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LG 50PK590
by InchyInchy
Since the beginning of last year my husband has been talking about getting a new and bigger TV, but between moving home, getting a puppy and all the other regular bills it was never the right time. Finally a couple of months ago we decided that we would bite the bullet and invest in a new and much larger TV. We went from having a 32 inch ... TV to this huge 50 inch plasma.
When the TV was delivered to our door I was slightly taken aback by the sheer size of the box, we ordered it from online so I was a little concerned about it making its way safely to our door. However, it was packaged well and I really didn't have any reason for concern.
The TV was easy enough to get set up onto its stand but it really did require two people as the size, shape and weight of the TV make it a bit of difficult object to lift and manoeuvre. We are planning on eventually getting it wall mounted, hopefully within the next couple of months. Personally, I think this TV is going to look so much better when it is on the wall and it will make the room look tidier.
When it was unpacked and in place I was surprised by how little TV there actually was, our last TV was a flat screen TV but it looks so chunky next to the razor appearance of this one. It is amazing how much slimmer this TV is and the TV screen comes very close to the edge of the TV. The small areas of the TV that aren't screen are a shiny black plastic, which is nice and attractive. However, the stand which is made of a similar shiny black plastic is a dust magnet. I find that I have to clean this almost daily to keep it looking shiny and pristine. This in itself is an inconvenience but in no way puts me off this great TV.
There are a lot of plugs and room for cables in the back of this TV, we have it hooked up to a surround sound system, a blu ray player, a sky box and of course the Xbox. It's always best to check that the TV is compatible and has room for everything that you need it to do. For those that want to know specifics you can easily find details about the TV on Amazon, Dixons and many other online stores.
The sound of the TV was fine for watching everyday TV programmes, but it wasn't that great for gaming (all according to my husband). Since we have a surround sound system now we don't need to purely rely on the TV stereos but this is worth bearing in mind and checking out before you buy. We found that this TV was available to see on Comet's showroom floor which was great at having a closer look and listen to it before we bought it.
Being a plasma TV you have to be careful for the first 100 hours of its life and not leave it on anything that could burn an image onto the screen. As I have been warned don't leave it on the sky channel selection area for too long, however, this is more something to bear in mind than worry about.
If I had one complaint with this TV it would be that sometime there can be a bit of glare and you can clearly see your own reflection while watching the TV. However, this is easily taken care of by dimming the lights or closing the curtains. I don't notice it that much because if I am enjoying the TV programme I am usually pretty absorbed, but my hubby finds this a bit annoying when he is gaming, where there is a lot of dark screens. This is maybe something else to bear in mind when you are deciding where in your room to place the TV.
On this TV we can watch 'You Tube' and recently when some friends were round we were watching some film trailers online for movies that we might like to see. I also really like that we can watch BBC iplayer (and BBC HD iplayer) on this and it looks and works very well. These are just a few other features that didn't sway which TV we were going to buy but are fun extras.
The control that it comes with is rather nice looking, slim and functional. The TV also seems pretty well designed and changing the settings or switching over to watch a blu-ray are all easy and uncomplicated. The TV also remembers the settings for different devices, so my husband sets sound and picture preferences for the Xbox that are stored and recalled by the TV every time he changes over to that output.
There are quite a few small features about this TV that I really like, simple things like the volume control. When you increase or decrease the volume it is depicted as a circular image with the number in the middle and it indicates how far around the circle is and how loud it is. This is just a nice alternative to the usual bar rating system that is present on most TV's I have owned in the past.
We have quite a large living room so this TV fits in nicely and it feels comfortable to watch. It is recommended that you need a certain amount of feet between you and the TV for the most comfortable viewing distance, it is always worth checking these out before you buy a new TV.
Importantly, the TV is nice to watch, the colour, picture and clarity all seem excellent. I really notice the difference more on this screen when watching a blu-ray rather than a DVD than I ever did on the older TV. This really is a nice TV to watch.
As with all TV's this was an expensive purchase and hopefully one that we won't need to make again for years to come. We bought this online for around £630 and my husband was pleased with the price. You really do get a lot of TV for your money.
Despite my initial fears that this TV would be too big and take over my entire living room I have been more than happy with it from the moment it was turned on. It is a great looking and stylish TV that works well, is easy to use and generally good value for money. I firmly believe that this TV deserves a well earned five out of five stars. I would happily recommend this TV to anyone else.
If there are any specific details that I have left out and I am sure there are, I apologise as I am not an overly techie person and this TV doesn't really require any great skills to work.
Additional information
LG 50PK590 50-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p 600Hz Plasma Internet TV with Freeview HD
USB port
4 HDMI Inputs
Wifi And DLNA compatability
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Philips 50PFP5532D
by popalong
If you would like to know anything more about this television that I haven't covered in this review, please feel free to contact me. There are so many different features that people look for in a television and it is so easy to miss these in reviews. I have tried to focus on the main features and the ones that most people will be looking ... for reviews on, but I don't mind being asked to go into further detail on any particular feature I have listed here or one that I have forgotten to add. :)
MAIN FEATURES
# High Definition plasma WXGA display, 1366 x 768p
# Integrated Digital Tuner for DVB-T reception
# HD ready for the highest quality display of HDTV signals
# Pixel Plus HD for better details, depth and clarity
# 3D combfilter separates colours for a razor-sharp image
# Incredible Surround for enhanced audio enjoyment
# Compact and slim design that fits in every room
# 1000 page Hypertext for instant fast access to teletext
Included Accessories: Table top stand,Power cord,Quick start guide,User Manual,Registration card,Warranty certificate,Remote Control,Batteries for remote control
SETUP
This television is very heavy compared to an LCD. It took two men to bring it in, and at 50 inches it isn't small. However, I did manage to remove it from the box, build up the stand, connect the stand to the television, and eventually lift it onto a television stand all by myself. It took about 45 minutes. I wouldn't recommend this, though. The box recommends at least 2 people and I agree. I just couldn't wait to get it up and running! It is quite thin, though, so it doesn't take up a lot of space at the back of the unit. After I had all that done it was simply a case of plugging it in, connecting an aerial, putting it on and going straight to the menu where most of the settings, including channel search, are automatic. If you prefer to manually configure your television then this can be done in the menu also. Within 10 minutes of turning the television on, I had it all set up and was enjoying watching both analogue and digital TV comfortably.
