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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 UQ9000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Review updated Jul 11, 2023 at 04:59 pm
Latest change: Retest Sep 11, 2024 at 03:26 pm
LG UQ9000 Picture
6.4
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U6G
7.1
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense QD7N [QD7, QD75N] QLED
6.5
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense QD7N [QD7, QD75N] QLED
6.0
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U6/U6N
6.0
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U6G
6.4
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U6G
6.8
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense QD7N [QD7, QD75N] QLED
This TV was replaced by the LG UR9000

The LG UQ9000 is an entry-level 4k TV released as part of LG's 2022 TV lineup. It's their highest-end budget model, sitting below the LG NANO75 2022 and above the LG UQ8000. There's no direct predecessor to this model, but it's very similar to the 2021 LG UP8000 and has been succeeded by the LG UR9000 in 2023. It's pretty bare compared to LG's higher-end models, as it lacks any advanced gaming features and doesn't support Dolby Vision or HDR10+. It runs the 2022 version of LG's proprietary webOS smart interface, which runs well and has a few notable improvements over the 2021 version, and it comes with LG's popular Magic Remote. It's available in many sizes, from 43 to 75 inches.

Our Verdict

6.4 Mixed Usage

The LG UQ9000 is a mediocre TV overall. It's best suited for watching shows or movies in a moderately lit room, as it can't handle a lot of glare due to its limited peak brightness. It's sub-par for use in a dark room, as it has a low contrast ratio, mediocre black uniformity, and no local dimming feature. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, but there are no advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) support. Finally, it's good overall for use as a PC monitor, and it can display chroma 4:4:4 properly, but it has some distracting uniformity issues.

Pros
  • Image remains consistent at a moderate viewing angle.
  • Great selection of streaming apps.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Low contrast results in grayish blacks in a dark room.
  • Not bright enough to overcome intense glare.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
7.1 TV Shows

The LG UQ9000 is a decent choice for watching TV shows in a bright room. It has a great selection of streaming apps, so you're sure to find your favorite shows, and it upscales lower-resolution content well. It has a decent viewing angle, so the image remains consistent even if you move around or have many people sitting around the TV. Sadly, it can't get very bright, so even though it has good reflection handling, it can't overcome a lot of glare.

Pros
  • Image remains consistent at a moderate viewing angle.
  • Great selection of streaming apps.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Not bright enough to overcome intense glare.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
6.5 Sports

The LG UQ9000 is an alright choice for watching sports, especially if you're in a room with some lighting or have a wide seating arrangement. It has a decent viewing angle, so the image remains consistent when watching from the sides, so people can sit around the TV and have a good viewing experience. It also has good reflection handling but isn't very bright, so it can't overcome a lot of glare. Sadly, it has a poor response time, so it's hard to make out fine details in fast action due to blur.

Pros
  • Image remains consistent at a moderate viewing angle.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Not bright enough to overcome intense glare.
  • Poor response time results in blurry motion.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
6.0 Video Games

The LG UQ9000 delivers a mediocre gaming experience. It has superbly low input lag, which results in an incredibly responsive gaming experience. However, it has a poor response time, so fast motion is blurry, and it lacks any advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) support. It doesn't look very good in a dark room, as it has a low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity, so it's best suited for gaming in a moderately lit living room.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Low contrast results in grayish blacks in a dark room.
  • Limited gaming features, no variable refresh rate (VRR) support.
  • Poor response time results in blurry motion.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
6.0 HDR Movies

Unfortunately, the LG UQ9000 is a disappointing TV for watching movies in HDR in a dark room. Its low contrast ratio and lack of local dimming result in a dull, flat HDR experience, and combined with its low peak brightness in HDR, bright highlights don't stand out. It can't display a wide color gamut, either, and it has poor color volume. On the other hand, it can remove judder from any source, and it displays 4k content perfectly.

