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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 SM9000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Review updated Jul 29, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Latest change: Retest Sep 17, 2020 at 10:44 am
LG SM9000 Picture
7.5
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.9
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.7
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.6
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.7
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.4
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the LG NANO90 2020

The LG SM9000 is a good 4k IPS TV with an excellent design. This TV has great gaming features, with excellent low input lag, a good response time, and support for HDMI Forum's variable refresh rate (VRR) technology. It has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate when viewing from the side, making it ideal for wide seating arrangements. Unfortunately, like most IPS TVs, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, as it can't display deep, uniform blacks. Even though this TV doesn't get very bright, it's still a good choice for fairly bright rooms because it has impressive reflection handling.

Our Verdict

7.5 Mixed Usage

The LG SM9000 is a good TV for most uses. It looks good in a medium-lit room and has good wide viewing angles for watching sports or for use as a PC monitor. Unfortunately, like most IPS TVs, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, so it's not ideal for watching movies.

Pros
  • Excellent low input lag.
  • Wide viewing angles.
  • Impressive reflection handling.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Poor black uniformity.
6.8 Movies

The LG SM9000 is an okay TV for watching movies. It can play 24p movies judder-free, which is great, and it has a great motion interpolation feature. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very good in a dark room, though, as, like most IPS TVs, it can't display deep, uniform blacks in a dark room, and the local dimming feature doesn't help much.

Pros
  • Removes 24p judder.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Poor black uniformity.
7.9 TV Shows

The LG SM9000 is a very good TV for watching TV shows during the day. It has wide viewing angles and impressive reflection handling, so there shouldn't be any issues using it in a bright room. There's also a huge selection of streaming apps on LG's WebOS platform, which is great for cable-cutters.

Pros
  • Wide viewing angles.
  • Impressive reflection handling.
Cons
  • Doesn't get very bright.
7.7 Sports

Good TV for watching sports. The LG SM9000 has wide viewing angles, great for watching the big game with a group of friends, and it has impressive reflection handling. It also has a good response time, so fast-moving objects look clear, with little blur trail. This TV has an okay peak brightness, but might not be bright enough for all rooms.

Pros
  • Wide viewing angles.
  • Impressive reflection handling.
Cons
  • Visible dirty screen effect.
8.1 Video Games

The LG SM9000 is great for video games. It has an excellent low input lag and a good response time, although some people may notice duplication in motion. It supports HDMI Forum's VRR technology and it has a black frame insertion feature to improve the appearance of motion. Sadly, it's not ideal for dark-room gaming because of its low contrast ratio.

Pros
  • Excellent low input lag.
  • HDMI Forum VRR support.
  • Good response time.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Poor black uniformity.
6.6 HDR Movies

Just okay TV for watching movies in HDR. Unfortunately, like most IPS TVs, it has disappointing contrast and poor black uniformity, so it doesn't look as good in a dark room. Although the LG SM9000 has a local dimming feature, it's ineffective at improving dark-room performance. On the other hand, this TV can display a great wide color gamut for HDR content.

Pros
  • Great wide color gamut.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Poor black uniformity.
7.7 HDR Gaming

The LG SM9000 is good for HDR gaming, mainly due to its great gaming performance. It has a good response time, excellent low input lag, and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It displays a great wide color gamut for HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough to truly bring out highlights the way they're supposed to.

Pros
  • Excellent low input lag.
  • HDMI Forum VRR support.
  • Good response time.
Cons
  • Low contrast ratio.
  • Poor black uniformity.
8.4 PC Monitor

The LG SM9000 is an impressive TV for use as a PC monitor. It supports most of the common input formats and can display chroma 4:4:4 properly. It has a good response time, so fast-moving objects have little blur, and it has low input lag for a responsive desktop experience. This TV also has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate, even when you're sitting up close.

