- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- 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 |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
LG MRGB85B Review
MRGB85 / MRGB86 / MRGB87 / MRGB88
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: LG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: WebOS Model year: 2026
LG is once again trying to surprise with its TV lineup. This year the manufacturer introduced a new Mini RGB series, and one of its representatives is the LG MRGB85. It's a rather unusual design because it uses three-color RGB backlighting in an edge-lit configuration instead of classic zoned backlighting. Sounds intriguing, but does this approach actually translate into better picture quality? We checked that in our review.
LG MRGB85 - Our verdict
6.9
Overall rating
LG MRGB85 is a TV that feels most at home in the hands of gamers and people attached to the webOS ecosystem. In that respect it’s hard to fault. It offers a lot of advantages for gamers thanks to a very high refresh rate panel. On top of that there’s a smooth webOS experience that stands out on the market mainly because of the convenient Magic remote and a full set of features for traditional TV. The problem starts when you look at overall picture quality and compare it to the price the manufacturer asks for this model. The MRGB85 launches at a level that, to put it mildly, is hard to call attractive compared with competing models. For similar money you can find TVs with much more sophisticated backlighting and, above all, better black-level control. The biggest controversy, however, is the naming and the way LG positions this model. MRGB85 does use a three-color backlight, but it’s placed at the edge of the screen. It’s therefore hard to call this a full-fledged RGB Mini-LED in the sense commonly used for TVs that employ a large number of independently controlled zones behind the panel. In practice the local dimming limitations are very noticeable and in dark scenes they significantly impair the viewing experience. That doesn’t mean the MRGB85 is a bad TV. It handles everyday content well, offers decent colors, good brightness and a very broad feature set. SDR material can look really good, and Dolby Vision partly helps hide weaker brightness management in HDR. Still, it’s difficult to shake the impression that the model’s biggest problem isn’t the hardware itself but its price and overly ambitious positioning in the market. If someone is mainly looking for a gaming TV, values the convenience of webOS and finds a big discount, the MRGB85 can make sense. At the current price it takes a back seat, because the competition today simply offers more in terms of picture quality.
Advantages
Extensive features for gamers
Three full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports
Supports 4K at 144 Hz, VRR, G-Sync, and FreeSync
Low input lag
Supports Dolby Vision HDR
Fast and user-friendly webOS
Magic remote with gyroscope
Decent brightness and a wide color gamut
Disadvantages
Average black levels
Aggressive local dimming control (edge-lit)
Average HDR picture quality
Poor viewing angles and noticeable smearing on the VA panel
Movies and series in UHD quality6.2
Classic TV, YouTube6.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.4
Gaming on console8.3
TV as a computer monitor8.4
Watching in bright light6.1
Utility functions7.7
Apps9.1
Sound quality6.4
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LG MRGB85 - Competing TVs in this price range
LG MRGB85 - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The LG MRGB85 looks modern and gives the impression of a higher-end TV. The screen is framed by narrow graphite bezels, and the styling clearly references the OLED B and C series. The lower part of the cabinet is thicker because it houses the electronics and backlight system, while the upper section narrows noticeably. The construction isn’t as slim as OLED TVs, but it still looks neat and modern. Worth noting is the central stand with height adjustment. Thanks to it, you can easily fit a soundbar under the screen without blocking the bottom of the picture. However, keep in mind that depending on the market and model designation, the TV may also be sold with two conventional feet mounted at the sides.
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LG MRGB85 - Contrast and black detail
5/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 6 (1 x 6)
Result
12,100:1
Result
6,200:1
Result
15,900:1
Result
6,000:1
Result
4,600:1
LG MRGB85 uses a VA panel, so even without extra measures it delivers better black levels than models based on IPS or ADS panels. In simpler scenes the picture has decent depth and can look quite convincing. The biggest limitation, however, appears once local dimming is enabled. The TV uses edge-lit backlighting placed at the bottom of the screen. As a result it cannot precisely control the brightness of small areas of the image. When a single bright element appears on a dark background, an entire vertical strip often lights up. This is accompanied by a noticeable halo, and what stands out even more is the backlight's behavior. During scene changes the brightness can rise and fall abruptly, causing the image to visibly pulse in a dark room. Local dimming can be turned off completely in the TV's menu. Contrast then drops noticeably, but the picture becomes much more stable and the frequent backlight flicker disappears. In practice, some users may therefore consciously give up deeper blacks in favor of a calmer, more predictable image.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
LG MRGB85 - HDR effect quality
5.7/10
Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
583 nit
Result
401 nit
Result
569 nit
Result
423 nit
Result
455 nit
LG MRGB85 offers moderate brightness. On test patterns it reaches about 700 nits, which by itself is a decent result. In actual movie scenes the values are lower and most often fall between 400 and 600 nits. Bright, expansive shots perform best. In scenes with a lot of black the TV noticeably limits luminance, trying to maintain the highest possible contrast. The HDR effect is therefore visible, but it is far from the level offered by more advanced Mini-LED designs. Especially in darker parts of films the limitations of edge-lit backlighting and imprecise local dimming become noticeable again.
