Design: Decidedly minimalist
There is nothing flashy about the LG 24-inch LH4830. Half-inch bezels on three sides of the screen create a clean, modern shape that stops just short of being boxy. Edge to edge panels aren’t an option at this price point, where a costly design would cut into more meaningful additions, like better resolution or speakers. The stand takes under a second to attach to the TV, sliding into place with a snap. With a depth of 2.1 inches without the sand, this television is suitable for wall mounting. After testing primarily in the kitchen, I turned it into a second monitor that can be tucked against the wall when not in use or returned to its TV functionality when guests are visiting.
Setup Process: Use your new TV in minutes
There are only a few on-screen prompts to follow to set up the LH4830, so it shouldn’t take longer than a minute or two. Scanning for channels takes several minutes, but cord cutters will be ready to use their TV almost immediately. The default screen of the LH4830 is static unless you have cable, which was probably the biggest source of annoyance in all of the testing. Unless you remember to turn the volume down before turning the TV off, you’ll be greeted by the roar of static when you turn the TV on again. An increasing number of people don’t have cable subscriptions at all, so this is a pretty big oversight.
Interface: LG webOS is clean and modern
Android TV is a more universal operating system for smart TVs to use, but I was surprised to find that I preferred LG’s webOS. Switching between apps is intuitive, and they’re all neatly organized along the bottom of the screen. While testing other televisions I found a lot of instability in the Android operating system, but the LG webOS was stable the entire time. Whether switching between apps or closing apps, we didn’t have any problem with crashing or latency.
Image Quality: Perfect resolution for a small screen
The display of the LH4830 is 720p, and that’s all anyone could need at this size. The picture looks perfectly clear, with no significant blurring or smearing. Even during Avengers: Infinity War, a movie with numerous lengthy fight scenes, the TV was able to deliver a fairly crisp picture. The color is just as beautiful on this small model as on LG’s larger televisions, with a rich vibrancy to the green of Gamora’s skin and the dark, beautiful tones of Vormir. I was pleasantly surprised by the wide viewing angle of the LG 24LH4830. After only having TVs with VA panels, I expected the same narrow viewing angles that kept me glued to the center of my couch for years. Testing the TV in my kitchen, I had no problem seeing the screen from anywhere in the room. There was no significant loss in color or contrast unless I was practically beside the television. Wherever I was in the cooking or cleanup process, I could look up and spend a few minutes watching “Ozark” without losing details of the dark scenes. The LH4830 can be calibrated by a technician with two ISF expert modes, and it has several preset modes that will be plenty for most other users. The Cinema mode was ideal when I tested the TV in my kitchen, with a warm color temperature that is easier on the eyes and looks better in the evening. While cooking, I would turn the picture mode to Game and play rounds of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Game mode’s latency reduction and motion handling are great for such a budget TV.
Audio Quality: Underpowered speakers
The LH4830 has two 5W speakers that do their best to deliver virtual surround sound. The audio quality is adequate for a TV of this size, but not great. Even with auto volume leveling, soft sounds like whispering are often lost, requiring that the volume be frequently adjusted. Background noise like a dishwasher or air conditioner is going to be enough to drown out the volume of these underpowered speakers. All of that said, I can’t criticize the LH4830 too much. Very few TVs wouldn’t benefit from a dedicated speaker system or soundbar, especially at this price point.
Apps: LG Content Store could use more robust selection
After setup, the LH4830 goes automatically to the LG Content Store. The LG Content Store does have apps like Netflix and YouTube, but the selection other than those is seriously limited. Other LG televisions do have access to the Hulu app, so we assume that it will be added to this one in a later update, but if Hulu is a must, then this is not the right choice. As a secondary television, the loss of Hulu isn’t a big deal. The television is compatible with Roku and Apple TV, though, so you can work around the lack of app support.
Price: Competitively priced for its features
A look at the competition of smart TVs under 24 inches shows that the LH4830 is fairly priced for what it offers. For around $140, it’s a well-made smart TV running on a very stable operating system. The wide-angle panel and small size allow it to be effectively used in a great variety of small spaces, and on a screen this size it doesn’t make sense to pay for much better quality.
LG 24LH4830 vs. VIZIO D24F-G1
If 720p is too much of a drop in image quality for you, then the VIZIO D series is worth looking at. With specs virtually identical to the LG, this is a decision about which one you are willing to pay for. The VIZIO D24F-G1 (view online) is the same size and perfectly well suited to wall mounting. Last, the VIZIO uses the Android TV operating system. That wasn’t the one that we preferred in testing, but people who are already used to it and want the wide variety of apps enough to deal with some minor instability issues will enjoy it. The LG 24LH4830 brings a lot of functionality to an undersized part of the TV market. With a wide viewing panel that shows bright, true color no matter where you are in the living room, it’s the perfect choice for TVs that need to fit into small spaces.
