Whether have an eye for design or a love of fast-action sports, the 60-inch LG 60PK550 1080p Plasma HDTV handles both adeptly. With its Seamless Design and TruSlim Frame, it has looks to turn heads and its 600Hz refresh rate makes it perfect for fast action. Other features include a mega contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1, stereo speakers with 20 watts of power and Dolby Digital decoding, three HDMI ports, and the capability to play MP3 audio files and JPEG photo slideshows from a USB drive.
Reviews
Great picture good value...but!,
By
W. Raffa "Balsar" (Canyon Lake, CA United States) -
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
We needed to replace a 10 year old 55" first generation rear projection Mitsubishi HDTV in our great room. After researching this purchase for months I was ready to purchase a new Panasonic 65" TC-P65S1 plasma. Then I read Panasonic reviews and blogs regarding black level degradation in less than a thousand hours of use. The problem scared me enough I decided to purchase an LG Plasma instead. Also, since our primary TV is a 50" Pioneer Kuro Elite we didn't feel it necessary to buy another high end model. I first chose the LG 60PK750...however, we don't need wireless internet connectivity so I decided to save some money and buy the 60PK550. Mostly because of the reviews I read here on Amazon.
The TV was delivered by Amazons white glove delivery on the day they promised... as far as the time they originally promised...they were a little late. We give the delivery service Kudos, they did inform during the day that they would be delayed. Upon arrival I examined the TV closely found the display to be perfect and accept delivery of the TV. We've been watching the set for four days...here is the good the bad and the ugly!
The GOOD: My source is a DISH HD receiver, through an HDMI cable. When I first turned on the TV, like other reviews, the picture was just OK. However, after running the setup Wizard and then tweaking all the colors to taste for another 15 minutes the picture and the colors look very nice. Not as good as our Pioneer Elite...but close. When you factor in the price difference we paid for our Pioneer Elite...let me say you will boast about your picture on this LG Plasma. Once the TV is fully burned in, I'm sure the color rendition and picture clarity should satisfy all but the most discerning purists.
The BAD: I was surprised to find that this TV does not automatically detect the broadcast aspect ratio. My Pioneer plasma has this feature. I also have a 25" Hannspree LCD TV that also adjusts the aspect automatically. A TV in this class should have this feature...especially a Plasma that can still have image retention issues if the black side bars aren't adjusted off the screen to another ratio during viewing.
Another bummer is the remote control. It works well enough. Towards the bottom of the remote, there are four colored buttons. They are referenced in the owner's manual as "Programmable". However there isn't any instruction or another mention of those buttons anywhere in the manual.
Now the UGLY: On day two of ownership I noticed two dead or stuck pixels at the top of the screen. They are violet so I don't know what state they are in...except they are always violet. Today is day four and a third pixel died today... about six inches from the other two! I will be talking to Amazon tomorrow. I really like the TV and think with its picture quality it is a very good value for the money. However, my Pioneer plasma is two years old and doesn't have a single dead pixel. This LG plasma TV is now four days old and already I have three dead pixels.
Amazon customer service handled my dead pixel problem in five minutes. Thank God for Amazon, what incredible service. A replacement LG-60PK550 is on the way.
7-18-2010 Replacement LG Plasma arrived two weeks ago, the screen is perfect. Now with over 100 hours on the set, I finally played with the adjustments... WOW I don't think there is a better deal out there when you consider size and picture quality to dollar ratio. The best price I could find on Sony's least expensive 60" LCD TV was $800 more than this LG 60" Plasma. If you need a big bright clear TV with stellar blacks, true bright colors and at all that at over 600Hz, for less than $1,600... look no further, LG has got that TV!
5.0 out of 5 stars PK550 versus Panasonics G25, July 15, 2010
By
Allan "treozen" (Edgewood, WA United States) -
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
Here are my unprofessional opinions and findings: I wasn't able to view the 60-inch PK550 next to the 54 G25, but I was able to view a 50 inch G25 next to a 50 inch Pk550, so it was a good comparison. Both sets were running the same demo blue-ray DVD (from Panasonic, interestingly enough).I don't know all the techno-jargon, but here is my review:
Blacks (1)
No point dancing around it, the G25 was better. There were three scenes that showed this: 1) Black screen with two yellow flowers in the center 2) A night-time shot of London's "Big Ben" where the only non-black on the screen was the clock face and 3) Some sort of 50's style neon sign on a black background. In this case the G25 came out strong - the blacks were like a void of darkness. No hint of gray or anything. It also beat everything around it, not just the LG. In the flowers picture, it might have been too dark - or maybe the flowers were too vivid, not sure which, looked a little "stuck on", or "not real" but hardly a serious complaint.
