LG QNED 85QNED84BUA 85"

The LG QNED84B is an 85 inch Mini-LED TV with a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support for $1,300 USD, making it a killer deal for gamers who want a huge screen. The display panel itself is excellent, ranking in the 95th percentile, but overall picture quality is just average due to the edge lit Mini-LED backlight. Audio is weak and you only get 2 HDMI ports, so budget for a soundbar and an HDMI switch. If gaming is your priority, buy it. If movie watching matters more, look at TCL or Hisense instead.

Let's talk about what this TV does well first. The 144Hz native refresh rate is the star of the show here. Combined with FreeSync and VRR, you're getting buttery smooth gameplay without screen tearing, and the Motion Booster 288 helps reduce blur in fast moving scenes. For competitive gamers or anyone who plays fast paced shooters, this is a genuinely strong setup. The α 8 AI Processor 4K Gen3 handles upscaling and motion interpolation, and while it's not LG's top tier processor, it gets the job done for most content.

Where things get murkier is the Mini-LED implementation. LG calls this an Edge LED Mini-LED, which is a bit of an odd hybrid. Traditional Mini-LED uses a full array of tiny LEDs behind the panel for precise local dimming. Edge LED means the lights are around the perimeter, which typically results in less precise control over bright and dark areas. The 100% Color Volume claim is nice on paper, and the Dynamic QNED Color Pro does deliver richer colors than a standard LED, but the HDR10 Pro support is just average. You won't get the deep, inky blacks of a full array Mini-LED or OLED, and bright highlights won't pop the way they do on higher end sets. For a dark room movie night, this TV will show its limitations.

The most direct comparison is the TCL QM8K Series 75QM8K. TCL has been killing it in the value Mini-LED space, and the QM8K delivers full array local dimming with much better HDR performance than the LG. You give up 10 inches of screen size, but you gain significantly better picture quality. The Hisense U8 Series 65U8QG is another strong alternative, with excellent brightness and contrast for the money, though it's even smaller at 65 inches.

On the higher end, the Samsung Neo QLED QN990F and Sony BRAVIA 9 K85XR90 are in a completely different league for picture quality. The Sony especially is known for its processing and HDR tone mapping, and the Samsung's full array Mini-LED implementation is far more precise than LG's edge lit approach. But you'll pay a hefty premium for either. The Roku Plus Series 55R6C7 is the budget alternative, but at 55 inches it's not really competing for the same buyer. If you're set on 85 inches and want to stay under $1,500 USD, the LG is basically your only option from a major brand.

At $1,300 USD, this is one of the cheapest ways to get an 85 inch Mini-LED TV from a major brand. The price to size ratio is genuinely impressive, and that's the main reason this TV exists. You're paying for the panel size and the gaming features, not the picture processing or the audio. For comparison, the Samsung Neo QLED QN990F and Sony BRAVIA 9 K85XR90 are both significantly more expensive for similar screen sizes, though they deliver much better picture quality and HDR performance.

The value proposition really depends on what you prioritize. If you want the biggest screen possible for the least amount of money and you mostly play games or watch sports in a bright room, this is a strong deal. If you care about movie watching in a dark room, accurate colors, or immersive audio, you'll probably end up spending more on a soundbar and wishing you'd bought a better panel. The math works out for gamers, less so for cinephiles.

The LG QNED84B is one of those TVs that makes you do a double take when you see the price tag. An 85 inch Mini-LED panel for $1,300 USD is the kind of deal that usually comes with a catch, and honestly, there are a few. But for the right person, this thing is a lot of screen for the money. LG is positioning this as a 2026 model with their evo AI branding, and the headline features are the 144Hz refresh rate, the Mini-LED backlight, and that massive 85 inch canvas.

Who is this for? Gamers, mostly. The gaming score sits at 63 out of 100, which puts it in the 82nd percentile for TVs in our database. That's a solid showing, and the 144Hz panel with FreeSync and VRR support means this TV can keep up with a PS5 or a gaming PC without breaking a sweat. If you're looking for a big screen to pair with a console in a living room or a dedicated game room, this is a compelling option. Sports fans get a decent experience too, though the 54.9 score suggests it's not going to blow anyone away with motion handling.

But here's the thing. The picture quality score lands at just the 36th percentile, which is a bit of a head scratcher for a Mini-LED TV. The display itself ranks in the 95th percentile, so the panel is big and capable, but the overall picture processing and HDR performance drag the score down. The HDR score is dead average at the 50th percentile. So you're getting a huge, fast screen with some real compromises in the areas that videophiles care about most.

If you're a home theater enthusiast who cares about deep blacks, precise local dimming, and accurate HDR, this TV will frustrate you. The edge lit Mini-LED backlight can't compete with full array sets from TCL or Hisense, and the HDR performance is just average. You'd be better off with the TCL QM8K Series or the Hisense U8 Series, both of which deliver better picture quality for similar or slightly more money, though you'll sacrifice some screen size.

Also skip this if you have a lot of devices to connect. Only 2 HDMI ports is genuinely limiting for a 2026 TV, especially one marketed toward gamers. If you have a console, a streaming box, and a soundbar, you're already out of ports. And if you care about audio quality, the 2.0 channel speakers won't cut it. You'll need to add a soundbar, which eats into the value proposition. For anyone who wants an all-in-one solution without extra accessories, look at the Samsung Neo QLED QN990F or Sony BRAVIA 9 instead.

For gamers who want a massive screen without spending a fortune, the LG QNED84B is easy to recommend. The 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync, VRR, and low input lag in Game Mode make it a genuinely great gaming display, and the 85 inch size is immersive in a way that smaller screens just can't match. The $1,300 USD price tag seals the deal for this use case. You're getting a lot of gaming performance per dollar.

For movie lovers and anyone who cares about picture quality, this is a harder sell. The edge lit Mini-LED backlight limits contrast and black levels, the HDR performance is average at best, and the built in audio is underwhelming. You'd need to add a soundbar and accept that dark scenes won't look as good as they would on a full array Mini-LED or OLED. If your viewing is mostly bright room sports and gaming, you'll be happy. If you're planning movie nights in a dark room, look elsewhere.