What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Affordable, full of features and a capable performer all-round; a great 3D buy
Pros
- +
Full spec at a great price
- +
controlled 3D
- +
great colours and punch
- +
nicely detailed 2D HD
Cons
- -
3D could be more dramatic
- -
slight motion smear
- -
a little fine picture noise
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
At £2300, this is quite comfortably one of the cheaper big screen sets, but it certainly doesn’t let itself down on specification.
Here you get a 60in display of surprisingly modest thickness, with four HDMI inputs, two USBs and an ethernet socket for accessing LG’s NetCast web content, which includes the likes of BBC iPlayer and the AceTrax movie streaming service.
3D images are easy on the eye
For a while now there have been suggestions that plasma panels are better than LCD for displaying 3D.
While we’re not going to be drawn into yet another plasma vs LCD debate, the plasma screens we've seen do share traits that set them apart from the rest.
Play the Alice in Wonderland 3D Blu-ray and while you’ll initially be wowed by the depth and openness of the picture, what you’ll really value in the long run is how controlled and stable the picture is.
Double-imaging is minor enough that you’re unlikely to notice it unless you’re really looking, and this helps create a picture that’s very easy on the eyes, even over extended viewing – and despite the message, when you first engage 3D, that says you should take a 10-15 minute break every hour.
What is clear, however, is that that control does seem to come at the expense of a fair bit of the three-dimensional dynamism that some of the big screens offer.
This picture simply isn’t as sharp or detailed as others – and that can make the 3D picture seem a little less dramatic.
A lack of definition
This lack of definition is something that’s less true in 2D performance. And there’s actually a great deal to love when we play our Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray.
This is a very solid, detailed and crisp delivery, with a lovely, natural colour balance and, with the Dynamic Contrast turned on, plenty of punch.
Obviously TVs at this sort of size are always going to struggle a little to upscale standard-definition material, but when you do ask it to deal with a DVD or a Freeview channel like Dave, it responds once again with natural colours and admirable contrast.
There is a touch of pixelation around edges, but the tuner is HD, so you can always switch to one of the increasing number of HD channels and benefit from the extra detail and vibrancy on offer there.
Nice, clear menus
Navigating to one should be easy enough, as the EPG is brilliantly clear, with massive fonts and logos and a very simple layout, though you are presented with only five channels per page, which can mean browsing takes a little while.
It’s true that the PX990 does suffer from a little motion smear and picture noise with all sources, but then you have to take that impressive price into account.
Taken as a complete package, then, this is a very tempting and surprisingly affordable television.
