HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was Very Good, overall. Reproduction of fine HD image detail was Excellent. Color accuracy was Excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Very Good contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—gave images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels were OK and maintained some contrast in darker scenes, but they fell short of the better TVs. LG's full array "LED Local Dimming" feature didn't help much. Image brightness was Good (with the backlight control turned up), making it a suitable choice for all but the sunniest rooms. There was notable display non-uniformity in our test sample—it appeared as brighter cloudy areas which were most visible on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie)—the severity can vary from model to model. Its reproduction of smooth edges on image content for "up-converted" HD-to-UHD images was generally Excellent and free of "jaggies" (jagged edges); deinterlacing of 1080i video was Excellent; and film mode detection from 1080i content was generally Very Good.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. Overall 4K UHD picture quality was Very Good, overall. In our UHD testing, we played native-4K movies and test videos (non HDR) thru the TV's HDMI input, and found their image detail was all there. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performed similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance had very limited effectiveness. In our tests, the display did not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on our HDR content. It revealed somewhat-limited contrast between the moderately bright and very bright highlights, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, were much dimmer than expected.
VIEWING ANGLE. This LG model has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide fairly consistent picture quality, with fewer problems than most TVs, for typical viewing conditions—say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides. Our examination at various viewing angles indicated reasonably good consistency. In our tests, the picture did show moderate dimming from the sides. With dark scenes this model doesn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels varied depending on our vertical position. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brightened significantly. Halo effects around objects in darker scenes (a side effect of the local dimming feature) also become more prominent at off angles.
MOTION BLUR. In our motion tests, this LG TV had Very Good motion performance, with minimal blurring thanks to LG's "TruMotion." This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most displays. Although this TV also includes a "Motion Pro" setting that we found was slightly effective at reducing motion blur, it limited the brightness of the image and added some flicker to the picture so we left the feature off.
SOUND QUALITY. We got Very Good sound quality, better than most models we've tested. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it can to deliver a satisfying listening experience. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequencies) was moderately deep and provided some sense of fullness but lacked some definition. Treble (high frequencies) was satisfactory. The overall sound was a bit thin and closed in. This TV should be OK if the room isn't too noisy—we found the speakers could produce a Good volume level and without obvious distortion. Also, at higher volume, its dynamic-compression feature prevented gross distortion, but it slightly reduced the clarity and naturalness of loud peaks. Unlike most of our tested models its sound should satisfy the more discerning listeners, so give this a listen before opting for an external sound bar.
EASE OF USE. Consider the TV's stand is 49 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on. On first power up, an on-screen guide appeared—which you could choose to follow when setting up the TV. The remote controls the TV via an RF signal and doesn't need to be pointed at the TV. It's a motion-control point-and-click design that you wave around in order to navigate the menus. It has a full number keypad for entering channel numbers. It has a scroll wheel for quickly navigating through a menu. It includes all the buttons we typically expect: power, channel up/down, volume control, mute, source input, menu, and exit. The remote has a microphone for accessing a built-in voice assistant feature. It also has dedicated buttons for streaming Netflix and Prime Video.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides internet functionality via its "WebOS" portal, with access to a library of applications from the LG Content Store, and a full web browser. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney and Apple TV. More so, Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney and Apple TV can be streamed in 4K UHD. Includes built-in Google Assistant and Alexa virtual assistants, which allow you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming by talking to the remote. Claimed support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Homekit.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs (one supports eARC, enhanced audio return channel). It also has three USB ports, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; DLNA, to access files within your home network; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV; and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV. Analog video, one composite with stereo audio, is made via a special breakout cable adapter (included) that attaches to the TV as a single plug.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. You get with this TV: a printed user manual, a quick start guide, an electronic user guide via the TV's menu, a remote control with batteries, breakout cable adapters (one composite with stereo audio), and a detachable power cord.
ABOUT UHD TESTING: Ultra-high definition "UHD" can refer to both the TV and program content. While the UHD industry standard includes 4K and 8K, most UHD TVs and UHD content at this time are 4K. A 4K UHD image is presented as 3840 x 2160 pixels—four times the pixel-count of HD. We test UHD TV picture quality using 4K UHD movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We examine the TV's ability to reproduce 4K UHD image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR)—for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a UHD movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, and from files stored on USB flash drive. We also check how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
