Customer Reviews

Great HD has never been so easy
I've been researching 40-42" HD TVs for months, looking for the ideal match for my needs that fit my budget of under $1,000. I looked at plasmas, 120Hz LCDs, 40", 42", Sharp, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Vizio, Westinghouse, and LG.

I finally found it - on sale for almost two-hundred off (exactly eight-hundred-and-nine dollars). Would still be a great value at a thousand dollars.

I'd rather have too much control than too little with my electronics. The 42LH30 delivers all the control I want and more, but it also provides several nice presets for the type of content I'm watching (movies, sports, games, standard). It also lets me build 2 presets myself for exactly what I want. I can be picky or I can be lazy and still get a great picture for any situation.

The 50,000 dynamic contract ratio and 5ms refresh speed make for a superb picture/performance combo.

I was very close to going with a 120Hz 42" Vizio. They have been getting decent reviews. When the LG 42lh30 went on sale, it was a deal I could not refuse.

Some things I really like.

1) Outstanding picture (no compromises with colors)
2) Great performance (sports and movies don't judder at all so far)
3) Energy Star (several low power modes - I love flexibility)
4) Lighter than most (easy to hang on wall - I use an articulating arm)
5) Anti-glare awesomeness (I have lots of windows in my 3-seasons room)
6) Outstanding PC screen (when I just have to surf on the 42")
7) Upconverting DVDs look phenomenal (blu-ray player is next purchase)
8) Sound is more than acceptable on TV (I usually output audio to my Home Theater system if I will be watching for more than a few minutes)

Things I would change:

1) Only 3 HDMI ports (Fine for me now with cable box, DVD player, and PC)
2) I'd prefer a matte black bezel instead of a gloss finish
3) Maybe add an SD-card reader (my DVD player has SD and USB reader, fortunately)

Excellent HDTV
I have had this TV for about four months now and I am very happy with my purchase.

I actually ordered the LG 42LG50 (through Amazon from TigerDirect) but they must have run out of them because they sent me the better LG 42LH30.

Excellent color, great response (for a 60Hz), SD signals (VCR) look surprisingly good, the menus are intuitive, the remote is laid out very well, and it has a great overall look.

The only down side that I wasn't expecting is that it has no analog audio out (no RCA L/R out) so you'll have to have a digital receiver if you want run the sound through external speakers.

Decent bang for the buck
The TV is good at the price point I paid - $629+tax (Sears). LG is a respected brand in Asia and a 42" LCD 1080p at that price is a good deal. The picture when viewing true HD signals, just comes to life and is breath-taking. Fairly basic connectivity with 1 composite, 2 AV, 1PC and 3 HDMI ports. Would have been nice to have one more composite and HDMI ports and looks like the newer models have them. The speakers are well hidden and makes for a smooth clean finish on the outside. There are also numerous (more than you ever want) amount of controls to fine-tune the picture. Fairly easy hack available to turn on USB port to view pictures or play movies - great bonus.

That said, the sound quality seems a bit sub-par compared to other TVs in the market. I also noticed some light leakage on the far corners of the TV - other than for Sony or Samsung this seems a problem for all other big TVs. Also, for those of you watching TV with over the air signals, please note that this TV does not pick up the OTA Electronic Program Guide (EPG), which was a big surprise to me, since those dirt cheap TVs you buy at Walmart or during BF sales too have them. Big goof-up at LG design, I should say. Lastly do not expect a Samsung or Sony style processing of low-fidelity signals (SD, ED). Standard-Def signals look rather grainy and poor - I guess the processing chip is where LG cheaped out. Invest in a good quality up-converting player for your DVDs and change the channel if you run-into non-HD programming as a work-around.

Lastly the customer service is no-worser than that of Samsung or Sony. A bunch of air-heads, quite a bit of wait-time and frustrating responses. But do not discount the TV for that - like I said - this is how all TV manufacturers support their TVs (I have a Sony and Samsung), so no big deal. Wish the industry was overall better, thatz all.

Overall, a reasonable purchase if you dont pay too much. I am sure you will learn to like your purchase - if you are considering it, go on pull the trigger.