Compare Xiaomi S Pro 2026 vs LG QNED80A6A (VA)

Is it worth buying the Xiaomi S Pro 2026? The answer to this question is quite complicated. Let's start with what's really great about this TV. First of all, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 has an excellent price-to-performance ratio. We get a Mini LED panel with very high brightness, which handles well in a sunlit living room. Additionally, it has a fast 144 Hz (or even 288 Hz) display and a complete package for gamers: two HDMI 2.1 ports, support for VRR, and an impressively low input lag (under 10 ms). If we mainly watch "regular" content and play games, this is truly a fantastic screen. Even the built-in 30W speakers are surprisingly good and support Dolby Atmos. Unfortunately, there’s also a second, very problematic side to this model. In short: the software. We have the impression that Xiaomi has given us great "parts," but couldn't get them to work together correctly. The biggest problem is the HDR mode – the main reason one buys a TV today. For unknown reasons, the TV in HDR mode (HDR10, Dolby Vision) does not manage its dimming zones well. As a result, the black, which should be deep, becomes gray or bluish like in a regular LCD TV. There are also other software issues, such as the terrible implementation of HGiG or the fact that the Dolby Vision mode for gamers is useless due to enormous input lag (100 ms). Furthermore, the TV's capability for digital image processing is very poor. So how do we summarize this in terms of price? In its price class, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 crushes the competition in terms of specifications. Other TVs for this money are usually simple LCD models without dimming, often only with a 60 Hz panel. The question then is: what is more important to you? If you are simply looking for a very bright and cheap TV for watching television during the day and gaming, and you are willing to calibrate it – you will be very satisfied with it. However, if you are looking for a TV to enjoy spectacular HDR in movies and games straight out of the box, you will be terribly disappointed with this model. In this case, in our opinion, it is better to pay a little more for a basic OLED TV or a more refined Mini-LED model from the competition.

Looking at the QNED80A in its VA version as a whole, we are dealing with a television that has a very specific character. It's a device that movie lovers who enjoy evening screenings seeking savings will like, as long as... they accept certain shortcomings. We get truly solid blacks and contrast here, but we pay for it with narrow viewing angles. Let's not hide it: this television is for those who have their favorite spot in the middle of the couch. Of course, you can feel some budget cuts here – the 60Hz panel or edge dimming, which sometimes struggles in difficult scenes, are elements that remind us this is not the highest-end television. However, LG cleverly compensates for these hardware shortcomings with excellent software. It's almost surprising how well this television handles pulling details in HDR or upscaling lower quality cable materials – the processor does a great job making the picture look more expensive than it actually is. When we add to that the great WebOS system and gaming features that, despite the lack of 120Hz, still manage to impress, we end up with a very successful screen for home cinema. It requires some understanding, but in return, it rewards you with a truly vivid image at an affordable price.

Let's get to the point, which is what is most important in the Mini LED panel: black levels and contrast. The Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is built on a VA matrix, which right from the start promises deep blacks. Let's add to that Mini LED backlighting with a very large number of local dimming zones. In the 65-inch variant we tested, we counted as many as 532 of them. That's a solid number that should provide precise control over the backlighting. It should be noted that this number is proportional to the size—choosing the smaller 55-inch variant will result in correspondingly fewer zones, while larger models will have more.

So, how does the black level perform on the S Pro 2026? The answer is complex.

Generally, it's really not bad, and we see a clear improvement compared to the problematic model from 2025. As you can see in our measurement charts, the results are occasionally spectacular. In most of the film scenes we measured in SDR (standard dynamic range), the contrast could be confidently described as very good and even comparable to constructions three times more expensive. Well, it could be... and this brings us to the paradox of this model. The problem lies in how the TV manages zones in scenarios other than SDR. As soon as we feed the TV a higher quality signal, such as an HDR series or Dolby Vision from streaming platforms (Netflix, HBO Max, or Disney+), something strange happens. We have an overwhelming impression that the TV suddenly... forgets that it was equipped with local dimming zones at all. As shown in our video below, the black in such scenes resembles more shades of dark gray or navy blue. On top of that, there's a slight flickering of the entire screen. This is the level one would expect from TVs completely devoid of a local dimming system. It seems that Xiaomi decided to fix one, but crucial flaw of last year's 2025 model over the year. And they succeeded – we no longer have the annoying "zone disco," and the picture is stable. It's just a pity that when consuming top-quality content (HDR), the whole advanced system becomes completely useless.

