4K TV ranges launching in time for Black Friday isn’t new, but usually they are as basic as they get in the drive for the lowest possible price. LG’s new budget range ticks the basic boxes, but it’s also released a more high-end Nanocell range.
LG’s cheap UN70006LA LCD range is definitely pitched at those buying on a budget, with the 43-inch 43UN70006LA starting at just £319. The range also includes 50, 55 and 65-inch models.
The brand’s more high-end Nanocell range – the NANO796NE series – also has TVs of these four sizes, but tops the range off with a super-sized 75-inch TV. Nanocell TVs are typically at the pricier end of the TV market, but this is LG’s cheapest Nanocell range so may appeal to those looking for great picture quality on a budget.
As these TVs released so recently we haven’t been able to test them in our lab. However, we’ve tested hundreds of other LG TVs, and almost all of the models LG released in 2020. This means we have a good idea of how good these TVs will be based on the technology inside them and the features they share with similarly-priced TVs that we have tested.
Looking for a cheap TV this Black Friday? Take a look at our top TV deals and our favourite TVs under £500 and £1,000.
A closer look at the cheap 70006LA TV range
The first thing you notice with this range is the price. At time of writing, the 43-inch 43UN70006LA is just £319 making it one of the cheapest TVs from a big-name brand.
The next thing you’ll notice is the chunky black bezel surrounding the screens – but you can’t really expect a flashy design when prices are so low. It’s not an ugly TV by any means, but not quite as streamlined as some of LG’s ranges.
It does have some things in common with its flashier, thinner, more expensive cousins though, including:
- LG’s exemplary WebOS operating system. It truly is one of the best around and it’s fantastic that LG puts the full-featured version on all its ranges, not just the expensive ones.
- It has a 4K display, which means it has four times the pixels of HD models, so can display sharper detail and more vibrant images.
- HDR technology (read more about the benefits of HDR). You don’t get any advanced HDR formats, such as HDR10+ or Dolby Vision, but HDR10 and HLG are perfectly good formats and we’ve tested TVs that make excellent use of them.
Generally we find that the value of HDR is more to do with how well the TV implements HDR rather than the formats it supports, so don’t count a TV out for not having HDR10+ or Dolby Vision.
LG’s cheap series isn’t as pared back as some Black Friday ranges either (we’re looking at you Samsung). It still has a single-tuner PVR for recording one channel at a time onto a USB hard drive and with both a satellite and Freeview tuner you can watch channels with a satellite or an aerial. With Samsung’s equivalent TU7020 range you lose the PVR, satellite tuner, Bluetooth and it has one fewer HDMI input (find out more about Samsung’s cheap Black Friday TVs).
One noteworthy omission: LG’s 70006LA TVs don’t have the brand’s superb Magic Remote, unfortunately, but you can buy this separately if you want.
Should you buy a TV from LG’s 70006LA range?
On paper, LG’s cheap Black Friday range has a few big plusses – but really that’s all window dressing. Picture and sound quality are key here. Our non-tested product reviews give our impressions of the product based on their similarities to other ranges, tech and our years of experience testing LG TVs.
- 43-inch LG 43UN70006LA non-tested review
- 50-inch LG 50UN70006LA non-tested review
- 55-inch LG 55UN70006LA non-tested review
- 65-inch LG 65UN70006LA non-tested review
Is LG’s cheapest Nanocell range worth a look?
A basic, bargain set for Black Friday is nothing new, but a more high-end one trying to capitalise on the shopping frenzy is.
Nanocell TVs are still LCD models, so they use a backlight shining on liquid crystals to create the picture, but they have an extra layer of Nanocells. The extra layer nanocells is supposed to filter and improve colours removing unnatural ones, a bit like a sieve strains unwanted lumps from a gravy.
What’s especially interesting about LG’s NANO796NE range is the inclusion of the only 43-inch Nanocell TV. Although small by modern standards, 43 inches perfect for some living rooms, which makes this size a notable omission from many mid to high-end TV ranges.
Manufacturers seem to be starting to address this shortfall. First we saw Samsung introduce some 43-inch QLED TVs, and now this from LG. It’s a good sign for anyone looking for smaller sets.
There are some technological differences between the 796NE range compared to LG’s next level up – the 816NA range. There’s no local dimming, which could limit contrast control, and the TVs lack Ultra Luminance. In theory, this affects the vibrancy and brightness of the image – although this sounds like the sort of tech that our experts often find doesn’t make a vast amount of difference to the picture.
TVs from the 796NE range also have one fewer HDMI inputs (three in total, aside from the 75-inch that has four). LG’s more expensive Nanocell ranges all have four.
Should you buy a TV from LG’s cheap Nanocell range?
Much of the appeal of LG’s new range may lie in the price – so just how much has LG managed to shave off by ditching local dimming and Ultra Luminance? Since there’s no comparison for the 43-incher, we’ve looked at the 50-inch model. At time of writing the 50NANO796NE is £479, while the 49-inch 49NANO816NA from LG’s next cheapest Nanocell range is £100 more.
You can see our impressions of these TVs by heading to the non-tested reviews.
- 43-inch LG 43NANO796NE non-tested review
- 50-inch LG 50NANO796NE non-tested review
- 55-inch LG 55NANO796NE non-tested review
- 65-inch LG 65NANO796NE non-tested review
- 75-inch LG 75NANO796NE non-tested review
Black Friday TV deals
We expect these TVs to be on offer on the big day, as well as Samsung’s TU7020 range.
You can keep track of the best TV deals we find on our best Black Friday deals page.
More on Black Friday
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/11/are-lgs-black-friday-tv-ranges-worth-buying/