LG 22LH2000

The first thing that surprised me when I had the television delivered was the size of the box; the last new TV I bought was in the late 90s and the box was nearly as big as a garden shed. This one was only just bigger than a laptop case and was easily portable for one person – of course it’s a smaller television but maybe it is also an indication that the electronics companies are listening to people’s environmental concerns and cutting down on packaging ...
...top of a study shelf and the stand that came with it is easy to mount in seconds.

For the sake of saving some space, I had downsized from my old 28 inch set and size wasn’t really a prime consideration when I was trying to decide on the new model – as long as it wasn’t so small that I couldn’t see the screen. What I was concerned about was connectivity because I have a number of digital cameras that have HDMI connections, a VCR and ... more

The first thing that surprised me when I had the television delivered was the size of the box; the last new TV I bought was in the late 90s and the box was nearly as big as a garden shed. This one was only just bigger than a laptop case and was easily portable for one person – of course it’s a smaller television but maybe it is also an indication that the electronics companies are listening to people’s environmental concerns and cutting down on packaging materials? Anyway, weighing under 5kg, the unit easily sits on top of a study shelf and the stand that came with it is easy to mount in seconds.

For the sake of saving some space, I had downsized from my old 28 inch set and size wasn’t really a prime consideration when I was trying to decide on the new model – as long as it wasn’t so small that I couldn’t see the screen. What I was concerned about was connectivity because I have a number of digital cameras that have HDMI connections, a VCR and DVD player that connect via SCART and an S-Video to Composite Video output from my PC for when I want to use a second monitor. The 22LH2000 has 2 x SCART sockets (of which one is RGB), 1 x HDMI, 1 x Coax aerial, 1 x VGA monitor socket, an audio input and a set of Composite Video sockets.

For the sake of experimentation (and nothing else) I did try plugging my PC into the VGA socket and the TV functions perfectly well as a monitor, with a maximum resolution of 1360 x 760 pixels. The quality of the display was more than adequate – although a little less crisp than my Emprex monitor. I’m sure I could fine tune this if it was ever going to become a permanent arrangement.

Initial set-up was easy enough, with the TV handling most of it for me. It had no problem finding all the Freeview channels that I used to get on my set-top box (yes it has a built-in Freeview tuner) as well as the analogue channels. The DVD and Cameras were recognised instantly, as was the Composite Video signal from my PC. The only thing I had to intervene manually with was the tuning-in of my old PlayStation (PS1) that connects via the Coax aerial; even this was only a 2-minute job.

I have read reviews that slate these less expensive LCD televisions for their sound quality; I haven’t found this to be a problem. I played some music through it – via my PC – and at first the sound did get distorted at higher volumes but this was easily sorted out by experimenting with the settings in the Audio Menu. OK, it isn’t Hi-Fi but I have a hi-fi for that.

I am no expert on HD televisions so I am not going to go into how good the picture quality is; suffice to say, I am happy with it and I have had no problems. A true connoisseur might find something to criticise about it but I can’t. I do like the Picture Wizard that allows you to fine-tune the picture to the conditions in your room and I have made a mental note to learn more about this feature.

On the down-side, the 22LH2000 does feel cheap; not only because it is light, but the sockets and buttons, etc, don’t have that reassuring sturdiness that you find on some electrical goods (apple for instance). While I was moving my furniture round to accommodate the new set, I had to reposition it a few times and I noticed that the SCART cables were detached every time. I am assuming this won’t be a problem when it is in permanent situ.

In summary. I paid £250 for a 22inch LCD flat-screen TV. I knew it wasn't going to be the best model on the market because of the price, but I am very happy with it. 

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