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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

LG LH5000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
LG LH5000 Picture
5.8
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
4.7
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.5
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.6
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.1
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
3.5
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
4.6
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The LG LH5000 is a low-end 1080p LED TV. It is priced below most other competing TVs, but offers disappointing picture quality. It has bad motion handling, and lacks a smart interface. It also lacks features found in more expensive TVs to improve the picture quality, such as local dimming.

Our Verdict

5.8 Mixed Usage

Below average for mixed usage. Low contrast ratio results in poor dark scene performance. Motion handling is below average. Can't get very bright, and poor uniformity. Colors remain accurate at an angle.

Pros
  • Good color accuracy at an angle
Cons
  • No smart platform
  • Poor dark scene performance
  • Can't get very bright
4.7 Movies

Poor for movies in a dark room. Native contrast is below average, and black uniformity is poor. Doesn't have features such as local dimming to improve performance.

6.5 TV Shows

Below average for watching TV is a bright living room. Picture quality is below average. Colors remain accurate when viewed at an angle, but TV doesn't get bright enough to counter glare. Reflections are difficult to see through. No smart interface for casual watching.

6.6 Sports

Slightly below average for watching sports. Motion performance is below average, with blur following fast moving objects. Dirty screen effect is quite visible. When viewed at an angle, colors remain accurate.

6.1 Video Games

Below average for gamers. Input lag is quite low which is good. Motion performance is below average. Picture quality is below average.

4.6 HDR Movies

Doesn't support HDR. Picture quality is below average, and dark room performance is especially poor.

3.5 HDR Gaming

Doesn't support HDR gaming. Below average motion performance, and picture quality.

4.6 PC Monitor

Poor PC monitor. Picture quality is below average. Doesn't support chroma subsampling or 1:1 pixel mapping and so text appears blurry.

  • 5.8 Mixed Usage
  • 4.7 Movies
  • 6.5 TV Shows
  • 6.6 Sports
  • 6.1 Video Games
  • 4.6 HDR Movies
  • 3.5 HDR Gaming
  • 4.6 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Sep 28, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Jul 12, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 43" (43LH5000). This is the only size available at the moment.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG LH5000 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model
43" 43LH5000

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Vizio D Series 1080p 2016 (D50-D1). Bottom left: TCL UP130 (55UP130). Middle: LG LH5000 (43LH5000). Top right: LG LH5700 (43LH5700). Bottom right: Samsung KU6300 (UN55KU6300).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The LG LH5000 is a budget TV, but unfortunately it offers worse than average picture quality and disappointing performance for almost any use. For the same price, there are better options out there and so it's hard to recommend this TV. Keep this in mind when viewing our recommendations below.

Test Results

Design
6.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The LG LH5000 has a basic design, with all plastic borders and stand. It looks very similar to other basic TVs, so although it doesn't look good it definitely won't stand out in any room. It is more blocky than most of the other budget LG TVs this year, such as the LH5700.

Design
Stand

The stand is quite wide, but due to its square shape has a smaller footprint than most other stands which are angled outwards.

Footprint of the 43" TV stand: 9.2" x 35.2"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

The back is all plastic and more blocky than other LG TVs. If wall mounted all of the inputs are still accessible which is good.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.67" (1.7 cm)

The borders are of an average thickness. They don't look as good as higher end TVs, but are simple and all-plastic.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 3.35" (8.5 cm)

When viewed from the side the TV appears quite bulky. The lowest part of the TV is the thickest, but it also protrudes where the inputs are. If wall mounted, it will stick out a bit.

Picture Quality
6.0
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,015 : 1

The native contrast ratio is below average for the LH5000 TV. IPS TVs always have lower contrast ratio compared to VA panel TVs and this one is on the lower end of the IPS range. Blacks are not very deep and look grayish when viewed in a dark room.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

There is no local dimming feature on this TV, the video is only for reference.

6.6
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
180 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
185 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
185 cd/m²

The peak brightness performance is bad. This TV can't get very bright and at only 185 cd/m², it won't be enough to fight bright glare from a sunny window of even from a bright light. Since there is no local dimming, the brightness remains the same independently of what is shown on the screen.

not tested
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
6.2
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
5.394%
50% DSE
0.218%

Gray uniformity is below average. Both sides of the screen are really dark when compared to the center. A big patch in the center is also a lot warmer than the rest of the screen. Some vertical bands are also visible. Dirty screen effect is noticeable, but luckily is not that bad.

6.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
IPS
Color Shift
23°
Brightness
29°
Black Level
75°

The viewing angle is good and should provide good viewing even if you are not seated right in front of the TV. Color remains the same and contrast ratio start to drop only after about 29 degrees. This is a good result and beats most of the VA TVs out there, even the top of the line, like the Samsung KS9500.

Update: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results.

