By promoting Scarlet on the lines of promotional campaigns for a new TV series or movies, with hoardings and promotional trailers that had no mention of either the brand or the range, LG was able to snare a global spotlight for Scarlet even before its launch. And now, after its official launch, Scarlet has become a rage in the market because of its upmarket design and strong styling.

It stands out because of its looks; this 42-inch LCD has the usual glossy black panel, but it is the highly polished bright red back panel that adds charm to this beauty. The power button is actually a hole in the bezel; you can see all the way through the TV. To power on, all you need to do is press the light ring inside the hole. The speakers are well-hidden around the bezel, with the speaker grills underneath. Because of this, the bezel is also thicker at the bottom. The volume and program buttons are on the right side and so are the USB, HDMI, Composite and Component ports. This panel has an aesthetical design, and that is precisely the reason what made it won the 'Innovations' award at this year's Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas.

But mind you, it is not just the design that this sleek and sexy TV has; the Scarlet range offers rich colors and excellent sharpness. With a dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1 and a response time of 4 ms, the specifications are right up there with the best. It also has an intelligent sensor that automatically adjusts the screen's brightness to an optimal level. Watching movies on this 1080p full HD panel is a treat. I watched some of our regular test bench DVD movies on it and I must say that I had a completely different kind of movie experience altogether. The images were bright, and crisp with excellent RGB contrast, and the sound quality was superb. With the 4 ms response time, there was no visible distortion or ghosting visible. Plus, console gaming was pleasant too-the graphics were pretty neat with all the fight moves in Ninja Gaiden showing up nicely.

The only drawback with Scarlet I could see was that it'll have to be placed on a table. Not that you can't wall mount it, but if you do, the beautiful red back panel will be almost completely hidden.

LG Scarlet 42LG60FR Rs 1,09,000	Performance Coolness
Pros Innovative design Cons Red back panel is nearly out of sight Sold by LG India Tel: 1860 180 9999 www.lgindia.com	Specs 42” panel, 1920 x 1080p, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 50,000:1 contrast, 178/178 viewing angle, 4ms response, 2 x component, 3 x composite, 3 x HDMI, 1 USB, 1 VGA, 24.1kg Verdict