LG NanoCell NANO76: 50" 4K Smart TV LG - Review 🏆

LG is one of the biggest manufacturers of consumer electronics, offering a wide range of products including TVs, home appliances, and mobile devices. The company has a long history in the TV industry, producing CRT TVs since the late 1960s and introducing early flat panel LCD and plasma TVs in the 1990s.

In more recent years, LG has focused on OLED and NanoCell TV technologies. OLED TVs use self-emitting pixels that can be completely turned off, providing perfect black levels. NanoCell is LG's term for their nanocrystal layer TVs that enhance color and viewing angles. The NanoCell NANO76 line is positioned as a mid-range 4K LED-LCD TV series from LG for 2022.

Overview

The LG NanoCell NANO76 is a mid-range 4K LED TV available in 50", 55", and 65" screen sizes. It features LG's NanoCell technology which aims to produce more accurate colors.

Key features and specs:

• 50" screen size (reviewed)
• 4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution
• 120Hz native refresh rate
• LG's a7 Gen4 AI Processor 4K
• Game Optimizer for gaming
• WebOS smart platform
• Built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
• Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG HDR support
• Dolby Atmos audio

With its 4K resolution and large 50" screen size, the NanoCell NANO76 delivers an immersive viewing experience. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth motion when viewing action content or gaming.

Picture Quality

The LG NanoCell NANO76 delivers excellent picture quality thanks to LG's NanoCell technology. This uses nanoparticles to absorb excess light wavelengths, resulting in purer colors on the screen. The TV supports wide viewing angles up to 178 degrees, allowing you to see vivid and accurate colors even when viewing the screen off-center.

The contrast is also very good on this TV. It has a native contrast ratio of 1300:1, meaning blacks appear deep and inky while whites are bright and punchy. This helps reveal details in dark scenes while avoiding washed out, grey-looking blacks. The local dimming feature further improves contrast by selectively dimming LED backlights behind darker parts of the image. Overall the NanoCell NANO76 produces a very dynamic and cinematic picture.

Smart TV Features

The LG NanoCell NANO76 comes with LG's intuitive WebOS platform that provides quick access to popular streaming apps and services. It uses LG's Magic Remote that allows you to easily point, click, scroll and use voice commands to control the TV.

Some of the key smart features include:

• WebOS 22 - Provides a simple and fast smart TV experience. The home screen shows rows of your favorite apps, inputs and recommendations based on your viewing habits.

• Built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa - You can use your voice to launch apps, search for content, control smart home devices and more. The TV has mics built-in to pick up voice commands.

• LG Content Store - Gives you access to a wide range of apps and games including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Spotify and many more. New apps are frequently added.

• Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit - Allows you to stream content directly from your iPhone, iPad or Mac to the TV. You can also use Siri or the Home app to control your TV.

• Magic Remote - The unique remote has motion sensors that let you simply point and click to navigate. There's also quick access buttons for popular streaming apps.

Overall, the NanoCell NANO76 provides a great smart TV experience thanks to the intuitive WebOS platform, built-in voice assistants, wide app selection and Magic Remote. It makes finding and enjoying content very convenient.

Gaming Performance

The LG NanoCell NANO76 is a great 4K TV for gaming. It has low input lag, a high refresh rate, and multiple HDMI ports.

The input lag measures around 10ms when gaming in 4K at 60Hz. This super responsive time means hardly any delay between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action happen on screen. Fast paced competitive games will feel extremely smooth.

The NANO76 also has a native 120Hz panel. When you engage Game Mode it can run games at up to 4K 120fps if your console supports it. This results in gameplay that feels incredibly fluid and lag-free.

For connectivity the NANO76 has 4 HDMI ports, with HDMI 2.1 capabilities. This allows full bandwidth to maximise resolutions and frame rates from your PS5, Xbox Series X or high end PC. Auto Low Latency Mode also automatically switches to low lag gameplay when it detects a compatible device.

Overall the LG NanoCell provides a premium high performance gaming experience. The quick response times and high refresh rate will keep competitive gamers happy. While the HDMI 2.1 ports ensure you can make the most of your latest consoles or gaming rig.

Audio Quality

The LG NanoCell NANO76 has decent audio quality for an LED TV. It has a 2.0 channel speaker system with 20W total output power. The speakers can get reasonably loud at max volume but lack a bit of bass due to the lack of a dedicated subwoofer.

The sound profile is tuned by Dolby to provide clear dialogue and balanced sound. The TV supports common audio formats like Dolby Digital and DTS. For the most immersive audio experience, it's recommended to pair the TV with a soundbar or speaker system.

Overall, the built-in speakers can satisfy for typical TV watching but those looking for a cinematic, room-filling sound will want to invest in a more robust external audio setup. The audio is certainly passable for everyday entertainment but audiophiles will be left wanting more.

Design

The LG NanoCell NANO76 has an attractive, modern design with thin bezels around the display that allow for a more immersive viewing experience. The stand has a crescent shape with a brushed metal finish that complements the minimalist aesthetic.

While the stand looks nice, it only allows for basic tilt adjustments and no swivel or height adjustments. For more flexibility in positioning the TV, you'll need to wall mount it. The NANO76 is compatible with industry standard VESA mounts.

Overall, the thin bezels and sleek stand give this TV a streamlined look that should fit well in most living rooms or home theater setups. The lack of stand adjustments may be disappointing for some, but wall mounting is an easy alternative.

Remote Control

The LG NANO76 comes with LG's Magic Remote, which provides an innovative way to control the TV. The remote is comfortable to hold and has very few buttons. There's a circular directional pad to navigate menus, along with buttons for home, settings, Google Assistant, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, and LG channels.

The Magic Remote uses motion sensors and can be pointed at the TV to move the cursor, similar to a computer mouse. This takes some getting used to but allows for very precise control. Hand gestures like swiping and flicking are also supported for even more ways to navigate.

For entering text, there's a small touchpad on the remote. Typing on this takes practice but works reasonably well. There are also buttons for numbers, volume control, channel up/down, and power.

The Magic Remote is powered by two AA batteries. Battery life is excellent, lasting several months with average use. The remote can also be used to control other HDMI-CEC capable devices connected to the TV. Overall the innovative Magic Remote is a versatile way to control the LG NANO76.

Pros

• Excellent picture quality with 4K resolution and LG's NanoCell technology for vibrant, accurate colors. The TV supports HDR for enhanced contrast and brightness.

• Good motion handling with fast response time, low input lag and effective motion interpolation to reduce blur in fast-moving scenes. Great for sports, gaming and action movies.

• WebOS smart platform is intuitive and offers a wide selection of apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and more. Works well with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

• Impressive gaming performance with HDMI 2.1 ports, ALLM, VRR and 120Hz refresh rate support. Great choice for next-gen console gaming.

• Sleek, modern design with thin bezels and attractive stand. Can also be wall mounted. Build quality feels premium.

Cons

• Limited viewing angles: The NANO76 has an IPS LCD panel which tends to have mediocre viewing angles. The picture loses color and contrast when viewed from the side.

• Lacks local dimming: This TV doesn't have local dimming, so blacks appear less deep and highlights less punchy. It struggles to render HDR content optimally.

• Mediocre motion handling: Fast motion can appear blurry due to the slow response time. There's also occasional stutter and judder during panning shots.

• No Dolby Vision support: While the TV supports HDR10 and HLG HDR formats, it lacks support for Dolby Vision. So you miss out on DV content from streaming apps.