Great Price Panasonic P50V10 for

Panasonic TC P50V10 - 50" plasma TV - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV Review

Well I researched and researched HDTV's from Samsung, Pioneer and Panasonic. Every review kept me coming back to look at the TC-P50V10 from Panasonic. At the big retailers the TV was beautiful in person as far as the build and overall appearance, but was not setup to display the best possible picture. Even not being able to view it in person on optimal settings, I knew this TV was going to display a glorious picture.

I have owned this TV for 3 weeks now and my jaw drops at the HD picture every time I view something on it. Using the settings from Cnet in a darkened room produce a movie theater experience. The sound from the built in speakers is ok, but I have them turned off and use my Home theater sound setup. My home theater consists of a Denon 3808CI HDMI switching receiver, an OPPO BDP-83 Blu-Ray a Monster Clean Power Stage 2 HDP 1800 Power Center (8 Outlet) and Klipsch Reference Series Speakers in a 5.1 configuration. Everything is Connected via HDMI using Monster 700 Series cables.

I know the Monster products are way overpriced and produce the same quality as cheaper alternatives, but I can't spend 00 + on a TV and 0 on a stand and use cables to connect it all. The Monster cables are made of high quality material and make me feel better, which is important to me.

In conclusion as many reviews have said this is the best TV of 2009 and rivals the Pioneer at half the price. The blacks are phenomenal and the overall colors are sparkling. I watch a lot of sports on this TV including Football and Hockey and I am stunned at the HD quality of these sporting events. Just read the reviews here and you will find that review after review reflect all that I am saying about this great TV. If you are drawn back by the reviews that mention the poor speakers try and get your self a home theater setup. Doesn't have to be a 00 + system, just something to give you that movie theater experience.

Panasonic TC P50V10 - 50" plasma TV - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV Feature

• Designed to network, your plasma is internet-capable with VIERA Cast
• Smooth images and brilliant colors are a given.
• The V10-series boasts a 1080p Neo PDP infinite black panel with a 40,000:1

Panasonic TC P50V10 - 50" plasma TV - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV Overview

The V10 Series Plasma takes advantage of newly-developed NeoPDP technology, featuring a sleek thin profile and superb levels of brightness and contrast for industry-leading image quality. Designed for the discerning home viewer, the V10 Series meets the strict image quality and engineering standards required to receive the prestigious THX certification, and reproduces the maximum 1080 lines of moving image resolution with accurate color and luminance levels.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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• OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology
• Panasonic DMP-BD80 High Clarity Audio Blu-ray Disc Player, Black

Customer Reviews

Incredible TV just amazing. - Sam -
I have had my TV for 3 months and haven't had any issues yet. The picture quality is outstanding. It has very deep blacks making the picture quality amazing. Plenty of HDMI inputs which came in handy because my surround sound came out before HDMI. So I go direct to the TV with my cable box, xbox, and blue-ray player, then audio out to my surround sound. The TV works as the hub for all of my equipment. I can't say enough good things about this TV.



P50V10 - Peter J. Shwets - Houston
Excellent plasma display. This is my second Panasonic and i just moved from a Samsung LCD. For movies i prefer plasma. Sound quality in not applicable because all Audio is routed to my home theatre system.

This is a clean unobtrusive design that just works. My colleague has the discontinued pioneer 60" KURO and the differences in picture quality are negligible.



Great TV So Far... But Buyer Beware! - A. Rosenberger - Cali
Finally took the jump to plasma, and finally chose (after much research) to do it with a 50-inch V10 from Panasonic.

So far this TV is absolutely amazing with an incredible picture. It really delivers amazing color and incredibly dark inky blacks. It is a joy to watch and play video games on (PS3). No problems experienced at all whatsoever with image retention.

Unfortunately, however, I was shocked (a mere two weeks after receiving my TV) to find that an editor from the reputable CNET added a disclaimer to his previously glowing V10 review that there have been widespread reports that certain Panasonic plasma models (2008 & 2009 S1, G10, G15, & V10 to be specific) lose their dark inky black levels somewhere between 500 and 1000 hours of use. The speculation is that this is caused by too aggressive voltage adjustments that have caused the black levels of some owners to lighten by double or even triple the initial level seemingly overnight.

The jury is still out as to whether this is only an issue that affects a small percentage of the sets or if it is an inherent flaw in the technology of these models, and more so, whether or not Panasonic will issue a fix for it.

I wish I was armed with this knowledge prior to making my purchase, as I certainly would have some reservations over choosing the most expensive model they offer. Now, I can only pass this information on to anyone else poised and ready to take the plunge as I just was.

Amazon doesn't allow me to include links to other sites, but a Google of "CNET Panasonic Black Levels" will get you to the relevant discussions so that you can arm yourself with the right facts for your decision.

I hate to knock what has otherwise been an incredible TV set for me up until this point without having experienced the issue myself, but people should be "in the know". Now whenever I gaze into that beautiful plasma picture I can only wonder if it will still remain that way a few short months into the future.

Best of luck to you in your purchases!




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 28, 2010 08:49:34

Check Out Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV for $1,399.95

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Feature

• VieraCast WiFi with Skype (Skype functionality requires the purchase of the Panasonic TY-CC10W High Resolution web camera. Web camera and Skype capabilities are planned for mid 2010 release.)
• Infinite Black
• THX Certified Display
• Viera Image Viewer for Image and AVCHD playback

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Overview

Panasonic TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 27, 2010 14:20:03

Great Price Samsung PN50B560 for $1,147.00

Samsung PN50B560 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

.....just call Amazon back, and they'll send you a new one that day. I ordered this TV on Black Friday after extensive research and comparison to similar models. The TV arrived as scheduled, but the delivery guys refused to set up and test it because "it was too cold". Whatever. I plugged it in and....nothing. D.O.A. I scoured the internetz and prayed to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but I failed. Called Amazon that day, and the Rep had a new one shipped within the hour, tracking info and all. A week later, got the new one and told the delivery guy I would not sign until we checked it. I had boxed up the first one, and they took it. Well, it's been perfect for 2 weeks now. Amazing motion blur reduction compared to LCD. As long as you don't place it in direct sunlight there's no glare. I have my PS3 and HDDVR running through a Sony Reciever via HDMI, all run by a Harmony One Remote, and it is so intuitive my 4 year old can run my set-up all day. Visiting a site like the AVS Forums will help you tweak the settings to your liking...I suggest running a calibration disc of some sort for optimal picture. I finished my Polk 5.1 set up with this TV as well, and I'm in home theater heaven! Highly Recommended, especially if bought through Amazon.

Samsung PN50B560 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Feature

• New attractive Touch of Color cabinet design
• Full HD 1080p performance
• New 600Hz subfield motion technology
• HDTV off-air and Clear QAM Digital Cable Tuner
• “Green” design lead-free components

Samsung PN50B560 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Overview

Samsung’s new PN50B560 plasma flat panel HDTV redefines our commitment to design, performance, and cost of ownership. Its 50 inches of 1080p Full HD picture performance makes it the perfect living room centerpiece. The attractive Touch of ColorTM design adds a subtle clear-to-charcoal gray accent to the set’s bezel. Enjoy brilliant, film-like images in Full HD resolution. Samsung’s breakthrough mega dynamic contrast ratio offers a more accurate color tonal range, deeper blacks and shadow details. The new E-Panel technology featuring our innovative FilterBrightTM technology reduces glare in brighter rooms and our advanced Crystal Full HD Engine expands the picture viewing experience with less power consumption. Add 4 advanced HDMI inputs that feature Samsung’s Anynet+ (CEC standard) technology making system control of compatible A/V devices like a Blu-ray player or HTIB system a one-touch operation. Experience Full 1080p performance on Samsung’s new B560 series plasma HDTVs that are easy on the environment and easy on the wallet.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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• SquareTrade 3-Year TV Warranty (00-1250 LCD, Plasma, LED)
• Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

Customer Reviews

BIG problem - M. Cummins - Dryden, Michigan United States
(PN50B560 50" plasma)I bought this TV Oct. 25,2009. 11 days later it started acting up. The red light in front would start flashing and it wouldn't respond to the remote. It wouldn't respond manually either. It would turn off by itself. Then turn on by itself. Samsung took 2 months to get the replacement controller board for it.
It still didn't work properly.
I have to keep it unplugged so that it doesn't turn itself on while i'm at work or sleeping. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!!
Finally, after 6 months, they've agreed to give me a refund. They still don't know what's wrong with it! SO I DON"T RECOMMEND THIS MODEL!! They should have replaced it immediately instead of making me 2 months for the first round of repairs!



Samsung PN50B560 is junk - Gary Bewick - Bloomer, Wisconsin, USA
Nov 29,2009, Ordered a samsung pn50b560 50 inch plasma TV from amazon.com

Dec 7,2009, TV is delivered. Set up in living room, waited 2 hours or so for the TV to come up to temperature. TV moved downstairs and hung on wall. Worked fine from dec7 through dec 9th.

Dec 10, 2009, turned TV on in the morning, no picture, but sound worked fine. Later that afternoon, called Samsung, got a repair ticket (don't have the number handy atm), was told that someone local would call from 24-48 hours later.

Dec 17,2009, called samsung back as no one had ever called back. Got a new ticket #4006032686. Shortly thereafter got a call from a local place, Woods Electronics. As I was out of town at the time, the TV couldn't be picked up until the 26th, but their technician was on vacation from the 25th through the 4th of january. Told them to pick it up on the 4th, but to call ahead of time so I could be sure to be home.

Jan 4th,2010. Waited until 2pm or so before calling Woods, was told it couldn't be picked up until the 11th.

Jan 11th,2010. Tried the TV in the morning, just to see what happened. Lo and behold there was picture. Called Woods and told them that it now worked, no need to come out. 15 minutes later, the picture was gone again. Called Woods again, and explained what happened. TV was picked up later that morning.

Jan 19th,2010. Called Woods. Was told the parts were ordered on the previous thursday, takes 5-10 working days for them to show up.

Jan 28th,2010. Called Woods. Was told TV had been up and running for a while. Earliest delivery date would be the Feb 1st. I arranged with a friend to pick it up the next day, rather than wait.

Jan 29th. Picked TV up before noon, was told to wait a couple hours to let it come up to temperature. Hung TV on wall around noon. About 2:00pm or so, turned TV on.
Nice picture. While attaching permanent mounting screws, the picture goes out again. I call Woods Electronics again, yell at technician. He comes out about an hour later. I apologize for yelling at him over the phone. He thinks it might be my AC power input. He plugs his meter into the outlet, announces he sees 12 volts. I never get a chance to see the meter. I suspect he is just making intermittent contact with the receptacle. He takes the TV back yet again.

A couple of days later, i meter the same plug. Reads 120VAC. I try to stress test the wiring, by plugging in a 12A electric heater and, while monitoring the voltage, turning the heater on and off quickly. I see the voltage drop to 116VAC from 120VAC as the heater is switched on and off.

Still waiting to see how this turns out....



Samsung Plasma rocks - Joe Ramirez - Cincinnati
For the money ,the Samsung 1080p plasma cannot be beat. I did way too much research on this before I purchased,both online and in the retail stores. I first looked at the 720p model ,after reading that there was not much difference,and found a good deal at Best Buy,I lucked out when it was not in stock,so I looked into outer models. The Panasonic had some good reviews,but not for me,the image was not as clear, or bright,the white areas were gray. I decided to give the Panasonic another look at a different store,and make sure, that the setup was done correctly at Best Buy,so I went to Costco, and saw the same results. So now I had it narrowed down to the Samsung brand, and found the best deal at Amazon, with free home delivery,no tax ,and a 0 gift card. I went with the Samsung PN50B560 1080P Plasma and after 1 month of use I could not be happier with the decision,and this was my first purchase with Amazon now I will look at Amazon first,they have excellent communication,quick shipping and very good prices. GET THE SAMSUNG




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 26, 2010 13:46:36

Check Out Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P54S1 54-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black for $1,249.88

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P54S1 54-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black Review

We purchased our Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P54S1 from Sears during a Black Friday sales event for under ,000.00, limited to inventory on hand and refundable shipping and installation (not yet received). The S1 will soon be replaced with the S2. For someone who grew up with CRT televisions, the picture is nothing less than amazing, and if in theory theaters have a potential resolution of 4000p or 4k, most experiences I've had, with poor prints and indifferent projection and screen design and set-up do not live up to that potential. In fact, I recall seeing the first X-Files Movie with such poor projection and print quality, including a hair that was stuck, that it was inferior to then Phillips 27 inch CRT we had.

We are using these settings, calibration to D6500K (perfect gray) modified according to the specific Blu-ray if necessary, provided by reviewer Jack Burden. [You can Google Search "Jack Burden Panasonic Viera" but be aware that you access any other Internet Site at your own risk, including CNET. Make sure your computer has the latest virus software and OS system upgrades; I recommend Firefox browser with Noscript add on for additional protection. Also, you'll have to ask Amazon why it won't allow links to non-competitor sites; I assume it's due to legal reasons, to protect themselves.]

Picture Mode Custom
Color Mgmt: OFF
Color Temp Warm2
x.v.Color: OFF
Brightness +74
C.A.T.S.: OFF
Contrast +75
Video NR: Weak
Color +45
Block NR: Off
Tint -2
Mosquito NR: Off
Sharpness +15
Black Level: Light
3:2 Pulldown: Off
HD Size: 2

Sharpness is usually set higher, and brightness in our darkened viewing environment is lower, sometimes in the 50s. However, personally, I am not obsessive compulsive about such settings. Remember that your home is not lit like a store showroom. For instance, the brightness must be set higher for a shot through dirty ditch water film such as the new Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (+ BD-Live) [Blu-ray] which of course is an exception. On the other end of the spectrum, District 9 [Blu-ray] was washed out, and brightness had to be reduced and color increased; then the picture was exceptional. I am using the Samsung BDP-1500 Blu-ray player with the latest firm ware update Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player; on its menu, choosing 24fps, and answering yes to retain current resolution (choose 1080p from the player menu) results in a picture of exceptional clarity. I am sensitive to flicker on computer monitors; I do not observe flicker, but the highest end Panasonic Plasmas with the 96fps menu choice supposedly correct any problems. Try the unit yourself first at these settings before purchasing.

The unit has no fan and never gets as warm as the much smaller refurbished Vizio Plasma purchased earlier from Tronicstrading (which still worked well, but can't compare to this set). It's Energy Star compliant.

Right now, the picture quality is exceptional. An LED LCD HD TV, which would have inferior off angle viewing, would have sold for three times the price we paid. I wish the remote were illuminated; it should be for the list price. The sound is adequate, but for most films, the output from the Blu-ray player goes to the stereo system. Interestingly, the zoom feature on the Panasonic is inferior in flexibility to the Vizio 720P plasma that this replaces.

Remarkable quality is apparent on the several films; even "bad movies" look amazing on the Panasonic. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] I'd also recommend as both great films and for picture quality these Blu-rays:

The New World (The Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]The Last Emperor - Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]2001: A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray] (Of course, for 2001, a 54" screen is not Cinerama, but the quality is outstanding.) Howards End (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Moon [Blu-ray] The black levels on Moon are remarkable, the picture quality is superb.

However, there have been recent concerns about changing black levels on Panasonic Plasma televisions; the unit does not have over 500 hours viewing time. I will amend this review if I note any deterioration in black levels.

I would give this television my highest recommendation but I have the following caveat, unless you can find the television for under ,000 and are willing to take a chance. David Katzmaier has written on his CNET blog regarding Panasonic's reply to his e-mail on the Black Level issue:

"A quote included in my original report accords perfectly with much of Panasonic's eventual statement, enforcing that belief. In it a respected calibrator who goes by the screen name D-Nice, citing sources within the company, called the too-aggressive voltage increase a "goof" on the part of Panasonic engineering. The closest Panasonic has come to admitting as much is contained in its reference to an improved, more gradual change in new models."

He wrote in conclusion on CNET in the above post, which was dated February 4:

"My main job at CNET is to provide buying advice regarding TVs, and Panasonic plasmas were one of my go-to recommendations. The 50-inch G10 was the most popular TV on CNET during 2009, and the V10 series earned the only Editors' Choice award I handed out to any flat-panel TV last year. In fact, after I reviewed the 2009 models, my dad bought a TC-P42X1, two of my colleagues at CNET, Matthew Moskovciak and John Falcone, bought TC-P50G10s and another, David Carnoy, bought a TC-P65S1 (we're keeping tabs on the black levels of those sets, too). It's safe to say that many readers of this Web site did the same thing dad, John, Matt and David did: buy a solid-to-excellent HDTV for a good price, and be perfectly happy with the picture quality. Judging from reader reaction, that happiness may be in jeopardy.

"Nothing halts a shopper's reach for his wallet better than doubt, so I believe it's in Panasonic's best interest to answer those lingering questions. Until that happens, it's going to be hard for me to recommend the company's TVs without a degree of uncertainty."

Therefore, in the interim, I advise caution on purchasing current production units. Google "David Katzmaier Panasonic black levels" for his recent post to CNET and future updates.

Black level update February 10, 2010:

David Katzmaier, Senior Editor, HDTV of CNET posted on his blog dated February 9, 2010 "Panasonic does not plan fix for reported black level increases; that answer comes from Bob Perry, Senior VP of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, in reply to a follow-up question CNET asked in response to the company's February 3 statement addressing reports about the company's plasma TVs losing their deep black levels over time..." and that it could take years to see the problem. Again, with minimal hours on this set, I've not seen anything other than an excellent picture. Software will be upgraded on the newer models to be released later this year. Posts to the blog by consumers who have contacted Panasonic contradict Mr. Perry, indicating engineers are actively looking at the issue. My advice if you own any Panasonic Plasma and have experienced the issue is to do as Perry advised in his reply to the below question:

Q: What should owners do who are unsatisfied with the picture quality of their TVs?

A: There is no reason for dissatisfaction with a product that works as it was intended to and provides industry-leading excellent black level performance. However, customers do have access to the Panasonic Plasma Concierge Program, which can provide advice and assistance on all customer satisfaction issues.

Finally, if you can purchase a 2009 at a bargain price and are willing to gamble, you may do so. But it may be wiser to wait for the 2010 models or to continue to monitor David Katzmaier's CNET blog; I can't provide a link due to Amazon's legal policy but be aware Internet searching, as I discussed, is something the consumer can do at his or her discretion. I myself have not observed any issues, but if I'm still around in a few years, or as soon as any issues occur, I will update my review. Right now, I don't regret the purchase. You can consider Samsung plamas, but do be aware some have had buzzing issues, i.e., buzzing sounds from the unit. Katzmeier recommends Samsung PN58B860 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV.

UPDATE March 3, 2010

I contacted Panasonic Plasma Concierge online, and like a Blu-ray player, the firmware could in fact be upgraded via use of software downloaded to an SD Card. However, they have no plans to do so. Per the transcript, I got this reply:

"Yes we are aware of the AVS forum posting all of them but the issue was investigated and nothing has been found to be a service issue or firmware upgrade. At this point we don't know if an upgrade will be [made available] in the future".

However, the latest CNET blog post indicates there is an issue. Therefore, I suggest for anyone who has observed black level problems to contact Panasonic. However,I'll give Katzmaier the last word on the topic of black levels:

"Results from two aged Panasonic plasma TVs purchased in 2009 indeed show brighter blacks, and correspondingly reduced picture quality, compared with similar 2009 models with fewer hours.

"The two aged TVs were a TC-P50G10 owned by CNET Senior Editor John Falcone and a TC-P42G10 loaned to us by CNET reader Efrain Perez. Both had approximately 1,500 hours of use, which at the average rate of 5.2 hours per day works out to about 9.6 months of age, at the time testing was conducted. We also measured another 50-inch TC-P50G10 and a 50-inch TC-P50V10, each with about 500 hours.

"According to our measurements, the models with 1,500 hours both reproduced black at 0.023 footlamberts; the 500-hour models measured 0.008.

"Unfortunately we're still not sure about the true extent of the loss in black level performance. The sample size involved in our test is still quite small among the thousands of Panasonic plasma TVs sold last year. In addition, we have yet to observe or measure any substantial change in the models we're testing. The only way to know for sure how these TVs change as they age is to conduct a long-term test using more samples, something that's currently beyond CNET's resources.

"We contacted Panasonic with these test results but the company declined to comment because of pending litigation related to the issue."

I suggest if you have an issue you pester Panasonic; I don't think for them to release a firmware upgrade would be a big deal, unless the litigation has now fouled things up!

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P54S1 54-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black Feature

• 54" Plasma, 1080p, NEO PDP Panel which is brighter
• Full-time 1080p TV lines of moving picture resolution
• Native contrast ratio 40,000:1, Dynamic contrast infinite black 2,000,000:1
• 600 Hz Sub-Field drive for razor sharp moving images
• Viera Image Viewer, enjoy your photos on the big screen via SD card

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P54S1 54-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black Overview

54" Plasma, 1080p, NEO PDP Panel which is brighter, Full-time 1080p TV lines of moving picture resolution, 3 HDMI, Native contrast ratio 40,000:1, Dynamic contrast infinite black 2,000,000:1, Game Mode, Anti Reflective Filter, 600 Hz Subfield Drive

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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• Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
• Techcraft HBL52 52-Inch Flat Panel Television Stand

Customer Reviews

Great set, no black issues yet - BSLC - Taylorsville, UT United States
I have had this TV since December 14th and have loved the picture quality, the sound isn't so hot but I knew this before I bought the TV. I've been reading about the blacks turning less black on the 2009 TV's and it hasn't happened yet. I really hope Panasonic stands by there customers on this issue. If this was a SONY they would just ignore the problem and bury it; and that's why I don't buy SONY. At the moment I am enjoying the great picture with its rich deep blacks, if that changes I will revise this review.






Panasonic TV - Linda E. Kramer - Minnesota, USA
We like the tv so far but time will tell, we were burned by our last purchase of a tv.



Great PQ - Michael Dinovi - Baltimore
Excellent set with a fantastic picture quality. Great value for the size too. Can't wait to see the Super Bowl next week!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 25, 2010 10:20:05

Great Price Samsung PN50C550 for Too low to display

Samsung PN50C550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black) Review

I had tried to buy the previous "B" model at close-out prices, but I missed the boat. Thought I might be outta luck until the "C" version started showing up a day or so afterward and it turned out to be basically the same TV, just about 25lbs lighter - only 2 people needed to wall mount - I was down with that and ,100 bucks still didn't seem too bad. I had already researched for some time and Plasma was it for me. The Panny G-10 had a similarly good picture too, and although it offers much to consider, I liked the Sammy's picture just a bit more, but you may want to check it out as well. I recieved the set with zero problems or issues: no dead pixels or any buzzing, whines or anything amiss at all. Outta the box the picture was quite good, and showed me good resolution performance even with SD cable with no video noise issues (although initially I did find it necessary to use the 3 supplied ferrite, choke magnets that snap on to the power cord. These not only eliminated the several horizontal noise bands in the picture, but cleaned up the resolution on the overall picture with no downside - an easy fix that totally nixed the problem for me).

But, tweaking the picture a bit is where this set shines the most. When researching, I came across a site that offered a list of picture control settings for the "B" version. Since this is really the same panel, I factored it into my buying decision accordingly. Especially since the settings were said to be obtained with a Sencore color analyzer (about a ,000 pro device for calibrating video displays and is the sort of thing used by the Imaging Science Foundation - ISF. They at least did pioneer and continue to legitimize the video calibration practice, but more to the point, it WASN'T done by any of the more lame imitators that have since cropped up (like Geek Squad, Spyder and others) whom, I feel, exist to separate you from your money (at about 0 a calibration) while hardly giving you a better picture adjustment than you can get on your own with a calibration DVD).

What this means to us is that the results of a basically 0 (legit) picture calibration, for this particular set anyway, has already been posted on the web for free - not an inconsequential consideration, for anyone interested. I'm posting those numbers here, for those who are:

White Balance Settings:
Red-Offset 22
Green-Offset 25
Blue-Offset 12

Red-Gain 33
Green-Gain 25
Blue-Gain 33

Picture Settings:
Picture Mode Movie
Color Temp Warm 2
Brightness 56
Contrast 90
Color 53
Tint G35/R65
Sharpness 10
Black Tone: Off
Dynamic Contrast: Off
Gamma: 0
Colorspace: Auto
Flesh Tone: Off
Edge Enhancement: Off
Digital NR: Auto
HDMI Black Level: Low
Film Mode: Auto

When I tried these settings I noticed a very organic, natural-looking picture, one that offered me a few surprizes. This set happens to be inherently capable of showing a more-than-generous amount of color saturation without problem. I personally prefer a picture that's just slightly undersaturated, if anything (but, I expect this set will accomodate anyone's taste on that score, if yours are different than mine). With all this, what I found was that even when slightly undersaturated and I felt the picture was indeed realistic-looking, whenever an unusually colorful object was displayed (like a particularly vivid piece of clothing, or a brightly flourescent color - like some NASCAR colors, for example), this TV displayed BOTH the less intense colors of the more mundane objects, and the most decidedly vivid ones, equally well in the same scene AT THE SAME TIME - never subduing the most vivid colors even when the overall color level looked 'properly' undersaturated to me on the more ordinary colors. Nor was it unnaturally emphasizing them, for that matter. The result was a TV that, on any good, HiDef, cable feed, regularly showed me a surprisingly wide (yet natural-looking) "dynamic range" of color intensity in the images. I could just about feel as if the TV itself were getting out of the way and showing me clearly (and more truthfully than I've seen in my home before) just what the camera saw. Very nice and, as I say, surprizingly convincing (and this with simply 1080i and 720p cable feeds - a Blu-ray player is definitely next!). This set, after my preferred adjustments, didn't make all the colors look too subdued, like some plasmas I've seen have ended up doing, nor all the colors too vivid, like some LCD's. I felt like it walked the line beautifully - not merely a good compromise, but it seemed truly the best of both in this regard.

In the end, I did opt to deviate from the settings above, but only with regard to overall contrast/brightness and color level settings, everything else was the same. This gave me an appreciable gain in contrast that suits me and my family's tastes in our well lighted, daytime living room. Plasma is usually not as vivid in the contrast department as most LCD's or LED's, but in the mid-price range (,000-,500 retail) it's a small price for me to pay for a picture that I feel (with adjustment) is otherwise decidedly sharper, clearer, more life-like and dimensional than anything else for the money. I haven't felt that any comparative lack of overall contrast has resulted in any buyer's remorse for me at all, as no such notion has yet remotely entered my head anytime I've watched it.

I'll add that in my experience with LCD's vs. plasmas, plasmas kill LCD's and LED's when it comes to motion - at least in the sets in this price range. Up over about ,000 and differences between the panel types start to get quite a bit smaller to me. But, just before I settled on this Sammy, I went to Wally World and dragged home a Vierra LCD, mainly to see if 'taming down' an LCD picture to suit my tastes could possibly be better than trying to 'pump up' a plasma. In this case, a huge waste of time! What I saw was a 120-Hz LCD on sale at just under a 1,000 bucks that just couldn't do motion very well at ALL. I popped in a SD DVD of Lawrence of Arabia and it looked like it was shot "live-to-video", perfectly goofy. I also found out just how bad a 5-ms response time can look on a 47" set. The 120Hz feature DID work as advertised and made fast motion MUCH better than without, but any slow-speed pan or movement caused a nearly instantaneous defocusing of the area of motion, until the motion stopped and the blurred area was able to snap back into focus. When watching a head shot of someone speaking, for example, their face would perceptably blur in the areas of facial movement while the face of another person in the scene next to them (not talking) remained in sharp focus - too disconcerting. And too much of a disconnect to the experience to NOT want to look at a person while they were talking(!). Plasma (600Hz or no) inherently has no such motion problems that require the consumer to spend money on to overcome. If that wasn't enough (and, believe me, for me it was) the somewhat artificial vividness to the picture proved, at least on this LCD, to be something I could never quite tame, no matter what the settings.

In all, to pass muster, a flat panel must make no major blunders in the 4 most important performance areas of color, contrast, resolution and motion. To me this Sammy does all of that and at a very nice price - I don't know how I can do much better than that, especially without another free video calibration. In fact, the only plasma that I'm confident could beat it is the discontinued-but-still-available Pioneer Kuro 50" plasma. But then, it should, it retailed for a mere ,500 when new. But, a few months ago it could be had on the web for only 1,600 bucks. It's just that at the time, I didn't have it. Now, the remaining ones, if you can find 'em, were, the last time I looked, hovering around ,000. Oh well, I'll tell you one thing, though; this machine at this price, has certainly eased my pain...;) I know this isn't 3D, or more colors than RGB or anything, but I'm more than content now to wait all that out. Til the next round, this will do me just fine!

Samsung PN50C550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black) Feature

• 1080p Full HD Resolution, 600 Hz subfield motion
• Mega Dynamic Contrast ratio, Built-in digital tuner
• New single-filter clear panel design eliminates the off-angle reflections that cause picture blurring of images
• Supports multichannel sound (MTS)and second audio program (SAP) with 181-channel capacity

Samsung PN50C550 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV (Black) Overview

Get a true cinematic experience without going to the cinema with a Samsung plasma HDTV. This Samsung PN50C550, with Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio makes sure every frame is saturated with dense, rich color. Samsung is also ENERGY STAR compliant so you are assured that your 50 -inch plasma HDTV is helping the environment by using less enery while saving you money.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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Customer Reviews

meh - Atlien - Cleveland, Oh
Buzzzzzes just like last years models. Looks good while off. Still need to get this thing dialed-in but after a basic setup using a calibration disc, the picture quality is decent. Blacks are ok. Nothing spectacular about this entry level 1080p set.







*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 24, 2010 00:40:04

Great Price Panasonic TC-P46G25 for $1,399.95

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Feature

• VieraCast WiFi with Skype (Skype functionality requires the purchase of the Panasonic TY-CC10W High Resolution web camera. Web camera and Skype capabilities are planned for mid 2010 release.)
• Infinite Black
• THX Certified Display
• Viera Image Viewer for Image and AVCHD playback

Panasonic VIERA TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Overview

Panasonic TC-P46G25 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 22, 2010 09:10:15

Check Out Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV for $1,224.88

Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

With new found riches of my tax return in my pockets, I performed an extensive search for a new television. At first I favored LCD, however, I chose plasma based upon reviews indicating the excellence of the picture. I purchased a 50" Panasonic TC-P50G10 plasma television along with a Panasonic SC-BT300 home theater system and I am very impressed with the picture and sound quality. The colors are strong and natural. The blacks are deep and the contrast very good. The audio is strong with blu ray, standard dvd, and regular televsion. I have an extensive library of black and white movies which play well on this television. I watch a great deal of older movies on TCM and I am very happy with the picture and audio. My stress levels have now eased with the knowledge I made the right purchase.

Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Feature

• 1920 x 1080 Resolution
• Native contrast 40,000:1, Dynamic contrast 2,000,000:1 Infinite black for the brightest whites and darkest blacks
• 3 HDMI Inputs
• THX Certified display
• PC Input For Better Viewing

Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Overview

50" Plasma, 1080p, THX, Viera Cast, H.264, IP Camera Ready, PC Input, NEO PDP Panel which is brighter, Full-time 1080p TV lines of moving picture resolution, 3 HDMI, Native contrast ratio 40,000:1, Dynamic contrast infinite black 2,000,000:1, Game Mode, Anti Reflective Filter, 600 Hz Subfield Drive

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

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• Sanus VMPL50B VisionMount Tilting Mount For 30"- 56" Displays - Black

Customer Reviews

Great Product.... for the first 200 hours of viewing! - Christian Z. Newth -
I, along with many other Panasonic TV owners, bought this TV after reading a multitude of both user and professional reviews. The TV was billed as having incredibly rich and deep blacks, great picture quality, and much more.

We were lied to. Panasonic has admitted that 2008, 2009, and new 2010 plasmas have a feature that increases the voltage to the screen over time, reducing the contrast ratios and increasing black levels (less black, more grey) enormously. The TV will look great for the first few hundred hours of use, and then the black levels will increase noticeably. This is not something that only videophiles can notice; novices and professionals alike have discovered this problem on their sets.

While some users may not find this to be a problem, you should know that it DOES exist before you buy. You should also know that Panasonic's response to this problem has been to essentially admit fault, but claim that it is, in fact, a 'feature'. Needless to say many consumers of this product feel betrayed, especially given that one of the main strengths of Panasonic Plasma (in fact, one of their main marketing points), has been the deep and genuine blacks exhibited by their plasma screens.

If you feel compelled to research this issue further, please visit AVforum or simply search for the issue on Google. Also note the fact that CNET, a major professional review site, has lowered their 2009 rating of this product by a full point/star (out of five) due to this issue.

I, for one, await a satisfactory response from Panasonic

Buyer be warned.






Great TV - Cynthia Steiniger - COLUMBIA, CT, US
The TV arrived with a little confusion by the dispatcher communications, but was received on the day promised by a very polite and helpful driver.

The picture clarity is very good, but the controls need a little getting used to by experimentation. The guide book is a little confusing and the remote instructions are a bit lacking.

The look is sleek and the value is good.



best christmas present I ever bought myself - Dave Steele - Dana Point, CA
After a couple of mnoths with this TV, I couldn't be happier. I did months of research and this was definitely the best TV for the money. I hooked up to a PS3 and Yamaha 7.1 receiver so my son is in seventh heaven. I'm even amazed at how good non-HD channels look on it.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 21, 2010 12:26:58