JVC LT-42X688 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
By: JVC Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 15
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 On: 2008-06-05
$809.99+tax at Circuit City... open box discount and it was already on sale. Best home theater buying decision Ive ever made, considering it retails for $1999.99.
I agree with what other people are saying about standard definition being muddled, and its true... but you arent really buying this to watch broadcast tv or basic cable, are you? =)
I have an Xbox 360 with the HDMI out (the $2.00 6ft HDMI cable I got from Amazon works perfectly - NEVER pay $50 for an HDMI cable!!!), and it looks fabulous. There arent many native 1080p games for the 360 at the moment...but even upconverted, the picture is breathtaking. Same goes for standard DVDs played through the 360. Even a 720p component connection looks phenomenal. The HD movies you can get from the Xbox Live Marketplace look great, too.
A buddy brought over his PS3, and it too looks fantabulous through the same HDMI cable. With games that run at 60fps, you can BARELY notice a tiny little bit of motion blur. That is what always prevented me from getting an LCD set, but this TV has made me a believer. The 5ms response time is noticeably better than the 8ms on other TVs in the same/greater price range. Unfortunately, he did not have any Blu-Rays to test out, which is my next homework assignment.
UPDATE - I got a PS3 and output it through HDMI. Blu-Ray looks spectacular!!! You can see the pores on peoples faces. Unreal. This TV rocks!!!!
This set is BRIGHT! Even after I tweaked it and reduced the contrast and brightness a bit, this set will almost completely light up a dark room...dont get me wrong, its not a bad thing. Its very crisp and clear in a well-light room too. Not much glare on the screen at all. Also, the viewing angle is very wide...way better than the DLPs that Ive looked at.
Bottom line... This set is a great picture and great value, as long as you arent buying it ONLY to watch standard definition TV. =) Next stop - HD digital cable. Ill let you know how it turns out... (^_^)
On: 2008-06-05
$809.99+tax at Circuit City... open box discount and it was already on sale. Best home theater buying decision Ive ever made, considering it retails for $1999.99.
I agree with what other people are saying about standard definition being muddled, and its true... but you arent really buying this to watch broadcast tv or basic cable, are you? =)
I have an Xbox 360 with the HDMI out (the $2.00 6ft HDMI cable I got from Amazon works perfectly - NEVER pay $50 for an HDMI cable!!!), and it looks fabulous. There arent many native 1080p games for the 360 at the moment...but even upconverted, the picture is breathtaking. Same goes for standard DVDs played through the 360. Even a 720p component connection looks phenomenal. The HD movies you can get from the Xbox Live Marketplace look great, too.
A buddy brought over his PS3, and it too looks fantabulous through the same HDMI cable. With games that run at 60fps, you can BARELY notice a tiny little bit of motion blur. That is what always prevented me from getting an LCD set, but this TV has made me a believer. The 5ms response time is noticeably better than the 8ms on other TVs in the same/greater price range. Unfortunately, he did not have any Blu-Rays to test out, which is my next homework assignment.
This set is BRIGHT! Even after I tweaked it and reduced the contrast and brightness a bit, this set will almost completely light up a dark room...dont get me wrong, its not a bad thing. Its very crisp and clear in a well-light room too. Not much glare on the screen at all. Also, the viewing angle is very wide...way better than the DLPs that Ive looked at.
Bottom line... This set is a great picture and great value, as long as you arent buying it ONLY to watch standard definition TV. =) Next stop - HD digital cable. Ill let you know how it turns out... (^_^)
On: 2008-02-20
Great TV 1080p 42" HD. I have owned JVC products without problems. I screwed cable in to back of TV, no box, no hd, nothing and picture looks great. Wall mount and TV hundreds less than circuit city. They wanted $1899+tax for TV alone.
 On: 2008-02-18
JVC makes GREAT products, plain and simple. We purchased our JVC 42 LCD HDTV about 2 weeks ago and for some odd reason, and I dont know why I hadnt read about this before and why it came as a surprise to me, but when you watch regular television on an HDTV monitor, the picture quality comes out less than perfect...in fact it comes out dang-near blurry. The so-called technology that makes regular TV *look* almost HDTV quality...? Now THAT is a joke.
