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Group test: 3D Display Technology October 2010
LG 47LD950
Panasonic TX-P65VT20
LG 55LX9900
Samsung UE55C8000
Sony KDL-46HX903
ViewSonic PJD6531
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Test 3d display technology LG 47LD950
Panasonic TX-P65VT20
LG 55LX9900
Samsung UE55C8000
Sony KDL-46HX903
ViewSonic PJD6531
3D display technol0gy As Sky launches 3D TV in the home, we line up six ways to watch it. Is now the time to buy? With Sky’s 3D channel about to start broadcasting and a growing number of 3D-capable TVs and Blu-ray players on the market, we’re in the midst of yet another home entertainment revolution. There are two different types of 3D technology in use. Most sets use ‘Active Shutter’ technology to display 3D pictures which means the viewer has to wear battery-powered glasses that communicate with an infrared transmitter inside or connected to the screen (see page 80 for an explanation of how the varying 3D technologies work).
Buying tips
Active shutter glasses are pricey and specs made by a certain manufacturer can only be used with their own TVs, which means you can’t take them to the home of a friend who owns a different make of 3D TV. Passive glasses aren’t battery-powered and are cheap but require a polarised screen. LG is the only manufacturer to produce a passive glasses-compatible TV but, passive or active, all 3D TVs are compatible with Sky 3D. We’ve rounded up five TVs and, for comparison’s sake, one of the first 3D-ready projectors to see how the future of ‘really big’ screen 3D is shaping up.
n:3D isn’t locked into any particular TV technology – you’ll find CCFL LCD, LED and plasma 3D TVs, although plasma’s better refresh rates and viewing angles are an advantage when watching 3D n:Buy as big a TV as you can for your budget and available space, taking the optimum viewing distance into consideration. 3D has a greater impact when viewed on a bigger screen n:Not all TVs come with glasses or transmitters included and buying peripherals as required can be pricey, running into hundreds of pounds
October 2010 What Satellite & Digital TV 105
n www.lge.co.uk n 0844 847 5454 n £2,000
LG 47LD950 Ratings PLUS
n Comfortable, hassle-free and
cheap glasses
n Sky 3D picture quality n Solid 2D hi-def performance
Minus
n Loss of resolution with 3D
images n 3D Blu-ray playback lacks stability Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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74%
The 47LD950 uses passive technology to display its 3D images, which has pros and cons, but you get four pairs of passive glasses bundled in free. The 47LD950 is a straight-up CCFL LCD set so is fairly chunky in appearance and has a thick bezel, but its glossy black finish and transparent edges keep the ugly stick at bay. Connections include four HDMIs and USB input for media playback (DivX HD, JPEG, MP3). There’s also no Freeview HD, just a regular Freeview tuner. No Ethernet port means there’s no access to LG’s Net Cast feature, nor DLNA media streaming from PCs. But you do get TruMotion 200Hz processing, which looks to reduce motion blur. 3D performance is a lot better than expected, although the first thing you notice is the lower resolution of the image. There’s a slightly fuzzy quality about it that won’t make your jaw drop in the same way as a Full HD 3D Blu-ray image, plus you can make out the lines in the screen – like an old CRT TV. Once you’ve come to terms with this side-effect of the technology, you’re left to enjoy the wonderfully rich and layered pictures. That lack of resolution certainly doesn’t diminish the 3D effect – in fact, it looks just as deep and absorbing as any of the other sets on test here. In clips from football matches on Sky 3D the players seem to stand forward and there’s a convincing sense of space between players and crowd. Despite the lower resolution onscreen objects are crisply defined due to the absence of ghosting crosstalk,
while colours boast naturalness and warmth. Overall brightness is good, even when wearing the glasses. 3D pictures from a Blu-ray player aren’t quite up to the same standard. The fast-moving creatures at the start of Ice Age 3 shimmer and blur uncomfortably, playing tricks on the brain and ruining the layering effect. But the picture still looks surprisingly detailed and 2D HD pictures look impeccably sharp and nuanced. 2D standard-def from the built-in Freeview tuner, however, looks excessively smeary and laden with mosquito noise. Audio is loud and robust, although there’s too much emphasis on the mid-range and treble but not enough bass to bulk things out. The 47LD950 is a surprisingly impressive TV that’s ideally suited to Sky 3D. Pity it’s so expensive.
