The 42LH90 by LG has been called the best-performing LG television they’ve ever tested by one reviewer, so it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for an high-level LCD TV. This 42 LED TV has an elegant appearance, sporting a glossy black frame with a semitransparent blue edging and a circular swivel stand that gets the same treatment.

The 42LH90 is feature rich, as you’d expect for its price range, but the flagship feature is the LED backlighting. This local-dimming array allows the set to offer excellent color and contrast with superb black levels. Since the set has a full array of LEDs rather than an edge-dimming layout, it’s somewhat bulkier than the thinnest edge-lit offerings.

This LG 42 LED TV claims a 240Hz refresh rate. Higher refresh rates are intended to avoid motion blur. The set achieves this standard by doubling the standard 60Hz signal and combining it with a backlight that flashes faster than the human eye can see. This is called a 240Hz effect, rather than a true 240Hz refresh by some other manufacturers, but LG calls it outright 240Hz.

If you like a lot of options for picture adjusting, you’ll love the 42LH90. The number of available modes and controls surpass most of its competitors. You have expert and nonexpert modes offering noise reduction, internal test patterns, a 10 point white-balance system, black levels, edge enhancement, color filters for red-only, green only and blue only, three levels of gamma, dynamic color and contrast, noise reduction and much more. One mode called Intelligent Sensor automatically adjusts the picture according to ambient lighting conditions.

Connections on the 42LH90 42 LED TV include three HDMI, analog PC, AV with composite video, optical digital audio output, and two component video on the back, with a second AV, USB port and fourth HDMI on the side. Conspicuously missing, however, is an S-video connector. The set offers a lot of aspect-ratio or picture-sizing options: four for SD broadcasts and five for HD. However, no PIP (picture-in-picture) option is included.

The Internet connectivity that’s featured in some other brands’ LED TV offerings isn’t available in the 42LH90, so if that’s on your must-have list, you’ll unfortunately have to look elsewhere. On the upside, LEDs are known to be energy efficient, and so the fact that this LG 42 LET TV qualifies for the Energy Star 3.0 rating and has tested out to be one of the most power-stingy HDTVs available is no surprise.

Specifications:

General

* Diagonal Size: 42 in – Widescreen
* Dimensions & Weight Details: Panel without stand – 42.1 in x 3.7 in x 28.2 in x 43 lbs
Panel with stand – 42.1 in x 14.2 in x 30.6 in x 51.1 lbs
* Enclosure Color: Blue/Glossy black

Display

* Resolution: 1920 x 1080
* Display Format: 1080p
* Image Aspect Ratio: 16:9
* Technology: TFT active matrix
* LCD Backlight Technology: LED
* Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 2000000:1
* Brightness (cd/m2): 500 cd/m2
* Color Temperature Control: Yes
* Viewing Angle: 178 degrees
* Analog Video Signal: Composite video
* V-Chip Control: Yes
* Additional Features: TruMotion , XD Engine
* Pixel Response Time: 2.4 ms
* Display Menu Languages: French,  Korean  English ,  Spanish
TV Tuner

* Digital TV Tuner: QAM , ATSC
* Analog TV Tuner: NTSC
* Stereo Reception System: MTS
* Secondary Audio Program (SAP): Yes

Video Features

* Video Interface: HDMI, Component, Composite
* HDTV Ready: Yes
* Closed Caption Capability: Yes
* Input Video Formats: 720p , 1080i , 1080p
* Parental Channel Lock: Yes

Audio System

* Speaker(s): 4 x Speaker – Built-in
* Sound Output Mode: Stereo
* Built-in Decoders: Dolby Digital
* Audio Controls: Bass, Treble, Balance, Sound mode
* Output: Power / Total 20 Watt
* Surround Mode: Yes
* Sound Effects: SRS TruSurround XT
* Additional Features: Balance control, 2-way speaker system, Bass & treble control, Auto volume adjustment

Connections

1 x HDMI input( 19 pin HDMI Type A )-Side, 1 x USB 2.0( 4 pin USB Type A)-Side, 1 x Composite video/audio input( RCA phono x 3)-Rear, 2 x Component video input(RCA phono x 3)-Rear, 2 x Audio line-in(RCA phono x 2)-Rear, 1 x Digital audio output(optical)(TOSLINK)-Rear, 3 x HDMI input( 19 pin HDMI Type A)-Rear, 1 x VGA input(15 pin HD D-Sub(HD-15)-Rear, 1 x Audio line-in(Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm)-Rear, 1 x Serial-Rear

Network & Internet Multimedia

* Functionality: Digital audio playback , Digital photo playback
* Connectivity: Wired
* Connectivity Protocols: USB
* Supported Audio Formats: MP3
* Supported Video Formats: DivX
* Supported Picture Formats” JPG

Memory Card Reader

* USB Port: Yes

Remote Control

* Remote Control: Universal remote control – Infrared

Stands & Mounts

* Stand Included: Yes
* Stand Design: Tabletop
* Stand Features: Swivel
* Flat Panel Mount Interface: 200 x 200 mm

Power

* Power: AC 120/230 V
* Power Consumption Stand by/Sleep: 1 Watt
* Compliant Standards: EPA Energy Star 3.0 , ISFCCC

Miscellaneous

* HDCP Compatible: Yes

Manufacturer Warranty

* Service & Support Details: Limited warranty – Parts and labor – 1 year

Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)

* Width: (Shipping) 52.8 in
* Depth: (Shipping) 11.3 in
* Height: (Shipping) 32.7 in

LG 42LH90 42 LED TV