Review of LG 42PC1D 42 in PLasma Television
The LG 42PC1D 42in HD Plasma should be snapped up by those who don’t want to spend over the odds getting a superb plasma screen to bring them into the future of HD viewing. The 42PC1D is affordable at a smidgen over a grand, but don’t be fooled by the low price tag as it doesn’t reflect the performance. Design |
| LG have worked out that by putting the right amount of ingredients in – they’ll get the perfect design recipe. With 75% black and 25% silver, they can’t really go wrong. It’s stylish, no-fuss design is a real selling point for the 42PC1D. We were overly impressed by LG’s new Clear Filter Reflection Reducing Screen, a thin plastic veneer instead of a chunky pane of glass, that you would normally find on a plasma screen. With the new, lighter screen in place, the weight has reduced dramatically making the 42PC1D easier to lug around. The remote control lets the TV down on the design front, with its tacky silver design and unresponsive buttons; it is definitely one to hide underneath the sofa just in case the odd social occasion arises in your lounge. |
| Setup/Installation |
| We like anything that makes our jobs easier, and a nice easy set-up is one of them. The time it took us to get the TV out of its box was almost equal to the time between turning the TV on and getting a superb picture performance. The automatic tuning for both the analogue and digital tuner is done at the same time; we’ve never come across this before so we were very impressed. Even linking the 42PC1D up to an external source was painless, taking about five minutes. |
| Features |
| Here at Unbeatable we like to see a long list of features backed up good performance. In this case, we were concerned that the features were rather thin on the ground but we persevered to see what the 42PC1D had to offer. The connections are laughably decent; it smugly boasts 2 HDMI inputs, making it possible to have 2 HD sources running concurrently. There are three scarts, and two are RGB-enabled (Halleluiah!). You’ll also find a component video input and VGA connections for PC lovers. On the left-hand edge of the TV there are the usual AV connections too. We were disappointed to find out that there is no S-video input for camcorder users, and just when LG was doing so well. After impressing us with connectivity, the LG continued to go up in our estimations with its other features. LG’s renowned 2nd generation XD Engine Picture Processing Technology runs constantly, helping with deinterlacing, scaling and colour optimisation. The 42PC1D’s audio is dominated by the SRS TXT Surround Sound System, which is very average and definitely didn’t rock our world. Not only has the 42PC1D got the right connections for HDTV, it also has the optimum resolution, giving you a wicked HD performance. LG have rated the contrast ration at 10,000:1, this is very high and we are not completely sure how accurate their estimation is. The menus are perfect for people that don’t settle for second best with picture performance, you’ll enjoy what’s in store. Menus are concise and very well designed too. |
| Performance |
| Considering the price tag, the 42PC1D put on an impressive performance. The image quality isn’t up there with the big boy plasma contenders, but it isn’t far off. LG’s new Clear Filter Reflection Reducing Screen does exactly what it says on the tin by eliminating almost all on-screen reflections. This enhances the performance as it reduces distraction. Black levels are good on both SD and HD, providing clean, sharp detail in the darker areas of the screen. Colours are vibrant, not the best we’ve ever seen, but there are none that stand out too much or not enough. We noticed slight noise on SD sources, even so, it was nothing too worrying. The middle of the road sound quality was probably what let the 42PC1D down the most. It contained bass and reached a high volume, but dialogue wasn’t the crispest we’ve ever heard. |
| Overall Opinion |
| For a TV costing a little over a grand, the LG 42PC1D is definitely a good contender. Its stylish design and simple, yet effective features do a perfect job, providing a good viewing performance which is ultimately compatible. |
| By Lisa Malyon |
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Pros + LG’s new Clear Filter Reflection Reducing Screen + Menus are concise and very well designed too. |
Cons - Lacks clarity in the audio department |
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Picture Quality 8/10
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Sound Quality 6/10
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Connectivity 10/10
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Future Compatibility 10/10
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Ease Of Use 9/10
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Overall Rating 
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By Lisa Malyon
13/7/2006 at 9:41:21am
13/7/2006 at 9:41:21am
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TrustedReviews - LG 42PC1D 42in Plasma TV Even by LGs usually pretty affordable standards, the 42PC1D plasma TV looks like a heck of a bargain on paper. Coming in at around 812 including VAT and delivery, its one of the cheapest 42in TVs on the market. Which is, of course, great so far as it goes. But then how often have we found with TVs that you only get what you pay for.. read | |||
By John Archer at
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