HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is very good, just shy of excellent. Color accuracy is very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Lack of contrast gives images a somewhat flatter appearance with little depth. Depth of black level is below average, with darker scenes in particular looking hazy, with little contrast. Image brightness is only fair, dimmer than most even with the backlight turned up, and is not the best choice for a bright room. 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. Film mode operation for HD film-based content is excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing is very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. Though this TV supports the playback of HDR content, its HDR performance is ineffective and lacks the enhancements in image quality expected from this capability. The display does not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on content mastered for HDR. The contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene is fine but the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are too dim.
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.
MOTION BLUR. This LG TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SOUND QUALITY. This model's sound quality falls short with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass is lacking but treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is on the bright side and a bit thin and closed in. The volume from its speakers is limited—just adequate for a smaller, quiet listening environment, but quality does degrade at the highest settings. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression keeps the sound from distorting but also limits the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be a bit distracting on some audio content. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system—but if this smaller-screen set is a secondary TV, you might find its sound quality acceptable.
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. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Consider the TV's stand is 26 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. Support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has two HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time). It also has one USB port, 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.
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. A detachable power cord.
