It has been close to a year since LG's Time Machine TV series first debuted. Interestingly, there aren't many competing products of similar caliber out in the Asia markets. What sets these panels apart from the crowd is the onboard video-recording capability. On the whole, it functions pretty much like a standalone DVR with the exception of one major caveat. Without the provision of a DVD burner, all the recordings are permanently locked within its modest 80GB hard drive. This has thankfully been addressed in its latest incarnations. Almost, that is.

Pros

Besides the customary video recording and time-shift functions, the new models are now upgraded with USB archival and multimedia playback. Dubbed USB Backup, it allows recordings to be transferred onto external hard drives (40GB and above), providing users an avenue for archiving important footages. The port also doubles as an input for playing back various multimedia files. It's compatible with portable thumbdrives and memory card readers, covering just about all major audio-visual formats ranging from MP3 to JPEG and DivX.

LG has not forgotten to beef up the visual performance, too. Like the rest of its 2007 models, the 42LB5RT is using a Super-In Plane Switching LCD panel renowned for its extended viewing angle and strong color reproduction. And for a converged device, its paper specifications are pretty impressive and even better than the recently launched LC7-series. For the record, that's 10,000:1 for dynamic contrast and 500cd/m2 for brightness. Summing it all up, we have a fast 5ms response time which guarantees ghosting-free pictures and a wide 178-degree viewing angle.

We can go on and on reciting its long list of credentials but let's narrow this down to some of those that really matter. As with its predecessor, LG is pairing its proprietary XD Engine video processor with a videophile-grade Faroudja DCDi chip. This performs, among others, deinterlacing duties and has a reputation for suppressing jaggies onscreen. To go with the latest HD players, 1080p signal handling is supported via HDMI and component-video sockets. We are not just talking about the standard 50 and 60Hz flavors, but also the film-centric 24Hz mode.

Cons

So far so good, but here's the catch. Though you can copy your recordings onto an external hard drive, these cannot be accessed by a computer. This eliminates any chance of sharing the videos with your family. Not as if there is a possibility to burn the clips onto inexpensive DVD recordables through the former. It's a real pity since it's this close to being a full-fledged DVR and better. Hopefully, LG will consider enabling this capability in gen three.

Other little nitpicks we would like to highlight include a fixed pedestal stand and its rather standard connectivity options. A swivel equivalent would definitely make impromptu adjustment easier, while three HDMIs will be a hard-to-resist icing for those with a collection of compatible A/V boxes. That's provided its price is not inflated for this nice-to-have extra, of course.

Bottomline

LG would have stuck bull's eye if it could have taken just one step further in its USB Backup implementation. Putting that aside, this is quite a competent TV that should stack up well against its regular peers. The S$4,299 (US$2,828.96) pricing may be a bit on the high side if you consider a separate 42-incher and 80GB DVR combination. That said, it's just a couple of hundred dollars more for considerable savings on shelf space.