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#1 ·
Just a brief review of the new 2013 LG LN5300 LED HDTV.


The LN5300 set comes in a 32", 39" and a 42" size. There might be larger models but I'm unsure.


I'm reviewing the 39" Model ( 38.5 Diagonal ) The set weights 19lbs or so without a stand attached or 22lbs with stand attached. This set is VESA compliant, 200 x 200.


I currently own the LD, LK and SC models going back each calender year starting in 2010. So I do have somewhat of a PC oriented history with this line of sets.


My primary use is for a PC display. Of course 4:4:4 chroma sub-sampling was important. And this set does support 4:4:4. It was as simple as selecting which port you were connected to, HDMI 1 in my case and selecting just scan from the menu. There was no renaming required or other trickery like past sets. I own 2 x AMD 7970 Radeons in Xfire.


The screen is semi-gloss and looks great. The LD and LK had somewhat matte finishes. The SC had a semi-gloss but I think the new LN has a bit more of a gloss over that model. It does not have the reflective properties of glass but I would estimate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being glass, this set has a very strong 7.


The stand is a bit smaller and gone is that square look from past models. It is however a bit more bulky / reinforced with a raised lip going around the outside edge of the stand. Checking for excess wobble and sway, none was present. Very robust and firm. The base is glossy. As far as the bezel goes, they've improved this greatly asthe bezel is now at least 55% to 65% smaller than past models. Not Samsung razor thin but still very thin and much welcomed. The over-all fit and finish is excellent and it does take on a new modern look that's fitting of 2013. The overall size of the set is also much smaller than past models. While the back is not super thin and compact like some of the Samsung's, it's a huge improvement over past models. I would guess 25% smaller over my much larger and heavier 42" LD model from 2010. Considering the 39" has nearly the same viewable area as the 42", personally, I find this amazing.


unfortunately I cannot speak in-depth to the sets panel or performance other than to state the obvious. We need other experts who are better qualified to pass that information on to us. Over-all, I am very pleased. In fact, this is my favorite new set and it has met all my expectations for 2013. The blacks are deep, the colors bright, the sharpness is there and 1080p content looks fantastic. I've checked for jitter / judder and none is present. Very pleased about that. I've done some basic testing with consoles, an Xbox 360, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii and even the new Ouya console and there is no noticeable latency. Everything played smoothly and reacted as you would expect. So no lag


Back are expert settings. Here is a list of those settings that may or may not be complete. Dynamic Contrast, Color Gamut, Edge Enhancer on/off, Color Filter on/off, Gamma, Color Temperature, Method settings, Pattern settings, Red Blue Green Settings, Color Management System with saturation, tint and luminance, etc. And of course, Back-light, Contrast, Brightness, Color, Tint, H Sharpness, V Sharpness, etc. There probably is a few other settings present that I missed.


There is a USB port which will allow you to display photo's or to play MP3's. I've not used this feature yet so I will not comment on it's usability or performance.


After several hours with set, a few movies, tons of games, I cannot find or see any red-flags, this set is a keeper and I am sure others will be very impressed with this new LG LN model for 2013. This is the new Westy 37" as far as I'm concerned for those of you who knows what that means.


PC monitor, A+


HDTV, A+


Tom

 
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#352 ·
Thanks. I pulled the trigger already, so I don't want to wait till January or February for some "possible" discount. I am going to pick up 42LN5300 today at Walmart, and I hope that Walmart version is exactly same with the ones from other retailers such as BestBuy. By the way, does Walmart have a good return policy like BestBuy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rojo_P  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/330#post_24123254


My experience has been that when more popular video items are being discontinued in favor of newer models that prices seldom go down. I suspect there is precious little supply and retailers know they need not reduce the price. Of course this is not true of items that are average sellers with stock that needs to be thinned.
 
#353 ·
I returned 39LN5300(service code 'J') to BestBuy today due to its narrow viewing angle, and bought 42LN5300 (service code 'D', not 'Y' unfortunately) at Walmart because BB doesn't carry 42LN5300 any more.

I took some pictures of 42LN5300, and it has a clearly different panel from 39" version, and it looks like A-MVA panel made by AUO. Each subpixel (R/G/B) is divided into three smaller blocks.

When compared with 39LN5300, 42" version has a little bit better viewing angle, but overall, they look quite similar to each other.

Main reason that I bought LG instead of Samsung was to have an IPS panel, but it turned out that both 39LN5300 and 42LN5300 are not using IPS... Is buying 42LN5700 (or 42LN5400) the only way to have a TV set with an IPS panel?



