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  • Introduction

  • Overall Design

  • Front

  • Back

  • Sides

  • Stand/Mount

  • Controls

  • Remote Control

  • In the Box

  • Black Level

  • Peak Brightness

  • Contrast

  • Tunnel Contrast

  • White Falloff

  • Uniformity

  • Greyscale Gamma

  • Color Temperature

  • RGB Curves

  • Motion Performance

  • 3:2 Pulldown & 24fps

  • Resolution Scaling

  • Formats

  • Viewing Angle

  • Reflectance

  • Video Processing

  • Calibration

  • Video Modes

  • Ergonomics & Durability

  • Button Layout & Use

  • Programming & Flexibility

  • Connectivity

  • Placement

  • Audio Quality

  • Menu Interface

  • Instruction Manual

  • Internet Features

  • Local Media Playback

  • Other Media

  • Power Consumption

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Value Comparison

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Connectivity

  • Conclusion

  • Model Series Comparison

  • Photo Gallery

  • Ratings & Specs

  • Introduction
  • Overall Design
  • Front
  • Back
  • Sides
  • Stand/Mount
  • Controls
  • Remote Control
  • In the Box
  • Black Level
  • Peak Brightness
  • Contrast
  • Tunnel Contrast
  • White Falloff
  • Uniformity
  • Greyscale Gamma
  • Color Temperature
  • RGB Curves
  • Motion Performance
  • 3:2 Pulldown & 24fps
  • Resolution Scaling
  • Formats
  • Viewing Angle
  • Reflectance
  • Video Processing
  • Calibration
  • Video Modes
  • Ergonomics & Durability
  • Button Layout & Use
  • Programming & Flexibility
  • Connectivity
  • Placement
  • Audio Quality
  • Menu Interface
  • Instruction Manual
  • Internet Features
  • Local Media Playback
  • Other Media
  • Power Consumption
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Value Comparison
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Connectivity
  • Conclusion
  • Model Series Comparison
  • Photo Gallery
  • Ratings & Specs

Introduction

Overall Design

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We thought the 50PQ30 was decently attractive, but very plain looking. There really isn't a lot about the TV to grab your aesthetic sensibilities and wring out approval. It's a glossy black TV with a slightly odd shape to its stand. The power indicator pulses when it turns on. Otherwise, the 50PQ30 is any old TV set.

Front

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The LG 50PQ30 is a basic-looking television. It has a glossy black bezel with an embellishment along the bottom. Towards the bottom right corner of the screen is the sensor and power LED, and you'll also find labels for the controls. These controls are located on the underside of the TV.

Back

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There are two features on the back of the 50PQ30: the spot where you plug in the power cord and a cluster of ports.

Sides

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The left side of the TV has a handful of ports. The right is featureless. Typically you'd find the controls on the right side, but as mentioned above, they're actually located on the underside of the TV.

Stand/Mount

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The stand features a convex front and a concave back. The stand allows the TV to swivel. Although it seems sturdy enough, it allows the TV to jiggle around more than we'd like.

Controls

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The controls are actually located on the underside of the display, on the right. This keeps them out of the way, we guess, but we're not 100% sure why LG didn't just place them on the side of the bezel, like every other TV ever.

Remote Control

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The LG 50PQ30's remote is a standard remote for an entry-level TV. It has an intuitive button layout and sports large fonts.

In the Box

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The 50PQ30 doesn't come with much inside its box. You'll fine the manual, the remote, and a couple of batteries.

The TV is pretty easy to assemble. All you have to do is place the TV on its stand and screw it into place. A single person would be able to manage the job if it weren't a gigantic plasma: it's a bit too heavy for just one person.

Black Level

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We measured the LG 50PQ30's black level at 0.09 cd/m2 (candelas per square meter, a measure of luminance). This is a solidly good measurement, which isn't really surprising from a plasma. On the chart below, you'll notice the Panasonic TC-P50G10 actually had a black level that was almost half as dark as the LG 50PQ30's. The two LCD TVs, on the other hand, had significantly brighter blacks. More on how we test black level.

