Test Bench - LG 42LP1D Product Support Bulletin

from the

test bench

LG Electronics 42LP1D LCD HDTV
and 42PX4D Plasma HDTV
BY GEOFFREY MORRISON
^
The 42-inch display size has
LG's 42LP1D LCD
is a good display choice
become a battleground of sorts
for use in a room with
between liquid crystal displays
lots of light.
(LCDs) and plasma displays. Ironi-
cally, the older technology, LCD, is
the relative newcomer here. Prices
on both sides have dropped quickly.
You can now buy an HDTV (quali-
fied by both resolution and the inte-
gration of a tuner) for just a little
Home Theater / August 2005
LCD and plasma go head to head...sort of.
>
www.hometheatermag.com
more than the price of an EDTV
just over a year ago. LG Electronics
is one of the only companies with
their feet on both sides of this issue
(the other biggie being their across-
the-Han rival, Samsung). LG also
makes an LCD in a 42-inch size,
which is rather rare. Most are either
smaller or slightly larger. There are
lots of questions and misinforma-
tion about these technologies, so
hopefully we can clear a lot of that
up. This isn't a true head-to-head
Face Off; let me tell you why.
It's (Almost) All in the
Black Level
Of all of the video Face Offs we've
done over the last few years, the
winners had one thing in common:
black level. They either had the best
black level or were tied with
another display for the best black
level. So, in a Face Off between an
LCD and a plasma, it's pretty safe
to say that the plasma would win.
Even the LCD panels with the deep-
est black levels are still noticeably
higher than the black levels that
plasmas can produce. So, if that's
what you're looking for, look no
further. Rarely, though, is black
level the whole story.
What and Where
The most important question you
have to ask yourself before you
start looking for a display is how
you're going to use it. If you
answered "To watch TV, stupid!"
roll up this magazine and hit your-
self with it. We only need one
smart ass here, and it's obviously
me. How you use your display is
crucial to which flat-panel tech-
nology you should consider.
For example, say you're looking
to replace the TV in your family
room with something sexy and
flat. A poster of the cast of Lost is
probably out, so you have your
eyes set on a flat panel. Most