LG PQ30 Series HD 720p Plasma HDTV Review

The PQ30 HD 720p plasma HDTV series (50 inch 50PQ30 and 42 inch 42PQ30) offer the detail of HD (720p) along with a high contrast ratio for excellent picture quality, good connectivity options and a well featured audio system. Also notable is the convenience provided by Picture Wizard for simple user calibration. Outwardly, the single-layer design gives a stylish single pane of glass appearance and is highlighted by a variety of colored bezel choices.

LG PQ30 Series HD 720p Plasma HDTV

Distinguishing features of the PQ30 models in comparison to other LG series plasma HDTVs can be summarized as below. For a side-by-side comparison see our LG plasma HDTV comparison.

720p HD Resolution
3 HDMI V.1.3

If you are unsure if 720p resolution will suit your requirements read our comparison of 720p vs 1080p.

LG Plasma HDTV Common Features

600Hz Sub Field Driving Max
2,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
Image Sticking Minimization
Dual XD Engine
ISFccc Ready
AV Mode II (Cinema, Sports, Game)
LG SimpLink Connectivity
100,000 Hour Panel Life (typ.)
NTSC/ATSC Tuners with Clear QAM

AUDIO

Output Power: 10W x 2
Invisible Speaker System
Clear Voice II
SRS TruSurround XT
Auto Volume Leveler
Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder

SMART ENERGY SAVINGS

Intelligent Sensor Mode
Video Mute
ENERGY STAR 3.0 Rated

CONNECTIVITY

2 HD Component Video Inputs (rear)
2 Composite Inputs (1 rear/1 side)
1 S-Video Input (rear)
PC Connectivity (D-sub 15pin)
RF Antenna input

600Hz Smooth Motion

LG, Panasonic and Samsung all have a 600Hz plasma panel technology. It should be noted that plasma displays inherently have a response time in order of thousands of times faster than LCD HDTVs delivering much sharper fast onscreen motion common to sports and action movies. LG and the other manufacturers have made something already good even better with their faster pixel response 600Hz Subfield Motion technology.

USB 2.0

Convenient access to digital photos, music and videos (JPEG/MP3/Divx HD)

Smart Energy Saving

To achieve energy savings a tuning loop including a light sensor automatically optimizes the picture to the lighting conditions in the viewing environment.

AV Mode II

Three AV modes are available to optimize picture and sound settings based on video content genre; cinema, sports and game. For the 2009 LG range, the Cinema Mode has been calibrated using ISFccc standards for a more natural, film-like appearance.

ISFccc Ready

ISFccc (Imaging Science Foundation Certified Calibration Configuration) calibration options allows professional calibration technicians to calibrate a HDTV to deliver the best picture quality for the home theater environment and ambient lighting conditions. Technicians can store their calibration settings as ISF Day and ISF Night modes, for best image quality in different lighting conditions.

Clear Voice II

Clear Voice technology automatically enhances dialogue when rising background sounds (eg. action films) threatens to overwhelm clarity. New enhancements now allow viewers to customize their personal preferences based on their home environment through a 12-step adjustment process.

Picture Wizard

Picture Wizard in and interesting new LG technology enabling easier owner calibration using on-screen reference points for key picture quality elements such as black level, color, tint, sharpness and backlight levels. It’s a technique common to calibration DVDs available.