LG 42LP1D Product Support Bulletin page 5

adjustable backlight, turning that
down should also help. If power
consumption is a concern for you,
again, figure out what you'll be
using the display for.
How Are You Going to...
Never Mind
Hopefully, this has cleared up
some of the misinformation that's
out there. Not to sound
like a broken record
(record...record...),
but the key to smart
buying really is how
you're going to use the
display. With that in
mind, you can focus on
what it is you're really
looking for in each tech-
nology. What follows are
reviews of two 42-inch
flat-panel displays from
LG Electronics: one
plasma and one LCD.
For such seemingly simi-
lar displays, they per-
form pretty differently.
Their processing perfor-
mance and a few other
things, however, were
nearly identical.
LG 42LP1D LCD HDTV
LCDs are dropping very quickly
in price. A little more than a year
ago, a 42-inch LCD cost close to
$10,000. While LCD still com-
mands a premium over plasma,
that difference is shrinking.
LG 42PX4D PLASMA HDTV
Build Quality Value
> Slight hum when on > HD tuner includes
CableCARD
> Good fit and finish
> Only average price
42PX4D Plasma HDTV, $5,000
The story here is
light output. At 142
foot-lamberts, we've
only measured one
LCD that was brighter
than the 42LP1D, and
it was 10 inches
smaller diagonally. For
that matter, we've
only reviewed a hand-
ful of dis-
plays that
were
brighter,
period. (I've
exhausted
my supply of
clever
extreme-
light-output
jokes, so feel
free to insert
your favorite
here.) This,
and the fact
that the LCD
screen does a
great job of muting
room reflections, means
that this display will do a
great job in a well-lit
room. The image really
pops off the screen.
In terms of black level, the
42LP1D is no slouch, either, mea-
suring 0.147 ft-L. This is just a bit
higher than average for the LCDs
we've measured. But, thanks to
one of the highest light outputs,
the 42LP1D's 966:1 full-on/full-
Features
> Lots of inputs
> HD tuner
General information
> LG Electronics, (800) 243-0000, www.lgusa.com
off contrast ratio is the highest of
any flat-panel display we've mea-
sured. For an LCD to take this
crown is a real achievement. But,
when you compare it with a
plasma with a good black level
(the 42PX4D, for example), the
42LP1D's black level is noticeably
high. Using this LCD, the opening
of Master and Commander doesn't
look terribly filmlike, with a dark
gray filling in as the best black
level.
Performance Ergonomics
> Great black level > Well-designed
remote isn't backlit
> Great contrast ratio
> Menu adjustments
block large amounts of
screen
> Dealer Locator Code LGE
Left: The 42PX4D plasma's
remote features a button
that activates and deacti-
vates the backlighting.
Above: Thanks to its out-
standing black level, the
42PX4D plasma is well
suited for use in a dedi-
cated home theater.
OVERALL RATING
You may have to pay a little
more for it, but the 42PX4D
offers strong performance for
the money.