JVC LT-42DS9BJ LCD TV

Nowadays, when practically all new TVs are HD Ready, supermodel-skinny and packed with connections and features, it takes something special to stand out. Short of coming up with new technologies like Freesat, there’s not much for most manufacturers to offer, other than a ‘designer’ look which will fit into our hi-tech lifestyles – because as we all know, everyone now lives in converted warehouses full of minimalist Scandinavian furniture with Damien Hirst artwork on the wall.

For a start it is staggeringly slim – just 39mm deep for the most part, though there are a couple of slight protrusions on the back panel. The small selection of controls on the front – TV/AV, channel, volume and so on – consists of touch panels, so the sleek lines of the set are not disturbed, and the piano black case has such a thin bezel that in a suitably dim room, the picture almost seems to float in space.

So how does it all work out in performance? Well, the slim design certainly doesn’t compromise the picture in any way; the backlighting is even, off-axis performance is acceptable, and black levels are amongst the best in its class. The TV demonstrates a reasonable contrast range which can handle dark areas and bright patches with equal authority. Colour fidelity is broad yet natural, suited equally well to the eye-bulging colour palettes of animations such as Ice Age 2 on Blu-ray, and the more realistic tonal ranges of BBC HD fare.

To read the full review on Tech Radar click here.