Top experts called the LG UN7000 a good entry-level UHD TV for budget buyers. Testing revealed that it has wide viewing angles, judder removal, and a low input lag. However, gamers should be aware of the lack of HDMI 2.1 and VRR.
PICTURE QUALITY
4K
- Reviewers were disappointed that despite being an LG UHD TV, the 4K output of the UN7000 wasn’t perfect. Both RTings and Trusted Reviews explained that the UN7000 features an RGBW subpixel structure, producing artifacts. As a result, this TV displays a less accurate image despite the excellent upscaling with its quad-core processor compared to its competition.
Color
- Once calibrated, the LG UN7000 can display accurate colors thanks to its IPS panel. And experts pointed out that it supports chroma 4:4:4 input, which is highly beneficial for PC users.
- However, they also noted the lack of a wide color gamut which will hurt its high dynamic range performance.
Black
- Testers heavily disliked the insufficient black levels of the LG UN7000. Just like the LG UN7300, this TV also features an IPS panel. And because of that, blacks look more grey than true black.
Brightness
- The LG UN7000 admittedly doesn’t have a very high peak brightness. Critics were only able to measure a max of 549 nits in a 10% window on this TV, which is just half of what you need (1000 nits) for an authentic HDR viewing experience. Certainly, the LG UN6970 offers a more decent 4K HDR viewing experience.
Contrast
- Certified reviewers hated the low native contrast ratio of the LG UN7000 TV. Its IPS panel is much worse in this regard compared to VA, mini LED, and OLED TVs. As a result, they did not recommend this LG TV for watching movies and TV shows in the dark.
Dimming
- The LG UN7000 doesn’t feature local dimming. As a result, we couldn’t evaluate this aspect. However, product experts said that local dimming would’ve made it a great TV for watching content in the dark, as it would’ve significantly boosted its black levels and contrast.
Gaming
- Professional testers were let down by the LG UN7000’s gaming performance for the most part. Despite having ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), this TV doesn’t feature HDMI 2.1 or VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). And they also noted that the native refresh rate of the screen is only limited to 60Hz.
HDR
- In terms of HDR standards, the LG UN7000 only supports HDR 10 and HLG. There’s no support for dynamic metadata standards like HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision. Moreover, top critics disliked the HDR viewing experience because of the lack of a wide color gamut and low peak brightness.
Motion
- TV reviewers lauded the LG UN7000’s motion handling, thanks to the presence of judder removal and a motion interpolation feature. Despite the visible artifacts with it turned on, fans of the “soap opera effect” will love the fact that this TV can interpolate content up to 60 FPS. In addition, this TV didn’t stutter much in their tests while displaying a 24 FPS video.
Refresh Rate
- The screen of the LG UN7000 has a native refresh rate of only 60Hz, according to Consumer Reports and Cnet. And it doesn’t have VRR to help adjust the refresh rate with the content’s frame rate. As a result, they hated it for gaming.
Response
- Product experts applauded the 19 ms response time the LG UN7000’s screen delivers. The input lag is also pretty low, at about 10 ms.
- But, they also noted that the 120Hz backlight flicker results in some image duplication.
Viewing Angle
- Thanks to the IPS panel, the LG UN7000 features wide viewing angles. Pro testers could go as wide as 65°, after which the colors started to shift. According to them, along with fantastic reflection handling, it is way better in this regard than VA TVs.
Burn-In
- Critics were glad to note that the LG UN7000, unlike OLED TVs, does not suffer from permanent display burn-in.
- However, they did see some minor temporary image retention issues in their tests after displaying a high-contrast static picture.
DESIGN
Stand
- The LG UN7000 comes with two feet that serve as its stand. Reviewers said that they support the TV well without teetering.
- But they also measured the stand’s footprint at 44.6 inches, which is almost as wide as the TV itself. And they aren’t adjustable, so you may need a large piece of furniture to accommodate this TV.
Back
- Top experts were disappointed by the fact that the back of the LG UN7000 does not include any section for cable management. Otherwise, the plastic back is plain-looking, and besides the ports, it has holes for a VESA 300×300 wall mount.
Borders
- The bezels of the LG UN7000 are about 1.8 cm thick. Critics said that the wide bezels make the TV look older than it is and can distract some users.
Thickness
- Testers measured the max thickness of the LG UN7000 at 8.9 cm, which is thicker than most modern TVs available today. They also pointed out that the TV protrudes out a bit once wall mounted.
FEATURES
Tuner
- The LG UN7000 features a built-in ATSC 1.0 digital tuner.
- However, vetted reviewers pointed out that the tuner can only deliver up to a 1080i input.
Input
- TV experts disliked the lack of any support for HDMI 2.1 on the LG UN7000. Other than the three HDMI ports, this TV sports two USB ports, one back-facing port for the power cable, and a LAN port for those who don’t have Wi-Fi.
Remote Control
- Unfortunately, just like the LG UN6970, the UN7000 does not include LG’s famous magic remote. Instead, it only comes with a medium-sized basic remote that does not have any voice control functionalities. But it does have two shortcut buttons to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which impressed professional testers.
SMART TV
Apps
- Critics were delighted by the WebOS App Store’s massive library of apps. And the apps themselves run great on the quad-core SoC built into this TV.
- But according to them, sideloading on WebOS can be difficult for an average user if a particular app isn’t available on the store in a region. You can check out the LG UN7300, which comes with LG’s WebOS 5.0.
Streaming
- The LG UN7000 comes with a few streaming apps (e.g., YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video) already pre-installed. And experts said that all of them could stream 4K content in HDR 10 without any lag or frame drops.
Menu
- Expert critics liked the fluidity and the ease of use factor the WebOS 5.0 UI delivers on the LG UN7000 TV. And if you have a separate smart speaker, you can use Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri (Thanks to Apple HomeKit support) to control this TV seamlessly like your other smart devices. And besides, it also includes casting support for Apple AirPlay 2.
SOUND QUALITY
Audio
- The built-in audio system of the LG UN7000 has a total output power of only 20 Watts. And the speakers themselves introduce a lot of compression artifacts at higher volume levels, despite being well balanced. As a result, top reviewers heard a lot of distortion.
Bass
- TV experts also hated the bass output of the LG UN7000’s built-in audio system. They recommended both bass enthusiasts and even regular users to get an external audio system with dedicated subwoofers.
Soundstage
- The lack of eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) means that the LG UN7000 TV can’t reach a broad soundstage. It is only limited to Dolby Digital 5.1 through HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) and the optical audio output.
