Tour & Design

The LG 55LH90 has a black, glossy frame that makes its way around the entirety of the LCD screen. Around the sides of the black frame, the color thins out to a clear finish around the edges—giving the 55LH90 some shine around the sides. The standard LG logo rests centered in the bottom portion of the black frame. On the left side of the front is a column of on-TV control labels engraved in white so they stand out from the black frame. A small, rounded bubble finishes off the lower right side—giving the TV some flair and making the frame not entirely rectangular in shape.

The front of the 55LH90

**Back**

Most of the television's ports are located on the left portion of the back side of the 55LH90. The port section is relatively small and it is the only item of note on the back of the  TV.

The back of the 55LH90 houses most of the television's ports.

**Sides**

The left side of the TV has a small, relatively easy-access section of ports that are tucked just behind the LCD panel. The right side of the 55LH90 houses the on-TV controls, although the front-right corner of the television displays prominent white labels for these buttons.

The left side of the 55LH90 has a small cluster of ports, while the right side has the on-TV controls.

**Stand/Mount**

The LG 55LH90's stand has a large, flat base that is coated with the same black, glossy finish that frames the front of the television. The base has a rounded front and an inward arc on the back. Connecting this base to the television is a cylindrical stand that lifts the 55LH90 about an inch above the table and allows for some swiveling.

The 55LH90 has a flat, glossy stand.

**Aesthetics**

The LG 55LH90 is a relatively attractive television, although not much different from previous LG models. It doesn't have too much color other than it's deep black gloss. The clear lining that runs around the outside of the black frame gives the TV some pop and shine, which can easily make the set stand out in a room. The 55LH90 is also quite thin, which is something LG improved on over last year's models.

Performance Features

Display Size & Technology

The 55LH90 model we looked at had a 55-inch LCD screen with an LED backlight. The LH90 series also comes in 47-inch and 42-inch sizes (47LH90 and 42LH90), which boast the same features as the 55-inch version.

The 55LH90 has a 55-inch LCD screen.

Format & Resolution

The LG 55LH90 offers full HD 1080p support and has a 16:9 aspect ratio. LG hasn't released complete specs about the product, but we're assuming the 55LH90 has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (based on the 1080p format). It should also be capable of handling 1080i, 720p and 480p content, but we'll have to get it in the lab to see how well it deals with upscaling.

Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio

The LG 55LH90 offers LED backlighting, which should allow the model to achieve high brightness levels and deep blacks. The LED backlight is described by LG as being a 'full array' backlight, and the system is broken up into 240 separate sections. By separating the backlight into so many sections (the 240 sections is a large increase over last year's models), the television is able to produce a brighter image and offer more customizable control over image quality.

LG lists the television's contrast ratio at 2,000,000:1. While this ratio is clearly impressive, it is entirely based on the specs provided by LG, and isn't based on any of our own testing. Once we get the product in our labs we will run tests to determine a more accurate contrast ratio for real-life viewing scenarios—likely producing a far lower ratio than the number reported by LG.

Refresh Rate & Motion

With the 55LH90, LG offers a new 240Hz refresh rate. This is double the rate found on last year's models (120Hz) and this increase should provide smoother motion and reduced blur. Based on the footage we watched on the 55LH90, the motion looked smooth and crisp with no artifacting or jitter to the image. The television also offers support for 24p content, which gives the image a cinematic look.

Viewing Angle

The viewing angle on the 55LH90 looked good, which isn't surprising coming from an LCD television with LED backlighting. The colors stayed strong at a 45-degree angle and the image remained rather crisp and clear. The backlight technology gives the TV a viewing angle advantage over other LCD televisions.

Color

According to LG, the full array of LED backlights on the 55LH90 gives the television a wide color gamut and deeper blacks. We'll find out more about the color capabilities of the 55LH90 once we bring it through our testing labs. 

