65" LG NanoCell 90 Series 4K UHD HDR Smart TV (2021)

I don't need something, I need:
120 Hz
variable refresh rates (VRR)
HDR10+ (High Dynamic Range)
HDMI 2.1

Nope

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/nano90-2021

From Consumer Reports. Scored a 71 out of 100.

The results below are listed in order of their weighted importance to the Overall Score.

HD PICTURE QUALITY
4/ 5
SOUND QUALITY
4/ 5
UHD PICTURE QUALITY
4/ 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
4/ 5
VIEWING ANGLE
4/ 5
HDR
4/ 5
DATA PRIVACY
3/ 5
VERSATILITY
5/ 5
OWNER SATISFACTION
5/ 5
DATA SECURITY
4/ 5
MOTION BLUR
4/ 5
SCREEN SIZE (IN.)
TV RESOLUTION TYPE 4K
DISPLAY TYPE (BACKLIGHT) LED
INTERNET-ENABLED Yes
ENERGY COST/YR. ($) 27

Highs

Excellent color accuracy
Very Good black levels, with local dimming
Very Good 4K UHD picture quality
Effective HDR performance
Wide viewing angle

Lows

Dark scenes may reveal some "halo" effects
Slight display non-uniformity
CR's Take

This 65-inch LCD (LED) 4K UHD TV from LG has full-array local dimming, is internet enabled, and uses LG's "WebOS" operating system. It includes Google Assistant and Alexa, and support for Siri HomeKit. CR's tests found it has a wide viewing angle, and its HDR performance to be effective.

Detailed Test Results

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 Very Good, and delivered fairly deep blacks that helped the contrast in darker scenes. LG's full array local-dimming feature helped. Image brightness was Very Good (with the Panel Brightness backlight control turned up), so the picture was well suited for a brighter room—a lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. There was slight display non-uniformity in our test sample—it appeared as brighter cloudy areas which were most noticeable 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 fell short with some visible "jaggies" (jagged edges) however, deinterlacing of 1080i video and film mode detection from 1080i content were both Excellent.

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 was generally effective. In our tests, the display showed Good peak brightness capability (by HDR standards) and did a fine job displaying the benefits of our HDR 4K content. It excellently revealed the contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, were somewhat limited. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail, from black to white, with no obvious banding within the gradually shaded areas. There was no visible loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brightly colored objects remained nicely saturated.

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 on the bright side and a bit 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. 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 17 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, Prime Video, Disney+, and LG Channels.

INTERNET FEATURES This 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, 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 ThinQ, 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 and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.

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, and a remote control with batteries.

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.

About

The LG 65NANO90UPA is a 65-inch LCD (LED) 4K UHD TV with a native resolution of 3840x2160 (2160p). It has full-array LED backlighting.

It is internet-enabled and includes an Ethernet jack allowing for a wired connection to your home network. It is also WiFi capable, so you can connect it to your home network wirelessly. It is DLNA certified, so you can view content stored on a compatible computer, phone, or other mobile device also connected to your home network.

This TV has four HDMI inputs. It also has three USB ports, which may be used to play media—photos, videos, and music—stored on a flash drive.

The LG 65NANO90UPA measures 35.6 inches high by 57.2 inches wide by 11.6 inches deep, including its base. The panel itself is 1.8 inches thick including any protrusions.

The warranty on this model covers parts for 12 months and labor for 12 months.

Optimized Picture Settings

PICTURE SETTINGS
Picture Mode: Expert (Dark space, night)
Aspect ratio: Original (Just Scan: On)
Contrast: 99
Screen Brightness: 50
Gamma (Adjust Brightness): 2.4
Color Depth: 45
Tint: R17
Sharpness: 0
Color Temperature: Warm 50
Panel Brightness: 70
Black Level: Auto
Color Gamut: Auto Detect
Cinema Screen: On

All other settings should be set to "off" or zero "0." Any individual R,G, or B color subcontrols, if present, should remain at their default settings.

TV FIRMWARE: Our data and scores reflect the feature-set that the TV had at the time we tested it. The manufacturer may choose to issue software updates that could add or remove various features. All models are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing. The firmware version of the LG 65NANO90UPA was: 03.11.25.
Our data and scores reflect the feature-set that the TV had at the time we tested it. The manufacturer may choose to issue software updates that could add or remove various features.

HOW TO ADJUST YOUR TV SETTINGS Our expert TV testers recommend the above settings for the LG 65NANO90UPA to get your image looking like the rated picture quality we saw in our lab. The settings shown are available when your playback device (i.e. cable box) is connected to the TV's HDMI input. Some settings may not be adjustable when streaming videos directly on the TV. To access the picture controls find the Menu, Home, Settings, or "Gear" icon on your remote or on-screen display, and navigate to the picture settings menu where you'll see most of the controls. To find some other controls you may additionally have to enter the "advanced settings" or the "picture options" sub-menus (name may vary depending on model). Don't worry about making any "mistakes." You can always reset the picture settings to factory default if necessary. Consult your user manual for additional guidance.

ABOUT CR's OPTIMIZED PICTURE SETTINGS Our fine-tuned picture adjustments are made with the support of special test patterns and reference videos to yield the best image fidelity. A professionally calibrated reference display is used for comparison. Whether you are watching movies on Blu-ray or sports from your cable box, these settings will ensure you are seeing the programs in the best quality that the model can offer, short of a professional calibration. When we optimize the image, we typically turn off special features (or turn down their settings) that can degrade performance, including power saving modes (which often dim the image), sharpness, noise reduction (also known as DNR, a feature that can degrade image detail), and "motion smoothing," if present (an effect that can give movies a soap-opera video-like appearance). Optimal settings for your TV may vary a bit from ours due to slight variations between similar samples, or due to a newer version of the TV's firmware.

ABOUT CR's TV VIEWING CONDITIONS Our picture settings are optimized for a darker viewing environment. If you are viewing primarily in a brightly-lit room, we suggest raising the Backlight control (not the Contrast) to brighten the image to a level that looks suitable. Additionally, you may want to lower the Gamma setting (if available) by one or two increments to better reveal darker shadow detail. If the settings we recommend don't suit your taste or your viewing environment, use the picture controls to achieve an image you consider "just right."

Features

WIFI
Yes
STREAMING SERVICES
Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney and Apple TV
WEB BROWSER
Yes
DLNA-CERTIFIED
Yes
OFF-AIR ATSC DIGITAL TUNER
ATSC 1.0
Specs
MODEL YEAR
2021
OVERALL HEIGHT (IN.)
35.75
OVERALL WIDTH (IN.)
57.25
OVERALL DEPTH (IN.)
11.75
PANEL SIZE WITHOUT BASE HXWXD (IN.)
33 x 57.25 x 2
WEIGHT INCLUDING BASE (LB.)
63.1
NATIVE RESOLUTION
3840x2160
SCREEN SHAPE (ASPECT RATIO)
16:9
HDR FORMATS
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
WARRANTY (MONTHS): PARTS/LABOR
12/12
Connections
HDMI INPUT
4
USB PORT
3
ETHERNET PORT
Yes
DIGITAL-AUDIO OUTPUT
Optical
HEADPHONE JACK (3.5MM AUDIO JACK)
No
OTHER CONNECTIONS
eARC (via HDMI 3), RS-232C