Amazon.com: LG 42LD550 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Internet Applications: Electronics

Amazon.com Product Description

This HDTV is Internet-ready. To view Internet apps on this TV, you may also need:

Broadband Internet service
A router
Cabling
A Wi-Fi adapter (if there is not one built in)
A PC for subscriptions or payments

To learn more about Internet-ready HDTVs, visit Internet-Ready TV 101.

Great for sports and fast action, the 42-inch LG 42LD550 LCD HDTV offers 1080p Full HD resolution for crystal-clear detail, TruMotion 120Hz technology for virtually no motion blur, and a super-quick response time of 2.4ms (milliseconds). With LG's NetCast, you get access to TV shows, movies and more, streamed directly from the Internet to your television screen. And the LD550 series also provides compatibility with Wireless 1080p Connectivity (wireless media kit required and sold separately).

Other features include an amazing 150,000:1 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.)

Get your HD film fix
If you like movies and want major studio releases in Full HD 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus sound, you'll love Vudu, the on-demand movie service with more hi-def titles than anyone else. Over 3,000 and counting. Plus, there's no subscription. So you only pay for what you watch.
Access your queue from the couch
Make the most of the extensive offerings on Netflix. Now you can watch your favorite movies and shows--from new releases to classics to everything in between--without your PC. Sit back and enjoy unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV episodes streamed directly to your TV set.
It's YouTube on your tube
No more crowding around your PC to watch web videos. NetCast instantly streams videos and TV shows from YouTube for unlimited, direct access to the millions of Web videos whenever you want them. All you need is an active Internet connection. Watch that one fellow making a fool of himself over and over again.
Stay up to speed
Sometimes you want to see what's going on in the world, but without changing the channel. Yahoo! TV Widgets delivers everything you need including news, scores, stocks and even photos from Flickr.
Your pictures on the big screen
Re-live all your family vacation memories with your Picasa photos on the big screen for everyone to enjoy, create galleries and slideshows for easy organization.

Key Features

Full HD 1080p resolution This stunning picture is the reason you wanted HDTV in the first place. With almost double the pixel resolution, Full HD 1080p gives it superior picture quality over standard HDTV. You'll see details and colors like never before.	TruMotion 120Hz TruMotion 120Hz technology lets you see sports, video games and high-speed action with virtually no motion blur. Now your TV can keep up with your fast-moving entertainment.
150,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio No more worrying about dark scenes or dull colors. The dynamic contrast ratio of 150,000:1 delivers more stunning colors and deeper blacks than you can imagine.	Intelligent Sensor Don't strain your eyes. Let your TV do the adjustments for you. Intelligent Sensor automatically optimizes the picture to the lighting and color conditions in the room for a more enjoyable viewing experience.
Wireless 1080p Ready The best place for your TV isn't always near the cable. Wireless 1080p Connectivity lets you cut loose from messy wires, hang your TV where you want and still get a stunning Full HD picture. All those cords and cables are completely out of sight. And the only thing attached to your TV is you. (Note: Wireless media kit required and sold separately.)
AV Mode Sports, movies and video games are best enjoyed with customized settings. With AV Mode, you can easily select from one of three picture modes for "Cinema", Sports" or "Games" to enjoy an optimized picture and sound experience.	Picture Wizard Get easy self-calibration with on-screen reference points for key picture quality elements such as black level, color, tint, sharpness and backlight levels. Take the guesswork out of picture adjustments with this simple-to-use feature. It's not actually magic, but it will sure seem that way.
24P Real Cinema Stay in for the theater. Enjoy a true cinema-like experience in your own home with movies the way they are meant to be seen. LG's Real Cinema technology precisely displays 24p source frames on your screen, the same as on a movie screen. If you love movies, you'll love Real Cinema.	ISFccc Calibration Ready LG's ISFccc Ready HDTVs contain the detailed standards necessary for professional calibration of brightness, contrast, tint, sharpness, color levels and much more to meet local lighting conditions for both day and nighttime viewing. Settings are added to preset modes for easy access from your LG remote.
Clear Voice II Get audio the way it was meant to be heard. Clear Voice II enhances and amplifies the frequency range of the human voice to help keep dialogue audible when background noise swells. Infinite Sound What's a great picture without great sounds to match? Infinite Sound delivers an amazing listening experience with deep, rich bass to make the most of your entertainment.	Dolby Digital Dolby Digital lets you experience compelling 5.1-channel surround sound. And you can trust that you'll get the same great Dolby Digital audio quality no matter what you're watching--a DVD or Blu-Ray Disc, TV programming or downloaded content. Best of all, you can be confident that you'll hear the audio exactly as it was intended, because Dolby Digital is also used to create the soundtracks for movies and games.
USB 2.0 Now reliving that fantastic family vacation can happen in the comfort of your living room. Easily connect your external USB devices to enjoy JPEG photos or listen to MP3 files. This HDTV is also compatible with playing back DivX HD video files from a USB drive.	HDMI V.1.3 with Deep Color Make installation of any enabled device a snap. Get 10.2Gbps of bandwidth for deeper colors and more to take advantage of the best Full HD experience. HDMI V.1.3 connectivity lets you prepare yourself for tomorrow's technology today.
SimpLink Having a hard time keeping track of your remotes? With SimpLink, all your LG devices can be controlled with just one remote.	Smart Energy Saving With LG's Smart Energy Saving Features, you can conserve money and energy.

