LG LG UA77 55" 4K HDR Smart LED TV Review

The LG UA77 55-inch 4K TV is a budget-friendly streaming specialist. Its webOS platform is top-notch and includes tons of free content, but the picture quality is just average. It's a good pick for casual viewers who prioritize a smooth smart TV experience over cinematic image quality.

If you're shopping for a 55-inch 4K TV on a budget, the LG UA77 is probably on your radar. At around $329, it's a solid entry point into LG's webOS smart platform and 4K HDR. This is a basic LED TV, not an OLED or Mini-LED, so expectations should be set accordingly. It's designed as a straightforward streaming hub for the living room, with LG's a7 AI processor handling upscaling and three HDMI ports for your console or soundbar.

The picture quality lands in the 45th percentile in our database, which tells you most of the story. For the price, 4K content looks decent, and the a7 processor does an okay job upscaling HD content. But don't expect the deep blacks or vibrant HDR pop of more expensive sets. HDR support is limited to HDR10 and HLG, so no Dolby Vision. For gaming, the 60Hz panel with VRR and ALLM is fine for casual play, but serious gamers will want a 120Hz display. The smart platform, however, is a highlight. webOS 25 is smooth and intuitive, scoring in the 85th percentile, and having over 300 free LG Channels is a nice bonus.

At $329, the LG UA77 is competing in a very crowded budget 55-inch space. You're paying for the webOS experience and LG's reliability more than groundbreaking picture quality. If your main goal is a reliable streaming TV with a great interface, it's a fair deal. But if picture performance is your top priority, there are alternatives at similar prices, like TCL's Series 4 or Hisense's A6 series, that might offer better contrast.

Let's name names. Compared to the TCL QM8 Mini-LED, the UA77's picture isn't in the same league. The TCL has vastly better brightness and contrast, but it also costs more. A closer budget rival is the Hisense U6 Series Mini-LED. The Hisense often has better local dimming and gets brighter for HDR, though its smart TV interface (Google TV) isn't as polished as webOS. Against a basic Samsung Crystal UHD, the LG wins on smart features but might tie on picture. The real trade-off here is webOS smoothness versus raw picture specs for the dollar.

Skip the LG UA77 if you're a home theater enthusiast or a hardcore gamer. The mediocre contrast and lack of advanced HDR mean movie nights won't have that 'wow' factor, and the 60Hz panel is a bottleneck for high-frame-rate gaming. Also, if you're deeply invested in the Google Assistant or Alexa ecosystems for controlling your TV, know that while it works with them, the native experience is all webOS. In those cases, look at Hisense or TCL models with better picture specs or higher refresh rates, even if it means a slightly clunkier interface.

Should you buy the LG UA77? It depends on what you value most. If you want the least frustrating smart TV experience for streaming Netflix and free channels, and you're okay with 'good enough' picture quality, this is a sensible choice. The webOS platform is genuinely excellent. But if you're a movie buff who craves impactful HDR or a gamer who needs 120Hz, you'll feel limited very quickly. For those folks, saving up a bit more for a TV with better contrast is the move.