Televisions

Mini LED is perhaps the TV technology story of the year. The implementation of LEDs far smaller than those of conventional backlights has helped put TCL on the TV map and taken Samsung's 2021 Neo QLED TVs to new heights. And now it's back to (hopefully) revolutionise LG's LCD fortunes with the 75QNED99, a 75in 8K model with a price tag far more tempting than the company's 8K OLEDs.

In fact, I'd argue that Mini LED has the potential to make more of a difference to LG than any other brand. After all, no other telly maker relies as heavily on relatively low-contrast IPS LCD TV panels, so if Mini LED – and an associated increase in the number of locally dimmed backlight zones – can effectively boost contrast while retaining IPS's viewing angle advantage, then the 75QNED99 could represent a turning point in LG's high-end LCD fortunes.

Looks Familiar
Disappointingly, the South Korean corp hasn't marked its move to Mini LED lighting (which it brands as 'QNED') with any massive design statement. This TV is attractive – slim of frame and rear, and mounted on a tasteful crescent-shaped stand – but its build quality is run of the mill, and it's not substantially different to previous LG 8K LCD models.

The 75QNED99's four HDMI ports all support 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 120Hz, as you'd expect given the native resolution of the panel. Surprisingly, though, there's no support for variable refresh rates, even though this is standard across all the HDMIs of LG's OLED TVs from the C1 series and up. This really is a strange oversight for a brand that prides itself on its cutting-edge gaming credentials.

Smart features come courtesy of the sixth generation of LG's WebOS system, which showcases some significant changes over the previous iteration. There's a new full-screen home page; a new emphasis on a personalised experience (complete with intelligent content recommendations based on your viewing habits); new setup menus; and a superbly comprehensive search system.

Some aspects of the WebOS revamp still feel like a work in progress, however, an impression I'm not accustomed to associating with LG's smart portal. You can see where it's headed, though, and my suspicion is that the final destination when reached will make the journey seem worthwhile.

The 75QNED99 supports the HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision HDR formats (including Dolby Vision IQ), and also adopts the UHD Alliance's Filmmaker Mode preset, designed to deliver an 'accurate' picture. As ever with LG TVs, there's no support for HDR10+, which is worth noting if you're a no-compromise 4K Blu-ray collector.

Waging War
Set to work with my trusty UHD platter of Sam Mendes' 1917, the 75QNED99 does exactly as I'd hoped, rewriting the rulebook of what I consider possible with IPS LCD TVs.

During the ultra-dark sequence where General Erinmore explains the mission to Schofield and Blake, this LG 8K set hits black levels that are up there with the best we've seen from any rival VA panel, and at times even give OLED a run for its money. It's a performance trait that's perfectly in keeping with the TV's lofty status.

The black level capability of Mini LED helps the 75QNED99 extract plenty of impact from its nearly 1,200 nits of peak brightness (measured on a white HDR window covering 10 per cent of an otherwise black screen). Contrast performance is frequently sublime, with pure whites and bright colours feeling punchier than before.