Introduction

Front

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The LG 60PZ850 has a similar look at shape to last year's stylish Samsung C8000 series. The bezel and stand are made of a metallic-like material, a welcome change from the normal black plastic.

Back

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The back of the LG 60PZ850 was not visible to us. We imaging it has the same metallic material as the bezel, with the ports gathered in a corner.

Sides

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The LG 60PZ850 is quite slender, especially for a plasma TV. It appears that this was a design priority of many plasma manufacturers this year, and one we're pleased to see.

Stand/Mount

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LG definitely took this one out of the Samsung playbook. The stand (if indeed this is to be the final design) has four legs, rather than the typical flat rectangle. It's almost exactly the same stand that we saw on the Samsung C8000 – a design we liked a great deal. We realize it's not necessarily to everyone's taste, but you might like it. The only downside is those two odd, white bumps. Why are they even necessary?

Aesthetics

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Overall, the metallic finish and four-legged stand is quite attractive.

Display Size & Technology

Formats & Resolution

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The LG 60PZ850 has a 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, which is the highest possible resolution of the consumer TVs right now. We're expecting 2K and 4K resolutions soon, but they're only used in professional displays right now.

Brightness, Blacks and Contrast Ratio

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LG has no information available on the TV's black & white performance at this time.

Color

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There is no information about the possible color performance of the LG 60PZ850 right now.

Motion & Refresh Rate

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If the LG 60PZ850 has the same screen as the PZ950 series, it will have a 600Hz sub-field drive that should help keep moving objects looking smooth.

Viewing Angle

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The LG 60PZ850 had a decent viewing angle, as far as we could tell, but we certainly don't trust the conditions of the CES show floor.

3D Glasses

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The LG 60PZ850, along with the PZ950 series, use active shutter technology for their 3D display. Active shutter requires more expensive and uncomfortable glasses. The picture can be brighter than passive 3D systems, and the resolution higher. On the downside, active shutter increases eye fatigue and makes crosstalk more evident, thus destroying the 3D effect. Overall, we think we'd prefer the passive 3D experience. Before we make any definitive conclusions, though, we need to get the 2011 TVs into our labs for testing.

3D Motion

Audio & Video Ports

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We could not get close enough to the back of the LG 60PZ850 to see the port layout. We can safely assume 3-4 HDMIs, at least one composite AV input and one component AV input, VGA, cable/antenna, and so forth.

Internet & Other Media

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All the higher-end LGs for 2011 will feature an expanded collection of streaming movies and music, games, and an app store. It's the same course being taken by Panasonic, Samsung, Vizio, and others – all trying to catch up to the big lead that Sony took in 2010. Unfortunately, the PZ850 series will not have the full web browser that you get on the highest-end PZ950 series.

Placement

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We could not get a good look at the port placement on the LG 60PZ850.

Remote

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The PZ950 series ships with the Magic Wand remote, which is quite similar in function to the Nintendo WiiMote. However, we're not quite sure if the LG 60PZ850 will, as well. The Magic Wand remote is light, comfortable, and fun, but we're not sure if a point-and-click navigation is going to be faster or slower than a traditional remote.

Controls

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The LG 60PZ850 has onboard controls located along the bottom edge of the bezel. These are touch-sensitive areas rather than proper buttons, so expect to leave fingerprints all over your pretty TV.

Menu

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The menu on the LG 60PZ850 is a minor change from previous years' menus. In truth, we spent a lot more time trying out the multimedia functions and PenTouch features, which have a completely different interface.

Conclusion

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We don't know much about the LG 60PZ850, but what we have seen is fairly enticing. The PenTouch feature that allows you to draw all over the screen is the most obvious draw, but we think LG has some refinements to make in the software before it's ready for the public. In terms of core performance, we expect the same great color performance from LGs we've reviewed in the past. The active shutter 3D system is not something that we've been amazed with so far, but we're willing to give these second-generation models a serious consideration.

Series Comparision

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There are no other models that have been announced in the LG xxPZ850 series. The PZ950 series has a 50 and 60-inch model. It's possible that the PZ850 series will have the same.

Specs

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