HDTV Reviews and Digest
LG 50PK550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
- 600Hz Max Sub Field Driving
- Full HD 1080p Resolution
- 3M:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
- TruSlim Frame
- Picture Wizard II
Whether you have an eye for design, a love of sports or all that and then some, the PK550 is a plasma that will impress. With its TruSlim Frame, it has looks to turn heads and its 600Hz refresh rate makes it perfect for fast action. Wrap that up with a load of other features, like its outstanding contrast ratio, and you have a TV that anyone would want in their living room.Whether have an eye for design or a love of fast-action sports, the 50-inch LG 50PK550 1080p Plasma HDTV handles both adeptly. With its Seamless Design and TruSlim Frame, it has looks to turn heads and its 600Hz refresh rate makes it perfect for fast action. Other features include a mega contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, stereo speakers with 20 watts of power and Dolby Digital decoding, three HDMI ports, and the capability to play MP3 audio files and JPEG photo slideshows from a USB drive.
Key Features
 Full HD 1080p resolutionThis stunning picture is the reason you wanted HDTV in the first place. With almost double the pixel resolution, Full HD 1080p gives it superior picture quality over standard HDTV. You’ll see details and colors like never before. |
 600Hz Sub Field DrivingTired of streaky action or unclear plays during the game? See sports, fast action and video games like never before. The 600Hz refresh rate virtually eliminates motion blur. |
 3,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio No more worrying about dark scenes or dull colors. The dynamic contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1 delivers more stunning colors and deeper blacks than you can imagine.
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 Intelligent SensorDon’t strain your eyes. Let your TV do the adjustments for you. Intelligent Sensor automatically optimizes the picture to the lighting and color conditions in the room for a more enjoyable viewing experience. |
 AV ModeSports, movies and video games are best enjoyed with customized settings. With AV Mode, you can easily select from one of three picture modes for “Cinema”, Sports” or “Games” to enjoy an optimized picture and sound experience. |
 Picture WizardGet easy self-calibration with on-screen reference points for key picture quality elements such as black level, color, tint, sharpness and backlight levels. Take the guesswork out of picture adjustments with this simple-to-use feature. It’s not actually magic, but it will sure seem that way. |
 Dual XD Engines for Superior video This Plasma HDTV combines two of LG’s exclusive XD Engines to maximize picture quality for any type of video content. By combining XD Engine processors, panel performance is optimized ensuring higher color accuracy and more realistic images.. |
 24P Real CinemaStay in for the theater. Enjoy a true cinema-like experience in your own home with movies the way they are meant to be seen. LG’s Real Cinema technology precisely displays 24p source frames on your screen, the same as on a movie screen. If you love movies, you’ll love Real Cinema. |
 Clear Voice IIGet audio the way it was meant to be heard. Clear Voice II enhances and amplifies the frequency range of the human voice to help keep dialogue audible when background noise swells. |
 Dolby DigitalDolby Digital lets you experience compelling 5.1-channel surround sound. And you can trust that you’ll get the same great Dolby Digital audio quality no matter what you’re watching–a DVD or Blu-Ray Disc, TV programming or downloaded content. Best of all, you can be confident that you’ll hear the audio exactly as it was intended, because Dolby Digital is also used to create the soundtracks for movies and games. |
 USB 2.0Now reliving that fantastic family vacation can happen in the comfort of your living room. Easily connect your external USB devices to enjoy JPEG photos or listen to MP3 files. |
 HDMI V.1.3 with Deep ColorMake installation of any enabled device a snap. Get 10.2Gbps of bandwidth for deeper colors and more to take advantage of the best Full HD experience. HDMI V.1.3 connectivity lets you prepare yourself for tomorrow’s technology today. |
 SimpLinkHaving a hard time keeping track of your remotes? With SimpLink, all your LG devices can be controlled with just one remote. |
 Smart Energy Saving With LG’s Smart Energy Saving Features, you can conserve money and energy. |
Infinite SoundKey Specifications
Connections
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Dimensions
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LG 2010 HDTV Comparison
| Series: | LD350 | LD450 | LD520 | LD550 | LD650 | LE5300 | LE5400 | LE8500 | LX6500 | PJ350 | PK550 | PK750 |
| Models: | 22-inch 26-inch 32-inch |
32-inch 37-inch 42-inch 47-inch |
32-inch 42-inch 47-inch 55-inch |
32-inch 42-inch 46-inch 52-inch |
47-inch 55-inch |
22-inch 26-inch 32-inch 37-inch |
32-inch 42-inch 47-inch 55-inch |
47-inch 55-inch |
47-inch 55-inch |
42-inch 50-inch |
50-inch 60-inch |
50-inch 60-inch |
| Panel type | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD | LED LCD | LED LCD | LED LCD | 3D LED | Plasma | Plasma | Plasma |
| LED Local Dimming | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |  |
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– | – | – |
| 3D Ready | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
– | – | – |
| Resolution | 720p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 720p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Contrast ratio | 50k:1 dynamic |
100k:1 dynamic |
100k:1 dynamic |
150k:1 dynamic |
200k:1 dynamic |
3mil:1 dynamic |
4mil:1 dynamic |
9mil:1 dynamic |
8mil:1 dynamic |
3mil:1 dynamic |
3mil:1 dynamic |
3mil:1 dynamic |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz | 240Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz | 240Hz | 600Hz | 600Hz | 600Hz |
| Response time | 5ms | 4ms | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2 | 2.4ms | 2.6ms | 1ms | 2ms | – | – | – |
| Netcast Entertainment | – | – | – | |
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– | – | |
| HDMI input | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Component input (Y, PB, PR) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Composite input | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| PC input | |
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| USB port | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| MP3 and JPEG playback |
– | |
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| DivX video playback |
– | – | – | |
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– | – | |
| Ethernet | – | – | – | |
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– | |
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– | – | |
| Wireless 1080p Ready | – | – | – | |
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– | – | |
| Energy Star | – | – | – | – | – | |
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– | – | – |
| Series: | LD350 LCD | LD450 LCD | LD520 LCD | LD550 LCD | LD650 LCD | LE5300 LED | LE5400 LED | LE8500 LED | LX6500 3D LED |
PJ350 Plasma | PK550 Plasma | PK750 Plasma |
Learn More
Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?
