LG 42LD790

The specification is identical on both models.  They are both full HD, so they will cope with 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolution.  They also have a contrast ratio of 80,000 : 1.   The higher that contrast ratio determines how good that black level is.  The better the black level, the more natural colour palette you achieve, the better depth of field in the picture and the more detail in the darker areas of the picture as well.

They are also 200Hz scanning.  So if you take a standard TV scan at 50Hz, which means it is fifty pictures per second making up that image for you - this particular range are at 200Hz.  So you have got 200 images per second making up the picture for you, so it is going to control fast movements extremely well - you are going to get no delay or drag in the image.  So if you are watching sport - anything with any fast movement in - it is going to control that movement extremely well.

What we will do, we will quickly have a look at the rear of the TV, at some of the sockets on there, before we get into the menus on the set itself.  So we have on the rear of the TV two HDMI sockets.  You have also got an Ethernet port here.  You can access the Internet through this TV, so you can get onto YouTube and various other websites.  You have also got a Digital Optical Out so you can feed the sound digitally from this TV through an external amplifier. 

Down from there you have got the RGB input so you can plug a PC or laptop through that VGA socket.  You have also got the audio input in connection with the VGA there.  Just to the right of that you have a scart socket, so yet again if you are still using scart you can plug a video or whatever it may be into there.

Next to that you have got Component, which is the red/green/blue connection - a lot of DVD players and games consoles use Component.  And you have also got the Audio Input for the Component which Audio In - the red and white which is underneath there.  Just to the right of that you have then got the aerial coaxial socket. 

Down the side of the TV we have got two USB inputs in here as well - so if you have got a memory stick you can plug that into there; if you have any photographs stored or any moving images you can have that portrayed on the screen.  You have also got a third HDMI socket on the side.  There is a headphone socket just underneath there.  And then just below that you have got Composite Video In which is the yellow, red and white socket - yet again games consoles such as Wii games consoles can use that socket as well.

So this range of TVs is 200Hz, 80,000 : 1 contrast, full HD.  You have also got Freeview HD tuners built into them as well, so if you live in an area where they are broadcasting high definition through your normal terrestrial aerial system, then you have got the facility of - we will just click over the channels here - you have got BBC HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD.  That is just broadcast through your normal TV aerial.  So we are not using this through any sort of satellite or cable network - you are getting a free HD service on this particular range of TV for BBC, ITV and Channel 4, just through your TV aerial.

To go through some of the menus on here with you, on the remote control we have a button which says Menu.  We press that; it takes us into a fantastic menu system on the LGs.  You have got Up, Down Right and Left on the keypad, and you have got the different square boxes on here as well.  If we go into the Picture Menu, just click OK in the centre, and we have got the menus running down the side of the screen here.  If we just go through those first of all: We have got first of all the Picture Settings.  If we go down from there we have got the Audio Settings.  You have got Sleep Timer facilities on there, where you can have the TV switching off at certain time and coming on at certain times.  You have also got passwords you can put in to lock out the TV so it can only be used by yourself.

And coming down just a little bit more there we have also got different options then for going into for setting up the TV for language and for going into things like Disability Assistance -  you have got things in there for Hard of Hearing and Audio Description as well.

If we just go back into the Menu, you have also got a setting down at the bottom here for Network.  As I said, you can access sort of the Internet through this TV as well; you have got the LAN connection on the rear of the set.  So you can get onto various websites such as YouTube, various different other options on there - things like BBC iPlayer and one or two others as well.  But that is all an option that you can get through the TV set.

If we go up through there, through the different Menu Systems, back up to the top, to the Picture Menu, you have got adjustments then for various different options.  If we go into this particular section here, you have got Expert 1, Expert 2.  We will deal with that in just a moment.  If we come up through there, these are all then, as we go up from the Expert settings, there is again Sport, Cinema, Standard and Vivid - preset modes for contrast, brightness, colour and sharpness.  And as we click through these, you will probably see the background on the picture there changing slightly for contrast, brightness and so forth, depending on what we actually select.

If we go back down to the Expert setting, you have got a lot more adjustments you can then make to the picture.  So if we click through those settings, you have got the usual Contrast and Brightness adjustments.  You have then got Horizontal Sharpness, Vertical Sharpness; you have got the usual colour and tint adjustments.  But as we go into the Expert Control Adjustments, you have then got more settings for Dynamic Contrast and Noise Reduction systems; you have got Edge Enhancers.  And as you come down through that menu, you have got individual adjustments for Red Contrast, Green Contrast, Blue Contrast.  And then you go through the individual brightness adjustments for the red, green and blue settings as well.

You then start to drop down into the different individual colour settings for the tint and the green colour and green tint.  And you can go through all the different adjustments, clicking through there for altering cyan, magenta and so forth.  So a lot of adjustments that you can make to this picture.

If you get completely lost in the adjustments you can always go back to the factory reset.  So if we come out of that menu and back into the menu system; if we go up from those adjustments gain, back into Picture Mode; just click on that one and then go back to one of the preset modes and just press OK.  And then you have got just the standard adjustments for contrast, brightness and sharpness and so on - so more simple adjustments you can make to the picture.  So, a whole raft of adjustments you can make there.

If we come out of those settings for a moment and drop down to the Audio Menu, you have got things like Clear Voice where you can bring out the vocals better.  In the Sound mode, again you have got different presets, depending what you are using the TV for.  So you have got Music, Cinema, Sport and Gaming which will adjust the base and the treble according to what mode you are using the TV in.

If we go back to Standard and come down from there, you have got individual treble and base adjustments as well.  And back into the other Menu system on here - if we just come out of that Menu just to go through one or two others with you - if we drop down from there, come over to the right, you have also got some preloaded games on this particular TV as well where it will load up a games menu for you.  So you have got different options then that you can access, so we can jump into any of those games that are on the screen as well.  So you have got various different games options.

We just click back out of that again for a second, come back out again.  So we have got several games.  And all you need to do is click over to the right, and when you get on the one that you want, you just - if that is the one you want, Urban Survival, just press OK and you are into that particular game.

So, you have got a TV here which is full HD, 80,000 : 1 contrast ratio, 200Hz scanning; Freeview HD, so a free HD service built into the TV; fantastic picture adjustments which tweak up that picture exactly the way you want it, as well as excellent sound quality and some games built in there for the kids as well.

If you would like more details on this please give me a call - my name is Chris - on 01204 861 861, or go to any of our stores in Bolton or Leeds.  You can see this TV on demonstration there.  If you are watching this on any video link there will be a link at the side of the screen.  If you click on that, that will also take you through to our website where you will find various other demonstrations there for various other TVs, various other video clips.

So please give me a call - my name is Chris - on 01204 861 861. 

Thank you.