Panasonic HDTV Review

Archive for July, 2010

Panasonic PT-AE900U Home Theater Projector User Review

I’ve owned (and religiously used) this exact projector since the fall of 2006 when I set-up my movie room. I came back to this page to get some technical information so I can finally get a 2nd one for the bedroom. When I noticed all the reviews (which usually are from people who have, at best, a month or two of usage), I thought I’d throw in my experience as a long-time user. The width of picture in my movie room is about 110″ diagonal (the wall is painted an extreme matte white — you don’t want (or need) anything reflective — trust me — someone in the room will be blinded depending on where they sit, if the screen reflects).

I never had a problem with my projector (I bought it referbished from AMAZON, as I said in ‘06) — and (believe it or not) the original bulb didn’t give me “REPLACE BULB” warning until a couple of weeks ago. I’ve always kept my brightness on LOW and the settings (usually) on DYNAMIC and it gave me close to 4500 hours. Time will tell if this is within the Bell-curve or I just got lucky. Not wanting to press my luck, I bought a new bulb from projectorquest (about 0). The installation was easier than replacing my ink-jet’s cartridges — just read the manual online and be sure to reset the usage meter (instructions are in the manual).

As for the quality. Excellent. We sit at least 6-8 feet from the wall it projects to .. getting closer will start to give you a screen-door effect in the white areas. My movie room is a sub-basement, but even with lights at half brightness, it’s more than acceptably bright. I watch my HDTV programs from DirectTV (though, I switched to UVerse when they had their spat with Versus).. and I also use an upscaling DVD [that's an important component] and the quality makes me really laugh at people who feel the need to get a Blu-Ray. (I’m not saying a Blue-Ray doesn’t look crisper — it looks fabulous — but I (nor anyone I’ve had as a guest) has ever thought that anything we’ve watched on DVD needed to look sharper.. especially for 30%-50% more per DVD).

The price of these new is amost exactly what I paid for mine refurbished in ‘06, so there is that to be said.

Get one. There’s not a single feature I could think of that someone would need for a movie room that this one didn’t have. The iris can make the picture bigger or smaller without moving the unit. The fan isn’t noisy. The picture can be adjusted in every possible way… and the 360-knob gets used all the time when the projector gets moved from place to place, and may very well be the most convenient thing about it.

My bedroom’s demands for size and so forth aren’t as stringent, so I’m still shopping for a cheaper alternative. But, I’m wavering just because with this unit, there wouldn’t be any surprises.
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Reviews Panasonic PT-AE900U Home Theater Projector

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : PT-AE900U

Rating Reviews : 4.0

More Info. Click to See Now! at amazon.com

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Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P65S1 65-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black User Review

I bought this TV in March, just before the Madness started. I was upgrading from a Panasonic TH-50PX75U 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV, mostly to enjoy Blu-ray at its fullest 1080p. I looked at several options, including LCDs (too expensive for similar size) and the more expensive Panasonic V and G series. I just couldn’t justify the massive cost of the more expensive lines, despite having a few better features (THX, PC and USB hooks). I run almost everything through my receiver, which has all those features anyway, except THX, but honestly I can’t hear the difference. I have a LG blu-ray that has built in wireless so I can access netflix, on demand, and other functions that way. This is my 3rd Panasonic plasma. I’ve been a little more partial to plasmas due to the better blacks, and less blurring for sports/action at a lower price point typically than LCDs at this size. I am not a gamer, so can’t comment on that.

Delivery through Amazon was fanastic. It took 3 days to arrive. The delivery guys put it in the house for me up two flights of stairs. This tv is very heavy. I found the 50″ one pretty heavy, although I could move it (slowly) myself. there is no chance, unless you are an Lou Ferrigno that you will move this alone.

Set up was very easy. A lot of people have recommendations for settings, but I say mess around with them and see what works best for your room. It took me a while to get the red or green tint just right, but once I got it, it looks great.

My first experience was to watch some March Madness games on CBS. Cable compresses the picture to 720p (and is what most HD is broadcast anyway), so not the full 1080p experience. At first I thought–this stinks. I called a friend and said that CBS’s madness coverage was terrible, so it wasn’t the TV. I tested out other HD channels, and wow, we started to get some real pop. But the real test was to put in a blu-ray. I started with Inglorious Basterds–nice! Crisp shots, great sound (through the receiver), everything was wonderful. Very pleased with the picture. Lesson learned though…with TVs at this size you will see imperfections in substandard broadcasts more easily than smaller sets. So standard definition and subpar HD transmission flaws will show. Standard DVDs still look very good too because most blu-rays will upconvert them a bit.