n www.lge.co.uk n 0844 847 5454 n £2,700
LG 55LX9900
Ratings PLUS
n Jaw-dropping design n Abundant features n Easy to use n Glasses included n USB recording
Minus
n Some crosstalk in pictures n Hefty price tag
Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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84%
This active shutter set comes with two pairs of glasses, while a Full LED backlit display means the set itself is very skinny – just 31mm deep. It’s a luxurious-looking screen too. The Infinia design uses a single sheet of glass and flush bezel like the Sony, whose slimness means the screen almost extends to the very edges where there’s a translucent plastic trim. Four HDMI v1.4 inputs and two USB ports allow you to play DivX HD, JPEG and MP3 files. You get two remotes – the regular button-packed zapper and a Magic Motion remote that controls an onscreen mouse, just like a Wii handset, and makes the logical and attractive menus easy to control. Net Cast provides access to YouTube, AccuWeather.com and Picasa when netconnected via Ethernet or using the optional Wi-Fi dongle. You can stream media from DLNA PCs – there’s also a built-in Freeview HD tuner, and in terms of picture tech the set’s 400Hz (200Hz plus a scanning backlight) TruMotion processing aims to snuff out motion blur. Watching Sky 3D’s broadcast of Switzerland vs England, the 55LX9900 handles the action with aplomb. The 3D image is clear and boldly defined and painted in strong, natural colours. The layering effect is not as deep as the Panasonic. But the image remains bright, and TruMotion does an excellent job of making movement look smooth without introducing unwanted artefacts.
104 What Satellite & Digital TV October 2010
Certain areas look a little blurred and the moving advertising hoardings might do your head in, but no more so than the other sets on test here. Freeview HD channels look bright and punchy, we noticed some noise on BBC HD and it makes standarddef channels look even noisier than usual. Thin, bass-free sound means a home cinema system is recommended.
Test 3d display technology n www.panasonic.co.uk n 0844 844 3852 n £4,500
Panasonic TX-P65vt20B TVs don’t come much bigger than Panasonic’s 65in TX-P65VT20B plasma. Too big? Then check out the more modest 50in TX-P50VT20B (around £2,000). You get two pairs of TY-EW3D10 active shutter glasses. The picture-processing highlight is 600Hz Sub-field Drive Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, which aims to smooth out moving images and could be a blessing when watching busy 3D movies. It has built-in Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners, supports DLNA streaming, is netenabled via its VieraCast portal (including YouTube), and allows you to play digital media or record TV programmes (one channel at a time) using USB drives via Ethernet or using an optional Wi-Fi adapter. There are four HDMIs. Full HD 3D images from the Panny DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray deck are stunning – with Ice Age 3, the image is crystal clear with exceptional black depth, rich colours and a sense of immersion that its rivals simply can’t match. There’s no crosstalk on background objects either. Switching to Sky’s 3D channel the effect is similarly mesmerising. With the 3D broadcast of Switzerland vs England it’s a revelation, seamlessly piecing together the left and right pictures and adding depth and perspective to the players and crowd. But what Panasonic brings to the table is an unmatchable sense of solidity, thanks to those devilishly deep blacks and the fluidity of the
Ratings PLUS
n Deep, solid blacks n 3D performance n Features n Simple operating system n Glasses included
Minus
n Very expensive n Uncomfortable glasses n SD pictures
moving 3D objects. It judders every now and again as the camera follows the ball, but otherwise it’s a remarkable picture. The only downside is that Panasonic’s glasses are uncomfortable to wear. 2D pictures from a Blu-ray deck and Freeview HD channels look sharp, but not as bright as its LED rivals. It’s only when you switch to SD channels that the picture looks decidedly ropey – but that’s inevitable at this size. The 3 x 10W speakers produce a surprisingly full sound that’s more than adequate if you don’t want to rig up the home cinema system, rounding up an impressive performance from a sublime, if expensive TV.
Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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88%
n www.samsung.com/uk n 0845 726 7864 n £3,000
Samsung UE55C8000 Samsung doesn’t sling any glasses in the box with this set (they cost around £100) but at least they’re rechargeable and they’re the most comfortable to wear. This stylish set is truly one of the most gorgeous TVs we’ve ever clapped eyes on. A brushed metal bezel and glistening silver Quad Stand are sheer luxury, while its 23.9mm depth makes it slinky and eminently wall-mountable. The UE55C8000 comes equipped with all the latest cutting-edge features, such as Internet@TV – which brings websites like YouTube, Twitter and LoveFilm into your living room – and All Share, which lets you stream media content from PCs on your home network via Ethernet or with a Samsung Wi-Fi dongle. The two USB ports on the side accept a wide range of media formats – including DivX HD and MKV – plus they’re compatible with external HDDs, which let you add PVR functionality to the already extensive feature set. In terms of picture technology it’s packing 3D HyperReal Engine, 200Hz processing and a scanning backlight. There’s also a Freeview HD tuner on board. Despite boasting a wealth of picture tweaks and functions, the set’s straightforward menus and well-laid out brushed silver remote make it easy to use. The UE55C8000’s 3D performance is a mixed bag. Pictures piped from a Full HD Blu-ray deck or Sky 3D introduce an absorbing level of depth to the picture,
Ratings PLUS
n Comfy glasses n Stunning slim design n Loads of features
Minus
objects look convincingly layered and colours are bold and natural (if dimmed somewhat by the glasses). But there’s an inescapable lack of focus to the image, brought about by significant crosstalk and ‘ghosting’ artefacts on areas of the picture. This distracts your attention more often than it should and makes the experience less involving. In all other respects, though, the Samsung’s HD pictures are awesome, whether you’re watching 2D Blu-ray or Freeview HD – they’re intensely bright, crisp and radiant. Sound is a tad disappointing, but that’s hardly surprising given the set’s slim dimensions.
n 3D crosstalk issues n Glasses not supplied n Sound
Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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80%
October 2010 What Satellite & Digital TV 105
n www.sony.co.uk n 0845 6000 124 n £2,500
Sony KDL-46Hx903 Ratings PLUS
n Gorgeous slim design n Great-looking 3D images n Ease of use n Lots of features
Minus
n Expensive n Glasses and
transmitter not supplied
n 3D performance not as assured
as Panasonic Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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82%
This 46in LED backlit screen shows Sony’s Monolithic design to devastating effect. The screen is a single panel of glass with a flush bezel, and this approach makes the 46HX903 an eye-catching adornment for any room. Like most of Sony’s latest TVs, the KDL-46HX903 provides access to BRAVIA Internet Video, a range of on-demand services like YouTube, Dailymotion, BBC iPlayer, LoveFilm and Demand Five, plus it’s DLNA-certified and can therefore stream content from PCs (or play it from USB drives). Sony’s optional USB Wi-Fi dongle costs about £70. The set uses full LED backlighting and an OptiContrast Panel, while its pictures are spruced up by BRAVIA Engine 3 and Motionflow 400 Pro with Image Blur Reduction. It’s easy to use, with the excellent Xross Media Bar operating system proving as slick and intuitive as ever. To enjoy 3D you have to buy the optional glasses and sync transmitter, which cost £100 and £50 respectively – a big chunk to pay out after shelling out £2,500 on the TV, but for sheer enjoyment it’s worth the investment. 3D pictures from a Blu-ray deck or Sky’s 3D channel look crisp and well defined – there’s barely any crosstalk to ruin the clarity and the layering effect is convincingly realised. Also pleasing is the brightness of the image, which allows pictures to dazzle even through glasses, and the complete absence of motion blur.
On the downside, its 3D images aren’t up to the same standard as those of the Panasonic TX-P65VT20, which offers greater depth and solidity. With Freeview HD and 2D Blu-rays, the Sony delivers a very sharp and engaging image, free from artefacts and bursting with detail. It’s not quite up to the same dazzling crispness as the Samsung or LG, but still impressive. Freeview SD images look messy due to the amount of block noise and shimmering, but that’s more a shortcoming of Freeview, not Sony, and it doesn’t look any worse than LG or Samsung’s LED sets. Overall, the Sony is an impressive and easy-to-use 3D proposition, offering crisp pictures and an attractive feature list, but it’s also expensive, particularly after you’ve added the cost of glasses.
n www.viewsoniceurope.com n 0207 382 8251 n £630
ViewSonic PJD6531w
Ratings PLUS
n Looks n Blu-ray pictures n Connections
Minus
n Top panel controls n Uncertain 3D support
Build Ease of use Performance Features Value
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78%
With a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels this DLP projector isn’t Full HD, but can still display 3D images, thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. It’s certified as compatible with NVIDIA graphics cards, which means you can pick up a pair of NVIDIA shutter glasses separately and use it with systems like NVIDIA’s 3D Vision to play games and watch 3D video using a 3D-ready PC. It’s a nice-looking compact unit with a gloss-black finish and brush-effect top. On the rear panel you get a decent array of connections, including an HDMI input, but because it’s specified as v1.3 it shouldn’t work with 3D Blu-ray players, although ViewSonic says it should be able to play 3D Blu-ray ‘with the correct playback software’. You also get an RJ-45 networking port that allows you to schedule and manage the projector remotely, two PC inputs, composite, S-video and USB port. A 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 3,000 lumens brightness and a 16:9 aspect ratio that makes it perfect for movie viewing. There’s an Eco mode to cut power consumption, taking lamp life up to an estimated 6,000 hours and the ‘whisper quiet’ noise output of 26dB won’t ruin movie playback. Meanwhile, the BrilliantColor technology is said to help the unit to display bright, life-like colours. The WXGA panel can only display 720p natively but
106 What Satellite & Digital TV October 2010
accepts 1080i and 1080p signals at 24, 25 and 30 frames a second, which means your Blu-ray player is in safe hands. The PJD6531w is a pain to use up close owing to the poorly laid out cluster of buttons on top of the unit, which places the Exit key in the middle of the direction keys, which is frustrating. The supplied remote is much better. Blu-rays look bright and bold, with excellent detail retrieval and solid black level. We tried hooking it up to a Sky+ HD box to check Sky 3D, but couldn’t find any option that allows you to display the side-by-side images properly – this may be something ViewSonic adds at a later date after further testing. There’s a built-in 10W speaker that sounds much better than you’d expect.
