LG UH7700  TV Review

Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31am
Tested using Methodology v1.0 
LG UH7700
7.4
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.9
Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.6
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.4
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.6
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.7
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.6
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.0
PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

 0
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by LG UJ7700
The LG UH7700 is a good all-around 4k UHD TV. Gamers will be pleased with its performance, while fans of movies and sports might find it a little lacking, as its picture deteriorates in dark rooms. Regardless of intended usage, its wide viewing angle, ease of use, and great smart features are things that everyone can enjoy.

Our Verdict

7.4
Mixed Usage 

Although its picture quality isn't the best when watched in a dark room, those who look for a good all-around TV will enjoy the LG UH7700 UHD TV. Gamers will probably get the most out of it, as well as those looking for a good smart TV experience. The wide viewing angle this TV provides also make it a decent option for a living room.

Pros
  • Good viewing angle
  • Great smart features
  • Especially good for video games
Cons
  • Picture deteriorates in a dark room
  • HDR could be better
  • Poor uniformity
7.7
HDR Movies 
7.6
HDR Gaming 
  • 7.4
    Mixed Usage
  • 6.9
    Movies
  • 7.6
    TV Shows
  • 7.4
    Sports
  • 7.6
    Video Games
  • 7.7
    HDR Movies
  • 7.6
    HDR Gaming
  • 7.0
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
    2.  Updated Mar 28, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
    3.  Updated Mar 23, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

    Check Price

    55"55UH7700
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    60"60UH7700
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    65"65UH7700
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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We tested the 55" (55UH7700). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for other sizes of the UH7700.

    If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG UH7700 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

    Size Model
    55" 55UH7700
    60" 60UH7700
    65" 65UH7700

    Popular TV Comparisons

    Comparison picture

    Top row, from left: Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000), LG UH7700 (55UH7700), Vizio P Series 2016 (P65-C1). Bottom: LG UF7700 (60UF7700), LG UH8500 (55UH8500), Sony X850D (XBR55X850D). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

    The LG UH7700 feels expensive compared to other TVs that have better picture quality with a lower asking price. It makes it somewhat hard to recommend.

    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 are done with 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

    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    9.0
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The LG UH7700 boast a good-looking and convincing finish that looks metallic, though is truly plastic. The TV is relatively thin, so it could nicely and easily be hung flush on a wall. Doing this will block some of the back connections, though.

    Stand

    The stand looks like brushed metal, but is made of plastic.

    Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 31.5" x 11"
    Back
    Wall MountVESA 300x300
    Borders
    Borders0.63" (1.6 cm)

    Like the stand, the borders are made of plastic, and look convincingly like metal.

    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.09" (5.3 cm)

    The LG UH7700 is thin and would look good if mounted flush on a wall, although some of the back connections would be blocked.

    Picture Quality
    6.2
    Contrast
    Native Contrast
    1,153 : 1

    Black is a little light, but we have seen worse IPS TVs than this one. Apart from when the TV is displaying dark scenes in a dim room, this won't be a problem.

    3.0
    Local Dimming
    Local Dimming
    Yes
    Backlight
    Edge

    In our test video, with local dimming set to high, the backlight produced big light zones around the white dot. Even then, the dot couldn't get very bright.

    7.1
    SDR Peak Brightness
    SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    311 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 2% Window
    160 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 10% Window
    297 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 25% Window
    306 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 50% Window
    304 cd/m²
    SDR Peak 100% Window
    303 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 2% Window
    160 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 10% Window
    297 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 25% Window
    306 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 50% Window
    304 cd/m²
    SDR Sustained 100% Window
    303 cd/m²

    The SDR peak brightness is average for the UH7700 and is about the same as the UH8500. The local dimming is not so effective and dims the 2% too much, cutting by almost half of the overall brightness of the other sizes windows.

    7.6
    HDR Peak Brightness
    HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
    356 cd/m²
    HDR Peak 2% Window
    297 cd/m²
    HDR Peak 10% Window
    520 cd/m²
    HDR Peak 25% Window
    444 cd/m²
    HDR Peak 50% Window
    395 cd/m²
    HDR Peak 100% Window
    376 cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 2% Window
    297 cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 10% Window
    520 cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 25% Window
    444 cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 50% Window
    395 cd/m²
    HDR Sustained 100% Window
    376 cd/m²

    The screen cannot get very bright. Local dimming darkened our 2% white window. Since HDR should be able to brighten highlights, the LG UH7700 won't be the ideal choice for that kind of content.
    Update: Retested with local dimming turned on, to be consistent with other TVs.