Pros
  • Excellent low input lag.
  • Wide viewing angles.
  • Impressive reflection handling.
  • Supports chroma 4:4:4.
Cons
  • Visible dirty screen effect.
  • Doesn't get very bright.
  • 7.5 Mixed Usage
  • 6.8 Movies
  • 7.9 TV Shows
  • 7.7 Sports
  • 8.1 Video Games
  • 6.6 HDR Movies
  • 7.7 HDR Gaming
  • 8.4 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Sep 17, 2020: Corrected an error in Input Lag.
  2. Updated Jul 29, 2020: Updated review for accuracy.
  3. Updated Jul 27, 2020: Retested the VRR range.
  4. Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  5. Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  6. Updated Jul 17, 2019: Review published.
  7. Updated Jul 15, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Jul 15, 2019: Early access published.
  9. Updated Jul 13, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Jul 02, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 55" SM9000 (55SM9000PUA). It's also available in 65" (65SM9000), 75" (75SM9070), and 86" (86SM9070) sizes, and in Europe only, in a 49" (49SM9000PUA) size. For the most part, we expect them to perform the same.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG 55SM9000 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size US Model EU Model
49" N/A 49SM9000PLA
55" 55SM9000PUA 55SM9000PLA
65" 65SM9000PUA 65SM9000PLA
75" 75SM9070PUA 75SM9000PLA
86" 86SM9070PUA 86SM9000PLA

The unit we reviewed was manufactured in May 2019.

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Samsung Q70R (QN55Q70R). Bottom left: LG C9 (OLED55C9). Middle: LG SM9000 (55SM9000PUA). Top right: LG SM9500 (65SM9500). Bottom right: Sony X900F (XBR55X900F).

The LG SM9000 offers good performance for most uses and is best suited for a well-lit room. See our recommendations for the best TVs and the best smart TVs.

Samsung RU8000
49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

The Samsung RU8000 is marginally better than the LG SM9000. While the LG uses an IPS panel, which gives it much better viewing angles, it also causes the screen to have much worse blacks that appear much more gray than with the Samsung. That said, the LG has a wider color gamut, better reflection handling, and higher peak brightness. On the other hand, the Samsung has a faster response time and its colors are also a bit more accurate out-of-the-box, though both are only decent in this regard.

LG SM9500
65"

The LG SM9500 is slightly better than the LG SM9000. The SM9500 has slightly better contrast, can get a lot brighter in SDR, and can get significantly brighter in HDR.

LG NANO90 2020
55" 65" 75" 86"

The LG NANO90 2020 is a slight upgrade over its predecessor, the LG SM9000. Overall, both TVs are very similar but the NANO90 has a better contrast ratio, better out-of-the-box color accuracy, a quicker response time, and the speakers are better. The SM9000 comes with a nicer-looking stand, it gets a bit brighter, and it has wider viewing angles.

Sony X900F
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X900F is a slightly better TV than the LG SM9000. The Sony feels a bit better-built, has much richer blacks, better local dimming, can get much brighter, looks much better pre-calibration, and has better motion handling. On the other hand, the LG has a much better smart interface and much wider viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel.

Samsung Q60/Q60R QLED
43" 49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

The Samsung Q60/Q60R QLED and the LG SM9000 use different panel technologies, that come with their own advantages and disadvantages. The Q60R looks better in a dark room, provided that you sit straight in front. The Q60R comes with some gaming features like FreeSync support that will please serious gamers. The LG SM8600 is a better choice if you regularly watch TV from the side, as the image remains accurate for wider angles. Also, the SM9000 can handle reflections a little better.

Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED
49" 55" 65" 75" 82" 85"

The Samsung Q70/Q70R QLED and the LG SM9000 use different panel technologies, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The Q70R uses a VA panel and has a much better dark room performance. The Q70R can also get much brighter and is equipped with gaming features like FreeSync support. The SM9000, on the other hand, uses an IPS panel. It has much better viewing angles and better reflection handling, making it well-suited to rooms with bright lighting.

Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED
55" 65" 75" 82"

The Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED is a much better TV than the LG SM9000. Thanks to its VA panel, the Q80 has much deeper blacks thank the SM9000, though this is at the expense of viewing angles, and the image on the LG will be much more accurate when viewed from an angle. Other than that, the Q80 also looks better out-of-the-box, can get much brighter, has better motion handling, and has a wider color gamut.

Sony X950G
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X950G and the LG SM9000 use different panel technologies, each with their strengths and weaknesses, but overall, the X950G is much better. The X950G uses a VA panel and looks much better in a dark room. The X950G is also a lot brighter and has a faster response time. The SM9000, on the other hand, uses an IPS panel, and it has much better viewing angles and looks better in a brighter room.

