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  • Introduction

  • Overall Design

  • Front

  • Back

  • Sides

  • Stand/Mount

  • Controls

  • Remote Control

  • In the Box

  • Black Level

  • Peak Brightness

  • Contrast

  • Tunnel Contrast

  • White Falloff

  • Uniformity

  • Greyscale Gamma

  • Color Temperature

  • RGB Curves

  • Motion Performance

  • 3:2 Pulldown & 24fps

  • Resolution Scaling

  • Formats

  • Viewing Angle

  • Reflectance

  • Video Processing

  • Calibration

  • Video Modes

  • Ergonomics & Durability

  • Button Layout & Use

  • Programming & Flexibility

  • Connectivity

  • Placement

  • Audio Quality

  • Menu Interface

  • Instruction Manual

  • Internet Features

  • Local Media Playback

  • Other Media

  • Power Consumption

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Conclusion

  • Model Series Comparison

  • Photo Gallery

  • Ratings & Specs

  • Introduction
  • Overall Design
  • Front
  • Back
  • Sides
  • Stand/Mount
  • Controls
  • Remote Control
  • In the Box
  • Black Level
  • Peak Brightness
  • Contrast
  • Tunnel Contrast
  • White Falloff
  • Uniformity
  • Greyscale Gamma
  • Color Temperature
  • RGB Curves
  • Motion Performance
  • 3:2 Pulldown & 24fps
  • Resolution Scaling
  • Formats
  • Viewing Angle
  • Reflectance
  • Video Processing
  • Calibration
  • Video Modes
  • Ergonomics & Durability
  • Button Layout & Use
  • Programming & Flexibility
  • Connectivity
  • Placement
  • Audio Quality
  • Menu Interface
  • Instruction Manual
  • Internet Features
  • Local Media Playback
  • Other Media
  • Power Consumption
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Conclusion
  • Model Series Comparison
  • Photo Gallery
  • Ratings & Specs

Introduction

Overall Design

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The LG 32LD450 is a decent looking TV. The highly reflective finish on the bezel and stand is a fingerprint magnet and can catch the ambient light in the room.

Front

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The LG 32LD450 has a highly reflective black bezel. It's an absolute fingerprint magnet. Along the button is a big, blue light that indicates when the power is on.

Back

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The back of the LG 32LD450 is black, matte plastic. Most of the ports are gathered in the corner.

Sides

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On one side of the LG 32LD450 is a series of onboard button controls. On the other side is a small selection of ports. You can see from this angle, you can see that the TV's not exactly thin, but that's the standard for LCD TVs still using the older CCFL backlighting.

Stand/Mount

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The stand is a piece of highly reflective black plastic. It connects to the TV panel via a plastic neck piece. For some reason, LG designers thought it would be funny to make two screw holes absolutely impossible to reach with normal screwdrivers. Instead, you need a 8 to 10-inch screwdriver that's half the diameter of a pencil. Because we have five screwdrivers in the lab that don't meet that requirement, we just skipped those screws altogether. The TV didn't seem any worse for wear.

Controls

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The LG 32LD450 ships with a stand, remote control, batteries, a cleaning cloth, and various documents. The instruction manual is pretty poor – really more of a primer.

Remote Control

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The LG 32LD450 onboard controls are located on the right side of the chassis. They're small, plastic buttons that can be difficult to distinguish by touch, but they work well enough.

In the Box

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The LG 32LD450 has a great remote control with very comfortable buttons.

Black Level

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The LG 32LD450 did not do so well in the black level test, as you can see in the chart below. The LG 32LD450's black level measured only 0.39 cd/m2. That's much, much brighter than any of the TV's we've pulled for comparison. More on how we test black level.

Peak Brightness

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The peak brightness, on the other hand, was very good. Anything over 300 to 350 cd/m2 is plenty bright for an average room. Of course, brighter displays are important if you're watching in a sunny room. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast

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The contrast of the LG 32LD450 is less than we'd like, but that seems to be the case for most of the LG's we've reviewed. LG's strength is color performance, as far as we can tell. The contrast performance was hurt by its poor showing in the black level test.

