LG 47LH90 Review

LG’s 47LH90’s strongest points are its black levels and color accuracy. While it lacks the interactive features in the Samsung’s LUXIA UN55B9000, it still has great power saving features, including being Energy Star rated. With a 240Hz refresh rate, a flurry of picture controls, and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the 47LH90 reproduces vivid images and color saturation. Much like Toshiba and Vizio LCDs, LG’s set uses a scanning backlight technology that actually increases the standard 120Hz technique of doubling a 60-frame signal with a backlight that flickers arbitrarily. This differs from Sony and Samsung’s technology, which uses a distinctive method to achieve the 240Hz refresh rate, quadrupling the original signal.

Note: LG 47LH90 shares the same features and performance as all models in LH90 LG LCD HDTV series. This review here is slightly shorter than the LG 55LH90 Review. If you want to find out a bit more about this model (especially about its features), feel free to consult that review.

Brief Specifications of 47LH90

• Resolution: 1080p (standard), 1920 x 1080 (exact)
• Panel type: LED Backlighting with Localized Dimming
• Contrast Ratio: 40000:1 (native), 2,000,000:1 (dynamic)
• 240Hz TruMotion processing
• THX Certified: YES
• Anti-glare filter: YES
• 24p cinema mode: YES
• Intelligent Room Lighting Sensor
• Energy Star 3.0 rated

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Black levels are intensely deep
• Anti-glare matte prevents lighting issues
• Beautiful 1080p picture
• Some of the best color accuracy on the market
• Plenty of inputs with PC input and 4 HDMI

Cons:

• Very poor viewing angles
• Lacking S-Video input
• Overall lack of interactivity features
• Absence of SD slot for image viewing

Features

The 47LH90’s LED backlighting is based on localized dimming. This feature gives the set the ability to dim or shut off certain parts of the backlighting throughout the screen, unlike sets by Samsung, including the 6000, 7000, and 8000 edge-lit LED LCD TVs. It allows the 47LH90 to retain a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. While LG’s LH50 series has interactive features, it remains the only set in LG’s 2009 LCD HDTV lineup that has any.

Black Levels

The 47LH90’s black levels beat out Samsung’s B7000, A950, and B750. But both Panasonic’s V10 or Sony’s XBR8 surpass LG’s black levels by several miles. While 47LH90 has excellent shadow detail, most plasma sets can easily defeat the LH90 series in that category as well.

Color Accuracy

The 47LH90 is easily one of the best sets in the industry for color accuracy. Samsung’s B7000, and Panasonic’s TC-P50V10 can’t touch the attention to detail the LG set brings to the table. Its grayscale alone achieves a consistent facsimile. However, plasma sets again win in saturation and depth of colors.

Video Processing

There is one feature that LG might consider changing in future lines, which stops users from shutting off its anti-blur effect without also stopping the dejudder processing. Many other brands don’t group the two features together. This feature can be found in Samsung’s B750 and B7000. The 47LH90’s 240Hz refresh rate is designed to stop blurring during motion onscreen.

Standard definition

With less artifacts and an overall more liquid response when set on Standard, the 47LH90 outperforms Sony’s dejudder modes. Its SD performance reduces noise at an acceptable rate and works well with 2:3 pull-down.

Glare and Reflections

The 47LH90 utilizes a matte screen that reflects illumination similarly to Sony’s XBR8. Samsung’s shiny screens or most plasmas glass screens can’t quite touch the reflective protection of the matte screen, though Samsung’s shiny screen keeps black-levels without fail.

Conclusion

With no interactivity, the 47LH90 hopes to make up for this with color accuracy and LED backlighting. It does provide connectivity options like an optical digital audio output, an RGB-style analog PC input, two component-video inputs, and USB port for digital photos and MP3 files. While its viewing angles can’t compare with Sony’s sets, its ISFccc capability lets users optimize the picture much easier.