LG 47LM7600 Review

47" Cinema 3D 1080p LED HDTV

by Robert Wiley, Senior Editor

Strengths

• Neoteric Cool Window Design with .2" wide framing bezel
• Amazing picture from the Clear Coat screen panel and LED backlighting
• Off center Viewing Quality is very good compared to previous models.
• Deep Black Bars top and bottom on 16:9 content
• Easy 3D viewing with passive 3D (6 pairs of glasses included)
• Colors natural and not overblown
• Complete calibration compliment including 2 point or 20 point white balance
• Excellent choices for Picture Modes
• 240Hz Trumotion with fast action, sports
• Web browser and Wifi are easy and fast to use with the Magic Remote
• Sound Quality impressed us - which is rare for thin LED TVs. The volume this TV will put out is up there and there is good definition - much improved over 2011s offerings

Weaknesses

• Some may not like the "floating" stand.
• Black levels were good but not the best we have seen
• There is a good deal of screen reflection from the glossy clear coat screen from in-room lighting - especially from side angles
• 3D viewing not as deep as with active
• At times the picture is unstable/shaky due to processing

Neutral

• Many Premium Apps from LGs Smart TV(You Tube, NBA Game Time, Picasa etc. are worthwhile while many or most of the proprietary Apps from LG are worthless
• Magic Remote has its positives and negatives. It takes a little getting used to, but can also speed up browsing and control

Picture Quality Rating: 9/10

Although the 47LM7600 does not have the premium LED backlighting package with local dimming, 3D content still looks good and color seems just as good on this set as the higher end models form LG for 2012. The 3D picture looks less deep than some of the active shutter 3D TVs on the market for sure. Edges are not as crisp on this TV nor is contrast as pronounced as some. But the excellent color rendition makes up for a lot. There is something to LG's claim that people prefer the colors on it compared to Sony and Samsung.

This LG 55LM7600 displays punchy color in this shot from the Blu-Ray of The Fifth Element.

Black Level

Black levels on the 47LM7600 are strong and impressive. The blacks are very dark and inky bordering on slightly over powered and occaisionally costing dark shadow detail. Dark blacks are definitely preferable to the alternative though and they add to the already strong color performance of this edge lit LED television.

Another shot from The Fifth Element shows excellent black levels and picture depth.

TruMotion 240Hz

When we saw the TruMotion 240Hz feature on the 47LM7600 we though maybe LG had been able to eliminate its deficiencies, but then we noted its flawed aspect when we viewed a quick scene from a movie clip. That is, it falsely eliminates too much natural background blur in movies, so if you watch lots of movies we recommend you turn this feature off. Otherwise, it does its job in the LM7600 with fast motion scenes by reducing or eliminating trailing artifacts and motion blur that they can cause due to too slow a refresh rate.

Side Angle Viewing

One aspect the 47LM7600 gets very high marks for is off angle side viewing. Contrast is stable until about 35 degrees in this TV as opposed to 25 degrees in some of the other brands. Contrast degradation at angles is a serious problem in edge lit led TVs and LG has done a nice job of compensating for the issue with the LM7600.

Features Rating: 9.2/10

Appearance

With its neoteric design the LG 47LM7600 LED is one of the sleekest pieces you will ever accessorize with. It is only .2 inches in depth and has virtually no bezel or frame to distract you from the LED panel image. In the past we have complained about reflection from room light bouncing off of the frame of some LED TVs. That will not be a problem with this TV since you can hardly even see the framing bezel.

Internet Applications and Connectivity

LG's Smart TV functionality now has over 1000 Apps though they vary greatly in usefullness. The Smart TV function has the usual "premium" or paid and unpaid content channels such as, Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, MLB.tv, social networking site hookup to Facebook and Twitter. As with other manufacturers LG promotes its Smart TV Apps but users rarely find a lot of value in these presently. The Apps typically cost between 99 cents and $2.99

LG's Smart TV Apps as well as 3D World included with the LM6700 series.

Magic Wand Remote

The LM7600 series includes the Magic Wand Remote Control, this is a second remote control that comes with the television and uses motion control similar to the game controller for the Nintendo Wii. You point it at the screen and a cursor appears, move your wrist and the cursor follows making selecting items in a menu or browsing the Smart TV app store or websites remarkably easy. This year the Magic Remote adds voice sensitivity. We really had fun with this remote in our review and think it a great tool for interacting with your television.

LG's Magic Remote for 2012 is an enigma, but fun (included with the LM6700).

Gaming

The LM8600 works with LG's new Dual Play system. With Dual Play 2 gamers playing on the same TV are no longer forced to suffer split screen. Looking at only half the screen and possibly even having the picture cut can ruin the experience in many games and Dual Play cures it. Using the Cinema 3D system both players games are projected onto the full screen at the same time and each player wears a different pair of polarized glasses so they only see their own game on the full TV screen.

Value Rating: 7.5/10

At nearly $1500 this is a pricey 47" TV but it has everything you will need in your quest for the perfect living room TV. It's at the top of the heap when it comes to features on a 47" size TV.

Overall Rating: 8.6/10

Having reviewed and written about Television Technology for over 10 years, Wiley never tires of researching the newest qualitative trends related to the technology. Most people do not get excited about possibilities behind the latest video engine...Wiley does. Read more about Robert