LG 3D LCD Televison

After Vizio, LG is the second TV maker at CES to announce a lineup of TVs equipped with so-called passive 3D compatibility. Passive 3D differs from the active variety found on nearly all current 3D TVs in a number of ways, including the fact that it uses significantly cheaper glasses.
LG is calling the feature "LG Cinema" and putting it in the LW5600 series as well as the step-up LW6500 models described here.
The 6500 series comes in three screen sizes, including a massive 65-inch version reminiscent of the already-shipping 65-inch Vizio XVT3D650SP. It has a 240Hz refresh rate, compared with the 120Hz rate found on the less-expensive 5600 models. We're not sure how the lower Hz will affect 3D performance, but for 2D it doesn't provide much visible benefit.
Aside from the refresh rate and screen size differences, the two series of LG passive 3D TVs are identical according to the company's press release.
LG Infinia LW6500 series features:
%u2022 Edge-lit local dimming LED backlight
%u2022 Passive 3D compatible
%u2022 4 pairs of 3D glasses included
%u2022 240Hz refresh rate
%u2022 Magic Wand remote
%u2022 Smart TV with NetCast and Web browser
%u2022 Wi-Fi USB dongle included
LG Infinia LW6500 series models:
%u2022 LG 47LW6500: 47-inch
%u2022 LG 55LW6500: 55-inch
%u2022 LG 65LW6500: 65-inch

Last year, LG put passive 3D televisions into a number of English pubs for the express purpose of showing 3D sporting events. Caught up in the frenzy, while lacking this hotel-based push, Australia followed with a couple of three-dimensional broadcasts of its own.
Fast-forward 12 months, and while the commercial networks have cooled their boots on 3D, an LG passive TV has finally made it to these shores. Though the hype may have died down, there are some excellent reasons to consider this model - and 3D is just one of them.
Design
The LG 47LW6500 continues the sleek black look of previous TVs, and features a "borderless design" with a single sheet of glass across the front. The edging has a clear plastic rim, though we're not so sure about the faint fleck of blue in the bezel.
But it's the remote. Oh, the remote! That's the star here. We think this is the start of a beautiful friendship. The truly magical Magic Motion pointer is a Wii-mote-style pointer that looks great and works wonderfully.
Features
The LG LW6500 is a smart TV that includes video-on-demand via BigPond TV and Movies, a handful of apps (so far) and a web browser. The bundled Magic Motion remote (AU$79 separately) makes navigating the LG home screen a breeze, and works even when the plug-in USB receiver is out of your line of sight.
But it's "Cinema 3D" that LG seems to be the most proud of, and the LW6500 is certainly unique in the market. Unlike other systems, the 3D smarts are built into the TV and not into the glasses, which means that the glasses are the cheap part. Unlike other TVs, then, the LG bundles four glasses in the box, with more available at just AU$19 for two pairs. The 3D system covers most types of 3D including 2D-to-3D conversion. Just be aware that, as this is a passive system, it effectively halves the resolution to 540i when viewing 3D content.
Other features include: onboard Wi-Fi connectivity; extensive file support with streaming via DLNA and third-party system "Plex"; and a 200Hz mode.
Connections include four HDMI 1.4 ports (one with ARC), two USBs, VGA, one component and one composite. The TV comes with an Ethernet port, and wireless is optional.

Performance
We were impressed with our encounter with the LW6500, and while it isn't the best performer in either 2D or 3D, it's definitely more than the sum of its parts.
Whether we played DVDs, off-air or Blu-rays, we were presented with images of great scale. Black levels were only so-so in comparison to the best, but images had an impressive dynamism to them. The TV wasn't able to dig up the deep blacks of the Sony HX820, but the picture was simply better. Less motion blur, better colours. The TV also had a way of holding onto images and not letting them slide around in pools of smudge.
When it came to the true number crunching, the TV was able to put in an excellent performance with our synthetic HQV tests and a spectacular performance with video - one of the best yet. Unlike the Sony, you don't need to choose Auto 1 this or Auto 2 that; it just works. It's truly "smart".
But what we clamour for is the Magic Motion remote; it's an addictive little device, and we only wish that we could use it as a universal remote for our DVD and Blu-ray players. We can see the Sony TVs and the Samsung TVs using a similar system next year, or even leapfrogging it entirely and going for a Kinect-style interface.
We were also impressed by the 3D experience, and while you could see definite interlacing - like you'd see on an old CRT - the experience is much more natural and a lot brighter than shutter glasses, and less likely to cause you eyestrain and headaches.
Sound quality was OK for the price, and we found that the TV could go quite loud - though things did get a bit nasty over the 70 per cent mark.

