If you're anything like me you've probably been hunting around high and low for LG's AGS100 Active Shutter 3D Glasses in the UK? With the popularity of LG 3D TV's and the fact you only get 1 pair with some sets AGS100's are becoming as rare as hens teeth. What is even rarer is finding them at a good price (I've seen them vary from £99 to £139 plus P&P with nowhere having them at £99 in stock).
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Before I go any further with this LG PX990 review I just want to say one thing. This TV was so good I bought one with my own money!

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I've written previously about how I thought LG was a strange choice for Sky to partner with in promoting their 3D content. In my opinion LG have never made the best televisions, they were always a good middle of the road maker as far as I was concerned. However when it comes to 3D you have to give them their due, they really are right behind the technology and seem more intent on pushing it forward than just about any other TV manufacturer. In an age where traditional picture quality is dominated by LED sets they’ve even been prepared to manufacture using Plasma technology to ensure the best 3D experience.

Why Plasma For 3D?

Cross-talk is the bain of 3D at the moment. It occurs where an image meant for one eye is seen by the other and manifests as a sort of hale around objects. At best it is annoying, at worst it can make 3D pictures unwatchable. The slower refresh of LED/LCD technology makes this worse and it’s what gives Plasma (to date) the advantage in terms of 3D content. The LG PX990 in both its 50” and 60” guises is a Plasma TV.

2D Images With The PX990

Lets keep this simple. LG sets do not produce the best 2D images, even with the 600hz technology of this set I still find the standard picture quality and smoothness better on my Philips. However I paid over £2500 for the 47” Philips whilst the 50” PX990 can be picked up for around £1400. I’m not going to say the picture is bad either, in fact it is superb and if you’re coming from a Sony, Samsung etc background you will be more than impressed with what LG offers in this set. Because of its THX certification it also makes calibration simple. There are a huge number of tweaks that can be made but for my purposes I chose to opt for an amended THX setup (just to take account for the light in the room). When it comes to HD images this TV does seem to kick in to another gear, crisp, smooth and with a real solidness to onscreen objects. There is absolutely nothing about the 2D performance of this TV that should hold you back from buying one.

THX 3D Performance

The PX990 is the first THX certified 3D television. What this means to you and me is that we are assured a cinema quality experience in terms of colour depth and quality. Does it live up to the hype? YES. The LG PX990 produces the most outstanding 3D performance of any television I’ve seen to date. Cross-talk is kept to an absolute minimum, the THX 3D mode counters the over dark picture that some sets are prone to and picture fluidity is unmatched as far as I’m concerned. I have seen various amounts of bitching on forums from people saying that the THX rating is undeserved because of high amounts of cross-talk and other problems but mine has been brilliant. It all comes down to user setup, I notice that most people complaining are the same people who boast about picking up cheap glasses from eBay! It is also important to have your TV setup in the best position possible. I only use fully charged official LG 3D glasses and have made sure the IR link between glasses and TV is totally unobstructed and the 3D performance from the PX990 has been far above anything else I’ve seen. The only time cross-talk has been as issue I would put it down to the quality of the input source. For example some of the early demos on Sky 3D (such as the Keane song) are prone to cross-talk. Live sport and Blu-Ray movies may have their odd moment but it is very rare and certainly much less noticeable than any other 3D TV I’ve tried.

Overall Opinion Of The LG PX 990

Frankly I think the LG PX990 is a bargain. You get outstanding (if maybe not industry leading) 2D performance plus for my money what is the best 3D experience from a 3D TV made to date for a price that should have other manufacturers quaking in their boots, or at least attempting to up their game. There are a couple of downsides to using plasma technology such as more subdued tones compared to what LCD fans may be used to and the LG glasses are not the most comfortable to wear (you get 1 pair free) but in terms of a home 3D cinema experience the PX990 will take some beating.

As I said at the start I was so impressed with this 3D TV that I bought one so if you have any questions you’d like to ask please feel free to leave a comment below?