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Customer Reviews for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
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LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Model: 42PG20
SKU: 8749278
UPC: 719192172845
With a Dual XD image processing engine and a 20W speaker system with SRS TruSurround XT surround sound, this plasma HDTV brings a thrilling cinematic experience right into your living room. The PC input lets you connect your computer to view high-definition visuals on the 42" screen. Learn more about the PG20 Series. (Flash demo)799.99
Average Customer Rating:
4.2
out of 5
(46 Reviews) 46
Rating Snapshot 46 reviews
5 stars
30
4 stars
8
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
6
85% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
39 out of
46)
Customer Reviews for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Review 1 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Biggest piece of junk ever
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: bposton
from charleston,sc
on 01/22/2009
Picture Quality
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: The picture
What's not so great: Worked for a month, Multiple probs, Horrible customer service
I purchashed this tv on 10-18-08. Tv worked great for a month and then the screen went out. Had sound but no picture. Diddnt purchase the extended warnty when i purchaced the tv figured the manufacture warranty was good enough. Well i contact lg and they send a service tech out takes the the tv has it for 2 weeks brings it backs say the tv is fixed. Well he was right it was. for about a week but only watched tv on it for 2 days during that week and lo and behold it is out again same problem. This is where it gets interesting. I contact lg back and let me tell you its was about the worst customer service you could ask for. First off every time you call you get somebody that cant half speak english so that just makes matters worse. Well i sit on the phone for 30 mins to get told well you just need to call the service people back and set it up. Well that diddnt sit well with me so i asked for a supervisor and sat on the phone for anther 30 mins . Anyways finally get through he appologizes and sets up another service call with a different company. Well they come get it have the tv for a week and half bring it back said they found a couple of modules loose and its good to go. Well you guessed it it only lasted a day. So her it is middle of january paid 859 for this tv with tax and still dont have a workin tv its been in the shop 2 weeks now.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 2 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Not what I expected
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: JSW1969
from ATHENS,GA
on 01/12/2009
Picture Quality
3.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: good picture, easy controls and set up
What's not so great: sound, life span, dependability
I looked all during the holidays to find the best TV for the best price. After a month I decided on this one. Got it home, set it up and was satisfied. However, you had to be sure the bass was set very low on audio or it had a cracking sound(I do not play mine loud).That was until five days later there appeared a 3 inch vertical black line down the middle of the picture. Now my 15 year old 27 inch Sanyo is back in the living room. I thought with the two year panel warranty that LG would be the way to go. Maybe I got the only bad one? I will go to another brand. Back to more comparison shopping.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 3 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Returned it.
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: ksgirl
from vermont
on 01/05/2009
Picture Quality
1.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
2.0
What's great about it: still think about that one...
What's not so great: picture quality, styling
This model was mounted high on the wall in the store, and I didn't appreciate how unattractive it was until we got it home and out of the box. Being a basically practical gal (our last TV was purchase nineteen years ago), I thought I'd just deal with it. Then I turned it on, and worked for two hours to get a picture that didn't look like animated needlepoint. Longest weekend of my life. Took it back this morning and got a set (another brand) that I loved as much with the power off as on.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 4 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Best TV ever!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: mendezmp9
from Danbury,Ct.
on 01/02/2009
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Picture is excellent, very good price.
What's not so great: Not much really.
The picture quality is excellent for a 42" plasma tv. The HD is a must have, I play alot of XBOX 360 and the graphics with this tv are unreal. I'm very impressed with this tv. I couldn't passup the price for $719.00. I've research alot online and with local retailers and everthing is about Samsung. Don't get me wrong Samsung is great but LG's offers alot of the same or better at a more reasonable price. I recomend LG to anyone who wants high quality that won't hurt the pocket.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 5 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Great TV
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: mikem104
from Charlotte, NC
on 12/23/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Great picture, great features
I got a heck of a deal on this TV and couldn't pass it up. Bought it 2 months ago and have not had any problems yet. The picture is great, deep blacks and bright colors. Thing to worry about with plasma TVs is burn-in, but this TV has some great features to prevent it like the white wash and orbit. I have no complaints on this TV other than the sound quality. HD channels are very low, and then when you change to a non HD channel the sound is blasting. But I'm planning on purchasing a surround sound system to solve this problem. I would highly recommend this this TV to someone with a tight budget. You can't beat the quality picture you get for the price. WELL WORTH IT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 6 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Consumer Reports Best Buy, some major shortcomings
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: gsakes
from Phoenix
on 12/11/2008
Picture Quality
4.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Features
2.0
What's great about it: Good Value for the Price, Superb Picture, Great Picture Adjustment Options
What's not so great: No Aspect ratio control for 1080 TV channels, Audio Sync Issues, Cabinet Build Quality, Glare on Screen
This TV was recently rated a "Best Buy" by consumer reports, which is why I bought it.
