Drop, charge, and lose the cords
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 92 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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19 out of 19 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"The best 50-inch 720p plasma on the market, and maybe the best 50-inch HDTV out there"
Pros: Terrific picture quality out-of-the-box including accurate colors and deep blacks; ample connectivity with 2 HDMI inputs; wide viewing angle; very bright; great for gaming; 1080i looks as good as 720p
Cons: No CableCard slot; no VGA input; grey bars on 4:3 video sources; an extra side component input would have been nice; somewhat expensive as far as 50-inch displays go
Summary: SUMMARY
Let me be clear: This TV is excellent. As long as you don't need 1080p, this is THE display to get if you want a 50-inch television. There are enough features on this TV to warrant spending the extra money over a DLP or rpLCD. With this display's excellent picture quality, ample inputs, and amazing performance, there's no reason not to buy this TV outside of monetary concerns.
PICTURE QUALITY
So everyone says that Sony's XBR LCoS displays have superior picture quality (PQ) to plasmas -- including this one -- and that is true. However, the difference in picture quality is so miniscule that it doesn't warrant spending extra money for XBR LCoS unless you find another feature of LCoS more compelling than plasma.
I could go on and on about picture quality and the deep blacks and the geeky numbers (see CNET's geek box for that) but here it is in a nutshell: The PQ out of the box is amazing. I have my brightness at 50% for burn-in prevention (more on that later) and have not adjusted any settings or used calibration DVDs. The PQ is just stunning.
A word about 720p vs. 1080i: I have an Xbox 360 that will switch between 720p and 1080i on the fly, and I can't tell the difference between the two. As an optimist, I'm taking this to mean that the TH-50PX60U's displaying of 1080i signals is above average. I use 720p, however, for burn-in prevention (it uses all the pixels on the display).
Also of note is the black bezel around the display. This bezel makes colors pop and gives your eyes something to grab onto when you're sitting closer than you should. While this isn't due to better video components, it nonetheless increases PQ (or at least viewing pleasure).
Lastly, standard definition TV looks very good. There's no way that you can get SDTV to look amazing on a large HD display, but the TH-50PX60U does an excellent job of presenting it with minimal artifacts or jagged edges.
The only minor annoyance I've found with this TV's displaying of video sources is how it deals with standard 4:3 "full screen" video. Instead of black bars on the sides, it uses grey bars, which are supposed to be better for preventing burn-in but are nonetheless distracting.
PLASMA TECHNOLOGY AND BURN-IN
If you are hesitant about buying a plasma (as I was), you probably were concerned about the higher price and the possibility of burn-in -- or some combination thereof. I can't tell you that this display won't burn-in. It's a plasma display with phosphors, so burn-in is a distinct possibility. However, you can help to "break in" your plasma display for the first 200-500 hours of use to keep it from burning in if you (1) keep the brightness below 50% for the first 250 hours of use; (2) refrain from watching video sources with static images, such as video game HUDs or TV sports scoreboards; and (3) try to watch all widescreen progressive video sources (480p and 720p). A great resource for burn-in prevention is AVSforum.com and CNET's features on plasma technology.
A last word about plasma technology: I opted for plasma as opposed to DLP/rpLCD for several reasons. The TV I'm using is in the corner of a room and often has sunlight shining in behind it. Plasma displays are supposed to deal well in brightly lit environments (the TH-50PX60U certainly has!) and they also have a very wide viewing angle (good for being in the corner of a room). These comforts along with the thin form factor and terrific picture quality were reasons enough to pay the extra money for plasma as opposed to cheaper 50-inch DLP/rpLCD displays.
CONNECTIVITY
The TH-50PX60U's jack pack is ample, with 2 component and 2 HDMI inputs on the back alongside 2 S-video/composite inputs. On the front is one more S-video/composite input, hidden underneath a panel alongside the channel, volume, and input selecting controls. Switching between the various inputs is easy and fast. It should be noted that 2 HDMI inputs at this price is becoming increasingly common, but still makes you feel like you really got your money's worth.
