LG LQ520S LG - 24” Class LED HD Smart TV with webOS (2022) Review

This is a niche TV for tight spaces where smart features are key. The 24-inch HD picture is basic and bright, but LG's webOS interface is a standout. At $170, it's a trade-off: you get convenience and portability, but sacrifice picture quality and connectivity. Only buy it if your top needs are 'small' and 'has Netflix built-in.'

Let's be honest, this isn't a TV for your main living room. The LG 24LQ520S is a 24-inch HD screen with a resolution of 1366x768, which is basically the definition of a secondary TV. It's for a kitchen, a dorm room, a guest bedroom, or maybe a small office where you want something smarter than a basic monitor. What makes it interesting is that LG packed its full webOS smart platform into this tiny frame. That means you get Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ right on the TV, which is a nice perk you don't always find on screens this small.

Its best scores in our database are for portability and smart home integration, which makes sense. It's light, it has Wi-Fi, and webOS is genuinely one of the better smart TV interfaces. But the trade-off is clear: this is a budget panel. The picture quality and display specs land in the 1st percentile compared to other TVs. That's not a surprise given the HD resolution and 250-nit brightness, but it's important to know what you're signing up for.

So, think of it as a convenience device. If you need a small, simple screen for casual streaming in a tight space, and you value a good smart TV OS over top-tier picture quality, this LG has a role to play. If you're looking for a primary TV or a serious monitor, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Performance here is all about context. The 1366x768 resolution is HD, not Full HD. That means content won't look as sharp as on a 1080p screen, but for a 24-inch size, it's acceptable for casual viewing from a distance. The 250-nit brightness is low, so this TV needs a dim or controlled room. In a bright kitchen with sunlight, you'll struggle to see the picture clearly.

The 83Hz refresh rate is a quirky spec. It's not the standard 60Hz, but it's also nowhere near gaming monitor territory. In practice, it might make motion feel a tiny bit smoother than a basic TV, but with a 14ms response time, it's absolutely not for gaming. Our data puts its gaming performance in the 1st percentile, so let's just call it a non-starter for anything beyond maybe very casual, old console games. The audio, however, scores in the 81st percentile. The 5W, 2.5-channel sound is surprisingly decent for the size, though 'tinny' is a common complaint from owners. It's better than nothing, but you'll likely want to use the optical audio out for a small soundbar if you care about sound.

At around $170, the value proposition is narrow. You're paying for the convenience of a compact, smart TV. If you just need a dumb monitor for a PC, a basic 24-inch 1080p monitor can be found for less money and will give you a sharper image. If you need a better TV for a small room, a 32-inch 1080p TCL or similar with Roku often costs about the same and offers a bigger, better picture.

So the value is in the combination: small size + webOS. If both of those are your top priorities, then the price is fair. If either picture quality or size is more important, you can find better options for the same cash or less.

The most direct competitor isn't another TV, but a monitor. A 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor like a basic Dell or HP often costs $100-$130. It'll have multiple HDMI ports, better color accuracy, and a sharper image for PC use, but zero smart features. If you want a TV, look at the 32-inch class. A TCL 32S Class with Roku TV is a common find at a similar price. It gives you a larger 1080p screen, a similar smart platform (Roku), and usually more ports. The picture quality will be a significant step up.

If you're wedded to LG and webOS but want a better picture, the step-up model is the LG 24LQ520S's bigger siblings, like a 32-inch LG UN32 series. They'll cost more, but the jump from HD to Full HD is noticeable. The trade-off is always size versus quality versus smart features. This 24LQ520S chooses small size and smart features, and accepts low quality as the cost.

Skip this TV if you care about picture quality. With specs in the 1st percentile, this is one of the lowest-rated displays in our database. Anyone using this as a primary TV in a living room or bedroom will be disappointed by the HD resolution and dim brightness. Gamers should absolutely skip it; the 14ms response and 83Hz refresh rate are not meant for gaming. Also skip it if you need multiple inputs. The single HDMI port is a real constraint. Instead, look at a 32-inch 1080p smart TV from TCL or Insignia for a better picture at a similar price, or a basic 24-inch 1080p monitor if smart features aren't needed.

Buy this TV if you have a very specific niche: a small space (like a dorm, kitchen nook, or camper) where a 24-inch screen is the absolute max size, and you really want the convenience of built-in Netflix and YouTube without fiddling with extra boxes. The webOS system is the main reason to choose it.

Do not buy this TV if you have any other priority. If picture quality matters, even a little, look at a 32-inch 1080p TV. If you need a PC monitor, buy a monitor. If you want to game, look elsewhere. This is a tool for a single, simple job, and it does that job with notable compromises.