0605WHC10 LG RZ-42PX11

18/4/05

12:09 PM

Page 30

Group Test # 42in Plasma TVs

LG RZ-42PX11 P

riced under 2,000, this remarkable LG plasma is the cheapest 42in screen in this round-up. Which has got us wondering just how many corners have been cut to make such a feat possible. Its certainly no great shakes in the looks department, with just a black inner bezel as the only design flourish, but at least any concerns that wed have regarding a stripped-down connection count prove to be unfounded. A trio of Scarts is joined by a PC input, component video inputs, and best of all a DVI input able to receive video as well as PC pictures. And yes, some of these inputs can receive high-definition and progressive scan fare. The 42PX11's impressive feature count is headed up by XD Engine. This is the name LG gives to its in-house brand of picture processing enhancements, results of which are claimed to include more fine detail, richer colours, enhanced contrast, more brightness, and less noise.

TEST SCENE

Wimbledon
expensive plasmas displayed here. The 42PX11 also suppresses those twin plasma nasties of dot crawl and colour banding pretty well, delivering a picture that's remarkably clean and free of artefacts.

Budget lux

Compared to some of the more costly competitors on test this month, this sub-2,000 42in plasma's picture quality is nothing short of startling. In fact, it looks as if LG's XD Engine has really come of age. For starters, it helps make the image look terrifically vibrant. Colours displayed during the daylight sequences on our Wimbledon test disc look much more tangible, vibrant and solid than on most plasmas at twice the price. Darker scenes reveal that the colour tone is also much more natural than with previous similarly priced LG screens. Which makes the 42PX11 a cut above its bargain bucket brethren and more on a level with the more

Sleepy hollow

Inevitably, pictures aren't flawless. For instance, the XD Engine doesn't seem comfortable when dealing analogue TV broadcasts. Also, dark parts of the picture can look a touch hollow, and occasionally some darkish colour tones cause gentle blocking artefacts. But these are relatively minor gripes. The speakers propel the soundstage far and wide, throw in details galore, and even underpin action with a touch of bass. Dialogue is occasionally swallowed, but otherwise it's very good indeed. LG really has struck TV gold with the RZ-42PX11. It completely revolutionises what we can expect of a more budget-priced plasma when it's up against the big boys I
Colours during the daylight sequences in Wimbledon look amazing with solid lines and vibrant hues

PRICE 1,800

www.lge.co.uk 0870 6075544

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall ###$$ ####$ ####$ ####$ ####$ ##### #####

AT A GLANCE

I FEATURES
XD Engine picture processing 852 x 480 native resolution Picture-in-picture HD and progressive scan compatible Cinema mode SRS TruSurround PC jack RS-232 jack RF jack infrared jack Component video jacks PC audio input

WHC VERDICT

Sets new standards for the ultra-budget end of the plasma market, and as such should have many more expensive models quaking in their boots.

I CONNECTIONS

Scarts x3 (one RGB) S-video inputs x2 composite video inputs x2 stereo audio inputs x3 DVI jack

S-video socket

Component video

DVI Input

30 WHC June 2005

1204wv03 LG RZ-42PX11

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5:21 pm

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FACT FILE

q q q q q
42in plasma screen Built-in analogue tuner XD picture engine DVI input 852 x 480 resolution

LG RZ-42PX11

G has hovered around the periphery of flatscreen megastardom for some time, so it is due a big score. This time around, the thing it hopes will have fellow Korean and long-time nemesis Samsung looking for a change of underwear is something called XD. This is LG's shot at keeping pace with the current vogue for image processing 'engines' and its role is to sharpen up pictures, improve contrast and generally make sure everything is looking as clear and as bright as possible. This, coupled with a built-in analogue tuner and a competitive price, mean that the company has its eye firmly on the mass market. The designers have stuck to the tried and trusted formula of a mostlyfeatureless silver frame and a pair of built-in speakers running down each side. There is something pleasingly slick about it, though, with the silver extending only a couple of centimetres above and below the screen itself, creating an illusion of absolute flatness. The tuner, sockets and processing are housed within the screen itself, which, while handy in some respects, means that trailing wires are going to be an issue if you do decide to wall-mount. The connection count itself is admirably generous, with DVI and no fewer than three Scarts, one component video and two lots of S-video and composite video inputs to handle your video needs. LG's operating system is cheery and uncomplicated, and an intuitive architecture ensures a panic-free set-up. At least, that's the theory: the channel

42in plasma TV 2,500

side, whites are scorchingly bright and, in general, if you keep things colourful, the RZ-42PX11 does look the part. Switching to high-def material does improve things a great deal but the set still has problems coping with motion across straight lines and also with eliminating grain. Audio isn't bad, with the SRS TruSurround XT setting giving an otherwise fairly feeble soundstage a shot in the arm, but the overall performance of the LG is some way short of its current plasma peers. It is affordable, but if you are after cutting-edge bigscreen thrills, you'll find them only occasionally here Jim Findlay
FEATURES 42in plasma TV; built-in analogue tuner; 852 x 480 pixels resolution; Nicam stereo; XD picture processing; high-definition and progressive scan compatibility; SRS TruSurround XT audio; BBE bass extension circuitry; flesh tone control; Teletext; autotuning; 16,770,000 colours; 1,000cd/m2 brightness; multiple aspect ratios; dimensions: 1,210(w) x 701(h) x 290(d)mm; weight: 29.9kg SOCKETS 3 Scart in/outputs; component video input, DVI input; 2 S-video inputs; 2 composite video inputs; RGB input; RF input; RS-232C port; audio input (minijack); 2 stereo audio inputs; audio input; wired remote jack CONTACT www.lge.co.uk TEST DATA Colour: good, although there is a hint of bleed Convergence: excellent Geometry: perfect Frequency response: excellent: clarity to 5.8MHz For a full explanation of test data, see page 144
scanning is very hit and miss. Our set, for example, correctly identified BBC1 the first time round and assigned it the appropriate '1' key. On the second time of asking, however, it decided that a far more logical place for it was under the '5' button and that it would now be known as Channel 26. Oddities such as this are easily addressed through the menu, but getting it right first time really should be a given.

PERFORMANCE

The performance is a very mixed bag. Broadcast signals look about as good as can be expected from analogue, on plasma and blown up to 42in, which is to say watchable, but on the mucky side. Digital sources, meanwhile, are undeniably disappointing. XD or no, the picture from both component and RGB Scart sources is badly afflicted with banding, grain and a distinct lack of detail. Colours are also wildly variable and our sample had a definite preference for the red end of the spectrum over green. This bias is painfully highlighted in Kill Bill 2 when the action flips between the ruddy hues of Texas to the tranquil tones of Pai Mei's mountain hangout. The former makes sense, with the image bursting with Technicolor verve, while the latter looks washed out and drab, with the actor's previously Tangod hues being replaced by a bloodless, post-mortem pallor. Blacks aren't nearly solid enough either and take on a greenish hue, while the image as a whole seems to hark back a couple of years in terms of fidelity, smoothness and precision. On the positive

WHATS GOOD

Connections; price

WHATS BAD

Overall picture really is a real let-down
PICTURE SOUND FEATURES EASE OF USE VALUE ALSO CONSIDER.
HITACHI PDmore expensive, but it wipes the floor with the LG in almost every department Reviewed: Jun 04 FUJITSU P42VHA30ES No tuner and half a grand dearer, but the picture is about as good as you'll get on an entry-level plasma Reviewed: Sep 04
OVERALL connections but the VERDICT We like the price and the
performance really isn't up to scratch
Bland but generally functional
December 2004 s WHAT VIDEO AND WIDESCREEN TV 79