LG 42PW450T review

If you want some big-screen 3D action on a budget take a look at the LG 42PW450T Tested at £475

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

A bit of an oddball, sure, but an ideal toe-in-the-3D-water nonetheless

Pros

  • +

    Effective 3D and HD-ready TV at a bargain price

  • +

    great ergonomics

Cons

  • -

    Some motion issues

  • -

    miserly resolution

  • -

    grating sound

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.

The unofficial award for ‘most intriguing/bewildering TV’ in this size sector undoubtedly goes to the LG 42PW450T.

As it’s the least expensive screen we've seen at this size (and it’s yours for close to £400 if you do the legwork), we were primed to accept some holes in its specification, but the 42PW450T gives with one hand and takes away with the other in head-spinning fashion.

On the plus side, this is a blandly handsome 3D-ready plasma screen at a bargain-basement price. It benefits from LG’s exemplary on-screen menus, has a remote control with a realistic number of buttons and is simple to set up to your satisfaction.

There’s a Freeview HD tuner, and the set will also play back high-def DivX files via its USB socket.

Enjoyable images, but not Full HD
On the other hand – and surprisingly – this is an active-shutter 3D screen from a company that’s currently involved in a huge rumble with its rivals over its assertion that passive 3D is the superior tech.

And this is a TV with a resolution of just 1024 x 768 – numbers that might just have been acceptable in a 42in plasma three or four years ago.

It follows that Blu-ray, Freeview HD or 3D images need a lot of processing before they’re downscaled sufficiently to be displayed.

That remedial resolution aside, though, the LG does (mostly) enjoyable work with HD sources. Pictures from its high-def tuner are detailed and reasonably poised: picture noise is at a minimum, contrasts are strong and clean, and the 450T does a nice line in skin-tones and textures.

Blu-ray pictures are very watchable, too – the colour palette is broad and convincing, and detail is reasonably high even in darker scenes.

A touch of shimmer
The LG finds complex patterns tricky from either source, though, and if these are combined with horizontal movement the results can be rather shimmery.

Upscaled DVD pictures come close to matching downscaled Blu-ray images (which, given the panel’s resolution, isn’t a huge surprise).

Season 4 of Mad Men is delivered with convincing colours, plenty of detail and little picture noise. Only the LG’s anxiety with motion-tracking spoils an otherwise-accomplished performance.

Officially, the 450T isn’t supplied with 3D glasses, but any number of retailers will throw a pair or two of LG’s not-particularly comfortable 3D specs in – and it’s possible that 3D content is where the 450 is at its most impressive.

Despite the manufacturer’s disdain for the technology the 450T’s active-shutter system works well, minimising cross-talk and keeping images decently bright while offering convincing 3D pictures.

From any source, sound is pretty dismal: thin and reedy, and really quite tiring over time. And while we’re having a bit of a moan, the LG’s glass screen is indecently reflective, which can make watching darker scenes a bit of a trial.

But at the price, the 450 combines ‘cutting-edge’ with ‘outmoded’ with occasionally brilliant results.

See all our TV Best Buys

Follow whathifi on Twitter

Join whathifi on Facebook

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test