The LG UN8500 is an okay mid-range TV. It's sold in large sizes, from 65 to 86 inches, and the larger sizes are sold as the LG UN8570. It's mainly designed for wide seating arrangements where you sit far from the TV, and most of the variants, including the 65 inch model we tested, have IPS panels that provide fairly wide viewing angles. It also has a low contrast ratio, so blacks appear closer to gray when viewed in the dark. It has a 120Hz panel, quick response time, and low input lag for gaming, but it doesn't support any variable refresh rate (VRR) technologies. Sadly, it doesn't display native 4k content perfectly, as you may notice the pixels even when sitting at a distance. Even though it has decent reflection handling, it performs best in dim or moderately-lit rooms because it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
Our Verdict
The LG UN8500 is an okay overall TV. Its IPS panel provides fairly wide viewing angles, which is great for watching TV shows or sports with a large group of friends and family. It's decent for gaming due to its 120Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and quick response time. Unfortunately, it's not good for watching movies as it has a low contrast ratio, and it doesn't display a wide color gamut for HDR content. Lastly, it's good for use as a PC monitor because it displays proper chroma 4:4:4.
- Fairly wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Low input lag.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- Image duplication due to backlight's flicker.
The LG UN8500 is inadequate for watching movies. Most of the models, including the 65 inch we tested, have IPS panels that don't perform well in dark rooms because it has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity. It also lacks a local dimming feature. On the upside, it removes judder from any source and doesn't have any issues upscaling 1080p content, such as from Blu-ray players.
- Removes 24p judder from any source.
- Low contrast ratio.
- No local dimming.
- Poor black uniformity.
The LG UN8500 is decent for TV shows. It has an IPS panel that provides fairly wide viewing angles if you want to watch your favorite show with the entire family. It also upscales lower-resolution content without any issues. However, it's best to avoid well-lit rooms because even though it has decent reflection handling, it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Fairly wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- Uniformity issues.
The LG UN8500 is decent for watching sports. Its fairly wide viewing angles mean it's a good choice if you want to watch the game with a large group of friends. It also has a great response time that results in minimal motion blur, but you may notice image duplication due to the backlight's flicker. It's a decent choice for a room with a bit of lighting as it has decent reflection handling, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat a ton of glare.
- Fairly wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Quick response time.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- Uniformity issues.
- Image duplication due to backlight's flicker.
The LG UN8500 is decent for video games. It has a quick response time and low input lag, both of which are great for gaming. It has a 120Hz panel, but it doesn't support any VRR technology to reduce screen tearing. It's also not the best choice for dark-room gaming as it has low contrast and poor black uniformity.
- Low input lag.
- Quick response time.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Image duplication due to backlight's flicker.
The LG UN8500 is disappointing for HDR movies. It doesn't deliver a true HDR experience because it fails to display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough in HDR to make highlights pop. It also has an IPS panel with a low contrast ratio, poor black uniformity, and no local dimming. Fortunately, it removes 24p judder from any source.
- Removes 24p judder from any source.
- Low contrast ratio.
- No local dimming.
- Poor black uniformity.
- Doesn't get very bright.
- Doesn't display wide color gamut.
The LG UN8500 is okay for HDR gaming, mainly due to its decent gaming performance. It has low input lag and a fast response time, but there's some image duplication due to the backlight's flicker. Sadly, it doesn't deliver a true HDR experience because it doesn't display a wide color gamut, doesn't get bright, and has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray.
- Low input lag.
- Quick response time.
- Low contrast ratio.
- No local dimming.
- Doesn't display wide color gamut.
The LG UN8500 is a good choice to use as a PC monitor. It displays chroma 4:4:4 at 4k, and even though the input lag increases at that resolution, it shouldn't be an issue for most people. It has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate even if you sit too close. It also has decent reflection handling, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare in a bright room.
- Fairly wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4 with a 4k resolution.
- Uniformity issues.
- Input lag increases when displaying chroma 4:4:4.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 26, 2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.
- Updated Mar 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.6.
- Updated Feb 05, 2021: We've retested the TV for VRR support with the latest firmware (version 03.21.36). It doesn't support VRR.
- Updated Nov 27, 2020: We've retested the input lag and supported resolutions with an HDMI 2.1 source and the latest firmware version 03.21.05.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 65 inch LG UN8500 (65UN8500PUI) and we expect the results to be valid for the 75 inch (75UN8570) and 86 inch (86UN8570) models too. The 82 inch model (82UN8570) has a VA panel, which we expect to have a better contrast ratio and narrower viewing angles. You can see the differences below.
| Size | Panel | US | Canada | Europe |
|
65" |
IPS | 65UN8500PUI | 65UN8500AUJ | 65UN85006LA |
| 75" | IPS | 75UN8570PUC | 75UN8570AUD | 75UN85006LA |
| 82" | VA | 82UN8570PUC | 82UN8570AUD | 82UN85006LA |
| 86" | IPS | 86UN8570PUC | 86UN8570AUD | 86UN85006LA |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG UN8500 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity and contrast, may vary between individual units.
The unit we reviewed was manufactured in August 2020 and you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The LG UN8500 is an okay overall TV that performs best in big rooms with wide seating arrangements because it has fairly wide viewing angles. However, unless you need an 86 inch TV, there are better options available. The LG UN7300 is cheaper, performs better overall, and you can get it in a wide range of sizes. Also, see our recommendations for the best 80-82-85 inch TVs, the best budget TVs, and the best LED TVs.
The LG UN7300 is slightly better than the LG UN8500, but some differences between the two could be from panel variance. The UN7300 we tested is a bit brighter, has much better reflection handling, lower input lag, and displays native 4k content properly. However, the UN8500 has a 120Hz panel, supports HDMI 2.1, and has a quicker response time.
The Samsung TU8000 is better than the LG UN8500, but their panels are different. The Samsung has a VA panel, which results in a much better contrast ratio and black uniformity. It also has slightly better reflection handling, better color accuracy, and lower input lag. However, the LG has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, supports a 4k @ 120Hz signal, and has a quicker response time.
The LG CX OLED is significantly better than the LG UN8500. The CX can individually turn off pixels, resulting in an infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity. It also has much wider viewing angles, FreeSync support, a near-instantaneous response time, and much better reflection handling. However, the UN8500 doesn't have the risk of permanent burn-in.
The Samsung RU8000 is much better than the LG UN8500, but they have different panel types. The Samsung has a VA panel, resulting in deeper blacks. It also gets brighter, displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, has a quicker response time, and VRR support. However, the LG has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, and it supports 4k @ 120Hz.
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 use 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
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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