Pros
  • Removes judder from all sources.
Cons
  • Low contrast results in grayish blacks in a dark room.
  • No local dimming.
  • Disappointing peak brightness in HDR.
  • Can't display a wide color gamut.
  • Mediocre black uniformity.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
6.4 HDR Gaming

Due to its mediocre gaming performance and disappointing HDR experience, the LG UQ9000 isn't a very good choice for gaming in HDR. HDR adds almost nothing, as it has a low contrast ratio, no local dimming, and can't get very bright, so HDR highlights don't stand out. Despite its superbly low input lag, it's limited for gaming, as it has a slow response time and no advanced gaming features, like variable refresh rate (VRR) support.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Low contrast results in grayish blacks in a dark room.
  • No local dimming.
  • Disappointing peak brightness in HDR.
  • Limited gaming features, no variable refresh rate (VRR) support.
  • Can't display a wide color gamut.
  • Poor response time results in blurry motion.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
6.8 PC Monitor

The LG UQ9000 is a good choice as a PC monitor, but there are some limitations. It has a good viewing angle, so the sides of the screen remain consistent if you're sitting close to the screen. It also displays chroma 4:4:4 signals properly, which is essential for clear text from a PC. Its input lag is also truly excellent, so mouse movements are snappy. Sadly, it can't handle a lot of glare very well and has mediocre uniformity, so you'll see some banding and color variation in areas of uniform color, like the white background of your web browser.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
  • Image remains consistent at a moderate viewing angle.
  • Chroma 4:4:4 is displayed properly.
Cons
  • Low contrast results in grayish blacks in a dark room.
  • Not bright enough to overcome intense glare.
  • Poor response time results in blurry motion.
  • Noticeable uniformity issues.
  • 6.4 Mixed Usage
  • 7.1 TV Shows
  • 6.5 Sports
  • 6.0 Video Games
  • 6.0 HDR Movies
  • 6.4 HDR Gaming
  • 6.8 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Sep 11, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  2. Updated Jul 17, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  3. Updated May 02, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  4. Updated Feb 13, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  5. Updated Dec 05, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  6. Updated Oct 12, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  7. Updated Aug 09, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  8. Updated Jul 24, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.11. With this update, we've added a new Upscaling: Sharpness Processing test and revamped our Blooming test so the scores and picture better match the real world experience. With this change, it was necessary to remove the Black Crush test. Finally, we've updated our usage scores to better align our scores with user expectations.
  9. Updated Jul 11, 2023: Refreshed the text for accuracy and consistency.
  10. Updated Jun 22, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.10. With this update we've revamped our Gradient testing, added a new test for Low Quality Content Smoothing, and expanded our Audio Passthrough testing.
  11. Updated Jun 19, 2023: We've added a mention of the newly-reviewed LG UR9000 in this review's Compared To Other TVs section.
  12. Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  13. Updated Apr 03, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  14. Updated Feb 28, 2023: We corrected a mistake in the PS5 Compatibility and Xbox Series X|S Compatibility results from a previous test bench update.
  15. Updated Feb 24, 2023: Updated to Test Bench 1.9, modifying our Contrast testing and splitting our local dimming testing into multiple sections covering Blooming, Black Crush, and Lighting Zone Transitions. You can see our full changelog here.
  16. Updated Feb 06, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  17. Updated Dec 16, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.8, adding a new box for PQ EOTF tracking and updating our Color Volume and Color Gamut tests to better reflect real world usage. You can see our full changelog here.
  18. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We uploaded the initial brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  19. Updated Oct 26, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.7 with an updated HDR Brightness test that better reflects real world usage. We've also split the console compatibility boxes into separate PS5 Compatibility and Xbox Series X|S Compatibility tests. You can see our full changelog here.
  20. Updated Sep 22, 2022: Clarified that the UQ9000 sits above the LG UQ8000.
  21. Updated Aug 24, 2022: Some of our photos were incorrectly processed, so we updated them. The uniformity scores changed slightly and better reflect the true performance of the display.
  22. Updated Jun 06, 2022: Review published.
  23. Updated May 30, 2022: Early access published.
  24. Updated Apr 14, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  25. Updated Apr 11, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  26. Updated Apr 05, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 65-inch LG UQ9000 (65UQ9000PUD), but it's also available in 43, 50, 55, 70 and 75-inch model sizes. Note that the last three letters in the model number (PUD in this case) vary between retailers and individual regions, but there's no difference in performance. There are some differences in performance between sizes, as the 50-inch and 70-inch models use different panel types.

