Expert review of the LG OLED B3

I directly notice how clear and vibrant the image of the LG B3 is, even in the brightly-lit showroom of LG. I tested the 55-inch version of the B3 for this review. Here, it hangs on the wall. When you order the TV, it includes a stylish stand. The sturdy, steel stand is located on the bottom in the center of the screen.

Even though the B3 doesn't have an extra bright OLED Evo screen, I still think the TV has a relatively high brightness. This makes bright colors look bright. On an image with different colors of paint, bright green, deep red, and bright yellow are all just as clear. Because the TV has an HDR screen, it also displays all the subtle color details. For example, I clearly see various shades of colors going from green to red in the paint. This makes these colorful images look very realistic.

Even when the image isn't as colorful but really dark, the image still looks very realistic. The OLED screen contains millions of pixels that dim individually when the image is black. This makes black really black. On an image with colorful paint against a deep black background, I see a clear separation between the foreground and background. There's no gray glare around the bright paint.

Because the pixels are located close to the screen surface with an OLED screen, these TVs always have an excellent viewing angle. Even when I sit at a wide angle in front of the B3, I see that the contrast and color representation hardly get any worse. I'm also not bothered by reflections on the screen. Unless I point lights directly towards the screen, I hardly notice reflections. This means you can even watch a thrilling series in a brightly-lit room.

The LG B3 has 2 built-in speakers and no subwoofer. When I watch images of falling rain drops, I hear clear tones of the rain. Yet, this clear sound doesn't sound very spacious, because the 2 speakers don't fill the entire room. I also barely hear the bass during action scenes in a thrilling movie, for example. That's why I'd recommend an external soundbar with the LG B3. With a soundbar, the sound is more room-filling and you'll clearly hear the bass as well.

OLED screens are very thin, because the TV doesn't need backlight. That's why the screen of the B3 isn't even 1cm deep. The TV looks sleek and minimalist thanks to this. Of course, the B3 still needs to have room for connectors. On the back, I find a smaller, plastic casing for the connectors. As a result, the TV doesn't hang tightly against the wall if you use a wall mount.

The Magic Remote by LG is a remote that works with simple hand gestures. When I grab the remote, a cursor appears on the screen. I easily move this around when I point the Magic Remote at the screen. This allows me to navigate through the menus quickly. Even though I have to get used to this, it's fast and efficient. I can find the right settings or my favorite streaming app in no time.

The new webOS smart menu doesn't look any different, but it does have some new functions. In this screen-filling menu, I see categories based on type of use. For example, I can easily open a gaming menu that shows me all the gaming settings. The home screen displays streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. I notice that the menu responds quickly and smoothly, so I can easily start a new app.