 
#354 ·
Could you please let me know the service code of your set?

I picked up mine (42") today, with 'D' in its service code, and based on its subpixel structure, it looks like A-MVA panel made by AUO. Better viewing angle than 39" version, but still not that satisfactory.. Also people say S-PVA is better than A-MVA and S-MVA, so not sure it would be better to buy 40EH5000 by Samsung instead.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Sands  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/330#post_24117729


After quite a bit of research I picked up the 42" LN5300. I'm a DIT by trade (digital imaging tech) so I work with signal workflow and accurate monitoring on set through to post production, so sticking a probe on a panel and profiling it to a given gamut is nothing new to my body. The tv was to be used as a third PC monitor if I ever feel like gaming/browsing from the couch instead of my desk (for instance, if friends are over), so input lag was the biggest deciding factor. I browsed http://www.displaylag.com/ for a while looking for 1080p 42" models with very low input lag, and the LN5300 was exactly in my price range, so I looked further, and ended up purchasing one.


I do say, as someone very familiar with displays (more reference than consumer, however), I feel like I've hit a secret jackpot. I got the 42" for $360 refurbished on newegg. Looks and operates brand new. Feeding it via HDMI with the nvidia full range regedit, with input label set to PC, text is perfect. I settled on sharpness around 15, and text looks identical to my Dell U2410's, sharp as a tack and very readable, with no sharpening artifacts to be seen. As measured and reported, input lag is abysmally low. In an insane UT99 match on cocaine I might notice maybe 1/4th higher latency than my Dells, but not in the real world (BF4, CS, etc it's perfect).


As reported, do NOT use game mode - go to input labels, and set the input label to PC. Feed it RGB444, and use expert 1, then calibrate accordingly. I punched in Tralfamadore's settings on page 6 as a starting point to speed up calibration, and here's a reminder that even identical panels from factory will display vastly different gamuts - measuring rec.709/sRGB was a full 7 or 8dE off from spec (but better than factory, and better than you would ever get with your eye). I confirm his findings, warm2 was very close to tracking the specified 6500k out of the box, whereas warm1 was insanely off base, by a few thousand k. This is as reported by my spectrophotometer, which is a scientific device severely lacking an opinion. I'm not quite sure why MDA400 stated multiple times that warm1 was closer to spec, it measured extremely poorly. He either received a defective panel, or was just being stubborn. (his calibration settings showing a full 50 points of adjustment needed to hit 6500k when using warm1 indicates the latter).


Anyway, after using a probe and dialing it in 100%, I was amazed at how close it was out of the box (using the proper modes). It looks fabulous for a consumer panel, the contrast is great, black level is good but more importantly black detail is quite acceptable for a consumer panel. I've always been very disappointed when I've purchased a consumer flatscreen but this is far from the case here. Sharpness is perfect, text looks perfect, I'm in love. If you're looking for a tv for your den, this is it. If you're looking for a large panel to replace your pc monitor, this is it. If you're looking for a TV for pc gaming (or console), this is definitely it. I'll save you from posting my calibrated settings as they'll get you no closer than Tralfamadore's, and it's a total gamble if your panel will display the same. The key points if you don't have time to fully dial it in is input label set to pc, picture mode expert, sharpness around 15, warm2. be sure you're feeding it full range video (0-255). Brightness around 56, Contrast around 94, backlight around 36, (to hit the loose 140cdm/2 sRGB viewing spec) eco mode off. All the enhancements off. Something to note is to save the 20 point whitebalance for last. Changing your brightness or contrast or backlight even slightly will vastly change the response curves for each channel, and your lovely whitebalance settings will now be very different, and need to be changed. so do it last. Also worth noting is that the 20 point whitebalance is nothing more than a 20 point gamma response curve adjustment for each channel, so any large changes at various points will also alter your gamma, so you might need to then go back and adjust your brightness/contrast. (and then back to change your whitebalance, keep doing this back and forth until you feel yourself losing the will to live). I can't imagine doing this without a probe. Seriously, pick up a colormunki or something for 60 bucks on ebay and use something free like dispcalgui. your life will be easier, and you'll start realizing how inaccurate everything you own is, and you'll calibrate all of it. Even your phone. (yes, I calibrated my phone. dispcalgui http remote testchart display + Android CM custom kernel allowing white balance adjustment).


