[Gadgets] LG 48CX 48-inch Ultra-HD HDR Smart OLED TV Review: Compact Size, Great Picture

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Among the types of display panels commonly available for TVs, OLED sits at the top of the hierarchy, thanks to this technology's ability to reproduce excellent colours, contrast, and black levels. Naturally, this also means that OLED TVs are expensive, and so far they have only been commonly available in sizes of 55 inches or more. While a bigger screen definitely makes for a better viewing experience, 55 inches could often be too big for your viewing space, even if you have the budget for an OLED TV. LG's latest launch seeks to cater to that exact requirement.

At 48 inches on the diagonal, the LG 48CX is claimed by the company to be the smallest mainstream OLED TV available in India, and it is officially priced at Rs. 1,99,990. While this might seem a bit expensive given that 55-inch 4K HDR TVs are now routinely available for under Rs. 40,000, the LG 48CX promises the flagship-tier picture and sound quality, and a smaller form factor that might appeal to many buyers. Is this the best not-so-big television you can buy in India? Find out in our review.
lG 48CX OLED TV design and specifications
OLED televisions are typically large and usually very heavy, so it's interesting to see an option that is smaller than what I'm used to. With a 48-inch screen, the LG 48CX is among the smallest OLED TVs you can buy in India right now, but the size doesn't mean that the panel is short on specifications. This is an Ultra-HD HDR OLED display, with a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels and support for the Dolby Vision as well as HDR10 Pro formats for high dynamic range content.
The screen is surrounded by thin borders, and there's a very slim frame towards the top which widens a bit near the bottom of the TV. Interestingly, there isn't an LG logo anywhere on the front, which keeps even the bottom bezel slim and allows for a superior screen-to-body ratio. There is an indicator light at the bottom, and a multi-function button that controls power, source selection, and volume.

This minimalist, screen-focused design suits the size very well, especially given that this is a high-end TV and is significantly smaller than most others in its price segment. At nearly 15kg in weight, the LG 48CX is quite heavy for a TV of its size, and weighs a fair bit more than many budget 55-inch options.

Although officially priced at Rs. 1,99,990, this television should be available at a maximum operating price of around Rs. 1,35,000, as per information from LG. This definitely still puts it at the higher end of the price range for televisions under 50 inches in size, but you're getting the full suite in terms of specifications and features, going beyond just the OLED display panel.
These specifications include Dolby Atmos audio support, 40W of sound output from a 2.2-channel speaker system, Apple AirPlay 2 and Nvidia G-Sync support, Bluetooth connectivity, and the webOS smart TV operating system. Other key features worth noting include LG's alpha-9 Gen 3 AI picture processor, auto low-latency mode (ALLM) with a claimed response time of around 1ms, and a standard refresh rate of 120Hz on all four HDMI ports.

There are plenty of connectivity options on the LG 48CX television, but the port placement is a bit strange, in my opinion. Three of the HDMI ports (all HDMI 2.1, one of which supports ARC) and one USB port face to the left of the screen, but the others all face backwards, which could lead to some wiring issues if you intend to wall-mount the TV. The backwards-facing ports and sockets include two additional USB ports, one additional HDMI port (HDMI 2.1), Component and AV inputs, Optical audio output (Toslink), 3.5mm audio output, Ethernet, and an antenna input.

The LG 48CX has an included one-piece centre-fitted stand for table mounting, which will let you place it on a small table if needed. The TV is compatible with VESA wall mounts (not included in the sales package), and I was able to use one of the standard mounts that I have to wall-mount the TV myself. I would, of course, recommend that you have any TV mounted professionally, and the technician will be able to advise you on whether there will be any additional costs for this at the time of installation.

LG 48CX OLED TV remote and features
Most affordable televisions are quite basic when it comes to features, but the LG 48CX OLED TV does live up to its premium positioning and offers a lot more than just basic smart TV functionality. There are a handful of gaming-focused features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and support for Nvidia G-Sync. There is also support for Apple AirPlay 2 for screen and audio sharing from compatible devices, and Apple HomeKit for IoT home automation. This will come in handy if you have an iPhone or Mac computer, and will let you use the TV as a big screen for these devices. You can also seriously consider using this TV as a monitor for PC gaming or productivity functions.

Usefully, both Google Assistant and Alexa are supported for voice command