LG Electronics 50LA6200 50-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D Glasses..
GET LG Electronics 50LA6200 50-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 120Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV and Four Pairs of 3D Glasses By LG
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299 of 311 people found the following review helpful.
By GatorJ
I purchased this TV to replace a 42" LG in my master bedroom (which replaced a 40" Sony XBR6). (FWIW, both of those TVs were purchased from Amazon. I have purchased six 40-47" TVs from Amazon and have never had any shipping problems or damage.) I originally started with the 42" version of this TV which was returned to Amazon due to some screen uniformity issues (more later). Due to the LA6200's thin bezel, the 47" worked in my space. I've had it for 4 weeks and I'm quite pleased with it overall. If I could give half stars, I would award it 4.5. I can't and on balance I thought it was more fair to give it 5 than 4.
APPEARANCE:
This is an impressively styled display. The dark gunmetal bezel is quite attractive. I was glad to see LG left off the silver accents that are creeping into more of their models. I view those as unnecessary styling elements that detract somewhat from the overall appearance of the set. LG designers did a great job on the LA6200.
Several have commented this TV is much thicker than some of the very thin models on the market. That is necessitated by the back lighting system LG utilized on this model line. All LED TVs have LCD panels. LCD panels, unlike plasma displays, are incapable of generating their own light...they must be back lit to produce a visible picture. The very thin TVs are edge lit. The LEDs are placed on the left and right or top and bottom of the panels and mirrors reflect the light onto the panels illuminating it to provide a picture. This configuration allows for a very thin TV, but there are compromises. The primary concern is called flashlighting. If there was a scene with a bright moon against a dark sky, the LEDs on the edge of the panel would have to light up the moon. As the light is being reflected, some displays will show a beam of light, not unlike the pattern of a beam of light from a flashlight, going from the edge to the illuminated object...in this case the moon.
The LG LA 6200 series are direct lit meaning the LED lights are arranged along the entire back of the panel and not just the edges. A full array back lit set has a great number of these LEDs mounted relatively close to the screen. Full array sets are found in the upper tier models and tend to be quite expensive. The direct lit system LG used utilizes less LEDs. To properly illuminate the panel, they are positioned farther away from the panel resulting in that thickness. Direct lit sets don't have problems with flashlighting, but they can have issues with dark screen uniformity and light bleed. Both my 42" and 47" LA6200s had/have light bleeding...the 47 far less than the 42. This is why I would deduct 1/2 star, if possible. The issue actually seems to be getting a bit better as the TV breaks in and I'm only seeing it on some dark screens, not all.
SET-UP:
The TV was very easy to set up. Mine is mounted to a stand (VESA, M6 bolts) so I did not use the included base, but that looks very simple to attach. After you turn on the TV, you go through a brief set up...home or store use, zip code, time zone, etc. and then to Picture Wizard II. This is a calibration tool LG includes to help you adjust the TV for home viewing. After going through it's procedure and then later using the Disney Wow Blu-ray calibration disc, I was impressed how close to that mark the Picture Wizard II settings were.
You definitely want to do this. TVs are set up in stores to be as bright as possible as studies have shown in a big box store setting customers are drawn to the brightest displays and perceive those to have the best picture. In a home setting, especially with controlled lighting, those store settings will look horrible.
LG has already released a firmware update for 6200 series, so you'll want to update the software through the TV's menu system.
REMOTE:
The 42 and 47 come with ONLY the standard remote. It is well laid out, but unfortunately not back lighted. The correct Magic Remote is the AN MR400. It is fully functional with the 47, including voice functions, and makes it far easier to access the TV's smart functions. It is well worth purchasing in my opinion.
SMART FEATURES:
Relax, Amazon Instant is on the way. LG has been rolling out updated firmware in waves to provide this app. They started with 2011 models and have finished both 2011 and 2012 models. They are now working on updates for 2013 models, so it shouldn't be much longer.
The only app I use now is Netflix....streams without buffering or other problems (Verizon FiOS - hardwired.)
The LA6200 has full internet capability. It's workable with the Magic Remote, but I don't use this very often....not far enough along the learning curve, perhaps.
PICTURE QUALITY:
Other than the light bleed issue, it's very difficult to find any fault in the picture quality. Whether watching Blu-ray, DVD, Verizon FiOS or streaming Netflix, I have been extremely pleased, especially after I calibrated the set. Excellent clarity, accurate colors, realistic flesh tones and no perceived motion issues (even with Trumotion off as I hate the Soap Opera Effect).