The 50PK550 did very well though and was at least as good or better than everything around it - except the G25. I walked over to the 60-inch PK550 (the one I eventually bought) and without the G25 sitting next door, the blacks looked awesome with the same demo DVD running.
I'd characterize the difference as certainly noticeable, but not terrible and more a testament to how good the G25 black level is, not really a negative on the LG. As I said, the LG was as good or better than everything else, only the G25 stood out and killed the whole row.
Blacks (2)
Interestingly, the difference in the black level was only noticeable when the scenes were mostly black with some bright picture in the middle. In scenes where there were blacks and shadows but not over the majority of the screen, I saw little difference. An example was a scene with a bunch of jet skis - all the black seats looked the same to me. Same with a scene with a classic car, shadows and blacks looked equal. My guess is under exact testing they wouldn't be, but to my eye in these cases there was no difference.
Color
Both sets seems very good here. There were differences though and I'm not sure if they are good, bad or up to personal preference. First, a scene with a grassy field and a tree in the middle. It looked really good on both TVs but on the G25 it was like "Oh look, a really nice tree and grass" on the PK550 though it was more "Whoa, lovely lawn and where can I get that tree". The basic difference was the LG's image sort of grabbed you more than the G25. The G25 had a great picture, but less eye-catching and a little more muted. The PK550 colors (especially greens) seemed to have a little more self confidence than those on the G25 and the image was better (to me) as a result. Some could argue the G25 was more "correct" - all I can tell you is the LG picture looked more "fun to watch". At this point I noted that the G25 had an edge with mostly black images, but if its a fairly well color mixed scene, the LG seemed to have an advantage, slight perhaps, but there.
Detail / accuracy
I found this the hardest to compare. In some cases I thought the G25 had the advantage, in others, the LG. In most cases I couldn't really detect much difference. The upside of the demo DVD is that the images are the same and they repeat so you can examine the same thing over and over. The down side is that none of the images were images or movies I'd already seen and so it was hard to tell if the images were better, worse, correct, accurate, etc. About all I can say is that if the images were true to the live image, then both TVs were accurate. If they were woefully inaccurate, then both were equally bad . Sometimes I thought the LG was sharper, others the G25. All in all, I didn't see anything to make me give either TV a definitive edge. I was using human eyes here, not fancy gadgets, so your results may vary
Glare
The G25 walked over and pummeled just about every other TV in the store. It took no prisoners, gave no reprieves and laughed at the very idea of mercy. If you ask me, there is no better anti glare set than the G25, at least out of the 40-odd TV's they had in the store. That said, I think the glare issue on the LGPK550 has been over stated. Does it have more glare than the G25?...um...yes. Does it have more glare than other TV's?......sometimes. Is it as bad as I expected?....no, not at all. The store was well lit and the LG was nearest the main bay windows and entry (not exactly the best place for a TV with some possible glare issues....but I don't run the store). The first thing I did was to turn it off. The screen reflected....well It was a pretty good reflection and in a pinch, could be used as an emergency mirror. Turn it on though, and most of the reflections vanished. I could still make out a reflection from the main entry and the bright brand-name signs behind me. I walked down the row of 20 -odd TV's to compare (Samsungs, Sonys, another brand I forget and a Panasonic Vt25). The LG might have been a bit more reflective, but not by much and I'd say the off-state reflectiveness was the same as my current RP set, telling me that a little light control will go along way with the PK550. Remember too that this was in a bright store with a 40-foot window-wall and door about 30 feet away, at a right angle, to the line of TVs (and a bright sunny day too). The 60 LGPK550 was the first TV in line and so closest to the window wall. Bottom line is it does have glare and it's probably more than some other brands but I didn't find it "horrific" even under these bright conditions. My guess is some typical light control (blinds, curtains, etc) will make all the difference and better still if you mostly watch in the evening. I tested my living room first by blocking as much light as possible using conventional methods (blinds, curtains and a towel over the door window) It was significantly darker than the store and so while I haven't set up the LG in my room yet, I have no worries about glare. Overall I didn't see any huge glare differences except when compared to the G25.