Test 3d display technology
And the winner is...
Panasonic’s set is a real stunner
Verdict
fine detail handling and explosive colours. Its 2D Blu-ray performance is equally mesmerising, Freeview HD pictures are a real treat and there are also loads of innovative features. The ViewSonic is a superb DLP projector that makes 2D HD movies look great but can’t be recommended for Sky 3D (not yet, anyway).
Speakers
HDMIs
Scarts
S-video
Digital audio output
PC input
Passive glasses compatible
Active shutter glasses compatible
Glasses supplied
Glasses cost
3D transmitter included
Transmitter cost
Media streaming
Web TV apps
Rating (%)
LCD
1,920 x 1080
150:000:1
Frreview SD
2x 10W
4
2
-
Optical
l
l
-
4
N/A
l
-
DivX HD, MP3, JPEG
-
-
74
£2,700
55in
LED
1,920 x 1080
10million:1
Freeview HD
2x 10W
4
2
-
Optical
l
-
l
2
£100
l
-
DivX HD, MP3, JPEG
l
l
84
Plas
1,920 x 1080
5million:1
Freeview HD
3x 10W
-
AVCHD/ SD-Video/ DivX/ JPEG/ MP3/AAC
l
l
88
l
l
80
LG 55LX9900
Panasonic TX-P65VT20 £4,500
65in
4
2
l
Optical
l
-
l
2
£100
l
Samsung UE55C8000 £3,000
55in
LED
1,920 x 1080
N/A
Freeview HD
2x 15W
4
4
-
Optical
l
-
l
2
£100
l
-
JPEG, MP3, DivX, WMV, H.264, MPEG1-4
Mega Contrast (greater than 2million:1)
Freeview HD
2x 10W
4
2
l
Optical
l
-
l
l
£100
-
£50
JPEG, MP3, MPEG2, AVCHD
l
l
82
2,000:1
Freeview HD
2x 10W
1
-
-
-
l
-
l
-
l
-
-
-
-
-
78
Sony KDL-46HX903 £2,500
46in
LED
1,920 x 1080
£600
Up to 7.6 mtrs
DLP
1280 x 764
Viewsonic PJD6531W
Multimedia playback
Tuners
47in
Contrast ratio
Display technology
£2,000
LG 47LD950
Panel resolution
Screen size
The glasses are uncomfortable and it’s too expensive for many, but the Panasonic TX-P65VT20 is an astonishing TV and a worthy winner – producing the deepest and most absorbing 3D and 2D pictures here.
Price
Make and model
Least impressive is the Samsung UE55C8000. While many aspects of its 3D performance are admirable – particularly the sharpness, brightness and overall depth of the image – the appearance of ghosting on objects within the picture is too distracting to ignore, and doesn’t allow you to lose yourself in the image in the same way as the other TVs on test. But that’s the only major criticism we can level at this otherwise amazing TV (apart from the price). It’s a visual stunner, very easy to use and comes equipped with a generous number of features – plus its active glasses are the most comfortable to wear. The LG 47LD950 is the surprise package of the bunch. The passive technology produces much better 3D image quality than you may expect. Despite the half resolution picture, Sky 3D looks incredibly warm and immersive, with excellent layering, depth and well-defined edges. It’s just a shame that 3D Blu-ray playback isn’t up to the sharp, vibrant standards as LG and Panasonic’s active shutter sets and there’s a distinct lack of features (vanilla Freeview tuner, no networking...). LG’s active shutter set is a much better proposition, boasting impeccable 3D pictures with lower crosstalk than the Samsung, superb
October 2010 What Satellite & Digital TV 107