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LG LF5800 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
LG LF5800 Picture
6.1
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.2
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.4
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
4.6
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
3.6
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.5
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The LG LF5800 is not a good TV. It has a good viewing angle, but nearly every other aspect of the picture quality is below average. It has poor blacks in a dark room and reflects too much light in a bright room.

Our Verdict

6.1 Mixed Usage

The LG LF5800 is very similar to the cheaper LF5600. The picture quality is about the same, but it adds 60hz motion interpolation, smart features and better upscaling. However, it still isn't a good TV. In a dark room, the blacks are gray, and in a bright room, it reflects too much light. At least the colors stay true off-axis.

Pros
  • Good color accuracy off-axis.
Cons
  • Poor blacks.
  • Significant amount of reflection.
  • 6.1 Mixed Usage
  • 5.2 Movies
  • 6.7 TV Shows
  • 6.8 Sports
  • 6.4 Video Games
  • 4.6 HDR Movies
  • 3.6 HDR Gaming
  • 5.5 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated May 11, 2015: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Apr 24, 2015: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
8.0
Design
Style
Curved No

Design
Stand

It has a stand as wide as the TV itself, which requires a wide table. Our 42" model had a footprint of 36" by 8.5".

Design
Back

The LG LF5800 has the same design as a few other budget LG TVs. The border has a gray finish, which makes it stand out a little bit in the room.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.63" (1.6 cm)

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.13" (5.4 cm)

Picture Quality
5.9
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
929 : 1

As with a lot of LG TVs, the contrast ratio is sub-par. When you have the lights off, the black color appears gray.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

5.7
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Peak 2% Window
219 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
219 cd/m²

5.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
4.503%
50% DSE
0.266%

The corners are darker than the center of the screen. Also, the top and bottom edge are brighter than the rest.

6.4
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
IPS
Color Shift
23°
Brightness
34°
Black Level
75°

The main upside of the LG LF5800 is its wide viewing angle. You need to sit at a very wide angle to notice discoloration.

Update 01/06/2017: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results from 2016 TVs.

6.3
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.447%

The top and bottom border is brighter in dark scenes. Our unit also had a spot of clouding on the right side.

7.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
5.61
Color dE
3.8138
Gamma
2.07

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.19
Color dE
0.83
Gamma
2.21

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

DVDs and SD content looks good on this TV, without the soft look found on the similar LG LF5600.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content, like cable TV also look good once upscaled.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content like Blu-ray look good on this TV.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input

6.6
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
74.1%
DCI P3 uv
79.9%
Rec 2020 xy
52.37%
Rec 2020 uv
58.26%

6.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.9%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The LG 42LF5800 reflects a lot of light. Bright objects also have a rainbow glare around them.
It also doesn't get very bright, so it's a poor choice in a room with windows.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED

Motion
8.3
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
13.6 ms
Overshoot
5 ms

The transition of the pixels overshoots, creating a whiter trail behind moving objects. At least this shortens the length of the motion blur trail.

2.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
No
BFI Frequency
120 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
No

7.1
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

There is no judder in movies when watching them over 24p (Blu-ray players usually). However, it cannot do the reverse 3:2 pulldown. Also, it is only a 60hz, but at least it has motion interpolation.

5.0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

Inputs
5.9
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
49.6 ms
1080p With Interpolation
149.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
149.8 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
59.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

If you play video games, set the mode to Game to get input lag of 49.6 ms. To get chroma 4:4:4, you will need to set the label of the input to PC. Note that doing so increases the lag to 59.9 ms.

2.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No

Set the label of the HDMI input to PC to enable chroma 4:4:4 subsampling.

Inputs
Side Inputs

Inputs
Rear Inputs

Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth No
ARC Yes (HDMI 1)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC Yes
MHL Yes (HDMI 3)
Variable Analog Audio Out No

Sound Quality
5.9
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
5.17 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
6.1 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
7.35 dB SPL
Max
85.6 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
95 Hz

Poor frequency response which gets even worse under heavy load. It doesn't get loud, either. The low-end cut off, however, is decent for a TV.

7.4
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.014
Distortion @ 80
0.016
Distortion @ Max
0.021

Good distortion levels all around, and there's not a significant increase under heavy load. But the TV doesn't get loud.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

The LG LF5800 is a smart TV, but it doesn't have LG's latest WebOS. Instead, it features the two year old interface. It works, but it feels a bit outdated.

6.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Basic

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

The remote included in the box is basic, which makes navigating the smart features a bit cumbersome.

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 38 W
Power Consumption (Max) 67 W
Firmware 03.00.13