LG 50PA6500 and LG 60PA6500 Plasmas - Page 13

I'm testing alot of games out now with different picture mode settings, to see if it gets less or completely gone (sadly none of that) if anything it gets worse. When i enable energy saving, the green 'blobs,slime,etc' gets even worse and even clearer to see. If i lower the brightness it actually gets more worse.

I called the store and explained it to them, they told me that's not how a tv should work and they will send someone over soon to check on this. They can't just come pick it up and give me another, since its such a huge tv, they want to make sure it really is faulty. I'll just show them Skyrim, and other games and there's no denying it.

Thanks guys. I'll give it a shot tonight.

I went and viewed the 60PA6500 at BB today...
It seemed to have a TON of motion blur and pixelation in the back ground on scenes that had lots of small motion objects in the background. It was significant and more noticeable than any other set they had on the walls in the 55-60 sections.

I changed it to expert 1 and tweaked the settings a little bit and made sure energy saver was off. None of it really seemed to make a difference.
Edited by gmanvbva - 7/17/12 at 11:50am

how many times was the signal split? the 50PA6500 i saw at HH G looked awful. Signal had been split 30+ times. Gorgeous in my living room and on my wallet though. Plus - are you going to watch the device at 1 foot when you get it home?

Bring your own source (how about a USB stick with hi res photos and 1080p AVI?), move back 6+ feet, and then let us know.

I stood back 8-12 feet. The same source (DTV Feed) was being used on all TV's. It was easily the worse of the 15-20 55"+ TV's they had on the wall (with regards to the motion blur/background pixelation).
I was contemplating bringing in a Thumb drive with a video on it or even my 11" notebook w/ HDMI out.

I may go check it out at Crutchfield as well. The LG 55LM7600 really impressed me as well. But it's another $500+ and then I'm in the Panasonic ST50 price range... I can get the 60PA6500 for $898...

I understand. I see artifacts on my set, but i haven't tried it with a true 1080p source yet (i think there are interpolation issues with my cable box).

My Blu-Rays are still in a box.
Also, the settings from the Most Helpful Amazon reviewer on the 50" make a world of difference.

My biggest concern is live sports (NFL) where this motion blur/ background pixelation would be a regular occurrence since there are a large number of moving objects in the "background".

I don't see a ton of complaints about it in reading reviews/forums... but there are some. I really felt like the issue likely had more to do with the signal/source and/or settings but it made me hesitate and think twice about purchasing it since this would be an absolute show stopper for me.

I have this tv and I have thrown everything at it. I haven't experienced any motion blur or background pixelation. I have watched soccer, basketball, watched tons of movies, played games, and of course normal tv through directv.

Well this is always a tough situation. If you read the forums or reviews enough, every TV on the market has numerous significant issues. My TV progression this year was LG PDP -> two Panasonic PDPs -> Samsung 60 Hz LED Smart TV -> Samsung 120 Hz LED Smart TV... And finally back to the cheap LG PDP. I ended up with the LG again simply because every TV I tried had issues, and I was just spending more money with each TV to get a different set of issues. I found the LG was "pretty darn good" in almost every area and cheap enough that I am not going to freak out about it.

Personally I don't see a problem with the LG motion handling, but people are susceptible to noticing different things. I suspect you can find a TV with better motion handling, however how much extra are you willing to pay and what other downsides might that come with?

First timer on this board. I just purchased the 50PA6500, at the time of this post I am about 60 hrs into the break in period. I researched the board and based on what I had found these are the setting I am currently using:

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Plus have already zoomed out the screen (using the setting on my cable box)
Energy Saving: Off
Picture Mode: Expert 1
Contrast: 60
Brightness:55
H. Sharp: 22
V. Sharp: 22
Color: 47
Tint: R4

Expert control

Dynamic Contrast: Off
Noise Reduction: Off
Gamma: Medium
Black Level: Low
Color Gamut: Standard
Edge Enhancement: Off
Color Temp: Medium
Method: 2 Point
Pattern: Outer
Points: High
Red: 14
Green: -12
Blue: -10

COLOR MANAGEMENT: "0"

My Questions:

- Are the levels that I have them on (60/55) is acceptable during the break in period.?
- Is there a way of zooming the screen directly using the TV through the HDMI connection (i was able to do this using the standard coax connection)?