PICTURE
The picture is amazing on the digital channels. It is so crisp and clear, and it's instantly obvious why digital TV is the future. The analogue picture will be dependant on your current signal. If you receive a bad picture this is not the televisions fault. The settings can be set up automatically in different picture modes, or the user can manually set up colour, brightness, etc. I usually prefer the brightness a little darker than the automatic option allows, but I find the automatic settings are very good for watching television and DVD's. At 50 inches the detail on the screen is excellent. The HD picture through the HDMI input from my satellite receiver is amazing. The SD pictures on some channels can be not so good, but I wonder if this is more down to the satellite box and the broadcasting channel rather than the television. There is definitely a noticeable difference between SD and HD content, and blu-rays look great on this television. Although it isn't Full HD, it's far better than SD. The screen can be switched to 4:3 Movie expand, 14:9 Movie expand, 16:9 movie expand, Subtitle Zoom, and Super Zoom, Widescreen. Most of the time I leave it on 16:9, as most programmes are in this format. For shows that have black bars at the top and bottom you can easily switch to 16:9 zoom. The problem with a lot of plasma's is screen burn; the images being burned into the screen if they are on screen too long. I have noticed that this can sometimes happen, especially with television station logos. However, after several minutes it fades and doesn't burn in for good. Plasma's are especially good for darker rooms, but I have noticed that when any light from outside, such as sun light, gets onto the screen it can make viewing very difficult. Reflections during these instances are very noticeable. For that reason, I would recommend an LCD for a brighter room and not this one.
SOUND
This is the only problem I have found with the television. The sound is terrible. I connect my DVD player and satellite receiver to a separate HIFI for the sound because the television doesn't perform well enough for me. I also found that after a few months the right speaker started to rattle. It was so annoying that I just couldn't watch television with the built in speakers any more because it put me off the programmes I was watching. The audio is tinny and lacks bass. If you don't have the option of a separate audio unit, then you may want to take this into account when you consider purchasing this television. I recommend trying to hear it in a store before buying. I didn't have this option as I bought if from a catalogue, but this has taught me a lesson and I will be doing so for my next television. The surround sound feature changes the sound noticeably, but I don't think it's as good as a true surround sound speaker system.
CONNECTIONS
The unit has 2 HDMI connections, 2 scart sockets, and RCA inputs. There are also a couple of other inputs, but I don't use these and can't imagine most people would. I believe one of these other inputs is a Common Interface, I think for encrypted digital channels, but I am not 100% sure about that. I use the two scart sockets for an HDD recorder and a video recorder. I use the 2 HDMI cables for my Satellite receiver and my blu-ray player, and I use the RCA inputs for my games console. As more and more things are becoming available with HDMI output, it would be useful to have more than 2 HDMI inputs, but if all you want to use it for is television and blu-ray then 2 should be enough. HDMI hubs are also available, offering multiple inputs while taking up only one on the television.
REMOTE
The TV is supplied with a remote control and 2 batteries. The remote is user friendly and has all the functions available to use on the television. Do not lose the remote. If you lose the remote then the television becomes practically useless except for changing channel and volume. The remote fits nicely in the hand, and it's very responsive.
FREEVIEW GUIDE
The freeview guide is easy to use and navigate. It lists each channel available and shows programmes for several days ahead of time. As I have satellite I don't use this feature at all, but if you rely on freeview then it's a good feature to have.
VERDICT
I find that occasionally the picture can get blurry, especially the ticker on BBC News. My sisters 32 inch LCD TV does not have this problem and so I assume it's the television and not the channel. However, on HD channels there is no such blurriness. Watching sport on this television is very enjoyable, especially fast sports such as tennis and football, and movies look terrific.
I would recommend this television to people who are looking for a large screen in a darker room. The TV must be placed somewhere securely to avoid it falling, because it is very heavy at over 50kg, and could easily crush a child or small animal.
Personally, when I am in the market to buy a new television I will be considering LCD over Plasma because of the weight, problems with reflections, and BBC News ticker blurriness. Other than those reasons, though, I would happily give this television to someone else knowing that they would get years of enjoyment and use out of it.
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Samsung PS-42C450
by jnic99
My previous TV was pretty old - circa 1950 I think, so when it came to treating myself to a new Plasma TV, I was like a child in the proverbial sweet shop. After much debate, I settled on the Samsung 42" model, and I'm wonderfully happy with it ever since.
Firstly, it was very simple to set up, even for a technical amateur like ... myself. The instructions were clear, and once the cables were attached to the DVD player, and plugged into the arial socket, it was just a case of switching it on and easily locating the channels. Honestly - all incredibly simple.
And the picture doesn't disappoint at all. The colours are sharp and vivid, and 42 inches is plenty for a small to medium room. In fact, the TV has become the central point of attraction in my living room. In black, and on a matching black stand, it looks pretty impressive (apart from the fact the dust shows!!).
For sure there's always bigger and better products on the market, but you can pick this model up at a reasonable price, and from a value for money perspective, its a great buy...!!!
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