    6.7
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    4.765%
    50% DSE
    0.228%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.655%
    5% DSE
    0.089%

    The top part of the screen is darker, as are the corners. Those dark patches can be seen on some panning shots.

    6.2
    Viewing Angle
    LCD Type
    IPS
    Color Shift
    22°
    Brightness
    29°
    Black Level
    75°

    The LG UH7700 has a good viewing angle. People sitting on the sides of the TV won't have too much picture degradation. This TV fit nicely in a wide living room.

    6.4
    Black Uniformity
    Native Std. Dev.
    2.407%

    There was some clouding on the unit we reviewed, mostly in the top-right corner. This varies from unit to unit. The grayish blacks are more apparent with a totally black screen.

    9.5
    Gradient
    Color Depth
    10 Bit

    Very nice color gradation across the board. On most 10-bit TVs, we can still see some imperfections in the gray and green colors, but the LG UH7700 had none of these problems and displayed a near perfect gradient. This means that color banding won't be an issue on HDR content.

    7.9
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    3.89
    Color dE
    3.5391
    Gamma
    2.25

    White balance dE is a little higher than ideal for out of the box color. Same has to be said for the Color dE. Gray was lacking blue, and red was a little oversaturated.

    9.6
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    0.48
    Color dE
    1.0583
    Gamma
    2.19

    White balance calibration fixed nearly all problems, except with the darker shades. As for color, blue stayed far from our 0.5 dE2000 target.

    8.0
    480p Input

    DVDs and SD TV channels looks good once upscaled.

    8.0
    720p Input

    Cable TV and other 720p sources looks good and not too soft.

    9.0
    1080p Input

    Blu-rays look very good and sharp on the UH7700.

    10
    4k Input

    Native 4k content play without any image quality issues and look very good.

    7.1
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    No
    DCI P3 xy
    77.6%
    DCI P3 uv
    83.63%
    Rec 2020 xy
    58.39%
    Rec 2020 uv
    63.38%

    Although it has a selection of three color gamut presets, the LG UH7700 cannot display a very wide range of colors. The 'Color Gamut' option is located under 'Expert Controls'. 'Normal' should be used for most content, while the 'Wide' setting will display more saturated colors. 'Extended' lies in between.

    5.2
    Color Volume
    Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
    57.802%
    10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
    35.329%
    Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
    41.802%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
    25.522%

    The UH7700 doesn't support a wide color gamut and can't produce very many colors at different brightness levels.

    3.3
    Image Retention
    IR after 0 min recovery
    6.684%
    IR after 2 min recovery
    0.824%
    IR after 4 min recovery
    0.138%
    IR after 6 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 8 min recovery
    0%
    IR after 10 min recovery
    0%

    The LG UH7700 does present some image retention and behave almost like the more expensive UH8500. The retention is pretty strong right after the 10 minutes exposure, where you can make all almost all the colored logos and even the white left side of the static image. It needed 6 minutes of recovery before the screen came back to normal.

    7.5
    Reflections
    Reflection
    1.8%
    Screen Finish
    Semi-gloss

    Reflections aren't a big problem, but the TV can't get very bright, which this might be an issue in very bright rooms. There is a very faint rainbow effect around bright objects, but this shouldn't be too noticeable.

    0.0
    3D
    3D
    No
    3D Type
    No
    2D to 3D
    No

    Although there is a 3D button on the remote, this TV doesn't have 3D.

    Pixels
    TypeLED
    Motion
    8.2
    Motion Blur
    Refresh Rate120 Hz
    Response Time
    15.7 ms
    Overshoot
    0 ms

    No particular problems in the different response time transitions. It uses PWM backlighting to control luminosity.

    2.8
    Image Flicker
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    120 Hz
    BFI
    No
    BFI Frequency
    120 Hz
    BFI In Game Mode
    No
    7.1
    24p Playback
    Judder-free 24p
    Yes
    Judder-free 24p via 60p
    No
    Judder-free 24p via 60i
    No

    Only 24p content is judder-free. On 60Hz sources, the TV couldn't always remove judder from our test pattern. It shouldn't be a problem for most, though, since that isn't easy to detect by eye. Although it adds the soap opera effect, image interpolation can be used to remove judder in all cases.

