Microcenter LG 42" LN5300 LED S-IPS Panel $299

bpizzle1 said:
As an update, I ended up getting a VA panel, but I have decided to keep it since it still looks pretty darn good for a low-end TV. Like I said in my previous post, I wanted this TV for console gaming purposes, so the fact that it has extremely low input lag was the key feature for me. In that regard, it's like night and day compared to using my 55" LG (LN8600). That TV is on the lower end of input lag, but it's still enough to be noticable. On the new 42" I don't notice any at all, and it makes for a much better experience. The 60hz thing doesn't matter at all for games since consoles rarely even hit 60fps anyway.

If you're in the market for a gaming TV like I was, I'd definitely recommend this model (esp, at $299). It would also make a solid bedroom TV if you threw in a Chromecast or something for some streaming ability.
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So the 42" is also a panel lottery? I was confused from the avsforum thread about the LN5300 since most people said it was IPS. I bought and returned the 39LN5300 since I could not stand the VA panel on it as a PC monitor from close up. The 32" seems to definitely be IPS only, but its too small for what I want. As I am online only, I definitely don't want to play panel lottery.

Anyone know of any other IPS TVs around this size? I have searched high and low and can't find any that aren't VA. Panasonic has a few IPS ones, but they are unavailable here in the US.
 
silverwolf0 said:
So the 42" is also a panel lottery? ... Anyone know of any other IPS TVs around this size? I have searched high and low and can't find any that aren't VA. Panasonic has a few IPS ones, but they are unavailable here in the US.
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I also followed the avsforum thread. 1) This is for 2013 models, 2014 models are starting to arrive so stores are clearing out the 2013. 2) Even though the posters talked about IPS models, I could never find any LN5300 with IPS screens ( in the Chicago area).

If you dig into the LG IPS vs VA panel issue, you will find LG (for their budget models) has a long history (3-4 years) where they ship IPS panels early in the year and then (for the Christmas season) start shipping TVs with (cheaper) VA panels. (This doesn't mean all VA panels are cheap, just the ones LG uses). Furthermore, if you look at LG's website "detailed" specifications you will see (in the last two years) LG has dropped details where you could tell VA vs IPS (ie LG no longer give you things like viewing angle, contrast ratios, black levels _OR_ panel type). To further emphasize this: The 2014 LB5800 line (32,39,42 and 47 inch sizes) is being _marketed_ by LG as all having IPS screens. I went to a local dealer (Frys) and can confirm the 32, 42 and 47 do have IPS screens. However, the 39" model does _NOT_ have the same panel as the others. Everything I saw (chroma shift on wide angles, black levels, no 'chevron' shaped pixels, finger streak test) tells me this a VA panel. A very nice MVA panel, but not a IPS panel

As far as IPS panels in general: LG is one of the few producers of IPS panels. Last year (AFAIK) only Panasonic and LG produced HDTVs with IPS. Panasonic stopped shipping most of their "small" (under 42") IPS TVs 2 years ago. This year I have only seen LG produce/ship HDTV using IPS. Panasonic may later on this year, but I have yet to see any details/announcements that would back that up.

On a positive note, the majority of LG 3D HDTVs use IPS panels. So if you really want IPS look at LG models LB6300 and above. The problem with 42" HDTVs is they are now considered budget TVs with very few manufactures producing IPS panels.

As of June 20, 2014 I know LG is still shipping the LG 42LB5800 with IPS panels, but I don't know for how much longer. As noted before the 2013 LN5x00 are _ALL_ panel lotteries. If you want a 42 with an IPS, I would say get a LG42LB5800. Also note that most of the better IPS TVs in the under 42" range almost never get discounted. If you go up to the 47" range, then you will have a lot better options( LG has multiple models with IPS panels in this size and larger)

Your best bet if you want an IPS panel under 42" is to buy a computer monitor. In the monitor area, you can find several independent websites that will confirm the panel type and give you detailed specificationw
 
I've been wanting a TV for the man cave. Sure, this doesn't have all the bells and whistles of higher end models, but this TV is excellent for what I want to use it for (gaming and watching netflix/hulu/twitch). Thanks for posting this, op!
 
