The LG 55LE5400 is a 55-inch LED-backlit LCD television. Priced at a whopping $2699, most of that money must going towards the large screen, because it's certainly lighter on features than most 55-inch TVs. The performance is a bit mixed, but we were ultimately satisfied with what LG has to offer.

It's becoming increasingly standard to expect streaming content from TVs of a certain size and price range. Anything over $2000, in our opinion, better be packing something. Fortunately, the LG 55LE5400 is equipped with a LAN port and the option to add a WiFi dongle through one of the two USB ports. LG is definitely trailing the pack in its content offerings. It has the basics – Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, and Picasa – and that may be enough to satisfy a lot of users, but Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and Vizio are leaving LG in the dust with many, many more options.

As a hub for a home theater system, the LG 55LE5400's port array should be sufficient. There are plenty of connectivity options, including four HDMIs, two composite AVs, two component AVs, a headphone out, and a digital audio out. That should enough for old and new AV devices all in one happy home. There are also two USB ports that can be used to play back photos, video clips, and music from a USB thumb drive.

Performance (Read the full lab performance results at Televisioninfo.com)

The LG 55LE5400 excelled in color performance, offering some of the best performance that we've seen in a while. We were very impressed with the smooth color transitions and ability to pull detail from the darkest and brightest ends of the spectrum.

The black levels, however, were a different matter. As with previous LG TVs we've reviewed, the blacks simply didn't get black enough to compete with the likes of Sony and Samsung LCD displays. If that was the cost of excellent color performance, though, we're not too troubled by it. The importance of black levels is frequently overstated, and everyday users would be hard pressed to spot a TV's bad black levels without a direct side-by-side comparison with similar TVs. Of course, that's part of our job, and we spotted it for you. Consider yourself warned.

The viewing angle on the LG 55LE5400 exceeded most LCDs, so we're pleasantly surprised in that regard. It's worth noting, however, that we saw some issues with screen uniformity on this TV, meaning you may notice some hot or cool spots on the screen, depending on the content.

Comparisons (Read more in-depth comparisons at Televisioninfo.com)

The LG 55LE5400 was directly compared against three other HDTVs in order to put it in the context for you. First, the LG 60PK750 ($2499) is a larger, cheaper LG plasma display. Though the PK750 had a wider viewing angle and deeper blacks, we were ultimately more impressed with the color performance of the LE5400. Secondly, the Sony KDL-52EX700 ($1979) has a slightly smaller screen, but the black level and contrast are far superior, the streaming content is richer, and the color performance is good enough to convince us it's the better buy. Finally, the Samsung UN55C7000 ($3299), a TV capable of 3D display, and therefor much more expensive. We would only recommend this if you have your heart set on 3D. As a 2D performer, the UN55C7000 is an excellent choice, and you can't beat its stunning physical design. On the whole, though, it's not worth the extra money just yet. 

Overall, the LG 55LE5400 has enough good points to earn our respect. We caution those shoppers who feel that black level and contrast ratio are of primary importance. Its strengths do not lie there, but in color performance and viewing angle.