LG Electronics 50PC5D 50" Plasma TV

(Widescreen, 1366x768, HDTV - MPN: 50PC5D)
Price Range: $1,169.88 - $1,299.99 from 5 Sellers
Rebates & Special Offers: $20.00 Bonus available
Description: LG 50PC5D 50" High Definition Plasma TV, it has LG's XD Engine which takes the low resolution of analog signals to near HD levels by improving brightness, contrast, detail and color as well as reducing signal noise. This total solution resu.... Read More
Description: LG 50PC5D 50" High Definition Plasma TV, it has LG's XD Engine which takes the low resolution of analog signals to near HD levels by improving brightness, contrast, detail and color as well as reducing signal noise. This total solution results in cinema-like high resolution images. It has six distinct processes for producing good pictures. It minimizes color contour noise for natural color transitions. It has Clear filter professional for improved brightness and contrast, reduced reflection and truer color reproduction.



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It has been close to a year since LG's Time Machine TV series first debuted. Interestingly, there aren't many competing products of similar caliber out in the Asia markets. What sets these panels apart from the crowd is the onboard video-recording capability. On the whole, it functions pretty much like a standalone DVR with the exception of one major caveat. Without the provision of a DVD burner, all the recordings are permanently locked within its modest 80GB hard drive. This has thankfully been addressed in its latest incarnations. Almost, that is.

Pros

Besides the customary video recording and time-shift functions, the new models are now upgraded with USB archival and multimedia playback. Dubbed USB Backup, it allows recordings to be transferred onto external hard drives (40GB and above), providing users an avenue for archiving important footages. The port also doubles as an input for playing back various multimedia files. It's compatible with portable thumbdrives and memory card readers, covering just about all major audio-visual formats ranging from MP3 to JPEG and DivX.

LG has not forgotten to beef up the visual performance, too. Like the rest of its 2007 models, the 42LB5RT is using a Super-In Plane Switching LCD panel renowned for its extended viewing angle and strong color reproduction. And for a converged device, its paper specifications are pretty impressive and even better than the recently launched LC7-series. For the record, that's 10,000:1 for dynamic contrast and 500cd/m2 for brightness. Summing it all up, we have a fast 5ms response time which guarantees ghosting-free pictures and a wide 178-degree viewing angle.

We can go on and on reciting its long list of credentials but let's narrow this down to some of those that really matter. As with its predecessor, LG is pairing its proprietary XD Engine video processor with a videophile-grade Faroudja DCDi chip. This performs, among others, deinterlacing duties and has a reputation for suppressing jaggies onscreen. To go with the latest HD players, 1080p signal handling is supported via HDMI and component-video sockets. We are not just talking about the standard 50 and 60Hz flavors, but also the film-centric 24Hz mode.

Cons

So far so good, but here's the catch. Though you can copy your recordings onto an external hard drive, these cannot be accessed by a computer. This eliminates any chance of sharing the videos with your family. Not as if there is a possibility to burn the clips onto inexpensive DVD recordables through the former. It's a real pity since it's this close to being a full-fledged DVR and better. Hopefully, LG will consider enabling this capability in gen three.

Other little nitpicks we would like to highlight include a fixed pedestal stand and its rather standard connectivity options. A swivel equivalent would definitely make impromptu adjustment easier, while three HDMIs will be a hard-to-resist icing for those with a collection of compatible A/V boxes. That's provided its price is not inflated for this nice-to-have extra, of course.

Bottomline

LG would have stuck bull's eye if it could have taken just one step further in its USB Backup implementation. Putting that aside, this is quite a competent TV that should stack up well against its regular peers. The S$4,299 (US$2,828.96) pricing may be a bit on the high side if you consider a separate 42-incher and 80GB DVR combination. That said, it's just a couple of hundred dollars more for considerable savings on shelf space.

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Review
Strengths: Picture Quality Black level Menus/Setup
Weaknesses: Not 1080p Channel Scan (see below) Absolutely nothing else
Summary: Just purchased this TV today to replace a generic 40" LCD. Obviously an upgrade, but this TV is much more than I expected for the price. Plasmas above 50" are still generally quite a bit cheaper than LCDs, but the picture on this model blew away both LCDs and Plasmas from many competitors costing far more. I have not even yet calibrated and it is already an amazing picture right out of the box. HD-DVDs also look amazing via HDMI, but I haven't had much time to play around with it yet. Looking forward to watching a movie with the lights way down to truly appreciate the deep dark blacks and vibrant colors.

The screen itself looks like it might suffer from heavy fingerprints if you have children and tends to reflect a fair amount of ambient light. This last issue could be a problem in a very well-lit room or near a large window.

The menus are easy to navigate and intuitive, placing all necessary controls within easy reach. The remote may be slightly larger than necessary, but is easy to use and has great range. The built in speakers sound pretty good for on-board speakers. They are rated at 2 X 10W but sound better than most and not so tinny. They are also very thin and not at all obtrusive at along the bottom edge.

The only problem I have experienced thus far is that the auto channel scan would not detect all available channels on standard cable. I was able to manually add all channels, but it was quite a waste of time. I shouldn't have to rescan any time soon, so it's not that big of a con, but still worth noting.

Overall an excellent choice if you don't need 1080. No major complaints after one day of ownership, I will update in the future after using the product for awhile. I would recommend this to just about anyone looking for a great TV for a great value.