One wand to rule your telly
LG’S MAGIC WAND typifies the company’s Smart TV inventiveness.
It was LG that revolutionised Smart TV functionality with its webOS platform; it was LG’s Time Machine, with its built-in 4GB of storage, that simplified on-the-fly recording and it was LG that made 3D viewing easier on the eye with its passive technology.
And now it is LG that’s combined the strengths of a conventional remote control and a Smart TV touchpad into a single, stylish, sculptured device that’s ergonomic, intuitive and fun to use.
What’s not to like about an innovation that reduces remote control clutter while making online navigation as easy as on-screen (complete with remarkably accurate voice recognition that immensely improves YouTube searching).
The Magic Remote comes standard with LG’s high-end UF850T ultra high definition (UHD or 4K) TV.
It’s not the company’s top of the range TV but, for $3500, offers a balance of features, performance and affordability that’s hard to beat.
However, if you value contrast over all else, this is not the model for you. That’s because the black levels are frustratingly weak given virtually everything else about it is a strength. That’s due to the display being an IPS panel, which allows for much wider offaxis viewing angle but can’t deliver the deep blacks that home cinema purists crave.
Otherwise, if you spend most of your viewing time during the day or at night with the lights on, and would rather watch sitcoms and sports than gloomy Nordic noir, then the UF850T’s colours, motion, detail and clarity won’t disappoint.
It obviously shines most with UHD clips but convincingly upscales high definition content, particularly movies on Blu-ray, to faux-4K resolution and does the best that could be expected of low-res sources, like DVDs and compressed digital TV broadcasts.
While FreeviewPlus is a convenient feature of the TV, with its ability to catch up with ondemand content till TVNZ and MediaWorks improve the quality of their streaming services, it should be used only as a large resort on a display as exacting of detail as this.
Not so Lightbox and Netflix, whose streams look terrific, although it’s surprising the Magic Remote doesn’t have a dedicated Netflix key, while the harman/ kardon speakers are a step up from the audio that typically underwhelms on LED TVs.
The design of the UF850T also impresses: it’s a flat rather curved display on a ‘‘ribbon’’ stand with enough presence to stand out in any home without dominating the de´cor.
LG’s webOS 2.0 has yet to be surpassed by rival platforms – Samsung, Sony and Panasonic all launched imitators this year – while the TV menu continues LG’s clean look with a comprehensive range of video and audio adjustments that can’t overcome contrast limitations but otherwise work their own magic.