The model we tested with a 55-inch diagonal is equipped with a VA panel. And here we have great news: this is a significant advantage over the IPS version, if you care about deep blacks and a rich image. Our measurements showed that in typical film scenes, the native contrast is really solid, exceeding values of 6000:1. In practice, this means that black is black, not gray, which works very well for occasional evening viewing and is not annoying. However, it’s interesting to note the moments when our measuring devices indicated contrast levels exceeding 20 000:1. What caused such a jump? The LG QNED80A is equipped with a Local Dimming system. However, this is an edge-lit configuration. This means that the TV can dim vertical strips of backlighting where the image is supposed to be dark. In theory, this sounds great and actually allows for better numbers in charts than in a classic LCD screen. Unfortunately, reality can be brutal. The use of edge dimming is a double-edged sword that can spoil the film experience in difficult scenes. An ideal example is the helicopter scene in the movie Sicario 2. When the screen has a lot of black and small, bright spots, the dimming system starts to work very aggressively and... not very precisely. You can clearly see how entire vertical strips of the screen brighten and dim, trying to keep up with the object. Instead of deep black, we see blooming, which simply looks bad and strongly distracts from the plot. Although the dimming system improves measurable contrast, in everyday use – especially with the lights off – its aggressive operation can be annoying. Often, a better solution may turn out to be... turning off this function or setting it to a minimum, to enjoy the stable, natural black of the VA panel itself.

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.

Let's talk now about how this TV shines. If you expect dazzling light effects, we need to cool your enthusiasm. The LG QNED80A is a moderately bright television. Our measurements in most movie scenes indicated values around 350-400 nits. That's not enough to speak of a full, cinematic HDR experience and the sense of that famous "high dynamic range" that flagship products offer. However, brightness is not everything. Although the QNED80A is not a "light monster," it makes up for it in another key category: colors. Here, the PFS technology comes into play, which LG marketers hide under the name QNED/NanoCell. Thanks to this process, the TV offers a significantly wider color palette than classic LCD designs. In our tests, the coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 palette reached a solid 93-94%. What does this mean for you? That even at lower brightness, when watching movies in HDR, the colors will be vivid, deep, and properly saturated. The image is not washed out but lush, which is a significant advantage in this price range.

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.

It might seem that since the QNED80A is one model, it should offer the same picture regardless of the version. However, practice shows something completely different. Analyzing the variant with a VA panel in the best factory setting – that is, in Filmmaker Mode – we noticed a specific characteristic. This TV “out of the box” serves us a picture with a clear dominance of red and a deficiency of blue. The overall image is very warm, almost hot. Many users might describe this as a “too cinematic” image, approaching sepia. Additionally, there's the issue of the gamma curve – the TV tends to slightly, artificially brighten scenes (the gamma is too low), causing the picture to lose some of its plasticity. The good news is that these are not flaws of the panel, but merely of the software. As always in our tests, we carried out a professional calibration, which completely eliminated these shortcomings, restoring the natural white balance and correct saturation.

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.

Was it worth spending time on calibration? Definitely yes. We managed to tame the initially too warm white balance and, most importantly, correct the gamma curve. The TV stopped artificially brightening scenes, which added depth to the image. The biggest improvement is visible in SDR content, meaning when watching regular television, YouTube, or in games without HDR. Here, the QNED80A shows its class – color reproduction errors (DeltaE) dropped below a value of 2. In technical terms, this means that the errors are practically unnoticeable to the human eye. The image in everyday use has simply become very attractive, natural, and correct. The difficulties begin with HDR content. Even though we managed to improve the white balance, the EOTF curve graph (responsible for brightness at various levels) shows that the TV still "interprets" the image in its own way. This is due to the nature of the edge-lit local dimming used and the fact that LG gives the calibrator a very limited range of control over this parameter. In short: the TV struggles to hide its hardware shortcomings, sometimes ignoring our commands. Nevertheless, the final image is much more accurate and pleasant to the eye than in factory settings, even if it still falls short of studio ideal.

