Tour & Design
The front of the LG 42SL80 basically looks like a flat piece of glass. The bottom right edge has some inlaid LEDs that correspond to the TV's on-set controls. These controls are touch buttons.
Back
The back of the 42SL80 keeps its ports to the bottom of the right side. There are also some right-facing ports in that nearby Mississippi-shaped alcove.
Sides
The 42SL80 is 1.8 inches deep, which is very thin. It's apparently so thin that no features could be squashed onto the sides.
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Stand/Mount**
The stand looks is very thin, and is basically just a sheet of glass on top of a thin panel that's colored. The stand swivels to allow easier port access.
Aesthetics
We like the aesthetic of these new LG TVs. Their facade is a flat piece of glass, with the bezel behind it. While the SL90 had a much thinner bezel, the SL80 still looks nice.
Performance Features
Display Size & Technology
The LG 42SL80 has a 42-inch LCD screen. It's edge-lit, using LEDs. Most LCDs are backlit, which tends to make them thick. Edge-lit sets allow for thinner displays, but we've noticed they tend to have issues with screen uniformity. This particular model also boasts a 'single-layer design,' as an alternative to the thick plastic frames that still plague TVs with their awkward-looking bulkiness.
Formats & Resolution
The 42SL80 is a 1080p LCD HDTV, which means it's equipped with the highest HD resolution available. With this TV you can ooh and aah at all 1600 of your Blu-ray discs.
Brightness, Blacks and Contrast Ratio
The SL80 series is lit by CCFL, which is why the TV is a bit thicker than its LED-lit sister model, the SL90. The SL80 is also slated to have a smaller contrast ratio: 150,000:1. Even though this is significantly smaller than the SL90's 3,000,000:1 ratio, that's like saying that minotaurs are smaller than dragons: neither comparison involves reality. Our tests find out what contrast ratio you could really expect from normal use, so be sure to check back when our full review of these TVs is up.
Also, like the SL90, the SL80 has a calibration feature, LG's Picture Wizard. Like all wizards, this feature displays several graphs that help you configure your TV to give the best picture quality for your home environment.
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Color**
The SL80 doesn't have any color-specific features.
Motion & Refresh Rate
The 42SL80 has a 240Hz refresh rate, which is all the rage in HDTVs nowadays. Since all TVs handle 240Hz differently (insert interstitial black frames, combine adjacent frames, etc.), the mere presence of this feature doesn't automatically make a TV great. The Blu-ray discs that were playing appeared to have smooth motion, but we're not sure how that will translate on a retail model.
Viewing Angle
This was a show model at a press event, so interpret the following how you will: the TV appears to have a good viewing angle for an LCD. We were able to walk out to about 45° before we noticed the contrast ratio going south. When our lab results say differently, feel free to mock us and our feeble human eyes for their errors of perception.
Connectivity & Media
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Audio & Video Ports**
The back of the 42SL80 has two groups of ports. The first has three HDMI ports, one composite video input, two component ins, three analog audio ins, a VGA input, a 3.5mm audio input, a digital audio out, and an RF input.
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**On the inside of the recess are a few more ports. There's another HDMI and a USB port on the top. The bottom has a second composite video input and a fourth analog audio input.
Media & Other Connectivity
The TV has a USB port on its back. The press release sort of hints that this will allow for standard media playback. It's a subtle hint, though: the SL80's section is titled 'Expansive Entertainment Options,' but then doesn't actually mention any expansive entertainment options. We assume they had a clue that there was a hidden USB port, but were unable to find it.
Placement
The ports are intelligently placed on the TV. They're in the bottom right corner, near the edge, which is a good bet. We aren't fans of the secret ports located in that recess, because it looks like your hand would bump against the back of the TV while plugging stuff in. Those with meaty hands shouldn't use these ports.
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Audio**
LG is keeping mum about the TV's audio. We'll have to wait for a review unit before we make any judgments here.
Controls, Menu & Remote
Remote
The only remotes in the room were ancient LG offerings that were gigantic and had a half dozen buttons on them. Discussing remote possibilities at this time would be baseless conjecture at best.
Controls
The on-set controls for the 42SL80 are located along the lower right corner of the TV's front. They're touch button controls, and activating one will light up the entire row. All the basic controls are here, as illustrated by the amazingly non-blurry photo below. When we inevitably become professional photographers, this picture will be our resume.
Menu
The menu on the 42SL80 we were looking at was identical to the one we've seen on every other LG we've reviewed.
Conclusion
Series Comparison
SL80 Series
The SL80 series is a very thin 1.8-inch LCD that supports 1080p. It comes with . ridiculously thin: just a mere 1.15 inches. It has a 120Hz Motionflow feature that should help eliminate blurring. For the do-it-yourselfers out there, there's also a few calibration tests included on the TV.
Meet the tester
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
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.
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