With the 47LW6500, LG has realised its potential and produced the best TV that we've seen from the company in years. It's managed to produce an excellent all-rounder at a reasonable price, and thrown in a really fun "smart" system, as well. It doesn't have the "wow" factor of the rivalling Samsung TVs, but it's solid and well-deserving of our Editor's Choice.
More about it:
3D televisions have become the norm these days; with most manufacturers launching them - LG being one of them with their new range of LED LCD televisions. The LG 47LW6500 may not be your regular, run-of-the-mill LED television as it sports not only 3D capabilities, but also 3D without flicker, 2D to 3D conversion and smart TV functionality. It does not end here. Bundled along with this 3D television are four 3D glasses, as well as a magic motion remote control. LG markets this model as the next generation 3D TV. Let us read on to find out to see if it lives up to its tag.
Video quality is crisp and clear
Design and Build Quality
To say that the LG 47LW6500 is designed well is an understatement. The design of this LED TV looks clean and classy. There is a thin bezel along the sides of the television which is finished in glossy black and the edges of the bezel are finished with clear plastic. Emphasizing the word clean; there are no physical buttons present on this 3D TV with all of the functions enabled by touching the panel. This adds to the stylish looks of this TV.

This is a really slim television with the maximum width being just 29.9mm. The width of this LED TV definitely adds to its style factor. LG uses Edge-LED backlighting, hence making this television quite slim. The screen of this television has a contrast ratio of 9,000,000:1 and an HD video resolution of 1080p. With CINEMA 3D features in this television we could view 3D videos from various angles without any strain.
All connectors of this television are at the back and though being at the back, LG still manages to retain its slim design. They did this by positioning the four HDMI ports and two USB ports facing sideways. The other ports at the rear of this TV include headphone out, digital audio out, RGB in, antenna in, AV in, PC audio input and RS-232C
The stand of the LG 47LW6500 is also finished in glossy black and though it too looks very stylish; it tends to wobble a bit but still enables the television to remain steady. The stand has a horizontal swivel but the rotation isn't that much. I am not a big fan of the stand even though it looks as classy as the television.
The remote control of the LG 47LW6500 is made up of plastic and is black in colour. The rubber buttons are mostly grey but have a few other colours for designated functions like powering on / off, premium function, home and the energy saving feature. The build quality of the remote control and the buttons feel solid and sturdy.
The Magic Motion Remote Control works like a magic wand
We also received a Magic Motion Remote Control along with this TV. This remote is unique by itself and has a unique design as well with it being cylindrical in shape and flat at the top and bottom. Unlike the remote control that came along with the TV this has very few buttons and we found ourselves using this quite frequently.
Bundled up with the television are four 3D glasses. Unlike other 3D glasses these are not huge and do not look tacky. They're easy on the eyes and even after using them for a considerable amount of time the eyes didn't feel tired or strained.
The overall design and build quality of the LG 47LW6500 is really good. However on the model we received we did notice some backlighting issues on the bottom left corner of the screen. This could be made out especially if a dark scene was being played. Besides the slight backlighting problem and the stand this is a very good looking television.

The looks of the LG 47LW6500 are designed well, but having a high end 3D LED TV, we would want it to be loaded with features. CINEMA 3D is LG's way of bringing a 3D cinema experience to your home.
2D to 3D conversion is another interesting feature of the LG 47LW6500. The process is simple and regular 2D content can be converted easily to 3D images by merely pressing a dedicated button on the remote control. All 2D content that we tried could be converted to rich 3D and the experience was good. This helps in saving some money instead of purchasing expensive 3D DVDs or Blu-rays. PS3 games also can be viewed in 3D while enabling this feature.
The TV being a Smart TV has a Home Dashboard that allows you to easily navigate through various entertainment options. With the ability to download apps, stream videos over different sites and use the television as a monitor this is one feature that cannot be overlooked. The Home Dashboard has social networking websites integrated with preloaded widgets such as Facebook and Twitter. In the premium section of the Home Dashboard various apps like NDTV, YouTube a web browser and many others are present. By using LG apps we can view preloaded games such as Shoot the Arrow amongst others. All these features can be accessed using an Internet connection. Having an active and easy interface such as this, the use of the Home Dashboard becomes a walk in the park.
These may be the main features, but it is not limited to just these with the LG Cinema 3D TV coming with 3D glasses and a Magic Motion remote control. The 3D glasses are comfortable to use and prolonged usage does not result in any strain on the eyes. Unlike most 3D glasses being bundled with 3D TVs, these are light in weight and do not require charging. The Magic Motion remote control is an innovative technology by LG where one can use the remote control like a cursor on the screen to select items.
There is also a feature called Smart Share where one can connect their cameras, tablets, mobile phones and PCs to the TV without the use of wires.
The overall interface of the LG 47LW6500 is pretty simple and yet has everything a Smart TV should have. Throwing in the Cinema 3D and 2D to 3D conversion capabilities, along with an impressive amount of content in the Home Dashboard this TV has features enough to actually be the next generation 3D TV.