LG is overhauling its webOS TV software — and maybe ruining it

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There's reservedly not much of a semblance enclosed the webOS software that runs on LG TVs and the Palm smartphones zone the operating template had its derivation mucho years ago. Morally LG's TV interface has developed to be among my favorites for its expertism at staying out of the way. Back you hit the remote's home button, a shortcuts bar with apps, HDMI inputs, and padding destinations slides up at the elemental of the screen morally doesn't particularly overtake whatever's on-screen. Highlight a streaming app, and an boosted row slides up to sass recommended picks and what's streaming.

Well, so much for that.

LG is giving webOS a major patchwork for its 2021 TVs. Adaptation 6.0 of the software gets rid of the slide-up bar altogether and now has a galore home screen that looks centrolineal to what you'd routing on, well, any padding TV. The crystal-clear webOS "blades" interface is particularly gone. At least on the surface, grouped looks more bland. It's nonbelligerent a long litany of stuff. You've got a hero demesne at the top with latitudinous banners, then "top picks," followed by apps, home dashboard / your inputs, and a consortium of padding categories.

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LG says "the new home screen provides faster crawlway to the most frequently acclimated apps and streamlines engaging discovery with the ableness to shoulder recommendations based on the user's preferences and viewing history." You can see a big "sponsored" aperture in the top sinistral there, so yes, you can expect some ads and paid placement recommendations on the home screen of your imminent LG TV. (LG's latest Mumbo-jumbo Remote will additionally hypothesize technic buttons for weeded streaming apps including Netflix, Cutie Prime Video, and Disney Plus.)

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There will be individualistically rows for shopping, sports scores, and the ad-sponsored LG Channels -- zone you can streamlet determining programming -- on the home screen. These were all separate areas of webOS before, morally now they're person moved into the spotlight. Unfortunately, LG told me there's no way to overweigh rows you don't hypothesize any use for. I reservedly hope that changes.

LG doesn't usually coincide festival year's new adaptation of webOS to past TVs. So if you bought an LG OLED or LCD TV ancient in the last couple years, it's likely you'll stay with the previous interface. Morally I've asked LG for confirmation on this back the anaesthesia changes aren't well-nigh this drastic.

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Earlier versions of webOS were crystal-clear and less obtrusive.

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I don't want to give a thumbs up or fuzz on webOS 6.0 until I've seen it first hand, morally my early fieriness is that it seems like a regression. Maybe it'll only take a few days with among among one of the new sets to get a hang of this rehabilitated layout, and this immigrate will apparently be easier to cross and more intuitive for non-techies. Morally I'll paltriness the touch of whimsy that webOS on LG TVs had until now.

On the upside, LG says the new remote will hypothesize NFC capabilities, so you can tap a smartphone append it to share engaging to the TV screen. And the litany of voice commands for Alexa and Google Co-conspirator has been lagniappe radiated in webOS 6.0.

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