Pro's:
- Great Picture Quality, deep rich colors with good Black & White levels and a 20.000:1Contrast Ratio.
- Great Picture Quality, deep rich colors with good Black & White levels and a 20.000:1Contrast Ratio.
- Sound: Surprisingly good built-in speakers with good sound reproduction.
- Awesome seat of picture calibration options, unmatched in this class: White Balance/CMS, Gamma, 10 point IRE - it's all there.
- Looks good right out of the box without the need for excessive tweaking.
- Great HD TV channel picture quality, not so so great on SD but still good, Blu-Ray looks simply beautiful with proper deinterlacing.
- Good connectivity: 3HDMI inputs, optical out and PC/VGA input.
- 100.000 hours panel half-life: That means that you can watch this TV for 30 years, 8 hours a day until it is half as bright as it was when it was new.
- Excellent set of anti-image retention/burn-in protection features such as Screen Whitewash and Pixel-Orbiter.
- 2 years panel warranty. This is pretty outstanding, to my knowledge LG is the only Plasma manufacturer that offers 2 years warranty on their panels. NOTE: That's only the panel, if any other part of the TV breaks it's only covered for one year.
Con's:
- Audio out of Sync when hooked up through my receiver trough the optical output.
- Audio out of Sync when hooked up through my receiver trough the optical output.
- No aspect ratio controls for 1080 HDTV channels broadcasting anything in 4:3, which means you won't be able to to fill the entire screen, a big no-no for plasma TV's since it increases the risk of image retention and burn-in. This is a major issue, and I think it's the main reason why many people complain about image retention issues using this set!
- Major Glare: If you have a brightly lit room, look elsewhere. This TV has a very reflective screen, and any interfering light-sources will reflect on the panel, making it hard to watch darker scenes.
-PC resolution: For some reason this set does not do 1:1 pixel scaling when set to the native resolution of 1024:768 using either HDMI or VGA, which will result in a slightly blurred screen, making text harder to read.
- Very sensitive to image retention for the first 100 hours of operation: Be sure to break this TV in properly during the first 100 hours of operation. Image retention and burn in are not an issue when the set is properly broken in, and you use common sense.
- Hot, Hot, Hot! I own several Plasmas, and this is easily the hottest set I've come across so far. Make sure you have proper clearance around this TV so that it can be properly ventilated.
- Cabinet Build Quality: There's a noticeable gap between the Panel and the cabinet on one side, a problem common to many LG's. Not really an issue as far as operation of the set is concerned, but I do wish LG would get their act together and fix this issue across their TV product lines.
Bottom Line:
Despite the shortcomings, this is a good set and I would recommend it. However, the Samsung PN42A400, a new product just released, offers better picture quality at an even lower price and does have proper aspect ratio control, so I would recommend you also take a look at that. Also worth mentioning is the Panasonic PX80, which has better picture quality than both of these sets and features an anti-reflective screen.
Despite the shortcomings, this is a good set and I would recommend it. However, the Samsung PN42A400, a new product just released, offers better picture quality at an even lower price and does have proper aspect ratio control, so I would recommend you also take a look at that. Also worth mentioning is the Panasonic PX80, which has better picture quality than both of these sets and features an anti-reflective screen.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 7 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Excellent & Reasonable Priced Plasma
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: Shallie
from Victorville, Ca
on 11/18/2008
Picture Quality
2.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: The Setup menu has been improved
What's not so great: Picture quality lacking in Contrast, Brightness & Clarity
I have other LG Plasma TV's. I purchased this plasma 42PG20 on 11/15/08 and set it up as soon as Best Buy delivered it to my friends home. In comparison with my 50PY3D model, this model is lacking in the picture quality. However for the price i couldn't go wrong. $799.99.
