HDTV Roundup: 50-58 Inches : LG 50PS60
By
Digital Versus,
published on September 21, 2009
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3. LG 50PS60
Our readings
| Black levels: | 0.13 cd/m² |
| ANSI contrast: | 800 to 1000:1 |
| Average gamma: | 2.21 |
| DeltaE on PC: | 4.9 |
| Consommation relative (du modèle testé) : | 396 W/m² |
| Homogeneity of whites: | 5/5 |
| Clouding: | 5/5 |
| Light leak onto dark greys at 45° : | 0.03 cd/m² |
| DeltaE at 45° : | 4.9 |
We take these measuements using the best settings for watching a movie. Cinema mode is generally the one we use. Wherever possible, we set the white levels at 200 cd/m².
The LG 50PS60 is a plasma TV. Remember that this technology, although not well adapted to use with PCs or games consoles because of risks of marking, is an excellent alternative to LCD screens when it comes to TV because of the value for money it gives.
The kit
This TV has all the necessary connectivity for linking up modern image sources (Blu-ray, DVD etc). Just a few little concessions have been made in order to keep the pricing reasonable. There’s no network socket, for example. A USB socket allows you to connect an external player to view photos or listen to MP3s or even watch DiVX files. DivX SD films work fine but there are some problems with DiVX HD. In spite of what LG claims on its site, this format seems to be incompatible with the 50PS60.
The OSD menu is modern and nice to use, but we don’t like the aesthetics of it. The on/off button is far too large and visible at the bottom right of the frame. It could have been much more discrete. We recognize that looks are completely subjective from user to user, so this doesn’t affect our rating.
A not invisible button. Note the reflections.
Image quality
Left: a 1080p image on a standard LCD TV. Right: a 1080p image on the 50PS60. Note the loss in precision.
The kit
This TV has all the necessary connectivity for linking up modern image sources (Blu-ray, DVD etc). Just a few little concessions have been made in order to keep the pricing reasonable. There’s no network socket, for example. A USB socket allows you to connect an external player to view photos or listen to MP3s or even watch DiVX files. DivX SD films work fine but there are some problems with DiVX HD. In spite of what LG claims on its site, this format seems to be incompatible with the 50PS60.
The OSD menu is modern and nice to use, but we don’t like the aesthetics of it. The on/off button is far too large and visible at the bottom right of the frame. It could have been much more discrete. We recognize that looks are completely subjective from user to user, so this doesn’t affect our rating.
- 50PS60 50" Plasma TV...
A not invisible button. Note the reflections. Image quality
As usual with plasma TVs, you don’t get much higher than 120 cd/m² for whites. This isn’t a problem in rooms that aren’t exposed to light but in a light room this probably isn’t going to be enough, especially as the shiny panel is particularly sensitive to reflections. The black levels are around 0.12 cd/m². This is pretty good but not exceptional for a plasma screen (often below 0.08 cd/m²). These values give a contrast between 800 and 1000:1.
Overall the image is good but lacks sharpness and is too soft.
Overall the image is good but lacks sharpness and is too soft.
Left: a 1080p image on a standard LCD TV. Right: a 1080p image on the 50PS60. Note the loss in precision.Angles of vision are excellent, which is no surprise for a plasma screen. Using this set with your PC is not recommended because of the risk of marking the screen and in any case the results are even more blurry than with a video or TV source. Characters are visible but lack clarity.
Sound quality
While sound quality is usually poor on TVs, with the 50PS60 this is a real strong point. Voices are clear and the audio environment detailed and enveloping. Only drawback: a lack of bass.
Energy consumption
Although on standby this set doesn’t consume much at all, when turned on plasma consumes a lot of energy. It oscillates between 270 and 400 W...much higher than LCD screens.
While sound quality is usually poor on TVs, with the 50PS60 this is a real strong point. Voices are clear and the audio environment detailed and enveloping. Only drawback: a lack of bass.
Energy consumption
Although on standby this set doesn’t consume much at all, when turned on plasma consumes a lot of energy. It oscillates between 270 and 400 W...much higher than LCD screens.
| LG 50PS60 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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This plasma screen gives a disappointing performance, especially because of a lack of sharpness. The fact that it can play DivXs and has a nice sound quality does offer some compensation.
I am so sick of everyone testing lcd and plasma only. Where are the dlp televisions. Mitsubishi dlp are in my opinion one of the best hd tv's you can buy. Accurate colors, black blacks, no burn in, no lag, and they are cheaper than the lcd or plasma alternatives. Not everyone cares if thier tv is flat. I would rather have a 70inch dlp than a 50inch lcd or plasma any day of the week.
Samsung has two remotes now? What an amazing idea. I hardly ever use my remote for more than turning the TV on or adjusting the volume, so this would be absolutely perfect.
The prices on the tested sets are way to high and as thackstonns says the Mitsubishi DLP's are great sets not to mention their new laser HDTV.
Why so little LG screens ? Only 2 ? There are alot better LG LCD's out there!
I found this article generally helpful but there are other brands/models I would have liked to have seen (Mitsu, Toshiba, Sony). Where are the rest tom's? Why 4 Samsungs and no Sony or Mitsubishi?
Hmmm I wonder which of this HDTV that is true 8 bits / color or 24 bits?
