Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

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LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Model: 42LG50
SKU: 8749394
UPC: 719192173019
Bring cinema experience home to your living room with this LCD HDTV that features an XD image processing engine and a host of image enhancement options for vibrant visuals. Intelligent sensor technology automatically enhances color and brightness for improved viewing in a variety of light conditions. Learn more about the LG50 Series. (Flash demo)
Average Customer Rating:
4.591 out of 5
4.6
 out of 
5
(71 Reviews) 71
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 71 reviews
5 stars
51
4 stars
14
3 stars
4
2 stars
1
1 star
1
94% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
67 out of 71
)
Customer Reviews for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV
Review 1 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO BEEF UP YOUR SOUND

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: JOHN4019
from toledo,ohio
on 03/09/2009
What's great about it: PICTURE
What's not so great: SOUND
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE SONY SOUND BAR FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT BETTER SOUND. MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE WITH THE LG TV OR ANY FLAT PANEL FOR THAT MATTER....
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Awsome TV for the money, very happy with it.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Blackwood, NJ
on 03/04/2009
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: The TV looks great on my wall, and the HD channels are excellent.
What's not so great: The sound isn't so good, but adding some surround speakers should take care of that.
I replaced an old 52" projection TV with this 42" LCD. The picture clarity and color definitly make up for the size difference. It was easy to hang on the wall. If you have a drill and a screw driver it should only take you an hour or so. The sound is slightly muffled do to the speakers not being in the front. But I think it makes the TV look much nicer not seeing the speakers. I will just add some small surround speakers to get it right. I picked up the TV in Del. for $899.00 with no sales tax. You can't beat that!
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 3 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Pretty good TV for the most part

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Black83183
from Williamstown NJ
on 03/02/2009
Picture Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: The sleek look and it has a lot of features as far as hdmi and usb and real easy to set up
What's not so great: the sound is not so good
well the speakers are a flaw but thats only cause they are at the bottom and fire downward i suggest getting a home theatre system with it and that problem will be solved these tv's are made for home sound systems. thats how theyre made but other than that this tv is great
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 4 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Like a -Cheap Japanese Movie

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: jfishin
from eastern Va
on 02/23/2009
Picture Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: Picture Quality
What's not so great: Speakers are weak, Audio does not match video
I have the 37LG50 which is the same unit just one model smaller. I was really let down upon turning the unit on and discovering the audio does not match the video. Kinda like watching a cheap Japanese movie. Been 4 weeks on the phone with LG trying to get a software update. Apparently this is not a new problem with their units however they can't seem to get the update in the mail? At first you will just think it's the movie but after watching for a while you start realizing their mouths don;t match the words. If you are thinking about an LG you may want to watch for the audio sync issue and be prepared for a struggle..
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 5 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Power-On and HD color

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: SherryJ
from Rochester, MN
on 02/23/2009
What's great about it: large screen, speakers very good, setup easy
What's not so great: HD and Digital Channels, pixelation during picture change
I purhased the 42LG50 in Nov 2007 and had 3 repairs on the power-on button. When I pressed it, the TV's audio would come on but not the video. This occurred many times throughout the year - sometimes 3 days after the repair was made. I purchased the ext Geek Squad 4 yr replacement plan. WOW - sure am glad I did ... I have now replaced the TV with a Sony Bravia 42" LCD 1080p, which was the original TV I had wanted but they didn't have at the time (Best Buy). The picture quality on the LG I didn't think was very good, especially on the Digital / HD channels. Movement would cause pixelation in the picture until it was still for a second or so and then it would straighten out. Until the next movement. I'm hoping the Sony will be better in that aspect.
I was also told that I was the only person Geek Squad had seen with this power-on button issue.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 6 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Awesome, incredible, WOW

