50XR5 NEC 50 inch Plasma TV Review, Basic Setup and Buying Guide

• Resolution 1365x768 Wide XGA 16:9
• Contrast Ratio: 3000:1*
• Brightness: 1500*
• 2 HDMI w/HDCP inputs
• Direct source select
• Enhanced digital video processing
• Enhanced picture in picture

Who is NEC?

NEC is a world leader in Plasma displays, Although the average home user might not know their name, they have made  plasma screens for Pioneer , Toshiba, JVC, Sony, Runco, Marantz and many other higher end manufacturers. Pioneer purchased NEC last year and scrapped Pioneers own platform for the superior NEC 50 inch plasma panel.  NEC has been the staple for industrial users such as most airports and  the US government and now introduced the XR line for high end home theater.

NEC 50XR5 Plasma TV Review

NEC’s standard setting 50 inch plasma is easy on the eyes. It features NEC’s core imaging technologies, like all digital video processing and incredible gamma processing, allowing for 68.7 billion displayable colors. Also, it looks good when it’s turned off, with an attractive black bezel with silver accents.

Out of the box, picture quality is impressive. The first thing to leap out at you is the vividness of the colors. Whites are crisp and bright, blacks are silky smooth, but it’s what is in-between that really shines. Reds are bright and flicker free, blues are deep and clean, and the greens are so vivid they seem to smack you in the face. Gradients, like in sunsets, are beautifully rendered – smooth, noise free, and free of patchy digital color processing. With so many available colors, the 50XR has tons of room between even similar hues, providing for incredible separation between colors. The clarity and quality of the color rendering make this a very good unit for sports, video games, or any video that make use of color.

The NEC PX-50XR5A is a plasma monitor intended completely for high end home theatre use. As a result, all of the dross, like integrated NTSC tuners, and anemic TV speakers have been left out. You should have a good surround sound system to supplement the incredible picture for the full effect.

The user interface is functional and easy to use. All the control you have come to expect from NEC is included, as well as Cinema Mode and Picture Mode, for fast adjustments on the fly. 

Using Digital Video Essentials by Joe Kane Productions, we established the following settings

Contrast  59
Brightness  30
Sharpness  32
Colour  32
Tint  32
Gamma  2.3
Low Tone  AUTO
Set Up Level  7.5% (for good black levels)

Inputs options (and there are a lot of them) PIP modes and positioning, and a really neat Zoom function are all clearly laid out on the remote. We would have preferred a remote that lights up, but you can’t have everything.

PROS

• Exceptional picture quality
• Excellent shadow area detail
• HD images can be Zoomed
• Great furniture value
• Excellent connectivity

CONS

• Expensive in it’s class
• Functional, not fancy, user interface

NEC PX-50XR5A Specifications

Summary:  RECOMMENDED BUY
Caveat: Must have surround sound receiver and separate HDTV tuner