LG 42CS560

LG 42CS560

These days, you don't have to spent a lot of money for an HDTV. Budget screens are becoming less and less expensive, and you can pick up a solid 42-inch set for under $700 with relative ease. At that price, you'll have to makes some compromises, though. LG's CS560 series of 1080p CCFL-backlit HDTVs are barebones when it comes to features, but they offer excellent color reproduction and a very bright picture. The downside: Black levels aren't great, and shadow details suffer. But the 42-inch model we tested, the 42CS560, retails for just $629.99 (list), so it's tough to deny the price appeal. DesignAs a budget set, the 42CS560 won't win any points for good looks. It's flat, plain, and black, with a bezel that measures 1.5 inches around the screen and a thickish 3-inch profile. It's 29.5 pounds and can be easily mounted on a wall, but doesn't keep a particularly low profile. A small, nearly invisible row of touch-sensitive controls sit on the lower right corner of the bezel, controlling power, volume, channels, and menu navigation, though you'll likely be using the simple remote most of the time. Around back, there are just two HDMI ports, component and composite video inputs, and an Ethernet port.