JVC is perhaps best known in the TV world for LCoS-based projectors, but the company also has some impressive flat-panel LCDs. The last one reviewed in Sound & Vision, the 1080p-rez LT-46FN97, earned an S&V Certified and Recommended stamp. So I was more than ready to have a look at the new 47-inch LT-47X898.

Two key features make X898 Series LCDs stand out against earlier JVC models: Clear Motion Drive II (CMD II) processing and In Plane Switching (IPS). CMD II combats LCD motion lag by displaying images at a 120-Hz refresh rate - double the speed of typical HDTVs - and it uses sophisticated motion interpolation to fill in the gaps between frames when displaying standard 60-Hz video sources. IPS, meanwhile, is a technology that causes the liquid-crystal molecules in the panel's cells (pixels) to rotate parallel to the screen surface when deflecting light from the set's fluorescent backlight. (In a standard LCD cell, liquid-crystal molecules twist in perpendicular formation in response to current from adjacent electrodes.) Without getting too techy here, the net effect of IPS is a greatly improved viewing angle, with no drop-off in contrast, brightness, or color saturation when you watch from off-center seats.

The all-black 47X898 has an appealing, understated look. A thin, 11/2-inch gloss-black bezel surrounds the screen, and a slightly wider strip containing the set's speakers runs along its bottom. The TV comes with a matching stand, and various wall-mounts are available from JVC online. Basic controls are located on the TV's side, including buttons for power, volume, input selection, and menu browsing.

Inputs galore can be found on the JVC's back panel. Along with three HDMI 1.3 jacks are two component-video connections, a VGA port for a PC, and the standard composite- and S-video inputs. Unlike the HDMI jacks on a number of other new 120-Hz LCDs, the JVC's won't accept a 24-frames-per-second signal from a high-def disc player; your 1080p input options are limited to 1080p/60.

The remote control is decidedly on the bulky side, but it has a fully backlit keypad and a clean button layout. Direct-input buttons near the top let you easily switch sources. Pressing the Aspect button lets you choose from Slim (4:3), Full (16:9), Panorama zoom, and Cinema stretch; there's also a no-overscan Full Native mode for 1080-format programs. One minor glitch to report: When switching between high-def formats on the same input (toggling back and forth between the 720p ESPN-HD and 1080i HBO-HD cable channels, for example), you'll need to reselect Full Native mode. The option doesn't automatically become active after you return to viewing 1080i-format programs.

Setup JVC's onscreen TV menus could definitely use an update. Moving from one adjustment to the next requires that you skim through every item in that particular submenu with the arrow keys - a frustratingly slow proc-ess. The TV has four picture presets (Standard, Dynamic, Theater, and Game) and two Custom picture memories, all of which can be modified, and the set stores your adjustments. However, the Theater preset is the only one that comes anywhere close to providing natural-looking pictures, and it's a global preset that can't be independently tweaked for each of the TV's inputs.