July 2006
First look: LG plasma set has built-in DVR
The LG 50PC1DR is a 50-inch high-definition plasma TV with a built-in digital video recorder and a CableCard slot, one of
several such models in LG's line. It's the only brand of TV we've seen with both CableCard and DVR functionality. The DVR's
160-gigabyte hard drive can record about 15 hours of high-definition programming or 66 hours of standard-definition content.
As with all DVRs, you can pause and time-slip live TV, and TV Guide Online enables you to schedule recordings. The 50PC1DR
is priced at $4,000. Here's our take based on preliminary testing:
Pros
Impressive picture quality. The LG gets the most important things right. Like most plasma sets of this size, it has 1366x768 native resolution, and it did well displaying the fine detail in an HD signal. Colors were accurate and black was reasonably deep, though plasma TVs in general still don't match the deepest blacks of the best picture-tube sets. However, this TV did very well at reproducing shades of gray, from light to dark. That can be a challenge, especially when a scene includes both bright and dark areas.
Integration means less hardware. The ideal TV setup is sleek and clutter-free, especially for wall-mounting. The LG makes that possible. Its CableCard slot enables you to get digital cable, including HD, without using a box. That's not unique; any digital-cable-ready TV allows that. (Keep in mind that a CableCard lacks some of the features a cable box provides, such as an interactive program guide.) The built-in DVR eliminates the need for an external recorder. You'll have fewer boxes, cables, and remote controls, and setup will be easier.
Easy operation. Recording and playback from the DVR were easy, requiring just a few button presses on the remote control, which governs both the TV and DVR functions.
Ample inputs. Connections include one HDMI input, one DVI/HDMI input, and two component-video inputs, plus conveniently located side-mounted jacks (S-video and composite-video). You can use the display as a computer monitor via the HDMI or component-video input.
Cons
Minor picture flaws. Our expert viewers detected some issues with the picture quality, in both live and recorded content. Slight graininess was visible at times, and images were slightly softer than on the best HD displays. Some banding was visible on images that showed subtle, varying shades of brightness, such as a sky scene--not unusual for a plasma TV. This TV has some picture modes labeled as XD that we've found are better left turned off. Otherwise, some black compression will occur, obscuring detail in the darkest areas of an image.
No backlight on the remote. The remote control is not backlit, so it maybe difficult to use in a dark room.
Slight flicker. Unlike most other plasma TVs, the LG does not present 1080i HD video (which is interlaced) as progressive content. As a result, you might see a subtle flickering effect on the top and bottom edges of detailed images such as horizontal window blinds. This effect becomes more noticeable when using such a display as a computer monitor, where highly detailed image content is more common.
Bottom line
If you want to wall-mount a big plasma TV and plan to use a DVR, look no further. With the LG 50PC1DR, you'll have no boxes to contend with and fewer cables connecting devices. Picture quality is better than average though not the best we've seen. You could get a slightly better picture at slightly lower cost with the 50-inch Panasonic plasma we tested recently, the TH-50PX60U, $3,500. However, the Panasonic has no DVR and no CableCard slot, so you'd have to use a cable box with built-in DVR (for which you pay a monthly fee) or rent a cable box and buy a separate DVR, meaning more boxes, remotes, and connections.
Pros
Impressive picture quality. The LG gets the most important things right. Like most plasma sets of this size, it has 1366x768 native resolution, and it did well displaying the fine detail in an HD signal. Colors were accurate and black was reasonably deep, though plasma TVs in general still don't match the deepest blacks of the best picture-tube sets. However, this TV did very well at reproducing shades of gray, from light to dark. That can be a challenge, especially when a scene includes both bright and dark areas.
Integration means less hardware. The ideal TV setup is sleek and clutter-free, especially for wall-mounting. The LG makes that possible. Its CableCard slot enables you to get digital cable, including HD, without using a box. That's not unique; any digital-cable-ready TV allows that. (Keep in mind that a CableCard lacks some of the features a cable box provides, such as an interactive program guide.) The built-in DVR eliminates the need for an external recorder. You'll have fewer boxes, cables, and remote controls, and setup will be easier.
Easy operation. Recording and playback from the DVR were easy, requiring just a few button presses on the remote control, which governs both the TV and DVR functions.
Ample inputs. Connections include one HDMI input, one DVI/HDMI input, and two component-video inputs, plus conveniently located side-mounted jacks (S-video and composite-video). You can use the display as a computer monitor via the HDMI or component-video input.
Cons
Minor picture flaws. Our expert viewers detected some issues with the picture quality, in both live and recorded content. Slight graininess was visible at times, and images were slightly softer than on the best HD displays. Some banding was visible on images that showed subtle, varying shades of brightness, such as a sky scene--not unusual for a plasma TV. This TV has some picture modes labeled as XD that we've found are better left turned off. Otherwise, some black compression will occur, obscuring detail in the darkest areas of an image.
No backlight on the remote. The remote control is not backlit, so it maybe difficult to use in a dark room.
Slight flicker. Unlike most other plasma TVs, the LG does not present 1080i HD video (which is interlaced) as progressive content. As a result, you might see a subtle flickering effect on the top and bottom edges of detailed images such as horizontal window blinds. This effect becomes more noticeable when using such a display as a computer monitor, where highly detailed image content is more common.
Bottom line
If you want to wall-mount a big plasma TV and plan to use a DVR, look no further. With the LG 50PC1DR, you'll have no boxes to contend with and fewer cables connecting devices. Picture quality is better than average though not the best we've seen. You could get a slightly better picture at slightly lower cost with the 50-inch Panasonic plasma we tested recently, the TH-50PX60U, $3,500. However, the Panasonic has no DVR and no CableCard slot, so you'd have to use a cable box with built-in DVR (for which you pay a monthly fee) or rent a cable box and buy a separate DVR, meaning more boxes, remotes, and connections.