HDR Colors
A much stronger suit of the MRGB85 is its colors. The TV covers about 95% of the DCI-P3 color space and 74% of BT.2020, allowing HDR material to look vivid and striking. Colors are well saturated, and the difference compared with basic LCD TVs is clearly visible. It is worth noting, however, that this is not a classic RGB backlight, where each of the three primary colors is generated by a separate diode. Red is produced by a PFS phosphor, which expands the palette and yields more saturated red shades. This solution works well for color reproduction, but it does not change the limitations of dimming itself. The LEDs are not driven independently in the way the series name might suggest... so it turns out that Mini RGB is not the same as Mini-LED RGB!
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 74.3% | 95.2% | 63% | 55% | 67% |
| Film measurements | 74.1% | 95.4% | 69% | 66% | 74% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
In direct comparison with the reference monitor, the LG MRGB85 is average. The biggest differences show up in scenes with a lot of black, where the TV cannot maintain sufficiently high contrast. In those shots the limits of edge-lit backlighting and local dimming become most apparent. Content mastered to around 1000 nits looks much better. In such movies and series the MRGB85 can preserve a good amount of detail in bright areas and render scenes fairly accurately. It struggles more with demanding HDR material. In very bright shots some details are washed out into uniform patches, so the image clearly departs from the reference. The MRGB85 will therefore be fine for occasional movie and series viewing, but it is not a model aimed at people expecting the most faithful cinematic picture possible.
HDR luminance chart:
Fortunately, the LG MRGB85 supports the dynamic Dolby Vision format. Thanks to scene-by-scene metadata, the TV can better tailor how it displays the picture to its capabilities. In our comparison, the difference versus the same material shown in standard HDR10 speaks for itself. Dolby Vision preserved more detail in bright highlights and better controlled the overall scene brightness. This matters because a large portion of movies and series available on streaming platforms use Dolby Vision. The format often helps the MRGB85 reproduce the image much more faithfully than standard HDR10.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.6/10
We tested the TV in Filmmaker Mode, because among the available settings it produced the image closest to the reference. Factory color reproduction was not perfect. The biggest deviations were in the white balance, with too much red and not enough blue, which pushed the picture noticeably toward warmer tones. Whites took on a slightly yellowish cast, and skin tones and bright areas did not always look natural. It wasn’t a flaw that completely ruined the viewing experience, but in a direct comparison with the same screen after calibration the difference was clearly visible.
Color reproduction after calibration
7/10
Calibration primarily corrected the white balance and removed the previously visible warm tint. After the adjustment, whites no longer had a yellow cast and colors became more neutral and natural. The biggest improvement was seen in SDR content, where the picture looked even and much closer to the reference. A similar effect was achieved in HDR. After calibration the picture became more controlled, although not all of the TV's limitations could be eliminated. The biggest issue remained the intense reds, which were not always reproduced with the necessary precision. In practice the MRGB85 handles everyday SDR content very well, but in more demanding HDR material its limitations remain clearly visible.
LG MRGB85 - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8.9/10
LG MRGB85 handles tonal transitions quite well. In bright scenes posterization is least noticeable, and the TV has no problem separating individual shades. Tonal transitions are somewhat worse in dark scenes, where posterization in the most demanding moments that shift into dark gray shades can be more noticeable. That said, this is fairly typical for most TVs. It's worth noting that similar behavior can be seen in Dolby Vision mode, where posterization on the MRGB85 is slightly worse than usual.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.8/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Upscaling and digital image processing perform quite well on the LG MRGB85. The Alpha 8 AI 4K Gen7 processor efficiently upscales lower-resolution content, and you can easily disable overscan regardless of the source. The TV also handles compression artifacts fairly well. The "Smooth Gradation" feature can effectively reduce visible banding and tonal unevenness, but it doesn't always work precisely. At higher settings it can smooth over fine details, for example material textures. On the plus side, it doesn't remove film grain. It's safest to use the "Low" or "Medium" setting, which provides the best compromise between artifact reduction and detail retention.
LG MRGB85 - Blur and motion smoothness
7.3/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)
Brightness drop with BFI: 63%
The LG MRGB85 is equipped with a VA panel with a native 144 Hz refresh rate, so it performs very well in terms of motion smoothness. The TV easily handles 120 Hz content from consoles and higher refresh rates when connected to a PC. That matters not only for gaming but also when watching sports, where camera movement is noticeably smoother than on basic 60 Hz models. There's also the TruMotion system, which lets you set the level of motion smoothing yourself. You can keep a more cinematic motion or increase smoothness, which works well for sports broadcasts and TV shows. The range of adjustment is wide, so you can easily tailor the motion smoothing to your preferences.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Blur (4K@144Hz):
Smoothness alone, however, is only part of the motion evaluation. The MRGB85 uses a VA panel, which tends to exhibit smearing, especially in darker parts of the image. With fast-moving objects you can see a slight trailing shadow behind them, and it's most noticeable in transitions between dark shades of gray. This is a common trait of many VA panels, and the LG MRGB85 is no exception. In bright scenes motion looks good, but in darker games or films the clarity of moving elements can be somewhat reduced. That doesn't rule the TV out, but anyone particularly sensitive to smearing should be aware of it.
