LG 50PK550R Owner's Discussion Thread

Hi Shaiju,

Gr8 news. I am happy for you. You got thru the problem. Lg also did their bit and solved the problem rather then running away with excuses. Thanks to them also. Many people here are scared to buy PK550 after reading the posts in the forum. It is a good tv. 21 days now since i bought it no problems till now.(touch wood) :D. I am also thinking of buying a player. I am considering Dune BD prime or PS3.

Somebody pls help : Is there anyway i can see the usage hrs of the TV. Thanks in advance.

Regards
Sid.
 
Hey Sid,

Congrats on your purchase. PK550 is a good display.

I am also looking for good BD and media players - yes, will need both. I not too much of a download person. Hmm, will run out of HDMI inputs on PK550.

Sony BDP370 looks great and the price is good too. Is it worth spending 25K-35K on a dedicated BDP? Think I will settle for something good-for-the-job 10K-15K BDP.

Many have suggested Xtreamer and WDTV for media players. There is the Xtreamer and Xtreamer PRO, WDTV Live and WDTV Live +. Too many options :) and I have no clue. A basic question that's bothering me since long : how will I download directly to media player? Can I use my Reliance broadband wirless USB or need a separate wireless setup? If I know the answer to these questions the buy decision will be easier.
 
Shaiju

I don't think you can download directly to these media players. Just download the movies to your hard drive in your laptop or desktop, then transfer it to an external hard drive or USB flash drive and plug it in to your media player. That's it. The media player will be connected to your plasma thru HDMI. And you can navigate on screen using the media player's remote to select and play your files.

Hope that helps!

---Venkat
 
Venkat, that really helps.

So can I not also download using WiFi / lan to an internal disk if supported? Don't think we have any online streaming movie services available yet.

Interesting! Question (for myself) is would I really do that much of downloads or just spend money buying BR discs?

Am tempted to buy the Sony BDP370 but the discs are super expensive as of now. Already spent quite an amount on 200+ DVDs and half year subscription to 70mm.

Will wait for Vivek, Sri, dotMac and others to help me.
 
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shaiju_o_thomas said:
Venkat, that really helps.

So can I not also download using WiFi / lan to an internal disk if supported? Don't think we have any online streaming movie services available yet.

Interesting! Question (for myself) is would I really do that much of downloads or just spend money buying BR discs?

Am tempted to buy the Sony BDP370 but the discs are super expensive as of now. Already spent quite an amount on 200+ DVDs and half year subscription to 70mm.

Will wait for Vivek, Sri, dotMac and others to help me.
Click to expand...

Hey Shaiju

Yeah downloading through wifi to an internal HDD in the media player itself is possible. I think the PopCornHour lets you do this. Basically instead of a HDD you can take anywhere and connect to any PC to copy files, you are confined to the HDD in the media player.

I still think the best is to get a low priced but nice HD media player like WDTV Live Plus and a large external HDD (2TB).

As for buying blu ray discs, I don't think I will buy these for now, cos I am far more than happy with the blu ray rips that I download from the internet. I usually take 720p DTS versions and they are anywhere between 2.2GB (short animated stuff) and 14 GB depending on resolution and video bit rate.

By the way - please do give me an honest opinion about your LG 50PK550 plasma as I am seriously considering buying one (either PK550 or PJ560). After seeing the 60PK950 at the consumer electronics fair on Sat, the others near it looked pale (PJ350, 650, 560).

So please tell me more regarding the color reproduction and black levels.

Warm regards,
Venkat
 
Venkat,

Thanks a ton. Your answers have made it really simple. Hours of reading would have not helped.

So a good media player
1) has capability to play variety of file (audio+video) formats via USB, HDD, etc.
2) reproduces picture and sound as is - stays true to the content
3) accepts large capacity external devices
4) has quick and slick (my choice :)) interface
5) is of solid build and quality.
6) has connectivity options (WiFi, lan, audio)

Hope that's all in the checklist. How do you download such huge files?