LG SK9000
55" 65"

The LG SM9000 and the LG SK9000 are extremely similar. The SK9000 has slightly better contrast and can get a bit brighter. The SM9000 is a bit more future-proof, with support for HDMI 2.1, eARC, and HDMI Forum VRR.

LG SM8600
49" 55" 65" 75"

The LG SM9000 is better than the LG SM8600. The SM9000 is brighter and has a better (but still disappointing) local dimming feature. The SM9000 is a bit more future-proof, as it supports HDMI 2.1, eARC, and HDMI Forum's new variable refresh rate technology.

LG C9 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG C9 OLED is a much better TV overall than the LG SM9000. The OLED looks more premium, has perfect blacks thanks to its individually backlit pixels, a higher peak brightness, much better gray and black uniformity, better viewing angles, better reflection handling, more accurate colors out-of-the-box, a wider color gamut, and much better motion handling. On the other hand, the SM9000 is an LED TV that doesn't suffer the risk of permanent burn-in when watching a lot of static content like the OLED does, though we don't expect this to be an issue for the majority of people.

Sony X850G
55" 65" 75" 85"

The LG SM9000 is a better TV for most uses than the Sony X850G. The LG has local dimming, more accurate colors out-of-the-box, a wider color gamut, and an easier-to-use smart interface. On the other hand, the Sony looks better-built, can get much brighter, has much better gray uniformity (resulting in less dirty screen effect), and better reflection handling.

LG B9 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG B9 OLED is a much better TV than the LG SM9000. Thanks to its OLED panel, the B9 has perfect blacks and excellent viewing angles. It also has much better gray uniformity than the SM9000 and does a better job handling reflections. The B9 is also a better choice if you watch a lot of sports or play a lot of games as it has much better motion handling. On the other hand, the SM9000 has more accurate colors out-of-the-box. The SM9000 also doesn't run the risk of permanent image retention or burn-in, like the OLED panel on the B9 does. This likely won't be an issue for most OLED owners who watch normal, varied content, but can be a concern if you watch a ton of static images.

Samsung The Frame 2019
43" 49" 55" 65"

The LG SM9000 and the Samsung The Frame 2019 have different panels, each with advantages and disadvantages. The LG has an IPS panel and delivers a more accurate image when viewed from the side. The Samsung, on the other hand, has a VA panel and can display deeper and more uniform blacks in a dark room. The Frame is packed with advanced gaming features, but the LG can handle the reflections of a bright room better.

LG NANO85 2020
49" 55" 65" 75"

The LG SM9000 is somewhat better than the LG NANO85 2020. They both use IPS panels so they have wide viewing angles and a low contrast ratio, but the contrast is improved on the NANO85 2020. The SM9000 gets brighter, has a slightly lower input lag, and a bit quicker response time, while the NANO85 2020 has much better out-of-the-box color accuracy.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Market Context
Market Context
Market Context

The LG SM9000 is one of LG's top 4k LED TVs from 2019 and is the replacement to the LG SK9000. The SM9000 is nearly identical to the LG SM9500, but has a less powerful local dimming feature, and isn't as bright. The main competitors are the LG SM9500, LG SM8600, and VA TVs like the Sony X950G, and the Vizio P Series Quantum 2019.

Design
9.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The LG 55SM9000PUA has an excellent design, nearly identical to the LG SM9500. It has a central stand and the back of the leg can be used for cable management, which is convenient. It has a sleek and modern design, the TV is very thin, and it looks great wall-mounted.

Design
Stand

The stand of the TV is simple, with a similar design to the LG SM9500 and LG SM8600. Due to the curved feet, it might not be possible to place a very large soundbar in front of the TV.

Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 33.1" x 10.4".

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

Some of the inputs are back-facing, but the most commonly-used inputs face to the side, which is great as they're still accessible when wall-mounted. The back of the stand is hollow, and can be used for cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.43" (1.1 cm)

The TV has thin borders that aren't distracting.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.48" (6.3 cm)

The LG 55SM9000 is very thin and looks great wall-mounted. It's about the same thickness as the LG SM8600.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

Decent build quality. The stand wobbles quite a bit, more so than 2018's LG SK9000. Also, the screen sits on top of the borders, which makes the TV fragile when carrying it around.

Note that we had to exchange our TV twice, as the first two units we purchased were physically damaged in the box. We don't know if this is at all indicative of an issue with LG, or if it's isolated to that particular retailer, so we didn't include this in our scoring.