Peak Brightness

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The 50PQ30 wasn't capable of a particularly bright white. Our tests have it capped out at 64.84 cd/m2, which is pretty dim. This is where plasma HDTVs have the most trouble: their display technology simply can't draw the kind of power it would take to output the same brightness as an LCD. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast

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The 50PQ30 didn't have a great contrast ratio. Typically plasmas have incredibly deep black levels, which allow the TV to attain a decent contrast ratio despite their low peak brightness. The 50PQ30, despite having a decent black level, simply wasn't dark enough to offset its dim brights. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast

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The LG 50PQ30 maintained its black levels fairly well, but it wasn't perfect. The black levels were actually a lot darker when only a small area of the screen was dark. This makes sense for a plasma: with such a large percentage of the screen displaying white, the entire display will dim, unable to draw enough power to maintain such a large area of brightness. Overall, however, black levels were consistent. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff

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The 50PQ30 did have some trouble with white falloff, which isn't a surprise for a plasma. As the white area became bigger, it dimmed considerably. This is a limitation of the display technology: it can't draw enough power to maintain large areas of bright color. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity

Greyscale Gamma

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Greyscale gamma describes how the TV emulates all its greys. Since we see logarithmically (intensity needs to increment exponentially to get us to notice an equivalent change), gamma needs to scale in a specific way to be the most effective. For the most part, the 50PQ30 has a good greyscale gamma. The transition between some shades of grey is a bit choppy, which could lead to a very minor loss of detail. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Color Temperature

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On the graph below, the green area shows the limit of perceptibility. Unless you have superhuman color detecting skills, you won't notice any changes that occur in that green area. The degree to which the line veers outside the green is indicative of how obvious the color shift will be.

The 50PQ30 didn't have any major problems with this test. There were some minor fluctuations along the way, but they were so minor that they're not really noticeable. More on how we test color temperature.

RGB Curves

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The 50PQ30 had decent color representation overall. The small bumps along the curves represent some minor lost details, but it isn't anything the average viewer would miss. The overall shape of the curve indicates a smooth progression from dark colors to high-intensity colors. More on how we test RGB curves.

Motion Performance

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Motion Smoothness (5.63)

The LG 50PQ30 has some issues with motion smoothness. Photos suffer from some minor blurring. On our color chart, we noticed that bold colors tend to leave behind shadows as they travel around. When we performed the same tests with 1080i input, these issues got even worse.

Motion Artifacting (6.00)

The TV also had some issues with artifacting. Fine lines will create a shuddering effect. The edges of a box staircase a bit when it moves horizontally. We didn't see any issues with color casting. Overall, there aren't great features to have on your set, but the LG 50PQ30 isn't tremendously worse than the average TV. More on how we test motion performance.

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps

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The 50PQ30 had some issues with 3:2 pulldown. Fine striped patterns tend to flash, which is an eyesore. There were also some minor instances of a crawling effect manifesting on patterns. More on how we test 3:2 pulldown and 24fps.

Resolution Scaling

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The 50PQ30 had uniform resolution scaling. It wasn't perfect at any resolution, but it wasn't bad either. More on how we test resolution scaling.

480p

The 50PQ30 had the most trouble with 480p, but it still did fairly well. The main issues we saw were with Moire patterns and resolution issues. Fine patterns will get smudged together into dot matrices, acquire a slight rainbow cast, or blur together slightly. We also saw a 2% overscan, which is relatively small.

720p

Basically, we saw the same issues on 720p as we did with 480p, only to lesser degrees. The only area where the TV actually did worse than on 480p was with legibility. We found smaller font ran together somewhat in 720p.

1080i

The differences between 720p and 1080i were minor. Fine patterns seemed to shimmer at times, which was a bit annoying, but had better resolution overall.

Formats

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The LG 50PQ30 is a 1080p plasma display that supports 3:2 pulldown and 24p playback.

Viewing Angle

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The 50PQ30's viewing angle really shouldn't be a problem. We found it maintained its contrast ratio regardless of where you were standing.

Reflectance

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External light sources often wreak havoc on your TV screen. Screens prone to reflection can be unwatchable in certain setups. The 50PQ30 did all right on this test, but still had some issues. While it diffused the light well, the resulting glow washed out a large chunk of the screen. If the light is on an angle, however, the reflection won't be too distracting.