Best Buy has been selling these for $329 for a couple days. I went into the one closest to me and they didn't have any left. I went to one 15 miles away and they had four but they all had the non-IPS code on the box. The 32"s they had (for $230) did have the IPS code and were the best looking 32" TVs by far (color nuance in complex scenes gives it away more than viewing angles these days). The LG 39" looked bad. I didn't buy anything.
 
Went to the Arlington, TX Fry's today and almost punched the sales guy in the face...

Of course they have none of the TV boxes out on the floor so I can look, and I asked the guy if they have any and he looks it up and says 'Yeah, we have a whole pallet full". So I explain to him what I'm looking for, about the 'Y' in the product code and what not. His response (rudely) "They're all the same TV, they don't have different panels, a TV is a TV". I asked since they had a whole bunch if he wouldn't mind looking through them and seeing if they had one and he says 'Follow me' and goes back to the back side of the store and comes back with a box in his arms. I say "Oh cool, so you found one for me!" and he huffs loudly, rolls his eyes, and says "No, I just grabbed one off the top. They're all the same TV". He then says "Are you going to buy the warranty for $60?". I finally told him that if he would go and at least LOOK for the IPS panel I would buy the warranty so he would get his extra commission. He audibly huffed again and said "No, it's all the same TV". I finally said No thank you and left the damn TV sitting in the middle of the aisle. I wish I'd gotten this guy's name because he was a real ass..... like most Fry's employees.

Sorry for the long run-on post... I'm still pissed off and had to get it off my chest.
 
Blue Falcon said:
Went to the Arlington, TX Fry's today and almost punched the sales guy in the face...

Of course they have none of the TV boxes out on the floor so I can look, and I asked the guy if they have any and he looks it up and says 'Yeah, we have a whole pallet full". So I explain to him what I'm looking for, about the 'Y' in the product code and what not. His response (rudely) "They're all the same TV, they don't have different panels, a TV is a TV". I asked since they had a whole bunch if he wouldn't mind looking through them and seeing if they had one and he says 'Follow me' and goes back to the back side of the store and comes back with a box in his arms. I say "Oh cool, so you found one for me!" and he huffs loudly, rolls his eyes, and says "No, I just grabbed one off the top. They're all the same TV". He then says "Are you going to buy the warranty for $60?". I finally told him that if he would go and at least LOOK for the IPS panel I would buy the warranty so he would get his extra commission. He audibly huffed again and said "No, it's all the same TV". I finally said No thank you and left the damn TV sitting in the middle of the aisle. I wish I'd gotten this guy's name because he was a real ass..... like most Fry's employees.

Sorry for the long run-on post... I'm still pissed off and had to get it off my chest.
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I know the scene - a guy at Best Buy yesterday tried to play me. I showed him the code I was looking for on other LG models (the 42" was only one not out on floor). Dude comes back and says he has them in stock. I confirmed if he checked the "BUSY" code and he said "yes". He says he'll ring me up. I said I'll wait until I see the box. He sends another associate to get the box. Five minutes latter he says they don't have the right one after all. Typical panel lottery BS. If I didn't need speaker wire and connectors I wouldn't have even gone to BB that day. Its not worth the time and gas.

What I didn't know at the time I even went to look at TVs @ BB was that BB has the LN5400 for only $50 more. That's the newer 42" with 120 rate model and still a lottery free IPS (even LG sites still lists it as such).
 
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roma said:
What I didn't know at the time I even went to look at TVs @ BB was that BB has the LN5400 for only $50 more. That's the newer 42" with 120 rate model and still a lottery free IPS (even LG sites still lists it as such).
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Isn't there an input lag issue or something with that one though??? I had considered getting it but I could swear I read something about increased input lag on the 42LN5400.

Heck, I might just buy one of those......
 
Blue Falcon said:
Isn't there an input lag issue or something with that one though??? I had considered getting it but I could swear I read something about increased input lag on the 42LN5400.

Heck, I might just buy one of those......
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Most of what I've read has been positive about input/response. This TV has a 33.3 MS rating according to linked site. They call that "very low". TV/Display reviews can be nightmares worse than any other item. You will read the 120 cant be turned off on this model but apparently that's not true.

http://www.rtings.com/reviews/tv/lcd-led/lg/ln5400
 
Says 499 now. Dell makes my panel lottery PTSD kick in anyway lol
 
roma said:
Best Buy has been selling these for $329 for a couple days. I went into the one closest to me and they didn't have any left. I went to one 15 miles away and they had four but they all had the non-IPS code on the box. The 32"s they had (for $230) did have the IPS code and were the best looking 32" TVs by far (color nuance in complex scenes gives it away more than viewing angles these days). The LG 39" looked bad. I didn't buy anything.
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what is the ips code?
 
alphaqforever247 said:
what is the ips code?
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You want the code on the right with BUSY in it.