You can manually lower the backlight, of course, which would deepen the blacks, but also lower the peak brightness. The LG 32LD450 offers a Dynamic Contrast processing feature that automatically raises and lowers the backlight based on screen content, but it can be really distracting if you're watching a movie with constant bright/dark scene shifts. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast

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LG 32LD450 has little problem maintaining a consistent black level. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff

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The LG 32LD450 had absolutely no problem maintaining a consistent peak brightness. We expect perfect performance from LCDs. It's usually plasmas that have this problem. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity

Greyscale Gamma

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The greyscale gamma test measures how well the TV displays the transition from black to white. Look at the chart below. That tail in the lower-left portion represents the shadows. We can tell the LG 32LD450 is losing a fair amount of detail there because the line becomes more horizontal. The rest of the line is quite smooth, though, with a healthy, upward curve. The slope, measured at 2.68, is steeper than we like, which means the LG 32LD450 will be missing some of the gradations in the greyscale. An ideal curve is somewhere between 2.1 and 2.2. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Color Temperature

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The LG 32LD450 did pretty well in the color temperature test. As you can see in the chart below, there's a tendency towards warming the colors, but you won't be able to perceive most of the color shift. More on how we test color temperature.

RGB Curves

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The red, green, and blue color curves from the LG 32LD450 are impressive. The three channels move in near-perfect unison. Sure, there are some bumps in each line that correspond with instances of color banding, but nothing to be alarmed about. At the upper-right edge of the curve, you can see where all the channels flatten out into a horizontal line. That indicates an inability to display detail in the brightest parts of the highlights. Overall, though, the LG 32LD450 is excellent at color performance. More on how we test RGB curves.

The strips below are digital recreations of results from the RGB color test, compared to three similar TVs as well as an ideal response curve.

Motion Performance

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Motion Smoothness (5.25)

The LG 32LD450 was not the strongest TV in terms of motion performance. We noticed a distinct jitteriness to objects in motion when the panned across the screen. Higher contrast lines were more obviously blurry, but even in solid color and simple color gradation patterns, we'd notice minor color distortions.

Motion Artifacting (5.5)

The motion artifacts on the LG 32LD450 were much the same as we'd see on any LCD display: jitteriness, color trailing, and color banding. Unfortunately, the LG 32LD450 has no motion processing features you can call upon to help alleviate the issues. More on how we test motion performance.

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps

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The LG 32LD450 was pretty good when it came to displaying native 24fps content (the frame rate in many Blu-Ray movies). The only issue was a little jerkiness in shots with slow, horizontal pans. Most TVs have a processing feature you can turn on and off to help smooth out 24fps, but it appears the LG 32LD450 is in an "always on" mode. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but some people like having more direct control over picture quality. More on how we test 3:2 pulldown and 24fps.

Resolution Scaling

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The LG 32LD450 has a native 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, but most of the content you'll feed it will be of a lower resolution. It's up to the TV's internal processor to upscale that picture to make it fit the screen. Fortunately, it's very good at that task. More on how we test resolution scaling.

480p

When displaying 480p content, we saw a 2% loss of top and bottom and a 1% loss on each side due to overscan.

720p

The 720p content was nearly perfect.

1080i

The 1080i content was perfect. We saw no resolution scaling issues.

Formats

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The LG 32LD450 has a native 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, and can display all standard NTSC formats.

Viewing Angle

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The LG 32LD450 offers a pretty good viewing angle for an LCD TV. By our tests, it has a total viewing angle of 52 degrees (26 from center on either side) before losing a significant amount of contrast. This was a better performance than the three similar LCD TVs we pulled in for comparison, as you can see from the chart below.

Reflectance

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The LG 32LD450 takes on a wide, diffuse glow when hit with strong ambient light. Because it takes a toll on contrast, you'll want to arrange the TV and lights in the room carefully.

Video Processing

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The LG 32LD450 has a lot of video processing features, but most of them are either distracting or of limited value.

Calibration

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The LG 32LD450's best performance starts by putting the TV in Cinema mode. The rest of the tweaks we made are listed below.

All the special processing features were disabled.

[

All of our calibration is done in conjunction with the DisplayMate software.

](http://www.displaymate.com/)

Video Modes

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The LG 32LD450 has a number of preset video modes.

