LG UR9000 review

LG UR90 (UR9000): A decent entry-level 4K TV that delivers

The LG UR9000 is one of two series in LG’s entry-level 4K TV range to launch in 2023. Another series – UR8000 – is located a class below. The UR9000 is available in 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″ and 75″ screen sizes. All models use IPS panels, with the exception of the 50-inch diagonal, which traditionally uses a VA panel.

The main difference from more expensive LG models is the lack of support for HDR formats with dynamic metadata (Dolby Vision or HDR10 +), as well as a panel with a refresh rate of 50 Hz. But webOS 23 provides viewing of all streaming services with good scaling of standard definition content up to 4K. In the LG 55UR9000 4K HDR review, we will show the main features of the novelty.

LG UR9000 review

Design

LG UR9000 - review

 

The LG 55UR9000 TV looks much the same as its UQ9000 predecessor . But if you look at the case from the side, you will immediately see an important difference. Due to the rejection of the use of direct LED backlighting in favor of the side (Edge Lit), it became possible to reduce the thickness of the TV by almost half.

Its build quality is pretty good. The screen is surrounded by very thin plastic bezels, nothing special, but still attractive. The body is plastic, but on the 75-inch model, the back panel is made of metal, making it very durable. The V-shaped feet (stand) provide good support for the TV and prevent it from tipping over.

In addition, the legs give the TV enough space to place the soundbar under the screen. All ports are directed sideways or downwards, which, despite the small thickness of the LG UR9000 TV, allows you to mount it as close to the wall as possible if you choose to mount it on a VESA mount. The Magic Remote has not received any changes.

Image quality

Imaging technologies are advancing and today even the most basic TVs have a lot to offer in terms of picture quality and features. In the case of the UR9000 TV, we are based on an IPS type panel. And regardless of other factors, the image contrast of such a matrix leaves much to be desired.

The typical value of the contrast ratio does not exceed 900 : 1, so the LG 55 UR9000 does not have deep blacks. Instead, in a dark room, you can see how black shades cast in gray. That is, the effect of a cinema at home with a 55UR9000 TV cannot be achieved. Note that the 50-inch model got a VA matrix with a much higher contrast ratio.

The local dimming function, which could improve the contrast of the picture, is absent in the TV in question. And it would be difficult to ensure its accurate work in the case of side illumination. But while the UR9000 is one of LG’s base models, it’s still nice to see it offer a Filmmaker picture mode.

Despite the low contrast ratio, the LG UR9000 is a decent TV in my opinion. Overall image quality is good for an entry-level model. Out of the box, the color reproduction is quite decent, and it can be further improved with the help of calibration. Although hardly anyone wants to spend extra money on it. Then it’s better to buy a TV of a higher class.

The LG UR9000 series does not have the ability to reproduce a wide color gamut, so it is not the best choice for HDR viewing. And in general, speaking of HDR content, a high peak brightness in the appropriate mode is required for proper display. The UR9000 has decent brightness for SDR content, about 250 nits.

Of course, it may not be enough for a room with a lot of natural light. And if you want the image to be as bright as possible, use the Vivid image mode. However, this will come at the cost of image accuracy in terms of color reproduction. But the peak brightness of 300 nits for HDR mode is clearly not enough.

A few words about other parameters. Traditionally for IPS matrices, black screen uniformity on this TV is not very good. The screen in this case has a cloudy and grayish appearance. Detail and clarity are good for quality 1080p and 4K content. 480p (non-HD) content also displays acceptable. HD images look sharp and clear.

The lateral viewing angle on the UR9000 TV is decent, again thanks to the IPS panel. Image quality has minimal color saturation and loss of contrast when viewed only at wide viewing angles. Motion rendering was generally smooth. You may experience slight artifacts when playing content with fast movements.

When it comes to gaming, the LG UR 9000 TV can easily please even the hardcore gamer. The image output delay (input lag) has a value of about 10 ms. This is a very good indicator. Let’s not forget to turn on the game mode for this, which bypasses all the chains of additional video signal processing. The only negative for modern ones is the screen refresh rate is only 50 Hz.

