by Philip Wong | 5 October 2012 6:59pm SGT
The LG 42LS5700 excels in both smart TV functions and picture quality, but is not the sleekest panel in its class.
| The good | Sharp and smooth visuals; accurate hues; superb smart TV platform; strong feature-set; affordable. |
|---|---|
| The bad | Lighter blacks; mediocre noise reduction; aggressive overscan setting; no earphone jack; cumbersome cable adapters. |
For consumers who are not fans of 3D TVs, the 42LS5700 is the best 42-inch 2D LED TV from LG, combining smart TV functions with advanced A/V connectivity. Some of the highlights include a Flash-ready Web browser, a motion-sensing remote control and Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi).
Performance-wise, this LG produced pretty compelling visuals with notably smooth motion and natural hues. This is complemented by good sound even though this panel lacks an integrated subwoofer.
Still, it would have been better if blacks were inkier compared with theSony NX650.
While the 42LS5700 lacks slim aesthetics of the flagship LG 55LM9600, it does sport a relatively sleek 21mm-thin bezel and a unique trapezoidal stand. Touch controls and a brushed-metal accent are other nice touches. Accessing the slightly recessed side A/V sockets is also a breeze, but there is no headphone jack for late night TV viewing.
| Design and layout | |
|---|---|
| Panel depth | 35.5mm |
| Bezel width | 21mm |
| Finishing | Glossy screen; piano-black plastic bezel; brushed-metal paneling |
| TV controls | Rear-right: Push buttons |
| Auxiliary A/V inputs | Left side: 3 x USB; 4 x HDMI |
| Mounting option | Swivel stand; wall bracket |
The ergonomic LG remote comes with a “hump” to emphasize the volume and channel rockers. There is a Home button to directly access the smart TV main menu, among other shortcut keys dedicated to important functions. Meanwhile, independent TV/Radio and Input buttons provide easier source selection. We also like the rubberized texture and tactile feedback of these keys.
| Form factor | Longish; rounded bottom; 234mm-long |
|---|---|
| Finishing | Plastic; piano black |
| Backlight | N.A. |
| Input-selection keys | Input; TV/Radio |
| Multifunctional control | N.A. |
There are plenty of video presets with independent memory and a Picture Wizard II function to easily tweak picture quality. A software manual for quick reference and diagnostic functions are available, too. Experienced users can also leverage on the advanced settings such as a 20-point white balance adjustment, while professional video calibration is supported by two ISF Expert modes.
| Software menu | |
|---|---|
| User interface | Text-based; colored |
| Video modes | Intelligent Sensor; Vivid; Standard; Cinema; Game; ISF Expert 1; ISF Expert 2 |
| Audio modes | Standard; Music; Cinema; Sport; Game; Vivid; User Setting |
| Key advanced settings | 20-point white balance; color management system; gamma |
| Notable extras | Picture Wizard II (user calibration); user guide; diagnostic functions |
The 42LS5700 is based on a Super-In-Plane Switching (S-IPS) panel, which is very popular among enthusiasts for its wide viewing angles and minimum color shift. It also boasts local dimming to produce deeper blacks, as well as LG’s proprietary 200Hz Motion Clarity Index (MCI). This MCI speed is derived from a 100Hz screen refresh rate according to the company’s representative.
| A/V and multimedia | |
|---|---|
| Video | S-IPS panel; LED-edgelit; 100Hz |
| Audio | 10W x 2; Infinite Sound; Dolby Digital; DTS |
| Multimedia | MP3, WMA, JPEG, MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, WMV-HD, MKV via triple USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi |
| TV tuner | Analog; digital (DVB-T) |
| Miscellaneous | DLNA; DVR; time-shift |
LG currently has one of the best smart TV platforms with hundreds of downloadable apps and an intuitive user interface. You can now organize your favorite apps into folders (called Cards) and enjoy full Web browsing with Flash support. A new Magic Remote with a scroll wheel also allows users to scroll through Web pages easily, but is sold separately. Find out more in our LG smart TV hands-on.
