LG QNED85TSA 65”: is the ‘basic premium’ smart TV worth buying? [Review]

THE LG QNED85T TV It is an intermediate model among the brand’s options with a QNED panel but without miniLED technology. It is a TV with great image, color and sound quality that offers a great experience in watching movies, TV series and sports.

It’s also one of the few LG options outside the OLED segment that offers a full set of features that are particularly interesting for those looking for a device that’s particularly good for gaming. 4K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, VRR, ALLM, multiple HDMI 2.1 ports and more.

We were able to verify all this after spending some time testing it in the editorial office. TecMundoBut we realized that there were some points we did not like. It goes without saying that in a market segment with TVs that can no longer be called cheap, competition has become much fiercer, both between rivals that sometimes offer more for less charging, and between more advanced and slightly more expensive models. LG itself.

I am Léo Rocha, my editor TecMundoand I will explain all of this in detail here now. LG 65QNED85TSA TV review. Check this out!

Design and control

First of all, let’s leave the design aside. I describe this QNED TV as entry-level premium style. It is thin, has small edges around the screen, has a nice structure and high-quality materials. It’s not a device that clashes with fancier decorations.

But it’s not hard to find thinner devices with fewer bezels and better quality materials, especially when looking at a segment that’s just one step higher on the price scale, like the OLED series. Of course, there is also the issue of size.

LG’s QNED85T is available at: Options ranging from 50 to 86 inches, including the 65-inch model we tested. It’s an expensive TV of this size, but an OLED produced the same year, with the same dimensions and the other advantages I just mentioned, costs almost twice as much.

In fact, even the 55-inch OLED C4 is a bit more expensive, so this model has the advantage if you’d rather invest in a larger TV, or the C4 if you’re looking to buy a slightly smaller TV. trading off the interests of others.

Anyway, back to the QNED, the legs come in the box and if you have enough space you can install them in an end position like I did for more stability, but you can also install the supports elsewhere. More central location if your support surface is smaller. Or you can place it on a VESA wall mount.

The remote control is LG’s traditional Smartmagic, which is still huge, heavy, full of buttons, and runs on AA-sized batteries. The marking system works well once you get used to it and for me, It remains the best way to type without connecting a physical keyboard to the TV.

It’s a good control, but I still think it would be welcome to simplify and reduce it, because for me at least, I barely use any buttons other than the buttons around the central wheel, the power button, and the main stream shortcuts. platforms.

Ports and connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the QNED85T is well presented four HDMI 2.1 inputsone with ARC audio support, two with USB 2.0. There is also an optical audio input, antenna connector and network cable input. All HDMI ports support 4K images at 120 Hz, allowing you to connect next-generation consoles or a gaming PC.

There is also a complete cable management system that uses clips and covers for the cutouts in the feet, regulating the passage of wires and helping to give a cleaner appearance. It will be harder to organize if you use all the ports, but at least you can split the cable routing between both legs.

On the wireless connections side, QNED85T supports: AirPlay 2 along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5 For Apple devices.

Hardware and display

The brains running the show inside the TV is LG’s AI Alpha 8 4K processor, which promises to be more agile in the overall performance of the system. It is also responsible for processing images and sounds and improving the quality of the content using artificial intelligence when necessary.

The system’s performance remains pretty smooth, so I have nothing to complain about, and I also haven’t noticed any odd artifacts in content or audio. The processor does its job well.

While we’re talking about images, let’s move on to the QNED display, which continues to combine quantum dot technologies with LG’s Nanocell to achieve the highest quality and color possible from an LED panel. In fact, let’s be very clear: This is not LG’s much more expensive QNED 85 Mini-LED, but a product that brings extra advantages, especially in terms of black tones, contrast and fine details.

What QNED85T has to offer Excellent quality 4K image with vibrant and balanced colors and you can customize it well not only with different predefined modes but also with an AI customization system which I will explain later.

Coming back to the screen, it also provides excellent brightness, which is important for those who have large windows in front of or near the TV. Reflections still appear, especially in dark scenes, but you can ignore them in most cases.

And the 120Hz native refresh rate is great for handling fast movements without leaving blur; In addition to smoother gaming in performance mode, it is also improved thanks to compatibility with variable refresh rate.

