Introduction
Just before a major sporting event is a great time to buy a new large screen high-definition plasma Tv. The Lg 60Pk950 60" Tv arrived at my door for the 2010 World Cup. I needed to replace a Phillips 60" Tv which arrived for the 2006 World Cup. The Lg is my second Hdtv but first plasma Hdtv. I had not seen it in the store; I'd just seen the advertising and read some reviews. The best price I found was at the Sears online store. I am writing this review as an owner who has used it every day for a few months. It's a fairly long review because it's a fairly high-priced Tv. Buyers may benefit from reading as much as possible to make an informed decision.
Vtech Camera
First Impression
My first view after turning on the Tv: "Wow, citizen look so lifelike - like they are in my living room!"
Size
It's called a 60" television, but that refers to the diagonal length. The actual size is about 55" x 34." The "frame" or trim all around the Tv is black. It is not equally wide all the way round; it's about 1.5" on the sides and top but about 3" at the bottom.
Depth
It is highly thin at only about 3" deep. That's pretty impressive for a Tv this large. It was a huge correction from my 60" Phillips which is about 2' deep! It is therefore excellent for mounting on a wall, but the wall mount kit does not come with the Tv. There is a set of sockets on the side as well as the back so you can neatly mount it and discretely hide wires.
Weight
Although the Lg 60" is very thin, it is very heavy. It categorically needs two citizen to move it. Two delivery men set it up for me quickly when it arrived. The large plasma screen is wholly protected by a sheet of glass about 1/8" thick. I first put the Tv on a table but after only a few days there was a permanent dip in the middle because it's so heavy.
Viewing Angles
Instead of permanently mounting it on a wall, I decided to use the stand that came with it. I wanted the choice to adjust the angle to view the Tv squarely from two separate positions in my living room: straight in front (from an armchair) and off to one side (from a couch). The range of movement for the stand is minute to about 30 degrees but that was good adequate for me. As you would expect with a plasma, the Lg looks good from any angle. This makes it ideal for a large viewing audience in a bar or at home. It was a big upgrade from my Phillips when finding at it from the side, because the brightness and divergence remain the same instead of dropping much lower.
Glare
Lg thinks its Protective Skin Glass (Tm) is a big deal judging by how big those words are on the cardboard box in which it is packed. The surface is very shiny like glass so there's a lot of glare and reflection if you watch the Tv while the day. The payoff presumably is you don't have to worry about damaging the plasma because it is always behind thick glass like a rare artifact in a museum. But you could buy good curtains to sell out the glare.
Contrast
Lg makes a few separate 60" Tvs with the divergence being contrast. I got this one because it offers more contrast. It costs more but not a lot more. I considered the divergence ratio of 3,000,000:1 but decided to get the 5,000,000:1. However, now I'm not sure if I've categorically seen the benefit of the extra contrast. It may only be noticeable for sure movies or programs.
Color
The saturation of the color is beautiful. I immediately noticed the richness of the reds beyond anything I'd ever previously seen on a television. I didn't observation any color problems nor any tonal defects. Nothing was too dark, too light, or lacking adequate contrast.
Custom Color
You can turn the color temperature quite categorically from the photograph wizard. You move the sliders from 0 to 100. But there aren't the whole of convention color controls for the level of precision you might expect for a high-end plasma Tv.
Picture
There is a huge divergence in screen quality between the separate photograph options (Game, Off, Cinema, etc.), so you should test them all out when you first get it. What looks general on one setting wholly blows out the highlights in an additional one setting. People's skin tone gets categorically bright, unnatural, and weird.
Zoom
There are any photograph ratios: 16:9, Just Scan, Set by Program, 4:3, Zoom and Cinema Zoom. The photograph quality with Zoom of policy is worse but it looked okay for Hdtv programming; any way it is not very good for non-Hdtv shows. Zoom can look great than stretching because at least the proportions of the photograph are more natural, even though all gets cropped.
Unforgiving Quality
You may not observation citizen with bad skin until you get a plasma Tv like the Lg 60Pk950. It is highly unforgiving. Back when plasma was in its infancy, some famous women were reportedly upset with the new technology. Makeup artists had to pick up the slack, but they don't cover everything. The sheer screen size of 60" makes it difficult to miss acne scars, moles, bad shaving, etc. The screen gives them an unflattering sort of 3D look. Closeups can be shocking.
Freeze Frame
When you freeze a frame the good news is it doesn't quickly dim, black out, or start a screensaver like some plasma Tvs. This lets you enjoy the frame as a photograph for a while like it's a gorgeous painting in your living room. But after a few minutes, the Lg will automatically lower the contrast. It's not a huge drop to barely descriptive levels. Thus you need to be careful about pausing to avoid the plasma screen getting burn damage.
