The LG 50PG30 is an inexpensive plasma HDTV ($1700, as of November 4, 2008) with stylish looks. Its design and its range of inputs (including three HDMI ports) will attract attention, but this model's image quality is only average.
LG Electronics 50PG30 50-inch Plasma
- Spec Navigator
- Screen Specs
- Broadcast Standards & Resolutions
- Dimensions and Weight
- Interface Connections
- Other Features
- Adjustments
- Aesthetics
- Included Hardware
- Warranty & Support
Screen Specs
| Diagonal screen size | 50 inches |
| Viewable size | 50 inches |
| Display type | Plasma |
| Maximum resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Contrast ratio | 30,000:1 |
| Brightness | 1000 cd/m^2 |
| Horizontal viewing angle | 178 ° |
| Vertical viewing angle | 178 ° |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
Broadcast Standards & Resolutions
| Broadcast format displayed | 720p (HDTV) |
| Broadcast format supported |
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Dimensions and Weight
| Width | 47.9 inches |
| Depth | 13.9 inches |
| Height | 32.2 inches |
| Weight | 74.3 pounds |
| Wall-Mountable | Yes |
Interface Connections
| Interface connection |
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| Input |
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| Output |
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- Lab Tested
- How We Test HDTVs »
Pros
Low price for its size
Very good on-screen menus
Cons
Lacks picture-in-picture
Bottom Line
Though inexpensive for its screen size, the LG 50PG30 plasma HDTV lacks features and image punch.
LG Electronics 50PG30 50-Inch Plasma HDTV
50PG30 50-inch Plasma Review, by Lincoln Spector November 18, 2008
In PC World Test Center tests, our judges had a wide range of reactions to the set. It looked quite good when viewed at an angle--as you'd expect from a plasma TV. And I thought the 50PG30 did a very good job with foreground and background detail (especially the latter) on our David Letterman interview clip. My least satisfying 50PG30-viewing experience was in the NASCAR clip, where I observed some motion blur and fuzziness. Other judges' appraisals were less upbeat. One faulted facial tones; another said that images appeared flat, with colors that didn't pop.
The 50PG30 is easy to set up--with conveniently placed inputs and a setup wizard that asks whether to optimize for home use or store use. Six large icons form the crux of the on-screen menu; I found the menus to be logically organized--and because they were slightly transparent, they didn't block too much of the picture.
The Quick Menu offers even easier access to common options such as the set's picture and sound modes. And the selections that pop up (as icons along the bottom of the screen) when you press the input button give top priority to sources that are currently sending a signal to the TV--a time-saving touch.
But the 50PG30 lacks a number of extra features. It has no picture-in-picture, and no USB or SD Card multimedia capabilities. The minimalist remote doesn't glow in the dark, isn't programmable; and can control only VCR or DVD players that support LG's SimpLink (HDMI CEC) interface.
The 50PG30 finished second among our 50- and 52-inch sets in our overall rankings, thanks in large part to its aggressively low price (the Hitachi P50X902, for example costs almost twice as much, at $3200), but it can't touch the superior design and top-of-line image quality of our number one large-screen set, the Samsung PN50A760. LG's other entrant in this category, the 52LG70, is superior to the 50PG30 in almost every way--but it costs $800 more.
As a pretty good TV at a very low price, LG's 50PG30 qualifies as a bargain.
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- Rating Breakdown
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73
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77
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71
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar HDTVss
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73
Performance
| Brightness and Contrast | Good |
| Color Quality | Good |
| Detail | Good |
| DVD Image Quality | Good |
| High-Definition Image Quality | Good |
| Interface Tested | HDMI |
| Overall Quality | Good |
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: linder10
Strengths: None
Weaknesses: None
Overall: Cannot post under Merchant Review. Have never received the TV and the merchant will not return calls or answer e-mails. Trying to get a refund.
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Reviewed by: schmay
Strengths: Clarity, color, connectivity
Weaknesses: None
Overall: What an awesome TV at this price point. We purchased this as a "second" TV, to function first as our workout room TV, and second as a "spillover" party-room TV in our basement (for Super Bowl, NCAAs and such). We did NOT buy this as our BluRay home theater TV, so I really have no comment on how it handles 1080i inputs. In use for our workouts, it has been stellar. My wife do p90x (workout DVDs) on this TV almost daily, and it has been a champ. It's funny, but with all the consumer noise about the 60 vs. 120 vs 240hz, I've looked at side by side demos and have seen only negligible differences; but with this TV, I've seen the difference for the first time watching motion on the TV I AM moving at the same time (i.e., when I'm doing jumping jacks WATCHING someone do jumping jacks. As this TV is only 60hz, I DO notice weird blur, but only when I'm in motion. Maybe that would happen with a 240hz TV, but I attribute it to that. Watching satellite TV in HD has been a treat. I'm fairly discerning with TVs, but there really seems to be a negligible difference between 720 and 1080, especially considering the HUGE difference between 480 and 720. We bought this to be a second TV, but has 1st TV quality given an HD input. Finally, if you are on the fence between LCD and Plasma, let me weigh in: I always heard about the plasma knocks, and noticed the price reduce drastically and accordingly over the past 5 years. The bottom line is that the picture is just smoother than with an LCD, especially at this 50"+ size. The LCDs may last 5 years longer, but at this price point, let's face it; in 10 years, you'll be replacing this TV with a $400 55" LED blowout model from Sam's Club because there will be a new technology out there that will blow even the LEDs away. If you are in the market for a TV at this price and size, the only way I'd suggest an LCD TV is if this is going in a bright, south-facing living room with a lot of glare. If this is a basement TV, look no further.
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Reviewed by:
Strengths: This tv performs very well with HD sources, HD Cable, Bluray, even dvd looks good. Liked that the Blu-Ray and all the HDMI and component cables were included.
Weaknesses: If the source is not quality, hard time getting the picture to look good. Regular cable non HD look bad, make sure you plan on having HD and blu ray etc. tv's this size have this problem.
Overall: Been wanting an HDTV for along time, this deal popped up and had to jump. takes a little doing to get to look good but once you get it set it looks great!
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