LG 50PZ850T review

Image quality isn’t up there with the best that Panasonic and Sony have shown this year, but the plasma technology helps create dramatically superior black levels to similarly-priced LCD TVs. Standard definition TV footage looked reasonable, with only a small amount of noise artefacts from the high quality channels – low-bandwidth streams looked a lot worse, with a lack of facial detail. HD Blu-ray video was much better, with crisp outlines and plenty of detail. Colours were quite muted at the default settings, but a quick trip through the menus let us turn up the vibrancy.

Unlike most LG TVs we’ve seen this year, the 50PZ850T uses active shutter 3D glasses rather than passive ones. We usually prefer passive 3D because there’s no screen flicker, but the pair supplied with the TV did a fantastic job of minimising this effect. They also weigh less than most active shutter sets, although you’ll still need to buy additional pairs (at £50 each from www.play.com) if more than one person wants to watch a 3D film. There was a minimal amount of ghosting and crosstalk, so we could comfortably watch films without having to take a break.

Audio quality was fairly basic, with the two 10W speakers managing to do a reasonable job with broadcast television. We would still want to use a dedicated surround sound system for watching films – there was a lack of bass and the speakers don’t go particularly loud.

This wand is provided in addition to the remote and pen, but its only use is to navigate the menus as if you were using a Wii controller.

PenTouch is an interesting concept, but the complicated setup and limited functions limit its appeal. There’s also the question of price; you’re paying a premium for the pen (LG’s standard full HD plasma, the 50PZ570T, is £100 less). The 50PZ850T has good picture quality and the 3D works well, but if you don’t plan to use it, there’s no reason to pay extra for the PenTouch feature.