Viewing Angle; Power Consumption; General Information - LG 42LP1D Product Support Bulletin

test bench
from the
contrast ratio. Besides the fatigue,
a high black level is far more
noticeable in a dark room than in
a well-lit one.
So, generally speaking, if you
watch TV more at night or in a
dark room, plasma is a better
choice. If you watch a lot of TV
during the day, then LCD is the
better choice.
Lies, Lies, Lies (Not Just
a GN'R Album)
In an attempt to sway more buyers
to the technology that they manu-
facture, each side of the flat-panel
war has put a lot of misinforma-
tion out there. Add in the lack of
training and knowledge on the
sales side, and this makes for a lot
of deception (both intentional and
unintentional, which is just as
bad). So let's see if we can
straighten out some of these mis-
conceptions.
^
Geoffrey found the
42LP1D LCD's remote con-
Burn-In
trol to be laid out well, but
it lacks backlighting.
Like I mentioned above, burn-in
occurs when a plasma phosphor
continues to glow after it has been
told not to. With normal viewing,
and if you don't turn the contrast
control all the way up, it's doubt-
ful that burn-in will be a problem.
Also, at least one manufacturer
has found that burn-in is signifi-
cantly less likely to occur after
100 or so hours of usage. LCDs
don't burn in. They can exhibit
something called persistence,
where pixels get "stuck." This may
LG 42LP1D LCD HDTV
Build Quality Value
> Smooth stand swivel > Low price for an LCD,
but still high compared
> Good fit and finish with plasmas
42LP1D LCD HDTV, $7,000
LG ELECTRONICS 42LP1D LCD HDTV AND 42PX4D PLASMA HDTV
look similar to burn-in, but it's
reversible and not common.
Life Span
This is one that each side likes to
throw at the other. A plasma dis-
play is often rated with a half-
life—the time until it's half as
bright as it was when it was new.
Half-life is typically about 60,000
hours. Your plasma will still be
perfectly watchable after this
time; it just won't be as bright.
This is a gradual process, so grad-
ual that you probably won't even
notice it's happening. LCDs, on
the other hand, have a life span of
about 60,000 hours, after which
you will need to replace the back-
light. This is not like changing a
light bulb, and you can't do it
yourself. Even if you think you'd
do this after 60,000 hours, it's
doubtful that it would be cost-
effective. Say you average six
hours of TV watching a day, every
day. That means you won't reach
60,000 hours for about 27 years.
Think of the TV you had 27 years
ago. I'd bet money that, in five
years, whatever you buy now will
be half as expensive and twice as
good. Never mind in 10 years. In
other words, either type of flat-
panel display should last just fine.

Viewing Angle

LCD manufacturers like to claim
wide viewing-angle numbers,
most of which are bunk. While
you can certainly view an LCD
Features
> HD tuner
> TV Guide On Screen

General information

> LG Electronics, (800) 243-0000, www.lgusa.com
Performance Ergonomics
> What a contrast ratio > Nice remote, but it
should be more backlit
> Blindingly bright
> Menu adjustments
block large amounts of
screen
> Dealer Locator Code LGE
[
H I G H L I G H T S
4 4 2 2 L L P P 1 1 D D L L C C D D H H D D T T V V
Very bright
Impressive contrast ratio
from the claimed angles, it won't
look as good as it does when you
are right in front of the screen.
The contrast ratio goes down, the
black level goes up (and often
changes color), and colors desatu-
rate. The severity of this effect
varies with make and model,
although it has gotten a lot better
over the years. If you have a wide
couch or seats off to an angle (any
angle, including up and down),
check in a store to see if this is
going to be a problem for you.

Power Consumption

This is a tough one. LCDs have a
steady backlight, which draws the
same amount of power regardless
of what's on the screen. The liquid
crystals require very little power.
Plasma power consumption varies
depending on what's on the
screen. So, with a dark movie, a
plasma could draw less power
than an LCD, whereas, on a foot-
ball game, it would probably draw
more. Also, if you turn down the
contrast control (yes, that again),
a plasma will draw less power,
although it still may draw more
than an LCD. If an LCD has an
OVERALL RATING
If you're looking for a flat panel
for your living room, this one is
very bright, has a great contrast
ratio, and is fairly inexpensive,
although it still costs more than
most plasmas in its size class.