Do TVs need Bluetooth? LG thinks so, and has packed its latest LCD TV with this aging wireless tech. Activate Bluetooth via the onscreen menus and it’s then possible to pair the TV with either a set of wireless headphones, or a mobile phone. The latter makes it possible to send photos to the set wirelessly, though it’s the former that’s the most useful. It's a unique feature to LG's TVs, and essential; the wired headphones slot is hidden away on the back of the panel in a less-than-practical position.

Presented in a two-tone grey and maroon high-resolution graphics, and second-guessing whatever it is the user is trying to do (shortcut buttons ate regularly, but subtly, presented at every stage), the 32SL8000’s icon-based system is a joy to use.

Honestly, any idiot could perform an ISF-standard calibration, something that used to be the reserve of eggheads only. Via a comprehensive Picture Wizard that covers everything from colour gain to contrast - but in a very simple, picture-led way - it’s possible to get an excellent image on the 32SL8000 from almost any source.

Before we leave the onscreen menus, it’s worth mentioning the 32SL8000’s onboard media capabilities. Instead of supplying a USB port that can play MP3 files and a DLNA networking module that makes a hash of streaming (some) video files from a PC, LG has instead opted for a very clever USB port. Not only does it treat JPEG and MP3 files with due care (slideshows can very simply be set to music, or music set to pictures), but it’s able to playback everything from MOV and MP4 to AVI and MKV - including DivX HD files. All that’s missing are MPEG and WMV files, though it does warn you in advance if it doesn’t support a file type; instead of presenting a moving thumbnail of the video file, a lightning crack is shown.

All very impressive, and playback of DivX HD files is as impressive-looking as it is reliable. Yup, it’s obvious that media whores will love the 32SL8000.

Those after exacting high-def may not. Although it doesn't an admirable job with all kinds of video, Blu-ray in Full HD on the 32SL8000 is not as mind-blowing as it should be. There's plenty of rich colouring and images are always immaculate. Contrast and detailing within black areas is decent, too (if not benchmark) and its TruMotion 200Hz does remove virtually all judder and blur from quick camera work and high-octane scenes. It’s worth remembering to turn TruMotion 200Hz down to its "low" setting for best performance - "high" can introduce some video nasties.

Verdict:

If it lacks ultimate Full HD sharpness - and that's about all it does lack - there's nothing wrong with the 32SL8000's interpretation of Freeview, which is classy and clean. Sound quality is nothing to shout about, but the onboard underslung speakers do an adequate job. The TV itself is too small to appreciate any kind of stereo separation on, and movie soundtracks are bereft of low frequency effects, but regular TV audio is handled just fine.

A good, if not a great TV in terms of pure HD picture quality, the 32SL8000's multimedia features and addictive digital TV pictures help make this exceptionally user-friendly TV one to cherish.

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Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions LG LG 32SL8000

LG 32SL8000 television originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

A brand usually found in the lower echelons of the flatscreen TV market, Toshiba is making a bid for the big time with this huge LED screen. The trouble is, the 55SV685DB's very large price heaps on the pressure; is it much better than a 50-inch plasma, which now go for under ?1,000?

However unlikely that might seem, Toshiba has strived to make the 55SV685DB seem good value by packing in some new features. The first, and most important by far, is LED backlighting. The 55SV685DB uses perhaps the most comprehensive form of the new tech, called "local dimming" or "full LED" by some brands. Instead of a backlight that's always switched on, rows of tiny LED lights line up behind the LCD panel. Capable of switching on and off individually, it's possible for the screen to show total darkness in one area of an image, and bright white in another.

The second crucial feature is Active Vision M200, a 200Hz anti-blur system, though a film stability mode (aimed at removing that annoying judder in all Blu-ray discs) Toshiba's much-hyped Resolution+ upscaling tech for digital TV and DVD is just as important on a screen of this sheer size.

The 55SV685DB's other features seem frivolous in comparison. Take its SD card slot, an unusual find away from Panasonic's Viera TVs. It's there to provide JPEG photographs for the Picture Frame mode, though the TV itself has so little onboard memory that instead of a slideshow, just a single picture can be transferred – and it's slow to load, too.

Just as distracting is the 55SV685DB's stilted stab at DLNA networking. Fetching digital media from a PC or Mac on the same home broadband network is a fantastic idea, but, like a lot of brands, Toshiba hasn't got anywhere near perfecting it. After quickly finding a networked computer, a slow and rather brutal process begins; a file type must be selected, then a specific file, before finding out whether it's compatible (only AVI and MPEG videos seem to be). The system gets ahead of itself by trying to display thumbnails photos/videos, but they never load and just slowdown the process further (Toshiba may have solved this issue on its Japanese-only Cell Regza 55X1, which offers 143 times more processing power).

The remote control doesn't help; it's unable to cancel commands and return to the previous menu, extending the agony. It's a similar story with the Media Player feature that reads files from a USB stick.?

Resolution+ also fails. The 55-inches of LCD screen just cannot display DVD or digital pictures coherently – digital artefacts and fuzzy edges are everywhere – which leaves the 55SV685DB looking rather forlorn and in need of a phenomenal performance with Blu-ray.

And it makes a respectable stab at greatness. Its LED backlighting is endlessly tweakable, with dynamic bars showing ambient light (plotted on a graph, even!), alongside the light output of each pixel.

And a high-def picture is indeed worthy of such examination. Black areas of the picture are jet-black, with plenty of subtle detail within. And subtlety is everywhere; bright whites, incredible colours and entrancing detail make for a picture that's lusciously cinematic. It's helped by an effective film mode that helps create a smooth image with sharp, well-defined edges even when objects are moving rapidly across the screen.

Verdict:

Toshiba has created a Full HD marvel that uses its LED backlighting to create astonishingly deep blacks and rich colours for a LCD TV, but its ?4,500 price tag proves it's downfall. However well it deals with high-def, it's impossible to forgive the 55SV685DB for its lack of versatility because how many of us just want to watch 1080p Blu-ray? For now, a ?1,500 plasma remains a better deal.

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Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions Toshiba Toshiba Regza 55SV685DB

Toshiba Regza 55SV685DB television originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:30:22 +0000