LG QNED91

The LG QNED91 is the latest flagship 4K LCD TV from LG, with the marketing emphasising its direct MiniLED backlight, ‘Colour Pro’ quantum dot filters, ‘Precision Dimming’ technology, α8 AI 4K Processor and very large screen sizes - it’s available from 65in up to a whopping 86in.

On paper, at least, it looks like a well-specified display thanks to its support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, along with a host of gaming features such as 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and HGiG, plus LG’s ‘Game Dashboard’. There’s also LG’s excellent webOS24 smart system with its comprehensive choice of streaming services, and built-in Amazon Alexa for added smarts.

So far, so good - but LG’s attention has been squarely focused on OLED for the last decade, which raises an interesting question: has the brand kept pace with LCD development or has it been caught napping while its competitors forge ahead? Let’s find out…

Picture Quality

The LG QNED91 uses a 4K VA LCD panel, which immediately results in picture quality pros and cons. As is typical for this display technology, the native black levels are good – nowhere near OLED levels but decent for LCD. Unfortunately, VA panels also suffer from very narrow optimal viewing angles, so as soon as you move off-axis the contrast and colours appear washed out.

The picture limitations don’t stop there, as the screen filter is also quite reflective – so it’s best not to position this TV opposite a window or other strong light source. The screen uniformity is also rather patchy, with some obvious banding on camera pans across football pitches.

Given LG’s claims of MiniLED backlight I find this surprising, so I count the actual number of zones. The QNED91 has 160 (16x10) in total, which is significantly fewer than much of the competition. The number of independent dimming zones some rival models feature can reach into the thousands.

Of course, as is often the case in life, it’s not what you’ve got but what you do with it that counts - and a good local dimming algorithm can still deliver impressive results when controlling a limited number of zones. Sadly, LG’s ‘Precision Dimming’ doesn’t really live up to its billing, with some fairly obvious blooming around bright objects against dark backgrounds - especially in HDR.

If it sounds like I’m being harsh it’s only because competing brands have made significant advances when it comes to LCD technology, with some models giving OLED a run for its money. It’s been a few years since I last tested an LG LCD TV, but things don’t appear to have moved on when it comes to the number of zones, local dimming accuracy or viewing angles.

Thankfully the QNED91 fares a lot better in other areas, with a clean and detailed 4K image thanks to the α8 AI processor. The upscaling of lower resolution content is excellent, squeezing detail out of the limited number of pixels, while the general processing is able to minimise artefacts in compressed images. It can’t work miracles, but even standard definition channels look passable.

Another area where LG is always strong is picture accuracy, and in the ‘Filmmaker’ mode the SDR and HDR images reveal excellent whites and natural-looking colours. There’s also an extensive set of calibration controls, allowing a professional to dial in a near-perfect level of reproduction.

The motion-handling is equally impressive for an LCD TV, with the LG rendering fast-paced sport without blurring and displaying 24p content without adding judder. The ‘TruMotion’ feature offers a number of processing options for sports and gaming, plus the ‘Cinematic Movement’ feature that smooths out movement in films and TV drama without introducing any soap opera effect.

Finally, the HDR performance is generally good, although not quite as impressive as some of the higher-end LCD TVs from LG’s main competitors. There’s certainly plenty of brightness, with the QNED91 hitting a respectable 1400 nits, and it also covers most of the wider colour gamut used in HDR grading. Crucially, the tone mapping is excellent, ensuring that even when content is graded beyond the capabilities of the TV, it’s able to render the highlights without losing detail.

The inclusion of LG’s dynamic tone-mapping feature allows the QNED91 to get the most out of HDR10 and HLG, plus there’s support for Dolby Vision (although not the competing HDR10+ format). As a result, the general HDR performance is good, with plenty of detail revealed and some nice colours - but it is let down by the local dimming, with obvious halos around bright objects.

Sound Quality

The LG QNED91 is a competent performer when it comes to audio - and its deeper chassis does at least provide sufficient space for a half-decent pair of downward-firing speakers in a 2.2-channel configuration that’s powered by 40W of amplification. The larger screen sizes also afford a greater degree of separation, which makes the stereo imaging generally better.

As a result, this TV creates a decent front soundstage, with clear dialogue and music spread either side of the screen. The audio can be optimised for stand- or wall-mounting, and LG includes ‘AI Acoustic Tuning’ to help users optimise the sound for their specific environment. There’s also ‘AI Sound Pro’ for upmixing non-Atmos audio to create a virtual 9.1.2-channel sonic experience.

When it comes to Dolby Atmos, expectations need to be managed - there’s only so much you can do with two speakers firing down. You’re certainly not going to get a genuinely immersive experience - but the QNED91 sounds relatively composed, with a balanced sonic delivery overall. There’s no real bass, and don’t push the volume too high - but it’s good for general viewing.

