New for 2019 is the LG 49SM9000 Series 9 LCD TV. The company abolished the UHD prefix and introduced a new one - NanoCell. This is quantum dot technology that LG has been improving every year. In addition to the name, the backlighting of the screen has changed for the flagship: Direct LED has replaced Edge LED, the Alpha a7 II processor has been added, WebOS has been improved with ThinQ smart. The platform immediately makes the TV one of the best and smartest quantum dot models in the history of the brand.
These are the main advantages, and now we will consider in the review the main “standard” selection criteria by which it is worth buying a new product or, conversely, returning to last year's TV models.
This model participates in ranking of the best LG TVs.
Screen
The diagonal of the screen is 49 inches, the classic aspect ratio for a TV of this size is 16: 9. Compared to last year's bestseller LG 49SK8000 49SM9000 has a different type of backlight - Direct LED. Behind the screen, white light LEDs are installed and evenly distributed over the area. The maximum coverage of illumination is reached and the quality of brightness is improved. A small minus - dark scenes in a darkened room will still merge with one gray background on the screen, but bright landscapes and shots will amaze with the richness, clarity and realism of colors. The refresh rate is 100 Hz.
Wide viewing angle, minimal distortion and reduced contrast thanks to the IPS panel.
4K UHD display resolution provides detailed picture.
Appearance
Design is not to say that it goes beyond the classic. A thin panel, already familiar for flat screens, surrounded by an ultra-thin frame. The panel itself is semi-gloss. The crescent-shaped stand introduces a pleasant variety. But it does not give stability to the structure. In the 49-inch model, the "flimsy balance" is not felt so much, but for the larger ones it is already principled.
You can mount the screen on the wall, there is a mount 200 × 200 mm.
Connectors
The rear panel contains connectors for cable / terrestrial TV (2 pcs.), LAN (100 Mbps), USB version 2.0, one acoustic optical output. For headphone lovers, a disappointment - there is no 3.5 mm jack output. It is better to choose another model, but no less functional -LG 49SK8500 - with a headphone jack.
On the side panel there are 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs, one is ARC compatible, a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, a Cl + conditional access slot. It also has built-in wireless modules Wi-Fi support for 802.11 (a, b, g, n, n 5 GHz, ac, Wi-Fi Direct), Bluetooth 5.0, Mirasact.
Sound
Starting in 2017, LG began to equip models with Dolby Atmos, which immediately increased the sound quality. How the function works: automatically adjusts to any (built-in or externally connected) speaker system. The 49SM9000 has a 2.2 acoustics system with a total power of 40 W. Four built-in 10W speakers. Transferring sound from a mobile device via the Wireless Sound Sync function.
Functions
The latest HDMI 2.1 interface will provide increased bandwidth over the "old" HDMI 2.0 (48 Gbps and 18 Gbps), as in LG 49SK8500 or LG 49SK8000... Displaying images in a higher resolution is provided: support for 4K / 120 Hz mode, Variable Refresh Rate functions, analogs of AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync synchronization technology. Dynamic HDR will expand the dynamic frame-by-frame range on compatible monitors or TVs. HDMI 2.1 includes technology to automatically detect latency for smooth ALLM frames.The new interface supports the HDMI eARC function, providing lossless audio output and streaming through the port.
Advanced Second Generation LC α7 Dynamic Scene Processor.
The Magic Remonte remote control with a built-in gyroscope makes control more convenient. The cursor can be controlled from any direction of the remote control in space: it is not necessary to point strictly to the screen. Convenient scroll wheel, voice search. It is enough to press a button and say a search phrase, and the TV will start looking for information. Changed the location of the buttons, their purpose.
The new webOS 4.5 OS, which added the mode of intelligent selection of material according to user preferences. Reduced icon icons, added Google Assistant support.
Inclusion in the "Smart Home" system. Voice command control and communication with other smart home gadgets using Deep ThinQ and Google Assistant deep learning technology. TV will answer a variety of questions, for example, about actors in films, search for a tape, find photos, etc.
The 49SM9000 supports HDMI VRR for gamers, and HDMI ALLM support is automatically activated when playing games on Xbox One.
Mirasact technology will allow you to install applications on TV, use the LG Content Store, stream, transfer video content from a mobile device (PC, smartphone, laptop) to the TV screen.
Easy setup with automatic CalMAN calibration system and templates. Reception of different television standards through the built-in tuner.
Supports Apple HomeKit and AirPlay technologies. The first helps to control and give voice commands through Siri. The second makes it possible to watch videos from iTunes, other video applications, and gives direct access to Apple devices.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- New Direct LED backlighting. Improved image quality, clarity and brightness.
- Sound volume for 4 speakers with a total power of 40 watts. The presence of a subwoofer for reproducing low-frequency sounds. For example, in the model 49SK8500
there is no such feature. - The latest version of the HDMI interface is 2.1 with a lot of additional extensions and features.
- Multi-screen.
- Hotel TV.
- Ecosystem LG Smart ThinQ.
- Integration into the "Smart House" system.
Minuses:
- Overestimated the aggressiveness of motion processing, as in the entire LG TV line.
- Unstable crescent stand, I would like additional stands around the edges, as in 49SK8000.
- There is not enough extended color range to get deep, rich blacks.
Output
If you need a beautiful LED-backlit screen plus "smart", with good scalability, with excellent resolution for gamers, control via a smartphone or voice assistant, then for 80,000 rubles LG NanoCell 49SM9000 is an excellent option.
But you can save 20 thousand rubles and buy a TV with the same screen nanotechnology and size - NanoCell LG 49SK8500, only without the extended interface.
And if you like the brand's model, but you are not ready to "lay out" 60-80 thousand, the device of the 2018 release is "simpler" with a refresh rate of 50 Hz (versus 100 Hz) - for only 40 thousand rubles LG 49SK8000 NanoCell, with increased memory (4/2 GB), headphone jack and stable feet.
