Amazon has provided an extensive "Product Description" (taken from LG promotional literature) that outlines the myriad of features available on the LN5700 series of Smart TV's that became available in early 2013. There is no point in reiterating that list of features, so my review will focus on customer experience.
* SET UP: It took no time at all for a non-geek like me to set up the TV and the internet features. As they say: just follow the instructions on the screen.
* IMAGE QUALITY: I spent considerable time in a local electronics stores searching for the best buy in 42 inch smart TV's (needed to fit into a cabinet, therefore the size restrictions). While there I surveyed other sizes of TV's just to get an idea of quality of different brands. My overall impression: LG offers great quality for a reasonable price. Indeed, their new LN5700 series is a great value throughout the line of sizes available (32", 39" 42" 47", 50", and 55"). Sizes 42" through 55" have TruMotion 120 Hz technology, which makes for great images during sports and action movies. The 32" and 39" do not have the TruMotion feature and operate at 60 Hz refresh rate. For those who prefer to turn off or adjust the impact of the TruMotion technology, that is easily done. The LED backlighting, the Picture Wizard II feature, and Full HD 1080p resolution provide an exceptional image (better than any of the other brands I compared to while in the store). Saturated (but not gaudy) colors, great contrast ratio, and sharp edge definition all contribute to a clear, crisp image. The LN5700 has good off angle viewing performance and still looks good at angles around 30 degrees off center, unlike so many TV's that start to have the contrast degrade at 20 to 25 degrees. The screen is matte, rather than glossy to help reduce glare and reflections. There are a variety of pre-set color schemes you can chose from should you decide you like your images more vivid, etc. There is an "energy saving" setting that adjusts the brightness of the picture according to the ambient light. This feature can be set to off, minimum, medium, and maximum. I found the picture best to have this setting at off or minimum.
* SOUND QUALITY: Many purchasers will run the sound through external speakers or sound bar, but even if you just want to use the build in speakers you will be pleased. The set of stereo speakers are ported to the back and to the bottom of the TV. This allows you to adjust the sound for wall-mounting or table-top standing. I have my TV sitting in a cabinet and have the sound setting to the combined wall-mount + table-top setting; perhaps because of the enclosed nature of the cabinet, I find the sound more than acceptable. In addition, the six available "sound mode" options and an equalizer help to fine tune the sound.
* SMART TV: The CPU and GPU have been upgraded for 2013 in the LN5700 series making for rapid response in the multiple Smart TV / Internet features and for gamers. Reports are that the processor is 3 times faster than last years model, but I cannot make that direct comparison myself. The LN5700 has built-in WiFi, a built-in Web browser, and a wide range of Smart TV options including all the premium applications such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, You Tube, Amazon apps (as of mid-August 2013), etc. The Home Dashboard feature enables the TV to remember and list all the various applications you have downloaded and viewed on one convenient page. There is also a dedicated button on the remote to access it quickly. When you click on the Home option on the remote, displays a very thorough menu of options for Internet use, quick selections for some of the premium apps as well as a selection for just the Internet itself.
* INPUT/OUTPUT: At the side of the TV there are three HDMI connections (one labeled HDMI/ARC and one labeled HDMI/MHL) as well as three USB In ports. At the back of the TV there is an H/P Out port for headphones, an Optical Digital Audio Out port, ethernet / LAN port, and a set of Component cable / AV ports.
* REMOTE: The LN5700 is compatible with "The Magic Remote with Voice Command", which is available as an option. The remote that comes with the TV is fully functional and will be sufficient for most users (although it is not back-lit).
* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The LN5700 series from LG is a great bargain if you want a great TV with LED backlighting with a plethora of features and you are satisfied with a non-3D TV. If you are looking for a 3D TV, try the LA6200 series, which is the upscale version of the LN5700.
* UPDATE: I have been using this TV for more than seven months now (mid-November 2013) and I am still impressed with all aspects of the TV, especially the picture. I have had none of the problems that other reviewers have reported with power going off.
* UPDATE: Other reviewers have reported on an LG software glitch that was sending user information to LG even when the user turned the feature off. That glitch has been corrected as of 30 Nov. 2013 when my TV went through a firmware update.
0 comments:
Post a Comment