- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
LG MRGB85B Review
MRGB85 / MRGB86 / MRGB87 / MRGB88
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: LG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: WebOS Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
LG is once again trying to surprise with its TV lineup. This year the manufacturer has launched a new Mini RGB series, and one of its models is the LG MRGB85. It's a rather unusual design, because it uses three-colour RGB backlighting in an edge-lit arrangement instead of traditional local dimming. It sounds intriguing, but does this approach actually translate into better picture quality? We checked that in our test.
LG MRGB85 - Our verdict
6.9
Overall rating
LG MRGB85 is a TV that suits gamers and people attached to the webOS ecosystem best. In that respect there’s little to fault. It offers plenty of benefits for gamers thanks to a very high panel refresh rate. Add a smoothly working webOS — which stands out on the market above all because of the convenient Magic Remote and a full set of features for traditional TV — and it’s easy to see its appeal. The problem starts when you look at overall picture quality and compare it with the price the manufacturer asks for this model. The MRGB85 launches at a level that, to put it mildly, is hard to call attractive compared with competing models. For a similar price you can find TVs offering much more extensive backlighting and, above all, better black level control. The most controversial aspect is the naming and the way LG positions this model. MRGB85 does use a three-colour backlight, but it’s edge‑lit. It’s therefore hard to call this a proper RGB Mini‑LED in the sense commonly used for TVs that employ a large number of independently controlled zones behind the panel. In practice the limitations of local dimming are very noticeable and in dark scenes they significantly spoil the viewing experience. That does not mean the MRGB85 is a bad TV. It handles everyday material well, offers decent colours, solid brightness and a very wide feature set. SDR content can look really good, and Dolby Vision partly helps mask weaker brightness handling in HDR. Still, it’s hard to shake the impression that the biggest problem with this model isn’t the design itself but its price and the overly ambitious positioning relative to the rest of the market. If someone is mainly after a TV for gaming, values the convenience of webOS and finds it on a big sale, the MRGB85 can make sense. At the current price it falls back, because the competition today simply offers more in terms of picture quality.
Advantages
Highly advanced gaming features
Three full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports
Support for 4K at 144 Hz, VRR, G-Sync and FreeSync
Low input lag
Supports Dolby Vision HDR
Fast and user-friendly webOS
Magic remote with gyroscope
Decent brightness and a wide colour gamut
Disadvantages
Average black level
Aggressive edge-lit local dimming control
Average HDR picture quality
Poor viewing angles and noticeable smearing on the VA panel
Movies and series in UHD quality6.2
Classic TV, YouTube6.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.4
Gaming on console8.3
TV as a computer monitor8.4
Watching in bright light6.1
Utility functions7.7
Apps9.1
Sound quality6.4
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LG MRGB85 - Competing TVs in this price range
LG MRGB85 - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The LG MRGB85 looks modern and gives the impression of a higher-end TV. The screen is framed by narrow graphite-coloured bezels, and the styling clearly echoes the OLED B and C series. The lower part of the cabinet is thicker because it houses the electronics and backlight system, while the upper section tapers noticeably. The build isn’t as slim as OLED TVs, but it still looks neat and contemporary. The central height-adjustable stand is worth noting. It lets you easily fit a soundbar under the screen without obscuring the bottom of the picture. However, bear in mind that depending on the market and model designation, the TV may also be sold with two conventional feet mounted at the sides.
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LG MRGB85 - Contrast and black detail
5/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 6 (1 x 6)
Result
12,100:1
Result
6,200:1
Result
15,900:1
Result
6,000:1
Result
4,600:1
LG MRGB85 uses a VA panel, so even without extra tricks it offers better blacks than models based on IPS or ADS panels. In simpler scenes the picture has decent depth and can look quite convincing. The biggest limitation, however, appears when local dimming is turned on. The TV uses edge lighting positioned along the bottom of the screen. As a result it can't precisely control the brightness of small areas of the image. When a single bright element appears on a dark background, it often lights up an entire vertical band. This is accompanied by a noticeable halo, and even more noticeable is the behaviour of the backlight itself. When scenes change the brightness can jump up and down suddenly, causing the picture to visibly pulse in a dark room. Local dimming can be completely switched off in the TV's menu. Contrast then drops noticeably, but the picture becomes much more stable and the frequent backlight flicker disappears. In practice, some users may therefore consciously give up deeper blacks in favour of a calmer, more predictable picture.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
LG MRGB85 - HDR effect quality
5.7/10
Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
583 nit
Result
401 nit
Result
569 nit
Result
423 nit
Result
455 nit
LG MRGB85 offers moderate brightness. On test patterns it reaches around 700 nits, which is a decent result in itself. In real movie scenes, however, values are lower and most often fall in the 400 to 600 nits range. Bright, wide shots look best. In scenes with large areas of black the TV noticeably reduces luminance, attempting to keep contrast as high as possible. The HDR effect is therefore visible, but it is far from the level offered by more advanced Mini-LED designs. Particularly in darker parts of films, the limitations of the edge-lit backlight and imprecise local dimming become apparent again.
