LG 60PN5700 Review

There's something quietly remarkable about a TV that earns praise in a Reddit thread years after it was discontinued — not as a nostalgia trip, but as a genuine recommendation. The LG 60PN5700 is exactly that kind of set.

The Plasma Picture That Still Holds Up

In a home theater discussion on r/hometheater, one user mentioned they were running the 60PN5700 as the main screen in their setup — and were "MORE than happy with it." That's not faint praise. That's someone actively choosing not to upgrade, even while planning to swap out speakers and a projector. The plasma picture quality is the reason: deep blacks, natural motion handling, and wide viewing angles that modern LCDs at comparable price points still struggle to match.

Plasma panels like this one produce true blacks by simply turning off individual cells — there's no backlight bleeding, no halo effect around bright objects on dark scenes. For movie watching in a properly darkened room, it remains a genuinely excellent experience. Anyone who has compared this side-by-side with a budget LED TV of the same era would understand immediately why plasma enthusiasts held on so long.

What You're Actually Getting in 2024+

Let's be honest about context. The 60PN5700 is a 60-inch 1080p plasma panel. It has a standard set of HDMI inputs, basic smart features that are effectively obsolete (the built-in apps are long since dead or unsupported), and no 4K capability whatsoever. If you're buying this new-in-box somewhere, that would be unusual — this is fundamentally a used market purchase.

That means condition varies wildly. Plasma sets can suffer from image retention or, in extreme cases, permanent burn-in if they've been used heavily with static content (news tickers, video game HUDs, sports score overlays). Always ask the seller about usage history before buying. A well-cared-for unit, however, can still have thousands of hours of life left — plasma panels are generally robust when not abused.

The lack of smart TV functionality is a non-issue in practice. Plug in a Roku, Fire Stick, or Apple TV and you have a better smart experience than any built-in platform from 2013 would offer anyway.

The Real Drawbacks — Don't Skip This Part

Power consumption is the elephant in the room. Plasma panels draw significantly more electricity than equivalent-sized LED TVs — expect this 60-inch set to pull somewhere in the range of 300-400 watts under typical viewing conditions. Over years of use, that adds up on your electricity bill in a way a modern LED or OLED simply wouldn't.

Weight and installation are also genuine considerations. Plasma panels are heavy — this is not a set you wall-mount casually. The stand is stable, but moving the TV around solo is a two-person job at minimum.

And then there's the elephant sitting next to the first elephant: this is 1080p in a 4K world. Most streaming content is now available in 4K HDR, and while upscaling is fine, you're not getting the full benefit of modern content. The panel also has no HDR support whatsoever — it predates the standard entirely. For someone building a home theater around modern 4K Blu-rays or streaming, this is a real limitation.

Who Should Actually Buy This

The 60PN5700 makes sense in a specific scenario: you want a large, high-quality display on a tight budget, primarily for film watching in a controlled-light environment, and you're pairing it with an external streaming device. At used prices — typically well under what you'd pay for a comparable-sized new LCD — the picture quality-per-dollar can be genuinely hard to beat.

It does not make sense if you care about 4K content, game with static HUDs for long sessions, watch TV in a bright room (plasma screens are reflective and struggle with ambient light), or want a set that will integrate with modern smart home ecosystems out of the box.

Buyer Tips

• Ask specifically about burn-in before purchasing used. Request the seller display a solid grey screen to reveal any ghosting.
• Budget for a streaming stick — the native smart platform is not usable in any meaningful way.
• Place this TV in a room where you can control light. Plasma reflection in a bright living room is genuinely frustrating.
• Run a pixel refresher cycle periodically if the set supports it — it helps prevent image retention buildup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the LG 60PN5700 worth buying in 2024?

A: At the right used price, yes — particularly for dark-room movie watching. The plasma picture quality remains genuinely impressive, but you'll need to accept no 4K, no HDR, and high power consumption.

Q: Does the LG 60PN5700 have burn-in problems?

A: All plasma panels carry some burn-in risk with static content over long periods. A well-maintained unit used primarily for varied content (movies, general TV) is unlikely to have significant issues, but always inspect a used unit carefully before purchase.

Q: What streaming device works best with the LG 60PN5700?

A: Any HDMI streaming stick works fine — Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV 4K. The built-in smart features are obsolete, so an external device is essentially mandatory for modern streaming.

Q: How does the 60PN5700 compare to modern budget LED TVs?

A: For black levels and motion in dark rooms, it competes well against budget LEDs. However, modern LED sets win on brightness, 4K resolution, HDR support, and power efficiency — making them the better all-around choice for most buyers unless the used price is very attractive.

Q: How heavy is the LG 60PN5700?

A: Plasma panels of this size are substantially heavier than equivalent LED TVs. Moving or mounting this set is a two-person job — plan accordingly.

— Lifestyle Lead Editor 1, CPrice