Pages | 1 | 2 | 3 |    

The screen of the 55LA8600 truly does span from edge to edge, with a thin pewter-colored frame surrounding it. The image on the display does not reach to the edge of the screen's glass. A 3/8-inch black border acts as a bezel. The look is clean and refined.

The screen is reflective, which is noticeable when the TV is switched off. But when the TV is turned on, glare is not an issue unless you have an offending bright light directly behind where you are sitting.

If you cannot control all the light in the room, the 55LA8600 does swivel on its stand. To be more correct, the stand itself swivels on little rollers. It's a deceptively simple, elegant feat of engineering.

On the right edge of the back of the TV, LG has placed the operational buttons.

On the left side of the back, the connection panels are oriented in two directions.

The first is stacked vertically and faces towards the left edge. It contains three USB inputs (one is USB 3.0 capable) and four HDMI Ins.

HDMI 1 can be used to feed a digital audio system that is compatible with Audio Return Channel [ARC] technology.

HDMI 4 is MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) friendly. With an MHL cable, you can connect the TV to MHL-compatible devices like tablets and smartphones and transmit photos, music or video to the TV.

The second line of connectors run horizontally and face downwards. There are one LAN port, one Headphone mini-jack Out, an Optical Digital Audio Out and a RF connector to attach to an external antenna or cable box.

Also, LG provides two little hybrid mini-jacks, one for Component Video In, the other for Composite Video In. To make the connection to the traditional RCA video cables, LG supplies custom adapter cables.

The 55LA8600 does have a built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter.

Positioned behind the center of the screen is a little video camera (with two flanking microphones) that you can slide up to peer over the top of the frame.

The camera serves a dual purpose. You can use it to make Skype video calls on your TV. In addition, if the room is bright enough, the camera can detect hand motions that can control some TV operations like turning the TV off, changing the channel, or adjusting the volume.

This top of the line LG HDTV also supplies Voice Recognition. I find it especially useful when you are searching for a program. Rather than tapping in the letters on a virtual keyboard, you talk into the remote control's microphone and the TV deciphers your request - not always successfully, but I found it surprisingly accurate.

Hooking up the 55LA8600 to your home network (via wired or wireless) opens up a wide world of Internet apps as well as an extended range of connectivity options.

For example, this LG is Miracast™/Intel's WiDi, DNLA and Wi-Fi direct compatible, all providing ways to communicate with devices like computers, media servers, smartphones and tablets.

LG also offers a "Tag On sticker" that you attach to your TV. The manual states, "Tag On is a data transmission technology that can be used on smartphones with NFC (Near Field Communication). Simply by tapping your smartphone to a Tag On sticker, you can share content between your smartphone and TV."

As for apps, LG breaks up their Smart TV offerings into categories like Premium (Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Vudu, etc.), 3D World (with 3D movie rentals like Monsters Inc. for $5.99), Smart World (with a long list of paid and free downloadable apps), Game World (including some 3D game titles), My Interests (choose three topics like Music or World and links to Internet articles will be given), On Now (suggestions of programs currently playing on whatever stations are available), and finally Smart Share (which searches connected devices and lists available photo, music and video files).

For a list of supported video, photo and music file formats, click here.

The LG 55LA8600 uses a passive system to view 3D content which employs simple lightweight 3D glasses that do not require batteries. Four sets of glasses come in the box. You can purchase extra flicker free Cinema 3D glasses on the LG site for as little as $13 a piece.

I'll discuss 3D performance on the next page.

This TV also provides a feature that I have never tested called Dual Play technology that works with many split-screen games.

The LG website elaborates, "While wearing the special light-weight and battery-free glasses, each player is only able to see his unique point-of-view (in 2D) and across the entire TV screen without being able to see the opponent's." The sporty, orange-rimmed glasses are sold separately, 2 for $25.

I was surprised to discover that the LG 55LA8600 did not come with a traditional looking remote control. Instead, it was packaged with the sleek, silver Magic Remote with Voice Control. When I first noticed the scarcity of buttons on this six-inch long, backlit device, I was skeptical that it could function as a full-fledged remote.

But the magic in this remote lies in its ability to generate a cursor on-screen, which you can move with the flick of your wrist. It takes a bit of practice, but navigating around a screen full of options becomes a breeze. And as I mentioned, the remote's voice recognition feature is a time-saving tool.

The EPA publishes a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. (You can find it here.) The LG 55LA8600 is on the list.

The EPA states that this LG's On Mode Power is a measly 54W and Standby Power Consumption is .15W. Based on the formula that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19, the Estimated Annual Energy Use is 107 kWh/year.

You can see from the Energy Guide label that this 55-inch TV is at the very low end of power consumption for models its size.

A television with as many features as the LG 55LA8600 will require some time and study to reveal all of its assets.

Luckily, you should be able to get up and running fairly quickly with the initial setup.

The first task may be unfamiliar to you. The Magic remote needs to be "registered." The manual explains the simple steps to pair it with your TV. Until you do, it won't work. Therefore, read the manual, at least the basic setup steps.

After you have finished the Initial Settings process, the TV will default to the Eco Picture Mode. Watch your favorite channel or source, if the picture is satisfactory, then you are done with the basic setup.

If you want to explore further, open up the Settings menu and go into the Picture sub-menu and dial through the Picture Modes, paying close attention to Standard and Cinema. You may find one that you prefer over Eco.

If you still wish to tweak, LG provides a set of straightforward picture adjustment steps called the "Picture Wizard II."

Simply, the Picture Wizard II presents a series of images and according to their samples, you adjust Brightness, Contrast, Tint, Color, Sharpness, Dynamic Contrast, Color Temperature, and Backlight.

On previous LG TVs that I have reviewed, I was quite satisfied with the results of this calibration process, but not on this 55LA8600.

I decided to delve a little deeper into the picture adjustment tools. And if you want the full set, then pick ISF Expert as the Picture Mode. The manual states that this menu is, "for adjusting picture quality that allows experts and amateurs to enjoy the best TV viewing. This menu is ISF-certified and provided for picture tuning experts."

Interestingly, after fiddling with test patterns, the result looked a lot like the Cinema mode.

With all the various and sundry settings, fine tuning your TV can make you dizzy. I would suggest that unless you feel adventurous, settle on one of the default Picture Modes and enjoy.

To exact the full value from this Smart TV, you will need to attach it to your home network and start exploring apps and setting up accounts with streaming providers like Netflix or Amazon Video on Demand.

If you are a movie fan, you will soon discover the joys of streaming directly to your TV. You will also realize the value of obtaining the highest bandwidth from your Internet provider that you can afford, ideally over 10Mbps.

But wait, there's more like experimenting with Voice Recognition and Motion Control.

The On-screen manual is not extremely detailed (even at 222 pages), but it does a good job of laying out the basics.

Now, before you run screaming for the exits, you don't need to deal with all these features at once. The LG 55LA8600 is like an onion that can be peeled back in layers at your own pace.