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With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience.
If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get.
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List Price: $ 1,099.99
Price:
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Truely the best bang for the buck!!!,
I’ve had the LG 50PK550 and the LG BD570 for almost 2 weeks now and all I can say is WOW!
Over the past 7 years I’ve upgraded tv’s 5 times with my firt being a panny plasma and then 3 lcd’s 2 LG 1 Samsung and now the PK550 and none have ever impressed me half as much as this unit, it has great blacks(I think they rival panasonic’s blacks) absolutely no motion blur or artifacts and the picture quality is the most vibrant and clear I’ve seen in a while…
I tested 4 movies and here are the results
Ong Bak 2 – bluray – awsome pictue no blur or artifacts great sound
Disney’s Up – bluray “same as above”
(and just if anyone wanted to know here’s little on the BD570
Ip Man – 720P MKV DVD – awsome picture no blur or artifacts & great sound
Chocolate – 1080P MKV 120GB HDD – “same as above
I would totally recommend this tv to anyone looking for good quality at an affordable price as well as the BD570 they make an great combo set
Oh yeah just in case here are my settimgs
(keep in mind I’m no professional calibrator)
LG 50 PK550: Just scan, energy saving off,pic mode: expret2,contrast 100,brightness 33,H Sharp 50,V Sharp 50,color 62,expert control: D Contrast off, noise reduc off,gamma high, black level low, color gamut standard,edge enhance off
LG BD570:User setting: Contrast 2,brightness 0,Color 1, Sharpness 2,Noise reduction 0
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|LGpk550 – Gorgeous TV,
Well, I got my pk550 on tuesday. So far, i’m in love. Watching blu rays on my ps3 is a new experience. I want to go through all my movies and watch them again. The panel is just sexy. For my ps3 for blu rays, I use cinema mode (obviously recalibrated) and the picture is so smooth and crisp. My brother noticed right away how smooth and real the movement was. For my xbox 360, im using Game Mode (recalibrated as well). I’ve been playing mass effect 2 and it’s way more vibrant and rich. I have no issue with IR or burn in. As long as you set your tv to Orbiter and do a “color wash” every so often it cleans away any IR in a matter of seconds.
I was very nervous as this was my first plasma and i read about burn ins and IR. But after only 3 days and doing research I feel more confident in the tv and plasmas in general. I just do the “color wash” mode sometimes when im gone to break in it/speed the break in process up. If im playing a game that has a HUD on for a while, ill pause the game, and do a quick “color wash” for about 10 seconds and set it back to orbiter and keep playing. Now, this may sound annoying, but honestly, it’s not. You get used to it and get real quick at using the tv.
Also the pk550 has a load of calibration options. I love that. Anyway, it’s a great tv, def best bang for you buck for a 50″ 1080p plasma. This is my first plasma and it’s an LG. I have much more faith in plasmas now. Especially lg. Pick this set up!!
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|Okay, Now I’m Happy!!,
***I returned a Samsung UN32C5000 and bought this one (see review of the Sammy here on Amazon)***
I purchased this set from somewhere else (Dad has a retiree discount) so I got it cheaper, but otherwise would had no problem buying from here.
I only had the set for a few days, but I really like it so far. I’m doing a break-in period for the set (not really necessary, but helps age the phosphor evenly) so the settings are a little low right now, but still fantastic. I watched two BD movies so far(The Hurt Locker & StarTrek) and they were awesome to watch. Colors were vivid and the detail kept my eyes popping out. lol I don’t know if I ever could be happy going back to DVDs again. lol
**Note on plasma Tvs: Burn-In has not been an issue with plasma TVs for quite a few years, but you may still get some Image Retention. I have seen very little IR on this set, and what did show up quickly went away. I wouldn’t even consider it an issue.
I know Samsung has been having problems with loud buzzing sound coming from their plasma TVs, and a few heard it from other manufacturers as well(including LG), but I cannot hear any buzz coming from mine. I even held my head up to the TV and the only hum I heard was the mini-frig in the room.
The screen is very uniform in lighting. Probably my only wish would be for darker blacks. My set is not calibrated yet, so I know it will go darker than it is now. It’s not bad mind you, but you can tell where the black bars end from a movie and the black bezel begins, which would disappear with the darkness of the room.
**For the Gamers: As far as I can tell, there is very little lag or none at all. I tried a couple games (ie GTAIV & Crackdown) and got into a Semi-truck. What I would do was pull the right trigger as fast as I could to go into reverse which causes the back-ups lights to come on with the beeping sound. Even closing my eyes I would hear the click from the trigger at the same time as the reverse beep. The controls even felt the same coming from a computer (TN Panel) monitor.
Just to point out, this TV does have a glossy screen. My complaint with the Sammy was they stated it eliminated reflections, but it was mirror like. The reflections are not as bad on this set and at least I knew about it ahead of time.
So overall I am real happy right now with this set.
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Encrypted Neuron
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