LG UA75006LA (IPS) vs LG QNED80A6A (IPS)

The version with an IPS panel looks even more modest, where the peak brightness barely reaches 250 nits. In practice, this means that a real sense of HDR effect is out of the question, and the materials viewed resemble rather ordinary SDR. Similar to VA panels, the image behaves stably on most test patterns, but in demanding scenes with fine details, the television has a tendency to slightly dim the image. This allows for slightly better blacks; however, this comes at the expense of losing detail in bright elements. The absence of additional colour filters is also noticeable here. The UA7500 with an IPS panel does not belong to QLEDs or PFS LED panels, and the DCI-P3 colour gamut is limited to 80%, meaning that HDR films lack significant colour depth and appear quite flattened.

When it comes to image dynamics and brightness, the QNED80A firmly stands its ground. It is not a “bright beast” – during our measurements, peak luminance oscillated between 350-400 nits. To put it plainly: these values won't allow HDR formats to fully spread their wings. So, do not expect that the glare of the sun or car headlights in films will blind you. However, this television has a powerful ace up its sleeve that salvages the overall picture impression – and that is the colours. LG's engineers have employed an advanced filtration system (technically most likely based on PFS phosphor, marketed as QNED/NanoCell), which does a fantastic job. Thanks to this, despite average brightness, the screen is capable of generating exceptionally saturated and pure hues. Our instruments showed coverage of the wide DCI-P3 cinema colour palette at a level of 93-94%. This is a result that outclasses most standard LCD televisions. In practice, this means that when watching 4K HDR content, the picture – although not very bright – is very plastic, vivid, and delights the eye with its depth of colours.

The Filmmaker mode on the LG UA7500 performs better than one might expect from such a budget television, but let's not get carried away with praise. The picture is quite well put together and does not irritate at first glance, but its weaknesses soon start to show. This is most evident in scenes with bright points – lamps in the background or reflections of light on the skin are distinctly overemphasised. Characters' faces often appear unnatural, as if they have been 'overexposed'. Additionally, the default gamma setting brightens even the smallest details, causing the image to lose subtlety in darker areas. However, it remains true that for its price bracket, the UA7500 in factory mode offers a fairly decent starting point. It is clear that without additional adjustment, it will not be possible to avoid these issues, which is why – as with other televisions – we decided to see what could be achieved after calibration.

Here, regardless of whether you encounter the VA or IPS version, the situation is identical. LG engineers once again served us their vision of a "gaming look," which unfortunately has little to do with accuracy. When switched to console mode, the white balance automatically drifts towards very cold regions. The image is dominated by the colour blue, which makes it seem artificially sharpened, and the white is so aggressive that it appears burnt out. This creates an effect we associate with vibrant shop modes – everything is meant to shine and scream "I am digital." While some may appreciate this, we must say plainly: the image is not accurate. If you care about naturalness, we suggest you immediately check the settings and change the colour temperature to a warmer one.

The greatest improvement we noticed was during the calibration of the mode intended for everyday SDR content. We managed to smooth out the white balance in an acceptable way and control the issue of excessive brightening of fine details due to the gamma characteristics. As a result, the image gained the consistency and naturalness that was lacking in the factory settings. After this correction, we can confidently state 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 allowed us to tame the white balance and slightly improve brightness management, but the limitations of the design are immediately evident. The lack of additional filters expanding the colour palette means that the most vibrant colours appear flat, and the image does not have the intensity one would expect from good HDR. Therefore, in SDR, the UA7500 performs quite well, but in HDR – despite the corrections – it remains far behind, and this is a feature one must accept when choosing this television.

After professional calibration, the QNED80A in the IPS version has changed unrecognisably, especially with "ordinary" content (SDR). We managed to eliminate the greenish tint and calm down the overly bright gamma. In classic television or older games, colour errors (DeltaE) have dropped below the threshold of perception (value < 2). The picture is now coherent, natural, and truly pleasing to the eye. The situation is somewhat more complicated in HDR mode. Although the colours are now in place, the television has a problem with perfectly controlling the brightness (EOTF curve). Due to the limitations of edge lighting and the rather meagre adjustment options provided by LG in this respect, the television's software at times "does what it wants," just to mask the imperfections of black and contrast. However, this is not a cause for concern – despite these technical limitations, the picture after calibration is a class better than what you saw out of the box.

