QN80F is a representative of the Neo QLED series, meaning it is a television with Mini LED backlighting. Unlike its cheaper cousin, the QN70F model, the diodes here are placed directly behind the panel (instead of at the edges), which gives a solid advantage from the start when it comes to contrast control. In the 65-inch variant we tested, we counted 88 dimming zones – a result that may not be very impressive, but as it turned out, sufficient to achieve quite decent results.
In tests based on scenes from films such as Oblivion or The Meg, the QN80F performed well – blacks were deep, and the overall image consistency was eye-catching. However, in more demanding moments (e.g., scenes with a large number of bright details on a dark background), a halo effect appeared. This is where the limitation of the number of zones comes into play – bright elements could bleed around, and some details in dark areas became less visible. In one scene with a helicopter (The Meg), we even noticed slight brightness flickering, as if the television was trying its best to maintain visibility of the details at the expense of black depth.
However, these are not issues exclusive to this model – the halo effect or contrast drops in very complex scenes are something that most Mini LED televisions struggle with, even the more expensive ones. In its class, the QN80F still performs positively and offers noticeably better contrast than the QN70F model with edge lighting. For most users, this will be a level more than sufficient – although not perfect.
The model we tested, with a diagonal of 55 inches, is equipped with a VA-type panel. Here’s the great news: this is a huge advantage over the IPS version if you care about deep blacks and a vivid image. Our measurements showed that in typical movie scenes, the native contrast is really solid, exceeding values around 6000:1. In practice, this means that black is black, not grey, which works very well for occasional evening viewing and is not irritating. However, there are moments when our measuring devices indicated contrast levels over 20 000:1. Where does such a leap come from? The LG QNED80A is equipped with a Local Dimming system. However, this is an edge-lit system. This means that the TV can dim vertical strips of backlighting where the image is supposed to be dark. In theory, this sounds great and indeed allows for "better numbers" in tables than in a classic LCD screen. Unfortunately, practice can be brutal. The use of edge dimming is a double-edged sword that can disrupt the viewing experience in challenging scenes. An ideal example is the scene with the helicopter in the film Sicario 2. When there is a lot of black on the screen and small, bright points, the dimming system starts to operate very aggressively and... not very precisely. You can clearly see how entire vertical strips of the screen brighten and dim, trying to keep up with the object. Instead of deep blacks, we then see blooming, which simply looks bad and strongly distracts from the plot. Although the dimming system improves measurable contrast, in everyday use – especially with the lights off – its aggressive operation can be annoying. Often, a better option may be to... turn off this feature or set it to minimum, to enjoy stable, natural blacks from the VA panel itself.