LG - 49" Class - LED - SK8000 Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR

The good: Outstanding smart platform with good app selection; great, innovative Magic remote (like using a Wii); very fast and responsive OS with tons of configuration and calibration options; stylish and well-built design with a stable curved base. TV has good uniformity with little dirty screen effect or clouding (larger models may be different), good anti-reflection screen, wide color gamut but not as wide as higher end TVs. Sound is decent for a flat panel. Like all IPS panels, solid wide viewing angles. Low lag for games. Generous support for four different HDR standards (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, Technicolor Advanced HDR). The bad: Weak contrast compared to a LCD with a VA panel. Local dimming is ineffective and can be distracting--definitely don't set it to high unless you like columns of light on your screen, but medium seems to do okay. In a dim to dark room, blacks look grayish. HDR peak brightness is so-so, with some ability to brighten small highlights appreciably. Bottom line: It's a great TV so long as you know the limitations. IPS LCD panels are good for wide angle viewing areas (because VA LCD panels don't do nearly as well with angles) and decently lit rooms (lighting minimizes the impact of the limited contrast and black levels). I bought this for just such a room and thus I am happy with it, especially given the stellar smart platform. I would not recommend it for sitting directly across or for a dark room, such as a home theater. In that case, it will disappoint, despite the very attractive and expansive features list. However, it would excel in a well-lit living room, a sunroom, or a bedroom, or anywhere with off axis seating. (Note that the 49" is only 60Hz, but will interpolate 30fps and can do 24fps.)

I've had this LG SK8000 Series for about six months now and for the most part have been very happy with it. It has great picture quality, the OS software and magic remote makes switching between apps fun and interesting. Not to mention having to type in your email/password when signing into apps is a lot more easier when using the magic remote's mouse feature. However, about three months ago I started to have issues with the Wi-Fi (I use the built-in Wi-Fi function.) It started off small at first, the magic remote would disconnect, no biggie, I would just reconnect it and then it would be fine. Then the Wi-Fi would randomly drop the connection while using the built in Apps but I chalked it up to maybe bad internet service or router problems as the dropped connections weren't that frequent. Now I'm lucky if the Wi-Fi would stay connected for more than five minutes. It is definitely not a router problem as everything else in my living room with Wi-Fi capabilities are able to pick up the signal with no problem. And forget reconnecting because when I go into the Wi-Fi settings to reconnect I just get this message where a list of networks should be "Wi-Fi is Turned Off. Turn it on to see the list of available networks that you can connect to and additional related menu items." The magic remote has become just as unreliable as the Wi-Fi as it disconnects or freezes constantly, mostly after the Wi-Fi drops so I assume the two problems are connected. In my search for a possible solution to the problem I only discovered numerous other complaints to the same issue I am facing but no actual resolutions. I was trying to avoid having to submit the TV for repair because of my busy schedule and the hassle of transporting it but am left with no other options. If all goes well *fingers crossed* I'll edit this post with an update.

I've had this LG8000 TV for about two months and I'm still finding new features! So far, no "bugs!" I’m very happy with my purchase. The picture’s clear and color’s good. I didn’t add a sound bar and I’m not sure I need to, the sound quality is pretty good even listening to music. I bought this particular set for the voice command feature in the remote, but it's so easy to point & click (the cursor’s like on a computer) that I don't use the voice command very often. Point & click to change between cable TV, radio and apps like Netflix. There’re also "built-in" channels available to add to the variety of entertainment available. Browse the web without turning on your computer or wirelessly project (screen share) from your Android phone or other device (not Apple). I think I’ll add ROKU next so I can watch cable TV thru the Spectrum app. It also has four HDMI & two USB ports, plus LAN, etc. The easy to change screen brightness settings mean content is viewed according to the room's environment (dark room, bright room) or the content (cinema, sports, games, etc.) for the best viewing experience. Within the preset picture settings (bright room, dark room, etc.) you can make additional adjustments to the brightness & picture by simply pointing and clicking in the picture settings menu. All very intuitive. Super easy-to-use remote for changing brightness, aspect, sound, sleep timer, etc. Just keep clicking & pointing to see what’s available.