Let’s now move on to the analysis of tonal transitions, meaning the fluidity with which the television can render transitions between closely related shades. In the case of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026, the image that emerges from this is extremely dichotomous. On one hand, we have bright gradations. When scenes with blue skies or other smooth transitions in the bright parts of the image appear on the screen, the S Pro 2026 handles them excellently. They look perfectly smooth, without any visible artifacts.

Unfortunately, the situation changes drastically as soon as dark scenes take over the screen. To put it bluntly – they look really poor. Instead of a smooth tonal transition in the dark, the joins of colors and unsightly "stepping" of gradients are very clearly visible on the screen. In darker films or games, this is very noticeable and can effectively ruin the viewing experience.

We also have excellent news for those sensitive to digital artifacts. Regardless of which version of the panel you encounter, the LG QNED80A handles gradation, or the smooth blending of colors, exceptionally well. In this price range, it is often the case that instead of a smooth transition (e.g., from light sky blue to navy), we see ugly, separate stripes. Here, this problem practically does not occur. In our tests, both in very bright parts of the image (like sunsets) and in difficult, dark shades of gray, the picture remained uniform and natural. We did not notice the annoying "banding" effect or distinct lines connecting colors.

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.

In this category, the QNED80A proves to be a real "dark horse." It's a fantastic, affordable television for those who often watch lower quality materials – for example, from traditional cable TV. The processor used here handles upscaling exceptionally well, meaning it enhances low resolution to native 4K. The image after processing is natural, smooth, and most importantly – not overly jagged or artificially sharpened. In the menu, we also find a dedicated option for smoothing tonal transitions in low-quality material. This feature works really effectively, eliminating the annoying "banding" of colors in heavily compressed video. However, we must remain vigilant. Remember that we are not dealing with a top-tier processor known from flagship OLED models. In more challenging scenes, the system may struggle and introduce minor artifacts or distortions. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth giving this feature a chance, as in most cases, the improvement in quality is noticeable to the naked eye.

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.

We move on to a matter that may be decisive for many. Unfortunately, here we must point out the biggest "Achilles' heel" of the QNED80A model. This TV is equipped with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60Hz. There's no point in hiding it – at this price, we expected more because we know that Chinese manufacturers can offer 120Hz screens for similar money. Due to this parameter, dynamic scenes in sports or fast-paced games are not the strong suit of this screen. Fortunately, LG has equipped the TV with a proven smoothing system called TruMotion. It works quite well with film material (24 frames). We suggest playing around with the De-Judder slider – from our experience, setting it in the range of 2-4 provides the best compromise: motion becomes smoother while still looking natural, without the artificial "TV theater" effect.

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.

Since we have established that the QNED80A is a 60Hz panel television, we must say it directly: we will not be playing here at 120 frames per second in any resolution. Does this disqualify the device in the eyes of gamers? Not necessarily, especially for "casual" gamers. LG has decided to sweeten this technical limitation by packing in quite a few useful features. We have support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) ranging from 48-60Hz and an automatic game mode ALLM, which quickly reduces input lag upon detecting a console. We manage all of this through a very convenient, purple Game Optimizer menu (Player Panel), which has already become LG's trademark. The manufacturer deserves big credit for consistency regarding HDR. Although the television does not support Dolby Vision in games on Xbox consoles, LG adds a well-implemented HGiG standard. Thanks to this, even on a moderately bright screen, HDR gaming is clear, and details in shadows and highlights are accurately reproduced, rather than "cut off."

We move on to one of the most important measurements for gamers, which is input lag. Overall, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs exceptionally well in this regard. Generally, in game mode, the lag is very low. With 120 Hz content (from consoles or PCs), we easily achieved results below 10 ms. These results are truly remarkable and practically imperceptible for most people, even those very sensitive to it. Unfortunately, there is one "but" that poses the greatest issue with this model in gaming. We are talking about the Dolby Vision Gaming mode. When this mode is activated, the input lag rises to an astronomical level of around 100 ms. At such a value, the delay between our movements on the controller (we tested on an Xbox console) and what is displayed on the screen becomes really very large and annoying. Therefore, our recommendation is simple: we absolutely do not recommend using Dolby Vision Gaming mode on this television.

At the end of the gaming section, let's take a look at how quickly the television responds to our commands. The input lag we measured on the QNED80A model is about 15 ms (at 60Hz signal). These may not be values that will revolutionize the market or impress professional e-sports players competing for every millisecond. However, for the average console gamer, this result is more than sufficient. During our gaming tests, we did not experience any annoying "drifting" of the crosshair or delay between pressing a button on the controller and the reaction on the screen. The entertainment is smooth and comfortable, which is the most important thing in home gaming.

