LG OLED G5 vs LG QNED93A / QNED90A

LG G5 with its new Tandem OLED panel brings the biggest change in terms of TV brightness. And it’s substantial. This is a truly astronomically bright OLED. In every scene tested – whether it's point lights or full-screen whites from the movie The Meg – brightness on the G5 exceeded 2000 nits. Just a year ago, such values on an OLED were simply unimaginable. And here we are – the G5 is approaching, and at times even surpassing, the best Mini-LEDs on the market. A novelty in the Tandem OLED panel is also the expanded colour gamut coverage – and here the LG G5 performs almost perfectly. DCI-P3 achieves a full 100%, while BT.2020 hovers around 83%. These are some of the highest values currently available on the market – it's hard to find any other TV that comes close to such results, unless we're talking about the best displays with QD-OLED panels. The G5 has almost reference-level HDR quality – both in terms of brightness and colour saturation. This is an OLED that can truly shine – and not just metaphorically.

Although the number of local dimming zones in the LG QNED93A hasn’t directly translated to noticeably better contrast, it’s hard to deny this model one thing – it’s brighter than its predecessor. In synthetic tests, we recorded values around 1400-1500 nits, and more importantly, these results are reflected in real film scenes. In full-screen sequences flooded with whites or bright lights, the screen was able to maintain high luminance, providing a truly decent amazing HDR effect. Unfortunately, where the TV could show true class, that is in scenes requiring precision, all the magic dissipates. The dimming algorithms we mentioned earlier operate aggressively enough that small, bright objects – like distant lights, stars, or the moon – can almost completely disappear. Just look at the test scenes from the film Pan or Sicario 2 (screens 2 and 4) to see how subtle details are dimmed to the limits of their visibility. It’s a pity because a greater number of zones could theoretically translate to significantly better performance. Fortunately, there are also strong points. The QNED93A performs well in terms of colour gamut coverage, achieving around 96% of the DCI-P3 standard. As a result, colours in films look rich and full, and the image doesn’t lose intensity even in more demanding scenes. So, it can be said that the HDR in this model is solid, although the underdeveloped local dimming algorithms hinder its full potential.

Our test unit LG G5 had some issues in the factory Filmmaker mode. While the picture might have seemed fine to most people, we knew this TV could do much more. This mode had a noticeable excess of blue tint in the white balance, resulting in a strongly cooled image – especially in HDR modes, where there was additionally a lack of red. The image appeared cold, and its sharpness was artificially boosted and unnatural. Another significant problem was the brightness characteristics. In SDR content, the situation wasn't the worst, aside from a slight dimming of the entire image. However, it fared much worse in HDR materials – due to improper brightness management, the smallest details could completely disappear from the image, while larger, bright elements looked overexposed and lacking in gradation. Fortunately, the G5 supports calibration using 3D LUT (a professional tool for colour calibration), so we decided to take advantage of its professional capabilities and see what it was really capable of. Because while it wasn't terrible even before calibration, the potential of this TV definitely deserved more.

In film mode (more specifically Filmmaker), the colour reproduction in the QNED93A was relatively accurate, although there were some reservations. In SDR content, the white balance leaned towards warmer tones, resulting in a slight yellowing across the entire screen. Gamma, on the other hand, led to a slight lightening of the image, making it look a bit less natural, especially in scenes that required precise shading (this is evident in the comparison photo). This isn't a problem that immediately stands out to every viewer, but more discerning individuals may feel that the image deviates from the intended aesthetic of the filmmakers. In HDR materials, the situation looked a bit different. The white balance here was quite good, ensuring that whites did not take on pink or unwanted green hues. However, the brightness management turned out to be an issue. An analysis of the EOTF curve revealed that at certain moments, the television could be distinctly too dark where it shouldn't be, losing some details and lowering the realism of scenes. This detracted from the HDR effects, which were theoretically meant to be the most impressive. For this reason, we decided to conduct a calibration.

After completing the calibration process with professional tools, we can confidently state this – the LG G5 offers almost reference-quality image. Most of the errors related to white balance and the ColorChecker test are below a value of 2, which is a phenomenal result, practically imperceptible to the human eye. And while one could still nitpick that in HDR films the TV still has a tendency to slightly dim the smallest elements of the image, in practice this does not negatively affect the overall reception. Hats off to LG, as once again they provide users with enormous display settings options – and this, combined with very good parameters of the panel itself, results in an image that is truly hard to beat.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker mode in the QNED93A has improved primarily where it matters most in everyday use. We managed to straighten the white balance and eliminate the yellowish tint in SDR content, which is what we watch most often – television, streaming services, or standard quality movies. As a result, the colours look natural and pleasant, making the overall viewing experience significantly more comfortable. In HDR mode, we also made corrections, but here the biggest issue turned out to be the EOTF curve. Although LG provides some leeway in the settings, the television still controls brightness on its own terms. It's clear that the local dimming algorithms are not fully refined and can ruin the viewing experience by dimming parts of the picture at inappropriate moments. Nevertheless, it’s worth opting for calibration of this model, especially the mode intended for everyday viewing.

