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[Hardware Unboxed] Bribes & Manipulation: LG Wants to Control Our Editorial Direction

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Hardware Unboxed are such a great fucking channel.

In the comments LG have reached out and promised to backpedal and other review sites are saying they were also propositioned in this way.

Big tech will always try this, but most reviewers won’t have the backbone or moral compass to say ‘fuck off’.

Yeah it's one of the best channels out there, and they are big enough to not sell their souls to the devil! Linus is just whoring for whomever pays more.
 

jigglet

Banned
Here's my LG experience: I bought their top gaming monitor in 2018. I had to return it FOUR times cause of dead pixels. The final one I settled on had a crooked bezel. Great tech, horrible quality control.
 

hybrid_birth

Gold Member
LG OLED TV Owners:

Will Ferrell Reaction GIF
 

Trogdor1123

Gold Member
I have an actual good story about lg support. I bought an lg fridge 6-7 years ago just the other day the compressor failed. Well, that's a $500 touch plus labor. Lg has a program called "one cost" or something for $249 bucks and they really recommended it to me. Gave me another year of warranty too. Saved me a ton of money.

So, support is good at least.
 

Kuranghi

Member
This is similar to Samsungs QLED 4K flagship models never getting a score under 4/5, mostly 4.5+ on Whathifi and its ilk.

You read the actual review text and its full of issues and clever wording to diminish problems vs OLED - ie "The blacks are basically as good as an OLED now"... repeated for the 4th year in a row lol and its bollocks ofc since its more about per pixel dimming than what the black level is on an ANSI checkerboard test pattern - meanwhile the website is plastered with Samsung ads 🤦‍♂️

Sonys get reviewed and have barely any downsides in the whole review and they give it 3.5-4/5 :messenger_tears_of_joy: No bias detected. It might seem like "who cares about Which? and whathifi", but when I was working it was a pita since thats where tons of middle age men get their information. If they had a Which? magazine in their hands I just pointed them to the model they asked about (70% of the time an LG, 30% Samsung) and told them its amazing to get them out of the shop as quickly as possible before my boss visited and tried to get me to convert the sale.

Which was an absolute waste of time, they literally wouldn't buy a TV that wasn't listed in the magazine. The best was they would say "Its Sony really expensive though" after I had already showed them a Sony model that beat the Samsung in 9 out of the 10 areas (and the 1/10 only matters to nerds like me ha) that applied to them AND was like £500 cheaper. Even after literal side-by-side comparisons where it smashed the competition I'd get:

"Well if its that much cheaper it can't be as good surely"

giphy.gif
 

waxer

Member
This is similar to Samsungs QLED 4K flagship models never getting a score under 4/5, mostly 4.5+ on Whathifi and its ilk.

You read the actual review text and its full of issues and clever wording to diminish problems vs OLED - ie "The blacks are basically as good as an OLED now"... repeated for the 4th year in a row lol and its bollocks ofc since its more about per pixel dimming than what the black level is on an ANSI checkerboard test pattern - meanwhile the website is plastered with Samsung ads 🤦‍♂️

Sonys get reviewed and have barely any downsides in the whole review and they give it 3.5-4/5 :messenger_tears_of_joy: No bias detected. It might seem like "who cares about Which? and whathifi", but when I was working it was a pita since thats where tons of middle age men get their information. If they had a Which? magazine in their hands I just pointed them to the model they asked about (70% of the time an LG, 30% Samsung) and told them its amazing to get them out of the shop as quickly as possible before my boss visited and tried to get me to convert the sale.

Which was an absolute waste of time, they literally wouldn't buy a TV that wasn't listed in the magazine. The best was they would say "Its Sony really expensive though" after I had already showed them a Sony model that beat the Samsung in 9 out of the 10 areas (and the 1/10 only matters to nerds like me ha) that applied to them AND was like £500 cheaper. Even after literal side-by-side comparisons where it smashed the competition I'd get:

"Well if its that much cheaper it can't be as good surely"

giphy.gif
I remember having opposite problem in 720 days. Ask specifically for tv I wanted based off forums etc by Sony and went through 3 staff trying to buy. Each time I say I want it they tried to push all sorts of crap my way. I even stated not interested I just want this TV and do they have one.

I had given up and was going to go somewhere else but another staff member noticed my annoyance and asked to help.
 

Phase

Member
I'm currently looking at getting an LG 34GP83A-B ultrawide monitor.

This video has me looking at alternatives. I make a lot of decisions based on a company's practices. If their practices suck, I don't give them money.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
I'm currently looking at getting an LG 34GP83A-B ultrawide monitor.