Setting up the unit using the "Setup Menu" only took a few minutes. Instructions were easy to follow and in a few minutes i performed the complete scan, setup the picture settings and adjusted the audio and video to my standards. Setting up and attaching other components was easy as well. With the 3 HDMI slots for the DVD Player/Recorder & a VHS recorder each unit plays perfect. I also added a complete surround Sound System. The audio sounds great. The whole bundle at Best Buys ran a total of less than $1200 dollars.
I would certainly recommend this model for those who want HDTV capabilities on a poor mans budget.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 8 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Best TV for the dollar.
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: cmullin
from San Angelo, TX
on 11/10/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Picture quality is great.
What's not so great: The sound is not so good.
I bought this TV about 2 months ago and have enjoyed it since. I like the picture quality, it has a good dark to light ratio. I would recommend this TV to someone with a Mid-size living room. The only draw-back is the sound quality, but I found a good deal on BestBuy.com for a Home-Theatre system.
I will give you a review once it arrives at the house this week.
I will give you a review once it arrives at the house this week.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 9 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Died after 28 Days
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: dulsup1
from Duluth, MN
on 10/30/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Hearty amount of inputs, good contrast, nice menu, clean design
What's not so great: TV died 28 days after purchase, alot of glare on screen, finish scratches and collects dust easily
TV DIED 28 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE.
PRO: I was very excited when I purchased this TV. The color was vibrant although slighly dark. Seemed to have good contrast and the TV was quick during fast motion sequences. The picture was clear and comparable to alot of 1080p's that I have seen.
CON: The screen is very glossy which causes alot of glare in a lit room. Even if the room is dimly lit, glare is still present. Whenever the screen goes dark you will see a temporary 'burn in' of the previous image. May get frusterating if you are watching a movie with intermittant dark scenes as the last bright image stays visible in the black areas. Also, make sure you have an additional sound system as the speakers on this TV are very weak.
I was happy with this TV until it burned out 28 days after purchase. It was purchased new (not open box/display) and within a month it quit displaying images almost as if it was off. I was told it would be about $600 to fix. I will be returning this TV for a Samsung LCD since I was told LCD has a longer lifespan and is more reliable than plasma. I am very disappointed with LG.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 10 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Mine was busted
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: jack632
on 10/21/2008
Picture Quality
1.0
What's great about it: Looked nice in the store
What's not so great: Mine was defective
Images were indistinct. People looked like those animated characters in the Charles Schwab ads. Grass looked like an algae covered pond. When I took it back, there was another of the exact same model at the service desk that, apparently, had also just been returned. I decided not to exchange it for the same model.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Review 11 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Great Bargain
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: AverageRob
from Manchester, CT
on 10/21/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Cheap without loss of quality
What's not so great: its a plasma
This is a great tv, it was one of the best deals I could find for a 42 inch TV so I ended up grabbing it for $800 on sale. The picture quality is excellent, along with pretty good sound. I use a surround sound system though so the speakers on the TV aren't a problem at all. If you can get it for 700-800 dollars I would certainly recommend it. If you play Call of Duty 4 or GTA 4 a lot, I would look elsewhere because the compasses may burn into the screen.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 12 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Excellent Quality
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Waymern
from Detroit, MI
on 10/18/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Picture
What's not so great: None
This TV has an excellent picture. I have other televisions in my home but this picture awesome. I would definitely recommend this to others.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 13 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Perfect TV
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Jacob08
from bakersfield ca
on 10/09/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: excelent picture.
