What’s on LG Smart TV?

What is LG Smart TV? 

Latest news for LG Smart TVLG Smart TV is the very simple name for the broadband-powered services on LG Smart TVs since 2012 (it was previously called LG NetCast). 

It combines streaming video like BBC iPlayer and Now TV from Sky with games, news and information services, music and other interactive experiences through your broadband connection and across your home network.

How does LG Smart TV connect to my broadband?

All LG Smart TVs can connect to your broadband router via and Ethernet cable, and some recent models also have WiFi built-in. These are the LM660T, LM669T, LM670T, LM760T, LM860V, LM960V, and EM960V series TVs.

Which LG TVs have LG Smart TV?

Smart TV (formerly NetCast) has been available on LG TVs for several years, but each year has seen more powerful models arrive. As a rule, the most recent TVs can use a lot more of the available apps than models two or three years old, although the BBC iPlayer is common to all LG Smart TVs.

Current models equipped with Smart TV range from the £500 42PM470T, a 42in plasma TV, to the £2,500 55LM960V, a 55in LED TV.

Previous models using the discontinued NetCast brand include the LX9900, LX6900, PX990, LD950, LE4900, LD490, LE8900, LE7900, LE5900, LD790, LD690, PK990, PK790, and PK590. NetCast TVs unfortunately have a limited functionality and fixed features compared to newer LG Smart TVs, although the all-important BBC iPlayer is present. 

Smart-eyed readers will note that LG persisted with NetCast for two years before re-branding it with an almost identical name to their arch-rivals, Samsung.

Which LG home entertainment devices have LG Smart TV?

Many of LG’s Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home theatre systems have Smart TV built-in, although sometimes with slightly different apps and services to LG’s TVs. There’s also the LG Smart Upgrader, which adds LG Smart TV to any TV.

Smart Blu-ray players in 2012 are the BP260 at £150 and the BP420 at £130. The Smart TV Upgrader costs £180.

Combined Blu-ray home cinema systems with LG Smart TV start at £280 for the 5.1-channel BH6220S, up to the BB5521A sound-bar combi at £650, and the £700 BH9520TW, a 9.1-channel 3D surround sound system with wireless speakers.

Which catch-up TV services are on LG Smart TV?

The BBC’s iPlayer is the only catch-up TV service on the LG Smart TV platform.

Which video-on-demand services are on LG Smart TV?

LG Smart TV currently hosts Acetrax for films on-demand and subscription film and TV libraries from Netflix and Lovefilm. You can also watch video clips from YouTube through a dedicated big-screen browser.

There are also several video apps, from well-known brands such as Disney 3D World, Red Bull TV, to more obscure online newcomers like Crunchy Roll and Yupp TV.

Which social networks are on LG Smart TV?

Facebook and Twitter accounts are both accessible via LG Smart TV, with a browser that lets you mix large-scale images with live-updating news and comment feeds.

What games are on LG Smart TV?

Games are available both free and paid-for titles through the Smart TV App Store, and from September through GameWorld, a dedicated portal for 2D and 3D games on the Cinema 3D TV range.

GameWorld has four categories – Featured, Top Chart, New games and a Genre link for delving into the full library – plus a search engine for finding more games. Genres include action, adventure, arcade, puzzle, RPG, shooter, simulation, sports, and strategy.

As well as your remote control, many games can be played using either the motion-sensitive LG Magic Remote, or with a USB-connected game pad.

How can I control my LG Smart TV?

Your standard LG remote will be enough for most actions, but LG Smart TVs also come with the motion- and voice-sensitive Magic Remote and the option to take control from your Android or Apple iOS device.

The Magic Remote comes with all LG Smart TVs, and is essentially a motion-sensitive wand which you can use to direct an on-screen cursor like a computer mouse. There’s also a scroll wheel to make reading web pages and zooming images much easier.

It also has a microphone, which can be used with the LM860V, LM960V, EM960V series for voice commands to enter search terms and control other TV functions.

Alternatively, you can use your Android or iOS phone to download the LG Smart TV Remote App and connect to your router via WiFi. It not only mimics the remote and gives you a trackpad for controlling smart TV apps, it also gives you a QWERTY keyboard for using search features in Smart TV apps.

Depending on the age of your TV or device, there are different apps:

For 2011 TVs, you can use the LG TV Remote app for Android and iOS. The LG Magic app for 2012 TVs is available for iOS, and Android.

For 2011 Blu-ray players, home theatre systems and the Smart TV Upgrader, you’ll need the LG Remote app for Android or iOS. For 2012 models, you need the Smart Remote app for Android or iOS.

