---------------------------0620 "Black Friday Time"-----------------------------------------
I hadn't read a single review on this model, but was simply going by impulse--I had already purchased a 37" Sony rear-projection LCD online, the night prior, at a 10% discount (as insurance), but was underwhelmed when I saw it in the store. When I excitedly asked the clerk about the LG, he said, "Anything in that price range was gone in the first 20 minutes." I was a bit disappointed, but learned that they would be "taking orders" after 11AM. Undaunted, I began a futile search for a Resident Evil 3 DVD. Several hours later, while waiting to check-out, the same clerk excitedly approached me, and asked if I was still interested in this model. He let on that 5 had just arrived from the warehouse, so I walked over (and ultimately got to checkout in the much shorter line, with the VIP treatment), secured 1 of the now 3 remaining units, and began my "descent into madness."
-----------------------------------Background-----------------------------------------------------
I had been furiously researching flat-screen tv's for months on end (along with many friends), planning to "snatch" one up on "Black Friday," the biggest shopping day of the year. I already have the excellent
HP L1906 19-inch LCD monitor (click on these links to read my reviews). And I use the incredible
XFX 7300GT PCI-express "golden finger" graphics card, which normally connects my computer to the HP, but I can't seem to bring myself to disconnect the pc from this LG, which is an incredible computer monitor, as well. Consequently, I am now preparing (being propelled to?) rebuild my living room/media pc (which is in the very nice
Antec Sonata Quiet Case I). And I finally ended up with this model (and an excellent deal), after standing around in lines for at least 5 hours--boy, am I pleased!
-------------------------------My "Black Friday" Story, Continued------------------------
I was planning on getting a Sharp Aquos 42" 1080i model, but those were sold out, right into the next century, by 5:20 AM., BFT ("Black Friday Time"). So I paced (swam?) around the store, until I saw this model on display. It's strikingly gorgeous, with a thin, piano-black frame that makes it nearly all-picture--perfect for wall mounting! The picture stood WAY out from all the models flanking it, as far as the eye could see, and the most pronounced feature, besides the very smooth and bright colors, was that the image didn't "wash out," at any angle I could view it, approaching 180 degrees, while ALL THE OTHERS DID. To me, that was a very important indicator of quality, because it was going to take a monster of a flat screen to convert me out of my "tube obsession," and I'm not simply seduced by the biggest, flattest, cheapest screen that can pump out some light--I am MUCH more discriminating.
-----------------------------------------------"Thank You, Daddy!----------------------------
I lugged the box up the stairs by my lonesome (it's 40.1 pounds), and past my toddler and wife. "Look! Daddy got you a new tv!" my wife had said. "Nioni" ran over and tightly hugged me, saying, "Thank you, daddy! Thank you, daddy!" You'd think I'd just rescued her from a pack of wild dogs, judging from her sincerity, but this serious TV-watcher was just relieved that she wouldn't have to be banging the side of our ancient, yet venerable Toshiba 27" tube TV, on which the sound had been distractingly dropping out.
Before opening the box, I checked online for some specs. I was surprised to see that my unit was now going for $739 (I had paid $829), so I called the store, and they just said to come in after 4, and they'd do a "price adjustment," which they did (thanks, CC!)---barring that, I was planning to just return it and purchase another online (free shipping).
--------------------------------------------------The Actual Unit---------------------------------
I can't help but say this again--the unit is "strikingly gorgeous." Sitting there in my living room, occupying the space previously filled-in by the Toshiba, it looks like it's going "2000 MPH," standing still. There is only a small power light on the bottom-right, next to a small infrared sensor--all of the controls are on the right-bottom side/edge, and the inputs are mostly in the back, with a set on the left side/edge. Again, the front is flat, and almost all-screen, with the bottom edge sloping towards the wall. It is wall-mountable, with standard VESA mounting holes, as well. It includes a sturdy stand, which simply slides on the bottom, and is easily secured by 4 screws. They also provide 2 small brackets to secure the unit to a wall (but while using the stand, apparently, and not for wall mounting), and a plastic loop to aid in corralling the wires. Lastly, there is only the familiar "LG" logo, on the front bottom--understated, non-glowing, and non-distracting--"just right" for me.
---------------------------------------------------Inputs Galore!----------------------------------
If you're seeking connectivity, then look no further--this thing is loaded (in fact, I think I got an updated model with extra inputs)! The back side has 2 HDMI, 2 component, a regular set of RCA audio/video and S-video inputs (with a 2nd set of these on the right side/edge, useful to attach a game console or laptop), an S/VGA (regular) PC input (Mac/PC/etc.), an RS-232 serial input, a USB port (the last 2, for "service"), an optical/digital coaxial audio output, and an RCA audio output. There is also a regular coaxial antenna input, a mini-pin remote input, and a 3.5mm audio input (for a computer, for instance).
--------------------------------------------------Seeking "Alpha"--------------------------------
My first experience with the unit was simply turning it on and trying to display my standard-definition Dish TV broadcasts, and it was, in a word, "disappointing." It was fairly pixellated, with distracting artifacts, so I sought to adjust the settings.