VRR, automatic low-latency mode, ALLM, and AMD’s FreeSync also contribute to prevent sync drops in images; all of these are controlled by the game optimizer, which replaces traditional TV settings while gaming.

All this happens practically without the risk of burn-in, which troubles those who have encountered such problems with older OLED displays or know those who have. This isn’t a real problem with modern OLEDs, especially if you enable safety systems and follow manufacturers’ recommendations, but still, scared is scared.

Sound

Accompanying good visual experience, QNED85T Two-channel sound system with 20W powerbut it can use the TV processor’s AI Sound Pro feature to simulate virtual 9.1.2 channel sound. The sound gain is really noticeable and it also increases the drag of the sound.

Still, a good soundbar, especially one that takes advantage of the Wow Orchestra system, which combines the TV’s sound with that of a compatible LG soundbar, will improve the experience significantly.

Software and services

On the software side operating system is LG’s own WebOS 2024It changes almost nothing visually compared to the previous version, but brings new features. It continues to show a large area in the upper third of the home screen for ads that we no longer even realize when we see them. A lot of unused space.

In the middle is a set of cards for interesting resource groups that have innovated educational resources for children. There are also productivity cards for those who like to use services such as Microsoft 365 on the big screen, and sports cards that make it easier to follow the schedule of your favorite teams in more than one sport.

The gaming card is there too, and NVIDIA continues to bundle streaming options like GeForce Now and Blacknut. but no official Xbox appUnfortunately. Samsung’s exclusive deal should be strong. There are also music cards and a control center for smart home devices if you have devices that connect to LG’s ThinQ system or the Matter standard.

Just below the cards on the home page is the row of streaming apps and other functions that we actually use more than anything else, and which you can still customize as you wish. And at the bottom of the screen are a series of suggestions that I, frankly, ignored.

After that, there are more pages filled with various suggestions, and the actual usefulness is so low that people in the editorial office were even surprised when I showed them for the first time. They didn’t even know that the screen continued downwards.

System Quick Settings remains easy to use and is now WebOS gains a chatbot functionality To make it easier for those who get lost in more advanced menus when looking for specific functions. You can navigate through the options the robot offers you to solve problems or change settings more easily; This is something well thought out.

It’s a shame that interaction still doesn’t happen via natural language, using a newer AI model, which would be even easier, especially when it works with voice.

Another big new feature of webOS 2024 will come to LG TVs. built-in Chromecast functionalityIt makes things easier when streaming or projecting content from mobile devices. Other than that, it continues to have free LG Channel channels over the internet, Amazon’s Alexa support for voice commands via the remote, and all the features found in previous models.

Speaking of improvements, the QNED85T is also part of the WebOS Re:new program. promises Up to five different versions of LG’s operating system. So if this TV comes with WebOS 2024, it needs to be updated every year at least until WebOS 2028, gaining software improvements and new features over time.

Is LG 65QNED85TSA TV worth buying?

On LG’s official website, Prices for the QNED85T range from R$ 4,084 in cash for the 50-inch model to R$ 12,000 in 12 interest-free installments for the 86-inch version.. At this point, even if we ignore other brands, competition makes LG’s job difficult.

The 65-inch model I tested sells for R$ 5,224 cash on the LG website. It is almost the same price as TCL’s QLED C775 model, it is also 65 inches but has a mini LED panel, thus providing an advantage in image quality.

If you want to get a TV that’s still big but slightly smaller and better in practically every way, LG’s own OLED C4 costs R$ 5,889 in the 55-inch model. Smaller but also much better.

All in all, although the QNED85T is an excellent TV for games or watching movies, series and sports, it’s in a very difficult situation where much cheaper TVs aren’t that bad, while others for the same price are available. They have some good advantages, and the slightly more expensive ones are even better.

Since it’s not a cheap TV anymore, recommending becomes a question of what promotions you’ll find along the way. Who knows, maybe something will happen in life on Black Friday, right?

Now tell me what you think about LG QNED85T! Don’t you agree with my opinion? Are there any important points that I haven’t taken into consideration? Contribute to the conversation, I’m human too and happy to learn more! Just access your social media TecMundo and leave your comment.