Major drawback is when I watch a Yankee game i never know what the score is since it cut off in the top part of the screen (or any sporting event that uses a tiny scoreboard in the corners)

Thanks!

Did you try setting it to Just Scan (adjust the aspect ratio)?

Ill try that when I get home, since im still in the brak in period I want to avoid any of the black bars on the screen.

i just checked the site again and it said that it was updated YESTERDAY 7/16. http://www.lg.com/us/support-product/lg-50PA6500#
Has anyone tested this?

I JUST BRICKED MY TV.
STAY AWAY FROM UPDATE

Probably wasn't a good sign that when they "updated" the firmware on the 16th, it was the exact same file they had up there before.

How bricked is your TV? Does it power on? Can you get back to the firmware updater and try again?

Great information here and thanks to all you guys as I am trying to make a purchase decision right now... I want to make a few points before I settle down and give the LG any due it may deserve...:

1. BRIGHTNESS - I just read this ENTIRE thread, and I dont see one complaint about overall screen power/general brightness/whatever you call it. I went to Sams tonight with the intention of purchasing the LG 60PA5500 for $898.00. The first thing I noticed was that this screen was the dimmest on the rack, and sitting amongst LCDs and plasmas alike. It just seemed dark. I breifly tried to tweak it a bit, but too complex and too many settings. I did manage to turn up the color, brightness, and "sharpness" and basically - IT SEEMED TO MAKE LITTLE DIFFERENCE.!?!? I finally got the autoadjust feature turned off and still nothing. So I dont know. But I can tell you that if I had just got it home, I would be sitting around with a dark looking TV and little means to resolve it easily. And I noted the Panasonic 55" UT series (I think it was about 1100$) and it was just as bright as any LCD or Plasma out there... So it was not an LCCD vs. Plasma brightness issue... So whats the deal, has nobody noticed this as an issue?!?

NOTE: I am the first on board the paranoid conspiracy train and suspect of signal tweaking by retailers and customizing settings on TV to make more or less appealing for sale. I am pretty sure this SAMS could give a **** about that, and that all TVs were receiving the same signal.. I would rate the quality and power of the signal the sets were given as pretty solid overall.

2. I noticed some kind of distortion on a horizontal bar of display that was associated with a brief Box put on the screen in the programming. It was like the top Border line of the visual box was blurred, spread, or distorted. I quickly looked at adjacent sets and they did not have it. I was standing close enough to touch the buttons. I kinda let that slide and kept watching and really did not have many complaints otherwise. I may have seen some ghosting of the people in the content of the programming. They were the larger ones that would be the same as watching characters in any show displaying a character to character dialogue, or as intended to primarily consume a good portion of the screen. But kept watching and could not really incriminate on that.

3. The Glare on the screen is freakin off the charts. I had read there were some reflective issues in well lit rooms. There would be no doubt. Anytime the tv was showing a dark screen, I could see the sams banner over the service desk (50' behind me) clearly reflected. I wish I had payed more attention to that aspect on my 2007 Panisonic 50KU 50" models that I just trashed in a borderline divorce my wife Freakout last weekend.. LOL I am sure they did it too, and I probably saw it in dim light in the living room on those, but just never cared as I was just buying them on a friends advise. So I am certain they had their problems.

This is really the three big points. They did not have the remote stuck to the back of this one like the other TVs, so I could not review it. The TV looks sleek and attractive, its very thin with nice slim border trims (very thin), and the picture is overall good. There did not appear to be any heat issues what so ever and was cool to the touch. the energy star rating posted on the set was something like 27$ /year. Good if true on normal modes. And belive me I am used to a Panasonic that would give you a SUNBURN if you made the mistake of getting your face to close on a walkby.. LOL

There is no question the TV merits some review and I am glad I found this thread. But also you gotta admit that for a 60" TV, 900 bucks is a hell of a price. This is REALLY what matters. You have to ask yourself, if someone gave it to you as a present and you just came home to find it mounted on the wall one day - would you complain? The answer is no. It shows TV programs on a really large screen and it does it pretty good. Then again they all do, and we dont want to fork out a dime for this set if the bottom is falling out of the market in lieu of the 3D parade currently apparently ensuing.

