Product Review: LG LX8500

Apr 4
08:22

2011

Joe Sabatino

Joe Sabatino

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I had the chance recently to have a look at LG’s LX8500 model.

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I was having a look at the 55” set.  I had always been impressed with how far LG has come as a brand.  Being a combination of the brands Lucky and Goldstar,Product Review: LG LX8500 Articles two par-at-best brands, you would never guess they’d come together to form a fantastic TV company and the number one appliance company that is only getting better with time.  I’ve been calling them the second LCD brand to dethrone Sony as of late (first being Samsung), so when I saw that one of their performance sets was rated as one of the highest reviewed LEDs out, I had to take a look for myself.

                The first thing to point out is how great this set looks before it is even turned on.  It has the thinnest bezel I’ve seen.  All picture with very little frame.  Even though the whole “thin” TV fad doesn’t make sense to me, I am impressed by the small percentage of the set that isn’t screen.  The solid clear plastic coating goes from edge to edge on the unit giving it a very clean and uniformed look.  This helps out a lot with viewing angle and it has an almost near 180 with it with the blacks going lighter only at the most extreme angles no one would ever sit at anyway

                Secondly, the picture quality of the set does a lot of things that other LED brands should take notes on.  This is a TV that is bright and vivid yet warm and natural.  Its vivid mode looks as LED as they come.  Bright greens and lush blues on the Planet Earth Blu Ray scene I was watching.  What really impressed me was when I switched it into its THX mode.  Being as LG has the ONLY North American LED TV with this image-rating; this is probably the best example of a movie-focused LED.  The brightness goes down when switched to THX, but we all know that’s because film itself isn’t anywhere close to what vivid mode displays.  I’ve never seen a more accurate movie-based mode on any LCD or LED before this.  There was a mountain range scene that, when switched to THX mode, saw real browns and proper shadowing and actual white in clouds rather than blue shadows, blue clouds and purple-shaded rocks.  The intelligent sensor mode has always been something I enjoyed about it from a sales point of view but, just like the Bravia light sensor that Sony utilizes, I can see how some people would say the picture gets too dull in a darkened environment. 

                Lastly, the most underrated portion of this model is the presentation of its Netcast internet TV feature.  Firstly, it loads up very fast and has very large and easy to see and select options.  I have yet to understand why the Xcross bar that Sony has gets so highly regarded when it comes to selecting functions of the TV when selection screens like the LG and Samsung models have layouts that anyone can use.  The Netflix layout resembles the one on their Roku very accurately.  The Pandora layout isn’t anything special but its nothing if not simple and straight forward.

                All in all, this TV really emphasizes how far LG has come as a TV brand.  It has a really great look aesthetically, fantastic image and great features.  This is definitely a TV I would encourage you to ask for the secondary Wii-looking remote to play around with the menu options on so you can see how easy this TV is to customize to your liking.  This is one of THE TV’s you should have a look at to see where the LED market has is and where it is going because it really shows that, for LG and its follows, Life is Good!

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