If you buy this TV to view Blu Ray and/or HD DVDs or HD quality programming, you will be THRILLED I assure you. The quality is absolutely wonderful and I find it hard to believe picture quality better than this is commercially available (at least as I write this...) but again, if you plan to watch regular television and/or DVDs/Videos that are NOT High Def quality, BE PREPARED to be a little disappointed (if not a LOT).
Keep that in mind before you buy and you wont be surprised like I was. Hope my review helps.
On: 2008-02-09
Ive had this set for about a month now and have nothing but high praise for the functionality and appearance of it. The universal remote has easy to use buttons to access whatever input you desire, the set has a beautiful picture with true colors and a crisp display, and I love the sound quality. The set itself is very attractive and extremely easy to set up and use. That being said, the main reason I purchased this set was because I was never satisfied with the blurring associated with sets that have the 8mm response time. This set has a 5mm response time, and that 3mm difference seems to have made all the difference in the world. Great tv at a great price and on time, quality delivery. Super Bowl looked great!
On: 2008-02-05
When researching this product for purchase, I found many of the reviews too technical for my non-tech brain. However, I gleaned enough to know that this HDTV was probably a good bet. It has truly surpassed all of my expectations for quality and realism of picture as well as pretty decent audio. My price comparisons showed this one to be the deal. Repeating the purchase process, I would only have purchased the same item sooner.
On: 2008-01-21
Provided that you dont over pay for this tv, you will love it. Not to say that the JVC 42x688 is inferior to the big name sets, it most certainly is not. The high def picture on this set is incredible, with deep colors not to be found on the bargain hd tvs and it also does pretty well with regular broadcasting. The design of this tv (hdmi ports, motion speed, remote functions, speakers, etc.) is also excellent and appeared to me to be the best compromise of price vs. function. With the price I found through Amazon, this was the best tv out there for the buck. The prices for hd tvs however can fluctuate weekly, by hundreds of dollars in some cases. But since you are looking here, you are on the right track.
Like others who have reviewed this tv, I tried to do a little homework about the nuts and bolts of hd tvs so I could get the most for my money. I found what I thought to be very good information in Consumer Reports about what to consider when buying an hd tv.
Armed with that information, I began to window shop at the major stores; Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. It was then that I discovered the prices for hd tvs can go up and down weekly by large amounts, as well as seeing a difference between an in-store price and the same stores dot-com price. Eventually I looked on Amazon and found this tv for a price in the normal range of 37"-40" 720p tv. Even though a chain store advertised this tv as an internet special only, the local store had them in stock, so I was able to see the tv up close and compare it to others. I found this tv compares with any on the market and the price on Amazon blew away the chain stores price by hundreds.
My only concern of course was making this large of a purchase over the internet. The seller in my case was Electronic Express. Because everything went smoothly; the tv arrived by Fed-Ex and was well treated, brand new and in the unopened factory box (as advertised it would by Electronic Express), I cant attest to how they handle complaints or problems should there be any. I can only tell you that I saved $$$ buying this tv on Amazon and was completely satisfied.
The closest thing I have to a complaint is this. I found the owners manual a bit challenging when combined with trying to figure out my new home theatre in a box (samsung)and digital cable from Time Warner at the same time. However, when I called the JVC customer service number they were most helpful, with no apparent language barriers to further complicate matters. Good luck!
On: 2008-01-14
Great picture...great sound. The step up to 1080p was worth it. This set is a sleek product that delivers on the specs. Delivered on-time and at a good price, too.
On: 2008-01-11
Nothing much you can complain for a 1080p LCD 42" at this price, picture has great detail and contrast, great feature like the direct buttons to every input channels so you dont have to scroll through them each time.
Response time seems not bad for a non-120Hz TV, not much delay I can notice of.
For this price Im completely satisfied with it.
But if youre picky, pay more and get the Sharp.
On: 2008-01-04
Im a research nut when it comes to buying new electronics. Like you, I check reviews, searched for every picture of the set I could find, posted questions about the set on forums and did the same with all 42inch sets under $1500.