Negs:
1. A little bumed about no CAT 5 connect at all. Could the Vizio internet box for 100 buck even be hooked up? Perhaps through the USB I am thinking. At the Vizio site the say all you need is an HD display to run it. But not sure and did not spend too much time looking at that device (with regard to a Vizio 3d LCD I am also testing now).
2. Obviously no smart TV. This feature is underrated as I can tell you I do not like having a freaking desktop running 24/7 just to surf....
3. No 3D option should the desire strike. 60" is a crapload of TV screen to let go to waste...! I really wonder could firmware modifications be uploaded or made to circumvent lack of things like 3D as future options for this set.?

Other than that its a pretty nice TV for 900 bucks.. It would have been 2500-3K back in 2007 when I got my pani 50's...

My big Questions are this:
1. Brightness - Is that all its got? Is no one else noticing this?
2. A potential perk - I read somewhere that the USB could be used for PVR purpose? Is it possible that this set has built-in PVR function that all you have to do is hook up an external drive? I think I read it would play several video formats. Do you think I could hook up my HHD with my Movies I have backed up and just play them without my HTPC.??

Anyone please?

PS, and just one more note: It really kinda bugs me that LG doesnt seem to publish much infor on this TV at their site. Its a joke to select these models and hit the COMPARE button, cuase they have provided nothing but blank boxes.. They dont even officially publish the runing Watt usage and says "TBD". Really? You cant tell me how much power your set uses!!!?!?! I emailed them this AM an got NO REPSONSE... But what kind of business is this?
Edited by bbc3 - 7/18/12 at 10:39pm

1) Absolutely. Also you can hook up a Roku or a WD TV Live, or other media player/streamer. Like so:

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B005KOZNBW

http://www.amazon.com/Roku-XD-Streaming-Player-1080p/dp/B005CLPP8E

2) After having a couple of Smart TVs and using some friends, it isn't that special. The apps are generally poor, and *all* of the TV web browsers are pretty dreadful. The specialized devices (see #1) typically work better, support more media, and get updated more often (and for longer periods of time). Also in a few years, your "Smart TV" will very likely be a "TV running old software you no longer want", then you are just stuck with it.

3) Don't count on getting 3D added later through any means.

1) Brightness in a store and brightness in a house are tough to compare. Most of the store TVs are specially set in "torch mode" to catch people's attention. Just because they *can* get that bright, doesn't mean the LG can't get bright enough in a normal room. Torch mode usually is horrible for quality and in home viewing. But hey it looks good in the store, so TVs default to it for store demo... Very few owners complain about the brightness levels once they get the TVs home.

2) Yes you can, however it depends on the format. For this, you might also find it easier to just stream over your home network using a media player (see #1 again). My friend has a 2TB drive hooked up to a WD TV Live, it has a freaking ton of media on it, it all plays great without any media format issues. He replaced a HTPC with the WD TV Live he bought for like $75 on sale.

All of the TV manufacturers have bad web sites.

thanks for the reply. VERY Succinct and you hit all my questions. much appreciated...!

Right before I came back over here I had upsold myself in my mind to the ST55 panisonic noting the broser and "Skype while you watch". So I was thinking they are saying you could video call in the corner of the screen while watching... But your point about outdated firmware is a good potential problem and you make a good point about the option you get with third party devices... I am with you on this and agree, although I do suspect some of the better companies can easily keep this stuff up to date with the seemingly more active firmware updating going on... Still I hear ya and did not realize how good these media options can be as home options.

Still, i have been reading more about the panasonic infinite black screens which are the st models and up this year. and ITS SOME PRETTY SOLID MOJO...!.. On the other hand, I have always preached the eye doesnt need a damn bit more than 480 to satiate. And 720P IS 1080i, and more than one can differentiate. Clearly thats still a discount of reality to some degree, but the point being Im not hell bent on stats, but real world application. And i am still not so sure the NEW pani's are not going to be noteworthy in difference VISIBLE. I dont think anyone is complaining of the issues we are splitting here on this LG. Still the LG price is Solid for the getting...

