Over the past few years, LG has worked closely with Hollywood filmmakers to develop the ultimate display experience for cinematic viewing. As part of that initiative, the LG OLED Hollywood Roadshow, which debuted last year, made its second appearance in Los Angeles in May.

Held at Picture Shop, a high-profile post-production company on Sunset Boulevard, the event attracted filmmakers, colorists and cinematographers eager to explore how LG’s OLED technology, including the latest LG OLED evo AI G5(Link Embedded) model, translates creative intent to home viewing environments.

“As a cinematographer, I deeply appreciate the boosted brightness and richer, more nuanced blacks of the LG OLED evo AI G5. It’s incredibly satisfying,” cinematographer Rachel Morrison says of the LG OLED evo AI G5, which offers more than three times the peak brightness of standard OLED TVs while maintaining perfect blacks. (LG is the first manufacturer to receive Perfect Black verification from UL Solutions, a global authority in product testing and certification.) LG also earned the highest “perfect” grade from TÜV Rheinland for indoor lighting image quality certification — an evaluation that confirmed the display’s ability to maintain top-tier picture quality not only in dark settings, but also in bright indoor spaces (Certified models: 65-inch M5/G5/C5/B5).

Building on this commitment to consistent image quality across lighting environments, a major result of LG’s collaboration with Hollywood professionals is Ambient Light Compensation, designed to enhance filmmaker-mode accuracy. Since films are typically mastered in dark environments, but viewed in various lighting, this feature automatically adjusts brightness and color to preserve the filmmaker’s vision. The algorithm behind Ambient Light Compensation was designed in collaboration with two Hollywood veterans: colorist John Daro, known for his work on “Kimi” and “Contagion,” and Michael Smith, a technical consultant.

To calibrate HDR tone mapping for different lighting, Daro tested starting from a pitch-dark 5-nit baseline. “The goal was to ensure the image holds up, even in a sunlit room. Viewers shouldn’t have to dim the lights or close the blinds,” he says.

“Light sensors in the TV detect room brightness and the algorithm adjusts luminance accordingly,” Smith explains. “Whether it’s day or night, the content stays faithful to the filmmaker’s intent.”

Colorist Peter Doyle was also impressed. “Ambient Light Compensation is a game changer. It lets viewers experience the subtleties we labor over in a post-production facility, regardless of their lighting environment.”

Ambient Light Compensation Test Room (Photo credit: Variety)

As home viewing becomes the new norm, filmmakers are increasingly interested in display tech that preserves artistic integrity. Below is a recap of conversations with two filmmakers at the LG OLED Hollywood Roadshow.

It was great to see a panel that audiences will use in their own homes — up close and in action. LG OLED handles black levels and reflections impressively. The Ambient Light Compensation feature stood out, especially its responsiveness to lighting changes.

The consistency of its blacks. In the “Harry Potter” series, for instance, many nighttime scenes are lit only by candlelight, with students dressed in black robes. In those cases, it’s no exaggeration to say the entire scene hinges on how black and shadows are rendered. Black isn’t just a background, it’s almost a character of its own. It grounds the frame and reveals nuance in the shadows. If a panel fails to express those subtleties, all the audience sees is a flat mass of darkness. There’s a saying: Everything comes down to black and shadow detail. And with LG OLED, the gradation of black, the softness and depth, is truly impressive.

The LG OLED evo AI G5 immediately stood out with its superior contrast and black levels. I was especially drawn to filmmaker mode, which aligns with how directors and DPs intend their work to be seen. And it disables motion smoothing, which is a nightmare for filmmakers.

In “Black Panther,” the costumes feature layered textures and subtle differences in black tones. That complexity needs to come through without compromising skin tones. Displays like LG OLED preserve richness, detail, and accuracy within the blacks. In “Mudbound,” capturing the contrast between harsh daylight and moonlit nights was essential because I wanted to capture the stark contrast between what it meant to live in the American South as a white person versus a Black person. Without a display that expresses such nuance, much of the film’s meaning could be lost. LG OLED allows viewers to fully experience the world we built.

Peak brightness is 3X brighter than LG OLED B5 @10% window by Internal measurements.
In November 2024, LG’s entire 2025 OLED lineup (based on display modules) received certification from UL (certification number V183632) for achieving black levels below 0.24 nits in environments up to 500 lux. Actual performance may vary depending on viewing conditions
Ready to see movies the way directors intended — with every shadow, color and detail?

This story was edited from an advertorial feature article published on Variety.com by Bae Dongmi with photography by Ha Jin-kyung. This interview was conducted following attendance at the LG Electronics-hosted Hollywood Roadshow event in L.A. (LG OLED evo AI G5 showcase).