| Smart TV and Skype | |
|---|---|
| Apps | Apps downloadable from LG Smart World |
| Web browser | HTML5 and Flash compatible |
| Control option(s) | Magic Remote; remote apps (Android and iOS) |
| Skype | Optional |
Another highlight of this model is its superb connectivity. Besides four HDMI inputs, there are three USB ports for connecting an optional Skype camera and a hard drive for enabling video-recording and time-shift capabilities. An optical audio jack can output both 5.1-channel Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound to an external home theater system, too.
Having said that, we aren’t fans of the panel’s cumbersome component-video and composite-A/V breakout cables.
| Connectivity | |
|---|---|
| HDMI input(s) | Four sockets; version 1.4; ARC |
| Component-video input(s) | One socket; 1080p-ready |
| PC input | Analog; 1080p-ready |
| Audio output(s) | Analog; digital optical |
| Miscellaneous | Ethernet; Wi-Fi (optional) |
The 42LS5700 delivered a blend of good sharpness and reasonably smooth visuals for analog broadcasts. Still, we observed that there was mild ghosting, while overscan was excessively high compared with other TVs. Switching to digital channels yielded significantly cleaner pictures and less image cropping along the edges, but the speaker volume was audibly softer.
The overall DVD-upscaling performance of this panel was commendable with discernibly strong details and very few jaggies. Most films we tested also exhibited pretty sharp and fluid images. The overscan setting for widescreen aspect ratio was well within tolerance, too, though this was somewhat marred by the TV’s mediocre noise reduction system.
We were even more impressed with the 42LS5700 for this segment, thanks to its crisp pictures and abundant details. With mostly judder-free motion, this LG handled the 24fps frame rate much better than the Sony KDL-40NX650 and Philips 42PFL4007 during our side-by-side comparison. Adding to this strong showing was a slight improvement in noise reduction for HD content.
Our post-calibration report indicated accurate primary and secondary colors, which was verified onscreen by a familiar warm tonality and natural skin tones. Another highlight was the revealing shadow detail, which made dark scenes more watchable instead of displaying merely patches of black. However, it is worth nothing that blacks on this LG appeared lighter than the above-mentioned Sony TV.
The speakers belted out pristine and “punchy” sound with surprisingly light bass notes. There was sufficient reserve power to go loud and a decent stereo imaging as well. Unfortunately, the onboard surround sound engine had no effect whatsoever on expanding the soundstage.
This S-IPS panel has a very wide viewing angle, matched by fairly uniform backlighting and a moderately reflective screen. Lastly, the 42LS5700’s 45W average power consumption puts it neck-and-neck with the Sony NX650.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| TV broadcasts | Average |
| DVDs | Good |
| Blu-ray Discs | Excellent |
| 3D | N.A. |
| Color accuracy | Good |
| Audio | Good |
At S$1,199, the LG 42LS5700 is one of the cheapest 2D LED TVs with smart TV function available. It is also surprisingly well-equipped and delivered competent picture quality. Admittedly, the 42LS5700 is not as sleek as the Sony NX650, but this Korean panel is hard to beat in terms of overall value.
You can check out the Philips 42PFL4007 for the same price or payS$100 more for a Panasonic Viera TH-L42E5. Both sets also feature IPS technology used by the LG, as well as a Web browser and Wi-Fi-connectivity.
| Equipment | Model(s) |
|---|---|
| Reference 3D Blu-ray player | Panasonic DMP-BDT300 |
| Reference DVD player | Pioneer DV-S969AVi |
| Reference game consoles | Sony PS3/Xbox 360 |
| A/V interconnects | Monster cables/Philips/Gefe |
| HDMI distribution | Gefen |
| Reference LED-lit TV | LG 55LM9600 |
| Reference plasma/3D TV | Panasonic Viera TH-P50VT20S |
| Calibration tool | SpectraCal Calman 4 with Chroma 5 colorimeter |
Philip Wong is an A/V, PC, photography and gaming enthusiast. Besides spending countless days and late nights fiddling with his home theater system and watercooled PC, he also hits the roads frequently on his iron horse to sweat it out. Now, who says geeks don’t work out?
