LG UH8500  TV Review

Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31am
Tested using Methodology v1.0 

Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more

LG UH8500

Track

0.0
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

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Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

0.0
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

0.0
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

0.0
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

0.0
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

0.0
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

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PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

Track

 0
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by LG SJ8500
The LG UH8500 4k HDR TV doesn't have revolutionary picture quality, but it is still the best LED TV from LG that we have reviewed so far. It even improved on the already great WebOS smart platform, which is a nice bonus. Like other TVs from LG, it's a good pick for a living room with seating on the sides of the TV. Unfortunately, the picture isn't the best in a dark environment.

Our Verdict

0.0
Mixed Usage 

Good TV for mixed usage. Performs best in a bright room with wide seating as the image remains accurate when viewed from an angle, but blacks appear gray in a dark room.

Pros
  • Wide viewing angle
  • Good for sports and video games
  • Great WebOS 3.0 smart platform
Cons
  • Sub-par picture quality in a dark room
  • Peak brightness could be better
0.0
Movies 

Fairly good TV for watching movies. Low native contrast ratio so blacks appear gray in a dark room, and local dimming is poor. Image is very accurate and uniformity is quite good.

0.0
TV Shows 

Good TV for TV shows in a bright room. Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle, and TV can get decently bright to fight glare. Reflection handling is quite good, and smart platform works well for casual viewing.

0.0
Sports 

Good choice for watching sports. Image remains accurate for those with wide seating and gray uniformity is decent so only some dirty screen effect is visible.

0.0
Video Games 

Good choice for gamers. Best suited to a bright room due to low native contrast ratio. Motion handling is very good, so only a short trail is seen following moving objects. TV feels responsive with low input lag however some temporary image retention is present after viewing static HUD elements in games.

0.0
HDR Movies 

Fairly good choice for HDR movies. Unfortunately native contrast ratio is low so blacks appear gray in a dark room, and local dimming is poor. Can produce bright, vivid highlights which is good and supports both the HDR10 and Dolby Vision format.

0.0
HDR Gaming 

Good choice for HDR gaming. Supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10 and can produce bright, vivid highlights due to peak brightness and wide color gamut. Feels responsive due to low input lag and little motion blur which is good.

0.0
PC Monitor 

Decent PC monitor. Sides of the screen remain accurate when viewed from up close. Feels responsive due to low input lag and little motion blur. Supports chroma subsampling for clear text no matter the content.

  • 0.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 0.0
    Movies
  • 0.0
    TV Shows
  • 0.0
    Sports
  • 0.0
    Video Games
  • 0.0
    HDR Movies
  • 0.0
    HDR Gaming
  • 0.0
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
    2.  Updated Feb 24, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
    3.  Updated Feb 18, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

    Check Price

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 55" (55UH8500) and expect, for the most part, our review to be valid for the other available sizes.

    If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG UH8500 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

    Size Model
    55" 55UH8500
    60" 60UH8500
    65" 65UH8500
    75" 75UH8500

    Popular TV Comparisons

    Comparison picture

    Top row, from left: Sony X850D (XBR55X850D), LG UH8500 (55UH8500), Vizio P Series 2016 (P65-C1). Bottom: Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000), LG UH7700 (55UH7700). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

    The LG UH8500 is a good choice for a wide living room with seatings on the side of the TV. Unfortunately, when watched from front or in the dark, there is a lot of better performing TVs.

    Video

    How We Test TVs
    How We Test TVs

    We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

    Test Results

    Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more

    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    0.0
    Style
    CurvedLockedLocked

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    Stand

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    Back
    Wall MountLockedLocked

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    Borders
    BordersLockedLocked

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    Thickness
    Max ThicknessLockedLocked
    Picture Quality
    0.0
    Contrast
    Native Contrast
    LockedLock : 1

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    0.0
    Local Dimming
    SAMPLE
    JOIN NOW

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    LG UH8500 Local Dimming Video Sample
    Local Dimming
    LockedLocked
    Backlight
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    SDR Peak Brightness
    SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Peak 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²

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    0.0
    HDR Peak Brightness
    HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Peak 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Peak 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Peak 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Peak 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Peak 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 2% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 10% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 25% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 50% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 100% Window
    LockedLock cd/m²