Lastly, BRIGHTNESS, I do not want to escape this conversation. I was in a SAMS where they can give a squat. The TVs were not tweaked. In fact they were so lazy about the set up, I dont think any other button than the ON/OFF has been pressed LOL. The TV was in line with its peers and alike. It looked like someone pulled half the power out compared to 10 other screens 47 " and higher all the way to 70". Strangely, one other was dim and it was an LCD. It may have been the Vizio new 3d model I think I recall. So go figure. The funny part is that historically I just set my TVs down way low anyway for ease on the eyes at night. They had no auto adjust and they were those damn 700 watt Panisonic Microwave griddles... LOL So truthfuly, i would have it set low regardless. But when you go to a store and get to open up the control menu and hit the brightness button up to 100% (from 50%) and see no change on the screen - it kinda gets you wondering....?

Anyone else on this brightness issue???

To be clear, I have (2) large screens to replace. I have already bought a Vizio 3D LED LCD 55 for the front room. I am on the edge of my seat looking for a reason to return it, but still cant pull the trigger on taking it back. Its just not that damn important the performance. Its the principle of PRICE and a Successful hunt for me I think. I like the low heat output. And I understand this one is high for LED lcds at 120 watts (unconfirmed by me).

I am going out on a limb here. But something about this house drains the **** out of me. I was in Houston for 1 year with no big tvs and it was like someone removed a sedative from my drink. I CANT HELP BUT WONDER IF THE PLASMA TECHNOLOGY of recent past, or even current is not having an averse health issue. I KNOW. Its retarded. BUT I HAVE TO WONDER... I hesitate to put plasma back in the house for this reason. I can also say that having the vizio LED LCD going in the front room right now just does NOT have/ Is lacking an undescribable annoying effect that the Pani plasma had.. I sit here looking at this LCD and its like, hey look theres a show on big deal NO STRAIN, NO PAIN, No concern one way or the other. Its just more like a picture hanging on the wall that has movement, rather than an electronic device interluding.. Thats the best way I can put it... I really hesitate on plasma again for this reason... It just would not suprise me if they dont come along one day and say that plasma was putting out some unrecognized frequncy emission during this period of time that was just exuding illness. Sorry..
Edited by bbc3 - 7/19/12 at 12:32am

In most picture modes, the APS feature is on by default and can severely limit the brightness of the screen. Were you sure you had this turned off?

In addition, there is a Vivid picture mode that would probably put it on par with settings the other tvs had in the store.

Yes, did get it off when tweaking. And I did tweak up the brightness from the baseline preset Vivd mode. What impressed me was that the picture did NOT seem to get brighter when moving from 50-100 on the brightness setting...?

Tell you what. I will go back today and snap a photo of all the TVs at the Sams club running side by side to expound...

After reading all of the positive reviews, I went to check out the LG 60PA6550 at my local Sam’s Club (Mt. Olive, New Jersey) when it was $949. It was exactly the same as you describe, this was the ONLY screen that looked DARK – it was just plain TERRIBLE !! My wife looked at me and said "This is the TV we borrowed a van and drove here for ?"

By coincidence the remote was near the TV so I tried to tweak it and I couldn't get it to go brighter and I couldn't really get it to correctly display "whites". So I told my wife that all of the reviews couldn’t be that wrong, so we took a chance and bought it.

We are still in the break-in period so we have the Contrast & Brightness both at “55” and let me tell you this display looks great !! In fact I don’t think I will have to change any settings after the break-in period is over !! We have it mounted on the wall in our bedroom so the majority of our TV watching has been at night, but we just love the colors and it has been great for watching movies and action sports in HD and Standard Def. The sound has also been much better than I was expecting so I have put off buying a sound bar for now !

So I know exactly how you feel after viewing this display in a Sam’s Club – I can only guess that extended use of the Vivid Torch Mode in the store is somehow causing problems . I took a chance and so far it’s been great. If it continues to perform this way for a few years I will be very happy !

As a comparison I have a 50” Panasonic Plasma that’s about 5 years old and I just got a 40” Samsung LED for the kitchen (also from Sam’s)
Edited by beski - 7/19/12 at 11:13am

I just killed a couple of those panis like you have - the 700 watt models!?!? How does the heat comming off the LG stack up?

On one last. I just cant help but suspect Sams has the signal or brightness somehow turned down in the store to that particular TV. The seem ignorant but you have to wonder what corporate has in the natty setup plan. It would seem like they could not sell another TV in there if it presented as similar to customers... LOL I am thinking of just going to get it and returning if I dont like. The 90 day return and all. And I dont feel bad either. The industry needs to clarify what they are marketing - so the hell with them...


