A 3-D TV set made by South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. has been selected as this year’s best model for its clear picture and vivid color, a U.S. online computer magazine said Sunday.

According to PC World, which has 5 million subscribers, LG’s 47-inch Cinema 3D TV, or LG Infinia 47LW6500, ranked first on the Five Best 3D TVs of 2011 list, followed by its rival Samsung Electronics Co.’s 46-inch 3-D TV. LG’s 50-inch 3-D TV came next, while Sony Corp.’s 46-inch Bravia stood at fourth and Taiwanese Vizio’s 65-inch TV was fifth.

The magazine said that the top LG TV has “excellent 3-D depth and crisp image quality,” utilizing the so-called passive 3-D technology which allows viewers to use lighter and cheaper glasses.

LG and Vizio are the only major manufacturers that have released 3-D TVs based on passive technology, it added.

Samsung’s runner-up device, relying on active-shutter glasses, “excels at creating 3-D effects without sacrificing color or contrast,” said the magazine.

The magazine said that it has found no noticeable differences in image quality between the two technologies but recommended customers use passive 3-D sets for cheaper and more comfortable TV viewing.

The magazine also released the Five Best Smart TV Platforms 2011, ranking LG and Samsung first and second, respectively, citing “very good service selection.”

Meanwhile, a leading U.S. consumer magazine, Consumer Reports, has lauded LG’s new 3-D smartphone for its advanced technology, industry sources said.

The report said that LG’s Thrill 4G, which hit the U.S. market earlier this year, is better than the Evo 3G made by Taiwan’s HTC Inc. as it has clearer focus to take and view 3-D images. 

(Yonhap News)