0804wv05 LG Lafinion 82W (R)

6/15/04

12:56 pm

Page 71

FACT FILE
q 32in CRT TV q 100Hz q Digital Eye image

adjustment

q Dolby Virtual surround q Battery-less remote

control

q 'Turbo' picture

and sound

A decent, if flawed, effort from LG

LG Lafinion 82W

f LG says CRT isn't dead, then it must be true. This handsome 32in tube set proves that the company has more on its mind than scoring plasma points off fellow Korean and long-time rival Samsung, and is a refreshing example of affordable innovation. The aesthetics bear witness to the current swing back to black, with a pianolacquer finish offset neatly by a matt silver frame. When switched on, a glowing LCD display advertises which aspects of the set's spec are in use (100Hz processing, stereo audio, child lock and sleep timer). This looks cool for about five minutes but becomes a little distracting in use, particularly when viewing in a darkened room. Overall, though, the 82W is stylish and looks like it means business without being too imposing. With that in mind, the socket count is a little disappointing. You'll find the bog-standard trio of Scarts around the back (of which only one is RGB capable), along with an RF jack and stereo output phonos. A side panel extends the roll call to include S-video, composite video and stereo audio inputs as well as a headphones plug. It's not a bad haul but we'd have liked another RGB Scart and possibly component video inputs for 900. Still, LG goes out of its way to feature clever gadgetry elsewhere. The top gizmo is probably the Digital Eye, which when activated, automatically adjusts contrast and brightness to suit the ambient lighting of your room. You'll also find plenty of sound presets to play with, including Virtual Dolby and bass extension, and

32in widescreen TV 900

lustre of an oil painting, but Lara looks like she's been sat under a sunlamp, rather than freezing in the ocean. Sonically, the Lafinion 82W clearly has muscle to spare and its ability to diffuse ambient effects is truly remarkable but dialogue, in any setting, is woefully neglected and completely devoid of presence. Effects-heavy scenes rattle along nicely but anything slightly wordy is very disappointing. Overall then, a decent, if flawed, effort from LG. We love the inspired gadgetry and general gusto of the performance but a few audio and visual niggles keep it from bagging maximum points Jim Findlay
FEATURES 32in CRT TV; 100Hz processing; Nicam stereo; Dolby Virtual Surround; 'Turbo' picture and sound modes; 'Digital Eye' auto picture adjust; FI-NE image processing; Dynamic Bass Sound; built-in subwoofer; automatic volume levelling; PIP; Fastext; sleep timer; child lock SOCKETS 3 Scarts (1 RGB); S-video input; composite video input; stereo audio in and outputs; RF input; headphones output CONTACT www.lge.co.uk
enhanced 'Turbo' modes for audio and visual. The picture can also be given the 100Hz treatment, as well as LG's FI-NE (Fine Image Natural Equalising) processing. The most instantly striking feature, however, is found in the unlikeliest of places. Normally, a set's remote control merits little more than a few cursory observations on looks and friendliness, but LG has done something rather special with this one. A few turns of that little rotary widget at the bottom charges the thing up using an internal generator, banishing batteries for good. It's impossible to resist playing with during lulls in concentration, which can't be good for its life expectancy, but its a brilliant piece of 'green' ingenuity and other manufacturers should take note.

WHATS GOOD

Picture presence; muscular sound; ingenious remote

PERFORMANCE

As with so many sets featuring all sorts of AV bells and whistles, the axiom of 'less is more' holds true with the Lafinion 82W. Sure, it's diverting to fiddle with the Virtual Dolby and Turbo presets, but what they add in boomy sound and retina-scorching colours, they subtract in naturalism and accuracy. Picture-wise, the 82W does a pretty, if not massively realistic, job. There's bags of detail, decent depth of field and admirable resolution but the colours are occasionally suspect. The overall effect is undoubtedly pretty and imbued with the 'warmth' of film but hues tend to be somewhat over-egged, particularly towards the red end of the spectrum. The submarine-surfacing scene in Tomb Raider II, for example, has the rich

WHATS BAD

Slightly unrealistic colours; poor dialogue resolution
PICTURE SOUND FEATURES EASE OF USE VALUE ALSO CONSIDER.
JVC AV-32X37HKE This DigiPure Pro set outdoes the LGs connections for just 50 more Reviewed: Feb 04 PHILIPS 32PW9308C It's a couple of hundred quid more, but that extra cash gets you Pixel Plus processing and a five-star rating Reviewed: Sep 03

OVERALL VERDICT

This is a commendable, imaginatively specified set that just falls short on performance
Some kind of wind-up, surely?
August 2004 s WHAT VIDEO AND WIDESCREEN TV 71

F I N E System The FINE System is LG's unique image enhancing processor. Incorporating the FINE System, LG Flat TV Lafinion brings dramatic 3D images to life on your TV screen, as vivid as reality itself. Flicker-free images through DRP (Digital Reality Picture) 100Hz circuit improves picture clarity

Lafinion 55

Enhanced dramatic black-white and color contrast 3S Design Sleek, slim, and simple, Lafinion's 3S design makes it fit anywhere in your house, be it living room, dining room, or bedroom. Chic and compact unibody with all-in-one rack design Battery-free Communicator The battery-free remote control is economical and protects the environment. Vivid Sound Virtual Dolby surround sound and subwoofer combined to realize perfect acoustics. Digital Index All operational modes seen at a glance. Maximum 2,000 Pages Text display up to 2,000 pages.

