LG Electronics 55LN5710 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV

A Decent Low-End Flat Panel Display, July 28, 2013

By 

D. Nielson –

  

FYI: I purchased this set from a local retailer as the price was cheaper and I could get it ‘NOW’ instead of 2-3 days later.

I wanted to post a review as the prior 3 star review was not quite objectionable to the actual picture quality and ease of use of the display but rather a review of something more nitch. Hopefully my experience will give you a better insight on the TV.

I am going to stress one thing first about this display… It’s basic, very basic… You’re getting one premium and that’s the smart features, however that requires either a ethernet cable ran to a router/modem or dongle which is additional cost. This is a 1080p 120hz non 3D set that delivers in a lot of areas. Don’t be swayed from this purchase because it doesn’t have the luxury hot-rod features like some of the other sets have.

The first thing I will say is how clean and slick the display looks. It’s a nice compliment to a living room without looking too shiny with unwanted silver/white accents. Secondly, the set finish over the display panel is a semi gloss that doesn’t reflect that badly. This is comparing say a vizio’s ultra glossy finish to this set… Lastly, this set probably weights 40lbs and is easy to move around. I live in a second story flat and didn’t like the idea of having to move something 120lbs up the very narrow stairway.

The setup of the actually display (out of box) was painless. The manufacture did a great job of packaging the set and made it easy for the user to be up and going in no time at all. My last Samsung set took more time that I would think necessary to unpack, assemble stand and mount to stand. I will say though that overall I would consider this TV to be fairly standard in ease of setup. I have purchased 3 other sets this year and all of them were easy to assemble (out of box) to either stand/wall units.

The prior viewer mentioned that the setup was confusing/clunky and I have to disagree there… The internal setup for wifi and getting the television ready for viewing was not confusing at all. It’s very simple and walks you through everything you need to do. You’re not wondering what to do after you’re done with the steps provided. For most people you’re going to take the set plug it in, set it up and then never mess with anything else other thank backlight/brightness for others the menus and adjustments for settings is there. There are some sets with more extensive functions to this one but overall it’ll accomplish what you’re trying to do. There is tinkering there so if you like to muck with settings you’ll have the option to do so. This TV could not be easier to use.. Big menus/font and clear concise directions. Easy and painless…

Now on to the picture quality… I have to say I am rather impressed considering this set it is under one grand. It’s not the brightest set and it’s not going to have the best color out there either. I am not going to review indepth on those issues. I am going to say though, this set delivers with a good picture that most are going to notice if you’re upgrading for an LCD or Rear Projectioon LCD television. The first movie I watched was Avatar and Life of Pi as a demo to the brilliance of this set and I would pleasantly surprised at how it delivered. No, it’s not the best out there but it’s very good for the price you’re going to pay. Also the true-motion or as some will call it, the Soap Opera Effect (SOE) does a good job with this TV (if you like this feature). Personally I keep it turned off unless I am watching sports…

Sound from the TV? Ugh… I can’t ‘do’ internal speakers from any TV – you might like the sound but I never have from any TV I have owned. I will say I give the sound of a TV NO weight in my final conclusion of it being good/bad.

The remote control – this is why I give it 4 starts. The remote was doing very well on the upper half but then the directional pad and surrounding buttons are just too close together. If you have thinner hands you’ll be okay but if you have bigger hands you might fat-finger another button and that could be annoying as it was for me..

Premium features/Smart TV function – This is the only modern premium feature that is offered on this set. I personally use a MICCA device and ROKU for this media use. However if you can consolidate thoses devices on this set but it’ll be at a cost… the set does not include a wi-fi reciever built in. I can’t understand companies would still do this but some sets are still this way. The TV requires a wifi dongle that’ll allow you to gain connectivity to those smart functions and amps but the cost is going to range between 25-45.00 depending where you buy. Sure, $25.00 is not a lot of money but it’s still an annoyance if you have to buy something additional to make a function work on theTV. THis is not really a huge deal breaker for me anyway so I don’t give it weight in…

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 Comments (3)

Great TV for the Price!!, August 7, 2013

Picked this TV up yesterday from Sears for $699 as Amazon was still selling it for $799. this is a new TV built in 2013. I don’t think you could ask for a better 55″ TV for that price. Set up was simple and the TV was packaged well. I mainly am using this TV as a Monitor for my PC and Gaming on Xbox 360. My PC is hooked up through HDMI and the TV had no problem hooking up to the computer. I did watch a couple HD videos and the Picture quality was excellent. I saw a previous review about the remote not being great but I thought it was laid out very nicely and I have big fingers.

