As one of the many, MANY ranges and sets of confusing letters out there on the market, QNED is one of the newer ones and is pitched to be an economical alternative to the Neo QLEDs and OLEDs of the world. But is this new tech all it’s hyped up to be?
To use its full name (which just rolls off the tongue) LG’s QNED87T6B series sits as near to the middle of LG’s offering as possible. Comfortably above the entry level UT range, but lacking the full capabilities of the OLEDs. To give the tech details, this range is still at its core an LED TV – but it performs above most others in that arena.
Out of the box, the TV even manages to look more premium than others near it in the market. A lack of bezel to rival even some of the OLEDs keeps the screen looking more upmarket than it would suggest, and a metallic plinth as a central stand means it looks stable, does away with often frustrating edge feet (great if you have a narrower stand and aren’t wall mounting).
Turn the TV on and you’re greeted with the same snappy webOS that you’ll find on any of LG’s range – often rated as the best smart system on TV’s, making setup as breezy as it can be. As briefly touched on earlier, the TV is still, at its core, an edge-lit LED screen. BUT, it’s worth adding that whilst this is often a hallmark of cheaper screens, add on some impressive local dimming and the NanoCell panel and it couldn’t be further from that generalisation.
Watching the LG QNED87T6B means that you’ll never miss out on the action.
The local dimming helps control light bloom and bleed on the screen – and does so impressively alongside the NanoCell panel – LG’s answer to Samsung’s arguably better known QLED panels. Watching a space launch from NASA’s own hi-def uploads means a lot of light and fire as it blasts off. It’s a great test to see if a TV can keep the image controlled despite masses of bright areas on the screen. The QNED manages to keep up admirably with the OLEDs nearby running the same source. Managing to show smooth colour gradients between bright whites all the way through to smouldering reds on the other end of the spectrum, all contrasted against the blue in the sky. It’s only in the closest shots of billowing smoke where the QNED washes out to a degree and loses definition vs an OLED, but still holds itself well above the ‘normal’ LED range.
The QNED87T6B also has another set of tricks up its sleeve. If you’re looking for a gaming ready TV that is genuinely equipped to deal with the PS5 and current gen Xbox with a full refresh rate spectrum up to 120hz, VRR, ALLM and the all the rest – LG have thrown everything and the kitchen sink in outfitting this range ready to take on the most demanding content. Polish this all off with one of LG’s in-house AI processors (the alpha 8, or a8, to be precise) and colours remain natural, motion smooth and content engaging regardless of what you’re watching and playing.
Needing to test it properly with a movie, or at least looking for the excuse to, we tested this in store with Aquaman. Perhaps not the best reviewed choice, but great for a wide range of colour and some demanding motion. Whilst Aquaman/Jason Momoa fights his way through the submarine in the opening scenes, the screen manages to keep up as the camera jerks around the claustrophobic environment – and multiple bad guys are thrown around, keeping everything smooth and coherent. Likewise with colour – the underwater scenes amidst Atlanta, in the bright throne room and surrounded later by lava, bright jellyfish and other CGI sea creatures, the colour stays just the right side of saturated, whilst still staying defined and exciting.
If you’re in the market for everything that an OLED can do – but can’t justify the still high costs, then get yourself down to your local Richer Sounds to test out this fantastically specced screen for yourself.
Author: Tom, Cardiff Store
