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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 UH6100 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
LG UH6100 Picture
6.9
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.9
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.3
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.1
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.2
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.2
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.8
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the LG UJ6300

The LG UH6100 is an entry level 4k TV. It includes a less accurate pixel structure (RGBW) which means that although it has the correct number of pixels, it can't produce the same level of fine detail as other 4k TVs. Despite this, the picture quality is average. Motion is handled quite well and the smart platform works well.

Our Verdict

6.9 Mixed Usage

Average TV for a range of usage. Performs much better in a bright room, where reflections are dealt with well and dark scene issues are less obvious. Picture quality is average, even when viewed at an angle.

Pros
  • Picture quality remains when viewed at an angle
  • Smart platform is featured and intuitive
  • Upscaling of low quality content is good
Cons
  • Uses less accurate RGBW pixel structure
  • Blacks appear gray in dark rooms
  • Uniformity is below average
5.9 Movies

Bad in a dark room. Picture quality is average, and blacks appear gray. Uniformity issues are more obvious. No local dimming features.

7.3 TV Shows

Above average for watching TV in a bright living room. Picture quality is average even when viewed from the side. When watching non-HDR content the screen doesn't get bright enough to effectively deal with glare. Smart interface is great for casual watching or viewing pictures, and upscaling of low quality TV is great.

7.1 Sports

Good sports performance. Picture quality is average, even when viewed at an angle. Little motion blur, which is good. Some issues with the uniformity but only a little bit of the dirty screen effect is present.

7.2 Video Games

Good for video games. Picture quality is average. Motion blur and input lag are good, and should not be an issue for most people.

6.8 HDR Movies

Even if the LG UH6100 supports HDR10, it is missing the wide color gamut, the high peak brightness and the local dimming. The overall picture quality is average, but the lack of features results in an average HDR performance. When watching in a dark room, the blacks appear gray.

7.2 HDR Gaming

Supports HDR10 format, but is unable to benefit due to lack of wide color gamut and low peak brightness. Picture quality is average, but blacks look gray.

6.8 PC Monitor

Works well as a PC monitor. Picture quality is average, but chroma 4:4:4 support means text appears clear. Due to the pixel structure, some straight lines appear jagged as can be seen here. Response time and motion blur is low which is good.

  • 6.9 Mixed Usage
  • 5.9 Movies
  • 7.3 TV Shows
  • 7.1 Sports
  • 7.2 Video Games
  • 6.8 HDR Movies
  • 7.2 HDR Gaming
  • 6.8 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Jul 27, 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" (43UH6100). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 49" (49UH6100).

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG UH6100 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model Warehouse
43" 43UH6100 43UH610A
49" 49UH6100 49UH610A

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: TCL US5800 (55US5800). Bottom left: Vizio D Series 4k 2016 (D50u-D1). Middle: LG UH6100 (43UH6100). Top right: Samsung KU6300 (UN55KU6300). Bottom right: TCL FS3800 (40FS3800).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The LG UH6100 offers an average picture quality, but at a low price. For watching TV shows in a bright room it may be a good pick, but for most people the recommendations below provide better performance.

Test Results

Design
6.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The design is very similar to the LG UF6400 from last year, but with more modern narrower legs. It is a fairly bland TV, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It feels well supported and sturdy.

Design
Stand

The stand is almost as wide as the TV, and made of plastic but is quite study.

Footprint of the 43" TV stand: 8.5" x 29.3"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

If wall mounted, many of the inputs become inaccessible.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.67" (1.7 cm)

Borders are an average thickness, and made of plastic.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.91" (7.4cm)

UH6100 is of an average thickness. It will stick out a bit if wall mounted.

Picture Quality
6.1
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,090 : 1

The contrast ratio is average for the UH6100. The blacks are not very deep but that is not the worse that we have seen for an IPS panel. This is going to be a problem if you always watch TV in a dark room, but for a well light room, it shouldn't be a problem.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

Update:There are reports of a local dimming feature appearing temporarily in the menus, this is a bug and will most likely be fixed soon. We were not able to reproduce it.

7.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
249 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
264 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
265 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
266 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
266 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
266 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
264 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
265 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
266 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
266 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
266 cd/m²

The SDR peak brightness is bad and is about 100 cd/m² less than what the TV can reach when in HDR mode, which is not very bright, especially when set in a bright room.

7.6
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
374 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
404 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
401 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
400 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
399 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
398 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
404 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
401 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
400 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
399 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
398 cd/m²

When sending an HDR signal, the overall peak brightness is average but quite good for a mid-range TV. It has around the same brightness as the Samsung KU6300. At around 400 cd/m² it is still decent for highlights bigger than 50% and is bright enough to watch in a bright room without problems, but it won't make HDR look as good as on higher end TVs that can get small highlights more bright.

5.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
6.372%
50% DSE
0.237%

The gray uniformity is pretty bad for a LED TV. You can see on our test picture that the corners are a lot darker and there is also half of the screen that has a bit of a pink hue. This will result in a dirty screen effect when watching some content like sport, where you often have big panning shots or in video games where the background is a uniform color. Note that the gray uniformity issues are more obvious when you watch the TV from the side.

6.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
IPS
Color Shift
23°
Brightness
28°
Black Level
75°

The viewing angle is above average, but not the best we have seen for an IPS panel. When viewed from the side, the color tends to remain the same, but loses intensity.

