LG UR781 vs Samsung U8000F (IPS)

In HDR mode, the LG UR781 falls short of the brightness expected for high-quality HDR experiences. Tests across multiple panels revealed a brightness of around 200 nits, which aligns more closely with SDR standards. As a result, HDR effects lack the desired impact, with bright and dynamic scenes appearing less striking than they should.

The television also exhibits limitations in colour reproduction under HDR settings. The colours may not appear as intense or rich as those on models that handle wide colour gamuts more effectively, leading to a less vibrant and dynamic image overall. Additionally, the LG UR781 struggles with accurate colour representation in HDR mode, which can result in muted content, particularly during daylight viewing when the image can lose its intensity.

Although the dynamic tone mapping feature helps optimise the image, it does not overcome these shortcomings. For users seeking a truly immersive HDR experience with vivid colours and bright highlights, the LG UR781 may not meet expectations.

Better does not mean good – and that perfectly summarizes the capabilities of the 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 lighting effects. An interesting situation was noted during the measurement of the fourth scene from the movie Sicario 2 – the television clearly dimmed the entire screen in an attempt to achieve better black levels (which are still weak). One could even suggest that the device uses some form of "global dimming," but unfortunately, the results are still very poor. To make matters worse, the television does not support a wide color gamut – the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is about 80%, so there’s no hope for truly vibrant colors. HDR images here look rather like lightly brightened SDR, and that's the form we would suggest sticking to when it comes to this television.

In Filmmaker Mode, the LG UR781 demonstrates the best factory-calibrated performance but exhibits notable flaws. The primary issue lies in white balance, where the graph indicates a drop in blue levels, resulting in a warmer image with a shift towards yellow tones. This deviation impacts the naturalness of colour reproduction, particularly in scenes with white or neutral backgrounds. The Test Colour Checker confirms that some colours deviate into incorrect shades, leading to a lack of true-to-life representation. This can diminish the realism of film scenes, with certain details appearing in inaccurate colours.

In terms of contrast, the gamma graph reveals a drop to a level of 2.0, below the optimal value of 2.4. This results in darker parts of the image appearing brighter than they should, reducing depth and dynamic range. Additionally, the EOTF curve shows an unnatural spike at the beginning, leading to over-brightness in the brightest areas of the image. This can cause a loss of detail in high-luminance scenes, further impacting the overall image quality.

The Samsung U8000F was tested in the best possible picture mode built into the TV, which is Filmmaker Mode. This mode should – at least in theory – offer a cinematic, reference-quality image without unnecessary enhancements. For SDR content (mainly HD/SD), the TV performed surprisingly well straight out of the box. White balance errors hovered around a value of 3, which is roughly at the threshold of perception. The only complaint could be about brightness management – the gamma chart showed a slight tendency to brighten or darken certain areas, but overall it performed quite well for this price segment.

Unfortunately, it looks much worse in HDR mode. Although the white balance wasn't terrible, the TV had significant color errors – particularly noticeable on the Color Checker chart, where almost every sample landed outside the target point. The HDR image simply looks unnatural, and colors can be shifted, dull, or too cool. This largely stems from the fact that the U8000F does not support a wide color gamut (DCI-P3). The TV is physically incapable of displaying accurate colors in HDR standard – and this unfortunately shows in every more demanding material.

After calibration, the LG UR781 demonstrates commendable colour reproduction for SDR content. The calibration effectively improves white balance, yielding natural and balanced tones across various scenes. Gamma adjustments contribute to precise detail representation in shadows and highlights, enhancing overall image clarity. This results in a well-rounded performance for everyday use, with solid colour accuracy and well-balanced imagery in SDR mode.

HDR content, however, reveals the TV's limitations. The lack of support for a wide colour gamut restricts the depth and vibrancy that HDR is capable of. The EOTF curve deviates from the ideal, overemphasising details in bright areas, which introduces inaccuracies in colour representation. Tests using the Colour Checker confirm significant errors in colour reproduction. Additionally, the panel's relatively low brightness exacerbates these issues, diminishing the impact of dynamic range effects and causing colours to appear washed out.

While HDR mode highlights the TV's shortcomings, the improvements after calibration, particularly in SDR performance, are significant. Enhanced white balance and gamma adjustments greatly improve the viewing experience, providing more natural and consistent colour reproduction. Compared to its pre-calibration state, the LG UR781 now offers a much better performance for everyday use, especially in standard dynamic range scenarios.

Although the U8000F offered quite a decent picture in SDR right out of the box, we were able to adjust it a little more. We managed to eliminate a slightly purplish tint and calibrate the gamma to a more reasonable level. However, the television still tends to overemphasize the smallest and brightest parts of the image – the gamma chart shows a characteristic "dip" that is difficult to completely correct.