Generally, when it comes to gaming, the S Pro 2026 is a great screen for PC owners. It offers a refresh rate of up to 288 Hz in Full HD resolution or a full 144 Hz in 4K. All of this, supported by technologies like AMD FreeSync and G-Sync, is really a lot for very demanding gamers. And how about "desktop" work? Here we have positive news as well. Although the displayed font may not be perfectly sharp (like on a dedicated PC monitor with an IPS panel), it is presented in a really pleasant and readable way. This is due to the proper implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 sampling, which ensures that text is clear and there are no issues with color fringing.

Is the QNED80A suitable for connecting a computer? For the version with a VA panel, the answer is: absolutely. If you plan to use this TV as a huge monitor for work, you will not be disappointed. The readability of the fonts is very high – the text is sharp, clear, and does not strain the eyes, which is not always a given with large screens. Additionally, there is the low input lag that we mentioned earlier. This makes mouse work precise, and you don't feel that characteristic "floating" of the cursor. Of course, due to the 60Hz refresh rate, this is not the dream equipment for e-sports players gaming on PC, but for text work, web browsing, or occasional strategy gaming, it performs excellently.

As for a TV equipped with a VA panel, we must admit that the drop in brightness when viewed at an angle is relatively small in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026. However, it is important to keep in mind a second, key aspect – color saturation degrades significantly at an angle. This is typical behavior for TVs with a VA panel that do not have additional coatings to widen viewing angles. Is this a flaw of this TV? Not really. It is simply a characteristic, the price we have to pay for the key advantages of a VA panel in the form of its high native contrast.

When opting for the VA panel version, you must be aware of a certain compromise. You get great blacks and contrast, but you pay for it with narrow viewing angles. This is a typical feature of this technology, and the QNED80A is no exception. If you sit directly in front of the screen, the picture will be sharp. However, just moving to the side of the couch or stepping into the kitchen can result in a degradation of the image. Colors start to lose their saturation, becoming washed out, and the deep black that we praised begins to gray. Therefore, this version of the television is best suited for those who have their favorite spot in the middle of the couch and rarely watch TV with a large group spread out across the living room.

Due to its very high peak brightness, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs really well in brightly lit rooms. In most scenarios, it is able to "break through" even very strong lighting in the room. However, it should be noted that the matrix used here quite poorly suppresses reflections. This means that in darker areas of the image, or when the TV is displaying a dark scene, direct reflections (e.g., the reflection of a window or lamp) can be annoying. Nevertheless, the S Pro 2026, as a TV for a bright living room, performs really well thanks to its powerful brightness.

How does the QNED80A perform when we don't have the curtains drawn? Let's put it bluntly: it's not the brightest TV on the market, so if your living room resembles a glass greenhouse at noon, this screen may struggle to cut through the intense sun. For extremely challenging lighting conditions, we would suggest looking for something with higher brightness (e.g., Mini LED). However, the TV holds its own with something else – the type of coating used on the panel. The manufacturer opted for a satin finish (semi-matte) here. That's a great decision. Unlike glossy coatings that act like mirrors, this coating reasonably dampens and scatters light reflections. As a result, in typical, moderate lighting conditions, the floor lamp next to it or a window on the side won't be irritating, and the viewing experience will remain pleasant.

Operating System (Google TV)

A significant advantage of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly the presence of the Google TV system. This gives us access to a massive library of applications – we can find literally everything here, from leading VOD platforms to niche players. The system also offers a multitude of useful features, such as built-in Chromecast, support for AirPlay and Screen Mirroring, and an efficiently working voice search. The Google TV system itself is great, but one must take a slight caution regarding its implementation by Xiaomi. During our tests, it experienced a proverbial "hitch." Animations could lag a bit, and the response to commands wasn't immediate. This is definitely not the level of fluidity that we know from top, significantly more expensive models equipped with more powerful processors.

