🏆 LG NANO81 vs NANO85 : Which TV is better for your needs?

The NanoCell series takes the position of the middle class 4K TVs in LG’s lineup and consists of three TVs, all equipped with an IPS LCD panel. With IPS panels the viewing angle is quite wide, but the performance in dark surroundings is not as convincing as for example devices with VA panels – for a comparison of the two panel types you can have a look at our comparison NanoCell vs QLED. In this article we will compare the two cheaper models of the NanoCell series and we will investigate whether it has to be the more expensive NANO85 or the cheaper NANO81 is completely sufficient.

LG NANO81 and NANO85 compared

Detailed facts: LG NANO81 or NANO85

Our conclusion: Same performance, but with more features

Updated on 2020/08/28

Selected from 578 TVs

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LG NANO81 and NANO85 compared
Which TV is better?

LG NANO81

Entry-level NanoCell TV

$646.99^*

Low input lag
Viewing angle
Smart TV Features

60Hz panel
Contrast ratio 1400:1
Black levels
No Dolby Vision & HDR10+
No DTS & Dolby Atmos

55"

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65"

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Rating v1.14

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LG NANO85

Mid-range NanoCell TV

Comparison winner

120Hz IPS panel
HDMI Forum VRR
Input Lag
Viewing angle
Reflection behavior
Dolby Vision & Atmos
HDMI 2.1

Black levels
Contrast ratio 1700 : 1
Peak brightness ~550 Nits

49"

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55"

Check price

65"

Check price

LG OLED Deals bei MediaMarkt & Saturn

1099€^*

LG OLED BX 55"

1299€^*

LG OLED CX 48"

1999€^*

LG OLED CX 65"

Alle Angebote im Überblick

Start comparison

Detailed comparison: LG NANO81 or NANO85

	Comparison winner
LG NANO81 Like all televisions with IPS panel, the NANO81 has a wide viewing angle with a quite respectable picture quality in bright surroundings. However, the picture quality gets worse the brighter the surroundings are, which is due to the low contrast ratio of 1400:1 and the shallow black. Its local dimming feature does not really enhance the performance as it is only Edge Lit local dimming, which causes problems like blooming or noticeable dimming zones - that can be quite annoying in dark scenes. Since the NANO81 is the entry level model in the NanoCell series, LG has saved some of the equipment for the more expensive models. Therefore, not much has been integrated besides an Auto Low Latency Mode and a well-done Smart Operating System. Due to the response time of 6ms the motion handling of the 60Hz panel is rather average, which is not necessarily bad in this price range. With fast movements a certain degree of motion blur can be seen. More about LG NANO81	LG NANO85 The NANO85 has a quite similar performance in bright and dark surroundings, but can clearly display HDR content better due to the wider color gamut and Dolby Vision IQ, even if it cannot be displayed very impressively. Unfortunately, also the Nano86 does not get very bright, which is not really helpful for HDR content, because bright highlights cannot stand out. The biggest difference can be found in the equipment. The NANO85 has been equipped with an 120Hz display and also has an HDMI 2.1 interface with VRR and ALLM. So it is perfectly prepared for the upcoming Next Gen consoles and can already use them to full capacity with [email protected] - at least for SDR content. In addition there is a HDMI eARC, which supports uncompressed Dolby Atmos via Dolby True HD. More about LG NANO85

Panel type	IPS Panel	IPS Panel
Resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels Ultra HD (UHD) / 4K / 2160p	3840 x 2160 pixels Ultra HD (UHD) / 4K / 2160p
Contrast ratio	1400 :1	1700 :1
Local Dimming	Edge Lit Local Dimming	Edge Lit Local Dimming
Frequency	60 Hz	120 Hz
VRR	Nein	HDMI 2.1
Input Lag	< 10 ms	< 17 ms
Motion Handling
Color space coverage
Ø brightness
Max brightness
Reflections
Operating system	webOS 5.0	webOS 5.0
HDR10+
Dolby Vision
Dolby Atmos
DTS
HDMI 2.1
Improved viewing angle

	Comparison winner
LG NANO81	LG NANO85
Inch See price Amazon.com 55 Inch See price Amazon.com 65 Inch See price Amazon.com All prices	49 Inch See price Amazon.com.co.uk.ca 55 Inch See price Amazon.com.co.uk.ca 65 Inch See price Amazon.com.co.uk.ca All prices

^* All prices are in USD incl. VAT, if necessary plus shipping. Interim changes of prices, ranking, delivery time and costs are possible.

Vitus // tvfindr.com

Our conclusion: Same performance, but with more features

The picture characteristics of the two TVs are almost identical. So if you are looking for a Smart TV for SDR content in bright rooms, which has a wide viewing angle, you can certainly choose the NANO81. However, due to its reduced features it lacks some of the features that are essential for a more advanced TV experience. The NANO85 has Dolby Vision IQ, which allows HDR content to be displayed better.

For those who want to purchase the new Xbox Series X or Playstation 5 consoles, the NANO85 is clearly the better choice. With the 120Hz panel and the HDMI 2.1 interface a 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate is supported, which will be possible with both consoles.

We compared the following televisions:

LG NANO81 LG NANO85

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