    10
    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    Yes
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    Yes

    Motion interpolation (TruMotion) will smooth out motion and remove judder. It will also add the soap opera effect. A low, custom value can remove judder without noticeable introduction of the SOE, though.

    Inputs
    8.3
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    23.5 ms
    1080p With Interpolation
    57.1 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    56.9 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    57 ms
    4k @ 60Hz
    22.2 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    48.3 ms
    4k @ 60Hz + HDR
    15.9 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
    N/A

    The UH7700's 1080p input lag is low. Games that require fast reflexes won't feel laggy, and gamers that want to use motion interpolation will experience a respectably low 57.3 ms input lag, which is something most TVs aren't able to do. To achieve that, just set the picture mode to 'Game'.

    Update 01/10/2017: The UH7700 just got a new update (04.30.77) that added a new 'HDR Game' mode and it greatly upgraded the performance of this TV. As you can see, the input lag in HDR is now at 15.9ms, which is very good, even for the more hardcore gamers out there. Note that input lag under game mode with a 1080p and 4k resolution also got cut by 10ms.

    8.0
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    No
    4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k @ 60Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes

    Most resolutions worked, except for 1080p @ 120Hz. To get 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4, set the input icon to 'PC' (you'll get the same input lag as you do in game mode). For 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4, 'HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color' must be enabled. Since the LG UH7700 has a wide viewing angle, it would work well as a PC monitor viewed from up close.

    Side Inputs
    Rear Inputs
    Total Inputs
    HDMI3
    USB3
    Digital Optical Audio Out1
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mm0
    Analog Audio Out RCA0
    Component In1 (incl. adapter)
    Composite In1 (incl. adapter)
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)1
    Ethernet1
    DisplayPort0
    IR In0
    SD/SDHC0
    Inputs Specifications
    HDR10
    Yes
    5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
    Yes
    Dolby Vision
    Yes
    5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
    Yes
    5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
    Yes
    5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
    Yes
    HDMI 2.0 Full BandwidthYes
    ARCYes (HDMI 2)
    USB 3Yes (1)
    HDCP 2.2Yes
    CECYes
    MHLNo
    Variable Analog Audio OutNo
    Sound Quality
    6.5
    Frequency Response
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    4.14 dB SPL
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    5.87 dB SPL
    Max
    80.5 dB SPL
    Low-end Cutoff
    80 Hz

    This TV was tested with "Magic Sound Tuning" enabled. Decent frequency response and low-end cutoff. However, this TV doesn't get loud and it failed our 85dB SPL test. At higher volumes, there seems to be a boost around 200Hz.

    4.6
    Total Harmonic Distortion
    Distortion @ 70
    0.031
    Distortion @ Max
    0.636

    Poor overall performance. At 75dB SPL, this TV performs quite decently, but at Max volume there is a big jump in distortion above 1KHz. There was also a lot of aliasing present at maximum loudness.

    Smart Features
    Apps

    WebOs 3.0 is a joy to navigate, but doesn't offer as many apps as does the competition. The basics apps are there though, including a web browser, Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Video.

    9.0
    Interface
    Smart OSWebOS 3.0

    LG's smart platform, WebOS 3.0, is at the top of our recommendations for smart interfaces. The different setting menus blend smoothly with the app navigation. The magic remote can control most other devices and acts as a great universal remote. On the TV itself, you will find all the inputs needed. They are, for the most part, laid out well, so cables can be hidden out of sight. Some handy basic TV controls can be found underneath the front LG logo.

    0.0
    Ads
    Ad-free
    No
    Opt-out
    No

    Ads appear under the content store's "Apps & Games" page. Fortunately, you won't be seeing them often.

    TV Controls

    Basic TV controls are available and located underneath the front LG logo. They can be accessed even if the TV is mounted flush on a wall, which is good.

    Remote
    RemoteSmart

    Model #: AN-MR600

    No big changes from the 2015 models. LG's magic remote is one of the best for smart platform navigation. It has a mic for voice command and which can now be used to calibrate the sound of the TV.
    In The Box

    - Remote
    - Batteries
    - Composite In adapter
    - Component In adapter
    - 1 power cord
    - 1 cable tie
    - 1 cable management hook for the stand
    - Manuals

    Misc
    Power Consumption56 W
    Power Consumption (Max)118 W
    Firmware03.00.09