JVC LT-42P300

Ease of Use (6.0)

The JVC LT-42P300's menu system is the same we've seen from other JVC HDTVs. You have a very simple tabbed interface, with items along the top. Selecting a top level item will drop down a menu of options for that feature. We like the ease of use and the fact that there aren't a ton of confusing sub menus. We do find the translucent menus a bit annoying, but thankfully that feature can be turned off in the Settings menu. The larger screen size of the LT-42P300 means we don't have the concern with font size that we did with a previous 32-inch JVC television. We also have to mention that the menu system is lacking in style, but frankly we'd rather have usability rather than style.

The main menu is a simple tabbed interface.

Picture Controls (6.0)

The JVC LT-42P300's picture controls are all available from the Picture drop-down menu. Here you will find both basic controls and controls for the advanced features. We like having all of the options at hand with no complicated advanced menus. That said this also means that the JVC LT-42P300 lacks many of those advanced controls, such as direct control over RGB values. For most consumers this won't matter, but advanced users may find it limiting. Another bonus for users is that there is a short explanation of the function of each menu item that appears at the bottom of the screen.

Picture controls are all in one long list.

Audio Controls (6.0)

Audio controls are found in the Sound section of the JVC LT-42P300's menu. Here you will find just a couple of controls, but we're pleased to see that an equalizer is part of the mix. You can also choose from five equalizer presets and you can choose from several 'Surround' options, although these are really not very useful as we discussed in our audio section.

There is an equalizer on board.

Other Controls (7.0)

In addition to Audio and Picture controls there are four additional top-level menu options on the JVC LT-42P300. These are Display, TV, Power and Setting. The Display menu lets you apply input labels, access the USB photo viewer and change the viewing aspect ratio. The TV menu allows you to control closed captioning options, manage channels and access the V-Chip options. The Power menu let's you control the illumination for the blue glowing power indicator and the illumination for the glowing blue lights around the iPod dock.

The Settings menu is a grab bag.

The setting menu is basically where everything else goes. Here you can adjust the time zone, language, adjust menu transperency and other odds and ends.

Manual (5.0)

The JVC LT-42P300's manual is a simple black and white booklet. There is a table of contents but no index. We like the tabs on the edge of the pages that let you know what section you are in as well as the large text headers at the top of each page, which make flipping through the booklet easier. What we don't like is the rather small font size and the small accompanying images. It's neither the best, nor the worst manual we've ever seen.