How can I get more apps for my LG Smart TV?

The LG Smart TV App Store has thousands of free and paid-for apps in five categories: Game, Entertainment, Life, Education and News/Info.

Most apps are free, and the categories are fairly self-explanatory, although Life and News/Info tend to be a quite broad categories. Life includes everything from property prices, fashion, yoga and first aid tips. News/Info has a range of news providers like Russia Today and TV5 Monde, as well as the likes of OK! magazine, a TV guide and hair styling techniques.

Can I use my music, photos and videos with LG Smart TV?

LG’s Smart TVs and many of its phones support Smart Share, that lets you send and receive photos, music and videos over your home network, via USB, DLNA or LG’s own Media Link software.

DLNA is the usual dog’s dinner of unpredictable connectivity. LG Smart TVs come with either Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials or LG SmartShare Wizard software, but will connect to most other DLNA software and devices, including Windows Media Player. However, we found that some DLNA-compatible home servers were invisible to our LG Smart TV.

Media Link is PC-only software that gives DLNA-like functions but with more information about your media files than DLNA’s basic data. The Plex software can be downloaded for free and turns your PC into a media server, which can be accessed through the Media Link option on the Smart TV home page.

You can get similar functionality on phones using the free LG TV Media Player for iOS and Android. 

News stories for LG Smart TV

• Spotify bringing Led Zeppelin to 2013 LG Smart TVs
• LG puts AllJoyn smartphone control into smart TVs
• LG says it’s nothing personal as it hits back over spying claim
• LG looks into claims that its smart TVs spy on viewing habits
• ESPN Player app kicking off on Samsung and LG Smart TVs
• LG Skylanders Battlegrounds tie-up brings collectable gaming to TV
• LG On Now smart TVs use Gracenote’s eyeQ to make finding your favourites easier
• Sky’s NOW TV lands on LG Smart TV in 12-month exclusive: video hands-on
• Use your mobile number to buy PlayJam games on your smart TV
• Video: How to set up LG QRemote IR control on the LG Optimus G Pro
• Video: LG demos NFC Tag On to pair the Optimus G Pro for Miracast and SmartShare
• LG Smart TV 2013 hands on: Cards, iPlayer, Netflix, Lovefilm and 3D World
• LG Cloud smart TV streaming and storage service coming to UK next month
• Paypal and LG tie up for simple smart TV payments
• CES 2013 sees Voice Mate search, The Sims and NFC sharing
• Game World 3D gaming portal now live

CES 2013 to see Voice Mate search, The Sims and NFC sharing

LG’s 2013 Cinema 3D Smart TV upgrades have been confirmed ahead of a CES event featuring voice-powered search, NFC media-sharing and some high profile games titles.

The features weren’t entirely surprising since LG spent much of December pre-announcing them to beat the International CES news stampede.

There’s a new look with a Home Dashboard and My Interest Cards – special folders that let you customise the screen with information from your favourite news and weather apps.

The Wiimote-style Magic Remote is now the microphone for Voice Mate, a one-stop spoken search shop for all content available on your TV, from video-on-demand to search engines.

Mobile phones and tablets equipped with NFC (near-field communication) can now use the Tag On feature to start sharing photos, music and videos onto the big screen.

Alternatively, mobile devices can become part of the LG Cloud and share to the TV from anywhere with an internet connection.

Streaming video and other media apps can also get a chance to grab your attention through On Now, an advanced recommendation function that suggests what’s trending whether it’s on-demand or live TV.

In the games arena, all of LG’s Smart TV features are being thrown at branded games including online God-game The Sims FreePlay, and Disney’s mobile hit, Where’s My Water?, utilising the Magic Remote, smartphone control, 3D and LG’s unique Dual Play twist on 3D TV, where the 3D glasses are used to deliver independent full-screen images to two players.

The new games will be downloadable on LG SmartWorld by the end of March 2013.

Many of the new features are also fitted into LG’s 2013 Blu-ray home cinema products, but the big question for 2012 LG Smart TV owners will be whether they’re left out in the cold, or is it all just a software upgrade?

With both upgraded CPUs and graphics units in the 2013 range, it’s not hopeful.

January 2, 2013 

Game World 3D gaming portal now live

This September, LG will add GameWorld, a dedicated Smart TV portal for both 2D and 3D games for the Cinema 3D TV range, with both free and paid-for titles.

GameWorld has four categories – Featured, Top Chart, New games and a Genre link for delving into the full library – plus a search engine for finding more games.

As well as your remote control, many games can be played using either the motion-sensitive LG Magic Remote, or with a USB-connected game pad.

August 28, 2012