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Tried&Tested.

A PC input means you can also use the LG as a giant monitor

LG 50PX4D

3,500 (approx) N N www.lge.co.uk N Overall rating ####
Three Scarts, but only one is wired for RGB

Excellent

ith a claimed contrast ratio of 10000:1, full HD Ready specification and a built-in
gradation/greyscaling, and frame rate handling when watching movies. This receives considerable support from Faroudjas DCDi de-interlacing IC for better scaling and smoother contours; PiP facilities; a specific skin tone colour adjustment; and MPEG noise reduction. The 50PX4 pleases when it comes to black level. While real world contrast is limited to 300:1, black levels are deep enough to make dark scenes such as the Black Pearls assault on the fort in Pirates of the Caribbean look threedimensional; scenes are packed with greyscale subtleties and shadow detail. Both high- and standard-definition feeds look sharp and textured. Colours seem vibrant and the set can be calibrated close to the EBU 6500k standard. They suffer only very rarely from PDPs old-school tendency to portray what should be subtle colour gradations as bands. Fizzing noise over motion and dot crawl over darkness are handled well too. I did note that for some reason HD footage can seem a bit flickery at times, and HDMI feeds sometimes look noisy (component often looks better). Also XD Engine II seems to struggle with poor-quality standard-definition
fare, resulting in a muted colour palette and a slightly gritty finish. This LGs sound performance is comparable to its pictures, in that its generally good (thanks to solid bass delivery, plenty of treble detailing and a freedom from harshness and distortion).

Average

LAB REPORT
Colour Black level Contrast Resolution Colour temperature (pre-calibration) (post-calibration) Luminance (pre-calibration) (post-calibration) Contrast ratio (pre-calibration) (post-calibration)
digital tuner, this LG looks cheap as chips at 3,500. Provided its performance doesnt stink, of course LGs thinscreen TVs are consistently glamourous, and here the raised black bevel contrasts beautifully with some sturdy, silver, outer trim. Integrated connectivity is good. The set incorporates both HDMI and component video inputs for digital and analogue HDTV duties respectively; along with a D-Sub PC connector; three Scarts; S-video and composite video support; a conditional access slot for adding Top Up TV to the digital tuner; and various slots for multimedia cards. HD Ready status is confirmed by this LGs 1366 x 768 native resolution and 720p/1080i compatibility. The digital tuner is supported by Freeviews 8-day EPG though sadly you can neither search this by genre, nor set timer events from it. Elsewhere, proceedings are dominated by LGs XD Engine II image processing, designed to boost image clarity, colour saturations/tone, contrast, brightness, colour

Conclusion

With its combination of great looks, bright and accomplished pictures and an impressive roster of features, the 50PX4 is an appealing big-screen plasma package.
9000K 6600K 22fL 23fL 300:1 300:1

SPECIFICATIONS

ITEM SUPPORT DETAILS HD Ready G All the necessary jacks and compatibilities Progressive Scan G Compatible with PAL and NTSC Digital TV Tuner G And analogue Composite video G 1 phono input S-video G 2 inputs Scart G 3 connections (1 RGB-enabled) Component video G 1 input HDMI/DVI G 1 HDMI PC input G 1 D-Sub Headphone Not here Resolution 1366 x 768 Brightness 1000cd/m2 Contrast 10000:1 (claimed) Dimensions 1461(w) x 780(h) x 101(d)mm Weight 45kg Also featuring XD Engine II, 2x15W built-in speakers; picture in picture tools; DCDi by Faroudja; Black stretch; noise reduction; 3:2/2:2 pull down; pic and sound presets; intelligent eye; 8-day EPG; X-Studio card reader; teletext; various anti-screenburn measures; child lock

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CONCLUSION
The worlds ultimate subwoofers!
heres no doubt that when it comes to big-screen panel performance, the best plasmas are
beating their LCD rivals hands down. But how do they compare with each other? The fight is not as close as you might imagine. Propping up our plasma table is Philips 50PF7320. Its difficult to believe that this effort, with its dated pictures, could come from the same stable as Philips imperious new PF9830 LCD screens. Fifth spot goes to the NEC 50XR4G. Even though NEC considers it part of its home range, in too many ways for comfort this panel doesnt feel truly domestic in its features or its performance. In fourth we find the Fujitsu P50XTS40GS though I should say that if youre exclusively after a screen to do HD duties, this model could actually sneak up into third, as its HD performance is stunning. But with SD sources the quality drops off dramatically far more than Id like considering the 4.5k-plus price tag. Joint-second place is taken by LGs 50PX4D, which combines great looks with an appealing all-round performance and very approachable price tag. Its digital tuner puts it on equal footing with its joint second place chum, Pioneers PDP-506FDE. Despite its analogue TV tuner, the sheer performance muscle of the Pioneer panel is enough to blast it into a joint-second place. Taking top slot is Panasonics TX-50PV500. This is an outstanding all-rounder with

