LG recently launched its 2025 LG OLED TV lineup, with new LG G5, LG M5, and LG C5 series models that feature everything from expanded wireless connectivity to an innovative four-stack OLED panel said to deliver a 33% peak and 40% fullscreen brightness increase over 2024’s LG G4 OLED.
We’ve seen the new G5 in action, and its brightness boost is very real. LG has also introduced a slew of new AI-driven features to optimize picture quality based on movie and TV show genres, create custom picture and sound presets based on your interaction with a Wizard, and automatically switch between homescreen profiles (complete with custom picture and sound settings) when the TV detects a specific user’s voice.
LG has clearly gone all-in on AI personalization for its new webOS 25 smart TV interface, but the feature I’m most excited about, and one that I hope to see in more of the best TVs, is decidedly less flashy: Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation.
Filmmaker Mode: What is it?
LG is a longtime supporter of Filmmaker Mode, a picture preset standard created by the UHD Alliance, an industry group consisting of TV manufacturers, film and television studios, content distributors and tech companies.
Filmmaker Mode aims to present movies and TV shows exactly as the director approved them during post-production, something that’s done by eliminating picture enhancements such as motion smoothing and applying accurate color settings (rather than brighter ‘vivid’ settings).
While the intent behind Filmmaker Mode is understandable, in reality, most people don’t watch movies in darkened rooms like those used for post-production, and they may find that selecting Filmmaker Mode on their TV makes pictures look flat and lifeless when viewing in a less-than-dungeon-like environment.
Filmmaker Mode evolved
Fortunately, LG hasn’t left Filmmaker Mode fully alone since it was first released back in 2019. It received a major update in 2024 when the company released new OLED TVs with Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, which applied the benefits of Filmmaker Mode – primarily the elimination of motion processing – to programs with Dolby Vision high dynamic range.
Now, for its 2025 OLED lineup, LG has introduced Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation. Like Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, the new preset was developed with the UHD Alliance, and it addresses the twin evils of motion smoothing and inaccurate color reproduction while adapting pictures for a range of room lighting situations.
Accessible in the TV’s advanced picture settings menu, Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation uses its built-in light sensor to monitor the level of room lighting and adjust picture gamma accordingly. That means deep blacks and shadows get boosted to reveal details that would otherwise be obscured in a brighter viewing environment, while mid-tones and highlights take on a more dynamic and punchy look – all without sacrificing picture accuracy.
Out of the darkness
LG OLED TVs such as the G4 already do a good job maintaining black levels in brighter environments – something I confirmed when I compared premium Samsung and LG OLED TVs side-by-side. And the new LG G5 OLED will not only have a brighter picture than its predecessor, but its screen will have 30% higher reflection resistance, according to the company.
Both those factors will make the G5 a better overall performer, and when combined with the new Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation, also a more flexible and living room-friendly TV, one that allows for daytime viewing of both sports and movies.
I recently had a chance to view the new G5 in action in a bright room, and its handling of dark movie scenes in that environment was impressive, with shadows looking detailed and deep, and highlights maintaining a sufficient level of pop. The new version of Filmmaker Mode was clearly doing its job, and it was a big improvement on the Filmmaker Mode of old.
Filmmaker Mode was a great idea for its time, but TVs have become brighter and people no longer necessarily want to watch movies and TV shows in the dark.
The Martin Scorcese-approved picture preset needed to evolve to keep pace with these changes, and Filmmaker Mode with Ambient Light Compensation appears to be the ticket.
It will take more hands-on experience with the G5 to gauge just how good it is at handling a range of viewing environments, but my initial takeaway from LG’s demo is that the new Filmmaker Mode has what it takes to bring movie viewing out of the darkness.
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al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