Internationally, this model is available in a few different variants. Some regions carry either the LG UQ90009LA or the LG UQ90003LA, identical to the unit we tested. Most major markets in Europe carry the LG UQ91 instead, which performs the same but has a center-mounted curved stand. That model is also available in an 86-inch size, and a few regions have a 60-inch model as well. The 86-inch model has an IPS panel, while the 60-inch model has a VA panel.

Size US Model  Panel Type Refresh Rate
43" LG 43UQ9000PUD IPS 60Hz
50" LG 50UQ9000PUD VA 60Hz
55" LG 55UQ9000PUD IPS 60Hz
65" LG 65UQ9000PUD IPS 60Hz
70" LG 70UQ9000PUD VA 120Hz
75" LG 75UQ9000PUD IPS 120Hz

Our unit was manufactured in March 2022, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The LG UQ9000 is an entry-level TV outclassed by most of its competition, like the Hisense U6G, Samsung AU8000, and Samsung TU7000. It's an alright choice for watching TV shows or sports in a moderately lit room, but it looks bad in a dark room. Most competing models with VA panels are far better than this TV, even for a bright room. It's been succeeded by the extremely similar LG UR9000. While the newer model gets a bit brighter, has slightly better contrast, and has a faster response time, the LG UQ9000 has better image processing.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best budget TVs, the best smart TVs, and the best 4k TVs.

LG UR9000
43" 50" 55" 65" 75"

The LG UR9000 succeeded the LG UQ9000, but the two TVs are extremely similar. The UR9000 has slightly better contrast, gets a bit brighter, and has a faster response time, but the UQ9000 has slightly better processing and is the more accurate TV overall for color and brightness reproduction. These differences are very minor however. 

LG UQ8000
43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75" 86"

Although the LG UQ8000 is a lower-end version of the LG UQ9000, it's slightly better overall. The UQ8000 has better accuracy and better motion handling, but besides those differences, both TVs are very similar.

Samsung AU8000
43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung AU8000 is much better than the LG UQ9000. The LG UQ9000 uses an IPS panel, which looks bad in a dark room, and it can't get very bright, so it isn't ideal for a bright room, either. The Samsung, on the other hand, looks much better in a dark room, with deep, uniform blacks, and it can handle a bit more glare than the LG. The only advantage of the LG is if you have a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains accurate to a wider angle, but it still looks worse overall.

Samsung TU7000
43" 50" 55" 58" 60" 65" 70" 75" 82" 85"

The Samsung TU7000 is better than the LG UQ9000. The Samsung delivers much better picture quality, with a higher contrast ratio and better black uniformity. The Samsung also has a faster response time, so there's less blur behind fast-moving objects. The only real advantage of the LG is that the image remains accurate at a moderate angle, whereas the Samsung is best enjoyed facing it directly in front.

LG UP7000
43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75"

The LG UP7000 and the LG UQ9000 are extremely similar. Both of these TVs are basic entry-level models that have limited features and basic picture quality. The differences between them are very minor overall, but the older UP7000 is a bit better overall, as it has better motion handling.

LG UP8000
43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 82" 86"

The LG UP8000 is better than the LG UQ9000, but the differences are pretty minor. Motion looks smoother and clearer on the UP8000 thanks to its faster response time, so it's better for gaming or watching sports.

Hisense U6G
50" 55" 65" 75"

The Hisense U6G is significantly better than the LG UQ9000. The Hisense delivers much better picture quality, especially for watching movies in a dark room, as it has significantly better contrast and a full-array local dimming feature. The Hisense also has higher peak brightness, so bright highlights in HDR stand out. Even though both models lack any advanced gaming features, the Hisense has a much faster response time, meaning there's less blur behind fast-moving objects.

LG NANO75 2021
43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75" 86"

The LG NANO75 2021 and the LG UQ9000 are extremely similar overall. Both TVs are entry-level 4k TVs with limited picture quality. The differences between them are very minor, but the older NANO75 2021 has better motion handling overall, so it's a slightly better choice.

+ Show more

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The LG UQ9000 has a simple design, with thin bezels on three sides. The light gray borders are a bit dated, and it doesn't look as premium as LG's NANO and QNED TV lineups.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures
Design
Stand

The 'V'-shaped feet are wide-set and support the TV well, but you need a large table if you aren't planning to wall-mount the TV. The feet lift the display about 2.5 inches above the table, so some soundbars won't fit under the screen. Different model sizes come with slightly different feet, but the 50, 55, and 65-inch models have the feet you see in the photos. There's also a variant of this TV, known as the LG UQ91 in Europe, which comes with a curved center-mounted stand instead of feet.

