After comparison shopping for a LCD set to replace my current Sharp Aquos LC20D42U (also reviewed), I settled on this TV.
I’m not going to write a book – but the following are my initial impressions.
Given that my outgoing Sharp display had only 1 HDMI input, the LG’s 2 inputs are acceptable for my needs (HD cable/DVR & PS3) but for others with more peripherals (stand alone Blu-Ray, DVD, multiple gaming consoles, etc), 2 HDMI inputs may not be enough. The set also has a component input (probably acceptable for use w/ a non-upscaling DVD player).
Unboxing the TV in my living room, I cranked all my lights to check for blemishes / defects. While the TV was in good condition, both the screen and the glossy black bezel had hand/finger prints in multiple locations. I’m not sure if this happened at the factory (made in Mexico) or if I got a unit that had been previously unboxed (manuals, remote, stand were all still in sealed plastic – so I’m guessing factory), but it was a little unsettling, even at this price point. It took me a few extra minutes to wet a cloth and clean the TV before setting it up.
The glossy black bezel is unremarkable – it doesn’t look bad, but it does look (and feel) a little cheap. This is not a TV I would mount or place conspicuously – especially among high quality peripherals, audio equipment or as the anchor of an expensive entertainment center (of course it’s doubtful that a 32″ TV would typically form the center of an expensive piece of furniture like that).
After setting the TV up, I obviously turned it on. I was not immediately impressed. Like most new TV’s, this one is pre-programmed to default to wild backlight / brightness / color settings (with the aim of display sets not washing out under bright store lights, I presume). After spending some time tuning the picture, I was able to achieve settings that were to my liking. The tuned picture is fairly impressive at this price point – solid processing, even backlighting, good black levels for a CCFL-backlit TV, and fairly accurate color although off-angle viewing could be better. Speaking of tuning, the menu / interface is very simple and very easy to use – both because of good menu design and also because there are not a whole lot of features on this set to be configured.
Which brings me to features – this is not among the next generation of LCD TV’s; it has no LED backlight, it is not 120hz, it is not thinner than a strand of hair, it does not connect wirelessly or offer widgets or video streaming, and it is not 3D compatible (a feature I sincerely hope does not catch on for cinema or television – who wants to wear 3D glasses all evening?).
But if you don’t want to spend a lot, don’t need the TV to be a conversation piece while it is turned off, don’t need to the TV to perform functions that your other devices would likely make redundant, and are looking primarily for decent quality picture and good value – then I’d recommend this TV to you.
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