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Ease of use
As with a number of other brands this year, LG is shipping two remote controls with its high-end TVs. In LG's case, accompanying a reasonably effective standard remote model is a 'magic' one. This works very well for the most part, allowing you to point it directly at the screen and control a cursor there just by moving it around - pretty much like you would with a Nintendo Wiimote or a laser pointer.
It's a very intuitive approach given added practical appeal by a 'spin wheel' knob at the Magic remote's centre that lets you quickly scroll up and down web pages or long lists of options.
LG is also to be congratulated for its latest onscreen menu system. The newly designed Smart Hub looks lovely and does a peerless job of handling huge amounts of content, giving you simple one-click jump offs to all sorts of content and sources.
Elsewhere, LG has listened to previous criticisms of its operating system and now provides a dedicated button on the main remote control that takes you directly into the TV's picture setting menus, rather than you first having to go into the Smart Hub.
The extreme amount of calibration tools carried by the 47LM960V may intimidate some users, we guess. But they're positioned so that you don't have to go near them unless you really want to, and LG has included a built-in Picture Wizard system that guides you through a simple but effective self-calibration process.
Yet more good news concerns the ease with which the 47LM960V lets you connect it to both Mac and PC computers. It pretty much happens automatically so long as your computer is already connected to your network - and you can't ask for much more than that.
Sound quality
LG has done a commendable job of making the 47LM960V sound more than half decent - which is a good few notches ahead of the flat, lifeless audio you get from most ultra-thin TVs.
The main key to its success is a large speaker that radiates straight out of the TV's rear, handling bass and lower mid-range duties to relieve the pressure of the other left and right speakers. Thanks to this, there's more bass to be heard during loud scenes than you get with almost any other super-skinny TV; there's a pleasingly open feeling to the mid-range; and treble details sound clear rather than 'squashed' and harsh. Good stuff.
Value
With its huge feature count, peerless design and direct LED picture engine, the 47LM960V has all the on-paper tools it needs to justify its admittedly hefty £2,400 price tag. There are even times when you're watching it that it performs so well you'll easily be able to convince yourself that it's money well spent.
However, there are also times - essentially those involving dark scenes - when the 47LM960V's obsession with being thin prevents it delivering on the promise of its premium direct LED picture engine. And whenever you witness one of these occasions, that £2,400 price suddenly starts to look more than a little painful.
