Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Quick Pros:
Good Connection Options, Good Resolution, Bright Image, 240hz Refresh Rate, 1080P, Attractive Design, Excellent sound, and OneCall Sales Staff.
Quick Cons:
LG Customer Service Mediocre at best! Set Up lousy considering NO Printed ManualFirst Off.... OneCall is awesome! Best Price (and I searched all authorized dealers I could find at the time) Most Friendly sales staff. Customer service even responded by email long after hours!!! Please NOTE: OneCall IS LISTED as "more buying choices" on Amazon.
Now on to the TV: Television arrived.
CONS:
Unboxed, hooked up all cables... then with the side button I tried to turn it on.. no such luck... I then tried the remote... no good there either. Figured I had a DOA set.. I searched for a manual... none found.. just a CD of a manual. Problem was:
1. This was a gift...person getting gift has no computer, therefore no way to view CD.
2. I was nearly 56 miles round trip to my house to have access to a computer to print up manual from CD.
3. Quick Start booklet was included with indications of all connections EXCEPT location of the power switch!!! The "standby" switch on the side of the television is NOT the power switch.
I found this switch accidentally after disconnecting all the cables to return the TV set... I reached under the set and felt something "click" What do you know.. a rocker master power switch.... You know.. the one NOT listed in the quick start booklet or indicated by an international symbol or words on the front of the set indicating it's location. (I had two others read through the few pages of the quick start booklet to see if I missed it)
After turning it on... and pressing the "standby" switch.. I was able to start the setup...
4. After driving home.. I brought the CD Manual with me..... and guess what! CD would not read on any of my three computers. Being that this was a Friday night... It was Monday before I could get a hold of LG. They offered to send me a manual... Cool... why didn't they just include one in the tv box??? IT WAS THE END OF THE WEEK BEFORE I GOT IT! AND... It was not bound!!! I had to punch my own holes in a thick manual (it was obviously printed from a laser printer) and buy an empty three ring binder and put it together. I also guess priority mail isn't necessary to fix a screw up on one of their top of the line TV sets. They never did replace the CD. It was another week before I could drive it down to the owner of the TV set. I am sure that the idea behind the CD was to save trees... Well I burned lots of fuel to fix this issue at least 112 miles! GEESH! Remember this... If you don't have a computer, OR a DVD player connected to another TV to review the manual, OR have a printer if you wanted a printed copy... you are &$%#$ out of luck!
5. I left a longer review than this on LG's website and even said I was going to buy more of these TV sets... and they never posted my review!!! I contacted LG THREE TIMES by email and called!!! I NEVER got a response from them that wasn't a CANNED response ....
SO: No Manual Included (except CD which didn't work), Quick Start booklet needs switch placement listed, (including listing it in the troubleshooting guide in the back!!!). NO printed manual on a TV in this price range is not excusable!!! LG customer service and response needs improved, AND LG needs to not cherry pick reviews for their website. A person needs to come to a website like this that usually publishes all reviews.
PRO'S:::
1. Most LCD/Plasma sets for sale have lousy sound... let's face it... no need to subtract stars or ratings for this generally because to make the TV look decent.. you got to use some small speakers... want good sound? .... Then get a home theater speaker system setup... EXCEPT this LG!!! Awesome sound for a modern set..... For something this size... I consider the sound OUTSTANDING compared to its competition, and far beyond my expectations. Biggest surprise I had outside of the printed manual incident.
2. PLENTY of inputs for a 37" TV including VGA hookup for a computer with a mini jack input for the audio ... Although I haven't tried this VGA/Audio input... it's nice to see it included. There isn't a DVI input.. but you can get a HDMI to DVI gender changer for a few bucks if you need to go that route online.
3. The 240hz refresh rate is state of the art! I also noticed no backlight bleed through. Backlight bleed is common on LCD's to some degree.
4. Black level and contrast is best I have seen for a non LED LCD. Black level isn't even close to my plasma's.. but best I have seen in an LCD to date. It's too bad that Plasma's don't exist in sizes below 42".
5. Since this TV set was a gift.. I haven't got to use the remote control much... but seemed pretty intuitive as I was setting up the TV to work for the first time.
6. I am thinking about purchasing more of these TV's... we will see... For a 37" non LED tv.... I really don't think you can do better than this. (At the time of this review)... Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, JVC, Mitsubishi, Magnavox, Visio, nor Toshiba... has a 37" that is this "state of the art" at a bargain price!!! Highly Recommended!
So why not 5 stars??? Because of over 112 miles (or more) of useless driving to solve the manual problem. LG "review shopping" by not posting my review (which was pretty glowing except the manual issue) and not responding adequately to my emails or phone calls. Making a trip to the office supply store to buy a three ring binder for the manual.
When you give a gift at this price... it would be nice to not be slightly embarrassed by stupid issues. The person I got this for has no clue how to even shop for an LCD or the time I put in to find this particular TV. So it kind of leaves the impression that I got a cheapo TV for them.. It just wasn't the case. LG needs a spanking! Now.. go buy the TV! :-)
*UPDATE*: August 6th, 2009
Cnet Reviews this TV: (Amazon won't let me put in the web address. Just enter the following into the search box of Google or Yahoo, LG 37LH55 ) Their review is not so glowing... Luckily... I stand by my "user" review. Maybe LG doesn't have a good product consistency??? I do not know. I am glad the set I purchased looks good! I just wanted to update this so you can have as much information as possible in making your decision... Good Luck!
Just a note: If you go to Crutchfield . com (also an Amazon featured merchant) and type into their search engine.... LCD vs Plasma It will bring up easy to understand, unbiased info between the technologies. I might add that if you haven't made a major purchase online... Crutchfield has been in business since 1974, and I have spent many thousands with them... they are a great crew, not the cheapest price, but the best customer service your going to get at a fair price, and sometimes if you have problems with a product, it then becomes the best money you ever spent.
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