LG 72LW9700 Review

72" NANO Infinia LCD/LED TV

Picture and Viewing Features

In late 2010 LG announced a new series of of televisions that they are calling NANO FULL LED TVs, this designation stems from the new type of backlighting found in these televisions. Using a thin film printed with a special light distribution pattern the NANO FULL LED TVs spread the LED backlighting more evenly to provide a screen with none of the hotspots or uneven lighting that is often found on edge lit LED/LCD televisions.

The LW9700 NANO LED television is LG's 2011 flagship and is loaded with features such as 3D compatibility, TruMotion 480Hz refresh rate, and sub 1 inch depth. The new backlighting scheme provides for local dimming and when combined with LG's Micro Pixel Control technology should offer enhanced black levels and contrast. The LW9700 is currently undergoing THX certification for 3D. This is the absolute top of line from LG for 2011.

Appearance

The LG72LW9700 kills it in the looks department with a super slim .8" depth and a rich black screen Infinia screen panel that extends almost all the way to the edge. The finish on the bezel is matte.

Internet Applications and Connectivity

The new SmartTV options include currently around 120 Internet Apps with 20 of those being premium services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon VOD. It has a special gaming app called I-play which is effective for gamers. The SmartTV function has a full web browswer through a proprietary LG platform and Plex platform.

Standout Features

While the LW9700 is only available in 72" and the price will likely leave your mouth open for fly catching, it does add a feature never before seen on an LED TV – 480 zones of true LED backlit local dimming through the included NANO technology screen panel and video chip engine that the LW9700 runs on. The true LED backlit local dimming is far superior to the manipulated local dimming provided in edge lit local dimming LED TVs. It also has the enhanced 480Hz refresh rate of the LW9500 but the 480 zones of local dimming from backlit LED source lighting is something special. LG has already won a few awards for the technology.

The 480 zones of local dimming allow LG to present full array HD and 3D to each eye

The 72LW9700 is further THX certified for 3D (pending) so obviously this is a 3D ready TV with full HD resolution delivered to each eye.

Obviously the uber cool Magic Wand remote is included in the high end LG 55LW95, undeniably useful with the SmartTV (Internet Apps) features. Further, it is 1080p and Wifi ready with the Wifi adapter included in the price. It has 120Hz refresh rate (TruMotion is what the feature is called) and also DLNA certification.

Another new feature in the LW9500 series from LG is the 2D to 3D conversion. While I'm personally not sold on this feature, it looked pretty good in some instances in the LG display at CES.

Magic Wand Remote Control: We reviewed the magic wand remote at CES 2011 and are impressed with its fast flexible functionality. The point and click application was spot on from the IR remote. You can type as fast as you can point and click.