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"This was my panel of choice after 2 months of careful looking" on by John SII
Pros: Incredible picture, great response when calling tech support, quiet, bright against sunlight, great at drastic viewing angles, great looks, prices coming into reach for us all!
Cons: Have to buy seperate HDMI card, bezel and dead zone make up 2" unviewable area around the picture (only a problem if using multiple screens together), Was out of stock when I ordered
Summary: I received this TV almost a couple months ago, so you are reading from someone who's lived with the unit for a while. I bought the TV online, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It arrived via freight box truck double boxed. The guy from the trucking company was really cool about helping me get the box into the house. They don't have to do that. He said he's been delivering a lot of 50" panels lately (Nov 05)
I looked at a lot of Panels, and a lot of other technologies before I spent my hard earned cash on a new TV. The TH-50PHD8UK is what I decided on in the end, and I am glad I did it.
I absolutely LOVE it. This puppy makes it look like I'm looking through a window when I watch Discovery HD. I have run it with several different inputs. First with the S-Video (onboard) second with the Component video (onboard) and then I bought the $150 TY-FB7HM card for HDMI. Note… the card is for the 7UY (last years model). I called Panasonic to ask about this as there are a couple sites selling the TY-FB7HM (HDMI) board saying it is only for the 7UY model. It is, in fact compatible with the 8UK. Panasonic says they will have a new HDMI board in the future… but this one works fine for me. The Picture next to picture feature was nice to compare how the different inputs looked. There was a HUGE difference going from S-video to Component video. The black levels go from dark grey to black very noticably, and the contrast is much more defined and precise in the Component signal. The different from Component to HDMI wasn't quite as noticable, and I have very good vision. I think most people won't be able to tell much difference… even though the manual says you go up to 4000:1 contrast ratio when you hook in the HDMI board. At first when I hooked up the HDMI board to my DSS Hi Def reciever, I could only see Hi Def broadcasts. I didn't have this problem with the Component or S-Video signals. I found that if I told the DSS reciever the display was not capeable of displaying 480p signals, everything worked fine.
I wall mounted this Monitor with a Universal tilt mount to the wall above the fireplace. I'm a pretty big guy, but after attempting to get it halfway there by myself, I decided to get my neighbor to give me a hand. This thing is 100lbs, and you aren't supposed to touch the screen when you are lifting it due to the antireflective coating that Panasonic uses. There are lag bolts that go into the studs, and it feels very secure. I like having it tilted a bit. Also I noticed when lifting the handles at the top back of the monitor didn't feel sturdy enough to pick the unit up by alone. I felt them give a bit and quickly decided to try and get some bottom support to the panel. It just doesn't really work that well trying to lift this by yourself. Note that hiding the cables and power cord is something you really don't think about until you have the thing on the wall and they stick out like a sore thumb. I was quite pleased that Panasonic aims all connections down and gives you enough room to bend them all into a straight bundle before they become visible. This made hiding the cables quite a bit easier than I first thought.
Care must be taken in setting up the streach modes if your reciever also converts the signals to streach. The TV and DSS reciever did some battle for the signal a couple times.
I run the sound through a Marantz reciever in surround sound, so I don't need the TV to have sound. Having a high resolution audio system and this monitor really makes for a sensory feast. This Monitor is just great.
