HDTV Universe

LG 42LH50 Review: 42” LCD HDTV

Up for review: LG 42LH50 42-inch LCD TV. The LG 42LH50 is one of LG”s recently announced 2009 HDTV’s.  It supports full 1080p HD as well as Ethernet connectivity. LG and Netflix have made arrangements to make available Netflix’s Watch Now video service without another set-top box connection. Many other broadband content options have been bundled together with the LG 42LH50. The HDTV will be able to access YouTube videos. It will also utilize Yahoo widgets which will provide real time information on weather, stock tickers, financial news, Flickr images and Yahoo!Video. In addition to all this, the LG 42LH50 will connect to a networked PC or USB device through a port on the HDTV to show your favorite photos and hear the latest music. The Ethernet connection makes all this possible.

A review of the LG 42LH50 shows that it is framed in glossy black with clearly outlined edges. The lower right portion of the HDTV has a rounded look. The backside of the LG 42LH50 has all the ports and inputs on the left side. They are located just behind the screen. The right side has the on-TV controls. It can be mounted on a wall or placed on a stand. The black, glossy stand is arched in front and angled at the back. The LG 42LH50 resembles most of the other products from LG. The only distinction is that the front panel is free of any control labels which makes it look very sleek and uniform.

The LG 42LH50 LCD TV supports a resolution of 1080p with the maximum being 1920 x 1080, and is projected to have an aspect ratio of 16:9. Surprisingly, the LED backlight display is missing in this HDTV. It is supposed to have a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The motion can be expected to be free from judder with natural and fluid images. It has a 24p Real Cinema mode. You can expect sharper pictures with great clarity.

LG 42LH50 Features and Specifications Review:

42” screen
Full 1080p HD native resolution
NetCast Entertainment Access
NetFlix, YouTube, CinemaNow streaming + Yahoo widgets
4 HDMI™ (V.1.3 with Deep Color)
Intelligent room lighting sensor
24p Real Cinema (5:5 Pulldown)
ISFccc ready
LG SimpLink™
USB 2.0 port
Smart Energy Saving Plus
LG Core Technologies
Invisible Speaker System
Trumotion 120 Hz refresh rate with dejudder processing
S-ISP motion-blur technology

The Ethernet port allows you to connect to the NetCast entertainment system. The LG 42LH50 has 4 HDMI inputs, two composite video inputs with audio and two component video inputs with audio. There is an additional PCI input. This can be used to connect a computer, a 3.5 mm audio input and a digital audio output. A USB input also exists near the HDMI inputs.

The remote of the LG 42LH50 is handy and easy to use. The buttons are symmetrically laid out and are quite distinct and large. The navigation pad is located near the top of the remote. The on-TV controls are also easy to use. They are located on the right side and provide easy access to you. The often-used buttons are large and the rest of the buttons are small. You might encounter some discomfort while pressing the buttons as they have no labeling on the front. You can also save power by using the room lighting sensor.

HDTVUniverse.com gives LG 42LH50 9/10 stars!