LG QNED86 Mini LED Review: Too Big for Gaming?

The LG 75-inch mini LED TV, a huge screen. It’s the 2022 QNED86, model packed with fantastic features for an immersive movie experience, such as 4K resolution and Dolby Vision IQ.

It’s got all the gaming essentials: HDMI 2.1 VRR at 120 hertz and LG’s Game Optimizer mode. You can pair it with a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X, and you’ve got a big, bright TV that covers most bases.

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Design and Ports

The back of the stand features a simple trunk where you can neatly tuck away your cables. Just hide them inside, put the cover on, and they’ll stay out of sight. If you prefer wall mounting, you can use the 400 by 400 VESA holes, but ensure your bracket or arm can support the weight.

Now, it’s not often we get excited about TV designs since many look similar, but QNED86 Mini LED one stands out. The frame and stand sport a sleek, dark gray, almost gunmetal finish, unlike the typical black or silver. The bezel is impressively thin on three sides, with a slightly thicker bottom part, where you’ll find the QNED branding in the bottom right corner.

Regarding the stand, I find it more appealing than the usual feet. Sure, it takes up more space and won’t accommodate a soundbar in front, but it eliminates the need for a matching unit underneath to match the TV’s width.

As far the ports, It’s great to see that there’s still an optical output available for connections. Now, there are four HDMI ports: two are HDMI 2.0 and two are semi-2.1. Perfect for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, where you can take advantage of the 4K and 120hz support.

However, one of these ports is labeled e-arc, which is good news for audio, but it means sacrificing one of the 2.1 ports for your soundbar or AVR. Additionally, there’s a LAN port, a satellite and cable port, and two USB ports. And the power plug is attached to the TV, which might pose an issue for wall mounting.

So putting it on your wall might be an issue, but if you don’t mind unscrewing the small panel next to it, and unplug it, so it’s not ideal, but it is a workaround if you need it.

Picture Quality

I’ve tried out many different TVs in the past few years, and the excitement of switching on a new one for the first time never fades. Coming from using a 77-inch OLED daily, encountering a QNED TV always offers a unique experience. Essentially QNED is an evolution of LED or LCD TVs promising brighter displays, deeper blacks, and better colors.

Out of the box, LG QNED86 is incredibly bright, defaulting to 100 in the standard picture settings. The first adjustment I made was turning off the energy-saving mode, switching to ISF expert bright, and slightly lowering the brightness. During the day this truly stands out especially in well-lit rooms.

As for picture quality and colors the screen really impresses. It’s 4K display coupled its brightness makes images appear clean and vibrant enhancing the viewing experience for photos, movies, and games.

Moreover, it comes with Dolby Vision IQ and HDR support and testing various movies, they naturally looked fantastic. Regarding motion, you can adjust it in the settings from off to a full-blown smoothness akin to a soap opera.

Generally, it performs well with motion off or set to a very low level. For a true cinematic experience, you can use the filmmaker mode, which disables motion smoothing and other features, preserving the original movie experience as intended by the director.

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Black Levels

LG QNED86 doesn’t offer the infinite black levels of an OLED – that’s just not its forte. However, it does feature precision dimming. This means different areas of the screen can switch on and off independently to display the image simultaneously, resulting in improved contrast and black levels.

Typically, issues with black levels arise when watching at night. Yet, with proper lighting, the black levels look impressive for an LED TV. Occasionally, you might notice blooming around white objects or on a black background, especially noticeable with subtitles in a dark movie, where the text might have a halo effect.

While this isn’t a major bother for me personally, it’s worth mentioning. You’ll likely notice it more in a completely dark room, but overall, nighttime viewing remains impressive. Additionally, this model boasts the Alpha 7 Gen 5 processor, enabling automatic optimization by analyzing the content on screen, thereby enhancing the picture quality.

Viewing angles are important, even if most people watch TV straight on. If you need to view it from an angle or your seat isn’t directly in front of the TV, you’ll still have a decent viewing experience. While you might lose a bit of contrast when you move away from the center, the colors won’t appear washed out. It’s worth noting that the performance of LG QNED86 Mini LED is quite different from an OLED.

Gaming on LG QNED86

At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that LG QNED86 isn’t just for movies; it’s also great for gaming. You might wonder who would play games on a 75-inch TV or think it’s not suitable for intense games like Warzone or Call of Duty.

But let me assure you, the size is just right, especially if you’re sitting around eight to ten feet away, It provides an awesome gaming experience. Whether you’re into story-driven games where you can sit back and immerse yourself or action-packed ones, it feels like having a cinema right in your living room. This is one of the main reasons I still prefer gaming on a TV.

This experience is unbeatable, and you can use LG QNED86 for faster-paced games too. Most weekends, I’ll hop onto Warzone with my friends, whether sitting at my desk or in front of whichever TV I’m using. The fact that LG QNED86 has an HDMI 2.1 port with 120 frames per second support and VRR means it can handle any PS5 or Xbox Series S game you throw at it.

Plus, it’s speedy; there’s no lag at all, When you fire a gun or pull the trigger, you get an instant response. A couple of years ago, LG introduced the Game Optimizer mode, which gives us more control over the picture settings tailored to different game genres or to check the frame rate.

So I can easily check if VRR is active on a game, meaning the game runs at a variable refresh rate instead of a fixed one, and it even displays the current frame rate. If you don’t have a PC or console to connect, you can try cloud gaming.

With NVidia’s GeForce Now app, you can stream and play the latest PC games directly on the TV. Just connect a controller to the TV via Bluetooth.

Final Thoughts

Recent LG TVs come with the latest webOS, offering a full-page home screen with apps in a tile layout, providing a snappy experience. There’s no lag, and all the usual streaming apps like Netflix, Disney, and Apple TV are available. The magic one remote allows for easy navigation without needing to use arrow keys. Overall, the QNED86 LG 75-inch mini LED TV performs well for its price.

However, there are plenty of apps available in the App Store. Additionally, the TV features a 2.1-channel speaker setup with two 10-watt speakers and a 20-watt woofer.

With its gaming-focused features and large size, LG’s latest QNED TV is a great option for use in brightly lit rooms or during the day. However, it’s worth comparing this QNED TV to LG’s OLED models to see which one suits your needs better.

84%

84%

Recommended

The LG QNED86 Mini LED TV offers an immersive viewing and gaming experience with its features and picture quality enhancements. While it excels in brightly lit environments, potential drawbacks include limited HDMI 2.1 ports and occasional blooming. Overall, it's a solid choice for those seeking a high-performance TV, but comparing it to LG's OLED models is recommended to determine the best fit for individual preferences.

Pros

1. Impressive gaming features, including HDMI 2.1 VRR and Game Optimizer mode
2. Sleek design with a unique stand and thin bezels
3. Bright display with vibrant colors, ideal for both movies and gaming
4. Convenient cable management system on the stand
5. Advanced picture quality enhancements like Dolby Vision IQ and HDR support
6. Responsive performance with no noticeable lag
7. Easy setup and navigation with the latest webOS and Magic Remote

Cons

1. Limited availability of HDMI 2.1 ports due to e-ARC usage
2. Potential challenges with wall mounting due to the attached power plug
3. Occasional blooming around white objects or subtitles in dark scenes
4. Differences in viewing angles and contrast compared to OLED TVs

• Design

  10
• Ports

  8
• Picture Quality

  8.5
• Black Levels

  8
• Viewing Angle

  7.5
• Gaming

  8
• Theme and Software

  8
• Price

  9