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We published new results of an investigative study on the long-term durability of TVs, revealing significant durability issues with popular edge-lit models. Read the full details here.

LG UH9500 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
LG UH9500 Picture
7.5
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.3
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.7
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
8.1
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.5
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
This TV was replaced by the LG SJ9500

The LG UH9500 is a high end 4k LCD TV offered by LG. It is only available in large sizes, and has pretty good picture quality. When viewed at an angle, the image keeps its contrast and color which is great. Unfortunately the dark room performance is poor due to the low native contrast ratio, and the motion handling could be better.

Our Verdict

7.5 Mixed Usage

Good TV for a wide range of usages. Best suited for a bright room with wide seating. Low native contrast ratio but image remains accurate when viewed at an angle. Average for watching movies in a dark room.

Pros
  • Picture remains accurate when viewed at an angle
  • WebOS smart platform works well
Cons
  • Poor dark scene performance
  • Peak brightness is below average
7.3 Movies

Average for watching movies in a dark room. Poor dark scene performance due to low native contrast ratio and poor local dimming.

7.7 TV Shows

Good for watching TV in a bright room. When viewed at an angle, picture remains accurate. Whole screen gets quite bright to combat glare. Handles reflections well. WebOS smart platform works well for casual watching.

7.4 Sports

Good sports performance. Picture quality is good, and is retained when viewed at an angle. Uniformity is below average resulting in some dirty screen effect. Motion blur is better than average.

7.6 Video Games

Good for gamers. Picture quality is good. Motion handling is better than average, but a short trail may be seen following fast movement. SDR input lag is low, which is good.

8.1 HDR Movies

Good HDR performance. Supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Can produce a wide range of saturated colors. Unfortunately the local dimming doesn't work well to brighten highlights. Dark scene performance is poor.

7.5 HDR Gaming

Average for HDR gaming. Supports a wide color gamut and 10 bit gradient. Input lag in HDR is quite high. Can't get bright highlights.

7.0 PC Monitor

Good for a PC monitor. Input lag is low, and supports a wide range of resolutions. Motion blur is better than average. Supports chroma subsampling for clear text across all backgrounds.

  • 7.5 Mixed Usage
  • 7.3 Movies
  • 7.7 TV Shows
  • 7.4 Sports
  • 7.6 Video Games
  • 8.1 HDR Movies
  • 7.5 HDR Gaming
  • 7.0 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Oct 05, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Sep 29, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 65" (65UH9500). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 86" (86UH9500).

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG UH9500 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model
65" 65UH9500
86" 86UH9500

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000). Bottom left: LG B6 (OLED55B6P). Middle: LG UH9500 (65UH9500). Top right: Sony X930D (XBR55X930D). Bottom right: LG UH8500 (55UH8500).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The LG UH9500 is a good all-round TV, but can be hard to recommend for those looking at the 65" variant due to its similar performance to the cheaper LG UH8500. In some cases, the LG UH8500 actually performs better due to the lower response time and higher peak brightness. For those interested in the 86" variant there is very little competition and it could be a good choice depending on your usage. Keep this in mind when viewing our recommendations below.

Test Results

Design
9.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The UH9500 has a sleek design, which is very similar to the slightly lower model LG UH8500. The biggest notable difference is the thinness of the top 2/3 of the screen. Unfortunately for a large TV the center stand doesn't provide as much support as the dual supports on the cheaper LG models.

Design
Stand

The stand is made of stainless steel, and looks great. Unfortunately it feels a bit wobbly with only center support.

Footprint of the 65" TV stand: 11.2" x 38.3"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x200

The back looks good, with a brushed metal finish. This is the biggest difference when compared to the slightly bulkier UH8500. The stand also includes a hollow area for cable management. If wall mounted some of the inputs may be difficult to access.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.63" (1.6 cm)

The borders are quite thin, and have a metal surround. There is a black space before the image begins.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.09" (5.3 cm)

The TV is extremely thin for the top 2/3, and even at the widest point where the inputs are it is thinner than average. This looks very similar to the LG B6.

Picture Quality
6.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,180 : 1

The contrast ratio is below average, which is to be expected from an IPS TV. In a dark room the blacks appear gray, but for a brighter room this is not an issue.

3.0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

The UH9500 is an edge lit TV that features local dimming. Like most edge lit TVs, the local dimming is not as effective as some other full-array LED TVs. Blooming can be seen in large vertical bands where small highlights are situated.

When set on 'High', the smaller highlights in the video can be seen getting darker and brighter every time a zone gets turned on and off. We recommend that you set it on a lower setting if you notice this behavior when playing video games, or when watching normal TV shows and movies.

7.6
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
439 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
148 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
372 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
408 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
408 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
410 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
148 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
372 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
408 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
408 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
410 cd/m²

The UH9500 SDR peak brightness is average. The local dimming dim too much the smaller highlights, making the overall score just average. Highlights 10% and bigger are brighter and are good for SDR though.

7.6
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
450 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
146 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
392 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
425 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
425 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
400 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
146 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
392 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
425 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
425 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
400 cd/m²

The peak brightness is below average. These measurements are consistently lower than the lower end UH8500, which is a bit surprising. Although the whole screen can get quite bright, the local dimming significantly reduces the peak brightness of smaller windows. This test is performed with a HDR10 signal.

6.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.256%
50% DSE
0.239%

The gray uniformity is below average for the LG UH9500. A multitude of vertical bands can be seen throughout the screen. Also, the color on the right side of the screen is also a lot warmer. Dirty screen effect is visible when watching sport or any other media with large panning shots over a uniform color surface.

6.4
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
IPS
Color Shift
24°
Brightness
34°
Black Level
75°

When viewed at an angle, the contrast decreases a little bit but the colors remain quite accurate. This is about the same result as the LG UH8500 which is good for an LED TV.