Sound
Overall the sound quality is okay, but I didn't find it to be impressive like the picture. The bass could be stronger; even at the maximum setting of 100, I wanted a deeper bass. Some buyers will undoubtedly want to use their own sound ideas with this Tv. Be sure to test separate sound settings from the Options menu when you first get it, especially Clear Voice, which eliminates a lot of background noise. I noticed the correction immediately and made it the permanent setting.
Mute
When you hit the Mute button on the remote, there's a quick oversized descriptive on the Tv to confirm it, which categorically isn't necessary. The Mute message lingers too long, but at least it doesn't keep the word "Mute" on the screen all the time like an old 60" Phillips! When it's on Mute and you hit the remote to lower the volume, it immediately cancels the mute, which isn't ideal when you'd set the volume high, and want to lower it without waking up the neighbors. Mute should be independent of the Volume Up/Down settings. Even when you have it on Mute and turn the photograph setting (e.g., from Cinema to Sport), for some weird reason it also cancels mute. That's a organize flaw.
Intelligent Sensor
I view there must be something wrong with my new Tv when I first got it, because the brightness kept changing every few minutes while I was watching soccer matches at the World Cup. I had started watching the games before reading the entire manual. But before I called Technical Support, I went online and discovered it was the "Intelligent Sensor." I hadn't realized inspiring Sensor was the default setting. This technology adjusts the brightness depending on the light level in the room or what it thinks is the ideal setting. I found this clever idea rather annoying and turned it off. It's a bit jarring and distracting. Lg needs to frame out how to make brightness levels transition moderately so you don't observation the shift.
Power Consumption
The Lg is wise and modern in the whole of options it provides users to sell out energy. Plasma Tvs can use a gigantic whole of energy, but the Lg offers any separate settings, including: Minimum, Medium, Maximum, and Off. You can quickly turn the power level from the remote using the green vigor button at the top left corner. The lower the setting, the less inspiring the picture. Depending on what you are used to seeing, you may be perfectly content with a lower level. It was similar to my old Tv's brightness and divergence levels. But even if you are used to more brightness and contrast, you might find you can get used to a lower setting after a while. One of the best features is it lets you wholly turn off the screen in three seconds, which I find is excellent when I want to listen to music broadcast over cable. It saves the screen and saves energy.
Heat
Although it's thin don't think for a minute it will stay cool. It radiates heat on general settings fairly quickly like a transported heater. I noticed the room temperature divergence in the summer. But you can categorically sell out the heat by lowering the power level as noted above.
Remote
The remote is too cheaply designed for a high-end plasma Tv. It's not the best companion. You would expect more from Lg--an high-priced Tv deserves a high-quality remote. The button positions are not very intuitive and the remote's edges are slightly sharp. It does have a backlighting button, but it shuts off automatically too quickly.
Power Consumption
The Lg is wise and modern in the whole of options it provides users to sell out energy. Plasma Tvs can use a gigantic whole of energy, but the Lg offers any separate settings, including: Minimum, Medium, Maximum, and Off. You can quickly turn the power level from the remote using the green vigor button at the top left corner. The lower the setting, the less inspiring the picture. Depending on what you are used to seeing, you may be perfectly content with a lower level. It was similar to my old Tv's brightness and divergence levels. But even if you are used to more brightness and contrast, you might find you can get used to a lower setting after a while. One of the best features is it lets you wholly turn off the screen in three seconds, which I find is excellent when I want to listen to music broadcast over cable. It saves the screen and saves energy.
Heat
Although it's thin don't think for a minute it will stay cool. It radiates heat on general settings fairly quickly like a transported heater. I noticed the room temperature divergence in the summer. But you can categorically sell out the heat by lowering the power level as noted above.
Remote
The remote is too cheaply designed for a high-end plasma Tv. It's not the best companion. You would expect more from Lg--an high-priced Tv deserves a high-quality remote. The button positions are not very intuitive and the remote's edges are slightly sharp. It does have a backlighting button, but it shuts off automatically too quickly.
Slide Show
There are a few Usb ports for acceptable memory sticks. The ports on the side of the Tv are easiest to use. The photograph quality of the slide show is surprisingly gorgeous. A half-decent photo off a modern digital camera shows up on the plasma screen at the same quality level as Hd programs. The resolution is so high you can categorically read text on clear images. You can adjust the slide show speed to Slow, Medium, or Fast. You can also turn the setting to Full Screen. It lets you start the slide show from any image; just use the arrow keys to scan through the thumbnails and then hit Enter.
YouTube and Picasa
The 60Pk950 lets you watch YouTube videos and see Picasa pictures. Just hit the NetCast button on the remote.
Viewing Distance
First-time large screen Tv buyers should be aware that distance can make a big difference. There are charts online which tell you the best distance for the screen size. I've tested separate distances and observation that a program can be much more absorbing, not to mention great to see, when you're closer to the screen. This is not just because of the distance but also the clarity of the photograph and the degree to which it fills your field of vision. You should categorically think the issue of distance before you permanently mount the plasma on a wall. One chart says 94" (just less than 8') is the optimal distance for a 60" Tv with 1080i. I commonly watch from 12' away and don't feel the need to move closer.