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    0.0
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    LockedLock%
    50% DSE
    LockedLock%
    5% Std. Dev.
    LockedLock%
    5% DSE
    LockedLock%

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    0.0
    Viewing Angle
    SAMPLE
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    LG UH8500 Viewing Angle Video Sample
    LCD Type
    LockedLocked
    Color Shift
    LockedLock°
    Brightness
    LockedLock°
    Black Level
    LockedLock°

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    0.0
    Black Uniformity
    Native Std. Dev.
    LockedLock%

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    0.0
    Gradient
    Color Depth
    LockedLock Bit

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    0.0
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    LockedLock
    Color dE
    LockedLock
    Gamma
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    LockedLock
    Color dE
    LockedLock
    Gamma
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    480p Input

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    0.0
    720p Input

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    0.0
    1080p Input

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    0.0
    4k Input

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    0.0
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    LockedLocked
    DCI P3 xy
    LockedLock%
    DCI P3 uv
    LockedLock%
    Rec 2020 xy
    LockedLock%
    Rec 2020 uv
    LockedLock%

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    0.0
    Color Volume
    Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
    LockedLock%
    10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
    LockedLock%
    Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
    LockedLock%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
    LockedLock%

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    0.0
    Image Retention
    IR after 0 min recovery
    LockedLock%
    IR after 2 min recovery
    LockedLock%
    IR after 4 min recovery
    LockedLock%
    IR after 6 min recovery
    LockedLock%
    IR after 8 min recovery
    LockedLock%
    IR after 10 min recovery
    LockedLock%

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    0.0
    Reflections
    Reflection
    LockedLock%
    Screen Finish
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    3D
    3D
    LockedLocked
    3D Type
    LockedLocked
    2D to 3D
    LockedLocked

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    Pixels
    TypeLockedLED
    Motion
    0.0
    Motion Blur
    Refresh RateLocked120 Hz
    Response Time
    LockedLock ms
    Overshoot
    LockedLock ms

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    0.0
    Image Flicker
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    LockedLocked
    BFI
    LockedLocked
    BFI Frequency
    LockedLocked
    BFI In Game Mode
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    24p Playback
    Judder-free 24p
    LockedLocked
    Judder-free 24p via 60p
    LockedLocked
    Judder-free 24p via 60i
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    LockedLocked
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    LockedLocked

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    Inputs
    0.0
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    LockedLock ms
    1080p With Interpolation
    LockedLock ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    LockedLock ms
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLock ms
    4k @ 60Hz
    LockedLock ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLock ms
    4k @ 60Hz + HDR
    LockedLock ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
    LockedN/A

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    0.0
    Supported Resolutions
    ResolutionLocked4k
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked
    1080p @ 120Hz
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 60Hz
    LockedLocked
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    LockedLocked

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    Side Inputs

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    Rear Inputs

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    Total Inputs
    HDMILockedLocked
    USBLockedLocked
    Digital Optical Audio OutLockedLocked
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mmLockedLocked
    Analog Audio Out RCALockedLocked
    Component InLockedLocked
    Composite InLockedLocked
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)LockedLocked
    EthernetLockedLocked
    DisplayPortLockedLocked
    IR InLockedLocked
    SD/SDHCLockedLocked
    Inputs Specifications
    HDR10
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
    LockedLocked
    Dolby Vision
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
    LockedLocked
    5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
    LockedLocked
    HDMI 2.0 Full BandwidthLockedLocked
    ARCLockedLocked
    USB 3LockedLocked
    HDCP 2.2LockedLocked
    CECLockedLocked
    MHLLockedLocked
    Variable Analog Audio OutLockedLocked
    Sound Quality
    0.0
    Frequency Response
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Max
    LockedLock dB SPL
    Low-end Cutoff
    LockedLock Hz

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    0.0
    Total Harmonic Distortion
    Distortion @ 70
    LockedLock
    Distortion @ 80
    LockedLock
    Distortion @ Max
    LockedLock

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    Smart Features
    Apps

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    0.0
    Interface
    Smart OSLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Ads
    Ad-free
    LockedLocked
    Opt-out
    LockedLocked

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    TV Controls

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    Remote
    RemoteLockedLocked

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    In The Box

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    Misc
    Power ConsumptionLockedLock W
    Power Consumption (Max)LockedLock W
    FirmwareLockedLocked