempting your wallets this year. So what can you expect from the South Korean television manufacturer?

All the OLED

We're sure to see a lot of new OLED televisions. LG is plunging forward with its popular organic LED (or OLED) screens, with new models of the C9, W9, Z9, W9, and E9 replacing last year's C8, W8, and so on. 

There's no mention of a successor to the budget B8 OLED, though we could always see it announced later in the year when sales of the flagships have started to slow. LG's 88-inch Z9 OLED will be on sale for those after a huge 8K screen.

All the new OLED sets for 2019 will come with HDMI 2.1 too, allowing for high-resolution video and audio input from compatible media players and gaming consoles, and smooth motion in action or sports programmes.

LG a9 intelligent processor

TV smarts

A new a9 Gen 2 chip will up the image processing and machine learning on offer in LG's OLED sets, and some choice LCD (or  'NanoCell') televisions, improving noise reduction and enhancing brightness and contrast levels depending on the media being played.

There's a renewed focus on voice commands, with your good friends Alexa and Google Assistant coming built-in to LG's ThinQ AI smart TVs (2018 TVs only came with Google Assistant).

Flagship TVs will also come with Dolby Atmos 5.1 surround sound, while LG's new processor will be able to "up-mix" two-channel audio into 5.1 surround sound: like upscaling for the ears.

We're sure to see more at CES this month, though in the meantime there's already plenty to keep us excited for the year ahead – not least LG's rollable OLED television that's expected to come on sale this year.

  • CES 2019: everything to expect from this year's massive tech expo
TOPICS
Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.

Latest in Televisions
Hisense U7N Prime Day 2024 deal image
The Hisense U7N was one of the best TVs I tested in 2024, and it just had its price slashed at Amazon
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar with Halloween theme over the top
Samsung promises to repair soundbars bricked by its disastrous software update for free – but it'll probably involve shipping
LG C3 deal image on blue background
Woah – LG's C3 OLED TV just crashed to its lowest price ever for March Madness
Samsung Wireless One Connect on stone pedestal
I tested Samsung's new wireless TV connection box, and gamers need to know one thing
Samsung S95D with peacock feather on screen
Samsung says an OLED-beating new screen tech could come sooner than we thought – but I wouldn't expect it in 4K TVs right away
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K is back down to 40% off – give your older 4K TV a cheap smart upgrade
Latest in News
DeepSeek
Deepseek’s new AI is smarter, faster, cheaper, and a real rival to OpenAI's models
Open AI
OpenAI unveiled image generation for 4o – here's everything you need to know about the ChatGPT upgrade
Apple WWDC 2025 announced
Apple just announced WWDC 2025 starts on June 9, and we'll all be watching the opening event
Hornet swings their weapon in mid air
Hollow Knight: Silksong gets new Steam metadata changes, convincing everyone and their mother that the game is finally releasing this year
OpenAI logo
OpenAI just launched a free ChatGPT bible that will help you master the AI chatbot and Sora
An aerial view of an Instavolt Superhub for charging electric vehicles
Forget gas stations – EV charging Superhubs are using solar power to solve the most annoying thing about electric motoring