The only drawback of this set (and a lot of plasmas) is the glare. It has coating to reduce, but I definitely notice a difference when watching during the day vs. the night. I’d try to eliminate any light source directly in front of the tv.

The tv is big (my girlfriend reminds me that the set size is as tall as her-65″) but it has a small profile (thickness–both the girlfriend and the set-ha!). It’s no thicker than the old 50″ one. It doesn’t overwhelm the room its in. It makes my 50″ look like the old 26″ box tv’s that used to be the standard. I don’t ever use the tv for standard def programming. the HD cable program looks fantastic. No artifacts, blurring, or anything like that. I have never used the speakers, so also can’t comment on that.

It’s definitely worth the price tag because it’s a lot cheaper than some of the others out there for a very good picture and size. The S2 model I think was just released which seems pretty much the same as the S1.
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Reviews Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P65S1 65-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, Black

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : TC-P65S1

Rating Reviews : 5.0

More Info. Click to See Now! at amazon.com

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Proscan 32LB30QD 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with built-in DVD Player, Silver/Black User Review

I bought the Proscan 37LB30QD 37″ with built DVD Player. Great TV for the price. Was going to put in kids room but I liked it so much I gave them my 32″ TV and put the Proscan in my bedroom. My wife and I now have a bedroom full of kids at night (limited time of course) watching TV with us. We love this TV!

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Reviews Proscan 32LB30QD 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with built-in DVD Player, Silver/Black

Products by : Proscan
Top Model : 32LB30QD

Rating Reviews : 3.0

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Panasonic VIERA C1 Series TC-P42C1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV User Review

I am comparing this tv with a 1920×1080p lcd (60 hz) from lg. I bought this plasma and am very pleased it. The videos/tv broadcast is better than the lcd. There is some pixelation during fast moving HD scenes IE football games but it’s better than the lcd. On the lcd it was very difficult to find a sweet spot on picture settings. This panasonic makes picture adjustment very simple and finding a good setting is very easy. The hdtv tuner seems to have some issue with finding one of my local channels even though the subchannel for that station is coming in fine. It acutally finds all the other channels better than either my hdtv tuner card or the lg lcd tv but this one channel is giving me problems. This was not a problem on the lg lcd using the same antenna. If you use cable/sat this shouldn’t be an issue for you. I’ve also tested a PC connected via hdmi and the lg lcd is far superior for that than this model. There seems to be flickering on bright white screens and of course 1920×1080 is far better than 1024×768. This model has no vga connection. Finding a resolution that fits into the 1024×768 16:9 format is very difficult. I couldn’t get a full screen to fit in the tv’s display using the hdmi > hdmi connection. I tried every resolution imaginable. I imagine a dvi > hdmi cord will end up with the same results.
If you have a western digital media player it looks awesome on this tv using hdmi and the 720p setting. On the lcd tv it looked very disappointing on the 1080 setting. I recorded hdtv using a tv tuner and played back the .tp .ts files and they look awesome. The panasonic can’t read the CC signal from those .tp .ts recordings and neither can the western digital. I have since found out that you can rip the CC information from the .tp .ts files and extract them to .srt format which the WD media player can read and display.
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Reviews Panasonic VIERA C1 Series TC-P42C1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : TC-P42C1

Rating Reviews : 4.5

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored : Jul 28, 2010 20:46:07 ***

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Panasonic TC-P42C2 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV User Review

What a great buy this HDTV is. I paid 9.00 (including shipping) for this 2010 42″ Panasonic Plasma.

I own a 58″ 1080p Panasonic plasma which was top rated by CNET in 2008. In fact, CNET said it was the very best HDTV they had tested that year and awarded it Editors Choice

I see very little difference between this low priced 42″ Panasonic and my 00.00 top of the line 58″ 1080p Panasonic.

For a number of reasons I’d suggest you consider purchasing a plasma TV and if you can live without some bells and whistles, I’d recommend you purchase this exact model.

1.) 720p versus 1080p: While this is a 720P HDTV – I don’t feel it makes much difference compared to a 1080 set. While the public has focused their attention on the obvious numeric difference between 720 and 1080 and assumed the larger number was always better — that — in a practical sense — is not always the case. With smaller TVs, the difference between 720p and 1080 can not be easily detected unless you sit on top of the TV. Professional reviewers, time after time, have said the very same thing. Because of public perception – 720p TVs are becoming a dying bred and offer a unique buying opportunity. 720p displays process 1080 signals without any problem just as a 1080 display processes 720p signals without any effort. People forget that most Xbox and Playstation games as well as ALL of the content on ABC, FOX, and ESPN are sent in 720p.