Footprint of the 65-inch stand: 46" x 10.7".

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

The back of the TV is very plain. There are hooks on the back of the TV to help with cable management. Most of the inputs face to the side, but they're inset into the back of the TV, making it difficult to access if the TV is wall-mounted on a fixed stand. The back of the 43-inch model looks a bit different, with the inputs facing out of the TV's right side.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.47" (1.2 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.44" (6.2 cm)
7.0
Design
Build Quality

The LG UQ9000 TV has a decent overall build quality. Most of it is plastic, so it's quite light, and the feet support the TV well, with the TV being quite stable. The back panel has a bit of flex, especially near the inputs, but it isn't an issue. However, there are a few quality control issues, like a gap on the top of the display where the panel meets the border.

Picture Quality
1.5
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
858 : 1
Native Contrast
858 : 1

Unfortunately, the LG TV has inadequate contrast, so blacks look gray and patchy if you're in a dark room, and dark scenes lack shadow detail. There's also no local dimming feature to improve the appearance of dark scenes.

Note: The 50, 60, and 70-inch variants of this model use a VA panel and have much better contrast, so blacks look darker in a dark room.

10
Picture Quality
Blooming

As the TV doesn't have local dimming, its backlight is always on at the same intensity, which leads to a washed-out image in dark scenes. However, it also means that the TV has no blooming around bright highlights and subtitles.

10
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
N/A

The TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so it doesn't have lighting zone transitions. We still show the TV's performance in this regard to compare with TVs with local dimming.

4.0
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

There's no significant difference in contrast and dark details when the TV is set to Game Mode.

5.5
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
230 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
227 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
159 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
220 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
304 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
304 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
304 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
219 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
304 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
303 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.022

Unfortunately, the LG UQ9000 has disappointing peak brightness in HDR. Combined with its low contrast ratio and lack of a local dimming feature, bright highlights in HDR content don't stand out. There's no variation in brightness with most scenes, but very small highlights are dimmed considerably.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Cinema
  • Panel Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Warm 50

The 'Vivid' Picture Mode with the 'Cool 50' Color Temperature is a bit brighter, reaching a peak of 372 cd/m² with a 10% window.

5.6
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
231 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
226 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
164 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
219 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
311 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
311 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
310 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
310 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
218 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
310 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
310 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
310 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
310 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.024

There's no noticeable difference in brightness between 'Game' Mode and the most accurate HDR settings.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Game Optimizer
  • Panel Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Warm 50

8.6
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0091
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0092
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0104

The TV's PQ EOTF tracking is excellent, as most scenes are displayed at the brightness level that the content creator intended, although near-black scenes are a bit too bright due to the TV's low contrast ratio. Content mastered at 600 and 1000 nits hard clips when the TV gets close to its peak brightness, leading to a loss of bright detail. Content mastered at 4000 nits doesn't hard clip as severely as content mastered at 600 and 1000 nits, but the roll-off isn't slow enough to truly preserve bright details.

If you find HDR too dark, setting Auto Dynamic Contrast to 'High' with the Color Tone set to 'Cool 5' increases the brightness of most scenes, as shown in this EOTF, but the overall peak brightness of the display is the same.

6.1
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
256 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
261 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
262 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
262 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
262 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
262 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
261 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
262 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
262 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
262 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
262 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

The LG UQ9000 has just passable brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome a bit of glare, but it isn't recommended for a bright room. On the other hand, there's no variation in brightness with different scenes, which is great.

These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: Expert (Dark Space, Night)
  • Panel Brightness: Max
  • Color Temperature: Warm 50

If you want the brightest image possible, switching to the 'Vivid' Picture Mode, with Adjust Contrast at 'Max', Auto Dynamic Contrast on 'High' and the Color Temp set to 'Cool 50' results in a noticeably brighter image, reaching a peak of 356 cd/m² with a 10% window.