Lafinion

Lafinion, a Crystal-Clear Window on the World Lafinion is your window on the world. It puts you in touch with people near and far. It whisks you through time from prehistoric to futuristic. It shares your joys and sorrows. It gives you a crystal clear window to look out on life. With razor-sharp vision in every detail and rich sound acoustics, it brings the world closer to you. And it brings your family members closer together on your living room couch. It can fit anywhere in your home, complementing any and all furniture and fixtures.
Put it wherever you feel like watching in comfort and style. Its noble black finish will bring joy into your everyday life.

Lafinion 70W

Lafinion 82W
LG Flat TV Lafinion uses the FINE System to achieve a delightfully hypnotic picture quality. Whatever you are watching, you feel as if you are there in reality. Combining TV, DVD, and VCR all in one, Latrion lineups give you all the functions you need. Don't pay more to buy the components separately. Just plug and play.

F I N E System

LG's exclusive FINE System is a digital reality engine that automatically optimizes picture quality for ultimate clarity and sharpness.

Latrion

Crystal clear picture makes naturally moving images Screen quality of movies becomes as vivid as reality Lafinion 82W Picture 32 wide screen with 16:9 aspect ratio FINE system produces bright and crisp images Flicker-free 100Hz circuit eliminates visual noise on the screen Digital Eye controls optimal picture quality Digital Comb Filter and Dynamic Scan Velocity Modulation (SVM) applications Sound Function Virtual Dolby Surround and Super Woofer output boosts high-pitch and deep bass tones Teletext 2000 pages Digital Index Window shows all operational conditions Eco-friendly battery-free communicator 2-Tuner Picture in Picture (PIP) mode Digital Reality Picture (DRP) is an innovative 100Hz technology that minimizes 3D noise and is free of the flickers and image blurring and Lafinion 70W Picture 28 wide screen with 16:9 aspect ratio FINE system produces bright and crisp images Flicker-free 100Hz circuit eliminates visual noise on the screen Digital Eye controls optimal picture quality Digital Comb Filter and Dynamic Scan Velocity Modulation (SVM) applications Sound Function Virtual Dolby Surround and Super Woofer output boosts high-pitch and deep bass tones Teletext 2000 pages Digital Index Window shows all operational conditions Eco-friendly battery-free communicator 2-Tuner Picture in Picture (PIP) mode Lafinion 72 Picture 29 with 4:3 aspect ratio FINE system produces bright and crisp images Flicker-free 100Hz circuit eliminates visual noise on the screen Digital Eye controls optimal picture quality Digital Comb Filter and Dynamic Scan Velocity Modulation (SVM) applications Sound Function Virtual Dolby Surround Teletext 2000 pages Digital Index Window shows all operational conditions Eco-friendly battery-free communicator 2-Tuner Picture in Picture (PIP) mode Lafinion 55 Picture Sound 21 with 4:3 aspect ratio Digital Eye controls optimal picture quality Turbo Picture Turbo sound

Conventional TV Super Detailer Dark image Conventional TV Real Cinema Conventional TV Real Cinema
Detailed images sharpened to the utmost Colors enriched to vibrant iridescence Picture noise eliminated for the last word in clarity
tailing that appear in fast sequences of 50Hz-based pictures. The DRP 100 does not mean the picture is simply twice as large as that of the 50Hz. It digitally adds picture frames to produce more natural and dynamic action shots. It is easy on the eyes no matter how many hours viewers spend watching TV.
The Film Mode Detect analyzes the speed difference among 24-frame film, video, and other sources. Then it automatically adjusts the difference to optimal screen quality, giving viewers a real cinema experience. It also reduces blurring during fast sequences compared with conventional TVs.
LG's unique digital algorithm dramatically improves peaking and contrast by discriminating outlines and subtle details that are not even visible to the naked eye. Bright and dark images alike are optimized into razor-sharp detail.
Details improved by Super Detailer
Latrion 72 Picture Sound DVD VCR Function Interface
29 with 4:3 aspect ratio, TV + DVD + VCR package Comb Filter and Dynamic Scan Velocity Modulation (SVM) Virtual Dolby Surround DVD, VCD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 players 4-head Hi-Fi Digital Index, Child lock Dolby digital, DTS audio output (coaxial, optical)

Bright image

Backed by Dynamic Color and Gamma Correction, the Color Eye captures iridescent hues and luminance in the same natural way as the human eye. It never stops searching for the best colors and brightness.

Conventional TV

Color Eye

Sky on a conventional TV

Sky brought back by the Color Eye
Incorporating LG's H-Filter and Digital Comb Filter, the Noise Buster eliminates digital noise regardless of signal source. With the Noise Latrion 55 DVD VCR Function Interface 21 with 4:3 aspect ratio, TV + DVD + VCR package DVD, VCD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 players 4-head Hi-Fi Child lock Dolby digital, DTS audio output (coaxial, optical) Buster, viewers can enjoy exceptional clarity without a hint of blurring.

Noise Buster

*Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.