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LG 42 LW650T 42in passive 3D TV

Smart TV with disposable specs

You’ll need to download and instal the Plex Media Server on a networked PC to make this work. You can, of course, stream your media without resorting to Media Link. The screen had no problem playing my jamboree pack of AVI, MKV, AVCHD and H.264 files from distantly located NAS boxes. However, music support is limited to MP3s only.

LG 42 LW650T

Smart TV portal

The set also permits recording to an external hard drive, with a feature LG calls Time Machine.

LG 42 LW650T

Media playback interface

Optimising the image on this TV proved quite a challenge. LG offers plenty of tweaks, most of which make the picture look worse rather than better.

First thing you need to do is disengage the set’s Eco Setting. It may save you a few pennies over the course of a year but, frankly, it’s ruinous to the health of picture. With Eco on, blacks were crushed with little shadow detail.

LG 42 LW650T

Menu options need investigating for best performance

Once turned off, a decent greyscale is achieved but black levels are not Olympic pool deep.

 The set’s sharpness control is similarly aggressive. Don’t run it above 48/49 else white ringing artefacts will lacerate the image; similarly turn Off MPEG Noise Reduction.

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