42″ LG LH70 LCD TV Review

The new LG Scarlet is one LCD TV that combines form and function in one package. Been using the LG LH70 42″ HDTV for about a week now have and I’d like to share some of the highlights that I liked about this TV. See my full review after the jump.

The LG 42LH70 is not the slimmest I’ve seen in the LCD category but I think it’s already very thin at under 40mm (my 42-inch Toshiba HDTV is twice as thick). It’s got a glossy black finish in front and a scarlet red finish at the back that gives it an elegant look (see full specs and unboxing photos here).

The base has a wine glass-shaped design and snaps right in fastened with a couple of screws. However, the LCD wobbles on the stand even with a slight tap (feels like it would fall off or snap off easily). The TV can swivel sideways to a maximum angle of 178 degrees.

Embedded on the right side are a couple of controls for channel switching, volume, menu and source input. A huge power button, made of circular translucent/silver plastic, sits on the bottom center and lights up with a red accent when powered up (followed by a 3-second startup music).

At the back panel, the LG Scarlet has a plethora of ports including USB and HDMI. The TV can easily read and display photos, music and videos off of any storage device attached via the USB port. The two 7-watt built-in speakers are also invisibly tucked away here somewhere. They are not very loud but good enough for regular TV viewing.

One of the more interesting features with the LG Scarlet is the Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with a Bluetooth device (like a phone or a headset) so you can stream music wirelessly. Was able to pair it with my iPhone 3G to stream audio for up to 20 feet away although it gets cut off when blocked by hard walls.

The LCD TV is capable of full HD 1080p output with a contrast ratio 100,000:1 and a fast response time of 2ms. The display is bright and crisp with an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the backlight brightness. There’s an Energy Saver indicator that shows percentage of power consumed/saved depending on the lighting conditions and video playback. With a resolution of 1920 x 1080, 120Mhz refresh rate and a 2ms response time, the LCD is a good display option for PC gaming.

During the product launch, I’ve seen them attach a power meter to the set and show off power usage go as low as around 40 watts to a max of 250watts on this TV. You can set the picture quality to 9 different modes – Intelligent Sensor, Vivid, Standard, Natural, Cinema, Sport, Game, Expert1, Expert2. The same can be done with the aspect ratio as well – 16:9, Just Scan, Original, 4:3, 14:9, Zoom, Cinema Zoom. These two settings allow you to optimize your TV viewing experience.

The LG Scarlet could be something to consider if you’re looking to buy your next HDTV.  The LG 42LH70 42″ LCD TV retails for about Php89,990 in stores. Not too cheap but not that expensive either.