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  • Tour & Design

  • Performance Features

  • Connectivity & Media

  • Controls, Menu & Remote

  • Conclusion

  • Tour & Design
  • Performance Features
  • Connectivity & Media
  • Controls, Menu & Remote
  • Conclusion

Tour & Design

Even though the 42LH20 doesn't have the specs of some of LG's other televisions, it still has the same glossy, black bezel design that offers an elegent, stylish look. No controls or labels are located on the front of the TV, except for the LG logo at the bottom of the frame.

The front of the 42LH20

**Back**

The back of the 42LH20 doesn't have too many ports, but it has all the essentials. Just don't expect to hook up more than a few media devices to the television.

The back of the 42LH20 has all of the TV's ports.

**Sides**

The right side of the 42LH50 has a strip of on-TV controls with white labeling. The left side of the TV doesn't have anything—not even an easy-access port setup.

The on-TV controls are on the right side of the TV.

Stand/Mount

The 42LH90 uses a stand that looks similar to the one found on larger LG models. The stand has a rounded front and is coated in black gloss. The TV can be mounted, but all the ones on display at CES used their provided stands.

The stand on the 42LH20

**Aesthetics**

The 42LH20, as with all LG TVs, has a strong aesthetic. The smaller models particularly have appeal due to their sleek style and tiny frames. People looking for a smaller screen TV to display in a prominent area will likely be drawn to the design of the LH20 series. The panel isn't nearly as thin as LG's LHX series, but it still offers a relatively slim depth.

Performance Features

Display Size & Technology

The LG 42LH20 has a 42-inch LCD screen, but the LH20 series is available in a variety of sizes: 37-inch, 32-inch, 26-inch, 22-inch, and 19-inch models.

The LH50 is available in 42-inch and 47-inch models.

Format & Resolution

The television supports 720p HD footage and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. The maximum resolution is 1280 x 720. Most new HDTVs support full 1080p HD signal, which further suggests the market for the 42LH20 is directed towards low-budget consumers or people looking for a small, extra television.

Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio

LG didn't release information about the 42LH20's brightness, black level, or contrast ratio. The TV doesn't have the LED backlighting featured on LG's elite LCD televisions, but it still produced an adequately illuminated image when we looked at it. If you're concerned about having deep blacks and a good contrast ratio, you probably wouldn't want to make the 42LH20 your primary television set.

Refresh Rate & Motion

LG doesn't mention the refresh rate of the 42LH50 in their specs, but it is safe to assume the TV refreshes at a rate of 60Hz, which is the normal rate for lower-end televisions. We didn't notice any major motion errors or discrepancies when we watched LG's display footage and the motion actually looked quite good on the 42LH50. There wasn't any footage showing quick motion, so it was difficult to truly analyze how an action movie or football game will appear on the set. If smooth motion is important to you, you should go with a TV that supports a 120Hz refresh rate or higher.

Viewing Angle

LG doesn't have specs about the viewing angle on the 42LH20, but we noticed some color problems at 30-degree angles and smaller. The far side of the LCD when we looked at it via these tight angles lost a good deal of brightness and appeared dark and faded. At 45-degrees and wider, however, the TV's image generally looked very good.

Color

The 42LH20 offers no special color modes or features. Looking at the television straight on, colors appeared vibrant and strong. It's only from odd angles that we noticed any color problems.

Connectivity & Media

Audio & Video Ports

Ports are limited on the LG 42LH20, which doesn't make it a good choice for consumers looking to setup a home theater system or connect multiple media devices to their television. The set does have your basic inputs, however, and they'll probably be enough to get by for most people. All the ports on the 42LH20 are located on the back of the television—two HDMI inputs, one Component Video input with audio, one Composite video input with audio, a PCI input for connecting a computer, a 3.5mm audio input for PC audio, an optical audio output (digital audio), and an Antenna/Cable input capable of receiving analog or digital signal.

In comparison, the higher-end LG models have twice as many HDMI ports and video inputs as the 42LH20. There is also no easy-access collection of ports on the television. It would have been a good idea for LG to put at least one HDMI input in an easy-to-reach location (like the front or side of the television).

The ports on the 42LH20

Media & Other Connectivity

The 42LH20 isn't big on media and connectivity, particularly when compared to the other members of LG's HDTV lineup. It doesn't have any special media options like NetCast or wireless connectivity. The TV does offer LG 's SimpLink technology, but only on models sized 32-inches and up. SimpLink allows the TV's remote to control compatible devices that are connected to the 42LH20 via an HDMI cable.

Placement

Port placement is a problem on the 42LH20 as there are no easy-access ports and everything is located on the back of the television. The inputs aren't impossible to reach, but it won't be any fun if you plan on connecting and disconnecting many devices to the TV.

Audio

The 42LH20 features LG's core technologies, two of which are associated with audio. A dialogue enhancement feature, Clear Voice II, allows the consumer to calibrate the audio controls on the television in order to get crisper, cleaner dialogue. We can't speak for how well the feature works because we never got a chance to hear it in action. The second feature is Invisible Speakers, which is LG's design and manufacturing process that hides the speakers inside the TV frame rather than have them appear on the surface of the bezel. The LG core technologies are not featured on the 26-inch, 22-inch, and 19-inch models in the LH20 series.

Controls, Menu & Remote

Remote

We couldn't sneak a peak at the remote for the LG 42LH20. The remote will likely have a similar appearance to LG's other remotes, but it should have less buttons and be a bit smaller in size.

Controls

The on-TV controls are located on the right side of the 42LH20. The buttons for the controls are flat and built into the TV's side so it appears there aren't any buttons at all (like a touch screen). We found this setup a bit difficult to use and get used to. Also, the lack of a physical button makes the controls difficult to find in the dark. The column of on-TV controls are in the following order: channel up/down, volume up/down, enter, menu, input, and power.

The on-TV controls don't have physical protruding buttons.

Menu

LG couldn't show us the menu on the 42LH20, so we have no information about it at this time.

Conclusion

It will be easy for the 42LH20 to get lost in the shuffle amongst LG's powerhouse 2009 lineup of HDTVs. The 42LH20 will never be a set that appeals to home theater enthusiasts or people looking for an elite television. It doesn't have any attention grabbing features like NetCast Entertainment Access (a streaming video and internet connection system), Media Director (a movie optimization feature), 240Hz refresh rate (for smoother motion), or wireless connectivity options. It also only offers a 720p HD signal rather than full 1080p. It does, however, still have the sharp, sophisticated LG design. Price specs and availability dates have not been announced by LG yet, but when they are the 42LH20 may turn out to be a compelling choice for low-budget consumers.

Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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