LG have a good reputation when it comes to listening what consumers want and the 42SL9000 is a prime example. The SL9000 series has been built with you in mind; from Bluetooth support to the huge selection of connectivity options, this HDTV is certainly one to watch.

On top of the standard connections, there’s also a USB port providing the ability playback formats such as JPEG, MP3, MP4, DivX and more. The new Borderless SL9000 series has been built to deliver a combination of looks and functionality and this range certainly doesn’t let you down. The fabrication process gives the set a very minimal, yet modern, feel. Although the TV comes with two remote controls in the box (basic/full featured) it can be controlled through a range of buttons located on the side of the set. LG certainly have catered for the all events.

The 42SL9000’s menu system is a real joy to use. First time users will be impressed with the clear and simple navigation, whilst experts will find enough options to keep them tweaking for hours on end.

The onboard picture wizard provides a fast and effective way of setting up all your preferences with a few simple clicks of the remote. Preferences can be saved to memory which means that any changes you make can be easily rolled back. Inputs can also be tagged i.e give it a meaningful name such as ‘DVD’ – the inevitable scrolling through the menu to find your games console because you can’t remember the port you connected is no more.

The 42SL9000 LED TV also comes with an eco-saving mode design to cut down on power consumption. Nothing new but definitely a welcome addition. At this point, the only weak spot on the TV is the EPG. It can be quite difficult to see where you are in the schedule. This isn’t a flaw as such; it’s due to the huge number of channels being presented by the built-in Freeview tuner.

The SL9000 has been designed for simple set-up straight out of the box. Tuning is the television is simple as it’s automatic and any updates require and pulled down in a flash. The HD images aren’t the best on the market but for the price it’s pretty impressive – clear images with a succulent range of colours and shades. The 100Hz motion controls is more than capable of producing very good results during fast moving sports games and action movies. The frame rate did produce a few blurs but this was a very rare occurence. We still 200Hz technology but for the price, the SL9000 is up there with some of the best alternatives.

As you may already know, the LG 42SL9000 is an edge-lit LED TV and this technology helps to deliver some stunning imagery. The LED’s give you a pretty decent range and depth of blacks but, unfortunatley, it can’t compete with the likes of the KDL 46X45000. There was some light visible at the edge of the frame but this was only evident during the programme credits. The only minor issue we could find with the SL9000 was the audio output. Playback of external sources over the HDMI cables did result in a loss of synch between video and audio output. Once we turned off the TV’s audio enhancements this annoyance simply disappeared.

Audio is not the best but for the price it’s more than enough to keep the bargain hunters happy. Final thoughts For the price, the SL9000 provides an excellent combination of style and performance. It’s not cheap but, then again, LG’s new breed of LED TV’s provide a viable, and extremely capable, alternative to the more costly flat screens currently on the market. Sound syncing from the external sources was an annoyance but the work around, although not ideal, fixed the problem. Top marks for the 42SL9000 LED TV.

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