3D:
I'm not a huge fan of 3D, but I did want the capability for occasional use. LG's passive 3D is excellent, probably the best in the industry (it should be, LG invented it and licenses it to other companies). More manufacturers are dropping active in favor of passive (Sony, for example) with Samsung being one of the few major active holdouts. There is a very interesting article on Displaymate's website (they sell calibration software) where they came to the conclusion that passive technology actually offers a better, clearer and sharper 3D image. The active supporters like to claim that passive 3D offers only half the resolution of active sets. While true in theory and if you sit abnormally close to the screen, due to a phenomenon known as "image fusion", the human brain perceives the passive display to have equal resolution at normal viewing distances.
If you purchase this set, spring for Avatar and The Hobbit on 3D Blu-ray and really appreciate the 3D picture this panel is capable of producing.
AUDIO.
The audio on the 47" is surprisingly pretty good. I suppose one benefit to the thicker frame of this TV is the ability to use larger speakers. I have a Zvox 220 in this room and haven't even bothered to hook it up yet.
GAMING
I don't play games or own a gaming console so I can't speak to that.
MY SETTINGS: (Note: This TV is in my bedroom which has total light control. I have electric hurricane shutters on every window/sliding glass door. These settings will result in a dark picture in an environment with more light.)
Energy Savings: Off
Picture Mode: isf Expert 1
Backlight: 40
Contrast: 90
Brightness: 57
H Sharpness: 2
V Sharpness: 2
Color: 57
Tint: G9
EXPERT CONTROL:
Dynamic Contrast: Off
Super Resolution: Off
Color Gamut: BT709
Edge Enhancer: Off
Color Filter: Off
Gamma: 2.2
PICTURE OPTIONS
Noise Reduction: Off
MPEG Noise Reduction: Off
Black Level: Low
Real Cinema: On
TruMotion: Off (Note: Turn this off if you dislike soap opera effect)
Nitpicks and Quirks:
1. Standard remote is not back lighted.
2. Screen uniformity issue described above.
3. When streaming with one of the applications such as Netflix, the Settings button on the remote (lower left) does nothing. If, however, you press the sleep timer button (lower right), you can not only set the timer, but select video, audio, size, etc. I found this a bit odd.
4. To get to the menu to turn off Trumotion while watching an app such as Netflix, you need to press the "My Apps" button on the remote to get into the menu AND you have to adjust the picture separately for EACH app.
5.On the standard remote the Smart activation button is extremely close to the up button. You need to pay close attention to their proximity when you are entering your account info for Netflix and the like or you'll kick yourself out and have to start over again. (I did this several times...yet another reason to buy the Magic Remote.)
6. The power cord is a bit short. If you search Amazon for a "Mickey Mouse power cord" (I am NOT kidding) you can find longer ones for a few dollars.
7. This is 60Hz refresh rate panel. LG, along with many manufacturers (Sony, Vizio, etc.), fudge on this number. "TruMotion 120" is a 60Hz panel that provides an EFFECTIVE refresh rate of 120Hz through a processor producing frame interpolation. This is where the infamous "Soap Opera Effect" comes from.
On balance, I think this TV is an excellent buy for the money. If the panel uniformity issues could be resolved, it would be a solid 5 star TV.
Please feel free to post any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
7/10/13 UPDATE:
Someone on AVS forum with actual calibration equipment calibrated a 47LA6200 at a B&M store. While my limited settings were obtained using the Disney Wow Blu-ray disc in a very light controlled bedroom, the settings below were obtained in a very brightly florescent lit store environment. His settings are far more extensive, including color management and 20 point grayscale settings. These will probably result in a picture a bit too bright for most home settings (f so, start with lowering the backlight level). By the way, this person indicated after calibration, the 47LA6200's colors were extremely accurate. He also thought black-level and contrast were a bit weak. Color management and 20 point grayscale adjustments are performed in the expert menu. (Posted with "Showroomcali's permission and with thanks to him.):
LG 47LA6200 Direct Lit LED/LCD
Target Gamma - 2.1
Actual Gamma - 2.01
dE- 1.98
Expert Mode 1
Backlight- 80
Contrast- 82
Brightness- 44
H Sharpness- 22
V Sharpness- 20
Color- 50
Tint- 0 (Neutral)
Gamma- 2.2
CMS Settings (Saturation, Tint, Luminance)
R= -2,4,7
G= 10,4,-6
B= 6,3,-4
C= 6,3,9
M= 3,0,3
Y= 7,3,2
10/20 Point Grayscale
R/G/B
05: -3, -6, -22.
10: -2,-6,-28
15: 0,0,0
20: -7,-10,-16
25: -4,0,-3
30: -15,-7,22
35: 0,0,0
40: -27,-18,12
45: 0,0,0
50: -34,-20,16
55: -34,-16,0
60: -45,-31,8
65: -33,-13,15
70: -48,-20,20
75: -26,-16,10
80: -38, -28,20
85: -28,-16,10
90: -44,-29,24
95: -8,-2,3
100: 4,-14,2
Color Gamut: BT709
Color Temp: Warm 2
All enhancements: OFF
Real Cinema: On
237 of 277 people found the following review helpful.