Connectivity & Media

Audio & Video Ports

Ports on the LG 55LH90 are located in two places. A large collection is on the back of the TV, towards the left side of the set. Here you'll find 3 HDMI ports, 1 Composite Video port, and 2 Component Video ports. The Composite and Component Video ports each have Analog audio in ports next to them, making a total of 3 Analog audio in ports on the back side. Next to this cluster is an Optical Audio out port for ouputting Digital Audio. Also found back here is a PCI input for connecting a computer to the television and a 3.5mm audio in port for inputting audio from a PC. Rounding out the back side is a USB and an antenna input for connecting Analog or Digital cable or OTA.

 

Most of the ports are located on the back of the 55LH90.

The port cluster on the left side doesn't contain much: it houses one HDMI port, one Composite Video, and one Analog audio input. It's just enough ports to hookup a video game system, camcorder, or media device. While these side ports are easier to access than the ones on the back of the TV, they aren't nearly as easy to get to as a front-placed collection of ports would be.

Ports are also located on the left side of the television.

Media & Other Connectivity

The NetCast entertainment access system, which has been promoted by LG as an exciting innovation, isn't found on the 55LH90. The feature is found on the LG LH50 and PS80 (plasma TV) series of televisions. NetCast utilizes an Ethernet connection on the TV to obtain video directly from the internet, which allows for streaming movies from Netflix and easy access to YouTube videos.

The USB port on the 55LH90 can be useful for accessing digital music or photos. The port is located on the back side of the television (next to the rest of the ports) so it isn't all that convenient for plugging in a portable device.

Placement

Overall the ports on the 55LH90 aren't difficult to reach or access. None of them, however, are tremendously easy to access. There is no front side port cluster and the left side ports are tucked away a bit to far for them to be completely hassle-free. Still, the labeling of the ports is quite good and they're organized in a sensible fashion. The swivel of the stand, as well as the thin body of the television, also makes reaching the ports less of an annoyance.

Audio

The LG 55LH90 doesn't produce the sound quality an avid audiophile would deem acceptable, but this is the case for most built-in audio systems on televisions. The 55LH90 does offer 'Invisible Speakers,' which is simply LG vernacular for speakers that are built in a manner that doesn't disrupt the smooth, finished design of the television. The TV also features Clear Voice II, which is an automatic dialogue enhancement feature can be calibrated by the user.

Controls, Menu & Remote

Remote

We didn't get a chance to actually hold the remote when the 55LH90 was unveiled, so we don't have any hands on experience with the remote control. LG did show some images of the remote, which appears to have large buttons and a relatively simple design.

The remote control on the 55LH90

Controls

The on-TV controls are all located on the right side of the TV in a column. Beneath each button is text describing what the button does: channel up and down, volume up and down, enter, menu, input, and power. Extra labels are located just around the corner on the front side of the television, however, these white labels all use symbols (rather than text) to describe what actions the buttons perform. The buttons are fairly easy to press and manipulate, but the white symbols on the front of the TV may confuse some users.

The on-TV controls on the 55LH90 have white labels on the front side, but the buttons are located on the right side of the TV.

Menu

We didn't get a chance to check out the menu of the 55LH90 when LG put the model on display. When we get the product in our labs we'll give full details about the menu system, its functionality, and its ease of use.

Conclusion

The LG 55LH90 is television with some intriguing elements. Its 240Hz refresh rate is something that will pique the interest of action-film lovers and sports aficionados. Based on our limited access watching footage on the TV, its motion appeared smooth and pristine—but it's difficult to say right now how much an improvement the 240Hz refresh rate really is over last year's 120Hz. When we test the television in our labs we'll get a better idea of exactly how well the television handles motion.

The backlight LED gives the 55LH90 some advantages over regular LCD televisions—it has better than average viewing angles and it should be able to produce brighter whites and deeper blacks. The 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio reported by LG should be taken with a grain of salt, as these numbers are often distorted by manufacturers and don't reflect real-life usage of the television. Again, once we test the model in our labs we'll be able to see how much of an advantage the backlight LED provides when it comes to brightness and contrast.

The 55LH90  doesn't have the NetCast feature that is making other LG television hot-ticket items with Netflix streaming, but the LED backlight and 240Hz motion puts it near the top of LG's new lineup. The 55LH90 will be available during the second Quarter of 2009, as will its 47-inch and 42-inch siblings. Pricing information for the models is not yet available.