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LG 37LG7000 Review |
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Reviewed: 05 January 2009
Design
The circular hole right through the bottom edge bezel of LG's previous high end LCD TV offering, the 6000 series, proved to be a big talking point and deciding on the style of a new high end range was never going to be easy.
LG seem to have hit the right note with the 7000 series of LCD TV's however, retaining the scarlet touch of its predecessor albeit in a much more subdued fashion. A high gloss finish accented red along the sides of the screen along with a subtle curvature at its base gives the 37LG7000 a uniquely stylish appearance. This new top end offering could very well attract a new group of admirers who considered the 6000's style a little over the top.
LG have also made great play of a new user friendly operating system. The intuitive interface features bold new graphics.
Features
The latest incarnation of LG's picture processing technology, 'Dual XD Engine', is 'Dual' because it makes the distinction between two different types of input. It has separate processing to optimize the images from RF signals (the TV's aerial) and from any other External inputs. In both cases LG's core processing technology aims to improve contrast, picture sharpness and detail.
Screen: 37in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 50000:1 Other Features: Dual XD Engine, TruMotion 100Hz, Bluetooth. Sockets: 4 HDMI, 2 SCART, S-video, Component Video, Composite Video, D-sub PC input.
TruMotion 100Hz increase the number of frames (the still pictures which shown in quick succession form a moving picture) from 50 frames per second to 100. LG's system does not simply display the same frame twice however, but introduces a complicated algorithms to 'build' a unique frame and create a smooth transition between two existing ones.
The 37LG7000, with 4 HDMI(v1.3) inputs, a USB 2.0 port (for JPEG and MP3 playback), a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution panel along with a 50,000:1 contrast ratio is a well specified panel.
Bluetooth is an interesting addition to the 37LG7000's list of features although it offers limited albeit useful functionality. Through this feature you can listen to the TV sound with a wireless enabled bluetooth headset or transfer photos direct from your mobile phone to the screen.
By continually analyzing the brightness and colour temperature of the area surrounding the screen, LG's 'Intelligent Sensor' technology optimizes the brightness, contrast, colour, sharpness, and white balance to reduce unnecessary on-screen brightness. LG claim the technology can protect against eyestrain and reduce power consumption with potential savings of up to 62%.
Virtually every LCD manufacturer compromises acoustic ability for the sake of style although with the addition of their invisible speaker system LG believe that their compromise is more effective. With actuators around the perimeter of the screen, the LG7000 does not require speaker drivers or their associated grilles. This not only allows for a sleek look, but also creates what LG describe as a virtual 'wall' of sound.
Working alongside their invisible speaker system, LG's Clear Voice technology alters the sound balance to emphasize human voices and reduce background noise. By isolating voice frequency (100Hz-12kHz) from other acoustic elements LG is able to amplify dialogue for greater clarity.
Performance
Once again we are left pondering the benefits of 100Hz technology on an LCD TV. LG's implementation of 100Hz processing, TruMotion, seems to work, but only when it is set on low. The 37LG7000 is still one of the better LCD TV's we have come across when it comes to an ability to handle fast on screen action fluidly but we can't help comparing it with screens from the likes of Sony who have achieved similar standards without increasing the scan rate.
As with other implementations of 100Hz technology anything shot on film can take on a strange video like performance. The effect made our Blu-ray version of Bladerunner appear like an episode of Eastenders until we turned TruMotion off.
With the introduction of the 6000 series, LG finally managed to produce an LCD TV with a strong and vibrant colour performance which no longer suffered the 'garish' tones of previous panels. The 37LG7000 carries on from where the 6000 left off with a vibrancy that does not suffer from over saturated colours. Most notable is LG's new found subtlety in this area which produces some of the most realistic rendering of colour we have seen.
It came as a slight disappointment that the black level abilities of the 37LG7000 could not quite match the standard of performance in other areas. With a hint of greyness, the screen lacks the rich deep blacks we have been used to seeing on plasma TV's for a while and which have started to appear on the best LCD's. Ultimately, you have to look carefully to spot the shortcomings in black level performance and they are not serious enough to detract too much from the viewing experience.
High Definition (HD) performance is typically excellent for a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution screen. In fact the 37LG7000 joins an elite group of flat panel TV's that produce such a stunningly realistic HD picture you are compelled to reach out and touch the screen, just to check the reality of the whole experience.
Perhaps of greatest interest to the majority of consumers considering this TV is its ability to handle Standard Definition sources. Like its predecessor the LG6000, the 37LG7000 does a remarkable job converting a Freeview signal to a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Pictures are not perfect but demonstrate a performance which is only slightly compromised by video noise and loss of detail.
Once again we are left wanting more acoustically. While the 37LG7000 does as good a job as most LCD TV's in this respect there is just no substitute for separate or at least much bigger built-in speakers. The main problem is that deep 'Bass' level of sound that a separate sound system can provide.
Conclusion
LG have fast become a serious player in the LCD field rivaling the likes of Philips, Sony, Panasonic and Samsung for performance. Add in traditional LG qualities such as value for money and most offerings from the Korean manufacturer now deserve serious consideration. The 37LG7000 is an excellent all round performer and only a few steps away from greatness with a lackluster black level performance.
LG 37LG7000 
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