Unfortunately, the situation looks worse in HDR. It's hard to talk about any significant improvement here – the television is simply not designed for HDR content. We tried to adjust the picture in the advanced settings, but despite everything, the color errors remained quite large – a delta E above 7 indicates noticeable deviations. It's a bit of a shame, but that's the charm of a budget design. In SDR, the U8000F performs just fine, while HDR is simply not its league.

The tonality smoothing function on the LG UR781 yields mixed results. At the "low" level, it neither enhances image quality nor effectively diminishes film grain, making its impact relatively negligible. Increasing the strength of this function can soften gradations and reduce visible banding, but it risks over-softening the image in certain scenes, which may compromise the overall sharpness and detail.

As for image scaling, the LG UR781 struggles to deliver exceptional performance, particularly with lower-resolution content. The TV employs an artificial sharpness enhancement technique that introduces defined contours to create the illusion of sharper images. While this may appeal to users who prefer pronounced, vivid details, others seeking a more natural and authentic look may find this effect distracting or unrealistic. Ultimately, the perception of these enhancements will depend on personal preferences, with some users valuing the added sharpness and others prioritising natural image quality.

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

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

However, not everything went perfectly. The U8000F has noticeable issues with slight frame cutting when watching very old content in very low resolution. If someone plans to play their old VHS tape, they should be prepared for the image to appear slightly “cut off.”

The LG UR781 television provides decent motion fluidity for movies, primarily due to its "True Motion" feature. This option lets users fine-tune motion smoothing on a scale from 0 to 10, catering to different viewing preferences. Lower settings preserve a traditional cinematic effect with some judder, while higher settings create a smoother, more theatrical image. Although the latter deviates from the cinematic standard, it may appeal to viewers who prioritise seamless visuals.

However, performance declines when handling dynamic sports content and fast-paced games. Its 60Hz panel limits interpolation capabilities, meaning motion smoothness in movies can be improved, but motion blur cannot be effectively reduced. The absence of support for 120Hz and BFI (Black Frame Insertion) technology exacerbates this, causing fast-moving objects to blur. Moreover, the panel's slower response time further reduces sharpness in rapid scenes, which can be a drawback for gamers and sports enthusiasts seeking clear, fluid visuals in high-speed scenarios.

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

The TV offers one motion smoothing slider – a feature called "Motion Blur Reduction", which allows us to adjust the smoothness of the image in movies. Higher settings provide a more "theatrical" and smoothed effect, while lower settings help retain the original character of the film with a slight 24p effect. Interestingly, there is a feature called "Clear Motion LED", which is a BFI mode – that inserts black frames between the frames of the picture to improve motion clarity. However, in practice, the screen flickers significantly when activated, and it should be regarded more as an experiment than something that realistically enhances gaming comfort.

The LG UR781 provides several features designed to enhance console gaming experiences but comes with notable limitations. On the positive side, it includes the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, which automatically switches the TV to a low-latency mode, optimising response times for gaming and benefiting fast-paced titles. The television also supports HGiG, ensuring HDR games are displayed enhancing the overall gaming experience. Additionally, the Game Bar feature allows gamers to quickly access and adjust settings during gameplay, offering added convenience. However, there are significant drawbacks. The TV lacks VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which may result in screen tearing or stuttering, particularly during dynamic scenes. It also does not support Dolby Vision for gaming, limiting HDR picture quality in titles that use this format. The 60Hz panel restricts gameplay to 60Hz, excluding smoother experiences available at higher refresh rates like 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, or 4K@120Hz. The absence of G-Sync or FreeSync technology reduces compatibility with systems designed to synchronise the frame rate between the console and TV, potentially affecting gameplay fluidity. The LG UR781 is a functional choice for casual gamers who value affordability and features like ALLM and HGiG. However, it falls short for those seeking advanced gaming features such as high refresh rates, VRR, or Dolby Vision gaming.

Samsung U8000F offers a basic set of features for gamers, which nonetheless may be sufficient for less demanding users. We have an automatic game mode here – when a game is launched on the console, the TV automatically switches to low latency mode, which significantly improves response time. We also find the VRR feature, or variable refresh rate, which operates within a range of 48 to 60 Hz. This means that both Xbox and PS5 will not produce the "tearing" effect, as long as we stay within this range.

And unfortunately, that's about it for the advantages. Add-ons like Game Bar or higher refresh rates are reserved for the higher models of Samsung from the 2025 line. In theory, the TV also supports the HGiG feature, which should adjust HDR images to the intentions of game developers. Unfortunately – even though this feature appears in promotional brochures and store materials – its configuration on the Xbox console turned out to be... impossible in practice.