Extremely thin HDTVs are common with the newest technology in this market, the LED-backlit LCD TVs, but not really with the standard LCD displays. The new LG 42SL80, perhaps, is the thinnest thus far among all standard LCD TVs. This LG model does not only boast of this, but also of its overall design and picture quality.

Chic and Stylish Design

From afar, the LG 42SL80 looks virtually frameless. Upon careful inspection, the thin frame around the huge display panel becomes visible and the single thin sheet of glass covering them is more apparent. This gives the TV a neat, glass-overall exterior. The internal 10-watt speakers also did not bother to interfere with the sleek design as it is very well hidden behind the panel.

To maintain the streamlined design, the SL80 does not have any buttons sticking out of the frame. Instead, there are touch-sensitive controls that briefly illuminate on finger swipe. For those who are not quick enough to identify the briefly illuminated labels (only remains lit for 5 seconds), it will be much easier to use the remote control. The clicker for the LG 42SL80 matches the unit’s exterior having a glossy finish as well. There are 45 fairly-sized buttons which, however, lack illumination.

Features and Performance

One notable feature of most LG displays, which is also found in the 42SL80, is the Picture Wizard. The wizard is much useful for those who are not that keen in the different picture settings. It guides the user through basic configurations of common picture settings such as contrast, black and white levels, backlighting, color saturation, sharpness and color gain. The output can be saved and assigned to a particular input.

Color accuracy is excellent, except for the minor oversaturation of blue colors on some occasions. Images come out natural with the deep black levels and relatively high contrast ratio of this display, especially from HD sources. There are some haloing noticed, but can be eliminated by deactivating the TruMotion feature of the LG 42SL80. Watching standard definition TV, though, appears to be quite soft with some jagged edges.

The LG 42SL80 is also equipped with Super In-plane Switching (S-IPS) technology which allows for wider viewing angles. In terms of connectivity, this model has ample amount of ports with 4 HDMI inputs, 2 component audio and video inputs, 2 composite A/V ports, PC input, USB port, optical digital audio output and a PC audio input.

The LG 42SL80 is truly a good choice for those seeking an aesthetically elegant display coupled with great HD picture quality and a good price ($1,034.99 with Free Shipping at Amazon).

Those first-time LCD TV buyers might want to try the LG 32LH30. At 32-inches, this is just the right size to put in a small bedroom and just the average price for those who are simply curious to try an LCD TV. This LG model is one of the most appealing among the basic LCD TVs in the market. Here’s the breakdown of the features:

Color Accuracy. This is one major plus of the LG 32LH30. The colors of the images produced by this model are highly accurate which gives a more realistic feel to the viewing experience. The primary and secondary colors are almost excellent enough, but with the help of a few tweaks on the color adjustment controls, the colors just become perfect and vibrant.

Black Levels. If the black levels in this LG model could have been better, the color renditions would already look perfect even without manually adjusting the controls. The LG 32LH30 has slightly lighter black levels than most LCD TVs. Some dark scenes appeared washed out when viewed in this model. Adjusting the controls still fails to achieve the deep black level that most would desire.

Video Processing and Uniformity. Again, the LG 32LH30 will definitely improve a lot if video processing and uniformity issues are resolved. When it comes to still sources, this model was able to handle 1080i and 1080p well; however, that doesn’t go the same if picture is in motion. It certainly would do well with some improvement in the smoothing effect. Also, the picture intensity differs on some parts of the screen. The image brightness is not the same all throughout the screen, having a darker effect on the sides while there are some vertical portions in the middle area that are slightly brighter than the rest.

Design. Just like the usual exterior of most of the LCDs, this LG model has a glossy finish on the frames of standard width. The screen can be swiveled on either side. The notable feature on its remote control is the dedicated Energy Saving button which is appropriately colored green with a leaf design. Likewise, it is also notable, however, that there is no dedicated button for the aspect ratio settings.

Picture Controls. Among all of the features of the LG 32LH30, its picture controls is the most outstanding. There is an increased number of adjustable settings compared to previous year’s LG LCD TVs. Something new to this model is the Picture Wizard, which is brilliant as it has its own test patterns that work well for non-experts. There are a lot of advanced picture controls that help improve the overall image quality such as three gamma levels, color temperature presets, noise reduction, edge enhancement and sensor for the surrounding room light.

As mentioned above, the LG 32LH30 has its own fair share of ups and downs when it comes to its features and performance. Nevertheless, having the price tag of just below $800, and can even go as low as $500, this could very well pass the standards of the not-so-picky consumers.

A really good deal on LG 32LH30 can be found on Amazon.

