LG 47LB730V

LG 47LB730V Review – LG’s latest TV is a 47-inch, full-HD window into the internet’s many catch-up and on-demand goodies. Never before has a TV manufacturer nailed what the new breed of web-savvy TV viewer wants, but here it is: Smart+ WebOS. The platform has been integrated into the very fabric of the screen, with the launch bar treating all sources equally, whether Freeview channels, Netflix shows or catch-up content from all of the main terrestrial channels. Not only does it put it all at your fingertips, it also helps you skip between it all with gay abandon.

You can watch BBC iPlayer or YouTube, pause and flick over to live TV, then return and carry on watching your streamed content in the same place you left it. Once you’ve tried this seamless input switching, it seems amazing other TVs can’t deliver the same functionality. Key to using WebOS is the customisable launcher, which allows you to prioritise those apps used the most. If you favour Netflix over Now TV, place it as the first slide on the home screen. If you’re a gamer and screen sharing/ mirroring is your thing, then move that slide to the front of the line. It’s intelligent and intuitive. Although the star of the show here is the interface, the LB730V delivers in other ways, too.

The design is sharp, without being showy, and HD image quality is largely great; just remember to turn Energy Saving mode off – it slows things to a crawl – and select Just Scan in the aspect ratio menu. The set doesn’t do full blacks, and attempts to deepen them crushes away shadow detail, but watched in ambient light you won’t notice any issue at all. At 200Hz, the motion resolution falls behind some of the other sets on test, but still manages to cope admirably with action. Not the most impressive screen on test – it doesn’t boast 4K, for one – but it’s great for the price and pulls ahead thanks to a genuinely innovative interface. This is the future of telly; other manufacturers had better be watching.

Pros

• WebOS interface delivers on-demand and catch-up the way we want it.
• Colour-rich images

Cons

• Lack of true blacks.
• You’ll need a soundbar

LG 47LB730V Specifications

• SCREEN 47-inch 1080p LCD
• TUNERS Freeview HD, satellite
• WEB TV WebOS platform with Now TV, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Demand5 and more
• 3D Passive, 2x specs
• AUDIO 65W
• CONNECTIONS Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3x HDMI, 3x USB, Scart, component, CI Slot
• HEIGHT 560mm
• DEPTH 55.1mm
• WIDTH 949mm
• WEIGHT 10kg