Customer Reviews

LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm generally happy with the TV for the price I paid. It's a big, entry level 1080p model so I wan't expecting too much. The limited inputs don't matter to me since I run through an AVR first and the casual observer probably won't care about my major gripe (see below).

Pros:
Great price for a 47" 1080p
Advanced color correction software
Esthetically pleasing

1 BIG Con:
The panel lottery! There is a big gap in the quality you can expect out of the picture depending on the panel you end up getting (you can check which panel you have by shining a flashlight through the grill on the back). I ended up with a Chi Mei panel (CMO) which is one of the cheapest panels you can put into a TV. What kills me is that increasingly, manufacturers are using 1 set of components for the 1st run off the line, then switching to cheaper components (without changing the model number) after cNet, Amazon and the blogosphere at large sing the praises of the first run. Sony was sued in a class action for this garbage.

From what I've gathered around the internet, no less than 3 panels have been used in this model and it DOES make a difference.

I did a true side by side with an "off-brand" 3 year old 720p Olevia (which this was replacing).... Brighthouse HD cable-box into both using HDMI, factory defaults. Anecdotally, I can say that the Olevia had much more detail in the black levels. I thought it was impossible, so I tweaked the LG as much as I could using different modes/advanced options and I could not get the same level of detail in the dark areas as the Olevia. Blacks were either gray and blocky or completely black.... no in between.

My jaw dropped when I watched the ending credits of a show with extremely fast horizontally scrolling credits (white sans-serif text on a black background). On the Olevia I could read every word but on the LG, it was a looooong blur. I could only read the words when I forced my eye to track the words as they flew by and even that was a challenge. The Olevia had originally listed its response time as 8ms (did I mention 3 years ago?!?!?), while the box this thing came in said 5ms. NO WAY. Maybe when the model was orginally released (with top-shelf components), and filed with the FCC and reviewed everywhere online... but there is no doubt in my mind that the "off-brand" 3 year old 720p OLEVIA handles motion better than this brand new LG.

Granted I'm not using scientific methods or precision measuring equipment. This is just how I'm seeing it. I really wanted to love this TV but right now I think in order to get what's on the box/in the specs, you have to buy the newest model.

I understand that there are times when a manufacturer has to change component suppliers, but I feel the industry as a whole is effectively baiting and switching to increase their bottom line. Lesson learned.

I replaced another brand with this set. The last brand had issues working with my pc. It was very fussy about settings for the display. With this set, everything is smooth. I was told LG's are well suited for use with pc's. I was hesitant, since this set was quite less expensive than the one it replaced. Well, the picture is just as good, and it certainly is more pc friendly. Can't comment on the sound. I don't listen to the TV speakers. 6 months and glitch free. It also has analog out,
which is a nice addition to the digital out. I like the remotes uncrowded layout. The power switch on the front of the TV is nice. You wouldn't even realize it was there, and the power on glow is very dim, never drawing attention. Very pleased with my purchase.

When they first made this TV and when every profession review of this TV was made, it was an awesome TV. Then without telling anyone, LG switched panels from their own LG made high quality IPS panel to a AUO non-IPS middle of the road panel. It was still a good TV, but not close to the earlier ones. Then right before I bought this TV, LG switched out the panels again to a very low quality, bottom of the barrel Chi-Mei panel. Bad colors, bad blacks, smearing, ghosting, and bad response time. The original panel had bad blacks as well, but excellent colors and one of the lowest response times for a TV with no smearing or ghosting.

Don't buy this TV expecting a high quality TV like the profession reviews say. Only buy this expecting cheap low quality TV. The only way to tell what panel you have is to shine a flashlight through the back grills of the TV and look for a sticker that says LG, AUO, or Chi-Mei.

I can't comment on the sound quality as I've only had it hooked up to my PC so far and I used my PC speakers.

I purchased this TV recently as an upgrade from my smaller and 3.5 year old LCD TV. This one is definitely a step in the right direction. The deciding factors for my purchase of this TV would be 1. it doesn't contain true motion technology. (that technology's appearance has always bothered me. yes, i read that it could turned off with the simple push of a button, but why spend an extra $200 for something that i'm just going to turn off?) 2. The price. I paid $775 which is pretty fantastic for the brand and quality (thus far).