Living with 

The LG QNED91 uses a minimalist design and the build quality is good, but it’s a bit of a beast - even the 65-inch model measures 45mm deep and weighs in at 31kg without the stand. I assumed one of the benefits of MiniLED was thinner and lighter panels, but this doesn’t appear to be case with this TV - so take that into consideration if you’re planning on wall mounting.

The connections are located at the back left of the panel, as you face the screen. There are four HDMI 2.1 inputs, all of which support 4K/120Hz and one of which supports eARC. There are also terrestrial and satellite tuners, an optical digital output, an Ethernet port, two USB ports, and a common interface slot. For wireless connectivity there’s wi-fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 and Apple AirPlay 2.

The QNED91 includes the Magic Remote, which remains a superb controller thanks to its comfortable ergonomics and intuitive pointer interface. There are direct access buttons for Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, along with a built-in microphone for voice control - anyone looking for an alternative can also try LG’s simple-but-effective ThinQ remote app (free for iOS and Android).

The QNED91 sports the latest version of the brand’s smart platform, which centres on the revamped webOS24. While the improvements are minor refinements rather than major innovations, LG promises to support the system with at least five years of upgrades, so you can expect this TV’s operating system to remain up-to-date until 2029 - and possibly later.

The system’s interface is built around a home page with a big promotional banner at the top for adverts, followed by three layers below for apps, recommendations and the Q-cards – which are now smaller. There’s also a ‘Global Tab’ added to the top left-hand corner for quick access to accounts, any notifications, the settings, a search function and the TV Guide.

The Q-cards can be arranged by theme, such as Game, Music, Sports and so on, and they can also be curated for each user profile – which makes it easier to access your favourite content. Accessibility is further enhanced by the addition of the new ‘Chatbot’, an AI assistant that can be accessed via a Q-card, quick menu, or by using your voice - and can answer questions about the system settings.

Speaking of smart assistants, webOS24 has Amazon Alexa built-in, which can be accessed using the microphone in the Magic Remote. The latter also makes navigation incredibly intuitive, while the comprehensive choice of streaming services means you’ll always have something to watch. Overall, LG’s webOS24 remains among the best smart operating systems on the market.

The QNED91’s gaming credentials are impressive, with four HDMI inputs that support all the latest features including 4K/120Hz, VRR, HGiG, and ALLM, with the latter automatically switching to the low latency ‘Game Optimiser’ mode when compatible consoles are detected. The input lag in this mode is below 13ms, which should keep even the most demanding twitch-trigger gamer happy.

The ‘Game Optimiser’ mode also allows users to customise their gaming experience with different genre settings such as Standard, First Person Shooter, Role Playing Game, and Real-Time Strategy, and there are Black and White Stabiliser sliders too. In addition, there’s a useful ‘Game Dashboard’ that pops up to provide key information and access to various features and settings.

Conclusion

The LG QNED91 is a capable TV in most areas, but is let down by narrow viewing angles, poor screen uniformity, banding, and local dimming that suffers from blooming around bright objects.

Despite claims of a MiniLED backlight, this TV really feels like a bit of a throwback to previous years, rather than the state-of-the-art LCD models that we’ve seen from LG’s competitors recently.

On the plus side, the ‘Filmmaker Mode’ delivers accurate images with both SDR and HDR content, while the image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone-mapping are all excellent. Other strengths include cutting-edge gaming features and the excellent webOS24 smart system, with its comprehensive choice of streaming apps and intuitive Magic Remote navigation.

The sound quality is passable but unimpressive, and as you’d expect from LG there’s support for Dolby Vision but no HDR10+. All in all, the QNED91 is a well-specified TV and a competent all-rounder, and it’s competitively priced - but I can’t shake the feeling LG’s corporate focus is really on OLED, leaving its LCD line-up as a bit of an afterthought.

Viewing notes

The Revenant (4K Disc) 

This gritty survival story boasts an Oscar-winning performance from Leonard DiCaprio and stunningly detailed native 4K images mainly captured using natural light. The scene where trappers search a wood at night lit only by torches is a serious test of a display’s ability to render fine highlights and shadow detail, with the QNED91’s backlight struggling a little in HDR.

The Greatest Showman (4K Disc) 

This historically dubious musical is chock-full of toe-tapping numbers and includes a cracking lead performance from Hugh Jackman. The production design is wonderfully colourful, pushing a display’s ability to fully reproduce the wider colour gamut of HDR, and while the QNED91 handles things well, the primaries aren’t always fully saturated.

1917 (4K Disc) 

This nail-biting journey across no-man’s-land is presented as a single continuous take, with no cuts or breaks. This makes it an excellent test of a display’s ability to cope with the motion that results from the film’s constantly roving camera. The QNED91 handles all the intricate movement throughout the movie with skill, delivering motion that’s free of judder or artefacts.

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If you’re looking for a well-specified LCD TV that’s great for watching TV, streaming content, and playing games then the QNED91 has you covered, but the limitations of the MiniLED backlight mean you might be better off checking out some competing models where their local dimming algorithms are more effective at minimising distracting blooming with HDR content.