Please for the love of god do not try to set anything like a twenty point calibration using just your eyes and charts. The eye is a subjective observer with a constantly changing reference you have no control over. There is no way you will do anything but throw it further out of whack. I can't tell you how many times I've come into a studio and had to fix a "calibrated" reference panel where someone set white balance or gamma response by eye. I do this for a living and have spent thousands of hours in a grading suite, yet still, when I set something by eye, I'm always floored by how far off it is when I take an actual probe to it. Your eye adjusts constantly and huge variations end up looking like something else, or nothing at all. Just don't do it. "The Art and Technique of Digital Color Correction" has a few good chapters on why this is impossible and highly inadvisable.



Anyway, there's my disjointed christmas half-review that's probably not very useful brought to you by maker's mark. If you're on the fence about the LN5300, just buy it.



Here it is being profiled via dispcalgui (a lovely open source calibration and profiling program, I worked with the dev a couple years back to implement full 3D LUT export as well, if you happen to have a color grading workflow and need monitoring LUT's, or have a LUT box).





Lastly here it is covering sRGB after a quick white balance and profile, before I bothered with the onboard CMS. not bad for a consumer panel, not bad at all: http://fohdeesha.com/data/other/lg.html



I'll probably forget I wrote this but if you have questions I'm sure someone else will answer!
 
#355 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jun  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/330#post_24127105


Could you please let me know the service code of your set?

I picked up mine (42") today, with 'D' in its service code, and based on its subpixel structure, it looks like A-MVA panel made by AUO. Better viewing angle than 39" version, but still not that satisfactory.. Also people say S-PVA is better than A-MVA and S-MVA, so not sure it would be better to buy 40EH5000 by Samsung instead.

My service code is "UB.BUSDLJR"


Judging by the post here and here leads me to believe all the 42" models are IPS? The viewing angle is great (no washout or color artifacts). The tv looks great. The ONLY nitpick I can think of, and I'm really stretching here, is that I wish the screen was a little less glossy. With the lights on in some angles it can be reflective. Gaming with the lights off is great though. I can't recommend this TV enough. I paid 360 bucks on newegg for a refurbished 42" and it's amazing.
 
#358 ·

I'm having a hard time finding one of those in Montreal, but a lot of stores carry the LN5200. Any word on this model? It only has one HDMI port and no audio output, but it's a bit cheaper. Are there any other major differences? Is it as good as the LN5300 seems to be?
 
#359 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Sands  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/330#post_24130901


My service code is "UB.BUSDLJR"


Judging by the post here and here leads me to believe all the 42" models are IPS? The viewing angle is great (no washout or color artifacts). The tv looks great. The ONLY nitpick I can think of, and I'm really stretching here, is that I wish the screen was a little less glossy. With the lights on in some angles it can be reflective. Gaming with the lights off is great though. I can't recommend this TV enough. I paid 360 bucks on newegg for a refurbished 42" and it's amazing.

Thanks for your reply and for checking the service code of your set. But, I still think "D" comes with A-MVA panel made by AUO. It's true that some IPS panels have non-chevron pixel structure, but as far as I know, all IPS panels from LG have two regions in its subpixel, upper half and lower half, not three small squares as you can see in the picture that I attached in my previous post. Also, I found some discussions on the Internet about LG service code, and it also confirms service code "D" comes with A-MVA by AUO:
http://www.avforums.com/threads/lcd-matrices-differences-and-what-models-are-placed.1113353/

(find "Same subpixel type: LG 42LE5300(ZA.AEUDLJG), LG37LE4500(ZA.BEUDLJG)")


Anyway, it looks like all 42LN5300 sets that I can find at local stores (in December 2013) have 'D" in the service code, so I don't think I can buy any 42LN5300 with an IPS panel unfortunately. (42LN5400 and 42LN5700 at BestBuy, they all have "Y" in the service codes, but I am not interested in them for some reasons)

So, I am comparing 42LN5300 with Samsung 40EH5000 with the version code UF04 side by side in order to see which one will be a much better choice, A-MVA vs. S-PVA.

Both are doing good :

- when it comes to the PQ with bluray source, they perform equally good.

42LN5300 is doing better:

- I noticed 42LN5300 performed a little bit better when handling fast motions of an object. (both are not perfect, but the images on 42LN5300 are a little bit more smoother)

- with HDTV source from DTV cable, 42LN5300 gives much more details, more contrast (when the image is not completely black) and more beautiful and natural look. (might be subjective)

- 2013 model (vs. 40EH5000 is 2012 model) and slightly cheaper (by around $15) with a bigger screen size


40EH5000 is doing better:

- when it comes to the black level, 40EH5000 is clearly better.