Key Specifications

Screen size: 42-inch class (42 inches diagonal)
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p Full HD)
Dynamic contrast ratio: 150,000:1
Viewing angle: 178 degrees horizontal/vertical
Response time: 2.4ms
Built-in tuner: ATSC/NTSC/Clear QAM
Audio output: 20 watts (10W x 2)
Speaker system: 2-way, 4 speakers
Dolby Digital decoder: Yes
Surround system: Infinite Sound
Input labeling: Yes
Swivel stand: ±20 degrees
VESA compliance: 600mm x 400mm
Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Connections

HDMI (version 1.3, HDCP): 3 rear, 1 side
Component: 2 rear
Composite A/V: 1 rear, 1 side
RF: 1 rear
PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1 rear
PC audio input: 1 rear
Digital audio output: 1 optical, rear
USB: 2 side
Ethernet LAN: 1 rear
Headphone out: 1 side
RS-232c input: 1 rear

Dimensions

TV without stand: 40.3 x 24.9 x 3.1 inches (WxHxD); 30.3 pounds
TV with stand: 40.3 x 27.4 x 10.3 inches (WxHxD); 33.9 pounds
What size TV should you get?

LG 2010 HDTV Comparison

Series:	LD350	LD450	LD520	LD550	LD650	LE5300	LE5400	LE8500	LX6500	PJ350	PK550	PK750
Models:	22-inch 26-inch 32-inch	32-inch 37-inch 42-inch 47-inch	32-inch 42-inch 47-inch 55-inch	32-inch 42-inch 46-inch 52-inch	47-inch 55-inch	22-inch 26-inch 32-inch 37-inch	32-inch 42-inch 47-inch 55-inch	47-inch 55-inch	47-inch 55-inch	42-inch 50-inch	50-inch 60-inch	50-inch 60-inch
Panel type	LCD	LCD	LCD	LCD	LCD	LED LCD	LED LCD	LED LCD	3D LED	Plasma	Plasma	Plasma
LED Local Dimming	--	--	--	--	--	--	--			--	--	--
3D Ready	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--	--	--
Resolution	720p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	720p	1080p	1080p
Contrast ratio	50k:1 dynamic	100k:1 dynamic	100k:1 dynamic	150k:1 dynamic	200k:1 dynamic	3mil:1 dynamic	4mil:1 dynamic	9mil:1 dynamic	8mil:1 dynamic	3mil:1 dynamic	3mil:1 dynamic	3mil:1 dynamic
Refresh rate	60Hz	60Hz	120Hz	120Hz	240Hz	60Hz	120Hz	120Hz	240Hz	600Hz	600Hz	600Hz
Response time	5ms	4ms	2.4	2.4	2	2.4ms	2.6ms	1ms	2ms	--	--	--
Netcast Entertainment	--	--	--			--				--	--
HDMI input	2	2	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	4
Component input (Y, PB, PR)	1	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	2	2	2
Composite input	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
PC input
USB port	1	1	1	2	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	2
MP3 and JPEG playback	--
DivX video playback	--	--	--							--	--
Ethernet	--	--	--			--				--	--
Wireless 1080p Ready	--	--	--			--				--	--
Energy Star	--	--	--	--	--					--	--	--
Series:	LD350 LCD	LD450 LCD	LD520 LCD	LD550 LCD	LD650 LCD	LE5300 LED	LE5400 LED	LE8500 LED	LX6500 3D LED	PJ350 Plasma	PK550 Plasma	PK750 Plasma

Learn More

Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience.

If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get.