My (very) honest opinion about 50PK550 so far - it is a good display and great VFM. I have not done a side by side comparison with PK950 as I have yet to visit stores with both the PK950 and PK550 on display. So here goes, based on my first post, a rating of EXCELLENT, GOOD, BAD, WORST:

EXCELLENT
  • 50" full HD and the price
  • Color reproduction - watch Zombieland, Pineapple Express, Cars, The Hangover, 21, The Lovely Bones (OTT sometimes).
  • Smooth camera pans with very little or no judder - opening scenes of Atonement, the Intrepid flyover from I Am Legend, Twilight sence after the credit.
  • Overall picture quality
  • Design, slim frame and overall looks
  • HD (true 1080p, 1080i) content looks amazing
  • Not useful for everybody but worth mentioning - excellent senior technicians and support.
  • Yet to see any fluctuating blacks and flickering (avoid Vivid mode).

GOOD to EXCELLENT
  • Blacks and shadow detail - may not achieve the absolute deepest blacks or extract every minute shadow detail but very much there with the top rated. Also depends on how much black and shadow detail you want to see. Check out the undergound torture scene from Quantum of Solace and The Dark Knight.
  • Remote
  • SD (upscaled DVDs) content looks quite neat with no tearing (also depends on DVD player). If your DVD player has picture settings make sure you play with it. My Pioneer 420 has contrast, brightness, hue, chroma, sharpness controls and I keep contrast at +16.
  • One can exchange the set for brand new if there are issues or not satisfied

GOOD
  • Line bleed - very less noticeable in June and my latest July set.
  • Banding - frankly, I have yet to witness it. Tried looking for it but found nothing distracting.
  • USB 2.0 port - it can't play HD videos.
  • SD (TataSky HD) is very watchable. Does a better job than many LCDs and lower model Plasmas.
  • Connectivity options - could do with one more HDMI (and audio options?)

BAD (I can live with most of it)
  • Some don't like the Warm nature of picture. Others find it "dark". These are adjustable IMO.
  • Whites are warm - bit milkier than my liking. Again the problem is we cannot deep dive in to advanced picture settings.
  • Temproray image retention - less prone with aging and ISM options really help.
  • Screen reflection in bright lit conditions - not an issue for me as I have dim lit room - yes, even during daytime.
  • Green dancing pixels - though with latest firmware update and LG continously trying to resolve, it should be of little worry
  • Sound quality - very average

WORST
  • No Picture Wizard II, Expert Modes - in short, missing calibration features
  • Adjusting treble and bass has no effect on the sound whatsoever
  • Poorly designed website and not so responsive customer service :p
  • Installation and demo person has zero knowledge of calibration. Please be careful of how they handle / move around your set.

Others can agree / disagree on some points. Like screen reflection and sound quality maybe WORST for some. July sets should have latest firmware and will be better than older stocks.

The PK950 has a better design, higher contrast and filter. So in a bright lit enviornment (like the expo) you will obviously see the difference.

Owners of PK550:
Vivek, dotMac, Srinivas, Navneetha, Blackpearl, Mannu, Scarlet, vchounal, Harty, deepakrao, Sid, Shaiju. Did I miss anyone?

Some reviews:
LG PK950 review - FlatpanelsHD
LG Infinia 50PK990 50in Plasma TV review - TV reviews - TrustedReviews
LG 50PK990 TV review - from the experts at whathifi.com
AVForums.com - LG 50PK990 Plasma HDTV Review

There are 2 variants for different markets - PK950 and PK990. Please check the feature differences. I have started to trust reviews from AVForums.com.
 
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Wow Shaiju

That was a detailed response! Thanks a lot.

Well as regards the media player, you've pretty much got the points right. It just depends on which media player you choose, to get or not get a few of the features mentioned in your list. (like WiFi capability for example)

Some do come with built in WiFi capability like maybe the X-Treamer but I am not really sure about it as I've been using only the WDTV HD Media Player (Gen 1, bought in June 2009 from USA).