As a word of caution, I had heard a couple of salesmen say the 8UK was supposed to have only a 1/4 inch bezel around the perimeter of the screen. There is, in fact, a 1 and 1/8th inch framing bezel, as well as a 7/8inch dead zone perimeter around the screen.adding up to a grand total 2 inches of non viewable area around the screen. If you plan to use these in a multiscreen setup as some sports bars do... you will have 4 dead non viewing inches between screens. That seems like a lot. The diagonal viewing area of the screen is more like 49 inches rather than the touted 50 inches. That is one of only 2 criticisms I have for this unit. The other is that I feel Panasonic could have put the HDMI input onboard and made a card for the S- video instead of the other way around. All that said, and I still love this TV.Updated
I have now had this unit for 6 months, and I love it more than I did when I first wrote the review. My only added cry is the local channels in "hi def" won't streach then they broadcast the news, and those side bars bother me. Other than that, this unit is rock solid. I 100% believe I bought the right panel! I built a wood frame out of cedar for it, and it really looks classy above the mantle. Everybody loves it! -
"Best HDTV/Computer monitor on the market" on by sixdonuts
Pros: 1. Best HDTV picture on the market 2. Wide viewing angles 3. Connectivity options 4. Mounting options 4. Panasonic reliability 5. PIP with any combination of inputs
Cons: 1. 60 inch version expensive 2. No HDTV tuner
Summary: This HDTV is by far the best available. The picture is outstanding right out of the box but can also be easily modified for each input as well. Researched many of the new 1080p projection TV’s and they just don’t compare to this plasma. HDTV and 3D computer games look stunning from any angle!!
Need to remember to purchase a mounting option and any additional connectivity cards such as HDMI or DVI. Includes Component/S-Video/Composite and PC input cards. Could not be happier w/ my purchase!Updated
The black level performance of this TV is outstanding. Grey levels also look great.
To really see what this TV can do make sure to use a good HDTV source such as cable, OTA or a HTPC. This TV really shows the why cable and OTA HDTV signals are superior to satellite. -
"Best Picture! No extras :(" on by tsgjr
Pros: You can't beat the picture.
Cons: Extras add up!
Summary: I put this monitor beside four other brands and could easily see the industrial model Panasonic had a clearer and more vivid picture. Very pleased. Be sure and have RCA to BNC adapters. You'll also need a sound system and may need to buy an HDMI board too. Stand is also extra. But picture is what counts and this monitor wins hands down.
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"Best Plasma For The Price" on by ghrobert
Pros: Outstanding Picture
Cons: Extras start to add up
Summary: I recently purchased this plasma a couple of weeks ago for about $2999 @ plasmatv4less.com (great service). I picked it up myself so I can't review their shipping. I also bought a universal tilting wall mount from them for about $90, which worked perfectly. Mounting took about 15-20 mins, most of the time was just in putting the 4 huge screws in the studs. I would definitely recommend two people for attaching the plasma to the mount.
Right out of the box the color settings and contrast were a bit off, but after some minor tweaks the picture was amazing. The HD channels looked so good on here that I didn't want to leave the room. I also found that regular digital cable channels didn't look as bad as they do on other models. DVDs also look amazing, but HD is where this puppy shines. Football in HD on this thing just pops. You could see so much detail that I saw blades of grass through the small holes of a referee's jersey. I bought an extra "blade" with an HDMI input which I have running to my cable box. Installation of these blades is a cinch. They have a lot of cool things like a wireless presentation blade that let's you stream 4 separate pcs to the monitor.
I got a 15 foot HDMI cable from cablesforless.com for 17 bux which has worked like a charm. Don't get suckered into one of those $130 monster cables, definitely not worth it.
Overall this was a great decision. Why pay extra for crap speakers, worhtless tuner card, and inputs that you may/may not need. This plasma is da BOMB. Do expect to spend about an extra $3-400 for extra blade/mound/cables. -
"Top of the line" on by jhatchual
Pros: unmatched picture quality
Cons: no hdmi input
Summary: I watched Prison Break in HD on this television and i could see every pore on the actors faces. I have never been more inside a video game since wolfenstein. I played Half Life 2 on this thing I had to put on the lights. This 8uk replaced the 7 series and it definatly does it justice. There isnt a better TV out there. I saw this TV at best buy for like $5500 and then went home and searched. I got it from rapidplasma.com for over 2 grand less and i got the extended arm wall mount and I havent been happier. If you go to that site ask for a guy named Joe he really helped me out. This is a PC gamer's/ sports fan/ movie buffs HEAVEN. To summerize this tv in one word: Astounding!
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