Minimum size = Viewing distance/3
Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5

Product Description

The future of entertainment is broadband TV and the LD550 with NetCast Entertainment Access lets you tap into it today. Beyond the limitless possibilities of accessing movies, shows and info direct from the Internet, the LD550 gives you options like never before with Wireless HD capabilities, along with an array of LG innovations that will change your expectations about TV.

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful

Great picture + networking = total winner August 19, 2010

By Uluru II

This is my first HDTV, so keep that in mind - I was bound to be wowed by HD, no matter what the TV. But I really like this one. It has excellent specs (high contrast ratio, 2.7ms response time, 120 Hz) and a 'picture wizard' that seemed to do a great job in calibrating the picture settings. It supports the latest HDMI specs, and has some nice features like Real Cinema (which maintains film's 24 frames per second when watching a movie with a compatible source), and also the ability to tweak the settings of TruMotion, LG's image interpolation system.

Interpolation is what 'smooths out' video on HDTVs - it actually creates additional frames on the fly to fit between the existing frames of the source, and it's what can give HD material that documentary/soap opera quality. Sometimes that's desirable, but other times it just looks bad and cheesy. This TV has Low, High, and User settings for this feature. I was able to tweak the User setting to a good compromise, that smooths out some of the blur and 'judder' effect of normal video, but doesn't make it look artificial. There are lots of other settings to tweak, for audio (downmix preferences, dynamic range, etc.) and everything else. This brings up the user interface. The menu system on the TV is very user friendly, and graphically attractive. The remote control is one of the best I've used - it has just enough buttons, while being well-laid out and thin and light, and fits nicely in the hand. The 'arrow pad' to move left/right etc. has comfortable buttons and works well (remotes often screw that section up, for some reason, but not this one).

My favorite feature has to be the networking/Internet capability of this TV. When I bought this TV (at a store) it came with a free Wi-Fi USB stick, so it was a good deal, but be aware that on its own the wi-fi stick is an unreasonable $70-80, and you can't just use any old USB adapter, it has to be a special LG one - at least it seems to work very well and it's N or G capable. Or, you can also use the TV's wired ethernet port - even a 50' ethernet cable would be cheaper than the wi-fi stick. In either case I think it's well worth the cost to unlock the TV's networking capability. (***EDIT: I have recently seen the LG wi-fi sticks being sold at stores and on Amazon for around $35-45***) Built into the TV are the streaming Netflix interface, VuDu, YouTube access, and more, including Yahoo Widgets - this lets you access your Yahoo account and any associated widgets, like Twitter, weather info, stock feeds, whatever. I only really use Netflix and VuDu in this section, but it allowed me to eliminate my Roku box and remote. When you already have a computer or laptop in the room, the Yahoo Widgets thing seems a little superfluous - this TV is NOT a replacement for a computer with internet by any means, but for some people, being able to quickly check the local weather or movie showings, etc. on the TV could be valuable.

The best part about the networking feature is that it will let you stream media from any computer on the network. You just need to install some included Nero software - which, by the way, is actually small, un-bloated and simple, unlike any other Nero product - and voila, your PC is a media server. You designate a folder (or however many you want) to be your media folder, you put videos, music or photos in it, and you can access them on the TV. It really works well and it's very easy to do, literally just a few clicks of the remote. I found that even streaming a 1080p mkv file wirelessly from my PC worked fine and looked fantastic. There are a few caveats - for one, it only supports mp3 for music (why not FLAC, or iTunes format?). It supports a lot of video formats (mkv/mp4,avi, divx, and more), but not all of them, and even for supported formats it may be finicky with specific files. Usually, converting the file to another format will solve the issue and make it playable; this is annoying but it's only happened a few times out of dozens of videos, for me. Occasionally, fast-forwarding or reversing through a video streamed from your PC can be confusing and slow (you backtrack 15 seconds, hit play, and it plays about 2 seconds before where you started). This and the other issue could have everything to do with improper video encoding, and nothing to do with the TV, I don't know. But given that the TV will automatically update its firmware through the network, one might expect these bugs to be gradually worked out. Hopefully, they will even add support for more file formats with future updates; it's just a matter of adding more codecs to the firmware, which seems like it should be easy to achieve.