DD Digital Drive

True high-end subwoofer performance with full parametric EQ and room set up software. Prices from just 2000
DD18 HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005 DD10 HI-FI NEWS SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005 DD10 EISA SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2004
pictures and sound to die for, exceptional connectivity and a monster feature count; its the only 50in plasma around at the moment which gives the Pioneer 506XDE (reviewed in HCC #123) a real run for its money. Congratulations Panasonic! I

RATINGS

1. PANASONIC TX-50PV500 Picture ##### 2. LG 50PX4D Picture #### Sound #### Features ####
5,000 (approx) Features ####12 OVERALL ####12 3,500 (approx) OVERALL #### 3,500 (approx) Features #### OVERALL #### 4,700 (approx) Features ####12 OVERALL #### 3,900 (approx)
Highs: Superb pictures, excellent sound, sumptuous design, Good feature count Lows: Not much

Sound #####

Velodynes best selling range of subwoofers, now with full remote and auto set up. Prices from just 699

Highs: Great looks, good connectivity and features, good pictures and sound Lows: Noise via HDMI, XD Engine can struggle with weaker sources

2. PIONEER PDP-506FDE

Highs: Great design, decent price, AV performance Lows: No PC connectivity no digital tuner

Picture #####

4. FUJITSU P50XTS40GS Picture #### 5. NEC 50XR4 Picture ###
Highs: Tidy looks, excellent connectivity, impressive HD performance, great sound Lows: Average SD performance, expensive

Sound ####

Highs: Bright images, HD Ready, good sound Lows: Contrast and colour issues, expensive optional speakers, no TV tuner or Scarts
Velodynes entry level range of subwoofers, now with full remote and 4 listening mode presets to complement both music and film. Prices from just 299
CHT-R12 WHAT HI-FI SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005

Features ###

OVERALL ### 3,000 (approx)

6. PHILIPS 50PF7320

Highs: Very cheap, decent sound Lows: Fiddly connectivity, disappointing pictures

Picture ##12

Features ###12

OVERALL ###

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005
For your local dealer, click on "dealer locator" at www.red-line.co.uk

MARCH 2006

Distributed in the UK by Redline T: 3922 E: info@red-line.co.uk www.red-line.co.uk

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Grouptest. Plasma TVs

NEC 50XR4G

4,000 (approx) N 4040 N www.nec.co.uk N Overall rating ###
The lumpy remote is plain, but easy to use
lthough its supposed to be part of NECs residential range, the 50XR4G comes with
Although now part of the Pioneer plasma family, this NEC has little in common with its stablemate screens. Consequently, the 50XR4Gs pictures are largely unreliable. I found the image unusually bright by plasma standards which helps colours look pleasingly vibrant. Bright scenes thus look rich and engaging. The screens fine detailing is impressive as well, doing full justice to the razor-sharp resolution of my assorted HD library. More surprisingly, the screen also suppresses those common plasma/video problems with fizzing over motion and colour striping. The caveat is that while all these strengths help the screen look excellent with animation or PC, moviewatching reveals significant flaws. For instance, the screens black levels turn out to be the weakest in this group test, leaving dark scenes looking relatively greyed over and flat. Colours tend to lose some of their balance during dark scenes, too, as unwanted shades of green slip in,
particularly over peoples skin. I also noticed that although motion is fairly noiseless, it can look jerky. Also worth noting is the fact that the screen seems particularly susceptible to after image. Owners would need to be unusually careful to avoid screen burn (although this should become much less of a problem once youve run the screen in for a 100 hours or so). The optional speakers NEC supplies for the 50XR4G, while preposterously expensive (465, anyone?!), are at least respectable. Dialogue is clean and rounded, the soundstage is wide, and theres plenty of mid-bass.
no built-in TV tuner. The 50XR4G is unashamedly corporate in its design, with the utterly simple silver frame adding precisely zero designer flair to. If youre looking for the wow factor, then youve probably come to the wrong place. Connectivity is basic. This screen lacks Scart sockets, meaning that users can only route such sources in via a suitable adaptor to one of the connections the screen does have, namely: a PC D-Sub jack, component video phono jacks, or RGB/component-capable BNCs,

Conclusion

Provided you can put up with the connection hassles, the 50XR4G is certainly not a bad plasma performer. But by the same token, when put in the context of some of its rivals in this grouptest, its not a particularly appetising one either.
NEC offers a computer-style DVI instead of HDMI

Excellent Average

and a DVI jack. The component input trio can handle analogue high-definition video, while the HD-capable DVI has HDCP and is

