Gaming TV: LG's OLED TVs feature NVIDIA G-Sync

OLED is considered to be the best display technology currently available in the mobile and TV industry. In large format, most OLED panels come from the factories of LG Displays. While OLED TVs were previously aimed primarily at movie and series fans due to their high prices, LG is now turning its attention to the gaming community: Two of its 2019 OLED TVs will be updated in a few weeks and will now feature NVDIA G-Sync, according to the official release.

Then there are the extremely low input lags for televisions, according to Rtings.com they would be just 13.1 milliseconds for UHD quality, HDR enabled at 60 Hz - 7.1 milliseconds even for HD format. LG therefore seems to be offering the best large screens for gamers, which are also ideal for watching films and series.

Variable refresh rates

Supported models include LG's OLED C9 and OLED E9. Although neither model is equipped with G-Sync hardware, the South Korean manufacturer has worked closely with NVIDIA to test the G-Sync compatibility of both models and obtain certification.

TV

LG OLED65C9

65", OLED, 4K, 2019

76

TV

LG OLED65E9

1.65", OLED, 4K, 2019

26

See all NVIDIA G-Sync compatible OLED TVs here.

But what is G-Sync actually for? Put simply, G-Sync synchronises the frame rate generated by the graphics processor with that of the screen. If, even with 60 FPS, you notice jerking or tearing when you play, G-Sync can help you solve this problem.

PCs equipped with NVIDIA graphics cards can therefore generate a smooth, streak-free image with a variable frame rate of up to 120 Hz on the corresponding OLED TVs.

The question arises as to what hardware is required for PCs to support G-Sync on OLED TVs. Typically, PCs use DisplayPort for variable refresh rates. Matt Wuebbling, GeForce Marketing Director said: "We are pleased to offer G-Sync support for LG 2019 OLED TVs and variable HDMI refresh rate support for our GeForce RTX 20 series GPUs."

It appears that variable refresh rates via HDMI will be limited to NVIDIA's latest generation of RTXs. The press release doesn't say exactly how this works.

What about burning?

Gamers, will rightly wonder about the risk of burn-in. OLED screens can indeed present burn-in problems, i.e. OLED pixels that emit less light than the surrounding pixels. Some pixels can actually lose their brightness more quickly than others due to excessive use. Unbalanced ageing, so to speak. You see them on the screen as little darker dots that don't disappear when you change programmes.

For those who play a lot, it could be the life bar, the ammo display or the mini-map, which remain on the screen for hours on end always in the same place and therefore cause some pixels to age prematurely. Although OLED TV manufacturers provide for special processes such as "pixel refresh" (automatic renewal of OLED pixels in standby mode), it is still difficult to assess whether these processes are sufficient for long gaming sessions.

I asked the question, but unfortunately have not yet received an answer regarding burn-in from LG Switzerland. I'll keep you posted, of course.