I found various picture presets-cool, medium, regular, etc.-but not the familiar "color, contrast, and tint." I found this alarming, and started having visions of the meeting wherein a lot of features were cut out in order to cheaply offer this unit. Something that improved the picture right away was changing the "black level" to "low," and that was an absolute "must." There were also settings for day and night-time viewing, and "user" presets. Buried in the "user" presets are the missing settings--for picture, audio, and others; it just takes some digging, but is fine once you know where they are.
I soon discovered that the jumble of inputs and outputs I have, routed through a VCR, a Slingbox, a pc, and various other devices, are not pristine or optimized, even by "analog" standards, and needed some cleaning up. To my surprise, simply routing my Dish TV's digital box to the TV's coaxial antenna yielded a dramatically-improved picture, and I was able to operate the unit without having to turn the vcr on, which is what I was accustomed to. I instantly saw that the picture was actually better than what I had been seeing on the Toshiba tube TV--clearly higher-resolution, and with no visible lines or banding. Colors were bright and deep, as was the contrast. Using the s-video input yielded a cleaner, more subdued picture, which needed deepened contrast and color. I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm picking up the signals in "HD." The "EZ Channel setup" did show 1 channel coming in digitally, however (I use the box to change the channel). Now it was time to enter the "digital jungle..."
Being a "newbie" to the hi-def world, I purchased component and HDMI cables (no cables are included), and tested "Ice Age" and "Terminator 2" DVD's "ad infinitum," on both, my trusty progressive-scan JVC, and new RCA progressive-scan/1080i up-converting DVD players. I had had issues with the JVC giving a jumpy, "squiggly" picture with some slightly scratched DVD's, and I now think it is a defect--the new Zenith doesn't do that, with the identical discs. Both players gave a very nice picture, noticeably better than with the Toshiba tube TV. These got even better when using a component cable, but the best picture was with the HDMI cable from the Zenith (the JVC doesn't have this output); the other advantage is that the HDMI includes a digital audio signal in one, compact cable. The picture quality from the Zenith, comparing one paused scene from "Ice Age," was almost identical (HDMI vs. component), but the component picture could be observed to have slightly shifting pixels--the HDMI picture was rock-solid, and appeared to be almost like a photograph or oil painting. Putting the Zenith at the 720p up-converting setting yielded the best picture with "Ice Age," though I could see little difference with Terminator 2 (Extreme Edition), which seems to be lower-resolution innately, but perfectly acceptable. The
absolutely, hands-down, most amazing picture, however, came from connecting my
Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player, and playing the HD version of, both, "Top Gun" and
"Transformers" (especially)--two incredible examples of old and new high-definition transfers.
-------------------------------------------------------The "PC" Connection----------------------
Here is a summary of my experience connecting computers to the unit. I started with my older computer, a 1.6 Ghz Athlon Duron with 768 MB of memory, and a 128 Mb Ge-force 5500 card--this computer has had some issues, with possible hard drive corruption. It booted up fine, but the extreme left and right edges weren't visible. It was an acceptable picture. Booting up the game "Max Payne 2," I felt that I was "IN" the game--moving through the rooms and levels, and blowing away my enemies. This was gaming at another level! However, after rebooting and trying the game again, I could only see half of the screen. This only happened in the game, and I tried several different resolutions, but this kept happening. So I decided to connect my latest computer, an Athlon 64 3400+ with the XFX Ge-force 7300GT, mentioned above. Again, I couldn't see the extreme edges, but everything else was crystal-clear. Booting up the game "Far Cry," I was "blown away!" There was extreme clarity-about as good as my HP 19" LCD (in fact, it's causing me to take a more critical eye towards it)-just a LOT more visible. I also tried playing "Terminator 2" with Power DVD (on my laptop). To my extreme surprise, the picture was perfectly comparable to the results from the digital trials with the stand-alone DVD players--almost indistinguishable. I was just stunned--my laptop is an "Ebay special"; a 5 year-old
IBM ThinkPad X22 with a Pentium 3 and a standard DVD-ROM. I had also read that all computer DVD-ROM/players are "progressive," because they have to adapt the output to the different screen resolutions, but this was ridiculous! So I am now planning to replace the motherboard and cpu in the living room pc with an Athlon be-2300 dual-core and ECS motherboard, along with a PNY Ge-force 7300GT 256 Mb PCI-e graphics card I have laying around, and I can't wait!
