Calling a TV ‘entry-level’ used to mean explaining what it doesn’t do. The LG NU885 makes that harder. It sits at the accessible end of LG’s 2026 NANO 4K UHD AI lineup, priced for a main household TV rather than a premium one, yet the feature list includes a dedicated AI processor, Dolby Atmos, a smart hub built on Gemini and Copilot, and a design that doesn’t look cut down to hit a number. Here’s how those features work in everyday use. But first, a look at the sizes and prices.
The LG NANO 4K UHD range is available in 43, 50, 55, 65, and 75-inch sizes. The range also includes an 86-inch NU885.
Picture: Built Around a Processor, Not a Marketing Term
The NU885 runs on LG’s Alpha 7 AI Processor 4K Gen9, which processes incoming content before it reaches the panel.
That processor drives the TV’s Nano Detail Enhancer, which analyses each scene and sharpens contrast, texture, and depth scene by scene. LG is upfront that “NANO” here isn’t NanoCell color technology, just a name for this detail-processing approach. In practice the effect is filling in gaps in older or lower-resolution content through 4K Super Upscaling, so a cable broadcast or an old home video doesn’t look flat next to native 4K.
For HDR content, the TV supports HDR10 and HLG, plus HDR10 Pro, which applies dynamic tone mapping frame by frame instead of once for the whole file. A sunset scene from a nature documentary shows the difference clearly, brighter highlights, darker shadows, and detail preserved in both, rather than one washing out the other. Filmmaker Mode is also on board, turning off the extra processing that streaming platforms and smart TVs tend to apply by default, so a film plays back closer to how its colourist intended.
None of this requires understanding what any of it means, since the adjusting happens on its own once a movie starts.
Sound That Doesn’t Need a Soundbar, but Works Better With One
The NU885 carries Dolby Atmos and a 20W 2.0-channel speaker setup, with AI Sound Pro doing a virtual 9.1.2-channel up-mix so dialogue, effects, and ambience feel like they’re coming from more directions than the TV physically has speakers for. The sound processing is such that it pulls dialogue forward specifically, which matters more than it sounds during anything with a lot of background score or a mixed-language show where subtitles are only half the answer.
If you already own or plan to add an LG soundbar, WOW Orchestra syncs the TV and soundbar to work as one system, with sound coming from both the TV speakers and the soundbar together, expanding the sense of depth and direction rather than just adding volume. It costs nothing if you skip it and adds real depth if you own the hardware to use it. Pair the NU885 with a soundbar from another brand instead, and this feature is lost. Sound then plays through the soundbar alone, with the TV’s own speakers switched out rather than working alongside it.
Live Sports Without a Laggy Remote
Sports viewing is where a TV’s responsiveness gets tested most, and LG has built specific features around it rather than treating it as a side effect of a good picture. TruMotion uses AI Genre Selection to recognise when you’re watching sports and applies the right amount of motion smoothing for fast movement, cutting down on the judder that shows up during a fast break or a breakaway. Sports Alert lets you set up notifications for your team’s schedule and live scores, so you’re not switching between apps to check if a game has started. And the Information Board, part of the TV’s My Page dashboard, can surface live scores alongside weather and your calendar without leaving whatever you’re already watching.
Variable Refresh Rate support also help here, keeping motion clean during live broadcasts, not just games.
AI Hub That’s Useful
This is the part of the NU885 that separates it most clearly from a plain budget TV. Running on webOS 26, the TV’s AI Hub bundles a set of features that work together rather than as separate gimmicks.
Multi-AI Search connects to both Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, so instead of switching apps for anything unrelated to what’s on the TV, you can ask a general question, like a recipe substitution or a definition, and pick which AI model answers it, all without leaving the screen you’re on. AI Concierge works differently, building personalised content recommendations and information over time based on your viewing habits, rather than reacting to whatever happens to be playing at that moment.
AI Voice ID recognises individual voices and takes you to a personalised My Page, meaning your partner and your kid don’t see the same home screen you do. Each person’s dashboard reflects their own calendar, weather location, sports teams, and watch history. That becomes useful when several people share the same TV.