GgFlio8.jpg
 
I have the 39LN5300 and using it for pc gaming. Not 120Hz but 60Hz. When I was researching a tv for pc gaming I found out that the 5400 series and the 5700 series have more input lag than the 5300 series so look into it if you want to do pc gaming on it. Supposedly the 32" and 39" are the best as far as input lag goes. In my experience the 5300 series is good for gaming, tv, and movies, but text is a bit fuzzy and not optimal for net surfing and productivity work. I'm about to replace my 39LN5300 for a new 34UM95 21:9 monitor. The 39LN5300 will be swapped to tv and movies duty while I game.
 
If you have fuzzy txt you need to make an adjustment. This is NOT NORMAL.

Text is razor sharp. H Sharpness and V Sharpness should be 9 I think.

Make sure you have it to just scan and spend some time with the settings. There are some great baseline numbers out there that make these displays look even more fantastic
 
I picked this up from Target today for $250 after taxes!!

$319.99 price match to amazon

15% cartwheel
10% movers
5% redcard

Can be even slicker if you have 5% for pharmacy presciptions. But $250 after taxes is amazing for my first HDTV:)
 
Just a heads up this deal is still very much alive at MC. They have 3 or 4 IPS panel models at the Duluth GA store and the $299 deal ends tomorrow the 27th. They are located at the back left corner of the store mixed up with VA panels in two different piles. Good luck!

 
I returned the 42LN5400 I got instead of the 42LN5300.

All of a sudden I started having eye strain at work and at home. I thought maybe it was too much computer but I hadn't done more than usual. Then I realized it was the TV. I was between 8 and 10 feet away. Not outside the advised range for a 42. I watched a lot of Tour de France so maybe I had too much flashing sport images on. I looked the problem up online and saw some others had similar issues, and the size, viewing distance didn't seem to matter as much as the artificial 120hz effect LG calls "Trumotion" - which cant be turned off on the model I had. I took the 5400 back and would try a 5300 if I knew it would be IPS. No way I'm trying that via shipping though
 
roma said:
I went to Best Buy. They had one 42LN5400 left so I bought it. It had the BUSY in the code. I haven't really tweaked it aside from setting TV to "Standard" (vs Cinema..Sports etc). The text looks pretty good for a TV this big. Here are some screens ( click links and then pics to expand).


http://imgur.com/KQ7IrO4

http://imgur.com/CA18mw5

http://imgur.com/vJlvIyy

http://imgur.com/fG61Dsj
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I just about pissed myself laughing. I know it wasn't intentional, but thank you.... :D :D

Lordy, lordy.....
 
Just picked one up at the Cincinnati/Sharonville store. Man this thing is huge as a monitor.
 
roma said:
I went to Best Buy. They had one 42LN5400 left so I bought it. It had the BUSY in the code. I haven't really tweaked it aside from setting TV to "Standard" (vs Cinema..Sports etc). The text looks pretty good for a TV this big. Here are some screens ( click links and then pics to expand).


http://imgur.com/KQ7IrO4

http://imgur.com/CA18mw5

http://imgur.com/vJlvIyy

http://imgur.com/fG61Dsj
Click to expand...

Blue Falcon said:
I just about pissed myself laughing. I know it wasn't intentional, but thank you.... :D :D

Lordy, lordy.....
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Haha, awesome.. those screens look great for a 1080p panel, eh?! :D
 
Just as an FYI, Micro center has the new 32" model (32LB5800) for $299.99 as well. Don't know how the input lag and pq are though. Makes the 42LN5300 look like an even sweeter deal...
 
T4rd said:
Haha, awesome.. those screens look great for a 1080p panel, eh?! :D
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Yes they do. There are screens that look bad at settings right out of the box and even simple caps of texts and colors will pick that up if you actually know how to look (which some of you obvioulsy don't).
 
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