LG QNED QNED81: 55" 4K Smart TV LG - Review 🏆

The LG QNED81 is LG's latest mid-range 4K LCD TV for 2023. As the model name suggests, it uses LG's proprietary QNED panel technology, which combines quantum dot and NanoCell color filters to enhance color reproduction.

The QNED81 series comes in 3 different sizes - 55", 65", and 75". The 55" model reviewed here provides a good balance of price and performance for most living rooms. With its thin bezels and central stand, it looks stylish and modern.

Overall, the QNED81 delivers very good picture quality for the price. It can't quite match OLED TVs for black levels and viewing angles, but still performs better than standard LCD TVs. Gaming performance is also solid thanks to HDMI 2.1 ports and low input lag. The webOS smart platform is smooth and intuitive as well.

Design

The LG QNED81 has an attractive, modern design with slim bezels and a slim profile. At its thinnest point, the TV measures just 0.9 inches, allowing it to maintain a streamlined, unobtrusive appearance when wall-mounted.

The bezels surrounding the screen are impressively thin, measuring just 0.2 inches along the sides and top. This creates a near edge-to-edge look, keeping you focused on the content instead of thick black borders.

The stand has an elegant brushed metal finish with a curved shape. It provides sturdy support while complementing the TV's slim form factor. The stand's arched design adds style without taking up too much space on your media console.

Overall, the QNED81 has a premium, refined aesthetic that will blend seamlessly into modern living rooms. The slim bezels and profile create an immersive viewing experience by minimizing distractions and letting the picture take center stage.

Display Quality

The LG QNED81 boasts an impressive display featuring Mini LED backlight technology, Quantum Dot color, and 4K Ultra HD resolution. The Mini LED backlight consists of thousands of tiny LEDs that enable precise light control for deep blacks and excellent contrast. When combined with up to nearly 30,000 tiny Quantum Dots, the TV produces over a billion rich and accurate colors on screen. The 4K resolution provides four times the detail of Full HD 1080p, resulting in incredibly sharp and realistic images. Fine details in textures, patterns and shapes are clearly visible. The combination of advanced display technologies allows the LG QNED81 to deliver stunning picture quality with vibrant, accurate colors and infinite contrast. Dark scenes appear truly dark without loss of detail, while bright scenes look realistic without blown out highlights. Overall, the display provides an exceptional viewing experience whether you're watching movies, TV shows, sports or gaming.

Brightness

The LG QNED81 impresses with its high peak brightness and deep blacks thanks to Mini LED backlighting technology. It has nearly 2,500 local dimming zones that allow for precise control over different areas of the screen. This results in incredible contrast, with parts of an image able to display vibrant bright highlights while other sections show true blacks.

According to LG, the TV is able to achieve up to 2,000 nits peak brightness on a 10% window. This far exceeds what an OLED TV is capable of and allows HDR content to really pop with specular highlights. It makes the QNED81 one of the brightest consumer TVs currently available.

The full-screen sustained brightness is lower, but still very good at around 1,200 nits for SDR content. Thanks to the quantum dot technology providing a wide color gamut and the bright backlight, colors look lively and realistic. Fast-moving action scenes also stay clear and smooth with minimal blurring or loss of detail.

Overall, the stellar brightness and contrast provided by the QNED81's advanced backlight system takes the viewing experience to another level compared to standard LCD TVs. Dark room performance is also impressive for an LCD, making this a versatile high-end TV suitable for all lighting conditions.

Viewing Angles

The LG QNED81 has excellent viewing angles thanks to its use of Mini LED backlighting technology. The screen maintains its brightness and color accuracy even when viewed from wide horizontal or vertical angles.

You can sit far off to the side of the TV and still get a great picture without any washed out or distorted colors. This makes the QNED81 a good choice for larger living rooms where seating may be arranged at different angles relative to the screen. It's also great if you tend to move around the room while watching TV, as the image quality stays consistent.

The wide viewing angles are made possible by the precisely controlled Mini LED backlight. It has nearly 30,000 tiny LEDs divided into about 2,500 dimming zones that can illuminate the screen with impressive precision. This gives the QNED81 deep blacks for excellent contrast too.

So no matter where you're viewing the QNED81 from, you'll get vibrant colors, great details, and impressive brightness thanks to the advanced Mini LED backlight system providing extra wide viewing angles.

Gaming Performance

The LG QNED81 delivers excellent gaming performance that will appeal to serious gamers. It has a low input lag of around 10ms, ensuring your actions translate almost instantly on screen without any delay or lag.