6.7
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
75.23%
DCI P3 uv
80.10%
Rec 2020 xy
54.05%
Rec 2020 uv
58.40%

Unfortunately, the TV has just an okay color gamut. HDR content looks muted because it can't display a wide color gamut. The tone mapping is also very bad with bright scenes, as the TV sacrifices accuracy to push brighter highlights in HDR. In dimmer scenes, the tone mapping is much better:

5.6
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
35.0%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
16.8%
White Luminance
220 cd/m²
Red Luminance
33 cd/m²
Green Luminance
152 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
15 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
166 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
47 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
202 cd/m²

The TV has poor color volume. Its narrow color gamut in HDR limits it. HDR content looks flat and dull overall, as colors aren't as bright as pure white, and it can't display dark saturated colors well due to the low contrast ratio.

6.9
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.16
Color dE
2.29
Gamma
2.21
Color Temperature
7,428 K
Picture Mode
Expert (Dark Space)
Color Temp Setting
Warm 50
Gamma Setting
2.2

The TV has okay pre-calibration accuracy. The white balance is mediocre, but most colors are represented accurately. Cyan is noticeably off, though, and the color temperature is very cool, giving everything a bluish tint. Gamma is close to the target of 2.2 for a moderately lit room, but very dark scenes are a bit too bright.

9.3
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.29
Color dE
1.03
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,979 K
White Balance Calibration
22 point
Color Calibration
Yes

The TV has fantastic accuracy after calibrating to the D65 white point. The white balance and color accuracy are both fantastic, and gamma is perfect. The TV was relatively easy to calibrate, but sadly the color temperature is still too cool.

You can see our full calibration settings here.

6.3
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
4.568%
50% DSE
0.247%
5% Std. Dev.
0.731%
5% DSE
0.124%

The LG UQ9000 has mediocre gray uniformity. There are noticeable bars across the screen, which is distracting when watching sports or using it as a PC monitor, or any other time you have large areas of uniform color on the screen. The sides of the screen are also darker than the center.

6.1
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
N/A
Native Std. Dev.
1.945%

Unfortunately, the TV has mediocre black uniformity. The entire screen appears blue due to the low contrast ratio, and near-dark scenes are patchy. Unfortunately, there's no local dimming feature to improve this.

Note: The 50, 60, and 70-inch variants of this model use a VA panel and have much better contrast, resulting in better black uniformity.

7.1
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
26°
Color Shift
68°
Brightness Loss
29°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
28°

The TV is a decent choice for a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains consistent when viewed at a moderate angle. Beyond about 30°, a noticeable decrease in brightness causes colors to appear washed out.

Note that the 50, 60, and 70-inch variants of this model use a VA panel and have much worse viewing angles. Those sizes look best when viewed directly in front.

7.6
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
4.7%
Indirect Reflections
0.5%
Calculated Direct Reflections
4.2%

The TV has good reflection handling. It can handle a bit of glare as its semi-gloss finish reduces the intensity of reflections, but due to its limited peak brightness, it can't overcome intense glare in a bright room.

8.0
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
4.0
50% Gray to 100% White
10
100% Black to 50% Red
8.0
50% Red to 100% Red
10
100% Black to 50% Green
8.0
50% Green to 100% Green
6.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
8.0
50% Blue to 100% Blue
10

The TV has very good HDR gradient handling. There's significant banding in dark grays and noticeable banding in bright greens, but other color gradients look great.

7.8
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
8.5
Detail Preservation
6.0

The TV has good low-quality content smoothing. It's particularly good at avoiding any macro-blocking in dark scenes. The detail preservation when smoothing low bitrate content is mediocre, however.

6.0
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

The TV upscales 480p content, like from DVDs, very well.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
RGB
Type LED
Sub-Type
IPS

Most sizes of the LG UQ9000 use an IPS panel. The RGB subpixel layout helps ensure text from a PC is clear and easy to read. The 50, 60, and 70-inch variants use VA panels, which likely have BGR subpixel layouts, which causes text clarity issues when used as a PC monitor.

Motion
5.4
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
9.3 ms
100% Response Time
16.9 ms

Sadly, the TV has a poor response time. Most transitions are slow, resulting in a long blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The low-frequency flicker of the backlight also causes a double image to appear, so this isn't ideal for fast-paced action gaming or sports.