By Mathieu J. Champagne
I wasn't in the market for a new TV until the neighboring row home suffered a large fire, causing extreme smoke damage to our apartment. Thankfully our apartment is livable again, but we were forced to throw out and replace lots of items, especially electronics. My previous TV was a 42" LG LCD, which I had purchased about two years ago. I had used it in collaboration with an LG Smart BluRay player and a regular old antenna to accommodate my cable / dish free lifestyle. When it was time to replace the old smoke damaged goods, I knew what brand I wanted to go with.
I did a boatload of research before making this purchase, and contemplated other brands as well. My checklist of "needs" included:
-LED
-45" or larger
-Smart TV (Wifi included with Netflix, etc...)
-Streaming compatibility from my Apple computer
That's really it. Doesn't seem like too all of an order, but finding information on Smart TV's and their ability to interact with Apple Computers can be a pain; this includes LG TV's. The only reason I had hopes that this TV would work with my iMac upstairs was that my previous LG BluRay player did. I took the leap and purchased this TV in the 47" version,and so far I have been extremely happy.
My setup is insanely simple. The TV is hooked to power, and I have a very small antenna hooked into the TV and hidden. With this setup, I am able to view almost everything I need. I connect over wifi to my iMac upstairs and stream downloaded content, stream Netflix, and watch broadcast channels. I also have an HDMI to MiniDisplayport cable just in case I need to hook my laptop up. Setting the TV up was a breeze, although it would have been easier with the Magic Remote (which, as mentioned by other reviewers, did not come with this TV). If you have an iPhone or apple device, you can download the LG TV Remote app to control the TV in a similar fashion. I find this much easier for signing into things since it has a keyboard and behaves like a mouse pointer. I was worried about not being able to stream large files over the wifi network, as this was the case with my old streaming device, but this TV handles it like a champ. LG uses Plex media server to stream content from computers and devices, and setup was very easy. It also is very good at handling large files and buffering them correctly to prevent them from stuttering. I have successfully streamed 12GB 1080p 3D BluRay quality files from the computer upstairs without an issue. The other basic apps all work as they should, but are still a little clunky.
I followed come color setup techniques from a similar TV on CNET.com, and after doing so the picture looks amazing. I'm sure the casual person won't have any issue with the standard presets, but being a designer by profession I appreciate a correctly calibrated monitor. The 3D seems great so far, although I can't seem to dial it in 100%...always gives me a slight headache. The TV itself is decent to look at, easy to put together, and fits the aesthetics of my modern style.
The few complaints that I have are to be taken as very, very minor. The first thing that I noticed is that this TV is much more reflective than my previous one. It's not so bad that lights reflect in it easily, but you get the glaring, rainbow colored X's that cover most of the screen. I definitely have to be more concerned with the lights when watching this TV. Also, the sound quality of the built in speakers is good, but not great. My LG TV from a few years ago had richer, deeper sound than this TV; it's definitely more tinny. The Smart TV features are somewhat convoluted and somewhat difficult to customize. My girlfriend opened the menu and said, "what is all this stuff...were never going to use it", and for the most part she is right. It would be nice to customize all of your menus to feature ONLY what you use. You can rearrange some things to be easily accessible, but there are some items you can't remove.
I definitely recommend this TV, as it is an excellent value for the price. The Smart TV apps work as needed, and help to eliminate the need for cable or satellite. Be aware of the reflectivity of the screen, and the fact that this does NOT come with a Magic Remote. The TV works great for streaming from computers and devices with Plex media server. The picture quality is fantastic, and with some color calibration is excellent.
EDIT (06.17.13): After flipping channels and landing on a hockey game, something caught my attention. When the camera pans over large bodies of solid color, like the white ice rink during hockey, there appears to be a blotchy appearance to the screen. Upon researching this, I discovered that it has a name; DSE (Dirty Screen Effect). Before jumping on Amazon and requesting an exchange or refund, I really looked into this issue and discovered that it is incredibly common. I found a forum where one person exchanged their LA6200 model TV twice and they both had the issue in varying levels. It appears as though there is a coating on the screen, perhaps AR (anti-reflective), that gives the appearance of dirty smudges. It's not always immediately apparent to people at first, but I can usually get them to pick up on it after describing it. It drives me nuts. Unfortunately it sounds like most newer TVs have this issue, and it is just something I am going to have to live with. I just wanted to give a heads up to buyers and potential buyers about this issue.
Edit (07.08.13): The DSE (Dirty Screen Effect) is starting to bother me so much that I am contemplating beginning the process of having the TV replaced or repaired. For an idea of what I am talking about, please refer to the two images that I uploaded for this product. Anytime there is a light solid block of color all I can see is the patchy, blotchy dark areas. It's such a shame because I love everything about this TV besides this. I'm super hesitant to deal with LG as the last time I called them they would not repair a TV because I could not find my receipt anywhere (despite the SN indicating that it was still under warranty). I'm interested to see if anyone else has had any issues with this?
