Best 3D TV LG 47LD950
The LG LD950 is easy on the eye, but not without its flaws
• Type: Passive display
• Size: 47-inch LCD
• Price: £ 1,800
• Extra glasses: £1 a pair
3D Pros: Natural and pleasing to the eye, light, comfortable and cheap glasses, easy to watch
3D Cons: Lacks resolution and depth, 3d Blu-ray looks better on most active shutter TVs, you can’t change picture settings while in 3D mode, Trumotion causes problems
We couldn’t get hold of the LD950 in time for our first test, so took LG up on its offer of testing the LD920 (‘pub version’) instead. It was a qualified success – we liked the softer, more natural feeling to the passive 3D picture, but were disappointed to find it wouldn’t work with 3D Blu-ray. This new consumer version delivers a very similar performance to the LD920, but despite on the face of it being 3D Blu-ray compatible we found it doesn’t work as well as it should. LD950 full results.
3D picture
The best way to describe the 3D performance is schizophrenic. On the one hand Sky HD material looked great, on the other 3D Blu-ray was a bit of a mess. When it started to get ‘busy’ on screen (lots of movement, for instance) the TV just couldn’t cope. Jerky, juddery and flickering effects made 3D virtually unwatchable. Images lacked solidity and focus.
We managed to improve the motion problems by switching LG’s ‘Trumotion’ picture processing settings off. But this doesn’t completely solve the problems and annoyingly you can’t change picture settings while in 3D mode – a usability oversight that needs to be fixed if LG is to compete.
Blu-ray aside the LD950 performed much the same way as the LD920. When watching Sky 3D material our expert panel enjoyed the passive 3D performance. The effect is muted compared with the active 3D sets thanks to the lower resolution, softer picture and slightly dull colours, but what it lacks in depth it makes up for in a natural, comfortable viewing experience. The odd bit of crosstalk on sport sequences (a slight ghosting caused by overlapping images) didn’t give much cause for concern.
3D Glasses
A lot of the ‘natuarl feel’ is down to the glasses. The cheap lightweight glasses slip on and off easily and don’t weigh heavily on your nose. The other sets all use the far more expensive active shutter technology and will set you back around £100 for an extra pair.
Glasses for this LG are much cheaper – the TV we bought came with four pairs and you can find them online for a pound a pair, making it much more affordable to watch 3D TV with friends and family.
Full test
How did the LD950 fare in our full test? Visit our LED, LCD and plasma TV reviews for full results.
