LG QNED87T6B vs LG OLED C5

The QNED87T6B provides a solid HDR performance, delivering an impressive visual experience in many aspects. With a brightness approaching 500 nits, it offers good visibility of fine details in high-dynamic scenes. Support for HDR10 and HLG ensures the content appears well on the screen, though the absence of more advanced formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+ limits the potential for optimal brightness and detail in certain scenes. Without dynamic metadata, the TV may struggle to reproduce fine details in very bright areas, where these advanced standards would typically make a difference. However, its excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut (96.4%) provides vibrant, natural colours, enhancing the overall visual quality of 4K content.

LG C5 finally does what we have been waiting for years in the C series – it exceeds 1000 nits of brightness! This is a significant change compared to previous models in the series and also very important – because this is exactly the level of luminance around which most HDR content is now created on streaming platforms. The image finally has the right “glow,” and details in bright areas look as they should even without the use of dynamic metadata. However, there are scenes where the C5, like most OLED televisions, has some issues. Especially when the screen needs to illuminate fully. In our test sequences, such as the bright scene from the movie The Meg, brightness clearly decreases. Don’t get us wrong, this result isn’t bad; it’s more of a reminder that OLED technology still has its limitations. They are getting smaller year by year, but still.

Now, what about the colors? They are very good. Although the C5 does not match the OLEDs with QD-OLED or Tandem RGB panels, the DCI-P3 coverage at 97% and 73% BT.2020 will satisfy even the most demanding viewers. The colors are saturated, natural, and very consistent in HDR materials.

The LG QNED87T6B, even in its best factory setting, Filmmaker Mode, exhibits issues with colour reproduction. A significant problem is the white balance, where the blue colour tends to drop on the graph, causing a shift towards yellow. This results in a warmer hue than intended, which affects the naturalness of color reproduction, especially in scenes with white or neutral backgrounds. The Colour Checker test confirmed that certain colours are distorted and do not accurately reflect reality, which can make movie scenes seem less lifelike and distort details.

In terms of contrast, there are notable issues with the gamma graph, showing significant drops where the optimal value should be around 2.4. This results in the TV displaying darker areas brighter in some scenes, which reduces depth and dynamic range. Additionally, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) curve, which corresponds to brightness reproduction, shows an unnatural drop at the start, leading to lower accuracy in dark scenes. This diminishes the TV's ability to convey full black depth, causing details in darker areas to be lost. As a result, more demanding scenes may appear less realistic, with a noticeable loss of detail in shadows and dark areas.

LG C5, like other TVs we tested, was checked in the best possible factory mode – which remains Filmmaker Mode. And here we have good news: in SDR materials, LG once again did a solid job. The white balance and color reproduction straight out of the box are at a very high level. Most errors – both in balance and in the color test (Colour Checker) – did not exceed a ΔE value of 3, which is the threshold above which differences become visible to the naked eye. Such factory settings are something we would like to see in many more TVs!

However, the situation is different for HDR content, which is really what the C series was created for. Here the C5 performs weaker. The excessive presence of blue in the white balance causes the image to appear noticeably cooled – which affects, for instance, unnaturally pale skin tones and somewhat shifted tonality of the entire scene. Fortunately, LG provides very precise calibration tools, and we – as always – took advantage of them.

After calibration, the LG QNED87T6B delivers impressive results with SDR content. The white balance has been improved, resulting in natural, harmonious tones across various scenes. The precise gamma tuning allows for accurate reproduction of details in both dark and bright areas, making the TV perform excellently in everyday use. The overall image is vivid and well-balanced, with solid colour quality in HD. The contrast has also improved, with the gamma chart showing fewer significant errors, providing a more refined viewing experience.

In 4K HDR, the white balance continues to perform well, though some errors remain at the end of the chart. These might be linked to the TV's aggressive local dimming, which can affect colour accuracy in certain scenes. While the TV does not fully improve brightness as indicated by the EOTF curve, its inherent construction limitations prevent it from achieving perfection in this area. The Colour Checker test highlights an issue with colour saturation, as the TV, despite offering a wide colour gamut, cannot fully capture what the director intended.

Nevertheless, the overall picture quality after calibration is considerably better than before. The improvements in white balance and gamma tuning result in more vivid and realistic colours, enhancing the viewing experience despite the remaining shortcomings.

