SETUP
Out of the box, the LE8500's default Standard picture mode offered up the usual too-bright image. Fortunately, this LG is loaded with better picture-setup options, including THX Cinema and THX Bright Room modes, and two ISF Expert presets. If you're not a tweaker and just want a great picture, THX Bright Room delivers accurate color and enough extra contrast as compared with the regular THX mode to give the image some needed punch. However, I ran with an ISF Expert mode since it provides the most fine-tuning options, including LG's 10-point tool for adjusting grayscale and a color-management system with individual saturation and tint controls for all the primary and secondary colors.

The ISF Expert preset by default turned off the TV's automatic contrast and color settings along with the TruMotion 240-Hz circuit, and turned on the local-dimming function. The set's grayscale in this mode stayed close to the neutral gray we look for, measuring just a touch blue. I easily brought it in line using the Expert preset's advanced controls.

Test patterns revealed that the set's Real Cinema setting for 3:2 pulldown should be left on. The TruMotion 240-Hz function allows you to independently set judder and blur reduction. Although I left it off for my critical viewing to avoid imparting a "video look" to filmbased programs, I observed that setting Judder to 1 and leaving blur reduction turned off helped to smooth horizontal pans in film-based content without making it look too much like video. The LG's regular and digital noise-reduction options were largely ineffective with HD material but did not noticeably soften the image when activated. On the other hand, they did a great job clearing up noise in standard-definition programs without softening the image. You can leave these set to Low for daily viewing without causing harm.