Philip Wong, Associate Editor
I do not like to write – I like to have written.Gloria Steinem
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| FROM : TIMES OF INDIA | |||||
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Mumbai: Tata Nano cars, GE’s portable ECG device, Pureit water filters and Micromax phones are just a few of the visible innovations from India as several more ideas have gained prominence globally. Even as major parts of the developed world grappled with a financial crisis during this period, Indian companies worked hard on filing patents and putting ideas into execution.
Total R&D spend in India doubled since 2007 and is now estimated at $40 billion, says a recent study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Besides, the number of patents filed in the US and Europe by Indian companies has also registered a significant jump. Until very recently, innovation was almost exclusively the preserve of advanced economies. That’s no longer the case.
Emerging markets such as India and China are advancing from production sites and work benches to become important innovation hubs. India’s standalone contribution to the global pie has improved from 2% to nearly 3%, while US has declined 3% to 24%, according to the same report. Europe has declined about 2% to 24% while Japan declined 2.3% to 11%, it said.
India and China now account for nearly 20% of global R&D spending, with China today the most prominent emerging R&D hub with a global share of 14% of the total worldwide R&D spending. While there’s little doubt this will only accelerate, the key aspect is the rise of the two emerging markets on the evolution curve.
“Countries go through various phases of development. Germany also went through a phase during the industrial revolution of copying and turned that around through innovation to create a differentiation around the ‘Made in Germany’ tag. It is now well recognized as good high technology innovation. China and India are going from a ‘copy’ phase, which is behind us, into an innovation and development phase. That’s simply exciting if you see the number of patents filed in the US and Europe from China and India,” said Wilfried Aulbur, managing partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.
Patent registrations in the US from India grew from 94 in 2000 to 465 in 2010, according to the report. While those filed from China grew from 112 to 1,652. In Europe, patent registrations from India grew from merely seven in 2000 to 200 in 2010, while those from China grew from 11 to 587.
However, in comparison to China, India is way behind. Industry experts believe that India need not mimic China to reach the top pedestal. “The Indian economy is gradually but surely waking up to the fact that technological advances need to be sustained through proactive investment into R&D. We need not copy China, but take their example as a historical analogy,” said Harsh Mariwala, CMD, Marico, which has embedded the process of innovation in its DNA since its inception and has identified three key drivers of innovation — culture, leadership and strategy.
Mariwala believes innovation by Indian companies would accelerate going forward. “It is driven largely by the trend of the Indian economy integrating with the global economy. Integrations such as these will create increased competition for Indian players but at the same time can be a major springboard for innovation,” said Mariwala.
Many companies are using innovation across their product portfolios, but the process of ideation is taking place among employees driven to make the shift in thinking. Nitin Paranjpe, MD & CEO, Hindustan Unilever, in an earlier interaction with TOI, had said the only driver of innovation was a mismatch between ambition and resources. “If ambition is equal to resource, there is no motivation for innovation,” he said.
The rush toward gaining competitive advantage through innovation was visible when big-ticket acquisitions were made in the last decade. “The Tata takeover of JLR was driven by several considerations, but one was access to technology. If you look at the Mahindra takeover of SsangYong, and now discussions about Aston Martin, again it is about complementing the brand portfolio, which is fantastic. But it’s also about access to technology,” said Aulbur.
Interestingly, the innovation march of India and China is irrespective of the global slowdown. Global R&D spending is projected to rise in 2012 by about 5.2% to reach more than $1.4 trillion, slightly below the 6.5% increase in 2011 after the global recession and government R&D incentives.
SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA
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