LG UQ7570 55UQ7570PUJ 55"

The LG UQ7570 is a budget 55-inch 4K TV that gets the basics right: decent upscaling, a solid smart platform, and a price that's hard to argue with at $497 USD. Picture quality is below average and the audio is genuinely weak, so plan on a soundbar. It's best for secondary rooms and casual streamers, not home theater enthusiasts or serious gamers.

The a5 Gen5 AI processor is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and honestly, it's the most interesting thing about this TV. It's the same processor family LG puts in some of their more expensive sets, just tuned for a budget panel. In practice, that means upscaling is better than you'd expect at this price. 1080p content from YouTube or cable looks reasonably clean on the 4K screen, and the AI processing does a decent job of cleaning up compression artifacts from streaming services.

HDR support is HDR10 Pro, which sounds fancier than it is. The panel's peak brightness and contrast are limited, so HDR content won't have that punchy, dynamic look you get on pricier sets. Our HDR score lands right at the 50th percentile, which is about as middle-of-the-road as it gets. For SDR content, which is still most of what people watch, the picture is solid but unremarkable. The 60Hz panel means no high refresh rate gaming, and the Game Optimizer is more of a convenience feature than a performance one. Input lag is fine for casual gaming, but competitive players should look elsewhere.

Stacked against the Roku Pro Series 55R8C5, the UQ7570 has a better processor story but a weaker overall picture. Roku's platform is snappier and more intuitive for pure streaming, while webOS 22 offers more customization and those separate profiles. If you're a Roku household, the Roku Pro Series is probably the better fit. If you want LG's processing and don't mind the slower smart interface, the UQ7570 holds its own.

The bigger gap shows up when you look at the TCL QM8K Series and Hisense U8 Series. Those are in a different class entirely, with mini-LED backlights, higher brightness, and better HDR performance. They also cost significantly more. The Sony BRAVIA 5 K65XR50 is another step up, with Sony's processing and better motion handling. The UQ7570 isn't competing with those TVs, and if you're cross-shopping them, you're probably looking at the wrong product. This LG is for people who want a big screen at a low price, not for people chasing picture quality.

At $497 USD, the UQ7570 is priced like a budget TV, and it mostly delivers a budget experience. The thing is, that's not a bad deal when you consider what you're getting: a 55-inch 4K screen, a solid smart platform, and LG's brand reliability. The Canadian price of $629 CAD is a bit steeper relative to what else is out there, but it's still in the range where this TV makes sense.

Where the value gets murky is when you start comparing to other budget options. The Roku Pro Series 55R8C5 is a direct competitor that often trades blows on price, and Roku's smart platform is arguably simpler and faster. If you can find a Hisense or TCL at a similar price with better picture scores, the UQ7570 becomes harder to justify. But if you're locked into the LG ecosystem or just want a reliable name brand, this is a reasonable way to spend five hundred bucks.

The LG UQ7570 is the kind of TV that shows up in a lot of living rooms because it hits a price point people actually want to pay. At $497 USD for the 55-inch model, you're getting a 4K panel, LG's webOS smart platform, and the a5 Gen5 AI processor doing its best to make streaming content look decent. It's not trying to be a home theater centerpiece, and that's fine. This is a practical TV for people who want something bigger than 50 inches without taking out a loan.

Who's this for? Mostly budget-conscious buyers who stream a lot and don't obsess over black levels or refresh rates. The built-in access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and over 300 free LG Channels means you can plug it in and have something to watch in about five minutes. The personalized profiles in webOS 22 are a nice touch if you've got kids or a partner who keeps messing up your recommendations.

But let's be honest about what this isn't. The picture quality sits at the 36th percentile in our database, which means it's below average even among budget TVs. The audio is worse, landing at the 13th percentile. If you're coming from an older 1080p set, this will feel like an upgrade. If you've seen a mid-range QLED or OLED recently, you'll notice the difference immediately.

If you're building a home theater setup or care about picture quality at all, skip this. The 36th percentile picture score means you're getting a below-average image, and the HDR performance won't do justice to modern movies or shows. Anyone who watches in a dark room will notice the lack of contrast and the limited black levels immediately. Look at the Hisense U8 Series or TCL QM8K instead, both of which offer dramatically better panels for a few hundred dollars more.

Serious gamers should also pass. The 60Hz panel and 34th percentile gaming score mean this TV is fine for casual play but will hold you back in fast-paced games. If you've got a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you're leaving performance on the table. And if you're sensitive to audio quality, know that the built-in speakers are among the worst we've tested, so factor a soundbar into your budget or look at models with better audio built in.

If you need a 55-inch TV for a bedroom, a kids' room, or a secondary space where you mostly stream shows and movies, the UQ7570 is a perfectly reasonable choice. The webOS platform is easy to live with, the free LG Channels add real value, and the picture is good enough for casual viewing. You're not going to be blown away, but you're also not going to be disappointed if your expectations are set correctly.

For a main living room TV where you watch movies in the dark or do any serious gaming, this isn't the one. The audio is genuinely bad, so you'll want a soundbar almost immediately. The HDR performance is limited, and the 60Hz panel will frustrate anyone who's used to smoother motion. In that scenario, save up a bit more and look at the Hisense U8 or TCL QM8K. They cost more, but the jump in picture quality is substantial.