What’s the difference between LG nano90 and nano91?

In 2020, LG introduced its NanoCell TV lineup, which included Nano80, Nano85, Nano90, Nano91 and Nano99.

In this article, we’ll compare two models from that lineup — LG Nano90 vs Nano91 to see the difference and which model is better (if one is better than the other).

LG nano91 vs nano90 overview

The LG Nano90 and Nano91 are very similar TV models and differ only in small details. The biggest difference between the two is that the Nano90 uses a four-legged stand, while the Nano91 has an ArcLine stand.

Another difference is that Nano90 offers four screen sizes — 55, 65, 75 and 86 inches, while  Nano91 supports only three: 65, 75 and 86 inches.

In every other way, they are practically the same TV.

FeaturesLG Nano90LG Nano91
Screen Sizes55, 65, 75 and 86 inches65, 75 and 86 inches
Screen PanelIPSIPS
Image ProcessorAlpha 7 3rd Generation 4KAlpha 7 3rd Generation 4K
Operating SystemWebOSWebOS
Refresh Rate120 Hz120 Hz
VRR (Variable Refresh RateYesYes
Resolution4K4K
Contrast Ratio1,070: 11,070: 1
HDMI Ports44
USB Ports33
WiFi and BluetoothYesYes
Speakers2.2 Channel 40 Watts2.2 Channel 40 Watts
PriceCheck Price on AmazonNot Available on Amazon

LG NanoCell NANO90

LG Nano90
LG Nano90

Pros:

  • Very good viewing angles
  • Top-notch reflection and glare handling
  • Very low input lag

Cons:

  • The screen can be much brighter
  • Low contrast ratio

LG NanoCell NANO91

LG Nano91
LG Nano91

Pros:

  • Very good viewing angles
  • Top-notch reflection and glare handling
  • Very low input lag

Cons:

  • The screen can be much brighter
  • Low contrast ratio

Features Face to Face

LG NanoCell Lineup
LG NanoCell Lineup

Panel Technology

Both models use a LED display with IPS (in-plane switching) panels.

Because of this, both models have excellent viewing angles, which you wouldn’t normally get on TVs with VA panels; however, they don’t get very bright.

To learn more about the difference between IPS and VA panels, check out our IPS vs VA vs TN Display Panel Types comparison article.

Image Processor

The same processor, ɑ7 Gen 3 Processor 4K, comes in both models.

LG introduced the alpha 7 processors as a mid-range processor for its QNED TVs, with alpha 5 chips for LED UHD and alpha 9 processors for its premium OLEDs and 8Ks.

The Gen3 was introduced in 2020 to replace 2019’s 2nd generation and has since been replaced in 2021 by the Gen4 (and Gen5 in 2022).

This intelligent processor includes four CPU cores with a 1.008GHz frequency, two GPU cores with 700MHz frequency, 8GB ROM built-in memory and 2GB RAM.

In addition, the CPU also offers an artificial intelligence algorithm that enables it to better adjust your picture, sound, brightness and so on.

Motion Technology

The LG Nano90 and Nano91 both use TruMotion 240 motion technology. This motion technology has a 120Hz native refresh rate and also supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) and FreeSync.

In terms of response times, both Nano90 and Nano91 have excellent response times that overall look very smooth. Namely, the pixels on the screen can switch from one color to another in just 10.1 milliseconds, which is significantly faster than the 14ms benchmark.

Picture Quality

Overall, the picture quality is solid in both models, and the two models support 4K UHD resolution and have an integrated 4K-Upscaler, which is capable of upscaling non-4K content to near 4K  quality.

In addition, both models include Double Step Noise Reduction and Sharpness Enhancer. The first does a lot to reduce screen noise, and the latter makes the screen much sharper.

Contrast Ratio / Black Level

Since they’re using an IPS panel rather than a VA one, the contrast ratio isn’t very good and has a native contrast of about 1,070: 1.

Unfortunately, the blacks aren’t very deep and in dark rooms, they’ll look grayer.

Local Dimming

Both Nano90 and 91 are equipped with the Full-Array Local Dimming feature, but it’s not the best, as the dimming zones don’t transition as fast as they could and are pretty noticeable.

Peak Brightness

The Ultra Luminance technology improves peak brightness somewhat on these two TV models.

That said, neither SDR nor HDR peak brightness is very good on these two models.

On SDR content, both Nano90 and Nano91 get up to 294 nits, while HDR peak brightness is 380 nits. In comparison, the two other LG models that we compared — LG C2 and G2 — have a maximum brightness of 850 and 1170 nits, respectively.

Color

Color details on LG  Nano90 and LG Nano91 are very accurate thanks to the fact they both use  LGs trademark Billion Rich Colors technology, which offers 10-bit dithering.

Additionally, these models also have two more color technologies integrated.

The first one is True Color Accuracy, which makes the color details on the screen more accurate, and the second is the Advanced Color Enhancer, which makes the color more natural.

As far as color gamut and volume go, LG Nano90 and LG Nano91 have a wide color gamut and cover a good range of colors (>86 percent on DCI P3 xy and >93 percent on DCI P3), though the Rec 2020 color space coverage is a bit limited and is around 60-70 percent.

The color volume is okay but not great though the two models don’t display bright blues or dark colors very well.

Viewing Angle

Although brightness and contrast aren’t very good, since these are IPS monitors, their viewing angles are very good. Resulting in the picture being very accurate from any angle you’re watching.

Reflections / Anti-Glare

These two LG TV models handle reflections quite well and use a semi-gloss screen finish, which makes watching them in anything but very bright rooms.

Sound Quality

Both Nano90 and Nano91 use a 2.2-channel speaker system of 40 Watts power with AI sound for better calibration and have integrated Dolby Atmos.

Additionally, they’re also WiSa-ready (Wireless Spatial Sound), although this requires a dongle to enable it.

Smart TV Platform (Operating System)

When it comes to the smart TV platform or the operating system, LG uses WebOS in all of its TVs, and these two aren’t the exception. 

This is a very good TV OS with a wide selection of apps, amazing app smoothness and is pretty user-friendly as well.

Connectivity

Inputs

As we said earlier, LG Nano90 and Nano91 have very low input lag.

ResolutionInput Lag
1080p @60Hz14.7 ms
1080p @120Hz5.5 ms
1440p @60Hz14.8 ms
1440p @120Hz5.4 ms
4K @60Hz14.7 ms
4K @120Hz12.5 ms

In the back, there are four HDMI and three USB ports, plus an Ethernet, Tuner and Digital Optical Audio Out port.

The models support HDMI 2.1, but not USB 3.0.

Voice Assistant

The LG Nano90 and Nan091 support both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Wireless Technologies

The standard WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz, as well as Bluetooth 5.0, are all fully supported.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s not much difference between LG Nano90 vs Nano91. The Nano91 can be a little more expensive depending on the retailer that is selling it, but other than a different TV stand and one more screen size available for Nano90, you’re basically buying the same TV here.

Is it a good TV? 

It depends mostly if you like NanoCell or not. On one hand, you’ll get wide viewing angles, vivid colors and very good reflection handling, but on the other, color accuracy, contrast and especially black range aren’t all that good. 

If you want to learn more about NanoCell panels, check out our NanoCell and OLED or NanoCell and QLED comparisons.

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About Jon

Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.

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