JVC LT-42SL89

Slender JVC TV Shows Off Stout Picture

Prices aren't the only thing dropping in HDTV land these days. Due to some larger, backlight-banishing OLED sets on the horizon, it's ex-lax and Ephedrine time for LCDs.

JVC no doubt saw this war on the bulk coming when it announced the LT-42SL89, a 42-inch LCD with a svelte 1.5-inch waistline (2.9-inches in the middle), earlier this year. And while the set can no longer lay claim to the "world's thinnest LCD with a built-in tuner" title belt (that goes to the 10mm Sony Bravia ZX1...for now), no one's going to be cracking any fat jokes at this set's expense.

Slenderizing aside, what really got our gadget sense tingling was the set's formidable video processor. Turns out you don't have to make many compromises for a Nicole Richie-esque figure after all. Picture quality was consistently sharp and clear with impressive color saturation. Equally noteworthy was the TV's ability to scrub out noise without completely killing detail.

The LT-42SL89 didn't dazzle us with its jaggy-smoothing prowess - and it did occasionally choke on some 24 fps HD video sources with noticeable moiré and flicker artifacts - but for the most part we found very little to complaint about. At the end of the day, this rail thin LCD delivered what turns out to be stone solid performance in an almost disturbingly skinny package. Oh and that price? With tough economic times descending upon us like an avalanche, there should be enough cash under your matress to shell out for this set.

WIRED Stronger and thinner than a pack of Trojans. Handles fast motion exceedingly well, with little to no blurring. Backlit remote with separate buttons for each video input. Comes with a fleet of connectivity, including (but not limited to) three HDMI inputs, an optical digital audio output and a headphone jack. Bezel is also hipster-jeans skinny.  Smallest packaging we've seen on a 42-incher - we got no nasty glares from the UPS guy when he dropped this bad boy off.

TIRED Black levels led us to the gates of letdown-ville. Occasionally struggled with film-based HD video. 20W built-in speakers lack the necessary punch for a HDTV this size. Calibration options thinner than the set itself.

• Screen Size: 42 inches

• Style: LCD
• Manufacturer: JVC
• Price: $1,900