The TV is extremely light weight for the size, which is greatly appreciated. The setup is a breeze. The expert picture setup is a nice option and very helpful. And finally having an Energy Star TV is a huge plus as well.

Now as for the picture, I use DishNetwork, a Bluray player, and an HDDVD player. I do not use HD Satellite, which I will remedy eventually, BUT I will say that the picture while watching TV is "heavenly". It seems bright, slightly washed out, some colors are very bright.. others, not so much. Yes, i've played around with the settings as much as humanly possible (the expert setup is amazingly simple and helpful). My only conclusion is that this must be caused by the Satellite Receiver's output, but I will say that I did not have this problem on my previous television. On the other hand, when I watch a DVD, Bluray, or HDDVD the picture is well worth it. The 50,000:1 contrast ratio isn't the highest available, yes, but it is still noticeably darker than my last television. It really adds a nice element when watching a movie. The refresh rate isn't the best as well, but I don't notice any blurring during action shots.. and honestly, i'd much rather have the 5ms refresh rate over that "soap opera"/paper cutout technology that seems to be everywhere nowadays. Conclusion, I got exactly what I wanted with the picture of the TV. For the price, definitely worth it.

Sound, I couldn't tell you. I run all of my sound through an Onkyo 7.1 surround sound system. The TV does include a digital optical output, which is a great plus for those who want to run a clean looking and sounding system. I figure most people will, or eventually will, run this through an exterior source.

Overall, a great buy. Not the thinnest or most attractive TV on the market, but it's still clean. I dig it. The price for the brand really makes this purchase for me. Hopefully this will be helpful for future buyers!

Loved watching the super bowl on the large screen, picture quality was great. The only time I notice a difference between the 60 hertz and the newer 120 hertz televisions is during basketball games. For the price you cannot go wrong.

I purchased this TV after my long time RCA 32" tired out. Initially, I was going to purchase a different LG 50" model, but after viewing the picture for some time, I realized that paying the $200 extra was worth every dime.

Firstly, set up is a breeze! Secondly, the picture and clarity is amazing! I love this tv, and I know that you will love it, too!

TV ran great with a nice 1080p picture, although the black levels were very off. I say 'ran' because after about 1.5 years of normal use the HDMI ports stopped inputting protected signals. Now my 680$ TV works over (LMFAO) component video only, because my HDCP chip appears to be fried. I can still stream from a laptop via HDMI, but it does not display normal protected sources such as PS3's so it is essentially useless. Do not buy LG under any circumstances, save a little more and get a Sharp or you will be buying a whole new TV in a year or two.

We tried this as a used rent to own model. My boyfriend and I are gamers and we do NOT recommend because the picture quality is terribly faded on movies and games. Black levels are muted and the whole of the picture quality leaves much to be desired for the price. Even trying to tweak the options, Lucas Arts and Square Enix titles which hold the standard for graphics quality come out dithered and pixelated. The progressive scan lacks for shooter games where real time POV mode is essential. The tv additionally has poor lighting. The stand wobbles and is not secure. (Making it necessary to buy a wall mount kit.)

The only positive I can say about this is that it has enough RCA jacks for two tertiary systems (DVD/game system or RCA converter and custom set up).

Go with a Samsung LN46C630 46" 1080p LCD HDTV w/blur reduction. The quality is amazing for the same price range.

I bought this LCD in December of '09. I ended up narrowing down to the 46" inch range due to size limitations of where I was putting this (replacement for a large rear-projection that was built-in to a wall and I wanted to build this into that spot). First and foremost, I wanted great picture quality and wanted to stay in a set budget. This LCD hit the mark and its size sealed the deal.

I have used this TV for over a year and have played just about every format of video on it (everything except video games). It has had no problem displaying a beautiful image. Blacks are black and the panel has no problem keeping up with Blu-Ray. This was a great purchase and has led to an addition of another 2 LG TVs to the house.

This is the first HDTV I have ever purchased. It certainly won't be the last. I thought I would have to buy a new stereo system to go with it, but the speakers are incredible. The picture is awesome, as well. Shipped quickly, and was easy to set up. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't "agree" with some of the settings on my cable box. Think it's more the fault of the cable box, and I still get all of my HD channels on the settings that do work.