50in Plasma Picture Sound Features Usability Value All round performance for the price is hard to beat. HD Ready: yes Resolution: 1366 x 768 Rating: 90%

Reviewed: 22 August 2008

Design

With their latest range of plasma screens, LG has once again shown other flat panel manufacturers how to do style.

Look closely at the 50PG6000 and you will spot a frame that rather than being raised from the screen, sits flush with it. The effect is accentuated by a single pane of glass which sits flush to both frame and TV screen.

Features

The glass panel covering the screen and frame not only looks rather stylish, but it also incorporates some cutting edge technology designed to eliminate 'image ghosting'; a phenomenon peculiar to plasma screens when viewed off axis. The glass panel incorporates a single colour filter to remove ghosting, while a non-reflective internal cell structure has been designed to minimize excessive glare which can be a problem in brightly lit environments.

	Screen: 50in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1366 x 768 Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1 Other Features:XD picture processing, 100Hz (TruMotion)processing. Sockets:4 HDMI inputs, 2 Scarts, Composite input, Component input, S-video input, PC input, USB 2.0.

 

The 50PG6000 features an impressive 4 HDMI inputs (v1.3) along with 2 scarts and the usual Composite, Component and S-video inputs. There is also a very useful USB port through which you can view your digital photos (through a slide show function) or play MP3 files.

The Picture processing heart of the 50PG6000 comes in the shape of LG's proprietary XD engine which brings together a range of picture processing enhancements under the XD umbrella. XD technology works with the input signal to improve the quality of incoming feeds and then with the panel itself to improve the presentation of these feeds.

Designed to reduce the 'flickering' effect associated with fast on-screen action, 100Hz processing, adds extra frames into the picture (up from the usual 50 frames per second to 100fps).

The LG 50PG6000's acoustics are generated by exciters placed in the bezel, eliminating the need for speakers and contributing to the panels svelte like looks.

The only disappointing aspect of the 50PG6000's specification is a 1366 x 768 rather than a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. We have witnessed excellent performance from other panels with this resolution however and we have to place the spec into context - this is one of the cheapest 50in panels around.

Performance

Demonstrating that a lack of Full HD resolution does not necessarily mean an indifferent High Definition performance, the LG 50PG6000 really does excel in this area. More than a match for some 1920 x 1080 pixel screens we have seen, HD pictures are delivered with razor like sharpness and impressive detail. While the 50PG6000 cannot match the best plasmas from the likes of Pioneer and Panasonic, for this price there is nothing to rival it.

Again, with its black level ability, the LG 50PG6000 cannot match the leading pack of flat panel TV's. Of course, we never expected it to be challenging the best and we are more concerned with other TV's in this class and how easy the screen would be to live with on a day to day basis. The LG 50PG6000 actually demonstrates a remarkable black level ability. There is none of the 'greyness' we have seen from other screens in this price bracket with a subtlety across darker scenes that challenges some of the better large panels.

With an excellent black level performance it comes as a slight disappointment that colours are not up to making optimum use of the exceptionally dark backdrop. Colours never really become an issue, but we have seen more subtle reproductions of tricky areas such as skin tones from other manufacturers. In its favour, the 50PG6000 has a wonderfully vibrant colour palette that avoids falling into the trap of becoming too 'garish' (a big problem with LG's of old).

Feed the LG 50PG6000 some Standard definition (SD) content and inevitably there are some glitches, especially with a poorer Freeview signal. There is an element of on-screen video noise and while motion-handling capabilities of this screen are good, 'flicker' is never completely eliminated. Once again we have to place the performance of the 50PG6000 into context - for a 50in flat panel TV for this price the SD performance is far more accomplished than anything else we have seen.

The acoustic ability of the 50PG6000 came as a pleasant surprise, especially considering the lack of visible speakers. Unless this screen is going to be the centrepiece of a dedicated home cinema system its acoustic ability is powerful enough to satisfy all but the most demanding of viewers.

Conclusion

This is not the best 50in flat panel TV we have come across but its all round performance for the price is simply unbeatable.

You might also like to consider ...

Samsung PS-50A457	Panasonic TH42PZ80
	Read Review