LG 65SK9000PUA: At First Glance
In 2018, LG launched the SK9000PUA, a 4K resolution television available in two distinct sizes. Specifically, there is the LG55SK9000PUA (55-inch) and there is the LG 65SK9000PUA (65-inch), which is the main focus of this review article.
The 65-inch LG 65SK9000PUA is a smart television full of innovative features, including ThinQ AI technology. This makes the television one of the smartest televisions LG has ever released.
Besides, the television also offers great picture quality and an impressive operating system called WebOS. Want to know more about this television and its other features?
I urge you to read this review article all the way through.
LG 65SK9000PUA: Design, Dimension, and Weight
The LG 65SK9000PUA comes with a striking and amazing design. To start with, the bezels around the television’s display are made of plastic and are very thin, measuring only 0.43-inch.
However, unlike most LG televisions, the LG 65SK9000PUA does not have any brand logo or inscription on the bottom bezel. This is due to the extreme thinness of the bezels.
Away from the bezels, the LG 65SK9000PUA is supported by a single metal leg with a curved footprint. This leg is attached to the television by screws from the back.
Moreover, the leg is very sturdy and prevents the television from wobbling too much when nudged or pushed.
Proceeding to the back panel of the television, it is made of plastic with a matte-black finish. Also, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s back panel features clips that serve as a form of a cable management system.
That’s not all; this television’s back panel also has 300 x 300 VESA holes. These holes are for mounting or hanging the television on the wall if you don’t want to place it on a table.
Moreover, when you mount the LG 65SK9000PUA on the wall, it shouldn’t bulge out or look odd. This is because the television, as well as its back panel, is slim.
Speaking of slimness, the LG 65SK9000PUA is only 63.5 mm thick. For the overall dimension, this television measures 1455.4 x 63.5 x 830.5 mm (W x D x H).
As regards its weight, the LG 65SK9000PUA weighs a massive 26,580.5 g which means it is quite heavy. Besides, when compared with the Samsung UN65NU6900FXZA and LG 65NANO91TNA, the LG 65SK9000PUA weighs more.
Specifically, these compared televisions weigh 24,992.9 g and 24,000 g, respectively.
In summary, the LG 65SK9000PUA looks nice, featuring very slim bezels and a single metallic leg for optimal support. Also, this television comes with a cable management system.
Considering all these, I will rate the LG 65SK9000PUA an eight out of ten in this design review section.
LG 65SK9000PUA: Display Features and Picture Quality
The display properties of the LG 65SK9000PUA are quite alluring. The television features a 65-inch display with 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) that delivers crisp and realistic picture quality.
A display feature of this TV that we will talk about in this section is the contrast ratio. In brief, contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest whites and deepest blacks that a display can produce.
Moreover, a high contrast ratio (3000:1 or higher) means that the different shades of color on the display will be highly distinguishable. Not only that, but the blacks on the display will also be very deep.
Unfortunately, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display has a mediocre contrast ratio of 1,306:1. Hence, the blacks rendered by the display will not be deep and will have a gray tone.
Hence, you might not enjoy watching movies with lots of dark or shadowy scenes on the television. However, the poor contrast ratio of the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display isn’t actually surprising.
This is because IPS panel displays are known to have a poor contrast ratio, and this television’s display is made with an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel.
That said, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display supports a local dimming feature called full-array backlighting local dimming. For better understanding, local dimming is a technique that helps improve the contrast ratio of a display by dimming backlight zones.
Although this local dimming feature improves the contrast ratio of the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display to some extent, it is not effective enough. The reason is that the feature responds too slowly when reacting to moving highlights and dark zones.
On the positive side of things, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display offers impressive brightness. Specifically, the display delivers an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) peak brightness of 458 nits.
This standard peak brightness is enough for users to enjoy watching the television in well-lit areas or outdoors. To make things even better, with HDR (High Dynamic Range), the display can offer a peak brightness as high as 520 nits.
Therefore, when watching HDR-supported content via Netflix or Prime Video, images should look brighter and sharper. In case you are curious, HDR is a picture technique that boosts the color accuracy and brightness of a display when rendering HDR-supported content.
In addition to its impressive brightness, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display features a semi-gloss coating on its surface. Thanks to this coating, the intensity of the light reflection and sun glares will be reduced on the display.
Thereby making the television more enjoyable in bright areas.
Moving on, due to its IPS panel, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display offers wide viewing angles. Although there is a bit of color shift and brightness when you view it from extreme angles, it is far better than VA panel displays.
Other features that further boost the picture quality of the LG 65SK9000PUA include the α7 Intelligent processor. This processor analyzes content on the display with the help of an AI algorithm.
As a result, optimizing the brightness, clarity, and sharpness of the images on the display.
At this point, let us proceed to discuss the motion handling performance of the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display. To deliver on that, the first feature we will talk about is the display’s refresh rate.
This television’s display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz. For clarity, the refresh rate is the number of times a display can refresh or update new images every second.
Hence, with its refresh rate of 120 Hz, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display can update or refresh a new image 120 times per second. Therefore, images on the display should be smooth, sharp, and with minimal blur trails.
In addition to its refresh rate, the LG 65SK9000PUA comes with TruMotion 240. The function of the TruMotion 240 is to double the refresh rate of the display so as to produce sharper and smoother images.
That aside, let us now talk about the response time of the television’s display. If you don’t know, response time describes how long it takes a display’s pixels to change from one color to another.
Furthermore, a fast response time reduces motion blur and makes transitioning of colors more seamless. Thankfully, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s display delivered a decently fast response time of 14.4 milliseconds.
As a result, the television should be suitable for watching fast-moving content such as sports, action movies, and video games.
The next display feature that determines the motion-handling ability of displays is input lag. If you are hearing this for the first time, do not worry, I will explain what it means.
Briefly, input lag is the time taken by a display to register signal inputs for external sources like a wireless gamepad or remote control. Furthermore, the lower the input lag, the better the gaming experience.
Thus, with an input lag as low as 15.6 milliseconds, the LG 65SK9000PUA is good for gaming.
Before I offer the LG 65SK9000PUA a rating for its performance in this display review section, let me summarize all we have discussed. To begin with, this television produces sharp images thanks to its 4K UHD resolution.
Also, the television’s display handles motion pretty well due to its 120 Hz refresh rate, TruMotion 240, and fast response time. That’s not all; due to its display’s low input lag, the television is ideal for gaming.
However, the display has a poor contrast ratio. Putting all these together, I will be rating the LG 65SK9000PUA TV an eight out of ten.
LG 65SK9000PUA: Sound Features
For the sound department, the LG 65SK9000PUA comes with two 2.2-channel 20-watt speakers. With a total sound power of 40 watts, these built-in speakers can get very loud.
Speaking of which, the speakers should be able to produce sounds that are loud enough to fill a large room. Besides, the speakers’ bass production is decent due to their low-frequency response.
Hence, they should be able to produce enough bass to enjoy watching movies with thumping and rumbling sounds on the television. Other thumbs up to the LG 65SK9000PUA’s speakers are the clarity in dialogue production.
Basically, the speakers are able to deliver clear and audible dialogue. If you don’t know, dialogue is the conversation between two or more characters in a film or TV show.
That said, to further enhance its sound production, the LG 65SK9000PUA features Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD. Dolby Atmos improves the surround sound production and loudness of the television’s speakers.
Similarly, DTS-HD allows the speakers to deliver up to eight channels of virtual surround audio. Thus, with the combination of both sound technologies, the LG 65SK9000PUA should produce an immersive, cinematic, and 3D sound quality.
Moving on to the distortion performance of the LG 65SK9000PUA, I will now share the television’s result on a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) test. However, before we get into the results, let me briefly explain what the THD test is all about.
In short, the THD test measures the odd changes in the audio frequencies produced by a sound system. Thereby evaluating the sound system’s distortion production.
Moreover, based on this test, a score of 1 percent or less implies that the sound system can only produce minimal distortion. Meanwhile, a score above 1 percent means the sound system is able to generate a significant amount of distortion.
Thankfully, at an 80 percent volume level, the LG 65SK9000PUA measured a 0.453% THD score. Hence, when the television’s volume is set to 80% or less, distortion should be minimal.
However, at the maximum volume level, distortion will be noticeable and significant. This is because, at a 100 percent volume level, the television measured 1.325% on the THD test.
In conclusion, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s speakers can produce loud sounds with an adequate amount of bass. Also, the television supports Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD, which both help its speakers to deliver an immersive sound quality.
However, this television offers an average distortion performance. Thus, the LG 65SK9000PUA deserves an eight out of ten rating in this sound review section.
LG 65SK9000PUA: Ports and Connectivity Features
Regarding ports and inputs, the LG 65SK9000PUA features a perfect array of ports. Moreover, these ports are segmented into two groups.
The first group of ports is located on the right side of the television. Therefore, these set of ports should be easy to access when the television is hung on the wall.
Meanwhile, the second group of ports is directly on the back of the television. Hence, these ports might be difficult to reach or access when the TV is hung on the wall.
Altogether, there are about eleven ports on the LG 65SK9000PUA. These ports include three USB 2.0 ports – two on the side of the TV and one on the back.