The WDTV Live Plus is very good VFM since it is also able to navigate DVDs if you have them stored on your HDD. For example if you copy the entire DVD file/folder structure to a folder on your HDD, the WD Live Plus is supposed to be able to show you the DVD menus etc exactly as they would appear if you put that DVD in your DVD player. I plan to pick up the Live Plus player soon for my apartment, to go with the plasma and 5.1 home theatre setup. The Gen 1 player and the LG 42PQ70 plasma bought in July 2009 are setup at my parents' place.

Coming to downloads, well ... I guess we should talk about this through PM or email rather than on the open forum. Please PM me or email me and we can talk in detail about downloading blu ray rips :)

Now for the PK550 plasma. Well it is obvious from what you've written that you're a pretty happy owner, even though you did face some issues with the tv regarding the green pixels and what not. However I read your messages also, stating that LG has gone the extra mile and done a firmware update on your tv to almost eliminate this problem. This is great to know.

So here are my questions.

(1) My seating distance is going to be around 16-17 feet. At this distance, would I be able to see the green pixels / line bleed / judder etc?
(2) Also it is clear that at such seating distances, full HD would not really matter as we would not be able to see the difference. Considering this, is it still worth it stretching the budget by 3k (59k for 50PJ560 and 62k for 50PK550) for the full HD 50PK550 plasma? What other advantages would this give me?
(3) The 50PJ560 has side mounted speakers and has better sound than the PJ350/650 and PK550. I saw this at E-Zone where I specifically tested this. All the LG plasmas now come with Airtel HD DTH. So for 59k, I will get the 50PJ560 with Airtel HD DTH and for 62k I will get the 50PK550 with Airtel HD DTH. I am not sure though, as to whether the price can be reduced if I do not want the Airtel HD DTH (in case I wish to opt for Tata Sky HD later).

I am a bit confused on the above now.

Also, can you check and let me know if the PK550 has an Optical Out jack at the back? This would be useful for me as my AVR is a non-HDMI model and if I get one of the HD DTH boxes, I'd have to use HDMI for video (straight to plasma) and optical out for audio (straight to AVR).

Thanks for mentioning the names of the PK550 owners. Will check with some of them too before making a decision.

Warm regards,
Venkat
 
VSG12777 said:
(1) My seating distance is going to be around 16-17 feet. At this distance, would I be able to see the green pixels / line bleed / judder etc?
Click to expand...
You will harldy notice any of the problems mentioned. For 16-17 feet consider a 60"er.


VSG12777 said:
(2) Also it is clear that at such seating distances, full HD would not really matter as we would not be able to see the difference. Considering this, is it still worth it stretching the budget by 3k (59k for 50PJ560 and 62k for 50PK550) for the full HD 50PK550 plasma? What other advantages would this give me?
Click to expand...
Yes, very much. Some may argue but I do notice the difference in terms of clean cut pictures.

It may sound twisted but I would like to put it this way:
At <=42" the screen does not do justice to full HD.
At >=50" the human eye 'might' not do justice to full HD with larger viewing distance.

The 3K difference is hardly anything compared to the performance of PJ vs PK.

My choice is the PK550.

VSG12777 said:
(3) The 50PJ560 has side mounted speakers and has better sound than the PJ350/650 and PK550. I saw this at E-Zone where I specifically tested this. All the LG plasmas now come with Airtel HD DTH. So for 59k, I will get the 50PJ560 with Airtel HD DTH and for 62k I will get the 50PK550 with Airtel HD DTH. I am not sure though, as to whether the price can be reduced if I do not want the Airtel HD DTH (in case I wish to opt for Tata Sky HD later).
Click to expand...
Haggle at 59K/60K for PK550 and get TataSky HD if possible. Even with Airtel DTH offer try for some reduction. I don't worry much about sound as even the best is crappy from displays. Not sure about the PJ560 sound though. Suggest that you prioritize picture over sound. In couple of days my ears adjusted to the average sound from PK550 :)

I haven't checked but remember someone mention PK550 has no Optical Out jack.
 
