I spent a day in LG's Smart Cottage — is this the future of smart homes?
My sincere thanks to the former owner of my apartment for making that executive decision; your glossy, textured ceiling is the last thing I see before I go to sleep every night.
But recently, I was whisked away to South Korea by LG, and given the opportunity to see how smart homes really can be. LG's Smart Cottage is compact, streamlined, and... well, smart, from head to toe.
The Smart Cottage conjured up a vision of living off the grid, surrounded by the luxuries of LG's ThinQ-enabled appliances. They practically had to drag me out of the tiny house and back to Incheon airport.
I saw LG's Mono+, a single-story smart home measuring 10 meters wide, 3.3 meters deep and 4 meters tall. Its total size is 26.6 meters squared, and it makes the most of every inch.
LG already uses its Smart Cottage modular housing in its retreat in Gangwon Province, where employees can attend workshops and training events surrounded by LG appliances.
The cottage uses IoT devices, including smart locks, smart lights, CCTV, and motorized blinds to manage the home both remotely and on-site using the ThinQ app.
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My parents own an RV, and while it's ideal for going remote for a week at a time, it's not built for home comforts.
While the Smart Cottage isn't portable, it's ideal for setting down in a beauty spot and either renting out as a holiday space, or using as your own smart home haven.
The ThinQ app can also be used to control several LG appliances, including LG's WashTower Compact (which stacks a washer and dryer in one efficient machine) and the brand's ThinQ InstaView refrigerator.
The refrigerator allows you to knock on the door to see what's inside, and you can even change the color of the lights to match the mood of your music or decor.
We love an induction cooktop at Tom's Guide, so I was happy to see one in pride of place along the Smart Cottage's kitchen counters.
As someone who truly believes the kitchen is the heart of any home, I was impressed that the cooking space felt both space-efficient and generous without intruding too much on the living space in the cottage.
In the corner, there's a luxurious LG StandbyME television and a couch that comes with convertible cushions to also be used as a bed. And there's also a conveniently-placed air purifier next to the bed to keep your space free of the VOCs created in close proximity to the kitchen.
And while there wasn't much in the way of smart tech inside the bathroom, I did note that it was significantly nicer and larger than the one in my own apartment in London. Seriously, when can I move in?
While LG is working on plans to bring the Smart Cottage to the US and European markets (I'll be refreshing the page awaiting more information), it's currently being sold as a B2B offering in South Korea.
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Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
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Digital Trends
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You Asked: Large OLED vs. Huge QLED? Biggest QD-OLED TVs?
On today's episode of You Asked: Is there ever a reason to not get the best OLED panel available? How much of an upgrade is the LG G5 over the G2? And is a 77-inch OLED enough, or do you need to go even bigger? Always buy the best OLED panel tech? @Kami84 says: You'd be a fool to buy anything other than QD-OLED or the new Tandem RGB OLED from LG due to the superior colors. Why buy old W-OLED technology when there's way better tech available, unless it's really cheap? Hey, I hear you loud and clear. As someone who's into cameras, I debate the same things. Why not go for what's future proof? But there are a number of reasons when it comes to TVs. One — and you touched on this — is price. At 65 inches, a lot of QD-OLED panels cost more than some people want to spend, especially if you're looking at the latest and greatest from Sony, LG, and Samsung. The Sony Bravia 8 Mark 2: $4,000 The Samsung S95F: $3,300 LG's G5: $3,400. Obviously, they can be a little less than that if they're on sale, but the point is, that's quite a bit of money for a lot of people. Even Sony's 2023 model, the Sony A95L, which has been on sale for a while, is still $2,900. Then there's size, which, believe it or not, gets overlooked. Once you go up from 55 or 65 inches, things get really expensive — easily north of four grand. Also, a number of TVs' best panels aren't offered in every size. Sony's QD-OLEDs are only sold up to a certain size. You can't get the Bravia 8 Mark 2 above 65 inches. The A95L only goes up to 77 inches. The same goes for Samsung. Their S95F and S90F only have the QD-OLED panels at 55, 65, or 77 inches. So if you wanted anything larger than that, guess what? W-OLED is the only option you've got — unless you go to LG. You can get their G5 at 83 inches with its Tandem RGB