Bought on sale at Best Buy on recommendation of salesman who claimed it was the best tv Best Buy sells under $1000. It replaces my Samsung smart tv that I thought had a great picture. The LG has a better picture and more ways to control the picture quality than most people would every need. My only complaint is the audio out is limited to digital optical cable or HDMI ARC. No headphone jack or RCA cable output. I have an older Panasonic home theater system that won’t accept HDMI or optical digital cables. It is a 5.1 system that is great so I did not want to replace it. To get the home theater connected to the tv I had to buy a digital optical to RCA converter and a digital optical cable. I did not expect to have to make the additional purchase to get my sound to work and specifically asked the Best Buy salesman if the LG tv was compatible with my theater system after telling him what my inputs/outputs were on the theater system. Salesman told me yes I could hook my theater system to the tv. I did not find out until I was home and setting the tv up that it would not work with my Panasonic home theater unless I bought the optical to RCA converter. Long story short...I am glad I bought this tv.

I wouldn't typically write a review to say that something arrived broken (since I can't actually review the product) but this is the SECOND tv I have ordered in a row that was shipped to me broken. I originally bought a Samsung that looked fine but had a terribly distorted display once I got it plugged in. I decided to switch to this LG to replace that one. Unfortunately, it came in even worse condition. It is completely smashed. There is a huge dent with cracked glass and distortion of the frame on the right side. A streak runs across the entire length of the screen to another distorted area on the left side of the tv. Interestingly, there is no damage to the outer box the tv was shipped in or the interior box from the manufacturer. So, the damage probably didn't happen in shipping. I suspect I was shipped a returned, broken tv. This is infuriating because I now have to spend more of my time dealing with a return and meeting the shipping driver to pick up the tv. I'd expect more from Best Buy. Very disappointing.

After a couple of weeks I returned the TV and got a Samsung Q6F. I fought to configured the picture settings and got them perfect for my liking for Netflix. Then when I switched to Amazon or Comcast I had to fight to change the settings all over again. OK, got this done on day 1. Next day, I open Netflix and notice the screen is very dark on the left and right sides but the center is perfect. Very strange. I watched half a movie before I couldn't take it any more so I turned off the TV. A while later I turned the TV and continued watching the same movie and surprisingly the image was perfect. Very strange. Next day, the same thing happens so I immediately turned the TV off a on and the crazy backlight dimming goes away. At this point I'm starting to consider returning the TV, but decided to give it one more chance. Days later the TV decides to reset a bunch of my customized settings such as motion blur and power saving mode AKA darker screen with no contrast mode. Besides all this technical issues, the UI is a bit complicated to our taste. The sound is fantastic and the design is nice but I got fed up with all the issues with the picture. The Samsung Q6F is fantastic and have no complaints so far into week 2.

Wow , With the help of Rob. at the Oxford Valley store I felt I had made the right pick on a new Flat screen , I was looking at a few Samsungs in the same size range online and stop by the store with a few question and interests . Rob went over the different models and types and then show me this LG model with a lot upgrades I would not be getting my picks and remark it was on sale ( part of Black Friday sale ) and that help make the sale and one happy Customer . Love Best Buy ! Getting it home and setting up was easy and connecting to my cable company and router wifi . Even understanding the on screen menu and remote was easy for a old guy like me . The picture and sound is outstanding . I love how you can fine tune the picture , sound setting , Register it this morning . Thanks Best Buy you done it again. O yes you sold me my last TV and lot of other things over the years. I am not a online buying type of guy , I like to kick the tires as they say .

I've enjoyed every moment with this TV since I got it, the speed and ease of use of the interface is amazing. The image quality even with non-4K content is amazing! Must be an excellent upscaller in the system. It's really great for gaming too, I don't notice any ghosting or input lag that I can perceive, and the HDR from the few PS4 games that support it really makes the games pop! Sound quality from such a thin TV is great too, I don't have a soundbar yet but so far it's acceptable audio quality. Not "tinny" sounding as some TVs can get. It's very stylish too, I like the curved base stand and the all-aluminum backing of the TV. Overall, I am very satisfied with my decision to go with this model. It's a "mid-range" model but I can't imagine how much better "higher end" models can be, as this has everything I would ever really need from a 4K HDR TV!