This video has me looking at alternatives. I make a lot of decisions based on a company's practices. If their practices suck, I don't give them money.
why do you care? It' a fucking company.
They can starve child workers and kill their pet rabbits for all I care.
End product is what matters and LG monitors and TVs are good.

And as a company practice? Still way better than Dell. The scum.
 

Phase

Member
why do you care? It' a fucking company.
They can starve child workers and kill their pet rabbits for all I care.
End product is what matters and LG monitors and TVs are good.

And as a company practice? Still way better than Dell. The scum.
Because I care about shitty practices. I buy mostly local to support my community. For most things there are alternatives. If there aren't, so be it.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Because I care about shitty practices. I buy mostly local to support my community. For most things there are alternatives. If there aren't, so be it.
I understand but it's a wasted effort.
Remember - the most important person for you... IS YOU. Make yourself happy. If You try to make the world happy... well, you know.
 
To be fair, if any product reviewers want no pressure from the company giving them free product early to review, then don't take it.

Wait till the product comes to market and buy it yourself and review it how you want.
Yeah, but the problem is that these guidelines weren't communicated in advance. LG gave them the product, then came up with the embargo (also without prior consent) and then they added those guidelines.

They took the time to review it and then the company asks to follow the guidelines.

Anyway, I think the same as you and the guy in the video also says they'll wait for the product to be available so they can buy it and be safe to upload the review.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Yeah, but the problem is that these guidelines weren't communicated in advance. LG gave them the product, then came up with the embargo (also without prior consent) and then they added those guidelines.

They took the time to review it and then the company asks to follow the guidelines.

Anyway, I think the same as you and the guy in the video also says they'll wait for the product to be available so they can buy it and be safe to upload the review.
I didn't watch the video, so if LG is trying to cram in policies retroactively after reviews are done, then I agree with the reviewer. Corporate big wigs cant cherry pick how they want. Guidelines up front or shut up.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
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Reactions: GHG

Kenpachii

Member
They buy the hardware themselves when it comes to screens? or is it another pretend to be not be on a payroll type of reviews from them?
 
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GHG

Member
Actually those are the most expensive on Earth, known as Crystal LED (CLED). And yes, superior to OLED on every level.


And for more realistic ones, starting from $8,000:


Or the older one that still priced at $60K:


Think ill stick with OLED for the foreseeable future.

Imagine dropping house and car money on a TV.
 

mitchman

Gold Member
Yeah it's one of the best channels out there, and they are big enough to not sell their souls to the devil! Linus is just whoring for whomever pays more.
No he's not, promotional content is not a review and is marked as promotional content. This is not the same as a paid review. Watch his wan show clip about this very issue.
 
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Traianvs

Member
I guess things like that happens on a daily basis, it's just that most reviewers decide to comply and take the money. But don't forget to like and subscribe!

So, good on them for asking LG to gently fuck off. I like my reviews unbiased, thanks
 
My LG 77C9 gives me pop-ups out the wazoo.
Needing to acknowledge these pop-ups before they go away, is the most infuriating thing ever.

But picture quality I cannot complain about.
 
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PerfectDark

Banned
I would never buy a LG monitor. As a gamer I don't consider LG good at making monitors.

I did buy a LG C1 48". It too awesome to hate on LG.
 

Kuranghi

Member
Bruh I'm not spending 60 grand on a tv are you out of your mind

Eh, I'm talking about the Sony ZD9 or Samsung Q9FN/Q90R, both of which are available in 65"+ and 55"+ respectively.

I'm not trying to do a gotcha, ofc its your preference. It would be pretty hypocritical to say LCD isn't worth looking at vs. OLED when you haven't even experienced the best LCD has to offer.

Any LCD set with less dimming zones and/or a poor backlight system isn't comparable to OLED dimming, because it breaks down in most HDR scenes. There are plenty of really nice 4K FALD LCD sets from the last few years but the brightness difference isn't enough to make a massive difference over 600-900 nit OLEDs imo.

Obviously even if I did have a ZG9 I wouldn't compare it to an OLED because the price comparison is extremely unfair as you say.

BTW, Kuranghi Kuranghi has the Z9G.:lollipop_downcast_sweat:

I wish, I have a ZD9 and an AF9.

Although, my friend just got a 85" ZG9 on clearance for less than FUCKING £800. The bastard :messenger_tears_of_joy:

hl0CdTS.jpg


Its the result of Covid shutting down the shop and the way the clearance system works for display units.

We are having a party to christen it soon, can't wait to see what a ~3000-nit presentation/highlights look like. Dolby Vision showpiece!
 
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