LG BH7420P review

With its set of compact front satellites and two free-standing rear speakers, LG’s BH7420P can provide the best of both worlds. It’s a 5.1 all-in-one system that pumps out 1,000W of power and provides Smart TV access and integrated Wi-Fi.

A slot-loading disc tray and gorgeous brushed metal effect satellite speakers really make the BH7420P stand out from other all-in-one systems. Each satellite uses standard speaker wire to connect to the main unit, so you can easily swap out the bundled cables for longer lengths if you need them. Wall mounting provides plenty of flexibility if you prefer not to use the floor stands, and the front-firing subwoofer is small enough to fit behind a sofa.

Thankfully, the beautiful design isn’t trying to disguise poor sound quality. We were immediately impressed with how well the BH7420P filled our test chamber when set to just over half its maximum volume, which left plenty of overhead for larger rooms. Bass was truly powerful during the busier action sequences of our test discs, creating rumble that we could feel through our seats. That’s an incredibly impressive feat for an all-in-one. There were no gaps during surround sound playback, and the centre speaker sounded clear regardless of the action on screen.

Great audio isn’t the BH7420P’s only strength. The main unit is well equipped for multiple set-top boxes or games consoles thanks to the two HDMI inputs. Conveniently, its single HDMI output supports Audio Return Channel. One composite video output, one stereo RCA phono input, one optical digital audio input and an FM antenna complete the selection, along with a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a single USB port at the front of the unit.

As we’ve come to expect from LG, file format support was excellent, both over a local network and from a USB flash drive. Only MOV files refused to work, but we could still play MKV, DivX HD and Xvid files in Full HD.

Switch to online content and the BH7420P continues to impress. The Smart TV hub can be accessed using the integrated Wi-Fi receiver or by running an Ethernet cable from your router to your TV. With content from BBC iPlayer, Netflix, LoveFilm and AceTrax, there’s plenty of on-demand video to keep you entertained. Facebook’s also on hand to keep connected with your friends.

Navigating between each feature is fairly simple, thanks to the icon-based menus which are colourful and well labelled. Our main criticism is the lack of adjustable settings. Video quality options are limited to four presets and one user mode that gives you control over brightness, colour and image sharpness, but not much else.

Thankfully, there’s no real need to tweak picture settings for Blu-ray discs because they look very good at the default settings. Shadows are a little darker than they need to be, but pictures look sharp and detail’s well preserved. DVDs receive some relatively simple upscaling, smoothing out many edges but creating noise in other areas. You can experiment with the sharpness options to some degree, but the available settings are limited.

With its superb sound quality, Smart TV features and DLNA compatibility, the BH7420P is a fantastic home cinema system. It may lack some of the more advanced image quality settings of other all-in-ones, but standard and high-definition material already looks very good. Multiple inputs make it suitable for owners of existing set-top boxes or games consoles and it’s very keenly priced. If you’re looking to upgrade your home cinema, this is a fantastic way to do it.