LG 49-inch 1080p LED HDTV $430 (Reg. $800)

Pros: Great resolution
Screen size
Contrast / brightness (on moderate to bright sources for gaming)
Sound quality (Comparable to a ~30-32 inch TV)
Input Connectivity (HDMIx2, DVI, DisplayPort)
Reader modes (Great for forum/document viewing without hurting the eyes)

Cons: Dark Image contrast
Backlight bleed-through (unless at very specific vertical viewing angle)

Other Thoughts: Background info: I am a moderate PC gamer with a top-end setup (AMD FX-9590, Asus Crosshair V-Z, Dual Radeon R9 270x Crossfired, 240GB SSD SATA-6, 32GB OC’d RAM, etc.). My previous monitor setup was an Eyefinity 5760×1080 through triple AOC e2243Fwk 1080 displays. I also use the rig for productivity and video and picture editing. I run the monitor as a central display in a multi-montor or Eyefinity (depending on the application) setup, total resolution 6400×1080.

With that said:

I picked up this montior at a local retailer (not to be named) for $380. I wanted the larger screen, which in height is about 1/2″ taller image size than my 21.5″ viewable AOC’s. Overall a good fit for multi-monitor setups.

At first unpacking the monitor comes with an HDMI cable and power adapter. The stand has dual height settings, however you have to adjust height by inscrewing the stand and re-mounting the monitor.

I ordered a Mini-DP to DP cable to connect the monitor to my primary card through the highest bandwidth connection possible and was not disappointed. The image quality and response rate is spot-on, and the overall first impression was ‘WOW’. The colors are vibrant and distinct, and contrast is good on first impression (I’ll address this more later). The OSD-menu is intuitive and logical, as the montor uses a 5-button joystick for a power button and menu. The display uses a ‘6-color’ balance, meaning you have RGB in hue (3-colors) and saturation (second 3-colors). The monitor also features reader modes, which are great for reading text on blogs, forums, and other media such as word documents that have white backgrounds without hurting your eyes.

Now for contrast and brightness. The monitor has an awesome level of brightness. In a well-lit room this monitor shines. The pictures are bright and crisp. The downside is that in a dimmer room it can be too bright and requires cutting the backlight severely to not hurt your eyes. On darker screens, especially in-game (in my case, Skyrim in a cave/underground), the backlight tends to bleed through and give poor contrast unless you are viewing from a very narrow ideal vertical angle. The monitor does not feature a DCR either, so if your game brightness changes don’t count on the monitor to compensate.

I tested the sound quality of the built-in speakers – a feature I didn’t expect in a specialty monitor of this aspect and size – and was impressed with the sound quality. The speakers are roughly comparable to those of a ~30-inch TV. They will provide decent sound, but are a little lacking on the bass and clarity. The volume is decent and works for a TV monitor if you decide to use this display with a DVD/Blu-Ray player, Cable box, or Game Console.

The Bottom Line:

If you can get this for under $400, it is well worth the money. The image is good, but lacks contrast on darker images and lacks a DCR. Sound quality from the built-in speakers is decent, but lacks bass and clarity at higher volumes.