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(More customer reviews)I had quite an ordeal over the last month attempting to purchase a new HDTV. I was looking in the sub $1000 range, wanted a 40-42" LED-Lit model and did a lot of research before settling on the Samsung UN40C6300.
I originally settled for Samsung over LG due to in-store picture comparisons and quite frankly, Samsung's great reputation over the past years. They were the pioneers of LED edge lighting and for a long time remained king of HDTVs. When my set arrived via Amazon (which was super simple by the way) and I set it up, I was instantly shocked and disappointed. The samsung model had the worst backlight bleeding I have ever seen in any LCD TV/Monitor.. ever.. Upon researching the issue further I discovered that Samsung now outsources panels and I got stuck with a horrible Chineese CN02 panel while the model in the store happened to be using a Samsung Branded IPS panel. I can't say for sure whether stores always get the better panel for display purposes, but this sneaky bait and switch should be illegal. Needless to say, the viewing angles on the horrible CN02 panel and the awful bleeding (spots the size of softballs scattered through the image). Furious, I set up an immediate exchange with Amazon and went back to researching.
Digging deep in Amazon's search, I stumbled across the LG 42LE5400 which was only $4 more then the previous Samsung model. What caught me about this TV over the previous was the following:
1) Same exact price.
2) Research indicated NO panel lottery and LG using superior IPS panels.
3) 2" Larger Screen
4) NetCast Apps (Samsung's only supplies these on higher-end models)
5) Wider range of inputs including composite-in
6) Matte screen (Yes glossy looks nicer, but I'd rather not watch TV in a mirror).
The exchange through amazon was painless and I am always impressed by their policies and understanding. After the horrible Samsung model was dragged away and the new LG panel dropped off, I set it up and was pleased.
The picture was just as nice as the Samsung in my opinion (though a bit less crisp due to matte screen instead of glossy, but that was to be expected and actually ended up being preferred due to lack of reflections). I confirmed a genuine IPS panel by the orientation of the pixels and the push-test. I cannot comment on the sound since I always use a home theater receiver and have never used the built-in speakers. The Set comes with tons of calibration options, eco-sensors (which I disabled as I found it preferred to darken the screen too much. Why have an LED screen when you dim it down to nothing). Even the lighting on the power and function buttons has a neat animation and full control of turning off pesky logo lighting when watching in the dark, a nice touch.
The only gripes I have on this panel are the following:
1) There is some mild backlight bleeding around the top right and bottom left corner. This tends to make blacks in that general area a bit more grey, but nowhere (and I mean nowhere) as bad as the Samsung. I suppose this is just a limitation of Edge-lit panels.
2) NetCast does NOT include Pandora even though it lists Pandora all over LGs website. I suppose they only include that in their receivers/blu-ray players, a major disappointment. Should be called "NetCast Lite".
I really rate this panel a 4.5/5 due to the mild backlight bleeding. I feel more care should be put by all brands regarding this issue, but this panel was much better then others thus why I'm keeping it. I'm also a bit put off by the differences in NetCast.
Other then that, I'm glad that I finally have this whole fiasco behind me. LG came out of the woodwork for me and blew me away with a far-superior television then the comparable Samsung model with no surprises, tricks and included many extras for the same price range. Unless something goes wrong (or they start getting sneaky with bait-and-switch like Samsung), LG is my new television brand.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications
Offering energy-saving LED backlighting, 1080p Full HD resolution for crystal-clear detail, and TruMotion 120Hz technology for virtually no motion blur, the 42-inch LG 42LE5400 LED LCD HDTV is also great for watching sports and movies with fast action thanks to its 2.6ms (millisecond) response time. The latest in HDTV technology, LED delivers deep blacks, bright colors and crisp images to rival any display category, and are the slimmest, most energy efficient televisions available. Improved motion capture allows smooth, natural pictures, even with fast paced action.
With LG's NetCast, you get access to TV shows, movies and more, streamed directly from the Internet to your television screen. And the LE5400 series also provides compatibility with Wireless 1080p Connectivity (wireless media kit required and sold separately).
Other features include an incredible 4,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for more stunning colors and deeper blacks, two USB ports for connecting external drives for playing back MP3 audio, JPEG photo and DivX HD video files, stereo speakers with 20 watts of power and Dolby Digital decoding, and four HDMI inputs.
NetCast Entertainment Access NetCast Entertainment Access brings the best Internet services direct to your TV--no computer required. Instantly access movies and TV shows, news and weather and the world's largest library of HD movies in 1080p. (Note: Internet connection & subscriptions required and sold separately.)
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