Other stuff that may or may not matter to anyone else:
- Online connectivity: Well the G25 wins here because the LGPK550 doesn't have it. So that's pretty much that. For me, the only thing I want to use that requires online connectivity is Netflix and my current Wii or a Roku will fix that.
- Ability to process 1080p/24PFS without 2:3 pulldown: The LG wins here because the G25 can't do it. This gets a little technical for me being a Noob in TV land but from what I think I know, this means the LG wont flicker as much in certain instances and can handle the frame rate without using 2:3 pulldown (and lets be clear, I'm not exactly sure yet what 2:3 pull down is). What I did learn is that it might not even matter - apparently I've been watching 2:3 pulldown all along and some people can't even tell the difference anyway. If you're interested in this techie stuff - awesome, but don't take my word for any of it - I just report what I think I understand - I might have this wrong - All I can really state is that the LG doesn't have to use 2:3 pulldown for 24FPS - whether that actually matters...who knows
THX Mode: I don't think the PK550 has one, so , one up for the G25. That said though, I'm not really sure why it is you cant just calibrate the PK550 to be THX-like, if that's what you want. The PK550 apparently has one of the most complete calibration suites in the price range (according to Video Only) with multiple "modes" to adjust - why couldn't you just configure one of the modes to be THX-ish? I suppose convenience and pre-calibration come into play with a factory THX mode.
Thinner "frame": The LGPK550 has a very thin frame, and its pretty thin in general. In the space I have, I was limited to a 58-inch set due to the general thickness of the frame that surrounds a 58-inch TV. Thanks to LG's somewhat nicer design with thinner frame, I was able to fit a 60-inch set in the same space. For example, the Panasonic VT25 with a 58-inch screen is 56.3 inches wide, the 58S2 is 56.1 inches wide. The LG PK550 with a 60-inch screen is only 54.8 inches wide. Basically more screen, less frame. If your sticking the TV on a wall, this probably doesn't matter. For me though, I have a maximum width that would fit in the space I have - the LG enabled me to go to a bigger screen saving about 2 inches on the frame thickness.
Lastly, a note about the PK750 and PK950. Apparently the 750 has some unresolved "issues" that effect the picture quality and the 950, while having better glare control, also has a reduction on picture quality thanks to the way LG decided to control the glare. This comes from the folks at Video Only - who after seeing both sets, decided not to carry them. Both these sets have more features like online connectivity, etc, but at a price (other than $$$ that is). I can't state for sure thatteh 750 and 950 were not as good, thsi was just the opinion of the store people (though they seemed knowledgeable )
5.0 out of 5 stars Great TV!! Not just an unreal value!, May 4, 2010
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
I researched TV's A LONG TIME. I was between a 58/63 Samsung or Panasonic 65's and then I came across this 60" LG GEM. I really wanted the Panasonic TC-P65S1 but the black level problem did scare me a bit but I was still going to buy that TV until I came across this LG. I could not pass this up for $1500 and $700 (minimum) cheaper than the Panasonic or Samsungs. I found some other reviews on some AVS forums and I pulled the trigger. I was also disappointed that the price dropped 2 days later all the way down to something crazy like $1330 (which even at $1500 is a crazy, insane deal). Just a tip for all you wanting to save more money- I bought $500 Amazon gift cards on eBay using buy it now and bing/mr.rebates cashback (google this if you don't know how it works, it's awesome!) and saved an additional 13% which makes this even more of a steal! I am giving this TV an easy 5 stars but one thing I could see some giving it four. It does have some glare, if you absolutely need a TV without glare you may need to get another model or LED/LCD because this does show quite a bit of glare. I am lucky because I have mine in my basement with no glare issues but if a little light in the back comes on its a pretty intense glare, I could only imagine this in a bright room. But that is IT.... I will keep you updated as I have only had the TV a week and have been THOUROUGHLY impressed! (colors, black levels etc... I haven't tested sound because I have it hooked up to a home theater as most should do anyways) If you are putting this in a basement or dark room, BUY NOW!!!4.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional HDTV, June 15, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
I've had this TV for about a week, and I love it. The 24p (3:3 72hz pulldown) is fantastic with blu-ray on the PS3. It works great as an HTPC monitor, and I haven't noticed any image retention features. I run the pixel orbiter feature on it as insurance against burn-in. The most stand out feature on this set is the incredible depth and vibrancy of color. I have two other 1080p tvs of 42" and 28" and neither comes close to the richness of color of this set. Positives:
It is hard to overstate how thin this TV is, and the bezel is very narrow as well. It has 2 rear HDMI ports and some composite and component inputs, good channel editing menus, and one side HDMI port. The color is superb, and blacks look good. Even on normal TV shows, the colors stand out and pop like something you might see in a magazine ad. The auto scan provides for scanning all channel types so you can get digital and analog antenna and cable channels on the same input instead of having to settle for setting just cable or antenna. I suspect this means you can connect an antenna to your cable line for more channel options. The channel change is fast and reception is good.