That’s not all; there are also four HDMI ports, all located on the side of the television. As a matter of fact, one of these HDMI ports supports Audio Return Channel (ARC).
Therefore, you should be able to easily connect a soundbar to the television using the HDMI-ARC port. In addition to the already mentioned ports, the LG 65SK9000PUA also features an AV port, an RF connector, and digital audio out on its back.
Also, there is an Ethernet port for wired internet connectivity on the television’s back. Concerning wireless connectivity, the LG 65SK9000PUA comes with an in-built WiFi 802.11ac module and Bluetooth version 4.2.
Another form of connectivity that this television offers is an AN-MR18BA.AUS magic remote control. This remote is black in color and a bit large.
Also, it has a mixture of glossy and brushed finishes. Moreover, the remote offers voice input functionality which is a result of its in-built microphone.
Therefore, you can interact with the TV’s voice assistant (Google Assistant) by simply speaking to the in-built mic of the magic remote.
In addition to the in-built mic, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s remote control has a lot of buttons. Some of these buttons include a full numerical pad and an input source button.
Furthermore, there is also a home menu button, a setting button, and a voice command button on the remote. Additionally, the LG 65SK9000PUA’s remote has a navigation button with a scroll wheel in the middle.
Moreover, the remote also features a volume rocker, a channel rocker, a return button, and a TV guide button. That’s not all; there are two dedicated buttons for quick access to Netflix and Prime Video on the remote.
Lastly, at the bottom of the remote, you will find the playback buttons.
In summary, the LG 65SK9000PUA offers enough ports. However, some of the ports might be difficult to access when the television is mounted on the wall.
Nevertheless, this television comes with a remote that supports voice input. Therefore, the LG 65SK9000PUA scores a nine out of ten in this ports and connectivity review section.
LG 65SK9000PUA: Smart Features
Like most LG smart televisions, the LG 65SK9000PUA comes with the webOS 4.0 as its operating system. The webOS offers promising entertainment features, including a user-friendly and smooth interface.
Thus, the selection of apps and transitioning from one app to another should be pretty much instantaneous and seamless. Besides, on the interface, you will find a horizontal bar at the bottom.
This bar consists of a tool/settings menu and an array of pre-loaded popular streaming services and apps. To mention a few of the streaming services, there is YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and Google TV/Movies.
Moreover, the LG Content store is also available on the webOS 4.0. Hence, you should be able to download additional streaming services and apps on the OS via this store.
That aside, the webOS also supports Channel Plus, which gives viewers access to plenty of free TV shows and movies.
Moving on, the LG 65SK9000PUA comes with ThinQ AI technology. ThinQ AI tracks your routine on the TV and provides you with suggestions for your favorite content.
Additionally, the ThinQ AI enables you to interact verbally with the TV by giving it commands. It also allows you to search for your favorite content and apps easily.
In conclusion, the LG 65SK9000PUA runs on webOS 4.0, which offers lots of streaming services and a smooth interface. Hence, I will be rating this television a nine out of ten in this smart features review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
When televisions have a refresh rate of 120 Hz, this simply means that the display can update new images 120 times every second. Moreover, a refresh rate of 120 Hz is fast enough for users to enjoy watching fast-motion content on the television with minimal blur trails.
For TruMotion 240, this is a feature that doubles the refresh rate of a display, thereby making it update images faster. Hence, with the help of the TruMotion 240, a display with a 120 Hz refresh rate will get boosted to 240 Hz.
Yes, the LG 65SK9000PUA has Bluetooth 4.2.
The LG 65SK9000PUA was released in 2018.
Yes, it is. The LG 65SK9000PUA offers a decently low input lag of 15.6 milliseconds which makes it good for gaming. It also has a 120 Hz refresh rate which is another feature that makes it great for gaming.
The LG 65SK9000PUA comes with four HDMI ports. One of these HDMI ports is compatible with ARC (Audio Return Channel).
Conclusion
The LG 65SK9000PUA is a good smart 4K resolution TV with promising features. It produces colorful and sharp images thanks to its 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution display.
Furthermore, the LG 65SK9000PUA delivers impressive motion handling performance, and its sound performance is decent. Also, the TV is equipped with a good number of ports alongside a voice-supported magic remote.
Additionally, the LG 65SK9000PUA features a responsive and intelligent operating system called webOS. However, this television has a few major downsides, which include a poor contrast ratio.
Nonetheless, its pros massively outweigh its downsides. Therefore, if you are in need of a 65-inch smart television, the LG 65SK9000PUA deserves your consideration.
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