LG 47LW650S
An impressive 3D TV from LG
Is it better to choose 3D active or passive 3D technology when want a new TV ? This question seems to be a difficult one. The LG 47LW650S, which uses the passive 3D technology, comes with a possible response.
Expectations before tests
It’s the first time when LG tries to implement 3D passive technology. It is used for a 47-inch Full HD TV with 3D Cinema and the FRP technology (Film Patterned Retarder) used in many 3D cinemas. The technology used for this 3D passive screen is, in few words, the covering with a polarizing filter and a special film of the display surface. This technique is implemented to avoid losing 3D image in light rooms.The TV is powered by backlight LED and seems to be very good for multimedia purposes. It has two USB ports, a Wi-Fi network (optional) and DLNA certification. The LG 47LW650S has access to a lot of online services and is able to offer image at 200 Hz. This TV also includes two ISF modes and a lot of connectivity options. All these things at a good price. Is this 3d TV a good one ? Let’s see the test and review. 
Reality
Apparently, the look and design of the LCD / LED TVs has become very ordinary and we are not impressed by the new models. However, this model powered by edge LED backlight seems to have all the elements necessary if you need to connect to other devices. The TV offers the possibility to connect HD players, different gadgets and multimedia devices. Its features include two USB 2.0 ports and four HDMI 1.4 connectors. Via the USB ports you can open multiple file formats, including files in the HD format or other high quality images, for example.
The LG 47LW650S is pleasant to use and the remote control as well as the speed are good, without high dead time. The media player is very well designed and fast. A bad point is that in the default configuration, the Wi-Fi module is not integrated. If you choose to have the Wi-Fi module you will be able to access different web services. The feature included is called SmartTV and it combines the application store (from LG Apps) and different social networks and websites (Google, YouTube, Facebook, Picassa, NetLog, Twitter and so on). With this module activated you have the possibility to organize different applications, have full access to files from a network via the Smart Share technology. With this TV you can navigate the web in great speeds. This part seems to be a little bit unfinished and can definitely be improved. But the rest of the multimedia features are almost perfect.
2D image is unimpressive
We tested the TV and can report back that 2D image is not extraordinary. In fact, it seems to be of a medium quality. For example, blacks are a little bit stuck and the contrast is not very impressive. If you use the standard mode, for example, and you don’t change its default settings, the 2D image looks a little bit flat. A good thing is to use the calibration options because after that, the 2D image looks better, even if is still not perfect. Colors and definition of the image are good and we cannot say bad things about this. The image cannot be compared to that provided by plasma powered TVs, but it’s still good. A weak point is the presence of an unusual noise in the background.
Almost a dream: 3D Cinema mode
The 3D technology is very addictive. You will be immediately drawn by this feature. The LG 47LW650S comes with two pairs of passive glasses, both small and comfortable to wear. This is a weird thing compared to the active glasses. They use no battery or batteries and don’t include electronics. This TV offers remarkable 3D image brightness, as well as a dynamic and very good precision. At first ever view we were more than impressed. The 3D passive technology uses the image divided by two, so there’s a single image for a single eye. These half images constitute a single image in your brain when you look through the glasses.
We tested this TV and can say that the 3D image retains excellent definition (even when it’s used in the 720p HD standard). The 3D passive mode seems to be more enjoyable than the active 3D technology. The advantages are the loss of light which is a really good point compared to the active 3D. The impression of relief is very fast and very realistic. Another good thing compared to the active technology is that you can move your head without any loss of synchronization and without unpleasant effects. From our point of view, the passive 3D seems to be the future of this technology. We very much enjoyed what we experienced and after tests it was difficult to return to the “classic” active 3D technology. And its problems.
The TV has included a feature able to automatically convert the 2D to 3D with very good results. We’ve seen the Alien movies in 3D, for example, at a good clarity and with a very realistic effects. The TV inserts supplemental element when the image is not complete, so this is another advantage to take into consideration.
The audio of this model is good, but we prefer a dedicated 5.1 / 7.1 sound system for a maximum effect.
test and review conclusions
We’ve tested the 47LW650S and can say that this an amazing 3D TV ! The only small problem is the classic view in 2D mode. But with a little bit setup and skills, the TV will offer good image in 2D, too. In 3D this TV is truly impressive ! The image quality is very good and the 3D passive technology should be the future of this industry. Anyway, the new LG 47LW650S is a very good choice.
Technical specifications and features
| Technology | LCD |
| Diagonal Screen Size (cm) | 119 |
| Label HD | HDTV 1080p |
| Image size | 16:09 |
| Nominal definition | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Image processing | 200 Hz |
| Number of colors | 16.7 million |
| Max dynamic contrast (1) | 9000000 |
| Response Time | 2 ms |
| Aspect of the slab | Mat |
| Viewing angle H (°) | 178 |
| V viewing angle (°) | 178 |
| Image Enhancement Method | Yes |
| TV Tuner | Analog + TNT (HD) + SAT (SD / HD) |
| 3D display | Yes |
| HDD recording | NC |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes |
| Number of speakers | 2 |
| Output power (RMS) | 2 |
| Connectivity | |
| RGB Scart input | 1 |
| S-video inputs (Y / C) | No |
| RCA video input | No |
| RCA audio input | 1 |
| Component inputs (YPbPr) | 1 |
| HDMI (HDCP) | 4 |
| DVI (HDCP) | No |
| VGA | 1 |
| PC Audio Input | 1 |
| Antenna Input | 2 |
| Headphone jack | 1 |
| USB socket | 2 |
| RCA audio output | 1 |
| Coaxial digital audio output | No |
| Optical digital audio output | 1 |
| Can connect a USB keyboard | NC |
| Network | |
| Ethernet | Yes |
| DLNA | Yes |
| UPnP | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Optional |
| Dimensions | |
| Weight (kg) | 21 |
| Backgrounds single width (cm) | 111.9 |
| Display only height (cm) | 68.4 |
| Backgrounds single depth (cm) | 2.99 |
| With foot and hp width (cm) | 111.9 |
| With foot and hp height (cm) | 74.9 |
| With foot and hp depth (cm) | 25.5 |
| Accessories | |
| Included accessories | 2 Pairs passive 3D glasses, remote control |
| Video Playback Formats | |
| Xvid | Yes |
| HD xvid | Yes |
| H264 | Yes |
| H264 HD | Yes |
| DivX 3.11 | Yes |
| DivX 4x | Yes |
| DivX 5x | Yes |
| DivX 6x | Yes |
| DivX HD | Yes |
| MPEG1 | Yes |
| MPEG2 | Yes |
| MPEG2 HD | Yes |
| WMV9 | NC |
| WMV HD | NC |
| MPEG4 | Yes |
| MPEG4 HD | Yes |
| VC-1 | NC |
| Supported file formats | |
| AVI | Yes |
| MP4 | Yes |
| MKV | NC |
| GMO | No |
| WMV | NC |
| Photo Playback Formats | |
| JPEG | Yes |
| GIF | No |
| PNG | No |
| BMP | No |
| Audio Playback Formats | |
| MP3 | Yes |
| Ogg Vorbis | No |
| FLAC | No |
| AAC | Yes |
| WMA | NC |
