LG NANO82T6B vs Samsung U8000F (IPS)

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.

Better does not mean good – and that is exactly how to summarise the capabilities of U8092F when it comes to displaying bright movie scenes in HDR mode. The brightness of the panel is just under 250 nits, which is definitely too little to enjoy any light effects. An interesting situation was observed during the measurement of the fourth scene from the film Sicario 2 – the television clearly dimmed the entire screen in an attempt to achieve better black levels (which remain weak anyway). One might even suggest that the device is using some form of 'global dimming', but unfortunately – the results are still very poor. To make matters worse, the television does not support a wide colour gamut – the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is around 80%, so one cannot expect truly vibrant colours. The HDR image here looks more like a slightly brightened SDR, and it is this form that we would suggest sticking to when it comes to this television.

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.

The Samsung U8000F has been tested in the best possible picture mode built into the television, namely Filmmaker Mode. This mode should – at least in theory – offer a cinematic, reference picture without unnecessary enhancements. In the case of SDR content (mainly HD/SD), the television, out of the box, showed itself surprisingly well. Errors in white balance hovered around a value of 3, which is roughly on the edge of perceptibility. The only complaint could be about brightness management – the gamma graph showed a slight tendency to lighten or darken certain sections, but even so, the overall performance is quite good for this price segment.

Unfortunately, it looks much worse in HDR mode. Although the white balance was not terrible, the television had significant colour errors – particularly evident in the Color Checker graph, where almost every sample hit outside the target point. The picture in HDR simply looks unnatural, and the colours can be shifted, dull, or too cool. This largely stems from the fact that the U8000F does not support a wide colour gamut (DCI-P3). The television is physically unable to display correct colours in the HDR standard – and unfortunately, this is felt in every more demanding material.

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.

Although the U8000F already offered a fairly well-balanced image in SDR straight out of the box, we were able to refine it a bit further. We managed to eliminate a slight purple tint and adjust the gamma to a more sensible level. However, the television still has a tendency to overexpose the smallest and brightest parts of the image – the gamma chart shows a characteristic 'dip' that is difficult to completely straighten out.

Unfortunately, the situation is worse in HDR. It's hard to speak of any significant improvement here – the television is simply not designed for HDR content. We tried to correct the image in the advanced settings, but despite our efforts, the colour errors remained substantial – a delta E above 7 indicates very noticeable deviations. It's a bit disappointing, but that's the nature of budget construction. In SDR, the U8000F performs reasonably well, whereas HDR is just not its league.

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.

When it comes to how the Samsung U8000F handles lower quality materials, we must admit that Samsung has made progress compared to its predecessor from last year – namely the DU7192 model, which theoretically occupies the same spot in the range.

This year's model has been equipped with a feature that enhances the fluidity of tonal transitions, which has been implemented much better than last year. Yes, the television still uses fairly strong algorithms that can distort details or remove film grain, but despite that – it can be confidently said that it works effectively.

However, not everything has gone perfectly. The U8000F has noticeable issues with slight image stuttering when watching very old content in very low resolution. If someone plans to play their old VHS tape, they must reckon with the fact that the image may appear slightly "choppy".

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.

The Samsung U8000F is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, so it's clear from the outset that we shouldn't expect miracles. It's simply the standard in this class – sufficient for everyday viewing but without any fireworks.

The television offers a single motion smoothing slider – a function called “Motion Blur Reduction”, which allows us to adjust the smoothness of the image in films. Higher settings provide a more “theatrical” and smoothed effect, while lower settings maintain the original character of the film with a slight 24p effect. An interesting feature is “LED Clear Motion”, which is a BFI mode – that inserts black frames between frames of the image to improve motion clarity. However, in practice, the screen flickers quite a bit when this feature is activated, and it should be regarded more as an experiment than something that genuinely enhances the comfort of gaming.

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.

The Samsung U8000F offers a basic set of features for gamers, which may still prove sufficient for less demanding users. It includes an automatic game mode – upon launching a game on the console, the television automatically switches to low latency mode, significantly improving response times. We also find a VRR feature, meaning variable refresh rate, which operates within a range of 48 to 60 Hz. This means that both Xbox and PS5 will not produce the effect of screen tearing – provided, of course, we stay within this range.

Unfortunately, that is about it when it comes to advantages. Add-ons like Game Bar or higher refresh rates are reserved for higher models of Samsung's 2025 line. In theory, the television also supports the HGiG function, which should adjust HDR images to the intentions of game developers. Unfortunately – despite this feature appearing in brochures and retail materials – its configuration on the Xbox console has proven to be... impossible in practice.