I agree with thackstonns. I have no beef with flat TVs, but my speakers are effectively 2 feet deep (if you count the space to the back wall), so a flat TV would look stupid in such a setup. Also, are there really people who would buy high-end TVs and not spend anything on audio? Who cares about the quality of built-in speakers?
I know Pionner has left the TV business, and that the very last models they made are now getting a bit on the old side. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see how some of the TVs in this review stack up against a PRO-151FD or a KRP600A, especially when it comes to black levels, or the possibility of ISF calibration.
I am so sick of everyone testing lcd and plasma only. Where are the dlp televisions. Mitsubishi dlp are in my opinion one of the best hd tv's you can buy. Accurate colors, black blacks, no burn in, no lag, and they are cheaper than the lcd or plasma alternatives. Not everyone cares if thier tv is flat. I would rather have a 70inch dlp than a 50inch lcd or plasma any day of the week.
Right on, I completely agree.
thackstonns: DLP and LCoS TVs are always rear-projection (or front-projection, but then you don't call that a "TV"), not direct-view like LCD and Plasma and LED flat-screens. Personally, I've never seen a rear-projection TV that I've liked, they all suffer from hot-spotting which absolutely drives me nuts. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than watch a rear-projection TV.
I don't think plasmas still suffer from the burn in that is mentioned in each one of the plasma reviews. I have read on AVSforums that users have unintentionally left a static image on their Panasonic plasmas for hours at a time and had no ill effects. I'm not sure of other manufacturers, but Panasonic has somehow figured out a way to prevent it. So to say that it's not good for games and "entirely unsuitable for use with a PC" is false. If you disagree, maybe you should test for this while you still have your review units.
I also agree with cdillon. I have never seen a DLP I would ever consider over a plasma or lcd. The only advantage they have over plama and lcd is their screen size, and PQ is much higher on my list than screen size. And just because your speakers don't sit flush with your wall dones't mean that your flat-screen has to. Most people have their screens sitting on stands that house their A/V equipment and would not be flush with the wall anyway.
I gotta say I'm dissapointed with this article. 4 units from Samsung? Why? If you are going to do a review like this, be more specific in your product selection.
For your average reader, doing a review of the entry level models for 7 different manufacturers would have been more useful. Show me how Panasonic's entry level 50" 1080P plasma compares to Samsungs, or LG's LCD, or Vizio's. I want to know which model offers the best value, apples to apples, not 55"LCD versus 50" plasma.
Samsung not only has some of the best prices, but they also makes some of the best units. I have found Samsung to have the best value overall than any other brand. If he didn't show other brands, did you stop to think that maybe it's because they're not worth mentioning?
Samsung does make great TVs, but this article should have had another focus if they wanted to tout the company's products. Do an article where you compare Samsung's large panel lineup against the competition. To only have one plasma from Panasonice (the undisputed king of plasma now that Pioneer is gone) is suspect to say the least.
I am looking to purchase a large screen LCD or plasma in November, and this artcile is of little use to me. I want to know how the Panasonic 54" plasmas compare to equivalent sized LCDs from Samsung, LG, and Sony. I think most people who would get any value out of an article like this are going to be dissapointed.
If Tom's Guide wants to do an article like this, they have to make it more extensive. Do what Tom's Hardware does and make it far more in depth and then break it up into several pieces so they can publish it over a few days time.
The only thing this article did was make me want to subscribe to Consumer Reports so that I can get a real comparison of large screen TV's. At the very least I'm going to Google some more in-depth comparisons and ratings. All I can say is that I expected more from Tom's.
With all the talk of DLP, Plasma, and LED’s each one has its advantages and disadvantages. I hope that the new OLED TV’s come to market soon and at a reasonable price. While the 11” is now available from Sony at $2,500 Sony is working on larger models to be released in the future. There are several advantages of OLED TV’s , they are very thin – so thin the can be bent around curved surfaces , use very little power, contain no hazardous materials such as lead, have an extremely high contract ratios and wide viewing angle. For those interested one can go to YouTube and search for “OLED” to see presentations of the technology”. For now I am happy with my old projection set and converter box and will wait until the OLED TV technology is made available.
All I can say is that i use a 50" panasonic plasma connected to my HTPC at 1080 native. I have never had any burn in issues etc. May be a little image retention that is gone in seconds, but then again you get this on LCD's too.
I use it for Movies, gaming and evrything PC related.
No need to worry about issues with static images these days. An old problem, but not anymore.
Used to be a big fan of Tom's website. However, the quality of writing, limited scope, lack of focus, absence of comparison charts, etc on all their reviews has really turned me away. All of their stories feel like watered down advertorials. Somebody made a comment about Consumer Reports - it's sad when a jack-of-all-trades review publication can trump this site on a TV/tech roundup.
I would like to see toms hardware return to glory.
I agree with thackstonns. I have no beef with flat TVs, but my speakers are effectively 2 feet deep (if you count the space to the back wall), so a flat TV would look stupid in such a setup. Also, are there really people who would buy high-end TVs and not spend anything on audio? Who cares about the quality of built-in speakers?
Actually I know quite a few people that get a TV that fits their needs spatially but are perfectly happy with the sound they get.