JVC’s LT42E488 42″ LCD Television

JVC’s LT42E488 42″ LCD television, with stylish cosmetics, takes into consideration every feature the demanding digital customer is looking for now and for the future. It offers a 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 and a 178 Degree Viewing. This units connectivity takes into consideration todays digital world and includes an ATSC Tuner, Dual HDMI/HDCP Inputs, a NEW USB Photo Viewer and 2 Component Video Inputs.

The set was not only engineered to excite the most extreme audio visual enthusiasts, but also to influence the creative minds of the most discriminating home decorators.

The LT42E488’s 42-inch widescreen W-XGA (1366 x 768) LCD monitor provides high brightness, wide viewing angle, and a flicker-free high resolution picture. The ATSC/Digital Cable input makes connecting to an HD signal a breeze. A built-in ATSC tuner allows you to receive over-the-air digital terrestrial broadcasts. The Clear QAM tuner allows you to receive unscrambled Digital Cable signals.

The LT42E488 is equipped with dual HDMI/HDCP Digital Inputs that provide an uncompressed high bandwidth digital connection from any HDMI compatible device. This method of displaying digital signals allows for a noise-free, unaltered transmission of the digital content, and helps ensure you’ll be ready for the ever-increasing number of electronic components that are offering this dynamic interface. There’s a Smart Video input, 2 component video inputs, 2 S-Video inputs, and 3 AV inputs (1 side set). Output terminals include an optical digital audio output and a fixed audio output. A USB Photo Viewer lets you treat the family to a high resolution slide show of your latest photos by connecting your USB compatible camera.

Don’t expect a lot from this set when viewing analog SD cable programming. It will show up as granular images with scaling artifacts and noise a-plenty. Nighttime scenes are particularly noisy, and of course there is LCD “smear” on fast motion sports.

Things improve considerably with 480p sources, such as movies from DVD players. Since most of the heavy lifting is now being done outside the LT-42E488, picture quality is markedly better. Images are sharper, colors are more natural (except in deep shadows), and image contrast is improved.

The best quality is seen with 720p and 1080i HD content with very good renderings of flesh tone and color shadings. However, the problem with fast motion blur was still present, though. Furthermore,

The LT42E488 looks fantastic. But the sound is nothing to sneeze at, either. With dual oblique cone speakers, and 20 watts of total audio power, this LCD TV packs an audio punch. The built-in speakers were adequately loud enough for the average room, but their frequency range seem clipped, particularly at the low end. Mid-range and high frequency response was fine.

The advanced hyper surround uses technology to produce a surround sound effect using only the built-in speakers. Smart Sound takes some of the edge off of loud commercials so you don’t have to turn the volume down yourself. Volume Limit lets you do just that — set a limit to the volume of the set. Turn On Volume is also a great feature. You can set the LT42E488 so that the volume is the same whenever you turn the TV on, so you’re not blasted with sound when you hit the “power” button.

JVC’s LT-42E488 performed pretty much as good as expected for a $1,400 HDTV. It would be nice to have a few more user adjustments such as expanded color temperature choices and tighter grayscale tracking down to 20 IRE. A second RF input would be real handy for getting those off-air DTV signals not available on cable.

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