5.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.937%

Black uniformity is pretty bad on this LG TV. Here again IPS TVs tend to have less than stellar results in this test compared to VA panel TVs, but this one is very bad. There is a lot of backlight bleeding overall and also the upper left corner does suffer from flashlighting.

8.0
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

The 8 bit gradations can be seen when displaying out test picture. Some banding problems are visible in the darker color and in the grayscale. Some color shade problems can also be seen in the blue and the red, which could result in some banding on screen, when watching normal content.

7.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.91
Color dE
4.53
Gamma
2.16

The pre-calibration white balance and color space are a bit off with a dE over 4.5. For most people this probably isn't an issue, but it can be noticeable especially when compared to other more accurate TVs.

7.4
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
4.91
Color dE
4.53
Gamma
2.16

Unfortunately, there is no calibration option on the LH5000, so there is no way to fix those little imperfections. You can see our recommended settings here.

7.5
Picture Quality
480p Input

480p content such as DVDs look quite good, but is a little too soft. Some finer details are lost, especially around sharp edges.

7.5
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content is a bit too soft. Details and sharpness are lost, at the edges of objects.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

At the native resolution of 1080p, the content appears sharp as expected. There are no issues to be seen for high quality content.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input

The LH5000 is a 1080p TV and doesn't support any higher resolution.

6.7
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
71.12%
DCI P3 uv
80.8%
Rec 2020 xy
53.95%
Rec 2020 uv
60.23%

The range of color that can reproduced by this TV is average. There is no wide color gamut option and the coverage is just enough for rec. 709 or SDR TV.

4.7
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
50.426%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
26.877%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
36.748%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
19.661%

The color volume of the LH5000 is poor. The TV can't produce dark saturated colors, and doesn't have a wide color gamut.

2.5
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
2.926%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.866%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.354%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.037%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%

The LH5000 budget IPS TV does have some image retention and it worse than average. The retention lasted pass the 6 minutes of recovery and was not noticeable after the 8 minutes mark. This is no so good and should be noticeable to people playing video games or using their TV as a PC monitor.

6.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
2.6%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

Rainbow fringes can be seen around direct reflections. The percentage of light reflected is higher than average, and results in a washed out picture in a bright room. This TV is not recommended for a bright room or one with a few direct reflections.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No

3D is not available on this TV.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
6.0
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
28 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

Motion blur is slightly below average. The response time is a bit longer than usual, resulting in a trail following moving objects. The backlight uses PWM flicker to dim, at a frequency of 120Hz.

2.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
No
BFI Frequency
120 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
No
0
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

The LG LH5000 can't play movie without judder on any of the content format available. Meaning that movie will have judder from any sources, that be from DVDs, Blu-rays, streaming apps or any cable/satellite or set-up boxes. Unfortunately, no setting on the TV itself can help to eliminate judder.

0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

The LH5000 doesn't support any motion interpolation features.

Inputs
8.0
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
35.7 ms
1080p With Interpolation
N/A
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
39.4 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
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

Input lag is good for the LH5000 but is not stable. The test result is an average of many tests we did, since each test gave a different result from the test before. Also, it tends to cycle over time.

0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No

This TV has a 1080p panel, which supports up to a 60Hz signal. Although it supports a 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 signal, it cannot display the chroma subsampling. This can be seen in our images below.

LG LH5000

LG LH5700

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 2
USB 1
Digital Optical Audio Out 0
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (incl. adapter, shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 0
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
No
Dolby Vision
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
No
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
No
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
No
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth No
ARC No
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC No
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Sound Quality
5.4
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.57 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.78 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.83 dB SPL
Max
87.1 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
179.59 Hz

Poor overall performance. Frequency response is average at 75dB and 85dB, but poor under heavier loads due to the presence of compression and pumping. Maximum volume and low-end cut off are also poor, even for a TV.

5.9
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.034
Distortion @ 80
0.057
Distortion @ Max
0.107

Poor harmonic distortion performance. At lower volumes, the produced harmonic distortion is within decent limits. However, under heavier loads, there is a significant rise in the harmonic distortion with some amount of aliasing.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

The LH5000 is not a smart TV, and so there are no options to download apps. It doesn't even have a WiFi or ethernet connection.

4.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS No

Unlike most new TVs, the LH5000 doesn't have a smart platform. It only features a basic interface which allows changing settings or playing files off a USB. Those who want to watch from streaming services will require an external box. There is a tuner in the TV, so it is still possible to watch free to air channels. Due to the slimmed down nature of the OS, it is quick and easy to navigate settings.

Smart Features
TV Controls

A power switch is located close to the stand, on the left hand side of the TV. It is easy to access, but does not allow any settings or inputs to be changed.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

The basic remote is very similar to the one found in other basic LG TVs such as last year's LF5600. It has the same model number, but a slightly different LG logo.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Component adapter
  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • Manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 27 W
Power Consumption (Max) 42 W
Firmware N/A