LG 50PG30 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

by LG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.3 x 48.5 x 31.2 inches ; 84.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 113 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0019FJJZ2
• Item model number: 50PG30
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,918 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer The engineers at LG set out to define a new world of plasma TVs—one with unprecedented detail and startling clarity. The result is the PG30 series of plasma HDTVs.

Key Features

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• Dual XD Engine
• 1,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Fluid Motion (180Hz Effect)
• ISFccc
• 3x HDMI V.1.3 with Deep Color
• AV Mode (Cinema, Sports, Game)
• Clear Voice
• LG SimpLink Connectivity
• Invisible Speaker System
• 100,000 Hours to Half Brightness (Typical)
• PC Input

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Full HD 1080p Resolution
Displays HDTV programs in full 1920 x 1080p resolution for a more detailed picture.

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Dual XD Engine with AV Mode

Combines two of LG’s exclusive XD Engines to help maximize picture quality for any kind of video content. By combining XD Engine processors, panel performance is optimized ensuring higher-quality, more realistic images.

The AV Mode optimizes the picture into Cinema, Sports, and game Mode according to the video and audio content. The viewer has the ability to quickly choose the correct mode for the picture they are viewing.

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Fluid Motion (180 Hz Effect)

Enjoy smoother, clearer motion with all types of programming such as sports and action movies. The moving picture resolution give the impression of performance of up to 3x the panels actual refresh rate.

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Fine-Tuned Natural Sound

LG’s 2008 line of TVs include a unique invisible speaker system, tuned by renowned audio expert, Mr. Mark Levinson. Speakers are embedded in strategic spots behind the front cabinet and use minute vibrations to turn the entire front bezel into the speaker system. The result is a clean, polished look, and enhanced audio by increasing the “sweet spot”, giving a wider and richer sound field. Clear Voice Technology automatically enhances and amplifies the sound of human voice frequency range to help keep dialogue audible when background noise swells.

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ISFccc Calibration Ready

Your LG HDTV will look great right out of the box, but also contains the detailed adjustment capabiliyt necessary for professional calibration to Imaging Science Foundation specifications. The resulting ISF "day" and "night" modes will then picture performance customized to the user's specific environment.

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LG SimpLink
Allows for convenient control of other LG SimpLink products using the existing HDMI connection.

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Product Specifications

PLASMA DISPLAY PANEL
Native Display Resolution 1920 x 1080p
Brightness (cd/m2) 1,000
Dynamic Contrast Ratio 1,000,000:1
Native Contrast Ratio 30,000:1
ISM (Image Sticking Minimization) 3 Modes
Non-Reflective Black Matrix Structure
Fluid Motion 180Hz Effect
Pure Black Level
Altitude 2,000 m / 6,561 ft
Life Span (Typical) 100,000 hours

BROADCASTING SYSTEM
Analog
ATSC/NTSC/Clear QAM
VIDEO
Dual XD Engine
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Aspect Ratio Correction 6 Modes
Just Scan (1:1 Pixel Matching)
- HDMI™ 1080p/1080i/720p
- Component 1080p/1080i/720p
- RF 1080i/720p
Enhanced Line Doubler
Enhanced Noise Reduction (Video Noise Filter; 3D & MPEG)
Color Temperature Control 4 Modes
Black Stretcher (Black Level Enhancer)
3:2 Pulldown
Picture Reset
AV Mode (Picture & Sound) 3 Modes
ISFccc
Picture Selection Mode 7 Modes
DTV Signal Strength Indicator

AUDIO
Mono/Stereo/Dual (MTS/SAP)
Audio Outout Power (Watts - THD 10%) 10W + 10W
Speaker System Details 1 Way 2 System (Invisible Speaker)
Dolby Digital Decoder
Surround System Type SRS TruSurround XT
Bass/Treble/Balance Controls
Auto Volume Leveler
Sound Mode 5 Modes
Mute

SPECIAL FEATURES
1080P Source Input
- HDMI 60p/30p/24p
- Component 60p/30p/24p
- RGB 60p
A/V Input Navigation
Auto Navigation
Input Labeling
Quick View (Previous Channel)
Clear Voice (On/Off)
Quick Setup Guide
Parental Control w/V-Chip
Key Lock
Closed Caption
LG SimpLink (HDMI CEC)
Trilingual Menus English/French/Spanish
EZ Menus (High Performance Interface)
Channel Add/Delete
Favorite Channel
Auto Clock
Manual Clock
On/Off Timer
Sleep Timer
Auto Off (When no video is present)
SIDE AUDIO/VIDEO INPUTS/OUTPUTS
L/R Audio/Composite Video In 1
HDMI/HDCP In 1
USB 2.0 1 (Service Only)

REAR AUDIO/VIDEO INPUTS/OUTPUTS
RF In (Antenna/Cable) 1
L/R Audio/Component Video In 1
L/R Audio Out 1
S-Video In 1
HD Component Video In (Y,Pb,Pr) + L/R Audio 2
Digital Audio Out 1 (Optical)
HDMI/HDCP Input 2 (V.1.3 with Deep Color)
RGB In (D-Sub 15pin) - PC 1
PC Audio Input 1
RS-232c In (Control/Service) 1
Remote Control In (IR) 1

CABINET/ACCESSORIES
Cabinet Style Table Top
Cabinet Color Glossy Piano-black
Remote Control Type Universal
Stand Swivel (degrees) 20º / 20º
VESA Compatible (W x H) 400mm x 400mm

