LG NANO82T6B vs Blaupunkt UGC5500S

The brightness of NANO82T, to be honest, is quite average, especially compared to alternatives at a similar price. The maximum brightness of around 280 nits is not among the highest and may affect the overall viewing experience of HDR content. While many televisions in this price range offer brightness above 400-500 nits, LG NANO82T may seem less impressive. As a result, details in bright areas of the image may be less defined, and the HDR effect is not as spectacular as one might expect.

Here, too, we will not mince words – if you are looking for a television strictly for cinematic experiences in HDR, you have come to the wrong place. The Blaupunkt UGC5500S is unfortunately not a machine designed for such challenges. This is primarily due to its very low brightness, which we measured during our tests. A result of around 250 nits on film scenes speaks for itself. It is simply too little to even talk about any real HDR effect. Quite frankly, everything displayed here in this format can be confidently regarded as a somewhat “enhanced” SDR mode. We expected this, as virtually every device in this price range falters in this area, but we feel obliged to warn you about it. Manufacturers love to boast about HDR compatibility with stickers on their boxes, but in reality, this format simply does not exist here – it lacks the “fuel” of brightness.

The situation is particularly difficult for Blaupunkt, as we are dealing with a panel that has a very basic coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, reaching only about 80%. You will not find any advanced coatings to extend these capabilities (such as quantum dots), which means that scenes that should ideally burst with richly saturated colours appear simply under-saturated on this screen. Therefore, we have a specific piece of advice for you: do not force the HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – simply turn it off. By sticking to the classic SDR mode, you can be sure that the television will not attempt to “enhance” something that it cannot handle hardware-wise.

The colour reproduction in LG NANO82T in Filmmaker mode, which although is the best mode available from factory settings, is not without flaws. First and foremost, the issue lies with the white balance, where a drop in blue colour levels was noted on the graph. This phenomenon results in a shift in colours towards yellow shades, causing the image to appear warmer than it should. Such a deviation means that the colours on the screen are not naturally reproduced, and this can be particularly noticeable in scenes with a white or neutral background. For example, the image below from the film "Star Wars," where there is a large amount of elements that should be white. The Color Checker test confirms that some colours are "shifting" to other shades, which means that the television is not displaying colours accurately.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed drops to a level of 2.1, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker areas of the image brighter in some scenes, reducing their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, a slight spike was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in excessive brightness boosting in the brightest parts of the image, leading to a loss of detail in very bright scenes.

We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colours in movie mode, and here the matter is, in short, twofold. Once again, we need to clearly separate what we see in standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is turned on, as these are two entirely different worlds. Let’s start with the better side of the coin. If you plan to watch classic television, YouTube, or older films on this television, you can count on really reasonably well-tuned colours. In our test unit, the white balance in movie mode performed exceptionally well, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to avoid being overly optimistic, we did notice some shortcomings. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with appropriately dimming the image in its brightest areas. Additionally, there is quite a strong, at times excessively aggressive red saturation, which resulted in visible errors in reproducing certain shades. Nevertheless, in general terms, the image in SDR is simply solid and can be watched without a grimace on one’s face. Unfortunately, the charm disappears the moment we again enter the HDR world. Here, Blaupunkt behaves as if we suddenly switched it to shop mode, and in its worst version. The excess blue in the white balance is so significant that it is almost blinding, ruining any realism of the scene. Moreover, the television interprets brightness very loosely, which, when analysing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time, the colours appear simply washed out and lacking in depth. This is, by the way, perfectly visible through the colour errors that become evident in this mode. Once again, we are left with the same conclusion: Blaupunkt in SDR mode looks significantly better and more natural than in HDR, which feels forced and lacking appropriate refinement.

After calibration, the colour reproduction in SDR content on the LG NANO82T is very good. The white balance has been effectively improved, resulting in natural and balanced shades across various scenes. The gamma has also been adjusted, providing a more precise rendering of details both in shadows and bright parts of the image. Thanks to these adjustments, the television performs excellently in everyday use, offering solid colour quality and clear, well-balanced images in SDR mode.

However, in the case of HDR content, the situation is worse. The television does not support a wide colour gamut, limiting the depth and richness of colours that HDR can offer. The EOTF curve deviates from the ideal, leading to excessive accentuation of details in bright parts of the image. Unfortunately, this results in significant colour reproduction errors, as confirmed by tests on the Colour Checker. The low brightness level of the panel further negatively impacts the quality of HDR images, causing dynamic range effects to not be fully realised, and colours to appear washed out.

The television has significantly improved after calibration, especially in SDR content. The improvement in white balance and gamma has greatly enhanced image quality, providing a more natural and coherent colour reproduction. Compared to the pre-calibration state, the difference is noticeable, and the television now offers better performance in everyday use, particularly in the standard dynamic range.

