Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding LG’s plasma, LCD & LED TVs.
If you’d like to discuss any of the points in more detail, please feel free to make a comment. We will expand this list over time in order to make it more comprehensive.

General TV Questions:

Q1 – Which TV should I buy?
LG, in conjunction with T3 and What Plasma & LCD TV, has used consumer insight to build the market-leading interactive TV Buyer’s Guide microsite, which uses video and interactive content to help you choose a TV suited to your individual needs.
Consideration is given to the size of your room – defining your distance from the TV, viewing habits, type of viewing platform used in the home and lighting conditions. Videos also cover connectivity options and offer advice on what you need and how to set it up.
Visit the LG Buyer’s Guide now.

Q2 – What Size TV should I buy?
The optimal screen size for your needs depends on several factors; the environment within your home and where you want to use it, for instance. Also the viewing distance from your TV should play an important role in the decision. Check out the LG Buyer’s Guide for more information about the best size for your needs.

Q3 – What’s the difference between Freeview and Freesat?
Like Freeview, Freesat is a non-subscription service; so once you’ve paid for your set top box or TV with built-in Freesat you never need to pay for the channels available. All of the channels accessible on Freeview are also available through Freesat but there are also over 100 additional TV and digital radio channels and HD content. However, Freesat is only available through a satellite connection.
If you have previously had a satellite connection and still have a dish then you can enjoy Freesat. You do not need to have a current satellite subscription but you do need a dish installed.
All LG TVs come with Freeview built-in, apart from the LF7700, which has built-in Freesat.
For more information you can visit the Freesat and Freeview websites.

Q4 – What are the different types of TV available to me?
Buying a television now in comparison to 10 years ago is a much more complex process. The following technologies are all currently available from LG – LCD, Plasma and LED.

- LCD
Liquid crystal display (LCD) TV screens come to life when light from behind the screen is shone through the television screen’s matrix of tiny coloured liquid crystal cells. Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through, and a picture is built up.

- PDP / Plasma
A plasma TV emits its own light unlike LCD TVs. The picture is produced by thousands of pixels filled with a mixture of phosphor and gas so that when stimulated by electricity, creates its own light.

- LED
LED technology refers to the backlight system used in some LCD Televisions, not the technology that creates the picture.
LED TVs are still LCD TVs. It is just that these new sets use LED backlights rather than the florescent-type backlights used in most other LCD TVs. There are two different types of LED backlight, Edge LED and Direct LED.
Edge LED backlighting technology has LED lights around the perimeter of the panel’s frame. Because the LEDs aren’t spread across the entire panel, we can achieve an ultra slim design of under 3cm.

In summary:

Plasma TV Best For:

  • Watching Sport and movies
  • Super Large screen sizes (LG offer 42”, 50” and 60”)

LCD TV Best For:

  • General all round entertainment viewing e.g. soaps
  • Range of TV sizes (LG offer 19”-47”)

LED TV Best For

  • Wall Mounting – LG LED TV is lighter than LCD TV and under 3cm in depth, perfect for hanging on the wall
  • Energy saving – LG LED TV saves up to 40% on power consumption vs. LCD TV saving you money off your electricity bills
  • Ultimate design – LG single layer design seamlessly blends into your living room décor
  • Playing video games
  • Using as a PC/laptop monitor
  • Viewing TV in brightly lit environments (e.g. conservatories during the day)
  • Large screen sizes (LG offer 42” and 47”)

If you’re still confused which is right for you, visit the TV Buyer’s Guide.

Q5 – What is the difference between ‘HD Ready’ and ‘HD Ready 1080p’?
High-definition television, or HDTV, is a new standard of TV delivering better image and sound quality than a standard TV (SDTV).
HD Ready 1080p denotes a picture resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels using the progressive scan method (the P stands for progressive scan, 1080i sets are also available which use interlace scanning instead) delivering incredible clarity and vibrant colours. This results in up to 5 times the detail in comparison to standard definition displays. A 1080p set is the only way to get the full experience from high definition games consoles and Blu-Ray discs. HD Ready TVs will still support 1080p inputs however, they will downscale to fit the resolution of the TV (often 1366 x768). This is still a much higher standard of image definition than on a standard TV.

HD Ready 1080p (Full HD) is best for:

  • HD Gaming such as Xbox 360 and PS3
  • Blu-ray players

Please note that HD Ready and HD 1080p sets will only display HD quality images when connected to a HD receiver.

Q6 – What does the Digital Switchover mean to me?
The digital TV switchover is a UK Government policy. It means that everyone will be able to receive digital TV through an aerial (Freeview).
Digital TV uses less broadcast space, which means that after switchover there will be more room for new services such as wireless broadband, local TV and HD television.
However, as each region goes digital the traditional analogue signals are switched off, so to keep your TV service you will need to convert your TV to digital before your area’s switchover date. You can do this by purchasing a new TV with built-in Freeview or Freesat (all LG TVs come with built-in Freeview, apart from the LF7700, which has built-in Freesat) or by getting a set top box.

