It was three years ago when Korean tech giant LG Electronics first introduced its novel “wallpaper” OLED HDTV—and it eventually became a blueprint for future designs of this particular model.

Today, it is known as the GX Gallery Series, and what strikes you at first glance is that it really oozes that high-end premium look and design that few other companies can match.

And best of all, it’s relatively affordable now, as the sixty-five-inch model can be had for $2,800 at Best Buy, a savings of $400 off the regular price tag.

Sure, this price point is still too rich for many budget-conscious consumers out there, but you can take comfort in knowing that you will be on the receiving end of all the enhanced picture goodness that OLED panels are known for—fantastic picture quality, accurate colors, wide-angle viewing, deepest true blacks, and inimitable uniformity and contrast ratio.

As for the GX, it’s on the design front that really takes your breath away. It was difficult to imagine how LG’s engineers and designers could top the 2017 model, but that is exactly what they accomplished here. 

“Like all great designs, the design of the GX Gallery Series feels completely natural and entirely unforced,” LG Electronics’ senior design researcher Kim Hyung-won said in a news release.  

“Yet, arriving at the finished product wasn’t at all easy.” 

Mounting this beauty on your wall—which could easily pass for chic artwork if it’s showing a modern painting—will bring about instant sophistication and improved spatial integration to all TV-viewing rooms.

The GX somehow fits all of the necessary processing components, connections, and speakers into its ultra-thin body, and as it tightly hugs the wall, it really does look stunning. To keep it even more clean-cut, the set doesn’t necessarily need a separate soundbar, but of course, you’re free to get one if you desire that extra thumping bass for music and family movie nights.

This next-generation design would not have been possible without the much-vaunted OLED technology, which taps into self-emissive pixels that jettison the need for backlighting that’s generally seen on LCD-based TVs, including Samsung’s highly regarded QLED lineup. Without this backlight, OLED sets can be designed slimmer—often thinner than many smartphones out there—and are more environmentally friendly because they consume less energy.

LG’s keen eye for design and hard work have indeed paid off—as the sixty-five-inch GX Gallery Series captured the “Best of the Best” title at this year’s Red Dot Design Awards and the top honors at the iF Design Award 2020. 

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.  

Image: Reuters