LG QNED93A / QNED90A vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

Although the number of local dimming zones in the LG QNED93A did not directly translate to a noticeably better contrast, one cannot deny that this model is brighter than its predecessor. In synthetic tests, we recorded values around 1400-1500 nits, and more importantly, these results are reflected in real movie scenes. In full-screen sequences flooded with white or bright lights, the screen was able to maintain high luminance, which produced a truly decent incredible HDR effect. Unfortunately, where the television could show its true class, namely in scenes that require precision, all the magic evaporates. The dimming algorithms we mentioned earlier are aggressive enough that small bright objects—such as distant lights, stars, or the moon—can almost completely disappear. Just look at the test scenes from the movie Pan or Sicario 2 (screens 2 and 4) to see how subtle details are dimmed to the brink of visibility. It's a shame, because a greater number of zones could theoretically lead to significantly better results. Fortunately, there are also stronger points. The QNED93A performs well in terms of color gamut coverage, achieving around 96% of the DCI-P3 standard. As a result, colors in movies look vivid and full, and the picture does not lose intensity even in more demanding scenes. So it can be said that the HDR in this model is solid, although the unfinished local dimming algorithms hinder its full potential.

When it comes to HDR quality, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly a really bright TV. On our synthetic measurement charts, we were able to generate a peak brightness of around 1400 nits. This is not only a very good result but even spectacular, considering the price of this model. However, as we always repeat, for our editorial team, measurements and experiences from the content we watch every day—movies and series—are more important. So let's analyze how Xiaomi handles film material. Unfortunately, the result is somewhat mixed. When very bright scenes appear on the screen, the S Pro 2026 truly shows its full potential and can achieve real brightness of 800-1000 nits on bright elements. Moreover, even smaller objects can "burn" the eyes— in scenes from the movie Sicario 2, small metallic elements of the helicopter were really bright. The problem is this—and here the story comes full circle back to our assessment of contrast—that in such scenes, we cannot count on absolutely cinematic black. In our opinion, this compromise is too significant; high visibility of details in bright areas should not come at the expense of such a substantial boost in black levels. And even though the HDR effect itself can be striking here, it is important to remember that when very difficult, mixed scenes appear on the screen, we may feel a slight disappointment. Exactly the one we mentioned in the previous paragraph regarding dimming issues in HDR mode. On a positive note, it is worth adding that the S Pro 2026 is equipped with an additional PFS filter (which works similarly to a QLED layer), effectively broadening the color palette coverage. As a result, measurements showed a DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of up to 94%. This gives us the confidence that in most colorful scenes, the image will look rich and appropriately saturated.

In movie mode (specifically Filmmaker), color reproduction on the QNED93A was relatively accurate, although it wasn't without critiques. In SDR content, white balance leaned towards warmer tones, resulting in a slight yellowing across the entire screen. Gamma, on the other hand, led to a slight brightening of the image, making it look a bit less natural, especially in scenes requiring precise shading (this is evident in the comparison picture). This isn't a problem that immediately stands out to every viewer, but more discerning individuals may feel that the picture deviates from the aesthetic intended by the filmmakers. In HDR materials, the situation looked somewhat different. The white balance presented itself quite well here, ensuring that whites didn't lean towards pink or unwanted shades of green. However, brightness management proved to be an issue. Analysis of the EOTF curve revealed that at certain moments the television can be noticeably too dark where it shouldn't be, losing some detail and reducing the realism of scenes. This detracted from the experience of HDR effects, which were theoretically supposed to be the most impressive. For this reason, we decided to carry out calibration.

Of course, we conducted all our measurements in "Film" mode, which is usually the best and most accurate choice you get straight out of the box. And we have to say it bluntly: even though this is the best mode, it is still very far from ideal. First of all, the television has a clear tendency to give the image a cool, bluish tint – this is due to a poorly set white balance. Additionally, there is a problem with how the S Pro 2026 manages its brightness right after being taken out of the box, which results in an overly bright image. These two flaws contribute to really huge colorimetric errors (Delta E). In HDR content, they were able to exceed our expected error scale of "10" (meaning values close to 20). For reference – the threshold of perceivable error by the human eye is a Delta E value of around 3. Results at the level of 20 mean that the image significantly deviates from what the director intended.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the QNED93A gained the most where it matters most in everyday use. It was possible to adjust the white balance and eliminate the yellowish tint in SDR content, which we watch most often – television, streaming services, or standard quality films. This makes colors look natural and pleasant, and the overall experience is much more comfortable. In HDR mode, we also made adjustments, but the biggest problem here turned out to be the EOTF curve. Although LG provides some leeway in the settings, the television still manages brightness on its own terms. It is evident that the local dimming algorithms are not entirely refined and can spoil the viewing experience by dimming parts of the image at inappropriate moments. Nonetheless, it is worth opting for calibration of this model, especially the mode intended for daily viewing.

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform after our calibration treatment? We must admit that after calibration, the television becomes a really pleasant device for watching everyday content. As you can see in the graphs, we managed to bring both white balance and gamma values to nearly perfection in HD (SDR) material. Most importantly, the colorimetric errors have become practically invisible to the human eye. In this scenario, the S Pro 2026 is simply a great television that, after professional calibration, can provide a lot of enjoyment while watching. However, it is worth noting clearly – our efforts helped little in 4K HDR mode. Despite calibration, the television still interprets the image rather strongly "in its own way," which is clearly seen in the measurement of the EOTF curve (luminance tracking). It's a bit of a shame, because this shows that the problem lies not in the panel itself, but in the software. Underdeveloped image management algorithms in HDR content can, unfortunately, disqualify this television for many more discerning users.