Freesat may be available in areas where Freeview currently isn’t, you can check Freesat and Freeview availability with Digital UK.
To find out more you can visit the Government’s Digital TV site and Digital UK also has some helpful FAQS.

Q7 – What is screen burn and image retention and how do I prevent or cure?
Image retention and burn in are essentially the same thing, just in different forms. Image retention is temporary and will fade completely with time however, burn-in is permanent and won’t fade completely. It is a phosphor based technology specific problem, which means it affects plasmas, however, it is possible for an LCD to get image retention, but is extremely rare.

- Prevention
All LG Plasma TVs have two technologies to prevent screen burn. These can be found in the options menu under ISM methods:

* Orbiter: After a short period of time the picture will subtlety move around the screen preventing the same pixels from being used for a prolonged period of time
* Normal: If the TV detects a static image (e.g. DVD Title Menu) it will automatically dim the brightness of the television to a safer level

There are also a few techniques that will help you prevent future burn-in. For starters, changing the contrast and brightness to below 50% during the ‘break-in period’ (first 100-200 hours) and try and avoid static images. LG TVs have an energy saving button on the remote control that will give a similar effect by selecting the ‘maximum’ setting.

- Cure
All LG Plasma TVs allow you to display a 100% white image to burn the rest of the pixels to the same extent as the damaged area.

LG-Specific Questions:

Q1 – How do I get my Sky remote to work with my LG TV?
Codes vary depending on the model of TV and also the version of remote you have. Sky offer a tool which helps you to work out what type of remote you have and what your code is, the page also has full instructions for configuration. Visit it here.

Q2 – What is the Intelligent Sensor and how does it work?
LG’s Intelligent Sensor technology automatically optimizes the brightness, sharpness, colour and contrast of the picture within your environment to deliver the finest image quality while protecting against eyestrain and also reducing power consumption by up to 69%.
All 2009 LG TVs also come with a mechanical power-off switch that allows you to turn off your machine without having to unplug it or use standby, which can dramatically reduce your electricity bills!
These innovations led to the majority of the current LG TV range being certified as energy efficient by the Energy Saving Trust.

Q3 – What is the difference between 600Hz Sub-Field Driving and, TruMotion 100Hz and 200Hz?
LG 600Hz Sub-Field Driving only applies to Plasma technology and should not be compared to TruMotion 100/200Hz (on LG LCD TVs).

LG 600Hz Sub-Field Driving works with a 50Hz source (50 frames per second – UK Broadcast). The TV then splits each frame into 12 separate sub-fields and shows them individually on the screen. Therefore 12 sub-fields per frame in a 50 frames cycle creates 600 frames per second (50 x 12 = 600). The more sub-fields you have per frame, the more accurate the colour reproduction and less picture noise.
LG TruMotion 100Hz adds an extra frame between the existing frames to make the transition smoother.
LG Trumotion 200Hz adds an extra frame and flashes the backlight creating a 200Hz effect. The motion is further improved over 100Hz, but there can be side effects so this technology is suited to sports fans who will be using the TV primarily for watching sports. If you experience some unwanted side effects, simply turn TruMotion to low or off in the menu (Menu / Picture / Advanced Control / TruMotion 100/200Hz)

Q4 – How do I re-scan my LG TV for new channels?
If you live in a digital switch-over region, you may experience some channel loss. To solve this issue you need to re-scan your TV by following these simple instructions:

  • Press Menu on the remote control
  • Select Setup on the menu and press OK
  • Select auto-tuning and press OK
  • Select start and press OK

This will find all available digital channels in your area.

Q5 – How do I calibrate my TV’s performance to suit my environment?
Most LG TVs have ISFccc Expert Mode built into the picture adjustment menu. In this menu you can enhance many different aspects of the TVs picture depending on the source connected to the TV.
Most LG TVs also have Picture Wizard technology built in and is very useful for those not wanting to pay for a professional picture calibration. Picture wizard is a basic calibration tool to help you setup your desired picture settings. This will not give you a perfectly calibrated set, but will give you a good starting point. Using other users calibrated settings for any TV (even the same model) will not be perfect for your own as every TV would be calibrated for that individual environment.

Q6 – What can I playback through the USB port on my LG TV?
Depending on your LG TV – you may be able to playback pictures (JPEG), music (MP3), movies (DivX HD/AVI/MPEG).

Q7 – What technologies do LG have to help reduce power consumption?
LG TVs have many technologies to help reduce power consumption and therefore can save you money off your electricity bills. Over 80% of the LG TVs have been certified by the Energy Saving Trust to help you save money on your electricity bills.

Intelligent Sensor – LG TVs with intelligent sensor automatically adjust to the environment saving up to 69% of power consumption

Mechanical Power Switch – The majority of LG TVs have a mechanical power-off switch so you can wave goodbye to the red standby light.