LG reimagines the TV

It’s seldom that a smart TV is smart beyond its apps, but LG’s latest QNED range changes this. We were extremely impressed with the overhaul of the many webOS features, that have become far easier to use and make the TV experience more natural.

Out of the box, it’s a stunning low-bezel screen that outputs vibrant colours. Plugging it in provides a QR code for users to get started with the LG ThinQ app, which works on Android and iOS. This enables set-up from the smartphone, and not via the TV remote, which is extremely welcome when typing in long Wi-Fi passwords and signing into streaming services.

One wouldn’t need an external device to enable streaming apps, since it supports all the big streaming services directly from the TV. However, when we plugged in an Apple TV, it was automatically recognised and named accordingly. It recognised many other items: a PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. The best part about this: no more guessing which device is plugged into what HDMI port.

Being geared for gaming and video entertainment, it features two HDR-ready 120Hz 4K HDMI ports, with two more 60Hz 4K HDMI ports. In our configuration, the Apple TV and Xbox Series X went into the former, while the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 went into the latter. Gaming Optimiser, its feature for gaming, shines with the ability to support 4K at 120Hz, alongside variable refresh rate (VRR) to ensure virtually no tearing during gameplay.

LG has an official partnership with Xbox, so this is the TV to get if you have a new Xbox. This made the gaming experience feel the best we’ve ever experienced from a TV. It doesn’t stop at consoles, though. Computers connected to the TV will get the same experience, since it supports AMD FreeSync Premium.

The colour produced by QNED is fantastic. It is a combination of Quantum Dot and NanoCell technology, providing the best of OLED’s colour reproduction and exceptional contrast levels. HDR support makes watching HDR content feel cinematic. For those wanting to try it, this type of content is abundant with Apple TV+ shows.

One small criticism is that motion smoothing is on by default, making many scenes feel too smooth, so users will have to manually turn it off in favour of a more natural mode or Filmmaker Mode (for supported content). 

While the down-firing internal sound of the TV is good, a soundbar always makes a huge difference. The TV supports HDMI eARC and ARC (audio return channel) as well as optical out. These two options enable audio output, with the former providing the option to control the soundbar with the TV’s remote. For our test, we used a Denon Soundbar and it was a plug ‘n play experience, so users who already have a soundbar need not rush out to buy new equipment.

This TV is also future-proofed: it supports 10-bit 4K content encoded in AV1, which is the standard to which Netflix and a cohort of streaming services are trying to get the market to move. When this type of content is released, owners will experience a faster streaming experience because the files streamed to the TV will be smaller.

For more information on the TV, visit: https://www.lg.com/za/smart-tv/lg-65qned806qa