That said, using the Magic Motion remote for Web browsing on the Infinia 47LW6500 is an iffy experience. The absence of a hardware keyboard means that you must use the Magic Motion on an onscreen keyboard to enter text (such URLs or login info), which isn't much fun. The browser supports Flash, but only through version 8 (10 is current), and unlike desktop browsers it doesn't support HTML 5.

The TV's audio is pretty good: The two 10-watt speakers achieved decent volume, and the surround-sound simulation worked reasonably well. It's still no comparison to the audio from even a small home-theater setup, but it meets the challenge of providing appropriate accompaniment to 3D content.

LG provides four sets of passive glasses with the set; at this writing, several retailers are offering free additional glasses. These are basically the same glasses that theaters hand out for 3D movies, and the 3D quality is quite good. But the 3D version of Avatar on Blu-ray didn't look as rounded as it did on the Samsung, which uses active-shutter glasses.

In most other respects, the Infinia 47LW6500 is very similar to the Infinia 47LW5600. In fact, LG provides the same manual (printed and online) for both models, along with a couple of dozen other LCD and plasma sets (which this makes pinning down some info on your specific model more difficult).

With the Infinia 47LW6500, LG continues to build on its reputation as a maker of affordable sets that deliver good image quality and technological innovation at a highly competitive price. Samsung and Sony should be watching their backs.