The VT30 is no better than the VT20: it still has a great picture in both 2D and 3D. But Panasonic has put a lot of work into making it look better, and it's certainly paid off.
With great picture quality and excellent results in 3D, the LG LW450U could easily have earned our top five-star rating. Unfortunately, however, the low contrast ratio produced by the IPS display technology isn't quite good enough.
Philips' previous attempts at a 21:9 TV didn't win us over, and this third version doesn't break from tradition. The Philips 58PFL9956H is a good television, scoring highly in our tests for colour reproduction, contrast and responsiveness, but the resolution of its display and the quality of the 3D experience make it hard to recommend for a demanding audience of Home Cinema fans.
This TV will suit anybody who isn't too demanding about picture quality and doesn't expect the Home Cinema experience. Enthusiasts will want to look elsewhere though.
Pluses
+
Great picture in 2D and 3D
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Excellent contrast ratio: 6310:1 in THX mode and 4860:1 in Professional mode
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Crosstalk virtually invisible
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Very wide viewing angles
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Excellent audio quality
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Attractive results in 2D and 3D
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Matte display (not many reflections) and accurate colour reproduction (average deltaE: 2.7)
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Light, comfortable 3D glasses
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Good media player and low energy consumption (150 W)
+
One of the best LCD 3D TVs: not much crosstalk and less eyestrain than with active 3D technology
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Unusual 21:9 aspect ratio
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Anti-glare finish keeps reflections off the screen
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Accurate colour reproduction: deltaE: 1.9
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High contrast ratio: 2830:1
+
Reasonable energy consumption: 178 W
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No clouding
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Accurate colour reproduction in Photo mode: average deltaE: 3.2
+
Low energy consumption: 125 W
+
Matte finish means few reflections
Minuses
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Glossy screen picks up reflections
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Noisy power adaptor
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Energy consumption on the high side: 166 W
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Contrast ratio not quite perfect (1270:1)
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Media player doesn't support M2TS or MTS files
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Only 3 HDMI ports
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Hard to make the most of 2560 x 1080 pixel resolution: HD content doesn't look great
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