LG UP8000 (LCD) vs Samsung AU8000 (LCD)

The LG UP8000's poor performance for movies and cinematic TV is due to its low contrast, lack of local dimming, and mediocre black uniformity, which lead to less depth and detail in dark scenes, especially impacting night-time movie experiences. The Samsung AU8000, while it has better contrast and black uniformity, also lacks local dimming, negatively affecting its ability to deliver true-to-life images in cinematic content, resulting in a less immersive viewing experience.

The LG UP8000 has poor color gamut and color volume, resulting in less vibrant and diverse colors, which is particularly noticeable in the bright and varied hues often found in cartoons and animation. In contrast, the Samsung AU8000 delivers fair color gamut and color volume, which means while it's not exceptional, it does better at displaying a wider range of colors, making animated content more visually appealing.

The LG UP8000 has good upscaling and fair SDR brightness, making it suitable for viewing standard definition content clearly in moderately lit environments, but it lacks local dimming and has poor color gamut which may affect its ability to display vibrant colors. On the other hand, the Samsung AU8000 also offers good upscaling and better SDR brightness for clarity in bright rooms, plus it has slightly better colors out of the box and contrast—thanks to its VA panel—but similarly lacks local dimming and has only a fair color gamut, impacting its color vibrancy.

The LG UP8000 and Samsung AU8000 are both fair options for watching sports; however, the LG UP8000 has better viewing angles, making it more suitable for group viewing, whereas the Samsung AU8000 handles reflections better, offering a more comfortable viewing experience in brighter rooms. Both TVs have comparable motion processing and response time, which are crucial for fast-moving sports content, but neither is exceptional in these areas, leading to their fair performance rating for sports viewing.

The LG UP8000's gaming performance is lacking due to a fair response time, which can cause motion blur, and the Samsung AU8000 suffers in gaming too, because of its poor response time making fast-moving objects look smudged. Both TVs have a lower refresh rate which can limit gaming smoothness and they both excel in input lag, reducing delay between user actions and on-screen reaction, but this does not fully compensate for their motion handling deficiencies.

The LG UP8000 has lower SDR brightness, which makes it less suitable for bright rooms, and its poorer reflections handling can lead to more distractions from light sources in the room. On the other hand, the Samsung AU8000 offers better SDR brightness and handles reflections more effectively, providing a more comfortable viewing experience in well-lit environments.