It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measuring equipment for a television costing around a thousand złotys / 250 dollars, but we wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t check it out. The question is: does such cheap equipment give us any room for manoeuvre when it comes to calibration? To your surprise, the answer is: yes, and very much so. In the Blaupunkt UGC5500S menu, we found surprisingly many options that allowed us to really work on the picture. These are not just empty sliders; they are specific tools that we could utilise using our measuring sensors and software. In SDR mode, the effects were visible to the naked eye. We successfully eliminated the problem we mentioned earlier – that excessive, almost artificial red saturation. We also fixed the issue of improper dimming in the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the standard format image became significantly more balanced and simply correct. When it came to HDR, the situation was again more complicated. While we managed to 'tame' that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was clear that we were fighting somewhat in vain. Even after adjusting the settings, the television still tried to interfere with the image in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than us how the scene should look. Additionally, there is a hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colours in HDR still remain under-saturated. This is simply due to the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vibrant colours. To sum up this topic: if any of you ask whether it is possible to calibrate a television for a 'thousand', we answer with full conviction: it is possible.

When it comes to gradation in very low-quality materials, LG NANO82T offers us the option of a feature called "Smooth Gradation". In the "Low" setting, this function slightly improves the most problematic tonal transitions, which is noticeable and useful for such content. In the "High" setting, it works even more effectively, improving tonal transitions, but at the expense of smoothing out those details that should not be smoothed. It is a compromise that may not please all users.

As for image scaling, NANO82T is not without certain limitations, especially when playing content with a lower resolution. The television applies a subtle, artificial sharpness boost, which makes the image appear sharper. This effect mainly results from the overlay of artificial contours. For some users, this may be beneficial, as they prefer more pronounced and highlighted details. However, for those who value the naturalness of the image, this effect may turn out to be less appealing and too artificial. It's a subjective matter that may affect viewers differently, depending on their visual preferences.

If you expect the processor in this model to magically "fix" the poor-quality signal from cable TV or old films from YouTube, we must disappoint you. The capabilities of this television end at absolutely basic upscaling, which is simply stretching the image to a higher resolution. It does this adequately in that the image is not blurry, but there's no mention of any intelligent sharpening or adding details here. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any features for reducing unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being watched has what is known as banding (that is, ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colours, e.g., in the sky), this television will display it in all its glory. Additionally, the television has a tendency to slightly crop the edges of the image. Instead of displaying 100% of what the source sends, Blaupunkt slightly enlarges the frame, causing us to lose details at the very edges of the screen. In summary: in the category of digital "enhancing" of images, Blaupunkt simply performs poorly. We receive a raw, unprocessed signal, with all its flaws.

LG televisions, including the NANO82T, offer an interesting motion smoother called TruMotion, which will satisfy most users who value control over the quality of the films they watch. The TruMotion feature allows users to adjust the fluidity of the displayed films on a 10-point scale, enabling the personalisation of visual experiences.

However, in the case of more dynamic scenes, such as games or action films, the television performs worse. The 60Hz panel and relatively slow pixel response result in less than ideal motion smoothness. The effect is visible blurring and less smooth display of fast scenes.

Overall, the LG NANO82T should please those who mainly watch films and prefer more subdued content. However, for those who value dynamic, fast motion, we recommend looking for an alternative.

When it comes to motion fluidity, Blaupunkt has nothing to defend itself with. A 60 Hz panel at this price is standard, so none of us were expecting an impeccably sharp image in fast action scenes or during a match. However, the biggest drawback of this model is that you won't find any digital motion smoothers in the menu. The manufacturer has not given us any room for manoeuvre – nothing can be smoothed out or adjusted to our personal preferences. The image is always "raw," and we receive it exactly as the source transmits it. For fans of cinematic "jumping" of the image, this might be good, but the rest of us simply have to get used to the lack of any motion enhancement.

While gaming on the console, LG NANO82T offers a range of features that can significantly impact the gaming experience, although it also has some limitations. Among the advantages, it's worth mentioning the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, which automatically adjusts the picture settings by switching the television to low latency mode. This is particularly beneficial for gamers who need quick responses to their actions. Another plus is the support for HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), as HDR games are displayed as intended by the developers, providing realistic and vivid visual effects. These features make the LG NANO82T offer a good gaming experience, although some aspects could be better, especially in dynamic scenes. Unfortunately, the LG NANO82T has its limitations when it comes to gaming features. It lacks support for variable refresh rate (VRR), which can affect the smoothness of gameplay, particularly in more dynamic games. The television has a 60Hz panel, preventing the use of higher refresh rates. This is a significant drawback for gamers who expect smoother gameplay at higher resolutions. Additionally, the lack of G-Sync technology support limits image synchronisation capabilities, which may lead to tearing and stuttering in games.

These shortcomings may mean that the LG NANO82T does not meet the expectations of the most demanding gamers who are looking for advanced features and the highest image fluidity.

When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we weren't expecting miracles, and indeed – the list of features is not very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they might be significant for some of you at this price. The first plus is that the TV quickly detects the connected console. Thanks to the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, the device knows when you start gaming and automatically switches to low-latency mode. This is convenient because you don't have to fiddle with settings each time to prevent input lag from ruining the fun. The second point is a genuine surprise that caught us off guard. Although it has a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display images at 120 Hz at Full HD resolution. Sure, you lose the details of 4K, but for those playing more dynamic, online shooters where smoothness is more important than resolution, this is a really nice and unexpected addition in such an inexpensive device. Besides these two points, you won't find anything more here. There are no advanced smoothness enhancement systems for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. This is a simple screen for occasional gaming.