Edit (08.24.13): I just wanted to add that I received a firmware update today that added Amazon Prime. It looks to have added some other features, but I had seen multiple people ask about Prime.
Edit (09.17.13): I finally called LG about the DSE (dirty screen effect) I was experiencing and they sent out a contractor to come look at the problem. Upon viewing the issue, they ordered a replacement display. After the nightmare that was scheduling appointments and being blown off by the repairmen multiple times, the new display was installed. To my surprise, as well as the repairmen, they problem was STILL there. It literally looked exactly the same as the first display. Now they are going to order another internal part to repair. I'm not sure how many times they are going to replace parts until they just replace the TV itself, but my guess is many, many times. You have to really admire a company that isn't willing to exchange a clearly defective product that is less than a few months old and cost almost $900. I do believe I am done with LG.
I Made a video to hopefully show what to look for with the DSE effect. It is kind of hard to see through a video, but it should help show what I see. The lighter color bars pan across the screen, and the blotchy dark areas remain still over top of the image. It is very easy to see during football, hockey, or interior home shots with a panning camera.
[...]
Edit (10.15.13): After the third visit from an LG contracted repairman, the TV is still suffering from the DSE as mentioned above. This repairman contacted LG upon replacing the power supply which had zero effect on the issue. LG contacted me by phone and they setup a replacement of the TV. I didn't think I would ever stick with this for so long, but being persistent pays off. I don't have my hopes too high, as I assume the new TV will suffer the same issue to some extent (god, I hope it does not). The replacement TV should arrive shortly, and I am to put the old TV in the box and return it with the included return slip. I will update with new findings after the new TV arrives. Crossing my fingers.
Edit (10.24.13): The replacement TV is currently at some freight shipping place 30 minutes away, and since they could only schedule a time for delivery between 1-5pm I will be driving to pick it up tomorrow. I am excited to check it out and report back on my findings with this replacement. I also wanted to share updated picture calibration settings and review links for this specific TV.
Review: [...]
Calibration Settings: [...]
Edit (11.21.13): Sorry for the delay in updating this review; I wrote one a while back and just found out that it never posted correctly. I received the replacement TV and it exhibits the same exact DSE issues as the original. I can now say, having seen three different displays, that this LG model will ALWAYS have DSE issues. While the DSE varied slightly among the displays, they all were beyond acceptable. I cannot endorse this TV, and I have shifted my review to two stars. Between this issue, the poor customer service I have received with my last two LG TV's, and the newly discovered privacy concerns, I am certain I will avoid this brand from here on.
Edit (12.01.13): Just when I thought my saga with this TV and LG had come to an anticlimactic ending, the replacement TV I received has now begun restarting itself automatically at random times. The other night while watching regular antenna TV the unit made a loud popping sound and turned off. When it turned itself back on, the same thing...loud pop followed by a restart. It did this about four times before I pulled the plug. Since that day, the TV will do this whenever it pleases...which is super awesome. I'll keep everyone updated with how this round of repairs goes.
125 of 144 people found the following review helpful.
By Hans J. Storoy
I bought this TV (the 47") to replace an older LG 42" LCD that I broke. I was looking to stay with LG since my last TV was great, and I preferred the passive 3D just because I don't want to pay an $50-$90 for a technology that will be lightly used at most. The 2D to 3D up-convert is just a bonus that makes it more usable.
Pros and Cons below, but one feature I was not prepared for that has been great, LG Cloud. Its a free 5Gb video, 2GB photo service. I can upload videos (including xvid) from my computer or phone and play via the cloud on my TV. Absolutely love that.
Pros
- Fantastic picture quality. Great blacks, very smooth.
- TruMotion, when used for stuff like sports and other high motion video (this is also a con, see below)
- Passive 3D with 2D to 3D makes this usable right out of the box.
- LG Cloud
- Huge collection of Smart TV Apps (Please add Amazon Instant)
- Price. I called and got the price dropped $120 to match BestBuy. Well worth it when you pay no shipping or tax (Prime)
Cons
- No Amazon Instant (at least not on the 47")
- No Magic Remote, which was in the description, but not with the 47" at least.
- TruMotion was on by default. It makes regular TV look kind of like a Soap Opera, that kind of cheesy looking filming, can't think of a better way to explain it. I turned it off.
- Picasa App doesn't seem to work, every time I click on an album the app closes.
Overall, the cons are about what I thought was included based on the description and 1 setting very easily turned off. The TV is a great, inexpensive Smart/3D TV. Nothing really I can complain about. Glad I stuck with LG.
Smart TV done right