LG 32LQ6300 review: a small, reliable TV that packs great performance

The 32-inch LG LQ6300 is the company’s ’s only TV in that screen size from its 2022 lineup. It comes with a standard LED panel with a Full HD (1080p) resolution and sits in the mid-range of the 32-inch TV market, with pricing around $249 / £249 upon release. 

LG TVs are amongst the best TVs on the market owing to their features and competitive pricing. The LG 32LQ6300 is no exception in this regard, featuring LG’s  Alpha 5 Gen5 AI processor, web OS smart TV platform and Game Optimizer menu for a better gaming experience.

Picture quality of the LG 32LQ6300 is impressive given it uses a standard LED panel. Viewing a couple of scenes from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in Movie mode, to test HDR images (even though it’s a 1080p TV, the LQ6300 supports HDR10 high dynamic range), colors were punchy and the picture was well-defined and detailed, with the reds within the throne room scene looking true-to-life without being overwhelming. When measuring the DCI-P3 color gamut coverage (the color space used to master 4K movies and digital cinema releases) and BT.2020, the 32LQ6300 yielded results of 81.2 and 62.2% respectively, which are good results for an LED TV, if not a little lower than expected. 

Testing black levels on the LQ6300 using The Batman, some of the limitations of the LED screen became apparent as blacks took on more of a gray tone, but shadow detail was still rich enough. Contrast was also good, with the lights and shadows during the opening subway fight scene looking well-balanced. When measuring the LG 32LQ6300’s peak brightness on a 10% window test pattern the results were 236 nits and 216 nits in Standard and Movie (Cinema) mode, respectively. 

The LG 32LQ6300 has a very clear, punchy HDR picture  (Image credit: Future)

When evaluating motion using Top Gun: Maverick, the LQ6300 handled the intense scenes well, with the fast-moving jets during the training and final missions looking smooth on screen. There is a picture setting called ‘Real Cinema’ (which was set to On by default in Movie mode) that helped with motion processing, but it’s worth noting that on quick panning shots from left to right the LG LQ6300 did struggle a bit. 

As you’d expect from a 32-inch TV, sound quality isn’t mind-blowing. But the LQ6300’s 2 x 10W speakers still do an adequate, if not sometimes surprisingly good, job compared to other 32-inch TVs. Standard sound mode offered a more direct, powerful sound with a bit of bass. This was welcome in the Batmobile scene in The Batman, as there was heft to the Batmobile’s engine. 

Cinema sound mode offered a wider soundstage, but overall didn’t have the same balance as Standard. Although perfectly decent for a small screen, those using this TV for more than just bedroom or secondary viewing will want to invest in one of the best soundbars. 

In terms of design, the LG LQ6300 is a very basic TV. It’s deeper than a good chunk of other 32-inch TVs on the market and has a thicker frame than other TVs as well. It has two feet serving as its stand that are fairly far apart, which could cause issues for those with narrow furniture. It does, however, feel solidly built thanks to this chunkier appearance. The included remote is packed with buttons, arguably a few too many, but it’s functional and covers all the bases.

The Game Optimizer from LG (pictured) featured on the LG 32LQ6300 enables you to edit settings for games such as Battlefield V (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

Although it doesn’t have any next gen-gaming features, gaming performance is still good on the LQ6300. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, the LQ6300 handled graphically intense battle sequences well with quick-switching between targets feeling smooth. Colors were bold and vibrant and the same definition in textures that was present in movies was evident here as well. 

The LQ6300 comes with LG’s own webOS smart TV platform built-in. Although it doesn’t have the same range of settings to adjust as other LG TVs, there’s still plenty to choose from to tailor the picture to your needs. A large portion of the screen on its home menu is taken up by recommendations, with apps in a line along the bottom, and although this was not a major deal, I still found it a little overwhelming and cluttered. 

Considering value for money, the LG 32LQ6300 is one of the better 32-inch TVs available. There are cheaper models out there with QLED screens and better smart TV platforms, but in terms of features and picture quality, the LG LQ6300 overall is a good 32-inch option for those looking for a smaller set. 

The LG 32LQ6300's remote (pictured) is functional, if not a little cluttered  (Image credit: Future)

LG 32LQ6300 TV review: Price & release date

•  $249 / £249 
•  Release date: 2022 

The LG 32-inch LQ6300 is the 32-inch model in LG’s 2022 TV lineup. Released in 2022, the LQ6300 was initially priced at £249 / $249 on release, which is about right for a 32-inch TV with its specs. Since its release, the LG has dropped in price, sitting around £199 / $179 at the time of writing, although prices have dropped further than this in sales before.

LG 32LQ6300 TV review: Specs

Should you buy the LG 32LQ6300 TV?

Buy it if...

You want a punchy, detailed picture
The LG 32LQ6300 has a great HDR picture with detailed sharpness and punchy colors that really jump out during brighter scenes

You want a bedroom gaming TV
Although it may not have the next-gen gaming features such as VRR and 120Hz, gaming performance and picture are still great on the LQ6300

You want solid built-in sound
It may not have the most powerful sound, but the LQ6300's speakers do a good job considering its small size 

Don't buy it if...

You want the all-around best picture
Whilst the LQ6300's picture looks great in bright, colorful scenes, its black levels aren't the best and it struggles with black uniformity 

You like a plain smart TV platform
LG's webOS22 is easy enough to navigate, but its main menu is a little cluttered with recommendations which on a small screen take up a lot of room 

LG 32LQ6300 review: Also consider

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the LG 32LQ6300

• Tested in our lab room with varying lighting conditions
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman software
• Tested through a variety of sources, both SDR and HDR

I used a variety of SDR and HDR sources to test the TVs preset picture modes, including streaming through Disney Plus, live TV via antenna and several Blu-rays played through a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player (although I used standard Blu-rays to test the LG 32LQ6300).

After choosing the best picture mode, Movie, I then selected several reference scenes from movies such as The Batman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Top Gun: Maverick and more to test elements of the picture such as color, black levels, and contrast. I tested gaming performance by using an Xbox Series X. 

When it came time to take measurements of the LQ6300, I used Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. With this, I measured peak brightness on a 10% window and 100% window in both SDR and HDR. I then recorded the Delta-E values (which demonstrates the margin of error between the test pattern and what is displayed) for color accuracy, grayscale and gamma again using Calman. I then measured the color space looking at DCI-P3 and BT.2020 coverage. For all tests, I used the Murideo Six 8K test pattern generator.

• First reviewed: December 2023
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee