Customer Reviews

LG Infinia 42LV5500 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED-LCD HDTV with Smart TV

5 star:		(163)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Update 7/6/11: Firmware update 4.0.11 adds hulu plus. This will be of interest to some users.

Pros:
Nice large crisp picture
Huge number of picture adjustments
Low Power consumption
Includes Wireless Network Adapter that can act as a router
Viewing angle

Cons:
Not many apps
Had to configure for best image quality for movies
Auto back light becomes annoying (disable it)
Some light bleeding is noticeable on black backgrounds with white text.

Bottom Line:
Nice TV. Remote is easy to use, controls are intuitive. It offers a huge number of picture adjustments for calibration purposes. Lots of inputs, and nice slim design.

The image is nice and sharp (and not overly sharp). Browse the internet review sites to find some values for setting image parameters up for best image quality (or at least a starting point). The "Cinema" mode isn't bad if you turn off the auto back light (this feature turns the back light off for dark scenes, but it is noticeable on this TV model as it is a global back light. The more expensive models have a localized back lights that might be less noticeable.

Power consumption with the back light at max is about 115 watts (nominal) and about 30 watts with the back light off (measured with my Kill-A-Watt). So even though this is a 46.9" TV, the power consumption is less than my older 32" LCD TV that used a fluorescent back light instead of an LED light. Plus it is a lot slimmer because of it.

Wireless network was really easy to setup. I plugged it in, entered my network settings, and was connected immediately. The software/apps are a little slow running, but the Internet stream seems fine (I only have a slow 1.5 mbps connection).

This TV also has a great viewing angle, better than many LCD TVs and nice in a room where you need a wide range of viewing angles.

Hopefully the selection of Apps improves soon. At least it does have Netflix and a couple others, but the number of total Apps I saw measured only a couple dozen.

I felt the default image quality mode wasn't really suitable (but it was in part due to the poor Harry Potter transfer). I still felt I had to make a few adjustments to it though. What I do like is that each input has its own configuration (i.e. you can have different configurations for HDMI and the TV, etc).

Since this isn't an edge lit LCD it doesn't have too many bright spots around the edge, but I still notice some white that will show through sometimes when there is a black background with white text.

Since it is running an operating system you get issues of things with operating systems. Apps aren't available immediately after startup (but the picture from the tuner is available immediately), it might take 30 seconds or so before you can launch the Apps. I also had a random reboot (just once). On the plus side is you can get firmware updates with new functionality, bug fixes, etc.

Overall it is a good TV with very nice image quality. The box that it comes packed in is relatively small (nice if you have to transport it by smaller car), and everything seems well thought out.

See my uploaded pictures. I selected this TV based on size and the good picture I saw on this model at Sears. Purchased from Amazon after price shopping. UPS delivered a slightly scuffed up shipping box. The shipping box said it had the AUSYLJR panel. I compared the LG web site contrast ratio to the two different Amazon stated contrast ratio and none agree. Installing the base with eight screws was easy. After my DW assisted me in carefully lifting the TV to the top of my dresser I was ready for the smoke test. But first I noticed a small factory nick on the frame under the protective sticky tape. One star deduction for this blemish. On power up the set went into a simple set up mode but I was stopped cold when it first wanted to scan OTA channels. I hooked up some powered rabbit ears and let it automatically do it's thing. Once that was done I switched the input to an HDMI cable from my cable box and all looked good. It was quite easy getting a WiFi connection. All I had to do was enter my Linky password. Then I clicked on Netflix and got an authorization message. Meanwhile the TV started updating its software which took maybe 10 minutes. After it rebooted I discovered that it erased my Linky password so I entered that again. Now for the Netflix test.

I selected the documentary Restrepo, hooked in my headphones and began the Netflix test. Immediately I was blown away by the video and audio quality I was watching. Trust me. It was outstanding ! !

Second day impression:

The few free LG apps are a joke.
The Facebook app is not very good compared to the Facebook PC web site.
The TV broadcast image seemed a lot darker than I liked so I turned off the energy saving mode which solved the problem.
I noticed that when my cable DVR, in pause mode, went to a black screen with a small moving screen saver image there was a less black area around the moving image.
The Amazon price just dropped on this model. Amazon then agreed to match their new lower price - one time only.

First week impression:

The LED lighting slightly leaks through the air vent holes on the back of the set.
This LG TV is still displaying an outstanding picture but I'm not much a fan of LED TVs. I prefer my older Samy 650 LCD only model in my TV room.
This TV was assembled in March 2011 and sold to me by Amazon in April 2011.
Amazon seems to change the price up and down on this TV nearly everyday.
The LG shipping box goes to trashman today because I'm keeping my baby.

Second week impression:

Discovered that you don't need to install any LG supplied software to easily play mp3's or see jpg's that are located on any of your local network's computers.

Picture quality is great. This is a matt screen and that's a big plus for me. Speakers/audio is acceptable. That's where it stops. The Smart TV and other features which were the main draw for me, are unsatisfactory and poorly executed.

The "Intelligent Sensor" to adjust pic brightness is a bit of a joke - it merely reduces it to the lowest level possible; nothing intelligent about that.

The Netflix streaming app works fine, and is pretty much the only one that works as expected; although it would be nice if LG had streamlined and standardized the menu choices for adjusting picture aspect ratio and video brightness presets (not available from within the app).

The YouTube app is complete garbage.

Hulu: I saw "Hulu" in a lot of the advertising materials but there is no app for it. You can access it via the Plex media server app, (which requires you to have the server running on your connected computer), but the menu steps you have to go thru to get to the show you want are so tedious I gave up, and continue to watch Hulu shows on my laptop. Much simpler. Which brings me to:

The BIG negative! The built in browser is useless without Flash. The LG brochure clearly indicates it does not support Flash Player 10 which is fine. That suggests it comes with an older version of Flash. It appears to come with Flash 9.x according to multiple version-check sites, but I haven't been able to get it to work, Even on LG or Adobe's site.

The menus for setting favorite channels are also tedious and not intuitive at all. There is an Add/Delete button on the Quick Menu - I haven't been able to figure out what it is supposed to do. There are LG "apps" (horoscopes was the latest addition) but their purpose seems mainly to allow LG to brag it has this and that feature without being called out for false advertising.

Overall, I think I paid a premium for nothing special. Since the bells and whistles don't work, or are so poorly designed as to be useless, the proper comparison is with a regular 42" plus the cost of a Rokio or other Netflix device. If you can get this TV for a price that is comparable to that combo, this model is worth it, but not otherwise.

LG's Answers forum (questions answered by LG) - four/five days since I asked how to fix the browser Flash issue, and my question hasn't gone live, much less answered. Which is what promoted me to post this review here on Amazon.

Update Sep 26,2011: Lot's of other issues that have made this "Smart TV" frustrating to use except as a basic TV. I will just mention the most important ones: What's so difficult to understand about QWERTY keyboard layout? It's standard, universal and even a child knows where one letter is in relation to another. Relocating letters arbitrarily and making it harder to find and use is incompetent design. The latest software update - version 04.01.30 - not sure what it fixed but now I get a "Software update available and updated" message on turning it on but the premium panel on the Home screen says "software downloading" and I have to go to the full premium screen to pick the service I want.

I'm now wondering if I should pay $120 for the LG 5 yr service plan or just chalk this up to a bad decision and sell it for whatever I can get and move on. I could stick it in another room down the road to drive guests crazy.

*Updated 7/9/11*

I've had this TV for about 4+ months now. The strongest feature is the picture quality which I would hope is also your number one priority. I find the blacks to be deep and the colors saturated and bright. For those that are wondering, the 55" version of this series is LED edge-lit. There are plenty of options for a video-phile to get right down and tweak the heck out of the display, but most people will be blown away with just the Standard picture setting. One gripe is that I'm not convinced you can truly disable Dynamic Contrast. Even with it, "Disabled" I will catch it doing an unnecessary dimming in low-light scenes. I'm still on the fence with Tru Motion. I mostly leave it off. It's just a little too jarring for my brain right now. I was raised on 30/24 FPS. You'll see what I mean (And learn what the, "Soap Opera Effect" is). Smart TV is a nice diversion. You can browse the web, Facebook, etc. But take note that at this time they do not offer Pandora as an app which is a tremendous letdown. There is also no support for an external keyboard - so have fun navigating the web with the Magic Motion remote! (/endsarcasm) I find myself using Media Link frequently. Media Link is essentially Plex running on your TV. You just need to have Plex running on any Windows/OSX computer on your network and your computer will stream right to the TV. It's a great feature and is a tremendous piece of software. As a side note, LG includes a Wireless N adapter unlike Sony who makes you buy it separately for $100. Physically, the TV is very light and slim. The bezel isn't the thinnest I've ever seen, though, if that matters to you. The Magic Motion remote is only OK. It's nothing like a Wii remote. You'll find yourself constantly resetting it because the pointer floats off its original center point in a matter of seconds. I ended up using the normal remote mostly. Sound-wise, the sound/speakers are pretty low-end. They make noise and you can hear stuff, but that's about it.

All in all, this TV excels where a TV should excel: Picture quality. Go to your local retailer and see for yourself. I actually bought this TV based on what I saw with my own eyes. Despite some minor gripes, I feel confident recommending it to anyone on the market for an LED LCD that is fairly budget-friendly.

My Wishlist so far:
1. Not offering Pandora as a Premium App is inexcusable these days. It's the first app I looked for and it's really the only one I care about. And along those lines...
1a. ...If you're playing your iPod through the TV (Stereo mini-plug) to send to your receiver via the TV's Optical-out, the TV thinks there is no signal then shuts itself off automatically after a few minutes, effectively killing your iPod signal.
2. Add TruMotion to the quick menu. It's a very situational feature. I'd love to be able to just enable/disable without digging through the menu.
3. Would like to see release notes for updates.

I just received my LG 42LV5500, which is a major upgrade from a 32" Samsung LCD I was using. My sole purpose for purchasing a larger TV, especially an LED one, was due to a demo I saw at one of my local retailers for this set. I was floored by the demo because of the incredible visual quality for Blu-ray and HD gaming. I didn't purchase it from the retailer as I was debating between this one and the Samsung UN40D6300. In the interest of saving some money, I went for the LG which has comparable video quality and features to said Samsung LED.

I wised up and waited on a good deal. Amazon provided a deal that I pulled the trigger on and I am satisfied with the fact that shipping was free, no state mandated electronics disposal fee, and of course no tax.

Sure I had some concerns about delivery, specifically will the delivery people mess it up? Fortunately, UPS was my shipper, and they were very professional and courteous to ensure safe and proper delivery to my home. So thumbs up to Amazon and UPS for flawless delivery.

I will say that if you're transitioning from a smaller LCD TV to something of this caliber, it will take some getting used to. In my case, it was with LG's "TruMotion" feature. I used Tron Legacy as my Blu-ray test, and it looked fantastic. Also, to assuage any apprehension from fellow gamers out there, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Mass Effect 2, L.A. Noire, and Red Dead Redemption were used for my visual tests. Don't worry boys and girls, you won't get buzz-killed if you go with this LED TV. Red Dead Redemption in particular looked very stunning.

The reason why I said "TruMotion" took some getting used to was because it makes Blu-ray movies and HD Games look like you're in a vivid acid trip. You can of course turn off the "TruMotion" feature, as this TV has a "picture wizard" which walks you through different display types and criteria that will help you find what works best for you. The "picture wizard" uses what I've likened to a "powerpoint" presentation to walk you through the display set up process. It took me about five minutes to find my optimal setting.

TV audio on this to my surprise was pretty darn good. I have this setup in my living room. Compared to other LED TV's, I thought the sound on this transmits the best in comparison to Samsung, Toshiba, and Vizio...ESPECIALLY Vizio (Or should they be called, "Vizi-NO"). I plan to augment my setup with a soundbar in the near future, but for now it sounds really good as it is.

If you're a person who's into apps, I suppose this LED TV will fit the bill. My only knock on this (as with any TV manufacturer that has an app interface) is consider having a QWERTY keypad on the remote. Vizio managed to do that and do it well. But the set up for apps on this TV can be hell on your dominant remote thumb. A QWERTY keypad would have been nice instead of a Wii remote...err, I mean a "Magic Motion" remote.

This segues into network connectivity. I have no problem since I have it hard wired from my router. It does come with network USB adapter so you can connect wirelessly. But I kind of found this to be a pain in the rear as it took me three to four tries to get the network adapter to recognize my access point. I would suggest a direct connect from your access point to get you the best results.

In closing, I think LG did a fantastic job with the 42LV5500. Amazon had a good deal, and delivery was safe and flawless for me.

This is my first large screen HDTV purchase and I had a list of requirements that had to be met. It had to play a plethora of video codecs natively (so no need for a Blu-ray player) and formats (mkv, iso, avi, xvid etc..) and the viewing angle and picture quality had to be terrific (as in better than comparable models from the last few years). This TV certainly met my lowest requirements and was within my budget. My main video sources are over-the-air HD channels, HD mkv files off of my computer, and video content off of the apps the TV comes with.

Pros:
-Very thin frame. As with all LED-LCD frames, these TV's are just a few millimeters thick. It also takes very little energy.
-Great picture quality. No complaints here. I turned off Tru-Motion and did some calibration and it looks terrific. Absolutely comparable to Sony and Samsung with the right settings. There is some grainy-ness if you get really close up while watching over-the-air HD but this is the case with every set I've seen, whether LED or Plasma.
- While this feature isn't really advertised, 2011 LG Smart TV's come with "Plex" compatibility. Plex is a server you install on your computer and you can stream video/audio/pictures over wifi or wired LAN. It is MUCH better than DLNA in every way. I only use the Plex server, never DLNA anymore because the graphical interface is so much better and the stream connection seems to be more reliable. Plex will pretty much play every video file you throw at it in any resolution (MKV, AVI, ISO, XVID, even uncompressed BD-rips). There are some issues currently with DTS audio in anything other than 2 channel stereo however.
- I believe every unit comes with an IPS panel. There is no more panel lottery anymore with this model at least. Google 'IPS' panel for more info on that if you are unfamiliar.
-Magic Wand Remote. This TV actually comes with 2 remotes. One standard one that has a built in backlight and is laid out very nicely (big buttons). The second remote that comes with this TV is called the "Magic Wand Remote" and it's basically like a Wii-mote. It's a Bluetooth remote that you move to move an on-screen cursor. This makes typing on the on-screen keyboard easy and navigating through menus a breeze.
- Wi-fi is standard. This model comes with a wi-fi adapter standard, so you don't have to buy one. The TV also has a LAN (ethernet) port if you wish to go wired.

Cons:
-The biggest con for me isn't really a problem specific to this set, but wi-fi streaming in general. I have tried to stream 1080p MKV's that are 8-12 GB and above and my 802.11n LAN can't do it without buffering the video every minute or two. I have found that the biggest factor in whether or not a file buffers or plays smoothly over wi-fi is file size. My wireless connection is strong and there's no interference or distance issues. It's just not possible to send huge HD files over most wifi LAN's and have it play back without some buffering, which makes certain files unwatchable. With that said, anything under 5 GB (even HD MKVs) stream perfectly using Plex with no buffering and you have the ability to turn on the subtitles. A lot of the smaller MKV's that work for me still look great in HD (comparable to Blu-Ray). My next step will be to see if an external harddrive directly connected to the USB port on the TV would eliminate buffering. I will also try and get a better internal LAN speed with my N network as that is the main culprit in my buffering. I will update when I try this in the future.
-The speakers on this TV are terrible. I guess when you have a really thin TV you can't put anything better than oversized laptop speakers. Right out of the box, I thought the speakers were broken, they sounded so tinny and distorted, like they had blown out already. After tweaking the sound settings a little they sounded much more reasonable, but they are still very soft and you have to crank it up a lot. This is one area where CRT TV's trump the new flat screens. To truly enjoy this set, I would at least get a sound bar. Almost any external speakers would be an upgrade here.
- The YouTube app from LG (and for that matter the Plex YouTube app also) are useless. You can't view channel pages, you can't find specific videos and you can't watch live YouTube streams. You are pretty much subject to whatever they want to put up when you search for something and to make matters worse the app is VERY slow. I have a 12 MB internet connection and the TV is in the same room as the router, so the loading of whatever random video it gives you is fast but the app itself is unusable. With that said, once you actually get a 1080p YouTube video playing they look outstanding.
- All other apps in general are cumbersome and feel like they are in beta mode. Don't get this TV if you are interested mainly in internet connectivity and features. The built in browser is slower than dial-up and has no flash support. Plex has additional plugins comparable to the LG apps but they don't work either. Plex is best used as a server only but they may improve over time regarding their plugins (apps). FYI on the TV itself Plex is accessed through an app called "MediaLink".
-There is a tiny bit of flashlighting now and then but not really enough to complain about. There is no clouding that I have seen and very little edge light leakage (a good thing).

