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Quick Take: LG LV4400 series

The LV4400 series is a budget LCD range that forgoes extraneous features for a 120Hz mode and an LED backlight.

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury

When it comes to budget screens with lounge-friendly sizes, LG has got things covered.

The company offers a number of TV between 40 and 50 inches for under a thousand dollars, with the 42LV4400 in particular proving quite popular with CNET readers.

The LV4400 is a LCD series that includes an LED-backlit LCD panel. It features a piano black bezel and a fairly understated look. Features are a little light-on, but if you're looking for a simple TV without all of the gumpf associated with more-expensive models--"smart TV"? That's what a Roku is for! And 3D? For shame!

Given that it doesn't have smart TV, you also miss out on the Magic Motion remote, which is one of our favorite peripherals for television navigation.

Furthermore, the 42LV4400 is a step down the ladder from the LV5500 we reviewed recently and doesn't boast quite as many ticks on the check box: for example, the LV4400 has three HDMI ports instead of four and a single USB input. It also offers a much lower "dynamic contrast ratio," which are usually meaningless measurements, but indicative that there are differences between the TVs--whether this means a different panel or a dynamic "black" mode.

In light of the price difference, if you want to save $100 or so, the LV4400 could be a good deal, but for a little more money, the LV5500 gives you many more features and the potential for higher black levels and better picture quality.