A Big Screen on a Budget; A Review of the 42" Insignia NS-LCD42HD LCD HDTV

Even with the slumping economy retailers are still seeing a continued surge in television sales. This is likely because of stiff competition among manufactures trying to get their piece of the market. A good low cost manufacturer that has seen some success lately is Insignia. Thanks to their reasonable prices on large sized LCD HDTV's nearly every consumer has the opportunity to put a big screen in their living room. The 42" Insignia NS-LCD42HD is a high definition LCD television that represents a perfect example of this brand's affordability. I have been lucky enough to spend some time with this piece of technology and I'm going to share my opinion on its styling, performance and value.

Styling: 4/5

Picture Quality: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Product Overview:

Insignia's sets offer sleek lines and sharp styling. In my opinion they often look like they're more expensive then they truly are. The NS-LCD42HD is no exception. Its large 42" screen is wrapped in a candied black bezel with the speakers subtly place below the bottom frame. The short squat stand firmly fits into the rear of the television and provides sturdy footing and a nice range of motion.

The picture looks almost as good as the styling. It offers a full HD experience with a resolution of 1080p. The blacks are deep for a television in this price range and I was impressed with the viewing angle. I hooked up my Playstation 3 via HDMI to check out how Bluray movies were handled and they looked fantastic. I fell that most average consumers will be please with the quality of this screen once they get it in the home. However some of the television aficionados will probably still be able to notice some quality differences between this set and some of the more expensive models in the store.

The connectivity in with this Insignia NS-LCD42HD LCD is fairly standard. It has 3 HDMI ports and a host of other inputs including several component and composite. I was also easily able to easily sync my laptop with this television's PC input making for a fantastic gaming experience.

Product Value:

Priced at well under $1000 at most retailers this 42 inch LCD HDTV is a great bargain. If you're in the market for a big screen LCD then I would definitely keep the Insignia NS-LCD42HD on your radar. I feel that most consumers will be pleased with the picture quality as well as the styling of this HDTV.