Skip to main content
DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

BUY NOW
  • Tour & Design

  • Performance Features

  • Connectivity & Media

  • Controls, Menu & Remote

  • Conclusion

  • Tour & Design
  • Performance Features
  • Connectivity & Media
  • Controls, Menu & Remote
  • Conclusion

Tour & Design

The 42LH50 looks like most of LG's 2009 LCD televisions—a glossy, black frame surrounding a 42-inch screen. The black color thins out towards the edges of the frame to give the TV a clear outline on the sides. The bottom right of the frame has a small bubble that points downward, giving a rounded shape to the lower right portion of the frame.

The front of the 42LH50

**Back**

Most of the ports and inputs are located on the back of the TV in a cluster near the left side. Other than ports, nothing much is going on back here and it's a perfect place for dust to settle.

The back of the 42LH50 houses most of the ports.

**Sides**

The left side of the 42LH50 has a diminutive collection of ports that are tucked just behind the screen—just like LG does on the 55LH90. On the right side of the television, arranged in a column, are the on-TV controls.

The left side features a set of ports. The on-TV controls live on the right.

Stand/Mount

The 42LH90 has a similar stand to the 55LH90. It's arched in the front, angled in the back, and coated with smooth, black gloss. The 42LH90 can be mounted to a wall, but the one at LG's booth at CES utilized a stand.

The stand on the 42LH50 is similar to the one on LG's 55LH90.

**Aesthetics**

The LG 42LH50 is a good looking television and it has a similar appearance to the 55LH90 (LG's entire 2009 HDTV lineup has a rather similar appearance). The 42LH50 does not have control labels located on the front of the TV, which is something present on many other LG LCD models this year. This gives the 42LH50 a more uniform appearance from the front, which definitely has a strong appeal.

Performance Features

Display Size & Technology

The LG42LH50 we looked at had a 42-inch LCD screen, but the LH50 series is also available in 47-inch models. 

The LH50 is available in 42-inch and 47-inch models.

Format & Resolution

The television supports full HD 1080p and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. The maximum resolution is 1920 x 1080.

Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio

LG didn't offer specs for contrast ratio, brightness, or black levels on the 42LH50. The TV doesn't feature the LED backlight display that is a prominent component of LG's LH90 and LHX series of televisions.

Refresh Rate & Motion

The 42LH50 has a refresh rate of 120Hz. It was difficult to analyze motion on the screen, but it generally looked smooth and crisp. LG released a few LCD models this year that featured 240Hz refresh rates—something that should theoretically result in better motion display. The 42LH50 also has a 24p Real Cinema mode.

Viewing Angle

LG didn't release any specs about the viewing angle of the 42LH50. In our experience with the TV at CES, it appeared that the colors stayed strong at most viewing angles. The image did darken quite a bit when viewed at very tight angles and it lost a lot of brightness at 90-degrees, but that's to be expected from an LCD television.

Color

The 42LH50 offers no special color modes or features. We can't really judge the quality of color on the floor as the TV has been specifically tuned to look as good as possible. We'll take a closer look when we get it into our labs.

Connectivity & Media

Audio & Video Ports

The ports on the LG 42LH50 are the same as on the LG 55LH90 except the 42LH50 has an Ethernet port so the TV can connect to the NetCast Entertainment system. The TV has 4 HDMI inputs (3 on the back, one on the side), 2 Composite Video inputs with audio (1 on the back, one on the side) and 2 Component Video inputs with audio (both on the back). Also on the back of the TV is a PCI input for connecting a computer, a 3.5mm audio input, and a Digital Audio output (as well as the aforementioned Ethernet port). The left side port cluster offers a USB input in addition to the Composite Video and HDMI inputs.

The ports on the 42LH50

Media & Other Connectivity

The big feature on the 42LH50 is the NetCast Entertainment Access system, which uses an Ethernet port to connect the television to the internet. With this connection comes the ability of accessing Netflix Instant Streaming (for an additional cost), Yahoo! Widgets, and YouTube. The 42LH50 can also play music and photos that are stored on a home PC that is connected to the same network. This enables internet media to run seamlessly through the television without any additional software or cables (other than the connected Ethernet cable). Devices with digital music or photos connected to the TV via the USB port will also work with the 42LH50's internal software.

The 42LH50 with Yahoo! Widgets displaying weather information.

Placement

The ports are decently placed on the LG 42LH50, but the left side collection could be easier to access. They are tucked a bit too far behind the panel to truly make them completely nuisance-free.

Audio

LG offered no specs about the audio system on the television, but all LG HDTVs this year offer two new audio features—Clear Voice II and Invisible Speakers. Clear Voice II is a dialogue enhancement option that can be customized and calibrated to your liking. Invisible Speakers are exactly what they sound like—speakers you can't see on the surface of the TV frame.

Controls, Menu & Remote

Remote

The LG 42LH50 remote looks similar to last year and feels good in the hand. The buttons are large, well labeled, and easy to press. The positioning of the navigation/directional pad near the top of the remote felt a bit awkward when we tried it out, but it didn't seem like something that would be difficult to get used to.

The remote control isn't very different from previous LG models.

Controls

The on-TV controls are well placed on right side of the 42LH50. The large buttons for channel up/down and volume up/down were easy to find and allowed for quick access, which is good because they are the most important controls. The rest of the buttons were a bit small, but they worked fine. The buttons had a smooth, comfortable feel to them and were easy to press. There is no labeling for the buttons on the front side of the television, so you have to turn your head around to the side if you want to know for sure what you're pushing.

The on-TV controls

Menu

We got a chance to take a quick look at some of the menus on the 42LH50. The structure looked quite simple, with a top menu featuring large icons and smaller, listed menus opening up from there. The top-level options are channel, picture, audio, time, option, lock, network, and input. A good menu is important on the 42LH50, as you'll likely spend a good amount of time fiddling with the network settings and options to configure the NetCast system.

The top-level menu

The Network sub-level menu.

Conclusion

The NetCast system on the LG 42LH50 is a feature to keep an eye on. More manufacturers will be putting options like this on televisions in the coming months (Vizio has made a partnership with Netflix to stream movies as well) and it is good move for LG to start including internet streaming systems. The 42LH50 lacks the 240Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting that marks some of LG's other TVs so it's the NetCast features that make the 42LH50 a unique product. No price or release dates are currently available for the product.

Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email

Up next