LG QNED87T6B vs IFFALCON U85X

LG QNED87T6B delivers truly decent visual experiences when it comes to HDR. During our tests on test patterns, the television achieved brightness close to 500 nits, which is a satisfactory result and allows for good visibility of details in high dynamic range scenes. Support for basic HDR formats such as HDR10 and HLG ensures proper image quality. Unfortunately, the television does not support more advanced standards such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, which are particularly important at this screen brightness. The lack of support for dynamic metadata means that in certain scenes, the television may struggle to fully reproduce details, especially in very bright areas – this is precisely when dynamic metadata could significantly improve image quality. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the excellent coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching as much as 96.4%. As a result, the colours displayed by the QNED87T6B model are more vivid and natural, enhancing the quality of 4K content viewed with a wide colour palette.

iFFALCON U85 handles HDR in a rather dual manner – on one hand, it can surprise with a solid peak brightness of around 650 nits, which places it significantly above average in this price segment. This is particularly evident in bright, full-screen scenes. Examples from movies like Life of Pi or the final test sequences from The Meg prove that the television can maintain the power and essence of the HDR effect when the entire panel needs to “ignite,” providing truly satisfying experiences. However, problems arise in high-contrast scenes, where smaller, bright details appear on the screen; the dimming algorithms prioritise black depth so much that they can crush the brightness of small bright points down to just 100 nits, drastically lowering the image dynamics and depriving us of the real “bite” we expect from HDR standards. However, the question of colours remains a sweetener, as thanks to the use of the PFS phosphor filter (marketed as QLED by the manufacturer), they look very good, achieving nearly 94% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which allows for a rich and vivid image in most content.

The colour accuracy in the LG QNED, even in Filmmaker Mode, which is the best factory setting, is not without its flaws. The main issue is white balance – we noticed that the level of blue on the graph tends to drop. This results in a shift in colours towards yellow, making the image have a warmer tone than it should. This deviation affects the naturalness of colour reproduction, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. The Color Checker test confirmed that some colours are distorted and deviate from reality. Such distortion can make film scenes appear less realistic, and details are presented in incorrect colours, negatively impacting the overall image quality.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed significant drops, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker parts of the image brighter in some scenes, which reduces their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural drop was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon can result in less accuracy in reproducing dark scenes, which in turn affects the overall image quality. The television may not convey full black depth, causing more demanding scenes to lose realism and detail. As a result, viewers may notice that details in the darker parts of the image become less distinct.

We tested the factory colours in the iFFALCON U85X model in “Film” mode, which is definitely the most accurate among all available settings, although it is still far from perfect. The main issue that catches the eye in both SDR and HDR content is the improper white balance – an excess of blue and red contributes to a slight purple tint in the image, detracting from the naturalness of the film scenes. An even greater challenge is how the television manages its brightness. Analysing the gamma chart for SDR signal, we noticed significant instability: instead of adhering to the standard value of 2.4, the device oscillates around 2.2, then suddenly makes an unnatural jump to around 3.0. In practice, this leads to confusing effects – large, bright surfaces on the screen appear too dark, while smaller elements are unnecessarily brightened. A similar characteristic can be found in the EOTF curve, which makes the image unpredictable and loses its cinematic authenticity.

After calibration, the colours in SDR content look very good. The improved white balance translates to natural and harmonious shades in various scenes. Thanks to precise gamma tuning, details in shadows and bright areas of the image are accurately reproduced. The television performs excellently in everyday use, offering vibrant, well-balanced images and solid colour quality in HD. The biggest beneficiary here is also contrast. The gamma graph has been stripped of significant errors, giving the television a new dimension.

As for the white balance in 4K HDR, it has also been significantly improved. However, some errors still appear at the end of the graph. This may be due to the television's overly aggressive local dimming, which in some scenes affects the inaccurate reproduction of colours. It's difficult to talk about an improvement in brightness represented by the EOTF curve. The television, due to its construction limitations, has some drawbacks, and we can't overlook them. The Color Checker test confirms the issue with colour saturation – even though the television offers a wide colour palette, it fails to fully convey the director's intent.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality after calibration is significantly better than before. Adjustments in white balance and gamma tuning make the images more vivid and the colours closer to reality.

After professional calibration of the movie mode, we must admit that the effect is more than satisfactory – the iFFALCON U85X undergoes a true transformation here. Colour errors in SDR content have dropped to a level below 2, making them practically undetectable to the human eye. We managed to set the white balance almost perfectly, and brightness management (gamma) has become almost exemplary. As a result, with standard quality materials, the television simply looks perfect and it's hard to fault it.