HDR colours
A much stronger suit of the MRGB85 is its colour. The TV covers around 95% of the DCI-P3 colour space and 74% of BT.2020, so HDR content can look vivid and impressive. Colours are well saturated, and the difference compared with basic LCD TVs is clearly noticeable. It is worth noting, however, that this is not a classic RGB backlight, where each of the three primary colours is generated by a separate diode. Red is produced by a PFS phosphor, which expands the palette and achieves more saturated red tones. This solution performs well for colour reproduction, but it does not change the limitations of the local dimming. The diodes are not driven independently in the way the series name might suggest... so it turns out that Mini RGB is not the same as Mini-LED RGB!
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 74.3% | 95.2% | 63% | 55% | 67% |
| Film measurements | 74.1% | 95.4% | 69% | 66% | 74% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
In a direct comparison with the reference monitor, the LG MRGB85 performs averagely. The biggest differences are visible in scenes with a lot of black, where the TV cannot maintain sufficiently high contrast. In such shots the limitations of edge‑lit backlighting and local dimming are most apparent. Content mastered to around 1000 nits looks significantly better. In those films and series the MRGB85 can retain a good amount of detail in bright areas and render scenes fairly accurately. It struggles more with demanding HDR material. In very bright shots some details get washed into uniform blobs, so the image clearly departs from the reference. The MRGB85 is therefore fine for occasional movie and TV watching, but it is not aimed at viewers who expect a highly faithful cinematic picture.
HDR luminance chart:
Fortunately the LG MRGB85 supports the dynamic Dolby Vision format. Thanks to metadata delivered scene by scene, the TV can better adapt how it displays the picture to its capabilities. In our comparison the difference compared with the same material shown in standard HDR10 speaks for itself. Dolby Vision preserved more detail in the bright parts of the image and better controlled the overall scene brightness. That matters because a large portion of films and series on streaming platforms use Dolby Vision. This format often helps the MRGB85 render the picture far more faithfully than standard HDR10.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.6/10
We tested the TV in Filmmaker Mode because, of the available presets, it produced the image closest to reference. The out-of-the-box colour reproduction wasn’t perfect, though. The biggest deviations were in the white balance, with too much red and not enough blue in the image, so the overall picture shifted noticeably towards warmer tones. Whites took on a slightly yellowish tint, and skin tones and bright areas didn’t always look natural. It wasn’t a fault that ruined the viewing experience, but in a direct comparison with the same panel after calibration the difference was clearly visible.
Color reproduction after calibration
7/10
Calibration primarily corrected the white balance and removed the previously noticeable warm cast. After the correction, whites no longer had a yellow tint and colours became more neutral and natural. The biggest improvement was seen in SDR material, where the picture looked even and much closer to the reference. A similar effect was achieved in HDR. After calibration the image became more controlled, although not all of the TV’s limitations could be eliminated. The main issue remained intense reds, which were not always reproduced with sufficient precision. In practice the MRGB85 handles everyday SDR content very well, but in more demanding HDR material its limitations are still clearly visible.
LG MRGB85 - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8.9/10
LG MRGB85 handles tonal gradations quite well. In bright scenes posterization is least noticeable and the TV has no trouble separating individual shades. Tonal transitions in dark scenes are a bit worse, though, where posterization in the most demanding moments that move into dark grey shades can be more visible. This is, however, a fairly typical issue for most TVs. It's worth noting that similar behaviour can be seen in Dolby Vision mode, where posterization on the MRGB85 is slightly worse than usual.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.8/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Upscaling and digital image processing perform quite well in the LG MRGB85. The Alpha 8 AI 4K Gen7 processor efficiently upscales lower-resolution material, and you can easily turn off overscan regardless of the source. The TV also handles compression artefacts well. The "Smooth Gradation" function can effectively reduce visible banding and tonal unevenness, but it isn't always precise. At higher settings it can also smooth out fine details, such as the texture of materials. A plus is that it doesn't remove film grain. The safest option is the "Low" or "Medium" setting, which offers the best compromise between artefact reduction and preserving detail.
LG MRGB85 - Blur and motion smoothness
7.3/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)
Brightness drop with BFI: 63%
The LG MRGB85 is fitted with a VA panel with a native 144 Hz refresh rate, so its motion handling is very good. The TV easily handles 120 Hz content from consoles and higher refresh rates when connected to a PC. That matters not only for gaming but also when watching sport, where camera motion is noticeably smoother than on basic 60 Hz panels. There’s also the TruMotion system, which lets you set the level of motion smoothing yourself. You can keep a more cinematic motion or increase smoothness, which works well for live sports and TV programmes. The adjustment range is wide, so you can easily tailor the motion smoothing to your own preferences.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (4K@144Hz):
Smoothness alone, however, is only one part of assessing motion performance. The MRGB85 uses a VA panel, which tends to exhibit smearing, especially in darker parts of the image. Fast-moving objects can leave a faint trailing shadow, most noticeable in transitions between dark shades of grey. This is a typical issue with many VA panels and the LG MRGB85 is no exception. In bright scenes motion looks good, but in darker games or films the sharpness of moving elements can be slightly reduced. That doesn’t rule the TV out, but people particularly sensitive to smearing should keep this in mind.
