LG 42 LW650T 42in passive 3D TV

Smart TV with disposable specs

Review When LG threw its weight behind passive 3D at this year’s CES, shockwaves rippled around the TV market. The brand used the show to rail against the dangers of Active Shutter 3D technology, enraging its rivals who cried foul.

Passive aggressive: LG's 42 LW650T

Suddenly the consumer electronics industry found itself teetering on the brink of another format war. 

But just how different is passive 3D from Active Shutter, and should you care either way?

The 42in LW650T reviewed here is the smallest of three sets in LG’s LW650T ‘Cinema 3D’ range, which is joined by the 47 and 55in models.

In many respects, it’s a cookie cutter slim-screen, just 29.9mm deep. Backside connections include four HDMIs, two USBs (one designated for external HDD recording duties), a CI slot, component and AV inputs requiring adaptors (supplied), PC 15-pin D-Sub, Ethernet and digital audio output. There’s also an RS232 control port and a legacy phono AV input.

There are no side mounted inputs; the set is too slim to support them and there's integrated Wi-Fi either, although LG sells a dedicated LAN-WF100 dongle.

Like most thin panels, break-out adapters are needed for some of the interfacing

The 42 LW650T features Smart TV, LG’s NetCast replacement. This ‘net connected portal offers a broad selection of on-line entertainment accessed from an intuitive Home page. Preloaded is BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Acetrax. More apps and services are available from LG’s apps market. The TV also incorporates Media Link, a Media Server client based on Plex.