Picture Quality
5.9
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
942 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
968 : 1

Disappointing contrast ratio, which is expected from an IPS panel TV. Blacks appear closer to gray when viewed in the dark, and even though it has a local dimming feature, it doesn't improve the contrast ratio by much. Note that the contrast ratio can vary between individual units.

5.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array

Update 07/22/2019: The 75" and 86" versions of the LG SM9000 have the more advanced Full Array Dimming Pro found on the SM9500. We didn't find much difference between the Full Array Dimming on this TV, and the "Pro" version found on the SM9500.

This TV has a full array local dimming feature, but unfortunately, it's disappointing. It has fewer zones than the LG SM9500, and there's a lot more blooming. When displaying small, bright objects, the TV overcompensates and dims them too much. Zone transitions are slightly more noticeable as well.

The 'High' setting crushes small objects even worse, so we recommend the 'Medium' setting.

6.9
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
344 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
150 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
260 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
300 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
320 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
332 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
149 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
259 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
299 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
319 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
331 cd/m²
SDR ABL
0.051

Okay peak brightness, but the LG SM9000 is significantly less bright than the LG SM9500. Small windows are aggressively dimmed by the TV, as shown by the significant decrease in brightness with the 2% window. This is especially noticeable in dark scenes with small, bright highlights.

We measured the peak brightness after calibration, using the 'ISF Expert (Dark Room)' Picture Mode, with Backlight set to '100', LED Local Dimming set to 'Medium', and Color Temperature set to 'Warm2'.

If image accuracy isn't as important to you, the 'Vivid' Picture Mode is brighter. We were able to momentarily reach 1069 nits with the 10% window using the default settings of the 'Vivid' Picture Mode and LED Local Dimming set to 'Medium'.

6.4
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
437 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
458 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
915 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
579 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
448 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
427 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
164 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
310 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
372 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
409 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
425 cd/m²
HDR ABL
0.059

Mediocre peak brightness and it doesn't get bright enough to truly bring out highlights. When displaying small bright objects, the TV gets bright but quickly fades, as you can see by the difference between the 2% peak, and 2% sustained measurements.

We measured the peak brightness before calibration, using the 'Cinema HDR' Picture Mode, with Backlight set to '100', LED Local Dimming set to 'High', and Color Temperature set to 'Warm2'.

If image accuracy isn't as important to you, the 'Vivid' Picture Mode is brighter. We measured a peak brightness of 1042 nits with the 10% window using the 'Vivid' Picture Mode, and LED Local Dimming set to 'Medium'.

6.8
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
5.377%
50% DSE
0.204%
5% Std. Dev.
0.633%
5% DSE
0.105%

Okay gray uniformity. The edges of the screen are visibly darker and there's noticeable dirty screen effect in the center, which could be distracting during sports. In near-dark scenes, the uniformity is much better. Note that gray uniformity can vary between individual units.

7.5
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
30°
Color Shift
59°
Brightness Loss
33°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
42°

Like most IPS TVs, this display has good viewing angles. The image remains accurate when viewing from the side, ideal for wide seating arrangements.

5.1
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.517%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
2.881%

Poor black uniformity. There's noticeable clouding throughout, and because of the low contrast ratio, the screen looks more blue than black. With local dimming on, the screen becomes more black, but there's more blooming around the center cross. Note that black uniformity can vary between individual units.

8.3
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
3.5%
Indirect Reflections
0.5%
Calculated Direct Reflections
3.0%

This TV has impressive reflection handling, but the semi-gloss coating isn't able to fully diffuse reflections across the screen. This shouldn't be an issue in most rooms, though.

6.8
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.54
Color dE
3.11
Gamma
2.21
Color Temperature
6,350 K
Picture Mode
Expert (Dark Room)
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

With our pre-calibration settings, this TV has okay out-of-the-box accuracy. There are some noticeable inaccuracies in most colors and more noticeable errors in shades of gray, and the gamma doesn't quite follow the curve, with some scenes appearing too dark. The color temperature is a bit too warm, but this is relatively minor. Note that color accuracy can vary between individual units.