2.) Viewing angle – almost every LCD has a poorer picture when viewed off center. CNET, HD Guru, Displaymate, Consumer Reports, etc all note how picture quality deteriorates when an LCD is viewed from an angle. In some cases, just sitting one seat cushion away from the ideal sweet spot produces a much poorer picture on an LCD. Plasmas have never had a problem with off center viewing. No matter where you sit, you will see the same picture on a plasma.

3.) Motion: While this is another perimeter that has been given far too much importance in the specification wars – plasmas are inherently superior at displaying motion. LCDs at 120HZ or better are pretty good with motion but never the quite the equal of plasmas. What is interesting to note is that reviewers say it is not likely anyone can see the difference in every day viewing (as opposed to test patterns). The bottom line is that plasmas are better with motion handling but even the worst LCD will likely look fine to most non-sports viewers.

4.) Black levels. How black is black is the specification that plasma fans love to cite. The blacks of most plasmas are far darker than those of a typical LCD although local dimming LED/LCD sets are close if not equal. This C2 Panasonic is no exception and even in my bedroom, with all the lights out, the blacks are very, very dark indeed. Panasonics, in the past, have been criticized because black levels increase over time, but in general, the blacks remain darker than LCDs even after they have risen. Whether the 2010 Panasonics even exhibit this problem is an open ended question.

5.) Reflections: The C2 has a shiny glass screen behind which is a dark background. It reflects, fairly well, any bright objects which are opposite it. If you are viewing program material that is fairly dark in nature you’ll be able to see those reflections. With brighter program material – these reflections won’t be visible

6.) Brightness: Plasmas are not overly bright. If you plan on viewing your TV in any room with a fair amount of ambient light then a plasma HDTV is probably not the best choice.

I’d recommend an LCD if you are viewing your TV in a medium to bright room. LCDs are often brighter than plasmas. If you are worried about reflections then an LCD with a matte screen would be a wise choice. Unfortunately matte screens are becoming increasingly rare on LCDs and have never been available on plasmas.

While other Panasonics offer more bells and whistles and technically better performance, I really believe this model is the value leader in HDTVs – given its low price. If you are willing to spend about a hundred dollars more then look at the S2 series of Panasonics (latest 1080p Panasonic panel, more inputs and according to the manufacturer – a better anti-glare screen) or if you have even more money to spend – the G series. The VT25 series is the top of the line but prices start above ,000.00

Highly recommended at or below 0.00. I’d recommend the S2 Panasonic at or about 0.00.
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Reviews Panasonic TC-P42C2 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : TC-P42C2

Rating Reviews : 4.0

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored : Jul 27, 2010 15:32:07 ***

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Panasonic TC P58V10 – 58″ plasma TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV User Review

I have had this TV since 3/25/10. The picture is nothing short of amazing. I have it connected to AT&T Uverse service. All of the LCD and LED TV’s always have a slight outline of the objects in the picture and ghosting and blur during fast action scenes along with some pixelation and jagged edges which varies in degree across differnt models. But when looking up close on this tv there is absolute none of that. The picture is razor sharp, crystal clear with very accurate color and distribution. It has a very good black which provides a nice contrast. When I first turned it on and went to the settings menu, the video settings were all at fifty percent which surprised me because all of the channels had a pretty bright picture, so any adjustments were not needed. The only thing that I did change was the picture format when watching HD channels so they will cover the whole screen. Also, even the SD channels fit very nicely on the screen and any stretching is not that noticable unless you are paying attention to it.

Overall, I don’t see how any more improvements could be made except for making it 3D with all of the bugs worked out. The speakers in the tv are quite average but I can’t see why anyone would make use of them anyway as it only make sense to connect to a suround sound receiver. The built in vieracast feature I have not made use of yet and is used to access a small number of popular websites. This might be fun to play with but there is not much use for it.

I gave this TV five stars and consider it a very good deal for the money.
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Reviews Panasonic TC P58V10 – 58″ plasma TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : P58V10

Rating Reviews : 4.5

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored : Jul 26, 2010 13:51:41 ***

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Proscan 40LD45QC 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black User Review

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Reviews Proscan 40LD45QC 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black

Products by : Proscan
Top Model : 40LD45Q

Rating Reviews :

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Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV User Review

Not always the first one to jump on the bandwagon, I was definitely leery about spending a bundle of cash on an HD set when my tube TV seemed just fine. This is, of course, until Amazon and other retailers had this baby available earlier this year at a fantastic…unbeatable, really, price.

Now, I warmed to the idea, but again, I need to know what exactly I’m doing with my hard earned cash. I spent countless hours not only deciding the LCD -vs- Plasma -vs- DLP debate (I settled on plasma), but which brand/size/etc I definitely wanted to stick with until the next “latest and greatest” technology craze bites.

I concluded the Panasonic 42″ TH-42PX80U was the way to go. Not only do multiple professional reviews give Panasonic props for displaying the truest blacks, but they also produce a plasma which should have the capacity to run approximately 8 hours a day for the next 20 years. For the price compared ot LCD, at the time, it was a no-brainer for me.

So, while I’m not much for opening new credit cards, I did accept Amazons offer to create a credit line for no interest over a period of six months. To sweeten the deal, I also received Amazon’s ‘White Glove Delivery’ service. A1 absolutely fantastic.

Four months with the new TV, and I’m smitten. It looks great and connected nicely with my Denon AV surround receiver. Blue Ray’s look great, as do the new episodes of Lost, and as I’m sure it will when the Cubs win the series this year . Can’t believe it took me so long to come around and I have absolutely ZERO regrets trusting Panasonic with my television needs.

I should say, I do not use the TV’s audio. this is NOT because the sound is poor; its actually outstanding. I just prefer to put my full audio system to use.
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Reviews Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : TH-42PX80U

Rating Reviews : 4.5

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored : Jul 25, 2010 13:17:20 ***

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Panasonic TC P46G15 – 46″ plasma TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV User Review

Purchased this plasma TV in early January. It was a “close-out” model still in box at a local big box retailer. I bought the last one in the store. We recently moved and my huge 65″ projection TV was not going to fit into our new living room, so we needed a flat screen to mount on the wall next to the fireplace. I was undecided between an LCD or plasma, but decided on the latter due to the claim of a better viewing angle. The tv is mounted in a corner, and is watched from the living room, dining room and sometimes the kitchen, so a good viewing angle was crucial. I’ve had this tv for over a month now & we absolutely love it! The picture is so beautiful no matter what the source we’re playing. Standard def is clear and of course, HD is amazing! The sound from the TV isn’t as bad as I thought it would be after reading other reviews. Digital quality sound thru HDMI & the TV’s speakers is crisp and clear. We did end up buying a AV receiver to hook up to the TV but that was more for music purposes. I could have easily used and been happy with the tv’s built-in speakers. The viewing angle is very good, which is why we chose this model in the first place. A couple negatives about this TV to be aware of: 1) there is a glare off of the screen if watching in a sunny room. One entire wall in our living room is a window that is currently not covered by curtains or anything, so the room gets plenty of sunlight during the day. At certain times of the day, the picture on the TV is nearly washed out due to the glare from the screen, but we plan to install a curtain on that wall sometime soon so this should resolve that issue. In addition, our TV watching during the day is not too often, so this minor annoyance is tolerable for us. I had read that due to the glass screen, plasmas do give off more glare than LCDs, so I knew this going in. Not going to ‘ding’ a product for something I already expected. This was a trade-off I was willing to make for the better viewing angle. I have never owned an LCD flat screen so cannot compare the anti-glare claim on those TVs. 2) This TV is difficult to keep clean since dust shows up like crazy on the black casing, but again, this is a minor complaint for me. Only takes a minute or two to swipe it clean. My boyfriend, who did not want a new TV, actually commented on my good decision to buy this one. And all of our friends who were thinking of going the LCD route have changed their minds to going plasma, or this exact same TV. I think that’s the best testament of all! All in all VERY pleased with this model and its performance. Can’t imagine someone experiencing television on this set and not enjoying it!!!
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Reviews Panasonic TC P46G15 – 46″ plasma TV – widescreen – 1080p (FullHD) – HDTV

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model : P46G15

Rating Reviews : 5.0

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored : Jul 24, 2010 12:57:10 ***

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Panasonic TC-P42U1 42″ 1080p Plasma HDTV & DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Player (Bundle) User Review

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Reviews Panasonic TC-P42U1 42″ 1080p Plasma HDTV & DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Player (Bundle)

Products by : Panasonic
Top Model :

Rating Reviews :

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