7.6
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.749%

The black uniformity of the UH9500 is good. Like most IPS TVs, some clouding can be seen on our test picture, but luckily it is very hard to notice when watching normal content.

9.5
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The LG UH9500 can display a 10 bit gradient pretty well. There are no particular banding or shade problems when analyzing our test picture.

8.1
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.69
Color dE
3.31
Gamma
2.25

Prior to calibration, the results are quite good. The white balance is a little bit off, but this should not be an issue for most people.

9.7
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.23
Color dE
0.85
Gamma
2.21

Calibration is performed with the 2 and 20 point system on the TV. It works well to remove small errors in the white balance. Even with the color space settings, the blue was undersaturated. You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

As with other LG TVs, upscaling of low quality content is good. Some halo effect can be seen along straight edges, but overall a good result.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Upscaling of 720p content is good, and details are preserved well. Image remains sharp.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content such as blurays appear crisp and clear.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

Content at native 4k resolution looks very good. No issues can be seen.

7.9
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
86.85%
DCI P3 uv
91.64%
Rec 2020 xy
64.95%
Rec 2020 uv
72.13%

The UH9500 supports a wide color gamut, which works well to produce very saturated colors. This is a good result for those who want to watch HDR content.

6.9
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
80.081%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
40.979%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
58.203%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
29.807%

The UH9500 can cover almost all of the DCI-P3 color volume but colors lose saturation at high or low luminosities.

7.3
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.803%
IR after 2 min recovery
0%
IR after 4 min recovery
0%
IR after 6 min recovery
0%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%

The LG UH9500 do have some image retention, but the retention is present only right after the static scene of the test video. After 2 minutes of recovery, the LED screen is back to normal, without any image retention at all. When compare to others LG high end LED TVs like the UH8500, this is much better and should not be too much a annoyance when watching normal TV content.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.9%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The higher end UH9500 has a slightly more glossy screen than the UH8500, but it is still semi-gloss. It should be fine for a room with a few windows. Some faint rainbowing can be seen around direct reflections.

9.0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
Yes
3D Type
Passive
2D to 3D
Yes

The TV supports passive 3D which means that although there is no noticeable flicker, the number of lines of horizontal resolution is decreased. Due to the size of the TV, this can be noticeable from up close. There is a little bit of crosstalk visible when viewing off-axis.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
7.4
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 120 Hz
Response Time
20 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

The motion blur is better than average, but noticeable worse than the slightly lower model LG UH8500. This shouldn't be an issue for most people, however. The backlight uses PWM flicker to dim, and so duplicating images can be seen behind the logo.

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

Movies playing from DVDs, Blu-rays or from streaming apps play without judder when the 'Real Cinema' option is turned on. Movies playing from 60p/60i sources like cable/satellite/set-up boxes or a computer do have some judder. For most people this is not an issue.

Judder can be removed by setting 'TruMotion' to 'User' and setting 'De-Judder' to a low value. Note that even at a low value, it will introduce a bit of soap opera effect.

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

The UH9500 has a 120Hz panel, and is able to interpolate lower frame rate content. For those that enjoy the soap opera effect, enable motion interpolation with the 'TruMotion' setting.

Inputs
8.1
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
27.9 ms
1080p With Interpolation
115.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
50.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
27.5 ms
4k @ 60Hz
27.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
27.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
36.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

Input lag is good for SDR content, but more competitive gamers may notice a slightly delay when playing HDR games. For most people, this should not be an issue.

Update 12/08/2016: With the newest firmware update (04.30.19) there has been the addition of a HDR gaming mode. In this mode the HDR input lag is lower, and should be fine for HDR gaming. Note that although the TV accepts a 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + HDR signal, it can't accurately display the chroma subsampling in any HDR mode, even with the 'PC' icon selected.

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

To enable chroma subsampling support, change the input icon to 'PC'. It is also necessary to enable 'HDMI ULTRA HD Deep Color' in the 'General' settings menu to allow 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4. Although it has a 120Hz panel, like other LG TVs it is not able to support a 120 fps input.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (incl. adapter, shared)
Composite In 1 (incl. adapter, 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
Yes
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 2)
USB 3 Yes (1)
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Sound Quality
6.6
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.91 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.45 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
8.45 dB SPL
Max
95.3 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
106.79 Hz

Average performance. Frequency response is good at lower volumes. However, under heavier loads compression and pumping will be present. Additionally, this TV does get quite loud and does produce a decent amount of bass, for a TV.

6.0
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.039
Distortion @ 80
0.066
Distortion @ Max
0.072

Average harmonic distortion performance. The overall amount of harmonic distortion at 75 is relatively low. The rise in distortion at 85 and maximum volume isn't too much either, and the values remain within decent limits.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

Included with the TV are the most popular apps, such as Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu. It is also possible to download a wide range apps from the 'LG Content Store'.

9.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS WebOS 3.0

The UH9500 features LG's latest iteration of WebOS (3.0). It is very intuitive and easy to use, especially with the included smart remote. It also includes support for popular streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Video out of the box, with many more applications available from the 'LG Content Store'. It is one of the most stable smart platforms, and is always fast to navigate or load apps.

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

Even if this is LG's top-end LCD TV, it has ads in the content store.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The controls are located behind the bottom left of the TV. They may be a little bit harder to access if wall mounted but are easy to use.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Smart

The included smart remote is the same as provided with other high end LG TVs this year, such as the OLEDs and the UH8500.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Manual
  • Cable management strap
  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • Composite adapter
  • Component adapter
  • 2 x 3D glasses

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 72 W
Power Consumption (Max) 182 W
Firmware 04.30.15