9.4
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.18
Color dE
1.31
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,842 K
White Balance Calibration
22 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Auto-Calibration Function
Yes

After calibration, the LG 55SM9000PUA has exceptional accuracy. The white balance is almost perfect, as is the gamma, which tracks 2.2 perfectly. Most color errors are corrected, but there are still some noticeable issues with blues. Unfortunately, after calibration the white balance is worse, and is now a bit too cold.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

480p content, like DVDs, looks great on the LG SM9000. There are no obvious upscaling artifacts.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content, like cable TV, looks great.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p Blu-rays and older game consoles look excellent, almost as good as native 4k content.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

4k content is displayed properly, with no obvious issues.

0
Picture Quality
8k Input

This is a 4k TV that can't display an 8k signal.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Sub-Type
IPS
8.0
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
88.73%
DCI P3 uv
93.78%
Rec 2020 xy
65.47%
Rec 2020 uv
71.57%

This TV has a great wide color gamut, very similar to the LG SM9500. The EOTF follows the PQ curve extremely well, before it rolls off near the TV's peak brightness. In 'Game' mode, the EOTF is nearly identical, as shown here.

If you find HDR content too dim, check out our recommended settings here. With these settings, HDR content is noticeably brighter in some scenes, as shown here.

7.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
81.3%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
37.5%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
61.5%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
28.2%

Decent color volume. Due to the limited contrast ratio, this TV can't display dark colors very well, and like most LED TVs, it can't display bright blues well.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.096
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.100
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.078
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.081

The LG SM9000 has excellent gradient handling. There's some banding in grey, red, and green, especially in the darker shades. Enabling Smooth Gradiation doesn't affect the test pattern but makes real content look better.

9.4
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.21%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.02%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

There's some minor temporary image retention. This isn't uncommon with IPS TVs and does vary between units.

10
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
No

While some IPS panels can have some temporary image retention, this doesn't seem to be permanent as the IPS panel in our long-term test appears to be immune.

Motion
7.8
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
5.0 ms
100% Response Time
13.6 ms

Good response time. There's a bit of overshoot in most transitions, although this shouldn't be noticeable for most people. Due to the TV's 120Hz flicker, there's noticeable duplication in motion, which could get distracting.

4.0
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz

Unfortunately, this TV uses Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to dim the backlight. It flickers at 120Hz at any backlight level below 100, resulting in noticeable duplications in motion.

10
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps
60 Hz
60 Hz for 60 fps
Yes
120 Hz for 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

This TV has an optional black frame insertion feature that can be used to help improve the appearance of motion. This causes a slight decrease in brightness. With 60Hz content, the backlight flickers at 60Hz automatically. When playing 120Hz content, the flicker frequency changes back to 120Hz automatically.

Find out more about the black frame insertion feature here.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

The LG 55SM9000PUA has an optional motion interpolation feature. This feature can be used to increase the frame rate as high as 120 fps, known as the Soap Opera Effect, which some people don't like. The motion interpolation feature is decent, and even busy scenes are very smooth. When there's too much action the TV sometimes stops interpolating, causing artifacts.

Find out more about the motion interpolation feature here.

7.5
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
28.1 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
3.1 ms

Due to the relatively fast response time of the LG 55SM9000PUA, there's some stutter when watching 24p content, as each frame is held on longer. The amount of stutter can be reduced by enabling the motion interpolation feature or the black frame insertion feature.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

This TV can remove judder from any source, which is great. To remove judder, simply enable Real Cinema from the Picture Mode Settings menu.

8.2
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
60 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
48 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
HDMI

Update 07/27/2020: Updated the firmware and retested the VRR range.

Update 06/10/2020: We've received multiple reports that the 75" and 86" models don't support VRR at all.

Update 11/28/2019: Although not officially supported by NVIDIA, the LG SM9000 works with NVIDIA's new G-SYNC compatible mode when connected to a recent NVIDIA graphics card. Unlike officially supported TVs, like the LG C9, this must be manually enabled from the NVIDIA Control Center.

This TV has a 120Hz native refresh rate. Like the LG SM9500 rate and the LG C9 OLED, the LG SM9000 supports the new HDMI Forum VRR technology, which helps reduce screen tearing.

