LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review

LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review



There's no better LCD display technology than LED and the LE5400 delivers that along with a whole lot more. You can tap directly into instant movies and entertainment with NetCast and cut free of your cable box and messy wires with Wireless 1080p.
Offering energy-saving LED backlighting, 1080p Full HD resolution for crystal-clear detail, and TruMotion 120Hz technology for virtually no motion blur, the 42-inch LG 42LE5400 LED LCD HDTV is also great for watching sports and movies with fast action thanks to its 2.6ms (millisecond) response time. The latest in HDTV technology, LED delivers deep blacks, bright colors and crisp images to rival any display category, and are the slimmest, most energy efficient televisions available. Improved motion capture allows smooth, natural pictures, even with fast paced action.

With LG's NetCast, you get access to TV shows, movies and more, streamed directly from the Internet to your television screen. And the LE5400 series also provides compatibility with Wireless 1080p Connectivity (wireless media kit required and sold separately).

Other features include an incredible 4,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for more stunning colors and deeper blacks, two USB ports for connecting external drives for playing back MP3 audio, JPEG photo and DivX HD video files, stereo speakers with 20 watts of power and Dolby Digital decoding, and four HDMI inputs.

• Screen size: 42-inch class (42 inches diagonal)
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p Full HD)
• Dynamic contrast ratio: 4,000,000:1
• Viewing angle: 178 degrees horizontal/vertical
• Response time: 2.6ms
• Built-in tuner: ATSC/NTSC/Clear QAM
• Audio output: 20 watts (10W x 2)
• Speaker system: 2-way, 4 speakers
• Dolby Digital decoder: Yes
• Surround system: Infinite Sound
• Input labeling: Yes
• Swivel stand: ±20 degrees
• VESA compliance: 200mm x 200mm
• Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Connections

• HDMI (version 1.3, HDCP): 3 rear, 1 side
• Component: 2 rear, 1 side
• Composite A/V: 1 rear, 1 side
• RF: 1 rear
• PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1 rear
• PC audio input: 1 rear
• Digital audio output: 1 optical, rear
• USB: 2 side
• Ethernet LAN: 1 rear
• Headphone out: 1 side
• RS-232c input: 1 rear

LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review by Customer

"Good Choice", 2010-08-19 By Elroy Jetson (USA)

The TV was very easy to set up. Laying it face down on a side by side pair of couch cushions (thus elevating it above the floor) made attaching the pedestal super easy. Lifting it onto the stand was easy too, it's a heck of a lot lighter than the behemoth tube TV it replaced.

Once all connections were made and the unit was powered up, it immediately detected the wired internet connection and requested permission to download a software update. And another update. And another update. And another update. I think there were four. I use an outdoor antenna instead of cable, the tuner pulls in all the channels my converter box did, and then some. If there is a broadcast signal strength indicator, I haven't found it. A broadcast signal strength indicator is very important for aiming your antenna. Digital signals don't fade if you turn the the antenna the wrong way, the picture simply disappears. I'll be keeping the converter box around for antenna alignment purposes. There is a bit of a delay when changing channels - I suppose it takes a moment to lock in and start decoding the new channel. My old decoder box had a similar delay when changing channels.

The remote's fairly intuitive, and even has light-up buttons (they time out in about five seconds). The "Netcast" and Wigets" buttons are too close to the up and down on the four way rocker button that's used for navigating setup, Netcast, and Widgets menus - care must be taken when tweaking settings, or you find yourself kicked out of your menu unexpectedly. I already had a Netflix account, so all I had to do was click on Netflix, get the TV's code number, log into Netflix with my computer, and enter the code there. My Netflix cue was up on the TV within thirty seconds.

The picture looks really good. I only have one analog broadcast channel, and that one even looks fairly good. The digital broadcast channels look great in SD, and the HD channels look fantastic! Netfilx movies play beautifully. I tried out a preview on VUDU in full 1080, and it was as smooth as silk! My living room gets lots of sunlight, but the TV shows up clearly. At night, during dark scenes, there is a tiny hint of a light glow on the lower right edge, but it is very, very minor (I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all if I hadn't learned of the phenomenon from other reviews).

Aside from the aforementioned lack of a broadcast signal strength indicator, I'm very pleased with my LG 42LE5400. So far.

"Nothing tops this TV", 2010-08-01 By Allen J. Levinsky (Palm Beach, FL USA)

When it came down to shopping for a new TV, I compared several models from several manufacturers, including, Sams**g, S*ny, Pana***ic, Tos**ba, etc..... and from reading all of the reviews, this model had excellent reviews from top to bottom. And boy were they right. After calibrating the TV, which takes just a few minutes using the LG wizard, I saw the most incredible looking High Definition that I have ever seen. And that was just using my Comcast cable box. Then I popped in my Avatar Blu-ray and I was BLOWN AWAY!!!! I've never seen a picture more perfect in my life. No motion blur, no microblocking, absolutely nothing flawed whatsoever, even while watching fast actioned sports. The TV's speakers work pretty good for such a thin set. Even the streaming video from Netflx is awesome. I haven't tried any of the other optional internet based addons. If you're looking for a stunning picture that will not break the bank, I highly recommend getting this TV. 1080p, 120hz, what more could you ask for around $900?

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