Philips PUS7009 (IPS) vs LG UA75006LA (IPS)

In terms of HDR quality, PUS7009 (IPS) performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits doesn't allow for enjoyment of HDR effects, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There’s no talk of dynamic effects or vivid bursts of light. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full colour coverage means that the colours are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unimpressive image. There are no aspects to commend this model in the context of HDR.

It looks even more modest in the version with an IPS panel, where the peak brightness only reaches 250 nits. In practice, this means that a real sense of HDR effect is out of the question, and the materials being viewed resemble regular SDR. Similar to VA panels, the image behaves stably across most test patterns, but in demanding scenes with fine details, the television tends to slightly dim the picture. As a result, blacks appear a bit better, but at the cost of losing detail in bright elements. The absence of additional colour filters is also noticeable here. The UA7500 in the IPS version is neither a QLED nor a PFS LED panel, and the DCI-P3 colour gamut stops at 80%, which means that HDR films lack significant colour depth and appear quite flat.

The television was tested in movie mode, which – despite its name – does not provide correct image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content is characterised by drops in red, making the image cooler and the colours lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristics and EOTF curve confirm that the television has issues maintaining appropriate brightness – it boosts it significantly, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where everything looks as if it has a milky filter applied. Additionally, the limited coverage of a wide colour gamut also does not promote quality – colour checker attempts indicate significant colour variations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

The Filmmaker mode on the LG UA7500 performs better than you might expect from such a budget television, but let’s not get carried away with admiration. The picture is put together quite sensibly and at first glance is not irritating; however, its weaknesses quickly become apparent. This is most noticeable in scenes with bright points – lamps in the background or reflections of light on skin are clearly oversaturated. The faces of characters often appear unnatural, as if they have been "blown out." Additionally, the default gamma setting brightens even the slightest details and causes the picture to lose subtlety in the darker areas. That said, for its price range, the UA7500 in factory mode provides a pretty decent starting point. However, it is clear that without additional adjustment, these issues won't be avoided, which is why – as with other televisions – we decided to see what could be achieved after calibration.

After calibration, the picture has significantly improved, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the shades have taken on a natural quality, eliminating the earlier impression of a rather cool picture. The calibration has brought noticeable benefits in terms of tonality – the shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the whole seems more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect the quality of the image. The brightness characteristic remains problematic, despite our efforts, and due to poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour gamut, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although calibration has improved some aspects, the television still does not allow for complete satisfaction.

The biggest improvement we noticed was when calibrating the mode intended for everyday SDR content. We managed to smoothly adjust the white balance in an acceptable manner and tame the issue of excessive brightening of small elements due to the gamma characteristics. As a result, the image gained consistency and a naturalness that was lacking in the factory settings. After such a correction, we can confidently say that for everyday television content, programmes, or materials from YouTube, the LG UA7500 performs really well – especially after professional calibration. The situation is somewhat different for HDR content. Here, calibration did manage to tame the white balance and slightly improve brightness management, however, the design limitations are immediately apparent. The lack of additional filters that expand the colour palette means that the most vibrant colours appear flat, and the image lacks the intensity one would expect from good HDR. In SDR, the UA7500 performs quite well, but in HDR – despite the corrections – it remains far behind, and this is a characteristic that one must accept when choosing this television.

If we talk about tonal transitions in low-quality material, the feature called "Distortion Reduction" (set to "minimum") effectively improves the gradation, eliminating undesirable tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips TVs is quite aggressive – while it doesn't blur grain or high-quality material, it may introduce unwanted effects and blur elements that should remain sharp with poorer signals.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs reasonably well. A significant advantage is the absence of cropped edges, meaning no overscan, which allows for displaying the full frame without loss. The image is noticeably improved, making characters and backgrounds, such as the model or branches in the background, look fairly detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although the scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the results are good enough to satisfy most users.

The version with the IPS panel performed noticeably worse here. Image scaling was uneven – this was especially evident in lower quality materials, where edges became jagged and the image looked less detailed. At times, there was also a sense of slight blurriness, which took away sharpness and made the overall picture seem less refined than in the VA version. The tonal smoothing function turned out to be a rescue. On medium settings, it worked quite well – it did not ruin the image with excessive softening, while also smoothing out colours in such a way that everyday content gained consistency. The difference was particularly noticeable with TV programs or streaming materials of poorer compression quality, where the television with the function enabled presented itself much better. This is one of those additions that are worth keeping active, as they significantly improve the reception of everyday materials.

Philips PUS7009 does not have any motion smoothing features in films, which means we cannot choose whether the picture should be more choppy or more cinematic. These features could improve more dynamic scenes. As for motion blur, despite using a 60Hz IPS panel, the situation looks quite good. The response time between pixels is better than in versions with a VA panel, which keeps motion blur at an acceptable level and does not significantly affect the viewing comfort of dynamic scenes.

LG UA7500 is a television with a 60 Hz panel, so it's hard to expect any excitement in this category. It's more of a screen intended for daily content or an evening movie session rather than for following fast-paced sports events or playing action games. It’s clear that the manufacturer designed this model specifically for that audience – and it performs well in that regard. We have the TruMotion function available, which is a motion smoother. It’s simple, has only one slider, but can make a noticeable difference. At the lower range, the image looks more raw and cinematic, while at higher values, the motion becomes smoother and more pleasurable to the eye.

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is suitable for casual gamers. Despite using HDMI 2.0, the TV offers access to features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, allowing for faster responses while gaming, while VRR dynamically adjusts the refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. The Game Bar is a tool that provides quick access to game settings and real-time parameter monitoring - although we believe it looks the weakest compared to competing Game Bars.

Unfortunately, more demanding gamers may be disappointed. The Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games or high refresh rates, due to the use of a 60 Hz panel. The lack of support for these features limits the TV's ability to deliver smooth and fully detailed experiences during fast-paced gameplay.

LG UA7500 is a TV that can be confidently recommended to "casual" gamers. While it doesn’t feature a 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports, making full use of the potential of modern consoles isn’t something we can expect. However, the manufacturer has included several additions that can enhance the gaming experience. Notably, there's the Game Bar – a very nicely designed panel that allows quick access to and changes of the most important settings. From this panel, we have access to the ALLM mode (automatic switching to game mode), as well as frame synchronization, or VRR. The range of VRR is limited – it works from 48 to 60 Hz – but the mere presence of this feature in such an affordable TV leaves a positive impression.

Additionally, it also supports HGiG, which is a HDR calibration mode for games. It sounds good, but from our testing experience, we know that for the UA7500 this option doesn’t make much sense. The TV doesn't perform well with HDR, so paradoxically, we achieved better results with this mode turned off. This is another signal that the UA7500 is more of a screen for occasional gamers who value simplicity and convenience rather than for those looking for the full experience from the latest consoles.