Not too long ago, if you wanted a big flat-panel HDTV, you had one choice: plasma. But times have changed, and these days, LCD has staked a claim in the popular 42- to 50-inch size range, with many sets offering the added attraction of 1080p resolution. A good case in point is the new LG 47LB1DA 47-inch LCD HDTV, which lists for $3,600 — a nice price for a large, 1080p flat-panel TV.
Dual HDMI inputs (compatible with 1080p signals) and component-video jacks on the back should cover all your high-def input needs. There's also a VGA port for plugging in a computer — a desirable feature that seems to have gone missing from many new flat-panel TVs. Rounding out the LG's jack pack are a CableCARD slot for tuning encrypted digital cable channels without a cable box, an optical digital audio output, and an RS-232C input for connecting an advanced home theater control system.
The remote's layout is somewhat busy, with no backlight to help you locate buttons in a dark room. Fortunately, the two I tend to use most — Input and Ratio — were grouped near the remote's top where I could easily find them. Pressing Input calls up a menu that lets you scroll through and select active connections, while repeated presses of the Ratio button toggle through the set's plentiful display modes: 4:3, 16:9, Horizon, Zoom 1 and 2, and Cinema Zoom (a variable adjustment with 16 steps). All modes can be selected for both standard- and high-def channels, and there's also a Set by Program option that automatically selects 4:3 or 16:9 based on the format of the incoming signal.
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The Short Form
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| Price $3,600 (AS TESTED) / lgusa.com / 800-243-0000 |
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Snapshot
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| LG's biggest high-rez LCD carries an attractive price, but its picture is a mixed bag. |
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Plus
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•Crisp high-def picture •Nice price for a large 1080p LCD •Swiveling stand |
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Minus
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•Limited shadow detail •Colors lack punch •Noise-reduction setting softens picture |
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Key Features
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•1,920 x 1,080-resolution LCD HDTV •Built-in HDTV tuner with CableCARD •Accepts 1080p via HDMI •TV Guide On Screen program guide •Inputs: 2 HDMI, 2 component-video, VGA, 2 composite- and S-video; 2 RF (antenna and cable); 4 analog stereo audio •50.5 x 32.5 x 12.5 in; 124 lb (w/stand) |
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Test Bench
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In User Mode with Warm color-temperature preset, the LG's grayscale tracked within ±713 K of the 6,500 K standard from 30 to 100 IRE — a below-average performance. Red, green, and blue adjustments in the color-temperature menu improved this to ±341 K from 30 to 80 IRE. Color decoder tests showed a +10% red error for both the HDMI and component-video inputs, though the set's HDTV color points were very accurate. Overscan measured 6% for 1080i/p signals — higher than average. Both 1080i and 720p test patterns were fully resolved via HDMI and component video, although slight edge enhancement was visible on both inputs with the sharpness control zeroed out. Screen uniformity was excellent from both on- and off-center seats. LG's XD noise reduction smoothed out grainy pictures but also removed fine detail from high-def programs. Full Lab Results |
LG gives you a good number of options to tweak the 47LB1DA's picture for different lighting conditions. In addition to Daylight, Normal, Nighttime, and Expert presets, two User memories can be independently adjusted for each input. And along with Cool, Medium, and Warm presets for color temperature, there are individual controls for red, green, and blue that let me tune the set more closely to the 6,500 K color-temperature standard. I also knocked back the set's color control to compensate for a degree of "red push."
One area where the LG falls short of its competition is in providing features to help you get good blacks and punchy contrast — attributes in which LCD TVs have traditionally failed to impress. An Advanced Black Level setting provides High, Low, and Auto options for initial setup, but there's no gamma control or variable backlight setting (which limits the output of the set's fluorescent backlight, functioning similarly to the iris control on DLP and LCoS projection TVs). One interesting feature you'll find is XD, a proprietary option that can automatically adjust contrast, color, and noise reduction based on program content. The XD noise-reduction setting significantly softened high-definition pictures, so I switched it off. The other two settings, contrast and color, helped add some visual punch for daylight viewing.
PICTURE QUALITY Adjustments complete, I watched a few scenes from the World War II movie The Great Raid on Blu-ray Disc. The disc's 1080p image looked very crisp on the LG: In wide shots of a graveyard on the outskirts of a POW camp, the exceptionally fine, solid-looking strands of swaying grass gave the picture a true 3-D effect. Masses of clouds in the same shots also showed a wide range of white tones, with no sign of any tinting or discoloration — a clear demonstration of excellent screen uniformity.
While high-def detail was clearly the LG's strong point, interior scenes in the POW camp barracks revealed its difficulty maintaining a deep level of black. In dark shots like these, deep shadows came across as more of a dark gray, and shadow detail was missing as well. For example, in a shot of Major Gibson (Joseph Fiennes) talking to his fellow soldiers in the barracks after pinching some food from work detail, the visual transition from background gloom to the shadowy folds on his fatigues was more of an abrupt jump than a smooth ramp of dark-to-light tones.
The LG's color performance was also mixed. On the one hand, colors looked natural in most movies I watched, and skin tones in particular displayed a subtle range of hues. On the other hand, colors looked somewhat pale in many programs, from a New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys football game in high-def on NBC to a nature documentary called Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure on Discovery HD. Watching a butterfly crawl out of its cocoon amid lush jungle foliage, I found myself craving richer colors from the TV. One reason for this shortfall was my need to back down the set's color control to compensate for the red push mentioned above — it made the reds less pronounced, but also affected saturation of other colors. But another factor was the picture's weak contrast after it was properly tweaked for a dim viewing environment — which can also affect color.
BOTTOM LINE The bright, crisp, and impressively uniform picture delivered by the LG 47LB1DA 47-inch LCD HDTV lends itself well to daytime viewing of high-def sports and other TV programs. When it's tuned for watching movies in a dim room, videophiles will likely yearn for punchier colors, deeper blacks, and more shadow detail. But in the final analysis, there's no denying that the 47LB1DA's $3,600 price tag and sharp 1080p picture could be attractive to less critical viewers.
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