LG MRGB85 - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 144Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
When it comes to gaming, the LG MRGB85 performs by far the best. The manufacturer hasn’t skimped on the kit and has essentially carried over the full suite of features from pricier TVs into this model. You get three HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gb/s bandwidth. Each supports 4K 120 Hz from a console, and when connected to a PC also 4K 144 Hz. So you don’t need to worry which port to plug your console or PC into, as they all offer the same set of capabilities.
On board you’ll also find VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible, ALLM and HGiG. Dolby Vision Gaming is included too, allowing supported games to use high refresh rates and dynamic HDR simultaneously on Xbox. Rounding it off is Game Optimizer, a handy in-game menu. Without leaving the game you can change the picture profile, brighten shadow detail or check the current frame rate. In terms of gaming features, the MRGB85 therefore offers almost the same as significantly more expensive LG models.
LG MRGB85 - Input lag
9.7/10
Input lag on the LG MRGB85 is really low. Our measurements showed about 10 ms with a 120 Hz signal and about 20 ms at 60 Hz. Importantly, we observed similar results in Dolby Vision mode. They may not be the absolute best on the market, but in practice they’re more than enough for comfortable, smooth gaming. The delay isn’t noticeable and shouldn’t be a problem even in fast-paced action games or online titles.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 19 ms | 2160p60: 18 ms | 2160p60 DV: 21 ms |
| 1080p120: 10 ms | 2160p120: 9 ms | 2160p120 DV: 9 ms |
| 2160p60: 18 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 9 ms |
LG MRGB85 - Compatibility with PC
8.4/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The MRGB85 plays nicely with PCs. Support for 4K at 144 Hz plus G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync Premium mean it’s not just a gaming screen but also a perfectly capable monitor for work. When it comes to text legibility, it’s simply good. The TV correctly handles 4:4:4 chroma, so small fonts and system UI elements remain sharp. Only when viewing the screen from very close can you spot minor artefacts on the edges of letters, but at a normal distance from a 55" or larger screen it doesn’t matter at all.
LG MRGB85 - Viewing angles
3.4/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 71%
Viewing angles on the LG MRGB85 are average. Because it uses a VA panel, colour saturation fades fairly quickly, even at a slight angle. That’s a typical trait of this type of panel — you get high contrast at the expense of poorer viewing angles. IPS panels work the other way: they offer lower contrast but retain colours better when you look at the screen from the side. In theory the MRGB85 belongs to the family of RGB TVs, where viewing angles can be better than in models that use additional QLED filters. Here, however, that doesn’t offer much of an advantage. The small number of local dimming zones placed at the edge of the screen and the way they operate mean the picture quickly loses quality off‑axis, much like in ordinary LCD screens.
LG MRGB85 - Daytime performance
6.1/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
LG MRGB85 handles bright rooms quite well. Its average brightness reaches around 500 nits, clearly above average. That keeps the picture readable in a moderately sunlit living room and it doesn't look dimmed. The screen coating is less impressive, though, as it only does an average job of suppressing reflections. Direct reflections from windows or lamps can be quite noticeable, so it's best not to place the TV directly opposite large windows or strong light sources.
Panel brightness
LG MRGB85B: 515 cd/m2
LG MRGB85 - TV features
7.7/10
System: WebOS
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): Yes
- Recording programming: Yes
Picture in Picture (PiP): No - RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: No
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
The LG MRGB85 runs webOS, which is fast, clear and gives access to all the major streaming apps. The menu is smooth and navigating it is straightforward. The TV also performs well with traditional broadcast TV. You get features like Time Shift, HbbTV and a handy channel guide. The MRGB85 is therefore suitable both for using Netflix or YouTube and for everyday TV viewing.
Control is handled by a newer version of the Magic Remote. Compared with older models it's noticeably slimmer and has dropped the traditional numeric keypad, but it feels better in the hand and is more comfortable for everyday use. It still retains the characteristic gyroscope, which lets you control the on-screen cursor with hand movements. Combined with webOS, this works very well.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Atmos Flex Connect: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: No
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: No
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: No
- Audio description: Yes
LG MRGB85 - Apps
9.1/10
LG MRGB85 - Playing files from USB
9/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in media player handles most popular video, music and photo formats, so in everyday use you shouldn't be missing anything. The only unusual issue occurred with HEIC files. The TV correctly showed their thumbnails, but when opened it couldn't display the photo at full resolution. Other than that, the player worked without any major problems.
LG MRGB85 - Sound
6.4/10
86dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The sound in the LG MRGB85 is simply adequate and there's not much more to say. The 2.0 system with a total power of 20 W performs much like most TVs on the market. It lacks pronounced bass and a wider soundstage, although it can get fairly loud. For everyday TV viewing that setup is enough. Those who want fuller, more impressive sound should consider getting a soundbar or a home theatre system.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
86dBC (Max)
75dBC
LG MRGB85 - Panel details
Software version during testing: 43.11.79
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED PFS LED
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