I made the plunge and purchased this set saving myself $500. It finally arrived, in one piece. First thing I noticed was how beautiful the set looked without it even being on! Its simple, black frame with Blue LED made the set very classy and modern looking. something I would hang on my wall and be proud of. I could not be happier with the design.
Once the set warmed to room temp. I turned it on, it has a v-chip inside which among other things goes through a demo of the TVs features and displays this in full 1080p so right off the bat, automatically the TV showed me what it could do. AMAZING!!!! I have never seen a picture so bright and brilliant in color, I couldnt wait to hook it up to a blu-ray dvd player but I have to wait on that.
Next thing I did was test the digital tuner. I connected my Coaxial cable right from the wall into the back of the TV. it took a few minutes to find all the channels (auto program). The first channel I selected was a NON HD channel. The picture quality of regular broadcasts on any LCD stink, this particular set handled it VERY well for its price tag, more so than some bigger name brand $1400 sets ive seen on display at stores. it is more than barable.
Next was an HD channel. The picture was amazing. It lit up the entire room. I liked the picture adjustment options it had, some more expensive sets didnt have these features but this set allowed me to tweak away! I was not impressed with the auto color feature. This basically auto-tweaks the picture depending on the channel your on. I turned this off.
Some other features this TV has which compete with much more expensive 42inch sets are the two HDMI inputs, an optical audio output, a USB input (put pictures on a USB memory stick and the TV will automatically play a moving slide show of them), 1080p max resolution, and a universal remote which you can program for your surround sound system, DVD/VCR etc.
Lets talk about design for a minute. JVC did a good job with this keeping all connections in the back of the TV (instead of the side which some companies do...and I cant understand why if the set may be mounted flat on a wall...it defeats the purpose). There is a channel in the back to route wires so you can mount the TV as flush to the wall as the bracket you buy allows you to. Other TVs have the inputs flush with the back of the tv. this means the tv must sit away from the wall to allow room for the plugs. JVC thought of this and provided a solution. Thumbs up.
Overall I need to ask if this TV was $1,099 with free shipping what makes a $1400 TV $1400? An extra HDMI input? the name "Sony"? certainly its not the quality or build. Also this tv is NOT 120hz, but do you really need the TV to up convert your frame rate? and have you seen 120hz in action yet? if not I suggest you go and see a 120hz tv before setting your heart getting a TV that is 120hz capable..I personally disliked the picture on the 120hz tvs i researched, it looked very processed.
On: 2007-12-23
I have never bought anything this expensive over the internet so I was pretty leary; especially when Amazon turned my order over to an independent contractor. But everything turned out just great; I got a great product at a great price and delivered very quickly. I will probably never shop Best Buy again. Vanns, the independent contractor was excellent. This 42 inch HD LCD tv is great; I feel like I saved $900 off the original price plus shipping was free. Setup was relatively easy. Im glad I shop Amazon.com! Try playing the HD version of The Shooter on this LCD; awesome!
On: 2007-12-22
I did a lot of research before I purchased this tv and I am glad I did. This tv has a great picture and is amazingly simple to setup. I have only been watching it for about 4 hours now, but it seems to be a great tv. I would reccomend this tv to anyone. It has a great price to.
On: 2007-12-21
I did a lot of research before I purchased this tv and I am glad I did. This tv has a great picture and is amazingly simple to setup. I have only been watching it for about 4 hours now, but it seems to be a great tv. I would reccomend this tv to anyone. It has a great price to.
Edit...
Now that I have had my TV for about a month I thought I would give an update. I still think it is amazing. Here are some pros and cons about though.
Pros.
Great Picture
Does not seem to have the "blur" problem other lcds do. I have been playing a lot of Halo 3 and wathcing action movies along with sports and have not noticed it.
SD looks ok on it.
Picks up local hd channels good.
Easy to set up. Out of the box and going in a matter of minutes.
Cons
The remote that comes with this tv is ok except for the fact that you have to cycle through all of the devices everytime you want to change which device you are controlling.
