PICTURE QUALITY This model had excellent high-definition picture quality. It did a very good job displaying fine detail, short of excellent. We saw a slight loss of texture on images, possible due to an active noise reduction process. Color accuracy was very good, with images generally looking natural, but there was a pinkish tone to the image we could not remove by adjusting the standard picture settings. This LG uses OLED display technology and it delivered excellent contrast, supported by the deepest black levels we've ever tested on a flat panel. This gave images great depth and dimension, especially on dark scenes, which most LCD TVs find challenging. However, the deepest near-black shadows did not fade smoothly to black, so we saw some coarseness on shadow detail transitions. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. There was slight banding (unnatural contours) on scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, rather than a smooth transition in the shaded areas. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE This LG has an unlimited viewing angle overall, better than that of LCDs. It will provide the same picture quality, with fewer problems than most LCD sets, for typical viewing conditions--say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides of the TV.
MOTION BLUR This LG TV has very good motion performance, with minimal blurring on our motion tests, thanks to LG's TruMotion. This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most LCD TVs. With the feature turned off, motion performance was only fair, with significant blurring on our motion tests.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY The screen surface on this LCD TV has one of the shinier mirror-like surfaces we've seen, which makes it very susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
3D PERFORMANCE The overall 3D effect was only good, a notch below the better 3D displays. 3D images showed effective depth, with minimal levels of ghosting (left eye/right eye crosstalk) on our 3D test patterns and on a wide variety of 3D program content. There was an increase in ghosting when we viewed 3D images from above or below eye level, which got worse as you move closer to the TV. Images conveyed half 1080p, or 540 lines of resolution to each eye; there was visible loss of vertical detail when compared to models capable of 3D at full 1080p. 3D image content showed visible jaggies and moiré on fine detail due to the absence of half of the lines.
SOUND QUALITY This TV's sound is good, fine for typical TV programming, but won't reproduce the full range of movie soundtracks and music. It has a good volume range so the TV can play sufficiently loud in most room environments. At more typical listening levels the TV's sound has only decent bass and impact, along with rolled off highs and a closed in, overly bright sound. All told, none of these issues were overly distracting and most will find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was very good. Also, the remote is very good, and the on-screen menu is easy to navigate.
It lacks a dedicated menu button on the television display, so you can't access the menu if you lose the remote. Remote has a dedicated button to access Internet features, and to access 3D. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate. Labeling uses non-standard icons making button selection less intuitive to use.
STAND ASSEMBLY The TV has an integrated support stand (already connected to the screen), so no assembly is required.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides advanced Internet capability. Features include a full Web browser and access to a library of applications via "LG Store." Movie streaming services include: Amazon Instant Video, CinemaNow, Hulu plus, M-GO, Netflix, Red Box Instant, Vudu. It also supports an optional Web cam for access to video conferencing applications such as Skype.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes four HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), optical digital audio out, three USB ports, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity includes: DLNA network file sharing, and near field communication (NFC) file sharing. Analog connections are made via special breakout cable adapters (included) that attach to the TV as single plugs. That means you plug your component, composite, or stereo cables into a dangling "pigtail" rather than the back of the TV itself. This is actually a more convenient way to make the connections on slim-profile models, but if you lose that adapter you'll have no way to connect your cables directly to the TV. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, a remote with batteries, breakout cables (One component, one composite with stereo audio ), four pairs of 3D glasses, NFC Tag On Sticker, and 2 of the 3D glasses are clip-ons for prescription glasses. ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