POWER
Consumption (Typical) n/a
Stand-by Consumption >1W
Energy Star Compliant

SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions w/out stand (W x H x D) 48.5” x 31.2” x 3.3”
Weight w/out stand 84.4 lbs
Dimensions w/stand (W x H x D) 48.5” x 33.5” x 14.3”
Weight w/stand 93.3 lbs
Dimensions w/packaging (W x H x D) 52.4” x 39.8” x 18.1”
Weight in package 112.2 lbs

Limited Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labor/ 2 Year Panel

Product Description

50" PDP 1080P HDTV, 1920 x 1080 Resolution, 30,000:1 Contrast Ratio, 1,000 cd/m2 Brightness, ATSC/NTSC/Clear QAM- 1 Tuner, SRS TruSurroundXT, 3 HDMI input, USB 2.0, Swivel Stand

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great value!, March 8, 2009

By 

Rose M. Welch (Lawton, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG 50PG30 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)

I was really nervous about making such a large purchase so I did alot of research before I made my choice. I will go point by point here. :)

Resolution:
I chose the 1080p because it was clearer than the 760p. I've heard people say that you can tell unless you're using BluRay and I disagree. I could definitely tell the difference, especially on text, and I am glad that I chose the 1080p.

This television has a 30:1 contrast ratio and that makes HUGE difference in viewing text and the color black. Televisions with a lower contrast ratio (including the LG 50PG20) looked grey and the colors sometimes bled.

The Glare:
I upgraded from a CRT television to this. This television has alot less glare than my old TV, so I don't know what all of the fuss is about. When my four lamps are on and my huge picture window is uncurtained, there is STILL less glare than my old TV. If I have company over, I close the curtains and turn off the largest lamp and it looks great. No glare at all. I don't know what all of the glare fuss is about.

Sound Quality:
The sound quality is adequate. It's about the same as other televisions I've seen, even the more expensive ones. The general consensus is that people who buy flat-screens should also buy a home theater system, which I'm planning to do next year. When I have alot of background noise during the day (my kids playing, phones ringing, hubby on the computer, cars going by) I have to turn it to about 75. (Their volume scale is 1-100.) When the house is quieter, 25 suffices. It works well and is fine for now.

Size:
The size is awesome and terrific!!! The closest seats are about five feet away and the farthest seats are eleven feet away and it looks great from any of those distances, at whatever angles. I love, love, love the size. It's like being at a movie theater without any crying kids. (Except my own.) Let me say it again. THE SIZE IS AWESOME!

Picture Quality:
I have cable and it looks fine. The HD channels look awesome. In both cases, (HD and digital channel) you can practically see the pores on the actors' faces. I purchased an upconverting DVD players so almost all of my DVDs look awesome as well. I do have a few that don't look so hot. I picked up Ghostbusters I and II for cheap at Wal-Mart and they both look grainy. However, I'm chalking that up to both films being produced in the early eighties and never having been remastered.

A note on this: You cannot just plug this is and let it go. I had to purchase a good HDMI cable (cost me about 100 bucks) to get the picture quality that I expect from a plasma. I originally had it hooked up with my old RCA cables and it looked okay. Once we got the HDMI hooked up, I was blown away and ecstatic, even with the picture on standard settings. UPDATE: Apparently, HDMI cables are all the same. If you pay $100 bucks for one, you're a chump like me, lol. But 'em cheap here on Amazon. My first set died and I got my second set of cables for less than $10 bucks, including shipping.

Price:
This television has an average price on it. There are televisions that cost less and ones that cost more. I really found this television to be the best value for my money, because it LOOKED like the expensive televisions without the higher price tag. It is a bit more than some of the lower-end versions, but I really feel like you get what you pay for, and this is awesome and totally worth it. However, the Amazon price on it now is about four hundred dollars more than I paid, so I would really price shop before I purchased.

The Remote:
I saw some bad reviews for the remote and I decided I didn't care because I could always purchase a universal remote later. Some reviewers said it was confusing and so I expected it to be confusing, but it wasn't. UPDATE: My kids recently broke the remote casing open and the remote is sturdy enough that my husband put it back together, and it still works great. I am very pleased with this remote.

It is a very straightforward remote. On top you have your sound and picture controls, then your arrow keys followed by your volume and channel keys (your favorites and mute button is in between the two) followed by your numbers. The volume and channel buttons are curved so your fingers can feel the difference between up and down without looking.

The addition of the sound and picture controls make it a LONG remote and I couldn't reach all of the controls with my hand on the middle, My husband can but I can't. However, it is very light and slim so moving my hand to different sections was not a problem and doesn't even require looking at it.

Shipping:
This item was very well packed by LG and arrived without a scratch or a dead pixel. It was awesome. I had heard some horror stories so I was a bit worried. In the end, I was more than satisfied with the condition it arrived in.

The Verdict:
This television is the best value for the money and I am so glad that I purchased it. It impresses me every time I see it and I have had it for over a month. Yay!

UPDATE: I have now had it for more than four months and I am still ecstatic with it. The picture is still great and I am STILL impressed by it's size. :)

UPDATE: It's January so it's been almost a year and this TV is still impressive and awesome, although it's been discontinued. :P Still, my recommendation for the specs stands.

UPDATE: It's February 2011, so almost two years and this TV is still impressing the heck out of my friends. It's gorgeous and I love it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, August 16, 2009

By 

R. Myers "-RAi" (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG 50PG30 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)

First of all, the tv and picture is awesome. The only faults: the tv comes attached to the base, and the screws are not high quality and I almost stripped them getting them out to mount them on the wall. Other than that, great deal for a great tv. Also, it's REAL heavy too.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Picture!, January 12, 2009

By 

Jason S. Schamberger "Jason" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: LG 50PG30 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)

This is a great product. The setup is easy and straight forward. The picture is unbelievable. Would definitely recommend it to anyone.