60LA8600 vs 60LA7400; 55LA8600 vs 55LA7400 (LG LA8600 vs LA7400)

Despite both being quite similar, there is one significant note that should be made in regards of the type of backlighting the 60-Inch class unit from the LA7400 series uses. It has the LEDs (light emitting diodes) placed directly behind the panel (hence the name: direct-lit). On the other hand, both the 60-Inch and the 50-Inch class devices from the LA8600 range, as well as to the smaller sets (the 47- and the 50-Inch) from the LA7400 are all edge-lit, so they have the LEDs situated on the edges of the panel, which results in the following differences:

• The 60LA7400 is less likely to exhibit any screen uniformity issues in comparison to its edge-lit counterparts (that's not to say they will). However, this advantage is somewhat diminished by the presence of local dimming on all devices from both ranges, because even if there are any slight imperfections due to the lightening of the panel being uneven, they are mostly hidden from view by the aforementioned technique.
• It's important not to confuse a direct-lit with a full-array, because the LEDs (and the dimming zones) are a lot less in case of the former one, which means the local dimming on a direct-lit TV can't provide nearly as deep black color as on a full-array one, so the 60LA7400 doesn't have any particular leverage when it comes to the contrast ratio compared to the edge-lit sets, especially considering the IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels are used in both cases.
• The LA8600 series models have a built-in camera, while the ones from the LA7400 do not. Apart from that, the Smart TV platform is identical on both, and the Magic Motion Remote is included with either of the two series.
• All the members of the flagship LA8600 range have 4 HDMI inputs each, while their step-down counterparts have only 3 HDMI each. That said, the number of the USB connections is the same: either has 3 USB ports.
• All of them are equally suitable for sports and action films, because their panels have native refresh rate of 240Hz, in addition to the user-adjustable TruMotion video processing, which further reduces the blur and judder.
• The passive 3D system is present on all units from the two series, and there are 4 pairs of polarized 3D glasses included with any member of the two ranges.