LG MRGB85 - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 144Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
When it comes to gaming, the LG MRGB85 performs best by far. The manufacturer didn’t skimp on the feature set and essentially brought the full suite of functions from higher-end TVs to this model. You get three HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth. Each of them supports 4K 120 Hz from consoles, and when connected to a PC also 4K 144 Hz. So you don’t have to worry about which port to plug your console or PC into, since they all offer the same capabilities.
It also includes VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible, ALLM, and HGiG. Dolby Vision Gaming is present as well, allowing supported games to use high refresh rates and dynamic HDR simultaneously on Xbox. Rounding it out is Game Optimizer, a handy in-game menu for gamers. Without leaving the game you can change the picture profile, brighten shadow details, or check the current frame rate. In terms of gaming features, the MRGB85 therefore offers almost the same as much more expensive LG models.
LG MRGB85 - Input lag
9.7/10
Input lag in the LG MRGB85 is really low. Our measurements showed about 10 ms with a 120 Hz signal and about 20 ms at 60 Hz. Importantly, we saw similar results in Dolby Vision mode. These may not be the absolute best figures on the market, but in practice they are more than enough for comfortable, smooth gameplay. The delay isn’t noticeable and shouldn’t interfere even in fast action or online multiplayer games.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 19 ms | 2160p60: 18 ms | 2160p60 DV: 21 ms |
| 1080p120: 10 ms | 2160p120: 9 ms | 2160p120 DV: 9 ms |
| 2160p60: 18 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 9 ms |
LG MRGB85 - Compatibility with PC
8.4/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The MRGB85 works very well with PCs. Support for 4K at 144 Hz plus G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync Premium make it not just a gaming screen but also a quite capable monitor for work. In terms of text readability, it's simply good. The TV properly handles 4:4:4 chroma, so small fonts and system UI elements stay sharp. Only when viewing the screen from very close can you spot minor artifacts on the edges of letters, but at a normal viewing distance from a 55" or larger screen, it makes no difference.
LG MRGB85 - Viewing angles
3.4/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 71%
The viewing angles on the LG MRGB85 are average. Because it uses a VA panel, the image loses color saturation fairly quickly, even at a slight angle. This is a typical trait of this kind of panel — in exchange for high contrast you get poorer viewing angles. IPS panels work the other way: they offer lower contrast but hold on to colors better when you look at the screen from the side. Theoretically the MRGB85 belongs to the family of RGB TVs, where viewing angles can be better than in models that use additional QLED filters. Here, however, that doesn't provide much of an advantage. The modest number of zones placed along the edge of the screen and the way they operate mean that, at an angle, the image quickly loses quality, much like on ordinary LCD screens.
LG MRGB85 - Daytime performance
6.1/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
The LG MRGB85 performs quite well in a bright room. Its average brightness reaches about 500 nits, noticeably above average. That means the picture remains readable in a moderately sunlit living room and doesn't appear dimmed. The screen's anti-reflective coating fares worse, however, only doing an average job of reducing reflections. Direct reflections from windows or lamps can be clearly visible, so it's best not to place the TV directly opposite large windows or strong light sources.
Panel brightness
LG MRGB85B: 515 cd/m2
LG MRGB85 - TV features
7.7/10
System: WebOS
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 3 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): Yes
- Recording programming: Yes
Picture in Picture (PiP): No - RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: No
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
The LG MRGB85 runs on webOS, which is fast, clear, and gives access to all the major streaming apps. The menu is smooth and easy to navigate. The TV also handles regular live TV well. Among other features, it includes Time Shift, HbbTV, and a convenient channel guide. So the MRGB85 is suitable for Netflix, YouTube, and everyday TV viewing.
Control is handled by a newer version of the Magic Remote. Compared with older models, it’s noticeably slimmer and no longer includes a traditional numeric keypad, but it fits the hand better and is more comfortable for everyday use. It still retains the familiar gyroscope, which lets you control the on-screen cursor with hand movements. Combined with webOS, this works very well.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Atmos Flex Connect: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: No
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: No
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: No
- Audio description: Yes
LG MRGB85 - Apps
9.1/10
LG MRGB85 - Playing files from USB
9/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in media player handles most popular video, music, and photo formats, so for everyday use you shouldn't be missing anything. The only unusual glitch appeared with HEIC files. The TV displayed their thumbnails correctly, but when opened it couldn't show the photo at full resolution. Aside from that, the player worked without any significant issues.
LG MRGB85 - Sound
6.4/10
86dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The sound on the LG MRGB85 is simply adequate and there's not much more to say about it. The 2.0 system with a total output of 20 W performs like most TVs on the market. It lacks pronounced bass and a wider soundstage, although it can get fairly loud. For everyday TV viewing that setup is sufficient. However, anyone seeking fuller, more impressive sound should consider adding a soundbar or a home theater system.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
86dBC (Max)
75dBC
LG MRGB85 - Panel details
Software version during testing: 43.11.79
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED PFS LED
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