Ergonomics & Durability

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The LG 32LD450's remote control (specifically, model number AKB72915206) is very comfortable to use. It has just the right size, shape, and weight. All the buttons have a soft, rubber texture that offers a good grip.

Button Layout & Use

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The buttons are large and soft to the touch, yet you don't have to push down on them too hard to get a response. The d-pad in the center is made of the same rubber material. These buttons, for some reason, have a slower response time than the others, but that could just be laggy processing in the TV's menu displays.

Programming & Flexibility

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The remote control is not universally programmable, but can be used with select LG devices that use Simplink technology.

Connectivity

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Input Ports (5.5)

The LG 32LD450 is short on ports, by contemporary standards. There are just two HDMI ports, which is not enough if you have an HD cable box, Blu-Ray player, and X-Box. Of course, you can always downgrade to a component AV input, of which there are two. There's a single composite AV input, which may be troublesome for those looking to connect older devices.

There's no ethernet to connect to streaming content or DLNA home theater networks, though that's something of a norm on cheaper TVs like this.

The ports are spread out among the back and side.

Output Ports (2.0)

The LG 32LD450 has two outputs, a digital audio output and a headphone output, which can also be used as an analog audio output to connect to home theater systems.

Other Connections (0.0)

The LG 32LD450 does not have an ethernet or WiFi connection.

Media (1.0)

The LG 32LD450 has a USB port on the side. It can read photos and music files, but not movie clips.

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Placement

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The LG 32LD450 ports are well-labeled and easy to access, thanks to a swivel base.

Audio Quality

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The audio quality of the LG 32LD450 is not great. Overall, it sounded tinny, like many 32-inch TVs, a combination of cheap speakers and an inadequate cabinet in which to reverberate. There are plenty of options in the menu to tweak the sound, but none of them make it sound amazing. There are five preset modes: Standard, Music, Cinema, Sport, and Game. It's worth experimenting with each of them to see which you like best.

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The menu system on the LG 32LD450 is similar to the one you'd find on most of the LGs of 2009 and 2010. When you hit the menu button, you'll see the screen below. Items are arranged in a grid, and selecting any of these options will bring up the next menu screen, arranged in a more traditional, vertical list.

Because every option that's in the grid is also listed on the left side of this next menu, why doesn't LG just ditch the first screen? Its slowing everything down.

The rest of the menu is pretty clear when you're using it. Should you get lost or stuck, just hit the Exit button on the remote.

Instruction Manual

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The manual that ships with a completely inadequate manual; really more of a primer. The downloadable version is much better. However, it's unusually broad due to the fact that LG decided to skimp and make a single book for 34 TV across 8 different series of televisions. So much of the reading experience is jumping to a section on, say, connectivity, then scanning through all the fine print to see if your TV matches the diagram or not.

There's an table of contents in the front, but no alphabetical index in the back. Your best bet with the digital version is to use the search function to look up your questions. You can find the LG 32LD450's manual online here.

A manual for so many TV models, they have to be further categorized by type.

Internet Features

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The LG 32LD450 does not offer any internet features like streaming content, nor does it connect to a DLNA home theater.

Local Media Playback

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The LG 32LD450 can play back photos in JPEG format from a USB storage device. The interface is straightforward and it starts up as soon as you plug in the USB device. You can view photos one at a time or create a simple slideshow. If you have music on the same USB storage device, you can add it as a soundtrack to the slideshow.

The LG 32LD450 can play music clips from a USB storage device, but not movie clips (that's reserved for more expensive models).

Other Media

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The LG 32LD450 does not support any other types of media.

Power Consumption

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The LG 32LD450, as a relatively small-screened LCD, does not require much power. By our estimations, it will consume about $12.83 in electricity per year. If that's rich for your blood, there's an Eco mode, but it really just lowers the backlight, which you can do yourself manually.

You can see how the LG 32LD450 matches up to the competition below.

Value Comparison

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The Sony KDL-32EX700 costs a little more, but offers a lot of cool features. The ethernet and optional WiFi connect to Sony's outstanding selection of streaming content options, as well as a growing connection of online apps. The black levels and contrast are also far superior to the LG 32LD450. Overall, it's probably a better buy.

