Review LG-42PC55

This is the review of LG 42PC55. Hello, today  for a change I won't leave my summary until the end.  This TV, a 42 inch plasma is a
disappointment.  Although the price at under £800 for a 42 inch LG might initially appear attractive. 

It is short on quality and lacking in features.  But there is something even more sinister than that, that I would like to point out to you.  But more on that later.  

First up is the picture quality.  The picture resolution is 1024 X 768.  So this TV will not give you particularly good performance with high definition input.  Like the latest DVD players, all high-definition broadcasts such as is available from Sky and and the BBC.  The contrast ratio and brightness, whose specifications respectively 15,000:1 and 15,000 CDm2 is reasonable and would probably not disappoint when watching regular TV or playing a computer game. This TV uses, the in my opinion abysmal XD picture enhancement engine.  This system is not worth the ink on the specifications label. And other features like picture in picture are also absent.

These things in isolation would not necessarily make the TV, a bad buy, but at £800 there are lots of better bargains to be had.

The sound is basic with a capital B.  It has basic stereo speakers with 20 Watt RMS output.  And this TV, I can say with my head in my hands is is the first TV.  I have ever reviewed that does not even have a headphone socket.  Okay, you might say well how important really is a headphone socket, but I say.  It's just another annoyance.

Resisting the urge to give up now as I have a more important point to make at the end I will run through some of the features that this TV does have.

The  LG 42PC55 has an s video connection, a component video connection, av  inputs 2 HDMI inputs, and a measely 1 scart socket.  Sleep timer and on/off timer and a child lock.  The PDP is receptive to all the free view channels has an auto setup feature and is teletext and digital text compatible.

Generally speaking, please don't buy this TV unless the price drops by at least £100. 

Now to the reason that I bothered to write this review at all.  This TV is clearly much cheaper to manufacture than others with better specification and more features.  So why can this model be found in store and on websites being pushed as a great bargain.  Sure, there have to be good TVs and bad TVs, as with any product.  But my cynical suspicions are aroused when major retailers start touting this as a "bestseller" or "best buy".

This I believe is a perfect example of the recent return by electrical retailers to the unethical promotion of a device based purely upon how much margin there is rather than any real value to the consumer.  I will not name the retailers here, but a quick Google and you will find them.  There are many more genuine bargains to be had out there, even from the retailers who are promoting this black plastic tatt.

I strongly believe, especially with high value items where purchasers often have to save or take out a finance agreement to buy the products should be priced and clearly described  based on the true merit.  They could still make high margin on the higher value sets and they would be giving a genuinely decent service to their customer.  Unfortunately, many if not most retailers are opting to falsely promote TVs like this for a fast buck.