Video Processing

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The 37LH55 had a few video processing features, some of which caused a visible effect, some of which didn't do anything noteworthy. We're also at a bit of a loss about what they were supposed to do, since the screen doesn't have any explanatory pop-ups and the manual is mum on the subject.

| Setting | Our Impression |
| Dynamic Contrast | Dynamically adjusts contrast, so whites get blown out and darks get lumped together into black blobs. |
| Dynamic Color | Dynamically adjusts color to ensure something is getting oversaturated. |
| Noise Reduction | Significantly reduces noise. |
| Eye Care | This didn't seem to do anything, not even something involving eyes. |
| Edge Enhancer | We didn't see any significant changes. |
| OPC | Makes some whites slightly darker sometimes. |

Calibration

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To ensure we're grading our HDTVs based on their peak performance, we calibrate them using DisplayMate software. In the table below, you'll find a list of all the settings we altered. If it's not listed in the table below, we didn't touch it.

[

All of our calibration is done in conjunction with the DisplayMate software.

](http://www.displaymate.com/)

Video Modes

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The 50PQ30 has the standard array of LG video modes: vivid, standard, cinema, sport, and game. There are also two expert modes that give users additional settings to fiddle around with. Typically we provide the manufacturer's description of each mode here, but LG persists in their refusal to include such a description on the TV or in the manual.

Ergonomics & Durability

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The LG 32LH20's remote is simple and fits comfortably in the hand. Its back is curved and has an indent for your index finger. The smooth hard plastic makes the remote a bit easy to drop, but the remote is well-balanced.

The remote's buttons are soft plastic. They have good travel, but we wished they offered a bit more tactile feedback. The buttons don't glow in the dark and aren't backlit.

Although anyone who looked at this remote could tell it was for an entry-level set, we liked it.

Button Layout & Use

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The remote's buttons have a good layout. In the neutral position (thumb on the d-pad), you can easily reach the menu button, the volume controls, and the channel controls. The buttons are also located fairly close to each other, meaning you don't need a gigantic thumb to be able to hit everything. The number pad will require a slight grip shift. The controls are well-labeled, although their refusal to glow in the dark was unfortunate. The remote can also control the TV from a very shallow angle.

Programming & Flexibility

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The 50PQ30's remote can't control non-LG equipment. It can be set up with other LG devices via their SIMPLINK technology. Unfortunately, this setup requires the device to be connected to the TV via an HDMI cable. This is far from ideal.

Connectivity

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Input Ports (6.0)

The TV has the following input ports:
* 3 HDMI
* 2 Component video inputs
* 2 Composite
* 1 S-Video
* 1 VGA
* 4 Analog audio in
* 1 USB

Output Ports (1.0)

The 50PQ30 just has one output port: a digital audio out.

Other Connections (0.0)

There are no other connections.

Media (10)

The 50PQ30 has a USB port for picture viewing.

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Placement

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Ports are laid out reasonably well. They're located on the right of the TV's back, either facing toward the back or out towards the side. They're indented a bit further than we'd like, but are still close to the edge. The stand also aids in your ports-based adventures by allowing the TV swivel.

Audio Quality

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The 50PQ30's speakers weren't bad. When the surround sound mode was off, the sound was a bit flat. It didn't have much bass and there just wasn't a lot of presence to the sound. Turning surround sound mode on gave a bit of depth to the overall sound, boosted bass quite a bit, and gave the high end better articulation. It didn't, however, do much to actually create a 'surround sound' experience.

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The 50PQ30's menu system is fairly intuitive. Pressing the menu button will let you chose from one of eight different items. Selecting one will bring up a second screen, where the eight main items run down the left side and the selected menu is expanded to the right.

Instruction Manual

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The 50PQ30's manual really isn't great. The only thing it does well is pictures, which are very detailed and employed frequently, if they are a bit small. The table of contents is very limited, there isn't an index (although there is a brief appendix), and the pages aren't tabbed. The font size is a bit on the small side as well.

The main complaint we had, however, is it really doesn't answer a lot of questions. The manual is really only good for setting up the TV, not explaining how to use its features. We aren't entirely sure what features like Eye Care and Edge Enhancer actually do.

You can find the LG 50PQ30's manual online here.

A manual for so many TV models, they have to be further categorized by type.

Internet Features

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The TV doesn't have any internet features.

Local Media Playback

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Photo Playback (3.5)

The LG 50PQ30 supports photo playback from a connected USB device. The interface involves a file browser view with the option for fullscreen view. There is no slideshow option, so you'll need to move between photos with the remote. You can have music from the USB drive play in the background.

