A couple of months later and I can give you a more comprehensive review of the TV:
The Finlux 42F7020-D is a full HD 3DTV currently available in the UK for £349.99, although you may see it on offer for as little as £299.99. Although you may have never heard of the manufacturer, don’t let that put you off, the set offers a diverse range of features for the price. The 42-inch TV also boasts a built-in Freeview receiver and PVR, although the hard-disk is not included.
The box for the TV is fairly standard, with the manufacturer name on the front, as well as a couple of details from the devices specification. The contents of the box are somewhat unremarkable, containing the manual, controller, two boxes of 4 3D glasses and the TV itself, as well as a number of polystyrene wedges for keeping the device safe in transit.
Once the device is moved from the box, you begin to realise what a beast this TV is. Admittedly, it is not the thinnest TV by any means, being just under 10cm wide, however the build quality feels good, and the gloss finish in the front seems to blend in to most environments fairly well. When plugged in, the power light isn’t particularly invasive, which I feel is a common problem with many modern TV sets.
The device also boasts a YPbPr input and 2 SCART ports for legacy support, particularly useful for those not quite ready to give up their old tech. There is also a VGA input for connecting a computer or HTPC and 3 HDMI ports for connecting a computer or any other digital input such as HD DVD players. Further round the back of the device, there is a further HDMI port, as well as 3 USB ports for removable storage, and a slot for a 2.5” HDD for the built in PVR. This combination of ports is particularly comprehensive for a set of this nature.
The standard controller looks nice, with a gloss finish on the surface, although this is likely to get dirty over time with fingerprints. The controller is fairly long, so you cannot always reach its comprehensive collection of buttons; particularly the numerical keypad is closer to the top of the controller which can be annoying at times. The controller also feels fairly light, and does not feel reassuring to hold, but this is often down to personal preference.
When the TV is started up, a language selection page comes up, revealing the large collection of languages and locales available for the device. Once this screen is complete, you must input some of your location details to allow the receiver to scan for channels. The tuner then allows you to disable or uninstall any unwanted channels, once you have done this the device is completely set up.
My main dislike about this set comes with the fact the built in Freeview receiver cannot receive HD or 3D transmissions although with the cost of the TV itself, this is somewhat unsurprising but it is worth purchasing a HD receiver from a site like Amazon. The built-in tuner is also somewhat sluggish and takes a while to load channel details and other information. Also be aware the TV does not come with any additional cables, so you will need to purchase any HDMI cables you require separately.
The picture quality on the TV is decent, and any discrepancies are not visible from the viewing distance, although when standing closer to the screen, these discrepancies become visible. The lack of a HD tuner adds to this. Sound quality is reasonable from the TV itself; however the set can be hooked up to an external sound system if required.
The 3DTV employs passive 3D, which means you must wear glasses. The glasses are very expensive to replace, but the set comes bundled with 8 pairs, so you shouldn’t need to purchase any replacements for a while. Also be aware that any device you wish to watch 3D on must be correctly configured properly to work with the set. I found some settings required a reasonable amount of settings being tweaked before they worked correctly.
Overall, the Finlux 42F7020-D is an excellent choice for those on a budget, although you are likely to have to invest in other components to receive the full 3D or indeed HD experience. It also comes bundled with a 12 month warranty, so if the TV fails due to a faulty component, the TV will be replaced. Despite the minor issues and cost cutting measures employed with some of the components, the 42F7020-D feels solid and appears to be good quality, and I personally would have no problems recommending this TV to anyone.