TV Features and Connectivity

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform as a "conventional" television? Unfortunately, we have less good news here. In terms of classic TV viewing, we can mainly praise this model for having a convenient remote control with a numeric keypad – which (surprisingly) is not a standard today. However, this is where the conveniences end. We won't find either USB recording (PVR) capabilities or PiP (Picture-in-Picture) options. On the plus side, we credit the extensive Bluetooth connectivity options. We had no trouble connecting external devices to the TV, such as wireless headphones, a keyboard, or a mouse, which significantly facilitates operation.

Smart TV System and WebOS

A huge plus of LG TVs – even those in the lower or mid-price range – is that the manufacturer does not treat them "less favorably" in terms of software. The QNED80A runs on the latest version of the WebOS system, which performed excellently during our tests. The interface operated smoothly, responded quickly to commands, and most importantly – was very intuitive. Much of this is thanks to the famous Magic Remote, which works like a computer mouse – we control the cursor on the screen with wrist movements. However, there’s an unexpected surprise here. In the 2025 model year, the controller underwent quite a drastic transformation. It has been minimized and slimmed down. Modern users will probably appreciate this change because the remote fits nicely in the hand and looks more "premium." However, traditionalists may feel disappointed – the miniaturization has come at a cost, including the removal of the classic numeric keypad, which may complicate quick channel selection.

Classic Features and Multimedia

When it comes to so-called classic features, the QNED80A does not strive to be a revolutionary product. It is simply a solid piece of equipment that does what it was designed for. There are no hidden "gimmicks" here, but we also did not miss anything. The traditional Teletext works flawlessly, and the wireless connectivity modules (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) are stable and quickly pair with external devices, e.g., headphones or a soundbar. In this regard, the TV simply does not throw obstacles in our way – it works as we expect, not standing out in any particular way from the competition, but also not giving any reasons to complain.

The built-in, default media player in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is – given the capabilities of the Google TV system – simply weak. Its biggest drawback is that it does not support characters other than those from the standard alphabet. Consequently, it does not display, among other things, Polish fonts in subtitles or file names. Fortunately, as we mentioned before, the heart of the television is Google TV. This system allows for the instant installation of an external, significantly better player, such as VLC or Kodi. For this television, we recommend installing an alternative player immediately after the first startup.

How does the QNED80A perform as a home multimedia center? After connecting an external drive or USB stick, the television easily recognizes and plays the vast majority of popular video and audio formats. It can be confidently stated that in everyday use you will rarely encounter a file that refuses to cooperate. However, we must draw attention to a certain catch arising from the software architecture. WebOS is a closed system. What does this mean for you? It means that if the built-in player cannot handle an exotic format, we do not have a "lifeline." We cannot go to the store and download an external app like VLC, which "plays everything," as is the case with Android or Google TV. The specific deficiencies we managed to catch mainly concern graphic files. The television does not support the HEIC format, which is standard on Apple devices (iPhone/iPad). Photos with very high resolution (in the range of 20-28 Mpix) also turned out to be problematic – when attempting to open them, the system often gave up. It is worth keeping this in mind if you plan to view vacation photos directly from the drive.

We must admit that the S Pro 2026 surprised us quite positively. The television is equipped with a 30W speaker system that, for its class, sounds really very good. There is even a noticeable slight hint of bass, and the mid and high tones are quite well balanced. Of course, all of this is within the capabilities provided by the television's speakers, but it is a level we did not expect from such a relatively inexpensive model. A huge plus is also the support for top audio technologies. The television is capable of decoding not only the very popular Dolby Atmos format but also the recently quite rare DTS:X, which we mainly find on Blu-ray discs.

In terms of audio, the LG QNED80A does not try to enchant us. It simply plays like... a typical flat-screen TV. The installed speaker system with a total power of 20W may not be the strongest aspect of this unit. If you expect cinematic punch or depth known from more expensive models equipped with subwoofers, you'll feel a bit shortchanged. There is simply a lack of bass, and the sound is quite flat. However, we must give this model credit in one aspect: the clarity of the transmission. When scenes based on conversations appear on the screen, the QNED80A handles it quite well. The dialogues are clear, separated, and – importantly – undistorted. There is no crackling effect at higher volumes. It is sufficient for everyday television, but for movies, we definitely recommend purchasing even a simple soundbar.

Xiaomi S Pro 2026 vs LG QNED80A6A (VA)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Operating System (Google TV)

TV Features and Connectivity

Smart TV System and WebOS

Classic Features and Multimedia

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements