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Posts Tagged ‘Plasma Hdtv’

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC P65S1 65 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Black

High definition is more than mere pixels. It’s all about visual quality. Plasma TV offers higher contrast and deeper color than LCD screens. With a screen at a class of 65″, you’ll observe a new concept of HDTV entertainment that rivals anything else. Why go to the movies when you’ve got this Viera TV! The Panasonic TC-P58S1 65″ Class Viera S1 Series Plasma 1080p HDTV brings a giant 64.7-inch class (diagonal) wide screen to bring sports, movies, and TV into your home with in-your-face realism. LCD is lighter in weight and a little more energy efficient but, when it comes to visual quality, most LCD screens seem pale in comparison. That’s why, when it comes to appreciating the qualities of HDTV and Blu-Ray, this Panasonic Viera plasma TV is a better buy. There are also some distinct features worth appreciating. 600Hz technology lets you view superb full-HD motion and still images with 1,080 lines of resolution (per APDC). For even greater clarity with motion images, Panasonic uses its own unique image-analysis technology. This technology converts the motion in each scene into data. And each frame is practically displayed for a shorter length of time than in previous systems, to reduce aftereffects. It’s easy to view full-HD images with the SD card slot. Watch and show your photos right after you take them. Simply insert an SD card into VIERA to display photos on the large screen. You can also choose from among 3 types of background music and 4 display effects. It’s much more fun when you can view them on a large-screen HDTV with family and friends in 1920 x 1080-pixel high definition and a wide 16:9 aspect ratio. Pixel Pitch (H x V) 0.747 x 0.747 mm Moving Picture Resolution 1080 lines Shades of Gradation 6,144 equivalent HDTV Display Capability (1080p, 1080i, 720p) EDTV Display Capability (480p) Aspect Control Normal, Just, Zoom, Full, H-fill NeoPDP (Plasma Display Panel) New AR (A

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Bigger Is Better
I have had this plasma display for a week now. Great picture (particularly with blu-ray movies), and an amazing price. Don’t be fooled that LCD is better because it appears “brighter”. Plasma has a more cinematic feel to it.

Think 65 inches is too big? Think again. If you sit at least 8 or 9 feet away when viewing, this display will knock your socks off. To me it makes more sense to go big and get the real benefit of high definition. Just a few years ago a TV like this would cost $15,000+ and not look as good as this unit. Pull the trigger, and get it while the price is right.

5 Stars Just one word … WOW!
I have had this 65 inch plasma since 10/1/2009. So far everything has been outstanding, from the great price I got at the time and the white glove delivery service. They set up the TV in my media room, hooked it up, turned it on and WOW!

My TV is installed in a windowless room, and the picture is out of this world. I see absolutely no reason to have it professionally calibrated as the picture is outstanding. The picture is more than bright enough, even in a well lit room, if you need to up the brightness and contrast. There are no reflections, but then again I watch with no lights on … the 65 inch screen provides enough light.

I am glad I went with the 65 inch model … my other choice was the 58V model … and I am glad I went with the 65S model. The picture is breathtaking … almost 3D at times. Great depth … great and viberant colors, and the picture clarity is awesome with high definition input.

With my Cable, the HD channels are awe inspiring, and I am glad there are a lot of them as the standard definition channels are no match to them, and after watching hours of HD channels I don’t even want to watch the standard channels anymore.

So far no problems with the set, and I am 100% satisfied with the TV, Amazon, the price I paid, and the delivery. All in all a truely wonderful experience.

My room size is 16 foot by 19 foot with 10 foot ceilings, and I currently sit about 14 feet away from the screen. Anything less than 65 inches would have disappointed me.

Don’t worry about 65 inches being too big in a room this size, it isn’t. And don’t worry about professional calibration services as I see absolutely nothing wrong with the picture.

5 Stars Great overall value and HD set!
Simple review… Amazon’s price was great (with free blu-ray player to boot), shipping was free, and it was white glove, right to my living room. The shipping company called and scheduled a delivery, showed up within the window, and I dropped them a nice tip. Now the set is a monster. If you have the room, get this set! Pic quality is outstanding, and the plasma blacks are great. By far the best value going right now for a 65″ hdtv. The v10 model of this has some nice features, but not worth $1200 more to me.

5 Stars I am never leaving the house!
I hooked up the satellite equipment, hooked up my stereo, plugged it in, and WHOA! I just sit there for hours staring at it. I can just imagine how it will look when I turn it on! JK! I couldn’t have asked for more. It is so beautiful. The picture is as clear as I could ask for. Sometimes it’s almost 3D. Honestly, I was dozing off and there was a show on about space exploration and for a second when I woke up I thought I was in the cockpit of the spaceship soaring through space. It took me a few seconds to get back to the reality that I was looking at the TV, lol. Blu-ray really shines on this TV! This is by far one of the most amazing things I’ve every owned.

5 Stars The Best Plasma TV Out there
I bought this TV on August 30 and got it delivered on Sept 10. It’s a big set that needs to be delivered on trucks, not UPS. The seller communicates via email to update the status of your order. A day before the delivery date, the truck guys will call and confirm the hours, typically a four-hour window for them to show up. Now, there is something that I think a prospective buyer wants to keep in mind. TV of this size is not easily transported. So it’s the policy of the vendor, and probably industry-wide (because I’ve checked several vendors and that they all said the same thing), that you CAN’T RETURN IT if you don’t fell like it. In other word, don’t just buy it because you just want to check it out. The vendor will take it back if and only if it is 1) defective or 2) broken. So it’s crucial that once it’s delivered and while the delivery guys are still there, please open it up. Plug it in and make sure it work. In other word, do a thorough inspection. Because once these guys leave, you pretty much own it for good.

Now, comes the TV. This is a great set par none for its price. A quick walk through your local Best Buy will tell you that. I’ve seen TV’s a lot smaller and much less sophisticated got sold for prices very close to this set’s. Some of those are not very well known brands. The TV is not that heavy at all. The listing weight, according to Amazon is 175 shipping and 145, is not correct. Although I don’t know its shipping weight, the set itself is 90 lbs (yeah..this isn’t a typo). I’m a fairly small guy (5′7) and my brother’s (5′8), and we both were able to pick it up and set it on the console without breaking a sweat. The hookup is straight forward. Just find the right connection and plug it in. Very much self-explanatory. The remote doesn’t look that intimidating either. I mean if you’ve played around w/ electronic equipments, you don’t need to read the manual. Play around w/ a few keys and you’ll get it. It’s realllyyyyyy simpleeeee. I had mine hooked up to Direct TV w/ the premium package (Football package). So I’m able to watch fairly large number of HD channels. And …yes….it is…………awesome..yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh…

As with plasma TV, I’m sure we all know that it should be in a dark room because plasma screens tend to reflect light. Mine is a bit close to the window. Although I try to shut down all the blinds when I watch football on Sundays, a tiny bit of reflection is still visible. The best show is at night. Dim the lights and you will be amazed at its clarity. As for the speakers, don’t bother. You’re not buying this TV for its speakers. So why even bother to turn it on? All TV speakers sucks. Period. If you were willing to spend this much dough on a TV, do yourself a favor. Go big w/ speakers. Speakers nowaday are relatively cheap. You can easily get a decent pair of speakers for a couple hundred dollars. I currently have mine set up w/ the Yamaha speaker bar. It’s not the best, but decent enough for both regular TV reviewing and some action movies. The real nirvana will come when I save enough $$$ for a pair of Martin Logan.

Go ahead & Buy it. I guarantee you won’t regret. Be sure to buy it from Amazon. Their service is great.

Buy/More Info

Samsung PN50B560 50 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

49.9″ screen (measured diagonally) * 1920 x 1080 pixels * 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio * 600Hz Subfield Motion anti-blur technology * FilterBright anti-glare filter *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The B560 is an excellent value for the money.
I already knew I wanted Plasma over LCD. So I spent weeks reading reviews and comparing specs of everything from Panasonic G15/G10 & S1 to Samsungs B650, B560, and B550. I came to the conclusion that Samsung has better color accuracy and Panasonic has better black levels. However, Panasonic also has better customer service and a lower percentage of TV’s with issues. There has been numerous reports of the Samsung 2009 B series Plasma’s having a “buzzing” issue. While they scared me a little, I decided that the TV for me was the Samsung PN50B560.

If you are comparing Samsungs, the B560 has the Crystal Full HD Engine with Cinema Smooth, while the B550 does not. The B650 also has Crystal Full HD Engine with Cinema Smooth, but an with an added feature, an ethernet port for using widgets, like weather, sports, stocks, etc… Something I’ve read is very slow and not very impressive. The 650 also has the red touch of color bezel. The 550 and 560 both have charcoal blended in, which I preferred.

I am pleased with the colors and black levels of this TV. I also have a Panasonic 50PX80U and I can’t tell much of a difference. Physically, the TV is also very attractive, much nicer than Panasonic, and the swivel stand is also nice to have.

Defending the common CONS:

Buzz: My TV does not buzz

Speakers: They sound fine, my Panasonic sounds slightly better. But speakers in flat panel TV’s are not going to be impressive, I think people just expect to much out of them.

Glare: Yes, there will be some glare, its a Plasma. However, compared to other Plasma’s I looked at in the store, it’s not a big difference. I didn’t make it a factor.

In summary, if you are on a budget, I recommend the Samsung B560 or B550. If you can spare an extra few hundred more, go with a Panasonic G15 or G10. When it comes down to it, you’ll be happy with any of these choices, unless you are a videophile, you’ll never notice the difference.

5 Stars Far better than we imagined.
We bought this set back in late June 2009, and it’s our first HDTV so I can’t compare firsthand with other models. All I can say is, through HDMI connections it displays everything we feed it much better than I even imagined. I assumed standard-definition content would look grainy but this TV, in combination with a great Panasonic blu-ray player (the DMP-BD60) or even our old Samsung progressive-scan DVD player, somehow shows literally everything in its native mode, or at 720p (PS3 games and 720p TV content). Composite-video feed is as feared, somewhat grainy, so I don’t even use it.

There’s been a lot of buzz about Samsung plasmas being “buzzers.” Fortunately, we have been spared. Also, I’ve read comments about the CinemaSmooth feature (that displays 24p content at 96 Hz) disrupting black levels. We haven’t seen any of that, either, and I use CS 90% of the time (even with DVDS, thanks to the abilities of the Panasonic BD player!).

Having moved up from a 32″ full-screen Wega to this 50″ widescreen plasma, I have a lot more glass that catches lots of ambient glare and reflections from new angles, but it’s not nearly as bad a nuisance as I’d been led to believe, reading the AV forums, and we do use this TV in a fairly bright daytime setting as well as at night when we’re more “serious” about what we watch.

We didn’t break-in our TV and I haven’t had any calibration done, either, but the only image-retention I occasionally see is from those stationary news-channel logos. I have used the built-in anti-IR scrolling feature maybe once a month to remove those, and recall it took about 4-5 minutes in each case. Although calibration is something I have pondered, the intensity and balance of colors produced by this TV seem fine to us; I’ve seen a few of the Samsung and Panasonic demo models at local retailers that were calibrated and thought they weren’t any better than the set now in my living room. Not dissing calibration, just wondering if I’d really notice any improvement.

My review is that of just one owner, and I’m not really versed in the AV lingo or all the features available in the marketplace from different makes/models or technologies.

On a closing note, I am not really a football fan, but the HD game content leaves me drooling over the capabilities of this TV whenever one is showing, and I end up watching the whole game! I’ll have to be more careful in the future with this “feature” because it sometimes prevents me from getting other, more important things done.

5 Stars just what you expect from a samsung plasma (bang for the buck)
notes:

i’ve owned this television for 2 months

usage: 90% tv and 10% video games

#1 thing to remember when you buy a plasma…BREAK IT IN. avoid channels or video games with stationary logos or else you’ll get image retention (not permanent). fyi, typical break in time for a plasma is about 100-200 hours. what i love about this plasma, there’s a build in scrolling black to white screen which helps with break in of the plasma and with image retention. so every night for the past 2 months before i go to sleep, i would set sleep to 30 mins, turn on the picture mode to dynamic (for high contrast and high brightness), and use this screen of scrolling black to white. after about 2 months, image retention is almost non existant. any questions about break-in? go to [...] and look up their plasma break in thread.

picture quality is on par with panasonics in this price range. but if you have the money, go for the panasonic. slightly better picture quality. panasonics also have their break-in period built in. so you don’t have to worry about it.

didn’t test the speakers, since i use a home theatre setup.

glare is a slight problem for me (depends where you put it). my room is small. walls are white. so glare is expected, but it is not a deal breaker.

i have almost no complaints about this television. everything i expected. one complaint but it’s a small one. my set has a little buzz sound coming out of it, but it isn’t loud. my home theatre system easily drowns it out. but if you stand next to the plama, you can hear it.

the plasma is REALLY REALLY heavy. make sure you have a solid spot to mount it on your wall, not just dry wall. don’t go cheap on the mounting bracket!

5 Stars Stunning
We had bought the TV as an upgrade from our 720P 32 inch LCD, and the upgrade has put me at a loss for words.

The picture, clarity, and black levels from this set is the best I have seen after shopping around.

Very fast setup with the Plug and Play feature!

On top of that, aesthetically beautiful.

Buy/More Info

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC P42S1 42 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

When it comes to best image quality in a TV at an affordable range, Plasma screens deliver the best contrast ratio and color depth. This Viera plasma includes the new NEO plasma display panel with improved blacks and native contrast of 40,000:1. Neo PDP combines advances for plasma in cell structure, process technology, and new drive technology. Neo PDP is eco-friendly. It’s engineered to save power and double the luminance efficiency. It offers thinner screens than previous plasma flat panels. NEO technology screens are rated to have a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours. This is more than 30 years of viewing when watched for 8 hours a day, before the TV reaches half brightness. It also has 1080p resolution with 600Hz sub-field drive and Gaming Mode. With all these advances, why settle for an average picture when the Viera plasma display offers so much more. Did you know that some HDTVs deliver considerably less than 1080 lines of resolution, when processing fast motion on screen? VIERA S1 Series Plasma HDTVs ensure full-time 1080 TV lines of resolution, even during fast moving scenes in sports and movies. VIERA Image Viewer provides a better way to share your digital photos. Just pop your SD memory card into the handy slot, and instantly display your digital photos for friends and family to enjoy. With VIERA Link, you can control your compatible Panasonic DVD recorder, Blu-ray Disc player, home-theater sound system and HD camcorder, all with a single remote and helpful on-screen menus. VIERA Image Viewer VIERA Link AR (Anti-Reflective) Filter Game Mode 3 HDMI Inputs 100,000-Hour Panel Life

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars very good
I’m very happy with this TV. Even SD looks great, which was my big concern. Highly recommended.

5 Stars Great TV
We had originally planned on purchasing this television in store after researching for weeks. For the price at amazon it was too good to pass up. Great television, crystal clear picture and a great price. I would go with plasma over LCD any day and this is the best of the best.

4 Stars Panasonic Is Good But Could Be Better
It has been about 4 months since I purchased this TV. I also have a Samsung LN46A650 LCD TV that I purchased from Amazon a year ago. Delivery on both was very good although the delivery person for the Panasonic didn’t know too much about setting up and connecting the set. The jack marking was confusing but togeather we worked it out. The Panasonic has vivid deep colors and I think the picture is a little sharper than the Samsung. The colors on the Samsung are however more true to life. The Samsung has more color adjustments available including flesh tone which allows better color reproduction. Maybe I am too picky but the Panasonic tends to reproduce flesh tones with a slight green tint on darker scenes and a rose tent on some others. Most scenes are OK however. The Samsung has much better sound. The Panasonic sound has a hollow characteristic. This may be due to the angle of the speakers and I have it a few inches from a flat wall. The viewing angle of course is better on the Panasonic plasma. The Samsung starts to wash out if you get over 30 degrees away from straight on viewing. A word of coution when shopping for a TV. In stores the LCD sets are usually set on vivid. This greatly helps the viewing angle. When you adjust it for normal in home viewing wash out is more apparent. Standard def. programing seems to be somewhat better on the Panasonic. Both are good on HD with the Panasonic maybe a slight bit sharper. Both are good TVs and when I am watching either one I think that it is the best.

5 Stars Great Picture
This Plasma is really good. I looked at different TVs at Best Buy and Plasmas look as good as the LCDs and don’t cost as much. I have Dish Network and in HD these work really well. The color is really great. A swivel stand would be great, but other than that no complaints.

5 Stars Very Satisfied
Extrememly satisfied with purchase.

Easy assembly. Great crisp, clear, picture. No glare.

Good view from all angles. Audio is fine (good sound, but not as high quality as picture)

I had got the 42″ due to space limitations, but now realize that I could have fit a larger TV in my rooms corner. This was the most common regret I read about in reviews before my purchase, and sure enough I feel the same.

All in all, a great tv at a great price!

Buy/More Info

Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC P46G10 46 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

46″ screen (measured diagonally) * widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Picture
This TV has a great picture. I did a lot of research before selecting plasma. I really don’t have problems with it being too dim, looks great. Lots of threads on [...] about how to break in and change picture settings to get best looking picture. Amazon customer service is great! If you are on the fence go for it!

4 Stars Fantastic tv with fantastic price
im really happy with this plasma for how much i paid for it, the color is AMAZING, the THX take you movie watching experience to the next level.

5 Stars Great T.V.
46 inch Panasonic G10. I was able to schedule the delivery without extra cost and they set it up in just a few minutes. Amazing TV. Using ATT U-Verse TV and Internet. HD channels are simply amazing. For those buying from Amazon.com (which is what I recommend). Wait for the Panasonic Blu-ray special if that is important to you. It showed up 2-3 days after I purchased the T.V. Sometimes you have to click “reload” on your browser several times before it shows up in the “Special offers” section. A lot of other sites have this T.V. for a few bucks cheaper but Amazon’s customer service is probably the best, just in case you get a “bad” item. Great service, great price. Anyone will be pleased with this T.V.

5 Stars Gotta Love HDTV!
I love my Purchase. It looks great. The internal sound kinda sucks but when I get my external surround set up it will be fine. Great for TV and gaming.

SJQ

4 Stars Solid TV
Overall I’m pretty happy with my purchase of the Panasonic TC-P46G10. Sports (especially football and baseball games) look great on this thing. Movies look great too except the motion quality isn’t top notch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good. But this is a G10 model, not a V10. Here are my pros/cons…

Pros:

- Competitive price.

- Excellent clarity and color quality.

- Great for gaming (very minor phosphour trails).

- Minimal Glare.

- Built-in burn-in retention (I fell asleep to a blu-ray and the menu screen was on the screen all night and there was not even a trace of burn-in).

Cons:

- Motion quality is not quite as smooth as 120hz or 240hz technology, or the V10’s 96hz.

- The 48hz feature is worthless, the flicker is unbearable.

- The screen smudges super easily, but fortunately comes with a special cloth to clean the screen.

Bottom line.. Great bang for your buck!

Hope this review helps someone.