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

The TV uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim the backlight, causing it to flicker at 120Hz at all brightness levels. It causes a double image when watching 60fps content and can cause headaches and eye strain in people sensitive to flicker.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
No
Min Flicker For 60 fps
120 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
No
120Hz For 120 fps
N/A
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz

The TV doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion (BFI). The backlight always flickers at 120Hz, reducing the appearance of persistence blur, but introducing a distracting double image.

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

The TV has an optional motion interpolation feature, but unfortunately, it doesn't work.

8.0
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
24.8 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
0.0 ms

Thanks to this TV's slow response time, there's very little stutter when watching low frame rate content, like movies.

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

The TV can remove judder from any source, which is great. It ensures a clear and smooth movie-watching experience.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz (except 70'', 75'')
Variable Refresh Rate
No
HDMI Forum VRR
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
VRR + Local Dimming No Local Dimming

Unfortunately, this TV doesn't support advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate technology (VRR), and most sizes are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. The 70 and 75-inch models have a 120Hz refresh rate but still don't support VRR.

Inputs
9.7
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
10.2 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
118.1 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
N/A
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
10.5 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
10.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
10.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
10.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
117.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
119.0 ms
4k @ 120Hz
N/A
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

The TV has incredibly low input lag, resulting in a responsive gaming or desktop experience.

7.1
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The TV supports most common formats, but only at 60Hz on model sizes smaller than 70". Chroma 4:4:4 signals are displayed properly with all supported formats, essential for clear text from a PC, but you must set the input label to 'PC'.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

The LG UQ90 can't take full advantage of the PS5. Model sizes below 70" don't support high refresh rate gaming at 120Hz, and none of the sizes support variable refresh rate (VRR). On the other hand, when you start playing a game, it automatically switches to the low latency 'Game' mode, so you don't have to worry about changing settings when gaming.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

The LG UQ90 can't fully exploit the Xbox Series X|S. Model sizes below 70" don't support high refresh rate gaming at 120Hz, and none of the sizes support variable refresh rate (VRR). On the other hand, when you start playing a game, it automatically switches to the low latency 'Game' mode, so you don't have to worry about changing settings when gaming.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
ATSC Tuner
1.0
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

Sadly, this TV is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, and unlike LG's higher-end TVs, it doesn't support Dolby Vision or HDR10+, so you're limited to HDR10. It doesn't change much overall, as this TV can't display HDR well anyway.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

Unfortunately, this TV doesn't support DTS formats, which is disappointing as many Blu-rays use this format for their main audio track. If you plan on using the TV with a UHD Blu-ray player, connect the audio from your player to your home theater system instead of using eARC.

Sound Quality
6.7
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
95.14 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.74 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.05 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.27 dB
Max
87.2 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
3.41 dB

The TV has an okay frequency response. Like most TVs, the low-frequency extension (LFE) is very high, so it has very little bass and very little thump or rumble. Above the LFE, the frequency response is well-balanced at moderate listening levels, so dialogue is clear and not lost in the background. There's a bit more compression at max volume, especially in the mid and high-treble range.

7.2
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.074
Weighted THD @ Max
0.435
IMD @ 80
1.75%
IMD @ Max
6.81%

This TV has decent overall distortion performance. There's relatively little distortion in the mid to treble range, where most people will notice it. Even at max volume, there's very little total distortion.

Smart Features
8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS webOS
Version 22
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
5 s
Advanced Options
Many

The TV runs the 2022 version of LG's webOS proprietary smart interface. The interface is fast and easy to use, and it supports user profiles, so you can customize the home page for different users.

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

Unfortunately, like almost all smart TVs on the market, there are ads throughout the smart interface, and you can't fully disable them.

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

The TV has a great selection of additional apps, so you're sure to find your favorite content.

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

This TV comes with the same LG Magic Remote found on high-end LG TVs, like the LG C2 OLED. You can use the remote like a pointer, making it easy to navigate through menus. It also supports voice control, which works well. You can use voice commands to change inputs, open apps, search within apps for content, and even adjust basic settings.

Smart Features
TV Controls

A single button is on the bottom of the TV in the middle. You can turn the TV on or off with it, change inputs or channels, or control the volume.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • Remote (with 2x AA batteries)
  • Cable management clips and cable tie
  • User manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 62 W
Power Consumption (Max) 138 W
Firmware 3.10.65