LG UA77 Series 65UA7700PUB 65"

The LG UA77 is a 65-inch 4K smart TV that nails the basics: smooth webOS performance, five years of guaranteed updates, and a solid processor for upscaling. Picture quality is average at best, with no local dimming or Dolby Vision, so movie buffs should look elsewhere. Pricing swings wildly from $204 to $660, making it a steal at the low end but a tough sell near full price. Best for streamers and families who want a big, reliable screen without breaking the bank.

The Alpha 7 AI Processor Gen8 is doing most of the heavy lifting here, and honestly, it's pulling more than its weight. 4K upscaling is clean and natural-looking, not that over-sharpened mess you sometimes get from cheaper processors. Dynamic Tone Mapping helps HDR content look better than the panel's raw specs would suggest, though we're still talking about HDR10 and HLG support only. No Dolby Vision here, which is a bummer but expected at this tier. For SDR content, which is still most of what people actually watch, the picture is bright enough for a well-lit room and colors look accurate out of the box in Filmmaker Mode.

Gaming lands right around average in our database at the 52nd percentile, and that feels about right. You get a 60Hz panel with FreeSync, VRR, and ALLM, which is a solid combo for casual gaming on a PS5 or Xbox Series S. The Game Optimizer menu puts all your settings in one place, and there's even built-in support for GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming if you want to stream without a console. Just don't expect 120Hz or HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. All three HDMI ports are 2.0, so 4K gaming tops out at 60fps. Fine for most people, but competitive gamers should look elsewhere.

The TCL QM6K Series is the elephant in the room here. For similar money, especially if the UA77 creeps toward the $500+ range, the QM6K gives you quantum dots, better brightness, and a 120Hz panel on some sizes. You lose the LG brand name and that slick webOS experience, but you gain a lot of picture quality. The Hisense U8 is another step up, with mini-LED backlighting and Dolby Vision support that makes this LG look pretty flat in comparison. If you care about movies looking cinematic with deep blacks and bright highlights, Hisense and TCL are the better bets.

On the flip side, the Sony BRAVIA 5 K65XR50 is a more direct competitor in terms of processing quality and brand reputation, but Sony's pricing usually runs higher. You'd be paying more for better motion handling and upscaling, but you'd still be in the 60Hz direct-lit world. The Roku Plus Series is the budget alternative that strips away the fancy processor but gives you the dead-simple Roku interface. If you want the absolute cheapest 65-inch that's still decent, Roku's got you. But LG's processor and update promise give the UA77 an edge for long-term ownership.

Pricing on this set is all over the map, which is actually good news if you're willing to shop around. We're seeing a spread from $204 to $660 across vendors, and at the low end of that range, this TV is an absolute steal. A 65-inch 4K smart TV with a decent processor and five years of software support for around two hundred bucks? That's impulse-buy territory. At the high end near $660, the value proposition crumbles pretty fast. You're suddenly in the same zip code as entry-level QLEDs from TCL and Hisense that will run circles around this panel in picture quality.

Amazon currently has a bundle with some extras thrown in, and Best Buy's price sits somewhere in the middle. If you can snag this under $400, it's a strong value play for a secondary living room TV, a bedroom screen, or anyone who prioritizes smart features and screen size over pure picture performance. Just don't pay full retail. The sweet spot is definitely at the lower end of that price spread.

The LG UA77 Series is one of those TVs that knows exactly what it is and doesn't try to be something it's not. This is a big, affordable 4K screen built for everyday streaming, casual sports watching, and being the centerpiece of a living room where nobody is pixel-peeping or calibrating grayscale. At 65 inches, it fills a wall nicely without filling your credit card statement with regret. LG packed in their Alpha 7 AI Processor Gen8, which is a legit step up from the budget chips you usually find at this end of the pool, and it handles upscaling and tone mapping better than you'd expect for the price.

Who's this for? Families who want a smart TV that just works, cord-cutters who live inside the webOS ecosystem, and anyone who wants a big screen for Netflix and YouTube without diving into the OLED price bracket. The smart features are a real highlight here, landing in the 80th percentile in our database. webOS is snappy, LG Channels gives you over 300 free streaming channels without another subscription, and the Re:New program promises five years of software updates. That's practically unheard of at this price point and means your TV won't feel obsolete two years from now.

But let's be real about what this isn't. This is not a home theater enthusiast's dream. The picture quality sits in the 37th percentile, which means it's fine, perfectly watchable, but not going to blow anyone away with contrast or brightness. It's a Direct LED panel without local dimming, so those deep inky blacks you see on higher-end sets just aren't happening here. If you're coming from an older 1080p TV, you'll be thrilled. If you're comparing it side-by-side with a QLED or OLED, you'll see exactly where the money went.

Home theater enthusiasts and anyone who cares deeply about picture quality should keep walking. The Direct LED backlight without local dimming means black levels are mediocre and dark room performance is underwhelming. If you watch a lot of movies in a light-controlled room, the blooming and gray blacks will bug you. Look at the TCL QM6K or Hisense U8 instead, both of which offer mini-LED backlighting and Dolby Vision for better contrast and HDR impact.

Competitive gamers should also skip this one. The 60Hz panel and HDMI 2.0 ports mean you're capped at 4K 60fps, which is fine for story-driven games but a dealbreaker if you're into fast-paced shooters or racing games at high refresh rates. A 120Hz TV like the TCL QM6K or even a gaming monitor would serve you better. And if you're planning to use this outdoors or in a very bright sunroom, the 35.2 outdoor score in our database tells you everything you need to know. This TV just doesn't get bright enough to fight direct sunlight.

For a family room TV that'll stream Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ all day without complaint, the LG UA77 is a genuinely good pick, especially if you find it under $400. The webOS experience is smooth, the five-year update guarantee is peace of mind you don't get from budget brands, and the 65-inch size feels substantial without being overwhelming. Casual gamers will appreciate the Game Optimizer and cloud gaming options, even if the 60Hz cap keeps things from getting too serious.

If you're building a home theater or you're the type who notices black levels and shadow detail, this isn't your TV. The Direct LED backlight and lack of Dolby Vision hold it back from being a great movie-watching display. Spend a bit more on a TCL QM6K or Hisense U8 and you'll get a panel that actually does justice to 4K HDR content. But if your priority is a big, reliable smart TV that won't feel outdated in three years, and you can grab it at the lower end of that wild price spread, the UA77 delivers exactly what it promises and not a pixel more.