LG 47LX6500

Value Comparison

The Panasonic TC-P50VT20 is a very good plasma TV, and it’s 3D performance has thus far been the most immersive of any we’ve seen in the first-generation models. However, it’s dim screen puts a damper on everyday viewing, and when the 3D glasses are on, it’s downright difficult to see details. The LG 47LX6500 is a little more expensive, but it’s a very good TV in its own right, and much brighter. The LG can’t beat the Panasonic for black levels, but in most other regards, it’s a match.

Core Attributes Comparison
	LG 47LX6500	Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20
Size	47 in.	50 in.
General Type	LED	Plasma
Format	1080p	1080p

Blacks & Whites

The Panasonic TC-P50VT20 had an amazingly low black level that easily outstripped the three LCD televisions in the chart below. However, peak brightness was quite poor (and even worse in 3D mode), making for a weak contrast ratio. It’s still better than the LG 47LX6500, which had no problem with the whites, but had very poor black levels.

Color Accuracy

In the color temperature consistency tests, the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 took a nose dive at the darkest end of the signal. For the RGB color curve test, we preferred the smooth color transitions of the LG 47LX6500. The Panasonic’s transitions were much shakier, so you can expect to see more instances of color banding.

Color Temperature Comparison
LG 47LX6500 (Score: 9.68)
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20 (Score: 7.81)

RGB Comparison
LG 47LX6500 (Score: 8.45)
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20 (Score: 7.7)

Motion

The motion performance on the plasma Panasonic TC-P50TV20 showed a slight advantage over the three LCD TVs we compared it against. It’s generally one of the advantages that plasmas have.

Motion Scores
	LG 47LX6500	Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20
Motion Score

Viewing Effects

The other big advantage of plasma displays is a wide viewing angle. LCDs can’t even come close, as you can see from the chart below.

Viewing Angle Comparison
LG 47LX6500: 3.78	Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20: 12.67

Connectivity

The LG 47LX6500 and Panasonic TC-P50VT20 have different arrangements and options for ports, and neither is distinctly better than the other. The LG has one more component AV, but the Panasonic has one more composite AV, as well as a media card slot.

Connectivity Comparison
	LG 47LX6500	Sony KDL-46HX800	Samsung UN46C8000	Panasonic TC-P50VT20
HDMI	4	4	4	4
Component	3	2	1	2
Composite	1	1	1	2
S-Video	0	0	0	0
VGA	1	1	1	1
Analog Audio In	5	1	1	4
Digital Audio Out	1	1	1	1
Analog Audio Out	1	1	1	0
Ethernet	None	None	None	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Memory Card Types	None	None	None	SD/SDHC/SDXC/SDXC
DLNA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Other Comparisons

The Panasonic vastly outperforms the LG 47LX6500 in its 3D performance. The Panasonic definitely had some brightness issues, but you can clear that up with some menu adjustments. The LG 47LX6500 is simply riddled with cross-talk issues and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.