Last year's LG 2021 OLED range was widely regarded as among the best televisions available, and the new 2022 C2 OLED Evo range shows the company hasn't been resting on its laurels.
The C2 models are now available in New Zealand in sizes ranging from 42-inches, which will suit even the smallest of living rooms, up to a giant 83-inch version which is nothing short of spectacular.
That should come as no surprise coming from a company dedicated to ensuring its flat-panel televisions offer both value for money and amazing picture quality.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen Pixar's Coco, but never has the animated movie looked as gorgeous as it did on the new range.
The colours of Mexico need to be seen to be believed, while the songs sound simply gorgeous thanks to the 40W output as well as the Immersive Virtual Surround Sound.
The C2 range is incredibly thin, which means they're easy to mount on the wall but also come with a stand with a small footprint that took just seconds to set up in my lounge.
They are also built for everyone. Those, like my partner, who just want to turn the telly on and get the best possible picture simply won't be disappointed, while I love tweaking the settings. There are plenty of options to finesse the output to suit my need for perfection.
That means whether you're a gamer, a movie buff, a sports fanatic or just like catching up with the news, everyone is going to love the experience and will keep watching.
Part of the appeal is undoubtedly how easy it is to use. That comes from two things - the Magic Remote and the intuitive, updated webOS 22 which makes the home screen useful and easy to navigate.
The remote is a work of art, a hybrid between those that are too simple and confusing and those that have separate buttons for every single function.
Powered by two AAA batteries, the top of the remote has a button shaped like the power sign, meaning even those short of sight are able to quickly identify how to turn their television on and off.
Those are the kinds of details I love - it shows just how much thought has gone into the design.
There are multiple ways of using the remote - from pointing the remote and moving the small cursor on the screen to where you want to navigate, through to a scroll-wheel which clicks moves the screen up and down slowly. I preferred the latter.
You can also use voice commands to do the same. Hold the microphone button on the remote and for example say 'Open Netflix' and the app will open instantaneously.
Of course, there's also more traditional left, right, up and down buttons surrounding the scroll-wheel for those that prefer not talking to their technology.
The bottom of the remote also has handy pre-programmed buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. There's also a more generic Movies button that shows a range of films across streaming platforms.
The home screen has also had an upgrade with the newest version of the webOS software. Not only is there a handy weather widget, the new user profile function ensures myself, my partner and the kids have our own home screens.
That's incredibly useful because without it personalised recommendations for television shows and movies can get all mixed up. Those recommendations come via LG's ThinQ AI, which bases its suggestions on what you've watched on the connected streaming platforms.
Given I watch very different shows to my kids, it's good to keep our viewing habits separate for accuracy of recommendations.
However, ease of use is largely secondary when purchasing a television - the overall quality of picture is much more important, and it truly doesn't get much better.
The C2 models are stunning to watch, whether that's with the curtains drawn as I did while watching my favourite horror movie Cabin In The Woods, or in bright daylight, catching up on the latest episode of Ms Marvel.
The α9 Gen 5 AI Processor in the television is incredibly powerful. It offers a Brightness Booster, which gives clear, vibrant pictures as well as enhancing objects in the foreground and background to add natural depth to the picture.
There's no backlight either, with the self-lit pixels ensuring you get the very deepest blacks possible. I was able to see details in movies and games I'd never seen before because they'd previously been lost to muddy colours.
Overall, it's simply a great watching experience. And the sound is just as good thanks to the power of the α9.
That transforms simple 2-channel audio into virtual 7.1.2 surround sound, making you feel like you're in the scene rather than watching it. It's the closest to Mexico that I've ever been.
There are seven in-built sound modes to ensure optimal sound for movies, sport, gaming and more, as well as support for Bluetooth headphones, speakers and my own home cinema system too, thanks to the eARC connection which supports Dolby Atmos.
Whichever way you want to listen, this is as good as it's going to get.
For those with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S or X, you're also going to get to experience gaming as it should be, with Dolby Vision gaming at 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate for those games that support it.
Call of Duty: Vanguard was just stunning on the big screen, with the 1ms response time meaning there was zero lag. That means I only had myself to blame with my inability to survive more than a few seconds in online multiplayer mode.
The television supports the NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium gaming systems should those be your preference.
There are also plenty of inputs on the televisions, from an ethernet port that allowed me to plug it directly into my router to three USB ports and four HDMI 2.1 ports.
This meant I could plug in an Apple TV, a Mac Mini, a games console and my surround sound system at the same time, as well as connect my old USB drives full of home movies to watch with the family on the sofa.
Last, but certainly not least, there's a ton of other functionality which is designed to ensure this television will do basically whatever you want it to.
I downloaded apps to watch my chosen streaming services - think Neon, Shudder, SparkSport, WWE Network and more - listen to my favourite heavy metal tunes, play the same games and attempt to educate the children. It was great to have the ThreeNow app available as well so I could catch up on the news and my other favourite shows.
You can even get sports alerts from your favourite teams as well as accessing separate pages about each, with additional information and maybe even highlights of recent matches.
If that's not enough, then take advantage of the tiny bezel around the screen and turn the television into a centrepiece by using the new Always Ready function to showcase digital artworks.
When you turn on Always Ready and push the power button the TV will instead display those artworks - or even your own photos which you can upload from your phone using LG's ThinQ app. Press again and the screen will turn off.
The days of televisions sitting in a corner getting dusty are long gone. When they look as good as the LG C2 OLED Evos do, then you may as well highlight it with your own images.
My favourite picture taken in Glasgow on an overseas trip looked amazing - and had me remembering exactly how I felt when it was taken.
Trying out televisions is one of the biggest joys of writing about technology - I seriously doubt whether I'll experience a better looking or more convenient television than LG's new range this year. Believe me, you won't be disappointed either.
This article was created for LG.