 

LG UR9000 - design

Smart TV

Like all 2023 LG TVs, the 55UR9000 is powered by the webOS 23 smart platform . Its main differences from webOS 22 are to reduce the home screen scrolling pages to 2 and expand the capabilities of family profiles. Shrinking pages makes the interface faster and more responsive.

And all the necessary information such as favorite applications and services is now grouped into Quick Cards. They can be placed at your discretion and quickly navigate with their help to the desired content. With individual personal profiles, you can receive personalized recommendations for movies, games, and more. The operation of the operating system and image processing is implemented by the chipset based on the α5 AI Gen6 processor.

Who.Where.What? (What, where, when) in the LG ThinQ AI environment with Google Assistant and built-in Alexa can find the information you need with just a voice request. The LG Shop Time app also works with this feature. It greatly simplifies the shopping process without leaving home. Let’s also mention LG Channel. It provides access to almost two hundred free Internet TV channels.

Sound

The LG UR90 series audio system sounds as expected, as a typical 20W two-channel system should sound. With a noticeably distinguished level of mid frequencies, the frequency response has a strong blockage in the bass region. Hence the clear, clear dialogues and the lack of assertiveness, richness of the sound picture. In other words, for movies and music, it is better to purchase an additional soundbar.

Dolby Atmos is not supported, but the AI ​​Sound Pro intelligent sound system can turn ordinary stereo sound into a virtual multi-channel 5.1.2 Up-mix. Like the more expensive LG TB 2023 models, there is an AI Acoustic Tuning function that best adjusts the sound parameters in accordance with the acoustic performance of the room.

With the Bluetooth Surround Ready option, you can connect rear speakers and get a physical multi-channel audio system. Just keep in mind that the surrounding channels will still be virtual, i.e. extracted from the stereo track. But it’s probably still better than the sound of only two front channels from the TV’s downward-facing speakers.

LG UR9000 - switching

Connections

The LG UR 90 TV has three HDMI 2.0b ports (one of them with eARC ) and two USB 2.0 ports. The list also includes a LAN port, a digital optical audio output, and two antenna jacks (number and type vary by region). Wireless connectivity is represented by WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.

UR9000 Price

At the moment (April 2023), the price of the LG 55UR9000 TV is $550 in foreign online stores. You can buy the LG 43UR9000 TV for $430. The LG 50UR9000 is $470, the LG 65UR9000 is $700, and the LG 75UR9000 is $1,100.

Conclusion

LG UR9000 is a decent entry-level 4K TV that delivers generally good picture quality for a budget model. The clarity and detail of the picture is combined with good color reproduction. However, it lacks contrast and black levels, and is not bright enough for HDR content. If you find its pros and cons acceptable, we recommend checking it out.

Specifications:

Screen
Panel LCD with LED backlight
Diagonal 55 inches (138.8 cm)
Type IPS
Backlight Side without local dimming
Permission 3840 x 2160
Expanded color gamut No
Update frequency 50 / 60 Hz
Video
HDR HDR10, HLG
Video signal processor 4-core α5 VI AI
Intelligent Brightness Yes
Filmmaker Mode Yes
Tone mapping algorithm Dynamic Tone Mapping
Game response time improvements ALLM
Upscaling up to 4K Yes, 4K Upscaler
Audio
Power 2 x 10W
Intelligent Sound AI Sound Pro (Virtual 5.1.2 Up-mix)
One touch setup AI Acoustic Tuning
Audio via Bluetooth Yes
Smart TV
OS webOS 23 Smart TV
LG AI ThinQ® Yes
Voice recognition Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
LG Channel Plus Yes
Connections
HDMI 2.0 3 side
USB 2.0 2 side
LAN Yes, RJ-45
Audio output Optic
WiFi WiFi 5
Bluetooth v.5.0
Antenna input RF and SAT
Nutrition
Network settings 100…240 V / 50…60 Hz
Typical consumption 70 W
Annual consumption (HDR) 125 kWh
Dimensions and weight
Dimensions with stand (WxHxD) 123.7 x 78.2 x 25.7 cm
Dimensions without stand 123.7 x 71.6 x 3 cm
Weight with stand 15.4 kg
Weight without stand 15 kg
wall mount VESA 300 x 300