Blacks & Whites

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The Sony KDL-32EX700 did a far better job producing deep blacks, which made for a much wider contrast ratio.

Color Accuracy

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The LG 32LD450 was an outstanding color performer, and trumped the Sony KDL-32EX700 overall. The RGB color test was a close match, but the LG 32LD450 managed a better color temperature consistency and adherence to the rec. 709 color standard.

Motion

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The Sony KDL-32EX700 was a much stronger performer in our motion tests.

Viewing Effects

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The LG 32LD450 and Sony KDL-32EX700 were closely matched in viewing angle, both measuring around 50-52 degrees.

Connectivity

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The LG 32LD450 is pretty firmly outmatched by the Sony EX700 series, which includes two extra HDMIs, ethernet, and optional WiFi.

Value Comparison

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The Samsung LN32C550 costs about the same as the LG 32LD450. It offers much better contrast ratio and black level performance, as well as streaming content through ethernet or optional WiFi. That may be enough to sell people right there. However, the LG 32LD450 has much better color performance and a wider viewing angle. We're not sure if that's enough to sway you, but it's something to consider.

Blacks & Whites

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The Samsung LN32C550 handily outperformed the LG 32LD450 in black levels and contrast ratio.

Color Accuracy

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The Samsung had some issues with color performance, mostly due to a lack of details in the highlights and instances of color banding. The LG 32LD450 was an outstanding color performer, so it wins this round.

Motion

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The LG 32LD450 and Samsung LN32C550 were pretty closely matched in motion performance. Neither was great, but the LG seemed to have less artifacting.

Viewing Effects

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The Samsung LN32C550 had a terrible viewing angle. The LG 32LD450 was nearly twice as wide.

Connectivity

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The Samsung C550 series offers a far better selection of ports, including two additional HDMIs, an extra composite AV input, ethernet, and optional WiFi.

Value Comparison

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The LG 32LG70 is an inexpensive LG from last year. As such, you'll surely be able to find it cheaper than the LG 32LD450, provided you can still find a seller. In the intervening year, we could see an improvement in color performance, but a decrease in contrast ratio, as well fewer ports. Overall, we'd go with the newer one.

Blacks & Whites

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The LG 32LG70 was not a champion performer in our black level or contrast ratio tests, but it did significantly better than the LG 32LD450.

Color Accuracy

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The LG 32LG70 was nearly as good a color performer as the LG 32LD450, and that's saying something. But the 32LD450 was still better.

Motion

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The LG 32LD450 and LG 32LG70 were very close in motion performance.

Viewing Effects

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The LG 32LG70 was the weakest of all the viewing angles in this round-up of four TVs. The LG 32LD450 far exceeded it.

Connectivity

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The older LG 32LG70 offers more ports than the newer LG 32LD450.

Conclusion

The LG 32LD450 ($650 MSRP) is by no means a perfect TV. The black level and contrast ratio leave much to be desired. But once again, we see that LG's strong suit is not contrast, but color performance. In that area, it's hard to beat, especially at this price point.

As an entry or near-entry level, the LG 32LD450 is short on ports. The USB port can read pictures and music, but there's no support for streaming content or DLNA. At this price, however, you can find better TVs that do offer more multimedia options. It depends on what you look for in a TV, and what peripherals (i.e., networked Blu-Ray players, media boxes, etc) you already own that might do the job already. On the whole, the LG 32LD450 is a decent TV, but if you read our comparisons in this review, you'll see that you can get more for your money.

Model Series Comparison

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The LD450 series is budget oriented rather than feature-driven. Aside from the USB port for music and pictures, you don't get many interesting bonuses.

{{photo_gallery "Front Tour Image", "Back Tour Image", "Sides Tour Image", "Stand Photo", "Controls Photo", "Remote Control Photo", "Connectivity Tour Image 1", "Connectivity Tour Image 2", "Connectivity Extra Photo", "Menu Main Photo", "Menu 2 Photo", "Internet Features 1 Photo", "Internet Features 2 Photo", "Internet Features 3 Photo", "Local Media Playback 1 Photo", "Local Media Playback 2 Photo"}}

Ratings & Specs

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Meet the tester

David Kender

David Kender

Editor in Chief

@davekender

David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.

See all of David Kender's reviews

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