Product Listing

LG 42-inch LH50YD LCD TV - One Step Closer To The Movies

By Andy Sim - 19 Jul 2009

Conclusion

LG's Transformation

LG still has room to improve if they're serious about going all out against the bigger guns. They might have to take their TV's design back to the drawing board if need be. Shortcomings such as a hard-to-reach side panel or subpar noise reduction features aren't going to sit well with anyone. While its TruMotion function did satisfactorily well on some BD titles, it reared its ugly end with others.

That said, the LH50 isn't without merits. It has its redemption points like exemplary contrast levels and clarity. Its 24p conversion is commendable. Its black levels are slightly laden with shades of gray, but they're also a step up from commonplace LCD panels we've seen with murky grays. The backlights are also fairly even if we may add. If you belong to the DVD camp, know that the LH50's prowess in scaling 480i signals is more than worthy. Yes, the TV's 200Hz perk might have missed its mark but let's not forget that we did have an enjoyable time watching HD movies without it. Not to mention that the TV also has a user-friendly UI and a very practical remote wand.

The 42-inch LH50YD was initially listed as S$3,699, although we are sure that its market price has dropped substantially below the S$2,500 mark. Is it good enough? It is, if you'd like to consider its feature-packed box and IPS panel. If you can work around the few mentioned caveats, this TV is more than decent on an overall point of view. Well, LG might have found an eventual winner with its qualified panel and integrated tuner. However the truth is that the transformation is still far from complete.

The LH50 would have been almost the perfect LCD TV if only LG had paid a little more attention to detail in getting its features and design right.

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8.0
  • HD Performance 8
  • SD Performance 8.5
  • Features 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Excellent 24p conversion
Healthy 480i upscaling
Relatively deep blacks
The Bad
Hard to reach side-panel
Poor noise reduction
Moderately expensive
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