The TV comes equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports. This latest HDMI standard has enough bandwidth to support 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate with HDR enabled. So you can enjoy fast-paced games at up to 120fps. The HDMI ports also support key gaming features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and eARC.

VRR is particularly useful as it matches the screen's refresh rate with the console's frame rate output. This prevents screen tearing and stuttering for a buttery smooth gameplay experience. The TV can also recognize when a compatible games console is connected and automatically switches to low latency game mode.

Overall, the QNED81 checks all the right boxes for a premium gaming TV. Serious gamers who want fluid visuals and lag-free responsiveness will be very satisfied with the gaming capabilities of this TV.

Smart TV Features

The LG QNED81 comes with LG's intuitive webOS platform for accessing streaming apps and controlling the TV. The webOS interface provides quick access to popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and more.

You can easily search for content across various apps directly from the home screen. The Magic Remote makes navigating the interface smooth, with motion control and voice commands. Pointing the remote at the screen moves the cursor for selecting apps and menus.

For voice control, the QNED81 works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. You can change channels, adjust volume, launch apps, and more using just your voice. This is convenient when your hands are full or you've misplaced the remote.

Overall, LG's webOS platform offers a streamlined smart TV experience. With access to all the major streaming apps and intuitive controls, you'll have endless entertainment options on the QNED81. The voice control integration only enhances the convenience.

Audio Quality

The LG QNED81 features impressive audio quality to complement its stunning visuals. It has built-in 40W speakers with Dolby Atmos support, providing an immersive audio experience.

The 2.2 channel speaker system produces clear and detailed sound with decent bass. The speakers easily fill a medium to large room at sufficient volumes without distortion. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear even at low volumes.

Dolby Atmos support adds a more spatial, cinematic audio effect. It creates the illusion of sound coming from all around you, with audio effects that seem to move through the room. This takes movies, sports, and gaming to the next level with enveloping sound.

While the built-in speakers provide very good audio, there's also the option to connect an external soundbar or speaker system for even better sound. The QNED81 has an eARC HDMI port that supports lossless audio passthrough to external audio devices.

Overall, the audio capabilities of the LG QNED81 make it a great option for enjoying movies, TV shows, sports, and games with immersive, detailed sound to match the stellar visuals.

Pros and Cons

The LG QNED QNED81 55" 4K Smart TV has several notable pros and cons to consider:

Pros

• Excellent picture quality with Quantum Dot and Mini LED backlight technology for bright, vivid colors
• High peak brightness over 1,000 nits for good performance in bright rooms
• Wide viewing angles thanks to IPS panel
• Low input lag and fast response time make this a great TV for gaming
• WebOS smart platform is intuitive with access to many streaming apps
• Sleek, modern design with thin bezels

Cons

• Contrast could be better, with blacks appearing gray in a dark room
• Only 60Hz refresh rate, lacking 120Hz found in some competing models
• Mediocre built-in speakers may require a soundbar
• No HDMI 2.1, missing some gaming features supported on new consoles
• Lacks some advanced features like Dolby Vision IQ and Filmmaker Mode

Overall, the LG QNED81 is a very good 4K LED TV that excels in bright room viewing and gaming performance, but it falls a bit short in contrast and lacks some of the latest display technologies. For the price, it provides excellent picture quality, but TVs like the Sony X90K may beat it in contrast and features. Consider your needs to determine if the pros outweigh the cons for your use case.

Conclusion

Overall, the LG QNED81 55" 4K Smart TV is a great option for those looking for a high-quality TV with excellent picture quality and smart capabilities. The Quantum Dot NanoCell display delivers vibrant and accurate colors, deep blacks, and impressive brightness. The TV also has wide viewing angles so the picture looks good even when viewed from the side.

Gamers will appreciate the TV's low input lag and 120Hz refresh rate for smooth gameplay. The webOS smart platform is intuitive and offers access to plenty of apps and streaming services. The built-in Google Assistant and Alexa allow for hands-free voice control.

On the downside, the audio quality is just average and may require a separate soundbar for an immersive experience. There are also cheaper 4K TVs available, though they won't match this LG's display and picture quality.

Overall, if you want a future-ready TV with exceptional picture quality for watching movies, shows, sports, and gaming, the LG QNED81 is a great option. The Quantum Dot NanoCell technology delivers stunning visuals that make it one of the best 4K TVs available today. It's an investment for serious TV enthusiasts or home theater setups. For most buyers, it delivers a noticeable upgrade over standard LED-LCD TVs.