I fugure as long as I can get the internet / pVR devices in through the USB, I could care less about the other stuff... And its for my master bedroom too, so light smight... LOL The price is just irresistable...

Further, Panisonic talks a lot of smack with their 2500FFD etc.. but if I cant see the diff then who cares... REALLY. Another thing, I thing I would be pretty pissed off right now if I had purchased a pani st30 and now the come along and act like its obsolete.. I count not deal with that. Which is why I am getting ready to treat this purchase like I do my video cards. I WOULD BE INSANE TO BUY A NEW SET AT THOSE PRICES...! And I am not gonna but an older one from a company so quick to set aside their older technology. Period..

Edited by bbc3 - 7/19/12 at 1:34pm

65hrs in, and about 12 days in, my 50" bit the dust.

Came out from the kitchen to to find my TV turned off (receiver and cable box still running) and no red light to indicate that there was power running into the TV. Here are the chain of events:

- Unplugged the cord in the back, plugged it back in
- Smoke started to emanate from the top right part of the TV
- Immediately unplugged the cord and started cursing
- Waited a good hr for it to cool down (working on a new bookcase so that helped kill some of the time)
- Plugged the cord back in, turned the TV on and now the screen is completely burned out

I'm in the process of contacting LG and I will keep you guys posted. In addition to the standard LG warranty I did purchase a 5yr Square Trade (both online from the same place).

Just curious, has anyone experience this in general, for me this is the first this has ever happened.

UPDATE: 7/20: LG is having a technician come to my apt on 7/24 (in the afternoon)
Edited by originalNYstyle - 7/20/12 at 8:53am

never experienced this ever. where did you buy it from? your probably still with-in your return period. i would just get it replaced from them instead of having to deal with LG

I bought it online from tigerdirect, ordered items from there before and never had an issue. I updated my post and will wait and see. I figured the amount of time it would take to send back the TV for an exchange would be equivalent to having someone from LG come in and look at it. Once that happens I will wigh my options.

Now i'm back to my 5-6yr old Westinghouse 32" LCD screen, luckily I didn't trash it!

whats the general consensus on the 60PA6500.. is this a low tier tv.. its pretty cheap for a 60" which scares me...

I have a decent 50" samsung plasma and almost think it would be better then this 2yrs newer LG 60"

hows the IR on this set? people say its a darker television overall? grey blacks?


stay away from the 60PA6500 or take the plunge?

After playing around with the picture settings, I actually like KAB53's settings better than the Amazon reviewer's settings. I just made a few changes (slightly higher sharpness and slightly lower brightness). The kids watched The Muppets on Bluray last night and the picture blew me away. I'm more than happy with this purchase. Thanks for all the info guys. I'm gonna hit up Redbox and the liquor store after work and just kick back.

General consensus seems positive, and not just because they are cheap. Check reviews at Amazon, HHGregg, and Best Buy if you want 100+ pieces of owner feedback. After I got the 50 inch, a friend of mine went out and bought the 60 inch at Best Buy for $1099. He is pretty pick and hasn't said a single bad thing about the TV or the price he paid.

Blacks aren't as good as a more expensive Panasonic, but then again you don't have people in this thread really complaining about banding, IR, or line bleed in this thread either.

Just bought the 60" from Costco last night for $899, been shopping for 2 weeks and heard about this deal, couldn't pass it up.

The TV is awesome, picture quality is stunning. I'm watching the Mets right now, its as if they are playing in my living room. All i can say is, wow. I was watching motorcycle road racing earlier today, did not notice any motion blur. So far, no faults at all.

I used the settings from a few of the folks here, thank you, picture is great.

Also been running in orbital mode, seems like every station these days has a logo, so just trying to avoid IR.

One thing, is it ok to run the screen wash for hours as part of the break in? I was thinking of running it over night for a few days just to get some hours on the TV.

PS. My previous TV was a Panasonic 47" rear projection, so this is a nice step up. That Panny had some serous glare, screen was like a mirror. This LG isn't far behind, but I'm used to it from the Panny and I can control the lighting. But if you live in a house on the beach with windows on all four walls, glare could be a problem.

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