LG OLED TVs just got an important fix — what you need to know
The LG C2 OLED TV is the best TV we’ve ever reviewed. It comes loaded with features and is a great option for anyone. Unfortunately, it has also has a bit of a bug when it comes to the OLED TV’s auto-dimming feature.
Thankfully, LG seems to be fixing this now. As reported by FlatpanelsHD and spotted on Reddit, LG firmware update 3.33.65 is rolling out globally and fixes a bug with auto-dimming that causes dark scenes on movies like Dune and many others to become way too dark. Reddit users are already reporting that the fix is live on their TVs and — in the case of Dune — there's already a noticeable improvement.
This firmware update is available for the LG C2 OLED and LG G2 OLED TV, as well as the LG CS OLED TV, which is a hybrid TV that takes elements of the LG C2 OLED and the LG C1 OLED TVs. However, only the C2 and G2 OLED TVs are reportedly getting the auto-dimming fix — the LG CS OLED, LG B2 OLED TV and LG A2 OLED TV do not get this fix.
The LG C3 OLED already got a fix back in March 2023 along with the LG G3 OLED TV.
What is auto-dimming and why is it causing an issue on LG OLED TVs?
Auto-dimming is a feature that allows OLED TVs to automatically adjust the brightness on a picture. This has its benefits, primarily preventing OLED burn-in and reducing power consumption. However, it can often make scenes too dark — particularly dark scenes where there is little on screen movement.
This is the issue in particular with the LG OLED TVs, though OLED TVs from Sony have also needed a fix to reduce unwanted auto-dimming. The type of auto-dimming that causes this issue in LG OLED TVs is referred to as Auto Static Brightness Limiter, or ASBL. It uses an algorithm to detech when there is movement on the screen. In theory, when the content on the screen is static, ASBL kicks in and reduces the brightness to reduce burn-in risk.
Unfortunately, LG’s algorithm is particularly aggressive and would trigger even in instances where dark scenes in movies and games would extend to the point that the algorithm classified them as static content and reduced brightness at the wrong time.
Hopefully, this is now fixed, at least for the mid-tier and top-tier LG OLED TVs from the past two years. Aggressive ASBL has been one of our biggest complaints about LG OLEDs, to the point where we even wrote about an auto-dimming workaround that uses a third-party remote to get into the service menu of the TV to reduce auto-dimming.
Unfortunately, this workaround also put you at risk of voiding your warranty. So its a massive upgrade that these LG OLED TVs are not getting a fix from LG directly. Hopefully, the older and lower-tier OLED TVs get a similar fix soon.
