42 Inch LCD TV Pros & Cons to Consider Before Purchasing

Finding a 42 inch LCD TV is rather easy to do on the Internet; a plethora of sites carry this style. Reading as many reviews as possible for each brand and model is the most reliable way of determining which you should seriously consider purchasing. Once you choose the LCD 42 inch model you want, you may find it in your local big box store if buying online is too worrisome.

The lifespan of an LCD TV should be approximately 60,000 hours, or 7 years if left on 24/7. When reading reviews, keep uppermost in your mind that most 4 or 5 star ratings are given out of the box. A more trustworthy review is one wherein the consumer gives an honest opinion several months after purchase. The older model TV LCD 42 inch used fluorescent tubes to light the screen. Today's models use a bank of LED lights for backlighting. Direct backlighting is better because sections of the screen are capable of turning off giving much better contrast. With edge LED lighting, the entire screen is flooded with light with the use of mirrors that cannot be turned off to create better contrast.

Pixel response time is measured in milliseconds (ms), which can give some indication of the LCD's execution with fast-moving scenes; however, this is not always reliable. As 1080p is becoming the new norm, the smaller cheap TVs that were mostly 720p are now possibly in 1080p, so it all depends on how much you are willing to pay. Since there is very little content out there for 1080p, 720p makes works just as well and can accept 1080p content. The resolution is the prime consideration and it is dependent on the TV's on-board scaler. The big names usually have good processors capable of resizing the source content, no matter if it is Blu-ray, FTA, or DVD.

The reviews for the Sony KDF-E42A10 Rear Projection LCD (around $500) are great at the onset of purchase. After about 2 years, though, blue blobs appear all over the screen and/or the bulb burns out (over $100 to replace). Several of the reviews reported a class action lawsuit against Sony for this particular model.

The Hitachi L42A403-42" Alpha Series LCD TV-widescreen-1080p (FullHD)-HDTV has a great-looking narrow bezel, plenty of inputs, and is excellent with HDTV programs and Blu-ray; however, you can see light on the dark screen bleeding through from the bulbs in the upper corners. This is only apparent when the room is completely dark. This one sounds like a decent buy for under $600.

At $470, this RCA L42FHD37R-E 41.9" LCD HDTV just may be worth taking a risk. It sounds great and RCA has always been a top brand. After 40 days, a reviewer was still pleased with his purchase. This TV has all the bells and whistles with a great picture and simple interface. Without actually finding a review for a year or two down the road, careful consideration should be observed. The limited warranty of 3 months for parts and 3 months for labor leaves a lot to be desired. You can buy an extended warranty of 1 or 2 years, but the increased price rather defeats the purpose.

The LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV found for $493 appears to only have two issues and one that could be a deal-breaker unless you plan to install it at an angle on the wall of your bedroom. The picture is crisp and clear only when viewed straight on. Move outside of this in any direction and the picture becomes a gray/black blur. There are many more brand names, each with their pros and cons. Finding an LCD 42 inch TV for under $600 is definitely possible, but price/review comparison is needed to find the right one you can live with.