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

4.3
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.611%

The black uniformity is really bad for the LG UH6100. There is some major clouding leaving only the side of the screen really black. This is one of the worst TVs we have tested for the black uniformity yet in 2016.

9.0
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The color gradient is pretty good for an 8 bit panel. There are not any banding issues that we can see from our gradient pattern. The only little imperfections that you can see when looking at the picture are more related to the gray uniformity.

Update 09/30/2016: Our original test was showing an incorrect color depth of 8 bit due to some incorrect drivers on our system, but after some correction to our test apparatus, we tested again the color depth and we can confirm that the LG UH6100 does in fact have an 10 bit panel.

7.9
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.72
Color dE
3.698
Gamma
2.02

Prior to calibration, the colors and the white balance aren't perfect but performance is good enough for most people.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.7
Color dE
1.2696
Gamma
2.19

The 2 and 20 point calibrations make it easy to fix inaccuracies. The result is quite good. You can find our calibration settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

Upscaled DVDs or other 480p content looks very good on the UH6100. The image looks sharp and not too much detail is lost.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Cable TV or high quality streaming content also looks very good once upscaled. You can still make out a lot of small details.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Blu-rays and 1080p video look very sharp and no problem at all can be noticed.

8.0
Picture Quality
4k Input

Uses less accurate RGBW pixel substructure. This is not an issue from further away, but from close up text may look strange. An example is shown here.

6.9
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
75.7258%
DCI P3 uv
88.9124%
Rec 2020 xy
54.3282%
Rec 2020 uv
58.1349%

Although there is an option to enable an 'Extended' color gamut, it is only enough for rec 709 content. Even though it accepts a HDR signal, the colors will not benefit from it.

4.3
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
44.502%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
27.665%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
32.948%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
20.25%

The UH6100 can’t produce saturated colors to improve HDR content. At low luminosities the range of colors is poor.

4.0
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
1.094%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.233%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.07%
IR after 6 min recovery
0%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%
7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.9%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The semi-gloss finish helps to diffuse reflections. Deals quite well with reflections in an average lit room, but very bright glare may be an issue.

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

This TV doesn't support 3D.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED

Uses the less accurate RGBW 4k panel. This replaces some of the sub pixels with a white pixel.

Motion
8.0
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
17 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

The response time is great. Due to the flickering backlight, a few faint images can be seen following the logo. This should not be a problem.

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

24p content as movies from Blu-rays, DVDs and from streaming apps like Netflix will play without judder with the 'Realcinema' option turned-on. Movies playing on a cable/satellite box do have some judder issues, but this is not noticeable to most people. Even with the 'TruMotion' option set to 'User' and with 'De-Judder' set to max (introducing the soap opera effect), judder was still present.

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

The UH6100 has a 60Hz panel, and so can only interpolate up to 30Hz content. To do this, set 'Trumotion' to 'User' and increase the 'De-Judder' slider. This does not completely remove judder, however.

Inputs
8.1
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
18.4 ms
1080p With Interpolation
78 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
81 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
78 ms
4k @ 60Hz
18.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
67 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
18.8 ms

1080p input lag is quite good for the LG UH6100. For casual gamers out there, with only 39.7 ms of input lag, the UH6100 should be a good choice. Change the input icon to 'Game Console' and select the 'Game' picture mode for lowest input lag.

Update 01/10/2017: The UH6100 just got a new update (04.30.82) that added a new 'HDR Game' mode and it greatly upgraded the performance of this TV. Note that input lag under gamer mode with a 1080p and 4k resolution was also reduce under 20ms.

8.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution "4k"
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes

Change the input icon to 'PC' to enable chroma 4:4:4. With this enabled, input lag is 71.9 ms. 4k @ 60Hz requires 'HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color' to be enabled, in 'General' settings. Text is not as clear due to the alternate pixel structure as can be seen here. This is penalized in the '4k Resolution' section of the review.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 1
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
Yes
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 Yes
ARC Yes (HDMI 3)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Sound Quality
6.1
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
5.94 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
6.05 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
7.91 dB SPL
Max
90.2 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
89.8 Hz

Average performance. The frequency response is below average, and there will be pumping and compression present at louder volumes. However, the maximum loudness and low-end cut off are quite decent for a TV.

5.0
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.032
Distortion @ 80
0.21
Distortion @ Max
0.214

Poor harmonic distortion performance. Although there is not a dramatic jump in distortion as the volume is increased, the overall amount of harmonic distortion is elevated at all levels.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

WebOS 3.0 might not have as many apps as other smart OS, like Android TV OS, but all the most popular apps are available, including YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Video. In general, WebOS apps offer a good stability.

8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS WebOS 3.0

The WebOS Smart interface is one of the best you can find on Smart TVs and the iteration on the LG UH6100 is very good. The interface looks great and is easy to navigate, with plenty of content and apps to chose from. The interface feels fast and without hiccups. From the smart platform, you can easily switch from live TV to any connected device like your computer, Blu-ray player or even browse your pictures and videos collection on a USB flash drive.

0
Smart Features
Ads
Ad-free
No
Opt-out
No
Smart Features
TV Controls

Controls are located below the logo on the front of the TV. This is easy to access when wall mounted.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

There is a basic remote supplied, which is straightforward to use. It is the same remote as many other mid-range LG TVs such as the LG LH5750.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote
  • Batteries
  • Cable management strap
  • Manual

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 33 W
Power Consumption (Max) 70 W
Firmware 03.20.25