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: SherylSR
from Blanco TX
on 02/17/2009
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: What's NOT great about it?
What's not so great: Nada!
We bought the 37LG50 and LOVE it. Husband James says: "You gotta see it to believe it!" He'd been leaning toward the LG model but after we read reviews here, he went out and bought one. No regrets, absolutely happy and satisfied with this product. (After we got ours, a co-worker of James' bought the 32-inch model and loves his, too!)
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 7 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Love this TV!!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Mike1110
from Traverse City, Michigan
on 02/16/2009
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Picture, Size, Price.
What's not so great: nothing.
I love this TV! I bought it on 2/13/09. I went to Best Buy, not really knowing which TV to get, only I didn't want to pay more than $1000. I got it on sale for $999.:) Also bought the 4 year warranty, just in case. The picture is so good, and I haven't even changed any of the settings. I really don't know what the speakers sound like, I hooked it up to my surround sound right away. NON HD channels look great as well. I would definitely recommend this set.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 8 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Perfect mid-range television

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: BBYPhoneguy
from Wilmington, NC
on 02/15/2009
Picture Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Menu, Sound, Aesthetics, remote, inputs
What's not so great: Picture mediocrity
This is an awesome mid-range television with superior picture and sound quality to comporable sony(V-series) and samsung(5-series) models. Set is very easy to set up with simple and effective menus. The LG flat panels are the best television to use via vga connection for a computer monitor becuase they have extra adjustments for the PC-input that allow you to force resolutions, adjust the refresh rate, and screen pitch. The television has a very wide array of picture adjustments (in the expert picture modes) only out-matched by the Sharp televisions. Color richness is not superb but is better than most. Black levels are typically uniform although not extremely black depending on brightness settings. Dollar for dollar this is one of the best televisions for every day users concerned with getting reliable performance sans the high end processors (x.v. color, 120hz, 24p).
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 9 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

4

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Hubertus
from Apple Valley, MN
on 01/20/2009
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: Excellent video, good sound
What's not so great: Desk top stand flimsy, screen leans forward
Purchased the lg50 on Jan.2,09. Had it delivered and the delivery guys mounted the set on its stand. Had to wait for the set to obtain room temperature before connecting it. Connected Dish Network receiver via S-Video (the best available on the rcvr) to the AV1 input. Also connected Blue Ray Panasonic player to HDMI. Digital sound output (COAX) to my surround system. Since I had a component cable I also cennected this to the component input of the LG50. We have many standard DVD's and I played some of these. The video and the sound were a lot better that I had with a prior RPTV. A Blue Ray sampler ($5.99 at BB) really showed what the TV is capable of: Crisp video, sharp images, excellent color. There are several video modes (Vivid, standard,cinema,etc). My wife and I found the cinema mode a little too dark, but viewable and settled on the "Standard" mode. Here the LG50 really shines. There are many adjustments also for each of the modes for each input. We left these alone. The HDMI connection is better than the coponent one and this one better than the S-video. We do not play games but saw no artifacts in any scene.So far we are very happy.
Now for the Negative: The table top stand is misconstructed, the Screen wobbles in the stand and leans forward several inches. You can push the top back to get the screen vertical, but when you let go, the set returns to the prior position. This may not be a problem for wall mounting. The user guide shows that the stand can be screwed to the table (!) but this would not solve the leaning problem.
We like the TV very much and are somewhat hesitant to exchange it but are still debating it. Maybe in time the set might fall forward off the stand?
Still, it is a very good set.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 10 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Awesome TV!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: NateBZ
from Eastpointe, MI
on 01/06/2009
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Cleaning the screen
We just purchesed the 42' LG tv a few weeks ago and have continuously been impressed by how wonderful it is! Everything about it is perfect; from the picture to the speed. Its the perfect size for our living room, gaming, and watching movies. This truly is the BEST BUY I have ever made! I highly recommend this product to anybody looking to upgrade there TV... I promise you will not be disappointed! The only downfall is how expensive the cleaner is for the screen although it is worth it to keep the TV looking its best.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 11 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Great TV!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: mtrue1
from seattle,wa
on 01/02/2009
What's great about it: Picture is almost perfect
What's not so great: Nothing
I bought a 42 in insignia tv 1080p was't that bad but I did'nt feel the quality of the HD was up to par . Than I returned it for a Toshiba That lasted about one day the toshibia 42 lcd 1080p picturewas just awful. Thanks to the patients of the Staff at the tukwilla southcenter store I purchased a Lg 1080p Lcd I love this TV..........
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 12 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