The styling of the TV is subtle and not cheap-looking, unlike some brands (*cough*Vizio*cough*). It's just a clean piano-black border around the picture, with a tasteful LED 'bar' light that stylishly fades from red to blue to indicate power. The stand is easy to assemble (just install some screws) and looks nice while supporting the TV adequately. The screen has a matte surface, so glare, while not totally eliminated, is not an issue. The typical buttons (power, channel, input) are on the right side, out of sight when viewing from the front. This TV has plenty of inputs - 4 HDMI, two component, two old A/V (the red, white and yellow kind), and normal cable input. It also has an optical audio output, which will let you consolidate all sources into one stream. This is great, because I no longer have to switch my AV Receiver between sources - cable, Blu Ray, VHS and Wii all go through the same input on my receiver.

There's only one feature I really miss - the ability to control my receiver volume from the TV remote. My old tube TV remote could do this, so why not this new juggernaut? Like all flat TVs, the built-in speakers on this one are adequate but not much more. You'll definitely want a home theater setup, or at least a simple receiver with a pair of speakers, to do the big, beautiful picture justice in the sound department. (BTW, Blu Ray looks stunning on this TV!)

I'm really quite delighted with the LG 42LD550. It's one of the few major products/appliances I've owned that met and exceeded my expectations, and I have to dig pretty deeply to criticize it. Even these criticisms are happily brushed aside, given how much I like everything else. My only regret is not splurging on the 46-inch version. :)

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45 of 48 people found the following review helpful

Enjoying TV, nice picture, great features. June 7, 2010

By Ferk V

Amazon Verified Purchase

TV is great for the type (LCD) and price. The picture is bright, good contrast, and very smooth. The menu/remote are very comfortable...overall the picture is very nice. Aesthetically, the TV looks great as well...no cheesy features or decorations. This is my first LG product and I'm very pleased with this set. Also added the wireless adapter ($70). The entire setup and interface are very intuitive. This is a kids TV and they had Netflix down in no time (even the 5 year old). My only wish would be a backlit remote control.

Only complaint at all is with shipping. It did not ship on time and there was no communication from the shipping company. Ultimately, I had to contact the shipper to make an appointment (was stated that they would contact me). Once I called them, they drove it over the next day (Saturday). All in all, still very pleased.

6 Comments |

262 of 307 people found the following review helpful

You are in for a big surprise August 13, 2010

By Frank O.

I bought this TV a few weeks ago after reading many nice reviews about it, and while it's nice, I found its features disappointing.

To start with the good part, this TV indeed looks great both on and off: its no-frills design is very elegant and will make it look good in every living room, its picture quality is amazing. I can't really comment on the sound since I don't have good speakers, but I'm not even missing them with the built-in speakers. Its TV-related functionalities and interface is also nice, with zillions of options to set the picture and sound to your liking.

However, the selling point of this TV is supposed to be the built-in software for online applications (called Netcast), and Netcast on the 42LD550 is a major letdown. At the time of this review LG doesn't have model-specific information on the Netcast features available, only a generic all-promises page with the fine print "features vary by model and product category". Now, Netcast in principle has at least three different video-on-demand services built-in, as well as internet radio, and many other great features -- but this TV has almost none of these included! (I'm using the latest software version, as it updates itself automatically.)

Netflix is included (that's the one extra star), and there is a dumbed-down version of Vudu, which only includes the movie rental features, but nothing else. (For example, there is no Pandora, even though it is included in the "real" Vudu application, it's only left out of the LG version). The rest are useless "apps" and a few selected Yahoo Widgets (all the good ones are missing, the best is probably Weather), Flickr, Picasa, Youtube and Twitter (twitter on a TV??), and that's pretty much it. But there is no Amazon On-demand, no TV On-demand, no internet radios, and I am listing only missing features that are available in some TVs with Netcast or Yahoo Widgets, but are not on this one.

Another (minor) quirk is that this "wireless-ready" TV requires an extra USB wi-fi adapter (LG AN-WF100) to actually go wireless. This is also made pretty clear in the specifications; the only problem is that it's not easy to find this adapter anywhere! (At the time I bought the TV it was only available from a third-party vendor through Amazon marketplace, and it wasn't cheap.) So if you want wireless, check first if this adapter is available.

At the end I'm not sure why would most buyers get this model. If you just want a sleek TV with great picture and sound, then there's no use paying for the internet-related features, and you can get a better or larger TV for much less money. It's perfect if you are considering buying a great TV with no internet features and a Netflix box - it may or may not save you money, but you get everything in one package, saving you the set-up or cable issues. But you may have cheaper options using a Netflix box, or if you already have a video game console, or by connecting your PC to your TV and using some media center software. If you expect all the bells-and-whistles from your internet-connected TV, then you have to get another model, because this one is really just a beautiful TV with a built-in Netflix box.

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