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No not really. I guess the difference between the PJs and PK550 would be frame design, speaker configuration (PJ350/650 are 10Wx2 while PJ560 is 25Wx2) and resolution. PJ560 is supposed to be 1365x768 as against the full HD PK550. All of these models have the same 3 HDMI inputs.
 
Hi Venkat,

You cant compare PJ and PK because one is Full HD and the PJ is HD ready. One simple thing to consider is would you like to go for a PJ plasma which has lower resolution or go for a PK's higher resolution plasma. Tomorrow if you want to view 1080p quality blu ray disk or rip movie or view 1080i HD channels the PJ wont have the necessary hardware to do it. If u want stunning picture quality then only Full HD set will serve your purpose. If you are ready to settle for standard quality picture go for PJ.

Regards
Sid.
 
Siddh

I totally agree with you. However it's been proven time and again that the difference between 720p and 1080p is very difficult to make out by the human eye, at distances of more than 6-7 feet for a 50 inch plasma. My seating distance is going to be 16-17 feet from the TV. So it does not really make a difference to me. I have also tested this at places like E-Zone where they had the same HD channels playing on a full HD plasma as well as a HD ready model. I seriously could not make out any difference, and I was standing at about 12 feet from both the TVs.

---Venkat
 
Vekant,

Apart from the 720p vs 1080p there are other parameters you should consider. Some of them:

  • How much time will you spend watching full HD sources? It could be immediate or few months away. If HD sources are inviting then so should PK. Watching 1080 on 720 is like having a colorful movie feed to a B&W set. I know it's exaggeration but ... :)
  • Will you upgrade in near future (read next year) or own the TV for a longer period?
  • Does the 3K difference really bother you to swing in favor of PJ?
  • There could be differences in panel and firmwares too.

Note that you will have to live your choice everyday and even keep it for couple of years. So make it wise. You will be happy with the PK.

All the best!
 
Agree with your points Shaiju. Most of what I watch are blu ray rips, either 720p or 1080p. But, to my eyes, a 720p or 1080p rip played on a PJ and PK plasma looked just the same. HD DTH also looked the same.

Apart from the above, my dealer says PJ350 and PJ560 are available fairly quickly but PK550 there is no stock and if he places an order, it would take at least 15 days. Also, he's not willing to go less then 62k for PK. Our budget is 55-58k max. For the 50PJ560 he said his best price would be 59k with Airtel HD DTH. So after a discussion with my wife, we've ordered the 50PJ560. Asked for delivery on Friday evening. Can't wait too long either. Otherwise we may not be able to buy the TV at all as we may use the funds for some other work in the house etc.

We've anyway been using a 42PQ70 (HD ready) plasma at my parents' place since last July and it's been pretty good. So I am just hoping the PJ series of 2010 would be a good one. Saw a 42PJ350 at my friend's place last week (forum member too, named Sub) and both SD/HD looked very good. So just hoping for the best.

My next plasma maybe 2-3 years down the line would be a 60 inch size at the minimum and a full HD one.

---Venkat
 
Thanks Shaiju. Yeah I just trusted my eyes. Once I narrowed down to PJ560 and PK550 I showed them to my wife too and she couldn't see much of a difference either. Also, why I was inclined towards the PJ560 was that it had better speakers. These would be useful in TV watching (DTH). I wouldn't want to use my AVR everytime for some ordinary SD programme. For HD, of course I'd use my AVR to get the 5.1 sound. Pushing the dealer for Friday delivery and he's positive too. Otherwise max I'd get it by Saturday morning.

---Venkat
 
Just got a call from bangalore tech support, for firmware update for my LG PK550 (green pixels issue). They would come next Monday to do the same.

So guys you too can raise a complaint at your areas and ask for the update
 
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