Also looks like the price has went up a hundred dollars since I bought mine at 1099.
On: 2007-12-19
I purchased this tv to replace my 31" CRT base JVC as our main TV. I love the look and options to this tv. I would have liked to have seen an additional HDMI and RCA jacks on the side as well as PIP. My complaints are, after power on is pressed, it takes 4-6 seconds before it displays a picture/sound, there is a lag of about .5 to 1 sec to change channels, this includes switching video inputs, (I can deal with the short delay here, we just cant stand the long power on lag) and there is no " - " button on the remote (since I still only have comcast analog cable service, but I do pick up the unencrypted digital signals but they are channels like 71-1 - I have seen no name brands in the 20" range have this button) to tune directly to these channels.
I cant wait to try the PS3 connected to HDMI connector to see the picture quality. I also have not tried the usb connector yet. I do see a few HD channels and they look fantastic, especially football games.
My JVC CRT SDTV still looks great and since it is 10 years old, this is one major reason for selecting JVC again. I am going to contact JVC to see if there is an issue with my TV on the power on lag. If it had not been for the power on lag and the lack of - button on the remote, I would have rated this TV a 5 instead of 4
Joe
On: 2007-12-18
JVC LT-42X688 42" 1080p LCD HDTV
Great TV! Love the HD and its quite affordable.
On: 2007-12-17
I picked up this 42" LCD HDTV from Sams club, under a different model number, and have been excited by its performance for the entire 3 months I have owned it. HD pictures are rich and vibrant as to be expected. Standard resolution looks good, but it is important to understand that the image quality is only as good as the source. Some non-hd digital channels look awesome, near HD quality in overall appearance. I am consistenly stunned. However, when a non-hd channel source material sucks, this TV really lets you know it; faithfully reproducing every bit of that crappy signal you are receiving.
Some intersting features about this set are:
--It upconverts all inputs to 1080P.
--The remote actually has dedicated buttons for source input selection...no more cycling through menus until you reach the input you want.
--Built in speakers are actually very good.
-I prefer a surround sound typically, but the sound from this set is above average and my family and I often find ourselves using only the TV speakers for normal everyday use. This TV recreates virtual surround sound very well.
I also own a 47" Philips 1080P LCd (from Sams Club) and a 37" sony Bravia LCD from BB. Of all three Tvs the JVC performs the best at 1080P/I for movies over HDMI. The Phillips handles the xbo360 the best with 1080P over compnent. I am really dissapointed in the sony. I previously had an Aquos that developed banding issues and replaced it with a Bravia. If I could, Id return the Bravia and get another JVC.
Bottom line, I forked over twice as much for the Sony and a Sharp Aquos from big-name electronics stores and I have been happier overall with the performance and price point of both my sams club Phillips and JVC.
I have been around home theater for a while and have roots back to RGB projection (think Ampro and Barco) and I must say that the JVC is an excellent buy. Just remember, if you are reading this as you are looking for your first set, be aware that your display usually doesnt get much better than your source signal. With that in mind, know that LCDs are less forgiving in this regard but perform better, use less power, and run cooler in every other regard.
On: 2007-11-22
We bought this LCD TV at Sams Club for $1193.00. (At Sams the model number is slightly different LT-42XM48, but it is the same TV. They do this so stores dont have to price match with club stores, etc.) We looked at many sets to determine video quality and this one was the best. Even when viewing from the sides, which is the LCD TVs biggest weakness, this set has a sharp/bright image. Of course as with most HDTVs, the image looks best when the source is either a HD signal, or a progressive DVD. But even analog (non-HDTV) stations are clear with just the normal garbage associated with analog TV signals. I also did quite a bit of research as to screen size, brands, etc. This has a 42" image size and we sit approx. 10 from the screen. Many site try and say that a set as large as 55" is needed if you sit 10 to 12 from the screen, I think it is up to personal choice, space available, and dollars to spend. As for us, this picture is plenty big, with clear sharp images while watching DVD, HD signals, and even non-HDTV.
I would recommend this HDTV to anyone looking to upgrade from a smaller LCD/Plasma, or as a first step into HDTV!
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