Quirks and problems
Slide show
The photograph load speed is dependent on image size. Smaller file sizes load quickly and larger files slowly. That's fine if all files are about the same size, but not very good when they vary. Each slide should appear at the same speed no matter what file size. When you turn off the slide show and cycle pictures individually, it gives you too much facts (file name, date, dimensions, and size). Users don't want that unless they're on a computer. The file supervision info disappears automatically after a few seconds, but it shouldn't appear in the first place. The default slide show speed setting is Fast; it should be Medium. After you watch a slide show, and turn the Tv off, but then return to the slide show, you see it has saved your place so you can start up right where you left off, but it reset your slide show speed. The pause button on the remote doesn't pause slide shows.
Music format
The Lg lets you play music from your Usb drive just like it lets you view pictures, so I tried to play some of my m4a files that were in my iTunes folder. But it wouldn't accept them. It may only accept mp3 files.
Static line
The top or lowest of the Tv occasionally shows a line of "static." It is similar to what you sometimes see on old Vcr video recordings. I didn't see this on my previous Hdtv, so I assume it's only on the Lg. It's annoying but fortunately it's rare; I've only seen it about once a week. Sometimes it's just a particular commercial; but at other times it's an entire program. When I want to see the program, I'll zoom in to cut off the top edge. It seems Lg didn't crop the top properly, or the video editors of some shows or commercials didn't do complete cropping, and the Plasma isn't forgiving. Either way, it shouldn't be there.
Odd delays
The startup is a minute odd. After you click the remote to turn the power on, you hear a quick click, but then there's a delay of about six seconds before you see anything on the screen. There's also a delay when you try to turn it off; the screen goes blank quickly, but the click comes about ten seconds later. Don't be tempted to click the power button again mental you didn't hit it hard adequate the first time.
Red light
When the Tv is off, a thin red light four inches wide appears at the lowest right of the screen. When you turn it on, that red light disappears, and a thin blue light appears under the town of the Tv. It goes off after a few seconds. I think both lights are unnecessary, as is the indulgent Lg logo that appears under the town of the Tv at the bottom.
Accidental hit
If you accidentally hit the Tv button (top right, just below the light button) while you're set up with a cable box, it blares static noise! Accessories First-time Hdtv buyers should be aware that besides the actual Tv there are associated stock and service upgrades which may be indispensable immediately, or they will soon adequate want to get them.
Hdtv Terminal
A quarterly old cable box that you've had for years that was artificial before Hdtv probably won't be capable of providing Hdtv programming. I had to upgrade to a new box. Call your cable provider to find out what you need and the prices. Some boxes you can rent; others you can buy.
Hdtv Channels
If you didn't already have Hdtv channels with your cable provider, you'll need to order them. They are an added monthly expense. Fortunately a lot more programs are now ready on Hdtv compared to just a few years ago. Viewing non-Hdtv programs on this large plasma is sometimes worse than viewing them on a small old Tv. The photograph looks blurred and it's difficult to watch. Some providers offer a set of Hd channels.
Blu-Ray Player
A quarterly Dvd player won't give the quality of Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray is Hd and the excellent partner for Hdtv. I have a Sony Blu-Ray player and it's phenomenal for watching the famous Bbc nature series.
Hdtv Video Recorder
A quarterly Dvd recorder or Vcr won't look very good on the 60Pk950 even if you article a show that was broadcast in Hd. One choice is a Pvr (Personal Video Recorder) or equivalent; it is a hard drive which records Hd programs in Hd so when you play them back you see them in crystal clear Hd.
Grounding
My Lg wasn't grounded. It's annoying when you get a brand new large high-definition plasma Tv, expecting a excellent optic experience, only to see faint purple bands rising all the time from the lowest to the top of the screen! And the bonus is a background hum. This isn't a defect by Lg. It's a common Tv grounding problem. There are separate ways to solve it. One is to get your cable provider to ground the Tv; an additional one way is to buy a cheap Dayton Vit-1 Isolation Transformer from Parts Express, which reduces the question by 80%. There's an additional one trick to deal with the last 20% of the A/V imperfections.
Box
Lg says you have to keep the huge cardboard box it comes in for the first month in case you need to return it, so make sure you have adequate warehouse space. The box is a lot bigger than the 60" Tv.
Conclusion
The Lg 60Pk950 60" Tv is a very impressive piece of technology. It had the Wow Factor when I first tried it, and I still love the Tv a few months later. The photograph is very sharp and the sound is okay. The remote isn't great and there are occasional annoying issues, but you categorically forget them when you are enjoying a rich optic experience. Sporting events look spectacular and nature programs are stunning. Cartoon graphics are very sharp. Movies are out of this world. Everyone in the family can wholly enjoy the Lg 60Pk950 60" Tv.
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