LG QNED93A proves to be a very solid television for everyday use. Its image processor handles scaling excellently, ensuring that even older movies or terrestrial television gain sharpness and detail. During the screening of "The Godfather," it's clearly visible how upscaling pulls extra details from the image – the characters' faces and the texture of the clothing appear much clearer than in the original material.

The digital image processing also deserves praise. The television is equipped with a function for reducing unwanted color banding and screen irregularities. It works best in the "Medium" setting – subtly smoothing tonal transitions without over-interfering with the image. This way, the natural film grain is preserved, and the screen doesn't appear unnaturally smoothed. Perhaps in some scenes, you can still notice slight color banding, but in practice, the effect is more favorable than with a stronger intervention from the algorithm.

Let's start with the issue we addressed in the previous paragraph: can a TV even fix the problem of poor tonal transitions in dark scenes? Theoretically, yes – in the menu, we find a feature with the promising name "Color Contour Removal." Well, "theoretically." Unfortunately, in practice, this setting – regardless of which of the three power levels is selected – yielded absolutely no real results. So we have a feature that, in practice, only exists in the menu. Moving on to the quality of upscaling (scaling the image from a lower resolution to 4K), unfortunately, we have more bad news for you. The S Pro 2026 handles this task very poorly. Interestingly, the phenomenon of "overscan" (slight image cropping) is not a big issue here. The problem is that the TV simply displays a very raw, unprocessed image. Its attempt to upscale the signal to a higher resolution looks simply poor and lacks any "smart" enhancement. There is no denying it – the whole digital image processing is the true Achilles' heel of this model.

LG QNED93A is equipped with a 144 Hz panel. This is primarily a nod to gamers, but the fact that higher refresh rates are increasingly making their way into televisions can be seen as a positive development. In everyday viewing, 120 Hz remains key, and in this regard, the QNED93A performs well. The manufacturer also provides the option to adjust the image through the TruMotion system – the De-Judder and De-Blur sliders allow you to choose between a cinematic motion character with visible frames and a fully smoothed theatrical motion.

On paper, the specification of the S Pro 2026 looks impressive. The television is equipped with a native 144 Hz panel, capable of displaying images up to 288 Hz in a dedicated gaming mode. These are amazing results, but what interested us the most, in the context of everyday use, was how the television handles motion blur and how the image looks at 120 Hz. After all, this is the frequency used today by consoles like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and it is desired by sports fans. Generally speaking, the panel "holds up." The matrix is fast enough to meet these challenges, and objects displayed at native 120Hz fluidity are shown correctly. As for the software, the television is equipped with a motion smoothing system, but with a key caveat – it only works for input signals up to 60 Hz. This means it is mainly suitable for classic television, movies, and series. Thanks to this, we can adjust the fluidity of the image to our own preferences – from a very smooth, "theatrical" approach to setting the slider to "zero" and maintaining a fully cinematic character.

LG QNED93A is a television that has undoubtedly been designed with gamers in mind. Right from the start, we get a complete package – all four HDMI ports operate at standard 2.1, so whether we connect a console, PC, or receiver, we can be sure of full compatibility. This is important because many manufacturers still limit themselves to two ports, and here nothing prevents all equipment from having maximum capabilities. There’s also an automatic game mode (ALLM), which switches the television to the appropriate settings when the console starts up, as well as variable refresh rate (VRR). This ensures that the image does not stutter or tear, even when the frame rate drops – whether in dynamic shooters or during races.

The 144 Hz panel gives an additional advantage in computer games. While 120 Hz is sufficient for consoles, in the case of PCs, the QNED93A allows for even more – every movement, every glance to the side is refreshed faster, which makes a difference especially in e-sports. The manufacturer also considered HDR in games – the television supports the HGiG mode, which provides guidelines to ensure that the lighting effects are exactly as intended by the game developers. For dessert, we get Game Bar – a special informational strip invoked on the screen that shows parameters in real-time. You can check the frame rate, active VRR functions, or input lag levels. This solution is useful not only for settings enthusiasts, but for anyone who wants to quickly verify what mode the television is operating in and whether everything is working as it should.

For gamers, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is, on paper, an almost ideal proposition. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing us to unlock (although these options are somewhat hidden in the menu) the full suite of features: ALLM, VRR, and, crucially, the ability to work in 4K at 144 Hz. This last feature should particularly please owners of powerful PCs. The TV also has something akin to a gaming panel – and while it’s hard to call it a full-fledged "Game Bar," it does its job by displaying key information. It’s just a shame that in its default form, it covers a relatively large part of the screen.

However, our biggest issue with this model concerns how the S Pro 2026 handles gaming in HDR mode. To put it bluntly: it doesn’t handle it well. Due to the poorly implemented HGiG function (the HDR tone mapping standard for games), during the initial HDR calibration on the console, it’s very easy to "blow out" the image. If someone is unaware of this software flaw and follows the on-screen instructions, they will simply set the image incorrectly, with burnt-out details in bright areas. Another major problem is the Dolby Vision mode for gaming. While it does work, it generates such a high input lag that it becomes noticeable in dynamic titles. (All our latency measurements can be checked in the paragraph below). In summary: generally, it’s a really good screen for gamers, but with one small caveat. We would rather avoid HDR mode on it – unless we decide to manually adjust the brightness bar on the console "by eye," completely ignoring the instructions from the console's pictogram.