Other than the humongous 60-inch display for an HDTV, the LG 60PG60 also boasts of having acquired the THX display certification. This means that this set met all the requirements of the THX standards in all aspects. Those who are familiar with THX, this characteristic alone of the 60PG60 is already a huge selling point.

More Selling Points
For the movie fanatics, surely nothing beats watching in a big screen. And LG 60PG60 tries to match that experience but without having the need to go out of the living room, or bedroom for that matter. With its huge viewing size, this LG flat-panel plasma display weighs 121 pounds which definitely needs a strong wall if it will be mounted.

Another notable feature of the 60PG60 is the menu system which is easy to decipher. The different inputs are grouped and arranged based on usability. There is also a Quick Menu option for easy access to the common settings such as picture presets and aspect ratio. It would have been better, though, if brief explanations are included to help those who are not technical enough in terms of picture adjustments.

Commonplace already to most LG displays is the extensive picture adjustment options, and the 60PG60 is not an exception to that. To add to the common picture modes, a THX Cinema mode is, of course, available. This is the only mode, though, that cannot be adjusted. Nevertheless, there won’t be a need anymore for further modification as it already provides superb and excellent picture quality.

With the THX mode, color accuracy is unmatched. Primary and secondary colors are very accurate and rich making the images lifelike. Shadow details are also very good in this mode; however, further adjusting the Expert mode can supersede this.

Burn-in, a well-known HDTV issue, is also not a problem as LG included features that can overcome this, namely a pixel orbiter, all-white screen and inversion mode.

Connectivity-wise, the LG 60PG60 has the common connection ports such as HDMI, component-video, composite video, VGA, and a USB port for picture display and music playback when a thumbdrive is connected.

Less Appealing Features
Although color accuracy is excellent in this LG model, the black levels are not as par even with the 50-inch units. The black level is significantly lighter in this 60PG60 model. This softens the impact of the images despite of having accurate colors. This model also did not do a very good job when in bright room light conditions.

Yet another downside of this large HDTV display is its power consumption. Although there are power-save mode options, the difference in consumption is not that remarkable.

The LG 60PG60, even with its low performance in terms of black levels, still delivers exemplary picture quality with its outstanding color accuracy. Also, having a price range of $3,000 to less than $4,000 for a plasma TV of this enormity is not bad at all.

Some more information (other reviews, best deals) for LG 60PG60 can be found on Amazon page<

Why All-in-One? Because this LG 32LG40 is not just your ordinary LCD TV. It has a built-in DVD player neatly embedded at the back of the screen. With its competitive price that goes anywhere from $650 to $800, this can be considered already a great deal. Let’s take a closer look on its features and see how it fairs.

Excellent Specs

The major topper of the LG 32LG40 is its color accuracy. It exhibits superb color quality, especially with the primary colors, even with just the out-of-box settings. Colored-images look natural and realistic compared to other competing LCD TVs. To complement that even more, this LG model has very extensive picture adjustment settings. There are 7 picture modes available, in which several settings can be adjusted. Even the 2 Expert modes available still allow more modifications from the user.

Design-wise, the 32LG40 looks elegant with its matte-finish in a glossy black frame, as well as sophisticated with the addition of a deep red strip at the bottom of the screen. The display also comes with a stand and it is nice to know that it can swivel over the thin arm. Also, with the built-in DVD player, this means less space needed for multiple devices and less clutter because of the reduction of the wires needed.

The user of the 32LG40 can connect almost all possible sources with its comprehensive array of connectivity ports. There are 3 available HDMI inputs (2 at the back, 1 on the side), a PC input, RF antenna/cable source, component-video, S-video and composite video inputs, an analog audio and a digital audio output.

Features for Improvement
Placing the LG 32LG40 side-by-side with its competing 32-inch LCD TVs, it is noticeable that this model has lighter black levels than the others. This makes dark scenes look like dark gray instead of real black. Adjusting the backlight may help a bit, but still not at par with the other brands.

Yet another unsatisfactory feature of this LG model is the off-angle image. When viewing from an off-angle position, the color accuracy and black level significantly dipped. This means that viewers should not be moving from one place to another in order to see great picture.

Though for high-def sources the 32LG40 works fine, it is not the same with standard definition. When a regular DVD player, or the built-in DVD player, is used as source, continuously moving objects appeared instable and jaggies are prominent. Even when used as a monitor PC, the texts are not that crisp compared with the other displays of its kind.

Summing it all up, the LG 32LG40 still stands out especially for an average consumer who simply wants great picture quality and with a reasonable price tag. The built-in DVD player just comes as a bonus.

Pricing for this model currently is quite low, e.g. on Amazon one can get it for as low as $649.99.

Some more information (other reviews, best deals) for LG 32LG40