Bangkok Post: The world windows to Thailand

The buzz word around tech circles this year has been "3D" and the technology has reached the everyday consumer in the form of not only big-budget Hollywood movies, but also home entertainment equipment.

Potential 3D TV buyers need to consider a few things before they make a decision to step up to a 3D HDTV. Let's look at the new 55LX9500, LG's flagship 3D TV, to help shed some light on the new market and make sure consumers are looking on the right shelf, sitting in the right seat and wearing the right glasses.

FIRST APPEARANCES

It is instantly obvious that LG has poured all its resources into the 55LX9500. It's the largest 3D-capable TV from the manufacturer to date, and was apparently the first LED 3D LCD TV in the world, according to LG.

The beautiful design, with its 33mm depth, sits well on any TV shelf.

The bezel is only 8.5mm from edge to frame, making it almost "borderless" and heightening the effect of the screen.

FEATURES

The 55-inch screen runs at a 480Hz Trumotion refresh rate. It provides full HD, 1,920x1,080 resolution with local dimming from 240 points, meaning it turns off the back lighting when not required, offering deeper blacks than edge-lit models.

An interesting inclusion is the wireless HD streaming, meaning the unit can connect to a PC or media box to play content, doing away with the need for a jumble of cables.

Connectivity is strong with four HDMI and two USB ports as well as wireless.

FUNCTIONALITY

While having most current technology on board, the 55LX9500 lacks a 2D-to-3D converter, so a 3D Blu-ray player is required. But this isn't as much an oversight as might be feared, as many onboard converters offer disappointing results.

The "magic wand" remote is a nice touch, similar to a nintendo wii controller, combining button pressing and gestures to navigate the menus.

With wireless functionality comes easy access to the internet, which boosts the capability of the unit further. Services such as Accuweather, Skype, YouTube and Yahoo! are accessible in Thailand, while customers elsewhere have access to video streaming services such as Netfilx and Pandora. But IPTV will come into play in terms of content in the near future, meaning wireless connectivity is an important function to have.

GLASSES

To gain the 3D effect, users need to wear active-shutter glasses, which is the current standard of the technology. Glasses-less 3D has been achieved on a smaller scale, such as on the Nintendo 3DS, but is yet to be replicated on a screen this size.

With the need for glasses, group 3D viewing becomes expensive, unless it becomes a BYO-glasses event.

The range of the glasses is a comfortable eight metres.

3D EXPERIENCE

The overall picture quality is excellent in both 2D and 3D modes as you would expect from a machine in this class.

The picture is bright and clear, with good colours and contrast, but occasionally some cross-talk, or double images, is evident.

The 3D effect has been accused of having less depth of field than similar Samsung and Sony offerings, with softer edges. But this may be only discernible to an experienced eye.

CONTENT

A major issue for potential 3D TV buyers _ that sales assistants may neglect to mention _ is the lack of available 3D content. While some manufacturers offer one or two 3D discs to be enjoyed out of the box, regular fresh content is limited, particularly in countries such as Thailand that are yet to adopt 3D cable programming.

The 3D gaming industry is a potential motivation for buying a 3D TV in Thailand, as it is showing content created with 3D-capturing hardware.

VERDICT

At this end of the new market, bells and whistles don't come cheaply.

But the LG does well to justify it's cost, emerging as the best LED 3D TV on the market.

Users will like the sleek design and bevelled edges, the contrast and colours and the wireless HD connectivity, but will be turned off by the lack of 2D-to-3D converter, the modest depth-of-field in 3D mode and the substantial price tag.

The set will attract equipment enthusiasts rather than casual shoppers, but will reward those will the money to spend on such tech indulgence.

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The LG Infinia 55LX9500 is available for about 149,990 baht from major retail outlets or

www.lg.com/th. Email richardm@bangkokpost.co.th with any gadget questions.