What Hi-Fi? Verdict
£500 very well spent, the 32LH5000 is another step towards LG ubiquity
Pros
- +
Good looks, fine finish
- +
extensive spec
- +
sturdy TV reception
- +
accomplished images from all sources
Cons
- -
Sound is the usual dog’s dinner
- -
some more expensive rivals offer even more detail and insight
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LG has been building something of a head of steam with its current LCD TVs range, most recently scoring the full five with the 42in version of this LH5000.
“If it can only put a consistent run of screens together, LG can enjoy the cachet of a Sony, a Panasonic or a Samsung” is an opinion regularly overheard around the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision executive water-cooler.
That's easier said than done, of course, as Sony, Panasonic and Samsung will testify.
Well-specified, fine performer
As far as the 32LH5000 goes, though, it's another LCD TV to be added to the ‘positive' column of LG's balance sheet.
Handsome and amply specified (1920 x 1080 resolution, four HDMI inputs, 100Hz motion processing, USB 2.0 socket for MP3, JPEG and DivX playback, for example), it's got a stack of showroom appeal.
The onboard tuners deliver stable, high-contrast images that handle the trials of rapid motion, dark or complex scenes, and broadcasts of questionable quality with equanimity.
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There's some coarseness to edges and some noise in wide-open scenes, but that's always the case when watching daytime TV. Colours are nicely judged, and contrasts are particularly impressive.
Standard-definition stuff via DVD is upscaled confidently, contrast staying enjoyable even if the LG isn't the last word in outright black depth.
There's plenty of detail on display, motion is described with great security, skin-tones (and the rest of the colour palette) are neutral and natural.
1080p images look good
As you might expect, 1080p/24fps images (in this case the ultra-vivid Watchmen) look best of all.
The 100Hz TruMotion option gives tremendously smooth on-screen movement, edges are stable and the colour range is, again, beautifully judged.
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There's convincing three-dimensionality to images, and an intimacy to skin-textures that lesser screens can't replicate, although this LCD can be a tad short on subtlety sometimes.
‘Invisible' speakers help the looks, but the sound they make does no one any favours – sibilant and small-scale may be the TV norm, but that doesn't make it any more agreeable.
In all other respects, though, this is another in the burgeoning line of fine LG TVs.