Upscaling and digital image processing in the LG G5 performs very well. The television handles lower quality content excellently, especially when the "Smooth Gradation" feature is set to a low level. In this mode, it effectively removes undesirable artifacts and issues with visible tonal transitions. It may also slightly smooth out some desirable details, like the subtle texture of clothing or skin, but importantly – it does not remove film grain, so it's hard to talk about a serious compromise here. This is one of those options that is actually worth turning on.

The G5 also does well with upscaling, which is improving the quality of older materials. The test image with the model looked really solid – slight jaggedness was visible, but that's an effect that can't be completely avoided. On the plus side, there were no overscan issues, which – contrary to appearances – is not obvious, even in 2025.

The LG QNED93A turns out to be a very solid television for everyday use. Its image processor performs excellently with upscaling, making even older films or free-to-air television sharper and more detailed. During the screening of 'The Godfather,' it’s clearly visible how upscaling brings out additional details from the image – the characters’ faces and the texture of their clothing look significantly clearer than in the original material.

The digital image processing also deserves praise. The television is equipped with a function that reduces unwanted colour banding and screen irregularities. It works best in the 'Medium' setting – subtly smoothing tonal transitions without overly interfering with the image. This way, the natural film grain is preserved, and the screen does not appear artificially smooth. Perhaps in some scenes, slight colour banding can still be noticed, but in practice, the effect is more advantageous than with a stronger intervention from the algorithm.

The motion smoothness on the LG G5 is simply phenomenal. The television is equipped with a panel featuring a 165 Hz refresh rate, and this combined with the instantaneous response time of the OLED matrix delivers incredible results. The image doesn’t judder or blur like on traditional LCD televisions. Like most LG models, the G5 comes with a motion smoother, which can be handy when watching movies – we’re talking about the TruMotion mode, of course. With the “De-Blur” and “De-Judder” sliders, we can adjust the smoothness of older materials according to our own preferences, whether we want to maintain the characteristic film jitter or lean towards a more fluid, television-like effect.

LG QNED93A has been equipped with a 144 Hz panel. This is primarily a nod to gamers, but the fact that higher refresh rates are increasingly appearing in televisions can be viewed positively. In everyday viewing, 120 Hz remains key, and in this regard, the QNED93A performs well. The manufacturer also provides the option to adjust the picture thanks to the TruMotion system – the De-Judder and De-Blur sliders allow you to choose between a cinematic motion feel with visible frames and full smoothing with theatrical motion.

Features for gamers? Perfect. That should be enough for you to know what level we’re dealing with here. The G5 is a TV designed for gamers, so you'll find literally everything you might expect from a gaming screen. There's Game Bar, support for high resolutions with high refresh rates - that is, 4K at 120 Hz, and even more, as the panel has a refresh rate of 165 Hz (which PC gamers will benefit from). The TV supports variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic low latency mode (ALLM), and also properly handles HDR in games thanks to the HGiG feature. All of this adds up to one of the best gaming feature sets available on the market. Well done, LG.

LG QNED93A is a television that has undoubtedly been designed with gamers in mind. Right from the start, we get a complete package – all four HDMI ports operate in 2.1 standard, so whether we connect a console, a PC, or a receiver, we have full compatibility. This is important because many manufacturers still limit themselves to two ports, and here nothing stands in the way of having maximum capabilities for all the equipment. There’s also an automatic game mode (ALLM), which automatically switches the television to the appropriate settings when the console is turned on, as well as variable refresh rate (VRR). This means the image doesn’t stutter or glitch, even when the frame rate drops – whether in dynamic shooters or during races.

The 144 Hz panel gives an additional advantage in computer games. While 120 Hz is enough for consoles, the QNED93A allows PCs to push even more – every movement, every glance to the side is refreshed faster, which makes a difference especially in e-sports. The manufacturer also considered HDR in games – the television supports HGiG mode, which are guidelines intended to ensure that the lighting effects are exactly as the game developers intended. To top it off, we get Game Bar – a special information bar called up on the screen that shows parameters in real time. You can check the frame rate, active VRR functions, or input lag levels. This solution is useful not only for settings enthusiasts but for anyone who wants to quickly check what mode the television is operating in and whether everything is working as it should.