We must honestly admit – in the case of the LG C5, it took really very little to achieve an almost perfect picture. After calibration, we managed to achieve compliance with reference screens at a level that impresses even compared to much more expensive models. The picture after our adjustment looks exactly as filmmakers and series creators would want it – without color distortions, with natural depth and subtle texture. LG has done a great job this year regarding factory settings and calibration potential. Hats off!

When it comes to lower-quality content, the LG QNED87T6B performs admirably, with smooth gradation effectively addressing problematic areas in the image without negatively impacting the film grain. For optimal results, setting the "Smooth Gradation" feature to a low level delivers the best effect, significantly enhancing the viewing experience of lower-resolution materials by making them smoother and more visually appealing.

The TV handles digital processing well, ensuring the image is displayed without overscan or clipping. While slight jaggedness may be noticeable on certain fine details, such as branches against a background, the overall presentation remains impressive. Users will be satisfied with the quality of the image when watching lower-quality content, such as standard television, as the TV does an excellent job of enhancing the visual experience.

LG C5 handles lower-quality materials really well. One of the main issues older WOLEDs faced was posterization – unwanted "steps" in color transitions. The C5 uses a system feature to smooth these transitions, which works surprisingly effectively. The banding effect is almost completely eliminated, and the image gains consistency. Compared to last year's model, we feel that this feature works slightly weaker – but the good news is that it does not compromise the structure of the image. Film grain, textures, and details remain on the screen – nothing is smoothed out forcefully.

The C5 also does a great job of enhancing the quality of older recordings. Thanks to the α9 Gen6 processor (8th gen), "scaling to 4K" performs really solidly. The image is clear, the details are sharp, and the only minor drawback might be slightly visible jaggedness on some edges. However, there is no issue with overscan here – the image is not artificially cropped or shifted, which is a significant plus and still isn’t a given.

The LG QNED87T6B delivers decent motion smoothness, particularly with the "TruMotion" feature, which allows users to adjust motion smoothing on a scale from 0 to 10. The "De-Judder" setting helps regulate the smoothness of motion, while the "De-Blur" option enhances motion sharpness. This provides flexibility for users to choose between a more traditional cinematic effect with slight judder (lower settings) and a smoother, more theatrical image, which, while slightly deviating from the cinematic standard, can be appealing to many viewers.

For gamers and sports fans, the 120Hz panel ensures an immersive experience, while the IPS technology offers better response times compared to comparable VA panels at a similar price. This results in smoother gameplay and more dynamic viewing of fast-paced sports events, making the QNED87T6B an excellent choice for those seeking high-quality motion performance.

The LG C5 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, and this, combined with the practically zero response time of the OLED pixels, makes it one of the best screens for watching dynamic content. It doesn't matter whether it's sports, fast-paced games, or just action – the image is as sharp as a razor.

And what about movies in 24 frames? LG thought of that too. The built-in "TruMotion" smoother allows you to adjust the image to your own preferences. The "de-judder" slider increases the smoothness in movies, while "de-blur" gently reduces blurring – although to be fair, it is almost imperceptible here anyway.

The LG QNED87T6B is a top-tier choice for gamers seeking high-performance features. It is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing seamless connection to the latest consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This ensures full functionality, including support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which provide a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. The Game Bar feature enables easy management of gaming settings, allowing users to adjust VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and monitor the frame rate without navigating complex menus.

Additionally, the TV supports G-Sync and FreeSync, which are crucial for gamers using Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. These technologies synchronize the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card, reducing screen tearing and stuttering. With a 120Hz panel, the LG QNED87 delivers exceptional motion smoothness and image clarity, while the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, available at 60Hz and 120Hz, further enhances visual fluidity. Overall, the LG QNED87T6B meets the demands of even the most discerning gamers, offering a comprehensive range of features that elevate the gaming experience.

LG C5 is a television designed with gamers in mind – and there’s not a hint of exaggeration in that. It's hard to find anything to criticize here. We have 144 Hz refresh rate, full support for VRR, ALLM, and up to four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. For those who have an Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and a gaming PC all in one room – there are no limits, everything can be connected without any hassle.

The HDR configuration for gaming is also problem-free. The television properly supports the HGiG mode, which allows for an image consistent with the creators' intentions. For those interested, there’s also Dolby Vision in Gaming mode, though we still recommend HGiG as the most predictable and “pure” version of HDR for games.

The Game Bar is also included, which serves as the “command center” for the gamer. Everything that’s most important, from VRR settings, to picture modes, to frame rate information – is at our fingertips. The interface is simple and readable. It may look like something out of a space simulator, but it serves its purpose and just works; exactly as it should.

C5 is truly a complete package for every gamer.