LG 50PZ950 Plasma HDTV Review

Overall Design

There are no surprise twists to the design on the LG 50PZ950, but it's still a good looking set. The bezel is thin on the sides and in profile. The stand is unobtrusive, supportive, and sleek. It looks like the flat screen TV you recognize, but somehow it's attractive. Like a well made suit, this design will never go out of style.

Front

Back

Sides

Stand/Mount

The stand is a thin plastic affair that does not offend the eyes. It swivels about 20º in each direction to better facilitate port connections.

Controls

The controls are located on the front on the bottom right corner of the screen. We have never been fans of these touch controls (as opposed to actual buttons). Good luck finding them in the dark. You'll find them with the lights on, though – it'll be the area with a cluster of fingerprints.

Remote Control

The remote for the 50PZ950 is a powerful device, controlling all aspects of this many featured television, while also being programmable for external devices. The shape of the remote keeps it firmly in hand, the groove in the back fits most index fingers perfectly. Though you may not be able to reach all of the buttons from the resting position, there is a backlight button at the top of the remote that will light up all the buttons in the dark. The buttons themselves have excellent tactile feedback, so you know the degree to which you are affecting the TV.

Secondarily, there is the LG Wand remote. Similar to a Wiimote, you can point the wand at the options you would like to select on the TV, rather than using the directional pad to slowly go up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, select, enter to get what you need.

In the Box

Inside the voluminous cardboard box, we found two remotes, the LG wand and a more normal remote, batteries for both, a USB wireless adapter, a paper as well as digital manual, a cleaning cloth, some cable clips and warranty documents.