- 40EH5000 was also better in viewing angle area.

- flashlighting and clouding, they are noticeable, but better than 42LN5300.

- S-PVA panel made by Samsung has won its reputation over any panels made by AUO. (even though Samsung uses S-PLS in higher-end models nowadays)


* I might be wrong with HDTV source results. I used DTV cable connection for 42LN5300 and an antenna for 40EH5000. I should have switched the sources when I check them.

* Interestingly, LG model doesn't show any detailed information of each channel, the name of the channel, when the program ends, what will be the next one, and etc. I might be able to figure it out later.


So, it is not easy to choose one: better and natural representation (especially with HDTV source) vs. better contrast and viewing angle with a better panel.
 
#360 ·
I bought a 32LN5310 nd just received it.


I hooked it up via DVI-HDMI to my PC.


This is working pretty good as a monitor.


I labled the input as PC and Expert 1 and ran the picture wizard app.


It went from pretty bad to acceptable as a monitor.


I am using this in may Garage for a TV and PC monitor for Alldata which is repair manual software. It is better than I thought a TV could be for a monitor. But I wouldn't use it for a PC monitor I wanted to stare at for any length of time. It's pretty Pixel-ly if you ask me and there's no way around that. The text looks good.


But I'm pretty spoiled by displays at my house. My main monitor is a 30" 2560x1600. My laptop is 18.4" and 1920x1080 LED. My tablet is 10.1" 2560x1600. So I'm probably tough on this as a monitor. But as I said, it looks better than I thought a TV could do as a monitor. It would bug me to use it a lot though.


Mine has the Chevron pixels and the great wide range vertical and horizontal, so looks like it is an IPS display. I bought from Amazon for $267. I screwed around too long or would have got it for $244 from Newegg.


Overall very happy for how I plan to use it.
 
#361 ·

Can someone please help me with this?  I just received my new LG ln5300.   It will not work at all with my Funai streaming box using either the HDMI or AV connectors.  It will only work with my Sony DVD player using HDMI, not AV.

 

I have read that it's possible to enable video playback using the USB, but I cant find any instructions on how that is done.  Other than not being able to use the TV, it's been really great!
 
#363 ·

After reading through this forum I noticed lots of confusion with regards to firmware updates. I got this TV back in July, and it was manufactured in June (42LN5300). After messing around I did find something that I didn't see posted here.

 

If you open up the settings menu (button: Settings) and then move the cursor to the options category and press the number "7" button 7 times it will pop up an "Upgrade TV Software" dialog. This is where it gets confusing for me. The "latest" firmware version I can find on the LG website is 3.11.13, but this menu shows that the current version is 3.11.15. Anyone else have this experience? Maybe that's why it doesn't pop up the upgrade menu right when we plug in the USB, because our current software version is newer?

 

This is where I found the trick to get into the software update area: Update Software Menu

 

It would be great if I could get a few to confirm their software versions, just to put my mind at ease. If we are already running a newer firmware than they have on their website, at least we are current! :)
 
#366 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by phr0sty  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/360#post_24229997


If you open up the settings menu (button: Settings) and then move the cursor to the options category and press the number "7" button 7 times it will pop up an "Upgrade TV Software" dialog. This is where it gets confusing for me. The "latest" firmware version I can find on the LG website is 3.11.13, but this menu shows that the current version is 3.11.15. Anyone else have this experience? Maybe that's why it doesn't pop up the upgrade menu right when we plug in the USB, because our current software version is newer?

Thanks for the info! worth noting to anyone having trouble pulling this up, it'll only pull up after hitting the 7's if you have a USB drive actually plugged in.


I have a much newer version (same as above user), 03.24.09 - So it looks like all of us that had problems updating, are actually just running much newer versions already, and LG is being extremely incompetent with publishing the latest software on their website.


Also, the service codes provided in that article don't work on the LN5300
if anyone has codes that work without serial port/IR comms please do let me know

 
#367 ·
Really, really liking this set so far. Out of the box colors and clarity were not bad at all. After a little bit of refinement (using Tralfamadore's settings as a baseline, much like Jon did), this panel looks phenomenal to my eyes. Great black levels, off-axis viewing angles, color reproduction, and an overall crisp picture. Mind you, I bought this refurbished and it seems brand new once I opened everything.


I'm not "feeling" any lag input whatsoever, but I've only been playing Diablo 3 (where I sink most of my game time these days). I'll have to put the set through more games and hours, but as of now the set has been superb on the gaming front.


