HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Black levels can be very good with help from LG's full array "LED Local Dimming" feature, but they are also uneven depending on image content. Local dimming appears effective on the very darkest content, but more often than not the feature does little to improve overall contrast, with images looking a bit hazy. This is among the brightest models we've tested (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a very sunny room. A lower backlight setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is slight display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. The deinterlacing and film mode operations are excellent on HD content; there is little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K UHD picture quality is excellent. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, is presented in full 4K detail with excellent fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performs similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance is generally effective, but short of the best we've seen. The display's high peak brightness capability helps better reproduce the realism of 4K content mastered with HDR. The contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene is excellent, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are slightly low. Dynamic range on dark scenes is limited mostly due to the lack of black level depth. When the feature is actively dimming on the darkest scenes, such as a night time sky, there are obvious halos that surround objects in the image. It does a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail from black to white, with no obvious banding on areas of the image that have subtle shade variations. There is no visible loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brighter colored objects remain nicely saturated.
VIEWING ANGLE. This LG has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide the same 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. The picture does show some dimming from the sides but not to any point we find distracting. With dark scenes this model doesn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels vary depending on the vertical position of the viewer's head. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brighten significantly. Any haloing effects noted earlier also become more prominent.
MOTION BLUR. This LG TV has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests thanks to LG's "TruMotion." This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most displays. Although this TV includes a "Motion Pro" setting that is slightly effective at reducing motion blur it limited the brightness of the image and also added some flicker to the picture, so we left the feature off.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has excellent sound quality, among the best we've tested. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it is able to deliver a top quality listening experience. Bass is deep, providing satisfying fullness to the sound but a bit lacking in clarity, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is a bit closed in. The speakers can play at a fairly loud volume level and without obvious distortion. You can get better quality from a high performing soundbar or separate home theater system but you should give this model a good listen before making that choice.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote has a traditional design with a full number key pad. LG’s Blue-tooth remote allows you to navigate on-screen menus using either a traditional button key pad or a gesture-controlled on screen cursor. Using a point-and-click operation, the cursor’s movement is linked to the motion of your hand and is used to make selections. It includes a built-in microphone to access the voice assistant feature. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Consider the TV's stand is 34 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart TV provides Internet functionality via its "WebOS" portal with access to a library of applications, 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 and Hulu. Includes built-in Google Assistant, a virtual assistant, which allows you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming via the remote's built-in microphone. Support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input. 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. Analog connections are made via a special breakout cable adapter (included) that attaches to the TV as a single plug.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. 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).