I was very skeptical about buying this TV because I couldn’t find many reviews on it, but I took the chance and I am glad I did. I don’t think you would be disappointed with this TV.

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You can’t find better for the money, September 15, 2013

After spending a few weeks scouring over TV reviews and going to various retail stores to check out sets I thought I had narrowed down my search to either an LG 55LN5700 OR a Samsung UN55F6300. I knew I wanted at least 55 inches, and I wanted 1080p and 120Hz. I honestly didn’t care whether the set was a “Smart TV” or not because I have devices that have apps installed already (Xbox 360/roku). That was until I stumbled on this set at Sears. I paid $742 for this set including sales tax. It was listing on amazon for $849. But that’s not the only reason I went with this set over the others.

Firstly, this set is EXACTLY like the 55LN5700 but instead of having built-in WIFI, it requires either a hardline ethernet connection in the back of the TV or a wireless USB dongle that you can pick up for around $30 (you don’t have to use LG’s dongle specifically. Netgear and Linksys also make one you can pick up at Wal-Mart). If you have all of your stuff in one place like I do, then this is no biggie. Just run an ethernet cable to the back of the TV from the router and you’re good. The only time this might be a problem is if you have the TV far from a router, which in this case you splurge on the adapter. As far as wires and wall mounting go, you’re likely to have to run SOME wires, just grab some wire ties and run it with the power cord. The TV is a Smart TV, it’s 1080p, 120Hz, has “TruMotion” technology, Easy Share, is Magic Remote compatible, Miracast capable, MHL capable, basically identical to the same class LG smart TV’s but missing the built-in WIFI.

Here’s a quick price breakdown on Amazon as they stand today 9/15/2013. This was worth mentioning.
LG 55LN5700 (WIFI) $1,099.00
LG 55LN5710 (Same as other but no WIFI) $849.00
WHAT I PAID AT SEARS: $742 out the door including sales tax.

So if having built-in WIFI is really that important to you, you can spend the additional $250 to get the TV that has it OR you can get the 55LN5710 and buy the USB dongle on amazon and only spend $875.49. In fact I think Amazon has a deal going now where you can get the TV with the adapter together for $849. I’m not a mathematician, but I’ll go with Saving Money for $250, Alex. And that’s just on Amazon. You can get the TV for less like me by shopping around locally IN SOME CASES.

Now, let’s talk about the picture. Because what’s more useless than having awesome features when they’re paired with a terrible picture? This screen BLEW ME AWAY. The colors are bright and vibrant; the clarity is crisp and clean. The 1080p really shines through when you are watching HDTV or Blu-Ray. Yeah, there are some folks out there who’ll say you have to spend upwards of $1500 for a quality picture on a TV this size but let’s face it….this is the real world and times are rough. You want to get the most for your money and I do too. I’m not into spending more than I have to for something equally as good if not better. I compared this screen to Samsung’s and other LG’s that were higher in price as, well as other manufacturers both higher and lower priced and for the money this is the TV you want. In fact, when i compared it to the same caliber Samsung, this LG had it beat in picture. The two were nearly the same, but the LG looked sharper, and words were clearer on the screen. Just so you know, that same Samsung is now listing on Amazon for $1,197.99. Also as a side note, While LG and Samsung aren’t the same company they’re very close to being so. They use the same assembly company in Korea and the parts that are installed in both machines have very similar OEM numbers. They also use the same warranty service companies to service their machines. They are both Korean built machines and are nearly identical in every aspect minus the software and PRICE. Think about that before you dish out the extra $250+ on a Samsung because a salesman at Best Buy tells you they’re better. Besides, LG is a name brand just as much as Samsung. I’ve also been gaming on this TV from my Xbox 360 and I haven’t had any issues. GTA IV, Farcry 3, Call of Duty for example all look and play great with no motion blur AT ALL which is important for us gamers. I’m looking forward to hooking up the next gen consoles to this TV because I know the graphics will look amazing.

Now let’s talk about sound. I was rather impressed with the stock sound on this set. With TV’s being so thin these days you almost expect horrible sound quality. The quality of the sound on this set is certainly something I could live with if I had to or wanted to. The trebles and mids are crisp and clear with no distortion whatsoever at any volume, but it is lacking in bass because of the tiny speakers. Like I said, it’s livable, but if you want true deep sound, you’ll need to look at getting surround sound or a sound bar with a wireless Subwoofer. I’m not going to dive deep into the options of sound extensions, but this TV does have ARC (audio return…

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