LG 55LE8500

Black Level (4.88)

We measured the LG 55LE8500’s black level at a ridiculously high 0.42 candelas per square meter (cd/m²). A typical, good black level is around 0.1 cd/m². This is four times as bright. Really poor performance here. More on how we test black level.

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Peak Brightness (9.55)

We measured the 55LE8500s’ peak brightness at 427.92, which is bright enough for just about anyone. A high peak brightness is important, because it allows for better detailing in bright scenes and prevents your picture from getting washed out by external light. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast (6.05)

With a poor black level and very high peak brightness, the 55LE8500 wound up with the mediocre contrast ratio of 1018:1. Our eyesight is based on contrast, so a high contrast ratio is important for maintaining a high level of detail. The 55LE8500 isn’t so bad the average viewer would be disgusted, but if the TV was put up against one with a decent contrast ratio, they’d definitely notice. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast (9.06)

Tunnel contrast refers to the TV’s ability to maintain a solid black level, regardless of how much black is on the screen. The 55LE8500 was able to maintain a fairly solid black level, with the exception of the dim on a 100% black screen. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff (9.98)

The TV has a very consistent white level. It doesn’t matter how much white is onscreen at once: the TV maintains the level regardless. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity (8.75)

On our uniformity test, we check out a black and white screen and look for imperfections in the screen. Typically on LCDs we see far more issues with the black screen than the white, and the inverse is true for plasmas.

We didn’t really see any uniformity issues with the LG 55LE8500. White screens were almost pristine, as we would have expected. Dark screens were pretty good too, at least ideally. The problem here was a combination of size and display technology. The screen is pretty large, and LCDs have terrible viewing angles; the 55LE8500 is no exception. If you were seated directly in front of any given portion of the screen, it’d look perfect; seated dead center, you’d notice the corners appear to leak light like crazy. Again, this has more to do with viewing angle than it does with uniformity, but the end result will be the same for someone seated dead center. More on how we test white falloff.

Greyscale Gamma (7.34)

We measured the LG 55LE8500’s greyscale gamma at 2.64, which is a bit aggressive. This means some minor details might be lost as the blacks aggressively brighten to whites. Looking at the curve below, you shouldn’t run into any additional problems: the gamma increases uniformly. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Other Models in the xxLE8500 Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.
LG 47LE8500 47 in.