Review: LG NANO99 (75NANO996NA)

Big screen for gaming!

LG's largest and best LCD TV works great for both gaming, movies and regular TV watching. A very capable big screen!

Published 2020-11-19 - 5:00 pm
LG NANO99 (75NANO996NA)
Audun Hage

In the TV world, LG is undoubtedly best known for its OLED screens. The Korean manufacturer has spent billions developing and marketing OLED technology. But that does not mean that they have “forgotten” to further develop their LCD screens for that reason!

LG’s very best LCD screens use so-called NanoCell technology to provide the best possible color depth and contrast, and NANO99 is the flagship model with 8K resolution. With a price of over 5000, we are definitely in the high-end class. Still, it’s a good distance up to LG’s rawest OLED screens: If you want an OLED TV with 8K resolution, you have to pay several hundred thousand kroner more. The 75-inch NANO99 series costs only a fraction of what you have to pay for an 8K OLED TV, for example. In addition, it is significantly cheaper than Sony’s top model. In that sense, it could be a bargain, right?

NANO99 comes with two metal feet, which must be mounted about as wide as the TV. Thus, your TV cabinet should be just as wide. (Photo: LG)

Design

NANO99 is definitely in a completely different weight class than the OLED screens from the same team. We already notice this when we unpack the TV: Electronics, power supply and an arsenal of LEDs on the inside, make this a heavy and voluminous creature. The screen is surrounded by a strong frame in brushed metal, which also builds a lot in depth. LG has obviously made sure that the rear-mounted LEDs have plenty of space.

On the back, LG has made a recess for a special pull-out wall bracket (optional). The connections are also arranged so that the TV can be hung close to the wall. But even then, it will of course protrude significantly more from the wall than, for example, an OLED GX.

Ease of use and features

The LG NANO99 uses exactly the same operating system as other monitors from that edge, specifically WebOS (5.0), which is definitely one of our favorites. The Magic Remote touch control makes it easy to click through the menus. The graphical user interface feels modern, clear and easy to operate.

The Magic Remote touch remote control ensures that the NANO99 is quick and easy to operate. (Photo: Audun Hage)

The app selection is very good: In addition to Netflix, you get access to HBO Nordic, Amazon Prime, Rakuten, Apple TV and not least Disney +. The TV also supports AirPlay and Homekit, so it can display content from Apple iOS devices and be part of a Homekit-controlled smart home.

As is well known, LG has been among the best in its class when it comes to updating its TVs with modern connectivity options. 75NANO99 boasts full support for HDMI 2.1 on two of the four inputs. This means you can connect high quality video sources in up to 8K / 60p or 4K / 120p quality. In comparison, the Sony ZH8 has only one input with HDMI 2.1.

The LG screen also has an excellent low input layer (delay on the input), which we measured at about 17 milliseconds. (Photo: Audun Hage)

 

Image quality

The LG NANO99 uses an 8K LCD panel of the IPS type, which traditionally excels with a wider viewing angle, but a slightly weaker contrast than the VA type. To compensate for this, LG has equipped the screen with direct LED taillights, for individual light control (local dimming) in several zones.

Just to get one thing out of the way: Even an LCD screen of this caliber can not quite measure up to the black level achieved with an OLED screen. While LG’s OLED screens can turn every little pixel on and off, the LCD screen relies on transillumination to reproduce images. Therefore, it is almost inevitable with a certain degree of light leakage, which can be seen in the form of irregularities (so-called halo effects) in dark scenes.

The LG NANO99 has excellent contrast and sharpness. Here from Extraction (Netflix) in 4K and Dolby Vision. (Photo: Audun Hage)

That said, the NANO99 is among the better LCDs we’ve seen when it comes to black level and light control, and definitely the best we’ve seen from the LG factory: the NANO99 has excellent contrast, and retains an excellent light distribution when we test it with demanding and contrasting film scenes. Here there is also plenty of brightness to be able to enjoy all of the TV content both during the day and in the evening. NANO99 can not quite measure up to the light intensity of the Sony ZH8, but is fully on par with, for example, the Samsung Q800T that we have tested before.

The most impressive thing about an 8K TV like this is of course the sharpness: the LG screen draws a tightly packed and seamless image, without a hint of “mesh” or pixel pattern. It provides a solid picture experience with a phenomenal sense of depth. NANO99 also shows here that it has very good upscaling: Even quite “cloudy” HD recordings look really sharp and noise-free.

An 8K screen naturally thrives best when it is served real goods. Here, the LG NANO99 benefits from being able to view YouTube videos in proper 8K resolution. There are now plenty of amateur and semi-professional videos available in 8K quality, but there are still only a few TV models that can show them. With the LG screen, you can enjoy these footage in true 8K quality, pixel by pixel, and it clearly looks impressive.

The LG NANO99 also works great as a gaming screen: With the car game Forza Horizon 4 in PC version, we could immediately state that the LG screen can easily handle variable frame rates up to 120 fps, while maintaining excellent motion sharpness. Not to mention that gaming on a huge 75-inch can be highly addictive!

Sound quality

The LG NANO99 is equipped with stereo speakers and 60W output power, in addition to built-in decoding of audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. The built-in sound gets a clear approved stamp: Here there is both good clarity in the voice reproduction, as well as good fullness in bass and sound effects. Still, there is no doubt that serious audio enthusiasts should budget with an audio board or other audio system first and foremost. The LG screen supports HDMI eARC, so it will be a narrow matter to upgrade with an Atmos-compatible soundboard.

Conclusion

LG’s LCD screens have probably ended up a bit in the shadow of the company’s excellent OLED models. However, the top model NANO99 is a bright spot in the LG range: here you get the same good image processing and format support as the OLED screens, combined with a large and razor-sharp 8K image. The LG screen looks very nice on all image material, and is also a very capable gaming screen with low input layers and support for up to 120 images per second. NANO99 can not quite match the Sony ZH8 in terms of brightness and contrast, but when you look at what LG has achieved for around half the price, there is no doubt that NANO99 appears to be a very good buy in the 8K class.

 

 

Karakter
LG NANO99 (75NANO996NA)
High End

We think

The LG Nano99 offers sharp images with plenty of contrast and excellent black level. It also boasts good connection options. A very capable big screen! The brightness is not as dazzlingly strong as some competitors, and the LG screen does not have as neutral colors.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Samsung TQ98Q80C: King-size TV!

Phenomenal colour reproduction

Impressive new OLED from Samsung

Ultra-crisp OLED TV from Sony

Gamers' wet dream?

Still one of the best?

Scroll to Top