I couldn't be happier! Great display, this LG really is a hidden gem in the rough. Glad I took the plunge.
 
#369 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey13  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/360#post_24247857


Quick question! I just bought the 42inch model of this TV, and I'm going to be using it for gaming with a PS4 and watching lots of movies from various sources. Will Tralfamadore's settings be ideal for me as well?

Try em.


For me, it looked too warm to start out with. I instead, used Warm 1 which balanced out all the colors on a color pluge the best since green was lacking on my set.
 
#370 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey13  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/360#post_24247857


Quick question! I just bought the 42inch model of this TV, and I'm going to be using it for gaming with a PS4 and watching lots of movies from various sources. Will Tralfamadore's settings be ideal for me as well?

It might be, try them out. I only used them as a starting point and then adjusted things to my own liking. For example, while playing PS3 games I'm using game mode with tweaked settings.


And like MDA said above, Warm 1 also works as well. It's all a matter of preferences, unless you're after absolute accuracy.
 
#372 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bucknuts07  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/360#post_24250666


May be a dumb question, you guys recommend expert 1 to input settings, I have settings from this thread I really like, can I use expert 2 and input different settings to compare ? I would assume it wouldnt matter, but just checking.

Yes, that's what the two different expert picture modes are. One would usually make a Night and Day profile using one Expert picture mode for each, but nothing is different in terms of picture options between both Expert picture modes.
 
#374 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasinnat  /t/1466061/2013-lg-ln5300-led-hdtv-review/360#post_24277816


So, do you guys recommend this TV if i'm interested in gaming? 28MS seems good, but, is then quality good too?

It's one of the best TV's of price range for gaming with quality options for calibration like 20-point IRE and CMS (and PC mode). But 28ms seems like the delay that was tested with something not disabled that induces input delay. I do all sorts of "rituals" on my 32LN5300 and when I play rockband or guitar hero, i can put the video delay to 0ms for guitar hero and -14ms for rockband (which is actually 0ms and is a weird system). I'd say from personal opinion, it has about 0-3ms delay at most if you disable unneeded settings and set the TV in the right mode (*cough* PC input label).


This TV series doesn't have a VGA input so some of the analog silicon in the TV has been done away with and opened more possibility for processing digital signals (which may explain why the input lag is so low), but It doesn't detract from overall performance of the TV.
 
#375 ·
Hey guys,


I have the 42LN5300 with what appears to be an M-VA panel. I have the D service code and the pixels are rectangular, I found that out when I took a picture of a dead pixel on my screen:



I also noticed something I haven't seen before. They look like dark blotches on my screen. I can see certain areas of my screen appear darker than other areas. Good thing I got a protection plan from Microcenter, so I can still return and receive a full refund. Dead pixel and dark blotches are too much for my picky tastes.



Knowing that the models with service code 'D' (UB.BUSDLMR) is an A-MVA panel made by AUO, I will try and search for a model with service code 'Y' (UB.BUSYLJR) which has an S-IPS panel. I did hear that models with the S-IPS panels may have some uniformity issues though, can anyone comment on this? How better are the colors and viewing angles compared to A-MVA?


My next question is for the likely case that I can't find a 'Y' model, since I've seen people looking for them in retail stores to no avail. It's been almost a year since my initial hunt for a TV that looks (almost) as clear and has similar color reproduction to my 1440p PLS monitor. Now that it's been almost a year, are there any new 42" TV's out there that look just as clear, sharp, and colorful as the 42LN5300 IPS model? And not too much lag and no noticeable blur in games? This TV will be used exclusively for PS4 gaming, movies/blu rays and minimal TV (as in cable). 1080p is a must, and I don't know if 120hz would help the smoothness in games (since the PS4 is locked at 60fps), or if there is even such a thing as a TV with IPS-like colors and 120hz. But I'd appreciate any recommendations for tv's similar to this!


Thanks for the help.
 
#376 ·
I read that if you play games on console or pc, game mode reduces input lag...so I set to game mode for my xbox 360 and when playing nhl it seems to have a slight red tint to the overall picture. When switched back to expert there was no red tint but it didn't look as good. It looks great for other games on game mode with a few settings set to my liking such as contrast which I have set at 75 so for nhl I can see reflections in the ice and ice shavings that I couldn't see with the contrast any higher. I tried g/r tint and the individual color settings but nothing seems to help. Could be that I'm used to the expert setting with warm 2 for the color temp which I just realized didn't look as good to me as warm 1 or maybe even medium. On game mode though there is just a slider for color temp. Anyone have any ideas?
 
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