In the case of HDR signal, the situation has also improved significantly, although here the nature of the device is a bit more noticeable. Colour errors have been reduced to around 3, which is an outstanding result in this price range. It's worth taking a look at the EOTF chart (available on the right side of the screen in filters: 4K HDR, gamma / EOTF) to see what is not immediately apparent regarding brightness management by the U85. Though the reference line looks decent, in actual film scenes the television still interprets the signal “in its own way” due to very aggressive local dimming zone algorithms. Does that disqualify this model for watching HDR content? Absolutely not. It’s simply a typical issue with nearly every Mini-LED that has to balance high brightness with the attempt to maintain deep blacks. One just needs to be aware of these technical limitations, which are unavoidable in this segment.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the gradation looks really good. The feature called "Smooth Gradation" effectively smooths out the most problematic parts of the image, while not negatively affecting the film grain. For the best effect, it’s worth setting it to a low level. This solution significantly improves the quality of the displayed content, making the viewing of lower resolution materials more enjoyable and smoother.

In terms of digital processing, the image is displayed without cropping, known as overscan. Although slight fraying of the branches can be noticed against the model's background, everything looks very good. Users should be satisfied with the image quality when watching low-quality materials like standard television. The TV handles this task exceptionally well, providing a satisfying visual experience, even with lower quality content.

When it comes to scaling images to 4K resolution, the iFFALCON U85X performs solidly. The device effectively boosts low-quality signals, making even older materials look clean and clear on the 4K panel. At extremely low resolutions, such as 480p, you can notice slightly jagged edges (especially on thin lines), but let’s be honest – this is a scenario you'll only encounter while watching very old recordings, so in everyday use, it’s not a real issue.

On the other hand, the digital processing aimed at smoothing tonal transitions performs significantly worse. Although the menu features a function called “Gradual Smoothing”, its effectiveness is at least debatable. In practice, it does not effectively eliminate banding (colour stepping) and, worse yet, can cause more harm than good. This filter can be too aggressive where it shouldn’t be, artificially smoothing out details that shouldn’t be touched, such as the natural texture of the face or the fine details of skin texture. Instead of improving quality, this function can give the image an unnatural, “plastic” look, so it’s best to use it with caution or, preferably: leave it turned off.

The television provides decent smoothness when watching movies, thanks to the “Tru Motion” feature, which allows adjustment of motion smoothing from 0 to 10. De-Judder regulates motion smoothness, while De-Blur adjusts motion sharpness. Users have the option to choose between a traditional cinematic effect with subtle juddering motion (lower settings) and a smoother, theatrical image. Although the latter deviates slightly from the cinematic standard, it may be appealing to many viewers.

As for gamers and sports fans, the LG QNED87 television with a 120Hz panel will surely not disappoint. And with the use of an IPS panel, the response time is typically better than that of VA panels available at a similar price. This ensures smoother gameplay and dynamic experiences when watching sports events.

Unlike budget constructions that can resemble a slideshow in dynamic sports scenes, the iFFALCON U85X is a heavyweight player equipped with a panel featuring a native refresh rate of 144Hz. It's worth remembering that in the realm of movies, series, or sports, we'll predominantly operate at 120Hz due to the specifics of image enhancement systems. Such a fast panel is excellent news for gamers and sports fans, as it opens the door to advanced motion settings that simply aren't available in cheaper 60Hz models.

Everything is managed from the menu “Motion Clarity”, where instead of using ready-made, often overly aggressive modes, we strongly recommend a custom configuration based on two sliders. The most important of these, Flicker Reduction, is responsible for fluidity in films – here, it's best to aim for a value around 4, which helps maintain the natural, cinematic character of motion without falling into the artificial “soap opera effect.” Meanwhile, the first slider, Motion Blur Reduction, is key to success in sports broadcasts. In this case, it's worth going all out and setting it to maximum, ensuring that the image remains sharp during fast-paced action on the field, while annoying ghosting is eliminated.

LG QNED offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-performance television. The TV is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing connection to the latest consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, utilising full functionality including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Thanks to the Game Bar feature, gamers can quickly and easily manage all game settings without needing to navigate complex menus. Parameters such as VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and frame rate monitoring can be adjusted. The TV also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which is particularly important for owners of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card. The 120Hz panel guarantees incredible motion smoothness and image clarity. Combined with the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, which is available at 60Hz and 120Hz, gamers can enjoy an even sharper and smoother picture. LG QNED87 is a television that meets the expectations of even the most demanding gamers, offering modern technologies and features that significantly enhance comfort and satisfaction during gaming.

iFFALCON U85X is an outstanding piece of gear for gamers that has pretty much everything you could ask for from a modern screen for console or PC. It features two full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gbps, which opens the door to key technologies such as VRR and ALLM, ensuring smooth gameplay without screen tearing and with minimal lag. The TV effortlessly handles high refresh rates at various resolutions, and a real curiosity is the mode that allows for up to 240Hz when dropping down to Full HD quality. Everything is managed by the Game Bar (which is a faithful copy from TCL), allowing for instant switching of picture modes, personalization of the interface appearance, or even adding a virtual crosshair in the middle of the screen.