Inputs
8.8
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60 Hz
13.8 ms
1080p @ 60 Hz Outside Game Mode
84.5 ms
1440p @ 60 Hz
14.0 ms
4k @ 60 Hz
13.8 ms
4k @ 60 Hz + 10 bit HDR
13.9 ms
4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
13.9 ms
4k @ 60 Hz Outside Game Mode
84.4 ms
4k @ 60 Hz With Interpolation
82.4 ms
8k @ 60 Hz
N/A
1080p @ 120 Hz
7.1 ms
1440p @ 120 Hz
7.2 ms
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
6.3 ms
1440p with VRR
6.6 ms
4k with VRR
15.7 ms
8k with VRR
N/A
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes

Update 09/17/2020: Changed '8k with VRR' from 'Untested' to 'N/A'. This didn't change the final scoring.

The LG SM9000 has an excellent low input lag, as long as you're in 'Game' mode. Like the LG SM9500, it has an 'Auto Low Latency Mode', which automatically switches the TV to 'Game' mode to achieve the lowest input lag possible. To enable this, turn on the Instant Game Response setting.

9.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120 Hz
Yes (native support)
1440p @ 60 Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120 Hz
Yes (native support)
4k @ 60 Hz
Yes
4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
8k @ 30 Hz or 24 Hz
No
8k @ 60 Hz
No

This TV supports almost all of the common formats. It can display chroma 4:4:4 content properly in most formats, except for 1080p @ 120Hz, as long as the input icon is changed to 'PC' from the Home Dashboard menu. The HDMI ULTRA HD Deep Color setting must be enabled for some of these formats to work.

Like the LG C9 OLED and LG SM9500, LG advertises that the LG SM9000 supports a 4k @ 120Hz signal. Unfortunately, we can't retest it since we no longer have this TV.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 1 (incl. adapter)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
3D
No
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

The LG SM9000 supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, but not HDR10+. It's advertised as supporting HDMI 2.1, but we can't test it since we no longer have the TV.

Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC
Yes (HDMI 2)
eARC support
Yes
Dolby Atmos via TrueHD via eARC
Yes
DTS:X via DTS-HD MA via eARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via ARC
Yes
5.1 DTS via ARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via Optical
Yes
5.1 DTS via Optical
Yes

The LG SM9000 supports most common audio passthroughs, including eARC, allowing you to send high-quality audio to an external receiver through the TV. For this to work, go to the 'Sound Out' page in the 'Sound' settings menu, open 'HDMI ARC', turn 'eARC' on and set Digital Sound to 'Passthrough'. LG's 2019 TVs support DTS decoding, which is something they dropped in their 2020 lineup, such as the LG NANO90.

Sound Quality
7.0
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
67.27 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.53 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.80 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.55 dB
Max
89.9 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
5.47 dB

The LG SM9000 has a decent frequency response. It's able to produce fairly deep bass, but not enough to truly get any rumble or thump you hear from a dedicated subwoofer. It has a fairly well-balanced sound profile, which makes dialogue clear. It also gets loud enough for noisy environments, but it produces compression artifacts at its max volume.

6.7
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.266
Weighted THD @ Max
0.888
IMD @ 80
3.43%
IMD @ Max
7.22%

Okay distortion performance. There's noticeable total harmonic distortion (THD) even at moderate listening levels, and it could get distracting at its max volume. The successor to this TV, the LG NANO90, has better built-in speakers with less audible distortion.

Smart Features
8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS WebOS
Version 4.6
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
7 s
Advanced Options
Many

The LG's WebOS interface is easy to use and fast. We didn't encounter any issues with the interface. The 2019 version of the system is very similar to LG's 2018 models. There are a few minor changes, including a new "Home Dashboard", which is very similar to Samsung's Smart Things system and can interact with many devices.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, like other 2019 LG TVs we've tested, there are ads on the TV's home screen, as well as in the LG content store.

8.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

LG's WebOS has a huge selection of apps available through the built-in content store. Most of the common streaming apps are available, and there are built-in media players that support most of the common media formats.

9.0
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Large
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
Yes
Remote App LG TV Plus

The LG SM9000 includes the same LG Magic Remote found on most recent LG TVs. It can be used as a virtual pointer, which makes navigating the menus extremely easy. New this year is the ability to use the remote as a universal remote. It can be programmed to operate almost any device, even if they don't support HDMI-CEC.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The physical control for this TV is located in the center of the TV, underneath the bottom bezel.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Basic user manual
  • Remote
  • Cable management strap
  • Composite breakout adapter
  • Batteries

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 53 W
Power Consumption (Max) 127 W
Firmware 03.60.04