LAB REPORT

Colour Black level Contrast Resolution Colour temperature (pre-calibration) (post-calibration) Luminance (pre-calibration) (post-calibration) Contrast ratio (pre-calibration) (post-calibration)

therefore compatible with the next generation of HD sources. Despite its business-like nature, this NEC does at least offer a reasonable degree of image flexibility for video viewers. These include a couple of Theater presets, a cluster of black level boosting measures (needed, as we rate contrast at a puny 110:1), multiple gamma adjustments, a noise reduction system, and some fairly flexible colour fine tuning.
12000K 8700K 20fL 20fL 105:1 110:1
ITEM SUPPORT DETAILS HD Ready G All industry spec targets achieved Progressive Scan G Compatible with 576p and 480p Digital TV Tuner Monitor only Composite video G 2 inputs (1 BNC, 1 phono) S-video G 1 input Scart Zero, zilch, nada Component video G 2 inputs (1 BNC, 1 phono) HDMI/DVI G 1 DVD, HDCP-enabled PC input G D-Sub Headphone Not here Resolution 1365 x 768 Brightness 1000cd/m2 Contrast 3000:1 (claimed) Dimensions 1222(w) x 736(h) x 96(d)mm Weight 45kg Also featuring: picture presets; optional speakers available; noise reduction; gamma adjustment; low-tone adjustment; Set up Level adjustment; colour tuning; Scart inputtable in three different ways; power management; picture in picture tools; multiple aspect ratios; V/H position adjusts; height and width adjustments

SPECIFICATIONS

84 H O M E C I N E M A C H O I C E

6/1/06

11:43 am

Page 91

Tried&Tested.

CONCLUSION

The worlds ultimate subwoofers!
heres no doubt that when it comes to big-screen panel performance, the best plasmas are
beating their LCD rivals hands down. But how do they compare with each other? The fight is not as close as you might imagine. Propping up our plasma table is Philips 50PF7320. Its difficult to believe that this effort, with its dated pictures, could come from the same stable as Philips imperious new PF9830 LCD screens. Fifth spot goes to the NEC 50XR4G. Even though NEC considers it part of its home range, in too many ways for comfort this panel doesnt feel truly domestic in its features or its performance. In fourth we find the Fujitsu P50XTS40GS though I should say that if youre exclusively after a screen to do HD duties, this model could actually sneak up into third, as its HD performance is stunning. But with SD sources the quality drops off dramatically far more than Id like considering the 4.5k-plus price tag. Joint-second place is taken by LGs 50PX4D, which combines great looks with an appealing all-round performance and very approachable price tag. Its digital tuner puts it on equal footing with its joint second place chum, Pioneers PDP-506FDE. Despite its analogue TV tuner, the sheer performance muscle of the Pioneer panel is enough to blast it into a joint-second place. Taking top slot is Panasonics TX-50PV500. This is an outstanding all-rounder with

DD Digital Drive

True high-end subwoofer performance with full parametric EQ and room set up software. Prices from just 2000
DD18 HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005 DD10 HI-FI NEWS SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005 DD10 EISA SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2004
pictures and sound to die for, exceptional connectivity and a monster feature count; its the only 50in plasma around at the moment which gives the Pioneer 506XDE (reviewed in HCC #123) a real run for its money. Congratulations Panasonic! I

RATINGS

1. PANASONIC TX-50PV500 Picture ##### 2. LG 50PX4D Picture #### Sound #### Features ####
5,000 (approx) Features ####12 OVERALL ####12 3,500 (approx) OVERALL #### 3,500 (approx) Features #### OVERALL #### 4,700 (approx) Features ####12 OVERALL #### 3,900 (approx)
Highs: Superb pictures, excellent sound, sumptuous design, Good feature count Lows: Not much

Sound #####

Velodynes best selling range of subwoofers, now with full remote and auto set up. Prices from just 699
Highs: Great looks, good connectivity and features, good pictures and sound Lows: Noise via HDMI, XD Engine can struggle with weaker sources

2. PIONEER PDP-506FDE

Highs: Great design, decent price, AV performance Lows: No PC connectivity no digital tuner

Picture #####

4. FUJITSU P50XTS40GS Picture #### 5. NEC 50XR4 Picture ###
Highs: Tidy looks, excellent connectivity, impressive HD performance, great sound Lows: Average SD performance, expensive

Sound ####

Highs: Bright images, HD Ready, good sound Lows: Contrast and colour issues, expensive optional speakers, no TV tuner or Scarts
Velodynes entry level range of subwoofers, now with full remote and 4 listening mode presets to complement both music and film. Prices from just 299
CHT-R12 WHAT HI-FI SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005

Features ###

OVERALL ### 3,000 (approx)

6. PHILIPS 50PF7320

Highs: Very cheap, decent sound Lows: Fiddly connectivity, disappointing pictures

Picture ##12

Features ###12

OVERALL ###

SUBWOOFER OF THE YEAR 2005
For your local dealer, click on "dealer locator" at www.red-line.co.uk

MARCH 2006

Distributed in the UK by Redline T: 3922 E: info@red-line.co.uk www.red-line.co.uk