Sound is nice and loud considering I can't see the speakers.
Negatives:
Glare is intense on this set. I knew this was a potential problem when I pulled the trigger, but you will be surprised how mirror-like the TV is when dim/dark material is viewed on it. I have heard that the higher LG series no longer have these issues with new glass coatings, but I can't speak from experience. As bad is the glare can be, it can be dealt with so long as: 1.You cannot see an non-curtained window directly in the reflection path and 2.You cannot see a bright light fixture directly in the reflection path or 3.You are watching sufficiently bright content.
The bezel is sharp on the bottom of the tv. It won't cut you, but it will put temporary lines in your palm and fingers owing to the weight pressing down on the narrow edge. To make mounting and moving easier, my lifting buddy and I used some oven mits and they worked great.
Neutral:
A negative for me was that connecting new inputs changes the selection order in the menus. This means I have to reprogram any remote macros to compensate when a new device is attached. OTOH, it makes more sense for people not using macros not to scroll through empty inputs.
The VESA mounting holes are very slightly recessed into the sheet metal on the back of the TV. When mounting, I chose to use some spacers so as not to crush the metal that sticks out. This isn't a con, but it is something to note. Mount kits always include these types of spacers so it isn't really an extra hassle.
The on-bezel capacitance touch controls are fairly stealth which lends the TV a nicer look, but it also makes them kind of hard to see for actual use.
When the screen is dominated by white (like it tends to be when displaying a web page), the brightness will be a bit lower. I am led to believe this is common with plasmas. The brightness of the set is good. I have it set somewhere near the half way mark with power saving features active. It won't blind you like a DLP or high output LCD might, but I actually find it more comfortable and enjoyable and don't have to adjust it like I sometimes would adjust my other sets for changing light conditions.
3.0 out of 5 stars Might be great if you get a good one, August 20, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
I've decided to try to exchange mine. There are two big issues: * It buzzes loud enough to hear at my normal listening position. I haven't read many complaints about this so I assume this isn't normal. UPDATE: Tightening the back screws helped reduce the buzz.
* There's a piece of lint under the glass that is annoying and distracting (see photo I uploaded). Can't really see from normal viewing position, but combined with issue #1, I'm not happy.
Good things:
* Relatively inexpensive for a 60" TV
* Does have some great picture quality, but unfortunately black level doesn't seem to be as good as my older Pioneer 5080HD, but it's still pretty good when the brightness is adjusted down a bit
* Proper viewing/processing of 24P material like Blu-ray movies
Other cons:
* Dirty/cloudy image can be seen when showing large areas of solid colors (especially white/light gray) - Can't see it on typical video though
* Relatively highly reflective screen - so windows or lights in the background could be (and probably WILL BE) a problem
* Questionable quality control
Other:
* My TV was manufactured in Feb 2010, even though I received it in August, 2010
UPDATE on 2010-08-26:
* My replacement came today (thanks Amazon for great service - I highly recommend you buy from them).
* The new set (also manufactured in Feb 2010, even though I ordered in August, 2010) also had buzzing and had screen defects as well, in at least 3 places (I did a white wash to see them). It also made a popping noise while doing the white wash, which concerned me. I did not accept this set.
* I'm going to keep my old set. I later learned (from messages posted on some forums) that I could significantly reduce the buzzing by tightening the screws in the back. Unfortunately the LG tech didn't know about the "screw tightening trick" and just said the buzzing was normal, but when I heard the buzzing while watching TV from my normal viewing position about 12.5 feet away, I decided that amount of buzzing couldn't be normal. I've since reduced the buzzing by tightening the screws. The buzzing is still there, but it's not so bad anymore.
I'm sticking with my 3 star rating because of the quality control issues with this set, the buzzing, and the highly reflective screen, but it can produce some great picture quality.