OLED panel for $6,500. See where I'm going here? If the 'lesser' OLED models weren't selling, they wouldn't be manufactured. There's clearly a market for them. LG's done really well in this department, offering the more budget-friendly B-series, the brighter but still mostly affordable C-series, and the high-end G-series with their best tech. Plus, if you're not looking at a W-OLED TV side-by-side with one of the better panels you mentioned, I'd argue that 99 percent of people — probably anyone but TV reviewers and hardcore enthusiasts — would say, 'That's a great looking TV.' I'd love to sit here and tell you that I'm filming this in 8K on a $6,500 Sony A1 flagship camera, but I'm not. It's 4K on an A7IV that costs about a third of the price. And we're doing OK. LG G2 vs G5: Is It a Big Upgrade? @luisd7636 asks: I have an LG G2. I wonder how much of an improvement the LG G5 would be. I haven't seen it on display yet. Luis, the difference between the G2 from 2022 and the LG G5 is significant. To start, LG's upscaling and processing has come a long way. Even with our review of the G4, we noted how close it was to catching up to Sony in that department. The G5 and its new Tandem RGB OLED panel mentioned in the last question raise it to another level in terms of brightness and color vibrance. Usually, you don't see a huge difference from one year to the next, but it is visible when you put the G4 next to the G5. And considering how much brighter that G4 is compared to its predecessors, I think you'd see the upgrade right away. All that to say, the G5 is a big step up. If you're interested, it's worth going to check one out locally if you can. Size Limitations of QD-OLED Panels @balajiraokj asks: My mind is set for Sony, but still debating others. Let me know what is best for an 85-inch QD-OLED TV. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but if you were paying attention earlier, the largest QD-OLED TV available right now is 77 inches. You have a few options between Sony and Samsung. If you're leaning toward Sony, check out the A95L. If you want to go with an OLED bigger than 77 inches, you could go with LG's 83-inch G5, which has their new Tandem RGB panel. That's some of the best OLED color goodness you'll get at that size, and it'll cost you $6,500 at full price. For a little less, if you don't mind W-OLED, the 83-inch LG C5 will save you about $1,000, maybe more. So ask yourself what means more: a few more inches in size, or having the brightest, most colorful panel. For what it's worth, I think most OLEDs, especially the ones mentioned in this segment, are going to look outstanding in an 83-inch size, even if they're not QD-OLED. 77″ OLED vs 100″ Hisense Mini LED @Echoed_Empires asks: 77-inch LG OLED C5 or 100-inch Hisense? To be honest, I'm fine with the QLED quality of the 100-inch since it gives me that cinema experience. Yeah, the LG kills it, and it's fantastic. But guys, how good do you want the picture to be? It's ridiculous — a normal Hisense in 4K is awesome, and at 100 inches, the same price. I'm really thinking about it, but can't decide. What's your pick? That is a tough one, and there's a lot to consider. One of the themes of this episode, and one of my favorite questions last week, has kind of been: when is good good enough? OLED is special in terms of picture quality and contrast. At 77 inches, everything you watch on it is going to be gorgeous. But 100 inches is also special. Everything you watch on that is going to feel larger than life. For movies and shows, you'll get the theater experience every time, especially if you pair it with a nice audio system. Plus, the 100-inch U8 isn't just your run-of-the-mill big 4K TV. It's a Mini LED TV with full array local dimming. So it's no slouch, even compared to OLED. That said, here are my reservations. Having dealt with a few massive TVs last year, TCL's 115-inch QM891G and Hisense's 110-inch UX, you really need a plan and space for where you're going to put it. It's probably best in a dedicated theater room because it's going to dominate whatever wall you place it on. Moving them isn't simple. Second, there is the difference in picture quality. You will get a cleaner look with more contrast from the C5. While the U8 is great, things like highlight blooming that come off as minimal on a 65-inch TV will be more noticeable on a significantly larger unit. Anything and everything gets magnified on TVs that big. But if it's size you're after and that massive picture gives you the most enjoyment, go for it. Also, I think the Hisense would be brighter. Weigh that into your decision as well. If you're in a room that gets a lot of sun or has a lot of ambient light, consider the Mini LED option. Personally, my pick would be the 77-inch C5. I want that OLED image quality, and 77 inches is plenty. Any smaller than that, and I'd be tempted to go with the extra-large Hisense instead. Either way, I think you're in for a good time.
