LG LP-XG2 review

We were instantly impressed by the elegant looks of the LG LP-XG2. Sporting a hard-wearing metal chassis, the unit's design is simple yet robust, and its overall construction quality is among the best we've seen in this Labs. Our only criticism is that the placement of the fan directly behind the lamp lets a distracting flood of light through.

LG gives the projector a 1,200 ANSI lumens rating, but we measured a brightness of 964 lumens; this is still more than enough for most environments. The quoted contrast ratio of 350:1 for the LP-XG2 is a fraction under the typical value of 400:1, and the unit was slightly disappointing in our contrast test. In fact, even lower-rated units like the Philips Hopper performed better, despite its quoted 200:1 contrast ratio.

The LP-XG2 gained another average result when we put it through our DisplayMate tests. It was unable to satisfactorily resolve the edge brightness test, with top lines brighter than the bottom ones. It also failed pincushion and barrel distortion. This indicates that the image is of a lower quality at the edges. Nonetheless, it presented an excellent display for the fine focus matrix test by providing a uniformly sharp overall image. It also performed very well in the horizontal and vertical colour registration tests, which indicates precise RGB alignment.

This momentary surge in quality was let down by its failure in the colour streaking test, which highlighted ghosting. The LP-XG2 is, in fact, the only unit in the group to have failed this particular test. The balance of exceptional quality and notable failure has left the LP-XG2 with a below-average ranking for its image characteristics.

When it comes to features, however, the LG is above average. It supports a wide range of resolutions, from VGA to its native XGA, and all the way up to UXGA. Picture adjustment can be made from the illuminated control panel on the projector itself, or using the remote control, which features a responsive mini-joystick to make navigation around the OSD menu more accurate than a cursor pad.

The standard array of connectors can be found at the back of the LP-XG2, but there's no provision for DVI, USB or PC Card interfaces for enhanced connectivity. If you're on a limited budget, the only thing to make us suggest the LP-XG2 over the Philips is the former's weight, but our overriding recommendation is to invest in the Eizo.