LG 65LB7100 Review
65 inch 1080p Passive 3D 240Hz LED TV
by Jack Burden, Reviewer
The LG 65LB7100 LED TV fits the large format screen bill for LG in 2014. 60+ inch screen sizes are more popular than ever before and all the TV manufacturers are heeding the call. The LB7100 series is almost identical to the LB7200 series above it. The LB7100 series just takes the sizes up a notch. The only thing it is missing is the built-in subwoofer, which isn't a problem if you have a home theater setup. The 65LB7100 has a price tag of around $2,300.
Strenghts
- The IPS panel imrpoves side angle viewing and color reproduction
- Built-in speakers and variety of sound modes provide plenty of volume and quality
- Excellent calibration with the host of available picture setting options
- Cinema Screen design provides an almost framless picture
- Light-flow through and dark shadow detail are strong thanks to the backlighting
- WebOS driven smart TV features really streamline LG's Smart TV platform
- Magic remote is fun to use and very helpful (this time with an Input button!)
- Gaming picture setting reduces input lag
Weaknesses
- Tends to be a bit of motion blur when in the gaming picture setting
- Most of the free apps and games aren't worth much attention
- Optional camera for Skype and Finger Gestures
- The lack of a subwoofer will be missed when not used in a home theater setup
Picture Quality Rating: 89/100
The 65LB7100 is a mid-tier LED TV with plenty to offer in terms of picture quality in a big screen package. The IPS panel, one of the best picture quality features on this one, is something else to be excited about. We've seen these in Panasonic LED TVs last year, and the improvements are excellent. Side viewing anlges are improved, light flowthough, and the resulting image is more brilliant and vibrant. Color reproduction benefits as well. Colors come out looking bright and natural. This is a big improvement over last year's similar LA7400. Local dimming, called Micro Pixel Control, helps to boost the overall contrast in images. It is part of the Triple XD picture processing engine and is called TruBlack Control. It uses High Dynamic Range processing to render both light and dark parts of the image.
This shot shows the great amounts of detail seen in both the bright and dark areas of the screen
Passive 3D and Dual View
We though LG's Passive 3D was some of the best performing 3D out there last year. I think it's about as good if not equivalent to active 3D now. The numbers work better for active (1080p to each eye), but when I view the 3D content I cant really tell the difference. The best part is that the glasses are cheap, comfortable, and light. But with BluRay 3D content the TV displayed a great amount of depth, rich colors, and good contrast.
Dual View is the 3D feature that allows two different images to play simultaneously on the screen. Special passive 3D glasses allow viewers to choose which image they want to see. This is great for split screen multiplayer gaming or letting the kids watch cartoons while the game is on. The AG-F400DP Glasses are required for this feature to work.
Features Rating: 84/100
Smart TV Features - Powered by WebOS
LG has really switched things up this year when it comes to their Smart TV platform. Needed improvement in Smart TV functionality has arrived with the new 2014 LG TVs. The new WebOS operating system for Smart TV function is very fast in load time and selection. The design and layout is simple and much more straight forward than in the past.
Simple is the name of the game here. Instead of a home screen with tons of buttons, you get a nice colored strip across the bottom of the screen populated with your favorite apps and the LG store. What you are currently viewing stays on the screen. Click the left arrow on the screen to see your open apps and the right arrow to show all the app downloaded to your TV. We were impressed with the speed of switching between apps. It was insatant. Last year a big complaint of ours was the poor streaming ability of LG's Smart TV platform. That's not the case this year thanks to the complete overhaul of the entire platform. This means the buffering times of streaming 2D and 3D content are greatly reduced. Overall, the move to a WebOS based system was a good move on LG's part.
Finger Gesture is a new feature using the optional TV camera. It is limited in use and operation to juts a few functions. A small arched menu appears on the screen when you access it with your finger. You can control volume, On/Off function, or input selection but that's it. It just really allows volume adjustment without the remote for all practical purposes. LG hopes to add more functionality to it later. It works reasonably well, but again, you probably wont use it much.
Magic Remote
This is the updated look for the Magic Remote accessory. It's got all of the necessary buttons (even an Input button) and a mic button for engaging the voice controls
Magic Remote Control Initial Set up very easy. Shake the remote to get the cursor working, the arrow pops up immediately if you have a hot signal going into the TV. We have always liked the point and click operation of the Magic remote and still do. It speeds section and browsing. This year the new magic remote control has even better voice recognition technology. It works very well to find the programming you are looking for by speaking into the mic on the remote control. A list of potential fits and the various channels appear down the right hand side on-screen. And it finally has an input selection button. This has been a fault that we have noted for the past few years.
Appearance and Design - Wonderful
The LG 65LB7100 doesn't have the nearly frame-less design, but the bezels are still quite thin with a dark metallic color that is a little wider across the bottom. It has the two-legged stand that we are seeing a lot of this year. The stand is very minimalistic and not really attention grabbing. However, if your TV stand isn't wide enough you may have to wall mount it. It's about 2.2 inches at the bottom to accommodate front firing speakers. The overall design is attractive yet low key.
Value Rating: 90/100
The 65LB7100 sells for around $2,300, making it pretty pricey. You are paying for the large screen and excellent features like the IPS panel and the new WebOS powered smart TV platform. Downsides like weak free apps, game mode motion blur, and the lack of a subwoofer aren't really important for those looking for a good movie and sports TV. Competition comes from the Samsung UN65H6400, which sells for less. The Sharp LC-70SQ15, sells for a similar price with 5 more inches of screen space.
Overall Rating: 87/100
Jack Burden has been reviewing and writing reviews in the consumer electronics category for 7 years with CEAG. He considers grayscale gradation, film patterned retarders, and focus field drives to be fun topics. Read more about Jack |