UPDATE 2010-10-17: I'm considering reducing the rating to two stars because I am still waiting on a screen replacement to fix some issues and the LG tech DOES NOT CALL ME BACK even though I have left multiple messages.
UPDATE 2010-11-11: Lowering to 2 stars. I'm finally told that the part that is needed for my set is "not available". They said they would take the TV back and give me a credit to get another if I fax in my receipt. I have now faxed it in 3 times and have not heard back since the first time I faxed it 3 weeks ago. SO BEWARE!!! YOU BETTER HOPE YOU GET A GOOD SET! Fortunately my set is still operational even if it has screen defects.
UPDATE 2010-11-29: FINALLY! A new screen was installed today. The lint in the screen is GONE! The new screen appears near perfect. I am happy to have this fixed so I am raising my rating back up to 3 stars. If you get a good TV that doesn't have any issues and you don't have to deal with LG warranty service, then I'd give this TV 4 or 5 stars (but beware of things like the glare)... but because I am still concerned about the quality issues and I had to take the time and hassle to get this resolved (many calls and much waiting), I'm sticking with 3 stars. I'd like to note though, that even though it took me so long to get this resolved, the LG contacts were generally polite and friendly. The LG tech that didn't call me back after multiple messages may have been sick for awhile as he said he had some medical issues.
5.0 out of 5 stars 60" LG Plasma, May 4, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
We love this TV,the picture is superb, with the blue ray dvd we purchased with it,the blue ray movies appear 3D. Crystal clear picture,so far after less than a month viewing we can find no faults,hopefully that will last.Our first plasma which replaced a 43" Hitachi rear projection HDTV but what a difference in sharpness and color,watching baseball and hockey makes you feel like you have the best seats in the house. Our only gripe is, in less than 3 weeks,the price with Amazon dropped over $100.00, that wouldn't have bothered us if it was 3 months or so from now but in less than a month,it hurts. Oh well,we still love the TV and would highly recommend the LG 60PK550 Plasma.5.0 out of 5 stars No better TV for the Price, November 22, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
There are pros and cons to both Plasma and LCD. If you know them, and know Plasma is for you, (and you haven't bought into the 3D fad like me), there simply is no better TV than this one for the price. It easily competes with the other major brands (Panasonic & Samsung) top of the line TVs, at a mid range price. The picture is gorgeous, the contrast (black level) is amazing, and I especially like this TV for it's "pop" with color. It definitely seems to give a touch of depth to the image. All in all, well done LG. As for Amazon - excellent customer service, quick response and problem resolution, and they honor their price match guarantee. 5 Stars for Amazon too!
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Deal, September 8, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
This is truly a fine TV and Amazon is a superb company to deal with. I hooked up the TV as soon as I got. After a little fine tuning I was delighted with my Purchase. It came down to this 60 incher or a Panasonic 65. The Panasonic was almost twice the price and I could not justify the expense. Unfortunately for me, the TV stopped working about 3 weeks in. It would just not start. I called Amazon and I had a replacement within a week. I am delighted with both the TV and the company. While I am disappointed about the malfunction, I am realistic enough to know that these things happen in mass manufacturing. I do not hold it against the TV.5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome TV!, September 26, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
I originally bought the 50 inch version of this TV. I liked the picture so much I decided to exchange it for the 60 inch version. This TV is of exceptional build quality. The picture has a lot of pop to it... the colors are extremely vivid but accurate! That is something you don't find on other HD TVs. When I watch Netflix off of my Xbox 360 the TV upconversion is great...SD looks surprisingly good. I'm very happy with this TV and enjoy it incredibly.
1.0 out of 5 stars Flawed 60PK550, February 25, 2011
This review is from: LG 60PK550 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Electronics)
I was initially happy with my purchase but soon after realized that this plasma and the company behind it are flawed. Within 7 days of initial power up the TV began to turn itself off every few minutes. Then the problem progressed to the left 1/3rd of the screen replaced by vertical lines rendering the set unwatchable. Now 4 service calls, 1 "No-Show" appointment and 50 consecutive days out of service one would think that the TV would be replaced by LG but no they tell their customers to pound sand. I'm now told the panel will have to be replaced. I'm certainly not happy to own a new TV that needs this much work. I've overheard one sided phone conversations between the LG engineers and the field service techs indicating that this problem is well known and seemingly widespread. 