LG QNED 65in 4K TV review – Hi diddly ho neighborinos!

When it comes to television sets, most folks don’t have many thousands to drop on a new one. Then there are some who aren’t looking for the latest and greatest display technology. They just need a dependable TV with okay-to-decent picture quality that lasts a good few years without becoming too obsolete too quickly. And it shouldn’t cost them a kidney.

If that’s you, then you might want to consider the LG QNED 4K 806 series. We were sent the 65in model and it’s a compelling offer. You can expect an extensive feature list for your R24,000. What can it do? Does it even do things? Let’s find out.

Built with function in mind

65in is increasingly becoming a common TV size around the world. South Africa has some catching up to do but if you are one of the lucky ones that can afford 65in or more, you’ll want to make sure you can fit the thing in your lounge, with enough space to sit far enough away. For this set, you’re aiming for a two-metre distance, give or take. Then you can be sure that the TV will fill most of your vision without causing neck strain.

The QNED’s build quality was as good as we’ve come to expect from LG. It has made a TV or two in its time. The set feels solid (and heavy, you’re going to want a friend to help with this) and the feet design allows for a good amount of peace of mind.

If the surface you’re putting it on isn’t big enough then you have the option of installing the feet closer together, near the centre, but that means things can get a bit wobbly. You’ll want the wide stance, unless you like to live on the edge. In either position, the feet lift the TV high enough to accommodate most sound bars. Unless your sound bar costs more than your TV, that is. It’s also mountable for those that want it on a wall.

Around the back you’ll find the ports and place for some cable routing. These are quite useful for that clean, cable-free look. But you better be sure. They aren’t made to come out once they’re in.

There are nine holes to plug things into, not counting mounting holes. You get a total of four HDMI ports. Two of those are HDMI 2.0 and two are HDMI 2.1, with the third supporting eARC as well. For the rest, there are two USB-A ports, an ethernet port, an optical jack, and ye olde coaxial-looking things for antennae. Does anyone still use those with their 4K smart TV?

So this is Magic?

LG’s well-known Magic remote has received an update as well. It’s a rather thick, bulky lad, which means lots of space for buttons. The wireless pointing feature sticks around. That could be why you’ll still need to insert two AA batteries into the thing. There’s no internal battery or USB-C charging here.

On the software front, WebOS is still the OS to beat. The full feature list has pretty much everything you could possibly ask of your TV. And many things you might not even think to ask. With these new 2022 models, if you’re an LG superfan you can cast what you’re watching on one LG TV to another in your house.

With the ThinQ app, if you lose the remote (or if it’s out of reach) your smartphone can take it’s place. You also get nine different picture modes to choose from. Standard, Vivid, Eco, Cinema, Sports, Game, Filmmaker, (ISF)Expert(Bright Room) and (ISF)Expert(Dark Room) are all present if you don’t want to muck about in the settings menus.

There is a wide range of certifications as well. The most notable of these is Dolby Vision support and AMD’s Freesync Premium handles the variable refresh rate. That’s going to make a big difference if you’re planning on gaming on this thing. Those two HDMI 2.1 ports mean your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X can output 4k@120fps with the native 120Hz refresh rate more than capable of keeping up.

Not as good as looking outside

When it comes to the picture quality and viewing experience, you aren’t going to be blown away here. The fact that it’s got QNED in the name could be a little misleading. Most of LG’s other QNED TVs use mini LED tech. If you’re after mini LED specifically, don’t make the mistake of buying this one. You will be disappointed.

The Alpha7 Gen 5 processor does a good job of upscaling lower resolution content and the viewing angles are okay. It also gets plenty bright enough, even in well-lit rooms, but this TV doesn’t feature any fancy display tech like OLED or mini LED. It uses regular-sized LEDs around the edges, so no full-array local dimming (FALD) either. You do get some local dimming, Quantum Dot, and Nanocell technology to help things along. But when it comes to dark scenes, welcome to Bloom City; population: You. And this TV.

With the LEDs around the edge of the panel, you get far fewer independently dimmable zones. These are arranged as vertical or horizontal stripes instead on on a grid like with FALD. That means in a dark scene there’ll be more zones lit than needed. And because those zones are bigger and longer, the dark parts they’re illuminating will look washed out.

This is most noticeable in a dark room and with dark content so it’s not going to be a problem if you’re just watching sport. This is what you get at this price point, though, so if you want a better picture you’ll have to cough up more dough.

This TV, like most TVs, comes with built in speakers and they’re… fine. That’s about all we’ll say on that. Get yourself a sound bar, even if it’s just for the rugby. Your ears will thank you.

LG QNED 65in 4K TV verdict

This is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a fully stocked TV and aren’t overly concerned with picture quality. You get premium features and a premium design in a decent-sized package without paying a premium price. If picture quality is more important then there are smaller units from other manufacturers that look better for the same price. If you want something bigger and don’t mind giving up LG’s WebOS and QNED tech, those can also be had for a similar price. But if you’re happy with the middle ground, here’s the LG QNED 806 series 65in 4K TV.