Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm generally happy with the TV for the price I paid. It's a big, entry level 1080p model so I wan't expecting too much. The limited inputs don't matter to me since I run through an AVR first and the casual observer probably won't care about my major gripe (see below).
Pros:
Great price for a 47" 1080p
Advanced color correction software
Esthetically pleasing
1 BIG Con:
The panel lottery! There is a big gap in the quality you can expect out of the picture depending on the panel you end up getting (you can check which panel you have by shining a flashlight through the grill on the back). I ended up with a Chi Mei panel (CMO) which is one of the cheapest panels you can put into a TV. What kills me is that increasingly, manufacturers are using 1 set of components for the 1st run off the line, then switching to cheaper components (without changing the model number) after cNet, Amazon and the blogosphere at large sing the praises of the first run. Sony was sued in a class action for this garbage.
From what I've gathered around the internet, no less than 3 panels have been used in this model and it DOES make a difference.
I did a true side by side with an "off-brand" 3 year old 720p Olevia (which this was replacing).... Brighthouse HD cable-box into both using HDMI, factory defaults. Anecdotally, I can say that the Olevia had much more detail in the black levels. I thought it was impossible, so I tweaked the LG as much as I could using different modes/advanced options and I could not get the same level of detail in the dark areas as the Olevia. Blacks were either gray and blocky or completely black.... no in between.
My jaw dropped when I watched the ending credits of a show with extremely fast horizontally scrolling credits (white sans-serif text on a black background). On the Olevia I could read every word but on the LG, it was a looooong blur. I could only read the words when I forced my eye to track the words as they flew by and even that was a challenge. The Olevia had originally listed its response time as 8ms (did I mention 3 years ago?!?!?), while the box this thing came in said 5ms. NO WAY. Maybe when the model was orginally released (with top-shelf components), and filed with the FCC and reviewed everywhere online... but there is no doubt in my mind that the "off-brand" 3 year old 720p OLEVIA handles motion better than this brand new LG.
Granted I'm not using scientific methods or precision measuring equipment. This is just how I'm seeing it. I really wanted to love this TV but right now I think in order to get what's on the box/in the specs, you have to buy the newest model.
I understand that there are times when a manufacturer has to change component suppliers, but I feel the industry as a whole is effectively baiting and switching to increase their bottom line. Lesson learned.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black
47" LCD TV FULL HD 1080p (1920 x 1080p) resolution, 50,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, ATSC/NTSC/Clearn QAM - 1 Tuner, XD Engine, 178 True Wide Viewing Angle, SRS TruSurround XT, Invisible Speakers, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder, 3 HDMI, USB 2.0, includes swivel stand
Click here for more information about LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black
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