LG DM2780D 27" LED LCD 3D FULL HD Monitor TV

I took a lot of time to find what I considered the perfect TV monitor. My needs were quite specific; I needed a new PC monitor that was gaming capable that also had great colour representation. In addition a digital TV tuner (freeview HD would have been ideal, but I had to compromise somewhere) was a necessity. Finally it needed to comfortably play PS3. I was very close to getting a similar sized Samsung with a digital tuner but came accross this and with a few good write ups on forums, and on here, decided to go ahead and buy it. The opportunity to try 3D for the first time in both a home TV and for gaming was an exciting prospect that probably swung it for me.

Visually it looks great, glossy black finish and a sleek design as is customary with most LGs. No complaints there.

Picture quality is excellent, the LED backlight gives great contrast levels and colour representation. The graphics themselves for PS3 (via HDMI 1.4) were also very well represented especially on the 1080p games, they look great. Unfortunately the monitor suffers from a bit of input lag (I haven't got an exact measurement) which was initially very frustrating, and continues to be, although I have got used to it somewhat. I think there's very little that can be done to rectify this (please let me know if there is!) so if you're serious about your console games, maybe give it a miss, but for the casual gamer its absolutely fine. PC gaming is much better strangely, only the slightest hint of lag in 'PC mode' (yes I have tried doing the console in PC mode, no difference and worse picture quality). As with the PS3, picture quality, colour and contrast on PC is superb.

I was most surprised about the 3D, its fantastic! I had heard that you get barely any 3D effect on small screens but that is simply not true. You wouldn't want to watch it from as close as you'd use it as a computer monitor, but from a bit further away you get real depth and great pop out effects. Its passive as well so no big expensive, hedache inducing glasses, just the ones you get from the cinema, very cheap if you want more pairs (one pair and one pair of clip ons included). Can't wait to see Avatar 3D Blu-ray when panasonics exclusivity on the damn thing runs out in February 2012! The 2D to 3D upscaling is slightly gimmicky as you might expect, not really enhancing your viewing at all but I suppose its a nice feature to have.

It would be absolutely fine to use this just as TV as the picture quality for free to air is perfectly acceptable. The let down as I'm sure you can understand from a set that is barely an inch deep, is the sound. No bass really, just an expected tinny sound. Personally it doesn't worry me. I hooked it up to 5.1 surround sound via the optical out. You could also run 2.1 speakers through the headphone jack no problem at all if sound concerns you at all. As I say I did expect this so its not a negative point for me though it may be for some people.

Its just the input lag that lets down for me, apart from that its a great set with very nice 3D and stunning colour. 4/5

EDIT: I've had a bit more time with the TV/Monitor since I wrote this review. I barely notice any lag any more, maybe its due to my continual tweaking or just the fact I've gotten used to it. This was the only thing holding it back from me giving it 5 stars, for me it is no longer a problem and I absolutely love it. The serious console gamer may want to check it over, or preview it somewhere but for me its now 5/5

Stuff you'll need (PC connection)

A standard (read : old) VGA lead is included (note if you're connecting to a PC with a relatively new graphics card with a DVI output you'll need an adaptor - hopefully you have one already) OR an HDMI lead (probably mini HDMI to full depending on your graphics card again).

Setup

I went with HDMI to connect to my PC. As has been noted eleswhere the display will look poor until the monitor realises it's connected to a PC (I found restarting my PC did the trick). Otherwise setup is pretty straightforward. Theres no autoinstaller on the provided driver CD so you'll have to install manually (bit of an oversight in this age).

2D quality

I liked the 2D quality a lot. My old monitor was a 4 or so year old Samsung LCD (not LED) and I prefer the IQ on the new LG. Not sure how it stacks up to other more modern displays, but I'm fairly picky and I'm a fan. Extremely bright until settings are adjusted. NOTE - this thing is huge for a PC monitor. I love big displays but even I was taken aback. For many a 23-25" display may be more suitable.

3D quality

Love it. Passive is easy on the eye and extremely impressive. Personally i think the PC is a natural home for 3D - you're focussed on the screen (not doing a crossword or web browsing the telly for example), games are most frequently compatible (even older ones). The provided software (Tridef) seems to do a great job and makes life simple. Didn't look at the nVidia route, though I have an nVidia card. Works well on everything I've tested so far - Crysis and Warhead look fantastic in 3D, WoW great too. A new lease of life on older games, v impressive effect. I didn't have a problem with viewing angles, it's only a problem if you're moving vertically and not sure why you'd be doing that much in front of a PC. Amazingly good ! Glasses are comfy (a 'full' pair and a clip on for spec wearers are provided).

Notes and foibles

Oddness with the HDMI connection. Once you plug in an HDMI source you'll be asked if you've connected a PC or not. The PC mode gives you a 'monitor mode' with good display quality, crisp text etc BUT will disable the audio through HDMI - you're expected to use a flylead from the PCs audio jack to the monitor input socket. Unsure as to why this is, but I find it a pain (and lead is, of course, not included). The 'non-PC mode' (I tried a Sky box and a PS3) enables sound as you'd expect. No DVI connection (instead old VGA as noted) so I'd guess you're better off using HDMI for IQ.

Non-PC use

2D IQ on HD content through my PS3 was great (remember to run the diplay setup on your PS3 after connecting your monitor). Tried a few Blu-Rays and DVD's - Lovely. SD content wasn't quite so hot but I guess you expect this on modern TVs, especially LEDs I think. Gaming on the PS3 was also great. I did NOT notice any input lag (didn't use PC mode either), but the web is rife with stories of lag problems with the LG cinema displays. It seems to be a crapshoot whether you get a laggy display or not. If console gaming is your bag I'd advise looking into this further. For me, I was mightily impressed. There are a few 3D game demos out there too, and they seemed great.

Overall

Liking this muchly. Consider the size (seriously, there is such a thing as too big), and consider the reported issues with some of these panels when it comes to console gaming (PC gaming appears fine!). Also consider the sound, which is tinny and not good. I'd guess many are using external sound in any case. The speakers would probably serve on a bedroom set, but don't think about using them for much else. A great 'upstairs all-rounder' - I'll probably use it mostly as a PC monitor, but occasionally to watch shows in bed and the odd bit of console gaming. Multi-role = more value IMO.

Having done some research into the benefits of passive 3d technology I decided to buy this set. I cannot get over this price, there are various much higher quotes all over the internet. For those unsure this is the DM2780D - PZ and is full 1080p LED bundled with a free pair of 3d glasses and an attachment set of lenses for glasses wearers. I intially wondered whether there were two models, the DM2780D and the DM2780D-PZ but they are in fact one in the same. At my viewing distance of 1.5m the 3d is fantastic and still works perfectly at 2.0m (haven't tried further back). Having experienced various active sets and now this I can confidently say passive 3d is the way forward! no more charging clunky glasses that cost a fortune and give you flicker! Also handles 2d 1080p very well.