I have a similar experience with other reviewers when I turned on the TV for the very first time. It was not a good first impression. Initially, I found the picture too bright and the black color was not completely black but has a washed out (bleached) greyish look (most visible when a movie is showing a dark background scene). However, after many rounds of tweaking the settings in "Picture Mode -> Picture Adjust", I finally got an excellent picture. My settings for Excellent Picture Quality (Vivid mode): RF source: Over-the-Air broadcast; Antenna Backlight: 80 Contrast: 67 Brightness: 47 Sharpness: 28 Color: 50 Tint: 0 Color Temp: C19 Energy Savings OFF One can also experiment with the Energy Savings mode to lessen the washed out effect. In the default OFF mode, the backlight is the brightest (so, the most washout). The backlight gradually dims (and the washed out effect reduced) as we go from minimal to medium setting. At maximum setting, the screen goes completely dark (hit any button other than POWER to turn screen back on). However, the net effect of enabling Energy Savings (except OFF) is a lower backlight output. This also renders a dimmer appearance to the overall video quality. If you desire vibrant colors, stay with Energy Savings OFF. I also found that the room ambient lighting and the vertical viewing angle have an impact on how you end up judging the picture quality. In a completely dark living room, the strong LED backlight from the screen creates the washed out "bleached" effect (black looked grey and other colors are less vibrant). This washed out effect is very visible if the TV is placed on a higher platform. The bottom edge of my TV screen was 40" from the floor. I sat and watch directly in front of the TV about 10 feet away. Viewing from a sitting position (the center of the TV screen is above my eyes and I have to look up slightly), the washout was pronounced (especially around the 4 corners and the edges). But, when I stood up to view, the washout was much less visible. I then relocated the TV to a lower platform (bottom edge of TV screen was 24" from the floor). From the same earlier sitting position (the center of TV screen is below my eyes), I found that the washout was very minimal and the black was a much pleasing deeper black. I don't have a wall mount so this TV position (mounted how high or low on the wall) is not tested. Also, when viewing from a side angle (i.e. not directly in front of screen), there was some washed out effect (especially along the far edge and far corners) but it is generally less pronounced when compared to washouts seen from a vertical viewing angle directly in front of screen (i.e. looking upwards vs downwards). Interestingly, when I changed the room's ambient lighting from "lights off" (completely dark) to turning on a 40W fluorescent bulb (placed under my ceiling fan), the washout effect was almost unnoticeable. The black was really black. I wonder if perhaps this is the optimum ambient lighting condition (i.e. a brighter room instead of a dark one). We all know how good the TV picture looked when viewed at the Bestbuy showroom. Guess what - the showroom is lit up brightly with lots of fluorescent lighting. Now, something for the manufacturer LG to consider (if you are reading this). You have fantastic high quality demo videos and still photos which you display on the big screen demo TVs in the showroom. Please provide these in the form of a free built-in TV app (call them "test images"). So, when the consumer turns on the TV for the very first time, give him the means to appraise the TV's video quality based on a set of high quality images. Otherwise, the first impression he is going to get is a letdown, disappointing 720p or worse visual experience instead of a 4K OMG what-I-paid-for feeling. Additionally, these "test images" can forever be used as a reference to adjust and calibrate the TV picture mode settings (brightness, contrast, sharpness, etc). Calibrating with these images is far more effective than trying to adjust picture settings off from a live broadcast of a lower quality video feed. Most broadcast shows are 1080p or less and thus do not look that good on a 49" screen. Don't expect to see the sharpness and clarity of the demo videos in the showroom. But surprisingly, almost all TV commercials and sports programs (NFL) have superb picture quality. Maybe it is because these shows have fewer dark scenes. So, if you find yourself lamenting you just bought a 4K dud, find solace that it isn't by watching the commercials or take in a football game. I have not fully checked out the Smart TV features (Netflix, WebOS, etc) and how well the TV works with other connected devices (HDMI, USB). So please look at ratings on these features from other reviewers. Pros: Overall, I gave a qualified 5-star rating for this 49" LG UF6430 model (solely from a picture quality perspective). Once the proper Picture Setting adjustments were made (very personal and subjective, of course) and the TV is placed on a lower platform (around 24" from the floor) the picture quality is Excellent. For live TV, commercials and sports programs are the best video sources to judge picture quality and that is where you see your investment dollars for 4K UHD pay off. The TV design is sleek and slim. Has nice metallic silver rims. Only assembly needed is to attach the 2 feet. Cons: - The included User Guide/Owner's manual (paper copy) is too basic. C'mon LG, we are not asking for a user manual the size of a phone book. It is so much easier to learn by flipping through the pages of a detailed printed manual than struggling through a confusing GUI on-screen. For the newbie, it takes a while to get used to the remote control's navigation buttons and the on-screen GUI. - On-screen GUI design is somewhat confusing. Sometimes to confirm a selection, one has to press the OK button. Other times, pressing the left/right arrow button is enough. If you end up confused while navigating the menu and don't want to confirm a wrong selection, my advice is to just press the EXIT button, and start over. - TV Screen is highly reflective. If your room's ambient lighting is bright, the wall across from the TV screen will be sufficiently illuminated to create a washed out effect on the video you are watching. I suggest a lower ambient light setting but be warned that a completely dark room can accentuate the washed out effect (see above). - No local LED dimming which may reduce the washout effect. - No Black Level control (this is a non-selectable grayed out option in "Picture Options"). - The 2 feet are wide apart (spans the width of the screen; 43.5") and you may need a wider TV stand. - Remote controller has no backlit buttons.

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