So so tv

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: patrick63092
from Metairie, la
on 01/02/2009
Picture Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: It has a great hd picture with hdmi when it works
What's not so great: the panel with all of the in puts breaks alot
I bought this tv almost a year ago. The tv works sometimes. The back panel is always breaking but that is ok since i bought the 5 year warranty with it. They came out and have come and fixed it both times. It all started when i hung it on my wall and that started the problems. The tv does like to be hung on the wall. The tv was 1,600 but on sale for 1,300 when i bought it. Now it is on sale for 1,000. In another year it will be down to probably about 600 bucks, so i would just wait to buy
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 13 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Best TV I've ever had

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Ast1589
from Chicago, IL
on 12/29/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Everything...
What's not so great: Sound could be a little better
This is the best Tv I've ever had. I got it for christmas and it was on sale for $999. The Picture quality is fantastic and the HD looks phemonenal. The only negative thing is that i can't stop watching it
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 14 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Very Nice TV

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Dan1980
from Syracuse, NY
on 12/23/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Picture quality, price
What's not so great: Sound quality could be a little better...it's good, not great.
This is an absolutely fantastic TV for the money. LG makes a great product that I think surpasses Sony, Samsung, etc. This is my 2nd LG and the only issue I have is that the sound quality is actually better on the 32" LG that I bought last year. I would not have have expected a regression in that regard. The pros to this tv far outweigh that one negative though. The picture quality is absolutely outstanding! The colors are very vibrant which, for me, is mostly what makes watching in HD so incredible. It makes for a great ps3 experience as well. Also, it came pretty much ready straight out of the box, but if you do need to use the menus a lot, they are very intuitive. BTW, Best Buy price matched a competitor for me, so I got this $1,299 tv for $929 because that was the competitor's sale price, so it's worth looking at all stores' ads and websites.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 15 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Seems good, but...

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: JeffreyG
from DC Metro Area
on 12/16/2008
Picture Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Excellent value, easy to setup and use, nice remote, light for its size
What's not so great: Poor SD picture, ports are rear facing (not downward), can't handle moving things on HD channels
This is my first LCD or HDTV and it's replacing a rather heavy old (15+ years) Sony. I did extensive research (including Consumers Reports) and decided on this set for two reasons: a promise of better-than-average standard definition performance and the low price (Best Buy sale). I had originally planned on a 37" or 40" set, but the price (under $1000) and the good reviews convinced me to go for. Standard definition performance is important to me because I still have regular cable and don't (didn't?) plan on spending more to upgrade to digital/HD cable. Also, I have a SD ReplayTV unit that I use heavily.
After getting it home, I quickly had it setup. My 6 year old helped me figure out how to get the stand on (I eventually will wall-mount) and we got it up in a matter of minutes. Due to my reluctance to double my cable bill, I'd hoped to be able to get OTA HD programming on my local channels. I bought a $50 amplified antenna and started scanning for channels. This set made it easy to find available channels and the manual channel mode let me fine-tune antenna placement for specific channels (it shows signal strength).
Alas, the antenna didn't work. However, without my realizing it, my local cable company provided HD programming of the networks, local (what we used to call "UHF"), and PBS statements for no extra charge with regular cable. I only realized this thanks to this set, which found all of my regular cable channels plus the HD ones, plus a few extras (which are called "TV"). I now get HD without an antenna.
Alas, my pleasure was cut short when I switched to SD channels. The quality was horrendous. I expected this, but what I saw was still below what I thought I'd see. Thank goodness I got a set that got GOOD ratings for SD sources. Quality was even worse once I switched over to my ReplayTV (connected with component cables). The picture looks like my old Atari 2600 (slight exaggeration), with everything being composed of blocks. I suspect this is because I'm sitting too close, though. When I'm in the back of the room, I can't tell, so maybe I need to rearrange the furniture.
It played a Pixar DVD (connected with composite cables!) well. The quality was amazing. I can only imagine what this would look like with an up-converting player. However, a DVD of the old Muppet Show looked mediocre. I blame this on the source materials, though.
While I can forgive the SD quality, there is a quirk with HD that seems just plain wrong. When something on the screen moves, everything gets jagged (pixelates) for a second and then reverts to a gorgeous picture. I tried this with a few HD network channels. Not sure if this is because of my cable, but it's annoying to see people on sitcoms (we're not even talking about action movies or sports) pixelate as they move. Need to look into why this is...
I haven't wall mounted yet, but I foresee challenges because the rear ports face rear. I think there needs to be about 3-4" clearance behind the set to accommodate the plugs on my various cables. I don't think one of those low profile mounts will work, so I plan to go with a tilting mount to give some extra room.
Overall, it seems a good set for the money. I suspect that some of my concerns wouldn't be better on a more expensive set, so I don't see a need to spend more unless you have a particular feature you need. There are a few quirks (e.g., the intelligent picture brightness tends to be too bright with the lights on and too dim in semi-darkness) but they are minor.
I plan on adding a home built HTPC, which will add Blu-Ray and software based upconverting (as well as replace the ReplayTV). We'll see if that helps any...
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 16 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Great Tv

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: JP555
from Boston, MA
on 12/08/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: 1080p Picture, great price at $999, good amount of hook-ups
What's not so great: I cant really say anything that bad about the sound on this TV but i have a home theater system so its ok
This is a really good TV.....I upgraded from a 37inch LG (same series) the very next day because the stand was mal-manafactured but thats another story.. Blue-Rays, My xbox 360 look great.... its defenetly worth paying a little extra for the full HD.... One thing that I really noticed is that you do not really need the 120Hz to get amazing picture because with this TV I could not tell whats different.... I would defenetly recomend a seperate sound system because the sound is not exactly 5 stars... A really great tv for a really good price you will not regret it I def. recomend
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 17 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

My 1st flat panel TV!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Atlanta
on 11/29/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Great picture and detail. Great features!
What's not so great: The sound could have been a little better.
I love HD TV! 1080p is WAAAAAY better than 720 And LG holds true to its name. There's so much detail on the screen and I love how it allows you to connect so many sources to it. I have my PS3, Home Theater, Computer, and DVR hooked up to it! I love how the intelligent sensor adjusts the TV when the lighting in the room changes, that works great for movies. It has a nice slick design and it looks great in the living room. The sound could have been a little better, sometimes I can barely hear the TV and the sound is on level 100, but my home theater compensates for it... Overall I give it 5 stars
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 18 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Great purchase

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: RachNC
from Mooresville, NC
on 11/23/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Great picture for all types of viewing
What's not so great: Haven't found anything negative yet
We have the mounted above our fireplace. There is no glare and we don't have to tilt it. The sound is good when you use the correct cables. If you are mounting it above a fireplace, don't go any bigger. The tv looks HUGE when mounted on the wall.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 19 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

A lot of bang for the buck

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: DaPunani
from Florida
on 11/18/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Excellent HD Picture, Menus are intuitive and easy to use. Swivel Stands Rule
What's not so great: NO PIP !! The speakers in the tv are way underpowered. The Intelligent sensor is useless
If you can get it on sale (I got it for $1,029; Best Buy matches most competitors prices) this is definately the LCD to go with. I have a 46" Samsung LCD in my living room and got this one for my room. The Backlight is much better on the Samsung than on the LG. Color on the Samsung is a little more vivid and the contrast ratio is higher but it's hardly noticeable. The LG is much more user friendly, though.
All in all, the Samsung is a better TV than this LG but it is definately not worth the substantial difference in price between the two brands. You will not be dissapointed with this purchase.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 20 for LG 42" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Amazing TV dont pass this up

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Luke20
from Rochester, NY
on 11/18/2008
Picture Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: EVERYTHING
What's not so great: NONE!!!
This TV is amazing. I bought this for playing my XBOX 360 on and I tell you its the most amazing experience ever. The colors are so rich and the sound is out of this world. The intelligent sensor is a really great accessory if you dont want to have to worry about adjusting your television all of the time. Ther HD channels are amazing. The price is great for the quality of Television, well under priced so hurry before they figure that out!!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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