For troubleshooting, the AI Chatbot detects certain issues before you even have to ask, walking you through fixes on screen or connecting you to support if it can’t resolve something itself. And two personalisation features, AI Picture Wizard and AI Sound Wizard, let you fine-tune the picture and audio to your own preference by picking between options rather than digging through settings menus, building a profile the TV remembers.
All of this is accessed through the AI Magic Remote, which has motion sensing built in so you can point and click like an air mouse instead of navigating with directional buttons, plus voice commands for anything you’d rather just say. A dedicated AI button on the remote is the shortcut into all of it, pressed and held to speak a command or launch the AI Hub directly, rather than digging through menus to find it.
Design That Reads as More Expensive Than It Is
The NU885 uses LG’s Linear Flow Design, a metal-finish rear panel with a ridged, linear pattern that’s meant to look considered from behind as well as from the front, since not every TV setup hides the back. It’s a detail that has nothing to do with picture quality but matters if the TV sits somewhere visible, like an open shelf or a media console without a cabinet.
Built to Keep Up, Not Just Launch Well
A common complaint with smart TVs is that the software feels dated within a couple of years while the hardware is still fine. LG addresses that directly with the webOS Re:New Program, which provides software upgrades for up to five years on eligible models, keeping the OS, security, and AI features current well past the first year of ownership. LG Shield backs that up on the security side, with data encryption, secure update management, and privacy protections that matter more now that a TV is also a login point for streaming accounts, photo libraries, and smart home devices.
The NU885 also works as a Home Hub through LG ThinQ, letting you view and control connected smart home devices from the TV itself. It also connects with Apple AirPlay and Apple Home, and supports Google Cast, so casting from an iPhone or an Android phone works without extra hardware.
Entertainment That Doesn’t Need Another Subscription
LG Channels comes preloaded with over 150+ free channels, live and on demand, with no satellite box, cable subscription, or additional account needed. For anyone who wants something on in the background, whether that’s a news channel or a sports feed, without opening a streaming app first, it’s a useful default rather than a marketing bullet point.
For gaming, the LG Gaming Portal gives access to cloud gaming services like XBOX Cloud Gaming alongside native webOS games, playable with a remote or a gamepad, and it includes Challenge Mode for competing against other players. Game settings themselves are adjustable through the Game Dashboard, with Game Optimiser letting you tune refresh rate, latency, and visual mode per game, and support for ALLM and HGiG mode for anyone using the TV with a console.
Key Specs at a Glance
Display: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), , Alpha 7 AI Processor 4K Gen9, 4K Super Upscaling, Nano Detail Enhancer, / HLG, HDR10 Pro, Dynamic Tone Mapping, AI HDR Remastering, Auto Calibration, Filmmaker Mode, 9 picture modes.
Gaming: VRR up to 60Hz, ALLM, HGiG mode, Game Optimiser with Game Dashboard, LG Gaming Portal with cloud gaming support.
Sound: Dolby Atmos, 20W 2.0-channel output, AI Sound Pro (Virtual 9.1.2 up-mix), Clear Voice Pro, WOW Orchestra, LG Sound Sync.
Smart platform: webOS 26, AI Chatbot, AI Magic Remote (built-in), AI Picture Wizard, AI Sound Wizard, AI Voice ID with My Page, Multi-AI Search (Gemini and Copilot), AI Concierge, Home Hub via LG ThinQ, full web browser.
Connectivity: 3 HDMI inputs (eARC, ALLM support), 1 Ethernet, 2 RF inputs, 1 USB (v2.0), Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, Apple AirPlay and Apple Home support, Google Cast.
Design: Linear Flow Design with metal finish
Software and security: webOS Re:New Program (up to 5 years of upgrades), LG Shield security.
Content: LG Channels, 150+ free channels, no subscription or set-top box required.
The entry-level NU885 isn’t trying to be a flagship, and it doesn’t need to be one to hold up as a solid, dependable TV. What it does is take features that used to be reserved for higher tiers, the processor, the AI hub, the software longevity, and bring them down to a price point where they matter to the person buying a main household TV rather than a second screen.