The version with the IPS panel performed noticeably worse here. Image scaling was uneven – this was particularly evident in lower quality materials, where edges became jagged and the image appeared less detailed. At times, there was also a slight blur that diminished sharpness and made the overall impression seem less refined than in the VA version. The solution proved to be the tonal transition smoothing function. On the medium setting, it worked very well – it did not spoil the image with excessive softening, while simultaneously smoothing colours in such a way that everyday content gained coherence. The difference was particularly noticeable with television programmes or streaming materials with poorer compression quality, where the television with the function on presented itself much better. This is one of those additions that are worth keeping active, as they significantly enhance the experience of daily content.

It often happens that cheap 4K TVs mercilessly expose the flaws of low-resolution materials. Here, it is different. The QNED80A is great equipment for watching content that is not perfect. The processor does a good job of upscaling the image, making even older recordings look quite decent on a 4K screen – they are consistent and free of digital noise. Interestingly, there is a gradation reduction feature available in the settings. It is very effective in combating the so-called banding in low bitrate materials. Of course, it should be approached with some caution. Due to the lower processing power of the chip (compared to the premium series), turning on this option can sometimes result in unwanted artifacts or blurriness. Despite this risk, we encourage experimentation, as in many cases this feature can save a poor-quality viewing experience.

LG UA7500 is a television with a 60 Hz panel, so it is difficult to expect much excitement in this category. It is rather a screen designed for everyday content or an evening film screening rather than for following dynamic sports events or playing action games. It is clear that the manufacturer aimed this model at this group of consumers – and in this regard, it performs adequately. We have the TruMotion function available, which is a motion smoother. It is simple, has only one slider, but can make a noticeable difference. At the lower range, the picture looks more raw and cinematic, while at higher values, the motion becomes smoother and more pleasant to the eye.

In terms of motion reproduction, the QNED80A unfortunately has a tough time. The television is based on a display with a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is quite a disappointment for the QNED series in 2025. If you are looking for perfect sharpness during dynamic football matches, you may feel somewhat unsatisfied. A solution in this situation is the TruMotion system. It allows for artificial frame generation, which smooths out the image in films and series. In the menu, you will find a De-Judder slider – we recommend setting it to a value of 2, 3, or 4. This is the "golden mean" that improves fluidity without turning the film into a soap opera.

LG UA7500 is a television that can be confidently recommended to "casual" gamers. While it lacks a 120 Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 ports, so fully utilising the potential of modern consoles is out of the question. However, the manufacturer has included a few features that can enhance the gaming experience. Noteworthy is the Game Bar – a very well-designed panel where you can quickly preview and change the most important settings. From this panel, we have access to various features, including the ALLM mode (automatic switching to game mode) and frame synchronisation, namely VRR. The range of VRR is limited – it operates from 48 to 60 Hz – but the mere presence of this feature in such an affordable television leaves a positive impression.

Additionally, there is support for HGiG, which is the HDR calibration mode for gaming. This sounds good, but from our testing experience, we know that in the case of the UA7500, this option is not particularly useful. The television does not perform very well with HDR, so paradoxically better results were achieved 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 seeking a full immersion experience with the latest consoles.

In the gaming section, we won't be pulling the wool over your eyes – the QNED80A is not e-sports equipment. The lack of 120Hz signal support is a fact that must be accepted. However, LG's engineers have done everything possible to maximise the potential of this 60Hz panel, providing gamers with a set of desirable features. First and foremost, the television supports VRR (in the range of 48-60Hz) and ALLM. This means that the image is smooth, not choppy, and the television automatically switches to low-latency mode as soon as we pick up the controller. Accessing these options is incredibly simple thanks to the dedicated system overlay – Game Dashboard. It’s also worth appreciating the support for the HGiG format. This is a nod to owners of modern consoles. Although the screen does not support gaming Dolby Vision, HGiG ensures that the television 'understands' how to display games in HDR. As a result, we avoid the problem of blown-out clouds, which is unfortunately a plague on cheaper LCD televisions.