The LT-42 does not have any particularly special features; everything one needs for everyday viewing is present. The integrated tuner converts analog TV signals while two HDMI inputs deliver HDTV signals up to resolutions of 1080i. Unfortunately, this HD-ready TV cannot interpret 1080p signals.

One shortfall of the LT-42 is the lack of VGA connector - which most LCD flat-panel TVs have as standard - making the JVC set only suitable for PC interfacing if they are equipped with a digital video output such as DVI or HDMI.

The pixelated font rendered from the menu comes across a little antiquated and the design of the remote control is no better. There is, however, little to criticize about the overall operation. The labeling for backlight control is unfortunately named "Brightness-1" which can be easily mistaken for "Brightness-2" which is responsible for the brightness control. The focus control should have numeric control to simplify fine tuning.

The menu is not laden with adjustment possibilities and reacts quickly. Pleasing too is the channel-hopping feature which is incredibly responsive without time lag. Even the layout of the remote control buttons is exemplary, and given a little time, it can be operated blindfolded.

TV Picture Quality:
Even though the JVC does not have 100Hz LCD TV technology, motion picture quality is surprisingly good. Footballs shot from a corner kick traverse the screen without a trail, and stock-exchange tickers from news channels are rendered crisply. Of course, the A80SU cannot match the sharp definition of moving objects provided by a good Plasma TV, but this is true of all LCD screens.

Static imagery is, on the other hand, unnecessarily traced - on first view the image appears crisp and focused, but when viewed closely ghosting appears on outlines and edges. Fine details such as facial pores appear smudged if there is even a hint of motion.

Excellent picture quality can be attained if using the TV with a satellite receiver connected through the RGB SCART socket. However, the "Digi-Pure" picture filter should be switched off to prevent distinctive picture ghosting.

DVD Picture Quality:
When playing content via a DVD player connected to the HDMI interface, the JVC renders the content with an acceptable sharpness and fine details are crisp. But, the typical errors associated with digital picture reduction (MPEG artifacts from poorly mastered DVDs) are clearly isolated.

Sporadic graduated areas can spoil the viewing quality along with edge noise - this is mainly due to the fact that the TV accentuates details in the vertical plane and lightens darker regions according to its Gamma characteristic setting of 2.1 (2.2 or even 2.4 to 2.8 would have been better).

Colors are not rendered accurately with the best setting being "Warm", but without comparison with more neutral screens, this does not work against it. Skin tones or the saturated sweet-tones apparent in the film "A Night at McCools" appear convincing. Only when viewing black-and-white (monochrome) pictures does the light-violet cast become apparent. The setting of the color temperature is a touch too cool at 7,900 Kelvin; a more ideal adjustment would be 6,500 Kelvin.

As a matter of principle, the JVC with its WXGA-display cannot display all the details expected of a good HDTV source because it has only half the number of pixels. Nevertheless, the wealth of screen detail is much greater than that experienced through DVD playback. The delicate hairline pattern for example, viewable in the "Mission Impossible 3" menu is not reproduced in full quality, but it is at least apparent. When played through a DVD player, this pattern is all but lost in a blur. The video controller shares the responsibility for the lack of clear focus with the screen resolution.

On one hand the image borders are cropped (overscan), while on the other hand fine horizontal lines run across the screen because of flicker through poor interlacing which gives the impression of poor resolution. This effect is quite noticeable in the chapter selection menu of the Blu-ray film "Casino Royale" - admittedly, this effect is otherwise extremely rare.

Because the JVC TV does not accept 1080p signals, it is also not 24p compatible and hence, in certain filming situations such as slow camera panning, the typical 3:2 pull down surge is apparent. Even worse is the moderate contrast setting, which is apparent in both "TV" mode and "DVD playback" mode. Depth perception is missing in dark scenes and is misrepresented by a patchy screen which lightens greatly when the viewing angle is marginally altered. For this reason, the TV should be positioned directly in front of the viewer and at eye-level.

Classic night or space scenes that are present in nearly all thrillers, sci-fi, or fantasy films lose their dramatic effect through the lightening of the dark tones. A contrast setting of 500:1 rates poorly compared to the best LCD flat-panel TVs, which can have contrast settings a factor of three above the JVC.

The tone is acceptable given the size of the small speakers that have been incorporated in the 11cm deep casing. The mid-tones associated with speech are deep, but the bass tones in music playback could be a little more defined. The higher frequencies too could be a little clearer. A Scart to Cinch adapter is required to connect the TV to the stereo, since a dedicated audio output, aside from the headphone socket, is missing. The good news is that the adapter costs around 4.50 GBP from a suitably equipped store.

Mode: Normal

Brightness-1: Minimum

Brightness-2: 11.3 cm

Contrast: 10 cm

Sharpness: 3.7 cm

Color: 5.6 cm

Hue: 10 cm

Color Temperature: Warm

Digi-Pure: Off

* applied to realistic playback from HD-DVD/Blu-ray material through the HDMI interface in a darkened environment. Manufacturing and HDMI playback device deviations may necessitate slight adjustment. The centimeter (cm) setting refers to the length of the bar that appears in the menu.    

Economical but inflexible: The unwavering 1,550 GBP-TV is also available in black.

Tolerable: The important interfaces are present; S-Video is attained through the SCART whereas VGA missing completely.

Solid: The remote controller is unattractive but functional.

Satisfactory: Although the white-point is somewhat on the cool side and marginally migrates, the fundamental colors are however, clean and crisp.

Fair: The 2.1 Gamma characteristic marginally lightens the picture.