The only other thing I will mention is that this TV may have locked down functionality. I was reading through AVforums' user impressions of this TV and at some point in an earlier firmware version, apparently this TV had local-dimming settings which would lead me to believe it may not be an edge-lit LED. Don't take my word for it, I don't really know. There may also be built in DVR functionality if you hook up an external hard drive (which once again apparently disappeared with a firmware upgrade). None of these things are advertised and are features in international versions of this model. You can research more on that on your own but it's not really a pro or a con, just something to ponder.

LG's 2011 55LV5500 model is priced enough under Sony and Samsung's comparable LED-LCD's to take a good chunk of the market away from them. I was set on a Samsung or Sony but after researching this model and getting a great deal from another website, I went with the LG 55LV5500 instead and I am pleased. We'll have to wait and see if I get the longevity of a Sony TV. I give this TV 4 stars, with the major flaw being broken internet apps.

This is a preliminary review that I will probably update later.

I had the LG 42LE5400 before and that thing developed a vertical line after 60 days. Ever since then, I have been searching for a nice TV with better or equivalent features. This TV takes the cake. Higher contrast ratio, internet dongle included, IPS panel, virtually no flash-lighting, cool wand remote, netflix,...

So far so good. Only time will tell how much I like this TV or hate it. :)

BTW, I got this for $699 w/out tax, almost $800 with tax, (a steal) in CA so you can use this as a price point if you decide to get it.

Update:

After about 4 months, I'm loving this TV. I use it primarily for gaming and movies. There is no flash lighting at all! Anything in HD looks awesome on the IPS panel. The "gaming" preset is awesome as it virtually eliminates any input lag from post-processing.

This is probably the best deal on a 55-inch LED TV for the price. Initially, I was going to buy the cheapest, largest LCD TV I can buy but I ended up buying this one because for 55-inch LED TV, this is cheaper than most LCD TVs plus the smartTV option was great for me since I don't really watch much real TV but I need my Netflix working.

Got my TV, hooked up the LG wifi USB stick, connected to Netflix within seconds and my kids were watching their favorite kid's movies off netflix and we still have no cable!

The TV is super thin, uses less energy than any other TV on the market, and the picture quality is great plus the screen is 55-inches, lovin' it. I used to have a 46-inch but this 55-inch is definitely a great addition to my home.

I know Hulu is coming soon through software update and when that comes my TV will be even better.

For those of you looking to spend around $1200-1400 on the biggest TV you can afford, this is definitely it.

And also I don't need 3D yet and this is good since it's not added to the cost of my TV, I rather wait 2 more years for that when 3D prices come down.

Overall, this is the best 55-inch LED TV you will find anywhere, great prices, and forget all those smaller 42 or 46 inches with 3D unless you are a 3D freak.

Just recently bought this TV from Best Buy on sale (with a free XBox 250GB unit). Initially wanted a 3D TV but after an instore demo, decided against it. This TV is a great alternative. Great picture, nice and crisp, and an easy setup. A minor drawback is that it does NOT have built in WiFi, but rather comes with a WiFi dongle which was easily setup and connected without issues. Other drawback is, that contrary to what Amazon's description says, this TV does NOT have Pandora available on it. Even Pandora on their own website does NOT have ANY LG TV with Pandora accessibility. I enjoy Pandora and was disappointed that I couldn't have it on this TV, but it's not a deal breaker. As long as I have a decent crisp and clear picture, then I am quite content. The internet apps it does have are nice and a good change from just a regular TV with nothing more than a fancy picture. If you want a good started LED-LCD TV, this one is for you....inexpensive ($1249 @ Best Buy) and an easy setup

I bought this TV in part because it had a built-in web browser. Great, now I can stream all my Internet video content to straight to the TV and free up the PC that's next to it, right? Wrong. The built-in browser does not support Flash or HTML 5, so it can't stream video through the browser. That leaves you with only the built-in Apps (Netflix, etc.), which is nice and all, but I was really hoping this TV would let me out of LG's walled garden. It won't. Very disappointing.

Oh yeah, picture quality is good. See reviews above.

Sound quality of built-in speakers is ok. As other have noted, it would have been nice to have an analog audio out (RCA connectors)so that audio could go straight to older stereo amplifiers. Instead this TV gives you just the digital (optical) audio out.