Buy/More Info

Panasonic TC P42G15 42 VIERA G15 Series 1080p THX certified plasma HDTV

41.6″ screen (measured diagonally) * widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Why is plasma losing the HDTV war?
I have been a home theater enthusiast for some time now and I am the type to upgrade every few years in a desire to experience the newest and greatest tech out there. I have had experience with old school tube TV’s, CRT rear projection, LCD and DLP rear and front projection, and LCD flat panel TV’s. As a gamer, I had never taken the chance on plasma due to “image retention.” That said, I have to say that I am SO glad I finally took the risk! After just a few days of use, I can already say that the G15 is the best TV I have ever had. I have yet to see LED, but honestly, I am not sure how picture quality can get much better than this. I haven’t even done any calibrating of my own. I just use the preset Game and THX modes. If you are in the market to buy a new TV, and you are a gamer and Blu-Ray watcher, then do yourself a favor and buy a plasma. I think I have finally found a TV I could possibly keep for a lifetime, assuming it stays alive.

5 Stars Outstanding
I have never owned a flatscreen before so I was trying to get the best for my money. I never considered a plasma tv, I always thought LCD was the way to go; I understood that plasma tvs burned out quicker, used way more energy, heated up to the point where they couldn’t be watched for long periods and of course I heard horror stories about image burn in. What I was delighted to find is that many plasma manufacturers have addressed these issues in their new tvs. This TV is energy star certified, which means its energy consumption is very comparable to many other LCDs of the same size (ie, almost identical to LG LH50 42″). The heat created/circulated in the tv is not an issue at all, even after watching the tv for several hours, the back of the panel is barely warm. and burn in is impossible with new orbiting pixel technology. Even more impressive is a new screen wipe technology, so that in case your tv was left on for a week solid, even then any trace of a burn in image can be completely erased. One of the best selling points of this tv is the lifespan, over 100,000 hours. thats almost double even the best LCD lifespans (60,000). As for the picture itself, let me just say you can not find a better picture than a plasma, LED can not come close. and the top of the line for all plasma TVs is panasonic. pay no attention to contrast ratio, every company has different ways of measuring that stat. Plasma is back in a big way, in a few years, the prices on these tvs are certain to go up.

4 Stars Very Good but not Perfect
The biggest problem with this unit, as with plasmas in general, is the reflection off of the glass of any lights near the viewer while sitting directly in front of the TV. To remedy this, I no longer use the table lamp sitting next to me. Instead I turn a table lamp on further off to the side so it doesn’t reflect directly back into my eyes. This is rather inconvenient if you are leisurely watching TV and want to read, if only during the commercials. Another minor problem is the distracting reflections off of the shiny bezel and base from lights positioned in other parts of the room (my lamp off to the side). Over-all, the picture itself is 5 star fantastic! I gave it only 4 stars because of the reflection problem. I wish they had it on a stand which would tilt and rotate so that the viewing position could easily be optimized to minimize the reflections. You can buy stands that tilt (and maybe rotate) but the one I looked at which tilted was quite expensive. The sound is unimpressive but I compliment it by also playing it through an amplifier with external speakers.

5 Stars An excellent TV
I did a lot of researching before buying this TV, and I have so far been very happy with the results.

The picture is amazing, of course. There is virtually no glare on the screen, which can be a problem for some plasma tvs. The blacks are incredible, and the colors have been great, even without doing any hard calibration. Setup was very easy. The sound is very good. Not sound system good of course, but you can easily get by without one. We’ve had some televisions in the past, including HDTV’s, with absolutely horrid sound, and this comes nowhere close.

Some people say that the THX picture mode is too dark. While it is somewhat dim, it is absolutely perfect for viewing in a darkened area for movie viewing. Adjusting all of the picture modes is very easily done, however for an out of the box calibration without breaking it in, THX is a very good option.

A very minor nitpicks, hardly worth mentioning really. The remote does not have a button on it to just flip through the picture display options (standard, custom, thx, etc), but rather have to go into a menu to access them. The menu is right on top, it’s not buried, but it would be more convenient if you could just flip through without having to go through that.

I have yet to experiment with the VieraCast options, so unfortunately I cannot comment on those.

Overall, an amazing tv, especially for the price.

Buy/More Info