---------------------------------------------------What Else---------------------------------
The unit has an "XBR" picture engine, as well as "Dolby SRS Tru-surround XT," and is Energy-Star compliant. It takes about 10 seconds to turn on (some other units reportedly take up to 30). It sounds great--both adequately loud to be heard throughout my 2-bedroom apartment, through the 2 20-watt speakers, and through the RCA outputs, played through my 6 year-old external amplifier with 2 speakers, which you will need if you want moderate bass response. It won't be nearly as loud (owing to the bass response) as a 19" or larger CRT, however. And I haven't extensively tested the sound, but I am a "medium audiophile," with "Kenwood, Alpine, and Cerwin-Vega" 'credentials,' and a car audio history stretching back to the National Car Audio Finals in Bakersfield, CA, in 1989 (I sat in and listened to crystallizingly-pounding cars that were in the first issue of Car Audio & Electronics Magazine), and my seat-of-the-pants impression is that the audio quality is quite good (see my review of the
USB-enabled Kenwood KDC-MP435U MP3/CD Player). It also has an 8000:1 contrast ratio, and a 5ms response time--8ms is considered the "cutoff" for avoiding "ghosting" in fast-action dvd's and (mostly) gaming. In addition, the "Simplink" allows easy control of other LG devices through an HDMI cable. Finally, there is a "V-chip," which allows parents to restrict the viewing of shows based on their content/ratings.
----------------------------------------------A "Note" about the "Remote"--------
The remote has a "ratio" button, which allows you to zoom the picture to various aspect ratios, including regular 4:3, and fill the screen. I took this for granted, since my regular DVD player does this, but there are, apparently, a lot of complaints about HDTVs that have no way of getting around displaying the "black bars," above/below, and on the sides of pictures. This zooming may've also contributed to the "unsteady camera" effect. I've also completely adjusted to its size (see below).
-----------------------------------------------------Caveats-----------------------------------
There are several drawbacks to the unit, which garners a "4.5" rating from me--the remote, documentation, the aforementioned hidden menu functions, and the decision to put the inputs in the back, rather than the side, which might interfere with wall mounting, or just make it a bit inconvenient. The right wall mount should accomodate this design, however--especially those that telescope away from the wall. My concern is the pc input, but one could always use an extension that is permanently attached. The remote is rather clunky, and will be difficult for those with smaller hands to hold. If you plan to use a universal remote, then this is a moot point. I myself have been spoiled with sleek, ergonomic remotes with nice layouts. It just reminds me of something from the late 70's or early 80's, but it is adequate. There is no backlighting, but you can select "TV, DVD, VCR, Audio, Cable, or "STB," and it is a "universal" model--with codes in the cd manual; not all brands are listed, however. Interestingly, it has a recessed area with picture, sound, second audio program, and caption adjustments, with a sliding cover. Helpfully, there is a "ratio" button to adjust the picture from 16:9 to 4:3, and 2 zoom levels, as well as 2 brightness controls, which you'll need, as this unit puts out some serious photons! There is also a versatile timer function accessible, with sleep, wake, and on/off times, as well as full DVD/VCR navigation controls, which I haven't tried. Lastly, the manual is very sparse, but there is also one, on CD-ROM, which I haven't examined.
---------------------------------------------------Update--12-17-07--------------------------
I've found, through a very helpful website, that turning the sharpness ALL the way down GREATLY increases the picture quality with DVD and higher sources--there just seems to be too many devices doing too much processing, as a theme. I also got better results, at times, when defeating the "XD" automatic picture adjustments. Also note that the picture settings are retained in a separate memory, for each input, so they will be different, depending on the source. Viewing the SD-DVD of "Lord of the Rings-Return of the King," after making these adjustments, was breathtaking--it's been a while, but I think I enjoyed it more in my living room than in the theater! It was of an incredibly high resolution and smoothness, with no artifacts, lines-NOTHING-just pure sweetness! More tips on optimizing an HDTV picture can be found here--http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108543-1.html. I'm also used to the remote now.
-----------------------------------------------------Summary---------------------------------
I am very happy with this model, and feel that I got a great deal. I find myself sitting down and becoming captivated (particularly with films on Dish TV's Starz channels (which look better than most other channels)), and spending more time watching TV with my family, instead of being chained, alone, in front of my office computer--it's "brought me out of my shell," so to speak. And I'm especially pleased with the pc input and multiple HDMI inputs, which will save money on extra cables, as well as with the standard definition picture quality over the Dish Network. Unless you get a defective model, you should be well-pleased. And it's not a bad idea to get at least a 3-year extended warranty, since this is still-developing technology, and you "never know."
-----------------------------------------------------Update---------------------
My DISH satellite receiver box died, but was quickly replaced by them. Upon connecting the new receiver, the channels immediately looked greatly-improved--so much so, that I wondered if I was getting some channels in HD. Also, I completely relinquished my desire to upgrade to the high-definition package. In my book, that's "money saved" and "great value!"
For some interesting travel pics and related activities, check out my profile at http://www.epinions.com/user-kengland4 Here are some of my favorite reviews-- Tom Muzila's new book-Mental Karate
2002 Buick Regal LS Microsoft Vista Home Premium Ahead Nero Ultra v.6 CD/DVD-burning software Rubbermaid Soap-dispensing Dish Wand Tomtom One 3rd ed. GPS Whistler XTR-330 Radar Detector Kenwood KDC-MP435U CD/MP3 Car Stereo 