Music & Video Playback (2.50)

The 50PQ30 can also play back MP3 files. The interface is similar to the one described above, with a file browser view and separate screen for playback. It's a bare-bones implementation of the feature, but it gets the job done.

Other Media

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There are no additional media features.

Power Consumption

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The LG 50PQ30 was more expensive than the typical HDTV we get in. Overall, plasmas tend to have very erratic power consumption rates: due to plasma display technology, the amount of power used for any given frame is proportional to the amount of bright colors on the screen. The result is a slightly higher average power cost than what you'd see on an LCD of the same size. In the 50PQ30's case, there's 50 inches of screen being lit up, which can get a bit pricy over the course of the year. Assuming average use and power costs, the 50PQ30 will run you a little over $60 per year.

Below is a chart, which shows just how expensive plasmas can be, compared to their LCD counterparts.

Value Comparison

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The Panasonic represents how TVs are evolving. It doesn't have the best internet features, but it has them. This is more than we can say for the LG. If you need to pinch pennies, stick to the LG. If you don't and like online features, check the Panasonic out.

Blacks & Whites

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The LG was capable of displaying blacks twice as deep as the Samsung. The Samsung was significantly more brighter, however, which gave the TV a much higher contrast ratio than the LG's.

Color Accuracy

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Both TVs earned similar results on our color tests.

Motion

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The Samsung is a lot smoother than the LG, but has more artifacting.

Viewing Effects

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Neither TV had an issue with viewing angle.

Connectivity

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The LG doesn't have internet connectivity; the Samsung does. Samsung's online library isn't great at the moment, unfortunately.

Value Comparison

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The Panasonic has some mediocre internet offerings that the LG can't offer you. The Panasonic also offers to take a lot more money than the LG does.

Blacks & Whites

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The LG had a low contrast ratio, due to its low peak brightness.

Color Accuracy

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Both TVs had roughly the same color accuracy.

Motion

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The Panasonic's picture is slightly smoother, but more prone to artifacting.

Viewing Effects

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Neither TV has an issue with its viewing angle.

Connectivity

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The LG lacks internet connectivity, but otherwise offers much the same ports as the Panasonic.

Value Comparison

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This is a battle of budget vs. features. The Sony is far more expensive, but provides a slew of online content—currently it's the best offering from any manufacturer, by leaps and bounds. If streaming content options appeal to you, you might want to consider spending the extra money on this smaller set. If size is your main concern, the LG does that and does it well, offering a lot of screen for its cost.

Blacks & Whites

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The LG's contrast ratio wasn't as high as the Sony's due to it's really low peak brightness.

Color Accuracy

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Both TVs had about the same color performance.

Motion

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While the Sony is a bit smoother, the LG had less artifacting.

Viewing Effects

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The 50PQ30's viewing angle is far wider than the KDL-40W5100's.

Connectivity

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Below we've compared the 50PQ30's ports to a few of its competitors. Note the lack of media ports on the 50PQ30.

The Sony KDL-40W5100 has an absolutely insane array of streaming options. Sony's online features are currently the best in the industry.

Conclusion

The LG 50PQ30 had consistently inconsistent performance across the board. It had a good black level, but was pretty dim overall, so it didn't have a great contrast ratio. It did do pretty well on our color accuracy tests, but its color gamut was pretty far off. It has a very wide viewing angle, but also has issues with artifacting and blur. It doesn't have any great features, but it's really inexpensive for its size.

In the end, it's the scope of the TV you need to keep in mind: this is a 50-inch plasma for $800. If you're just looking for a bare bones TV with a large surface area, this is a great buy.

Model Series Comparison

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The PQ30 series doesn't have many frills. It consists of two sizes of plasma TVs, the smaller of which runs 720p resolution.

{{photo_gallery "Front Tour Image", "Back Tour Image", "Sides Tour Image", "Stand Photo", "Controls Photo", "Remote Control Photo", "Connectivity Tour Image 1", "Connectivity Tour Image 2", "Connectivity Extra Photo", "Menu Main Photo", "Menu 2 Photo", "Internet Features 1 Photo", "Internet Features 2 Photo", "Internet Features 3 Photo", "Local Media Playback 1 Photo", "Local Media Playback 2 Photo"}}

Ratings & Specs

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Meet the tester

Mark Brezinski

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews

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