What's not so great: says its only 720 p
this tv is perfect for gaming, and blue ray.
i have it hooked up to my ps3, xbox 360, and cable.
it says its only 720p but it displays my game systems and cable at 1080i and 1080p
i only have it hooked up to sorround sound, and i have no clue how good the speakers are.
but it is way better than my friends $3000
50 inch hdtv
LG is theb best brand out there.
and this tv is perfect for and apartment, living room, bedroom, etc.
so go buy it!
i have it hooked up to my ps3, xbox 360, and cable.
it says its only 720p but it displays my game systems and cable at 1080i and 1080p
i only have it hooked up to sorround sound, and i have no clue how good the speakers are.
but it is way better than my friends $3000
50 inch hdtv
LG is theb best brand out there.
and this tv is perfect for and apartment, living room, bedroom, etc.
so go buy it!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 14 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
With my new LG...LIFE really is GOOD
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ayh30
from Miami, FL
on 10/05/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Sleek look and picture quality
What's not so great: Image burning
I'm loving the new TV. They say you can't judge a book by its cover. In this case the image quality stands strong along with the sleek look of the exterior. I definitely would recommend this product to anyone looking for a decent size tv with plenty of nice features. Don't leave any one image on the screen for too long though because it can produce some image burning.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 15 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Solid purchase
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: NYCowboy
from Buffalo, NY
on 09/28/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: color clarity, angle picture
What's not so great: warm up time, some blockiness in picture load
Purchased plasma over LCD. I like the consistent clarity, vivid colors, and overall pleased. My fiance and I plan to have this for a few more years as our main tv. I do not like the power surge possibility killing the tv though. I have heard a few horror stories and don't want that to happen to me.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 16 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Nice tv, especially for the price
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: landmarkboxers
from Green Bay, WI
on 09/21/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Great picture, easy set up, looks classy
What's not so great: None
I did a lot of research prior to buying this tv, and when I went to Best Buy I was leaning toward the 42" LCD rather than the plasma. After lots of comparing back and forth, I decided on plasma mostly for the smooth movement (the difference between the two is most noticeable when watching football games when the camera pans the crowd - you actually get dizzy watching the LCD where the plasma is smooth, and that's what sold me on this).
The picture looks great! We have it hooked up to DirecTV, but not HD yet, and the picture is great. I have an antenna for the local channels in HD and they look awesome. We've watched some DVDs too and they look incredible. It took about 3 minutes for it to auto seek all of the local channels and the set up and menu are very straightforward.
I read some reviews complaining about the audio. Maybe it's because we've never had a home theater system and we've always just had regular tv speakers, but I think they sound find. I'm sure there's better out there, if you're willing to pay for it, but for normal use this tv sounds just fine.
Compared to other tvs I looked at, the picture was just as good on this tv, it has all of the features I needed and it was much lower priced.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 17 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
a good buy
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ashkill
from lee's summit, MO
on 09/15/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: nice clear large picture, doesn't take up much space, can mount on the wall
What's not so great: shows window glares
My LG has had no problems. This TV is really good for hooking up a laptop to and still have a quality picture.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 18 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
42"LG
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: cw77
from michigan
on 09/15/2008
Picture Quality
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Image quality, price
What's not so great: Image burn in, gets extremely hot, slow channel change
Bought this a year ago. It was my first plasma. The image was very clear for being 720. Images burn in very quickly but do go away after a while. It gets very hot, you can feel it throwing off the heat from about 4ft away (heating bill was cheaper last winter though!) Unfortunately we had a huge power surge to all of our appliances about a month ago and this television blew up through the HDMI cable.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 19 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Nice Starter
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: 720Tv
on 09/15/2008
What's great about it: picture and size
What's not so great: stand and speakers
Good starter Tv and will look good in any room. However, the speakers can use an upgrade and you will need two people to put it on the stand beacause of the weight.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 20 for LG 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV
Good quality TV for the price
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: JWood16
from Lansing, MI
on 09/13/2008
Picture Quality
4.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Crisp picture, Great Quality
What's not so great: Its 720P
At first I was worried about buying a plasma because I heard that there would be a bad glare if it was by a window. I have mine right next to my sliding glass door and there is hardly any glare at all. It is light weight compared to others. The picture is great for watching TV as well as gaming. The setting menus are easy to navigate and understand. Switching from different inputs is very easy. The sound quality could be better, when it is turned up too loud it makes a buzzing noise in the background. It isn't that bad just only slightly annoying, and harly noticable unless you're listening for it.
All in all, this in my opinion was a very Great buy. I could not be any more happy with this TV!
All in all, this in my opinion was a very Great buy. I could not be any more happy with this TV!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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