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LG 42LG3000 Review |
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Reviewed: 13 November 2008
Design
While not as jaw dropingly gorgeous as some of LG's latest flat panel creations, it is obvious that the design ethos present within LG extends right down to its entry level LCD TV's.
Despite its budget status, the LG 42LG3000 has the build quality and the style to sit comfortably within most living areas. LG's trademark glossy black finish has been toned down a notch to produce a subtle but surprisingly stylish piece of audio visual kit.
LG have also made great play of a new user friendly operating system. The intuitive interface features bold new graphics.
Features
The entry level status of this screen is reflected by a 1366 x 768 resolution screen. With 'Expert Mode' however, LG have provided a surprisingly broad choice of fine picture adjustment for those who want to get their hands dirty. There are also a useful 3 HDMI (v1.3) inputs along with a 15,000:1 contrast ratio.
Screen: 42in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1366 x 768 Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1 Other Features: XD Engine, Clear Voice. Sockets: 3 HDMI (v1.3), 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.
What comes as a nice surprise is the latest incarnation of LG's picture processing circuitry 'XD engine' which forms the picture processing heart of the panel. XD Engine bringing together a range of picture processing enhancements under the XD umbrella which focuses on improving the panels operation in two distinct areas. It works with the input signal to improve the quality of incoming feeds and then with the panel itself to improve the presentation of these feeds.
With LG's clear voice technology the 42LG3000 amplifies human voices to prevent any background noise from becoming too intrusive.
For those of you who like to tweak your TV settings but don't want to get too involved, Cinema, Sport, and Game modes offer preset picture configurations to complement the on-screen content.
A hidden speaker system tuned by the renowned hi-fi specialist, Mark Levinson, gives us some optimism for LG's acoustic ability. Interestingly there are a number of preset acoustic modes from which to choose; Standard, Music, Cinema, Game and Sport.
Performance
For a sub £500 42in LCD TV, the 42LG3000 displays a remarkable black level ability. While it can't hope to compete with the best plasma screens, it compares favorably with more expensive LCD TV's from the likes of Sony and Panasonic. Look closely for the precise shadow detail in a dark brooding film such as Bladerunner and you will struggle to find it; the point of this TV is that as a passive viewer there is absolutely no hint of greyness, just rich deep blacks which belie the 42LG3000's budget status.
The competent black level ability of the 42LG3000 provides an excellent backdrop for colour. Long gone is the 'garish' edge to colours on LG flat panel TV's of the past. What you don't lose is the vibrancy we now expect from the Korean manufacturer, while there is a subtlety present in tricky areas such as facial tones, that may not match the best TV's but is not that far off the pace.
Standard Definition (SD) performance, especially from Freeview, highlights the problems associated with a poor quality source rather than any particular problem with the TV. Having said that, even though the 42LG3000 does a decent job of translating the 576 or so available lines onto its 1366 x 768 resolution, we have seen better Freeview performers, albeit at a much higher price. What the 42LG3000 gives you is a competent SD performance that is good enough for day to day use, intrusive elements such as digital 'noise' are present to the degree that they never 'grate'.
As a High Definition (HD) performer the 42LG3000 plays second fiddle to the growing number of Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution screens. HD performance is pretty good with some expectedly sharp and detailed pictures, in short, a performance we have come to expect from the format. What the 42LG3000 is not capable of doing is giving you that 'breathtaking' HD experience that a number of Full HD screens can provide.
The motion handling ability of the 42LG3000 once again demonstrates how good this screen is for the price. In the absence of any 100Hz processing, LG's XD Engine manages to produce fast motion action, while not perfect, that can stand comparison with much more expensive panels. Again, the point is watchability, with a minimal amount motion blur and 'jerkiness' making the 42LG3000 a more than competent performer for fast on-screen material.
The concession to large visible speakers for style is unlikely to produce a stunning acoustic performance, but the 42LG3000 is among the better sonic performers we have come across, delivering a level of Bass and projecting sound with a strength that few can match.
Conclusion
The LG 42LG3000 is unremarkable when compared to the very best LCD and Plasma's, but for the standard it sets at the price, it is in a class of its own.
LG 42LG3000
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