Both the HDMI inputs and component inputs display HD sources at 720p and 1080i without any artifacts or distortion I've been able to see. As I've said, I can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080i, for whatever that's worth. I've also tried 480p over the component inputs, and it looks fine (but obviously why bother with 480p when 720p provides twice as much detail?).
It's too bad there's no VGA input for computers, but with enough cabling you can go easily from VGA -> DVI -> HDMI.
Additionally, there's a digital audio output for over-the-air HDTV and a red/white audio input dedicated to the one of the HDMI jacks. I use neither of these because I have a home theater system, which brings me to...
MY SETUP & VIDEO GAME PERFORMANCE
I watch TV using a Dish Network ViP622 HD sattelite receiver connected to the TH-50PX60U with an HDMI cable at 720p. I also play video games on an Xbox 360 over component inputs at 720p. Both look gorgeous with an almost imperceptible difference in quality (it's the kind of thing that you can detect if you spend hours looking for it, but otherwise won't be able to see). I also have a GameCube running on the composite inputs that looks pretty good for standard-def TV.
As mentioned previously, I use a home theater system for sound, but I hooked up the Gamecube's red/white audio inputs to the TH-50PX60U, and the built-in speakers sound terrific. Other reader reviews have mentioned this, but people without home theater systems won't like that the speakers are on the bottom, but it's more aesthetically favorable, and I'm assuming most people who will buy this TV will have some kind of home theater setup.
People who want a CableCard slot built-in will find that feature is missing on the TH-50PX60U, and might want to wait for the TH-50PX600U, a forthcoming Panasonic display that adds a CableCard slot and a VGA (computer) input, among other things, for $300-$500 more.
A few words about gaming: Gamers don't have to worry about ghosting or screen artifacts or anything like that; neither are present when displaying HD sources (like the Xbox 360) or SD sources (like the GameCube). However, gamers should refrain from playing for too many hours during the first 250-500 hours of use because of burn-in considerations. The static images in many games (menus, HUDs, scoreboards, ammo counters, etc) can cause image retention. Overall, this is a terrific display for gaming.
CONCLUSIONS
In fact, it's a terrific display for just about anything, as long as you don't need 1080p technology. And who really does? Supposedly the human eye is barely able to tell the difference between 1080p and 720p, and even if there were a discernable difference I couldn't rationalize spending the extra $1000 or so I'd need to before it becomes a reasonably-priced baseline feature.
This brings me to the issue of money: By now, you know why I spent the extra $500-$700 to go plasma as opposed to DLP/rpLCD. (Another reason is no costly bulb replacement on plasmas.) Bottom line: rear projection TVs are right for some people, but the environment of my room and my video game habit led me to plasmas, and I am so happy I bought this one.
- 2 replies to this review
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I did not buy this TV I got it as a gift, But My job is in the audio Visual Business. The Panasonic Viera line are great tv's. The Black colors look great and the picture quality looks nice and sharp, not even being a 1080p tv. People say plasmas burn in and wont last and but whos had had a tv for more then 4 or 5 years anyway. Plus whith changing tehcnology 3-d tvs will be out soon which i saw at a conventuion ion florida
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Thanks so much for your informative and excellent review. I spend an enormous amount of time researching a product before I make a purchase; reading reviews written by folks who already own the item in question is the last step. If a review is poorly written, or skewed because the person has an ax to grind it is (of course) of no use. What a pleasure it is to read a review from a person who is intelligent, knowledgeable, careful, concise and *cares* about helping others. I really appreciate the time you took to write such a complete and pertinent review â?? it felt like a friend wrote it and that is a fine accomplishment (IMHO). Simply put, you are an excellent writer, I hope you will continue to contribute. Iâ??ll be looking for more reviews from you when I purchase any products like this. Againâ?¦ thanks.
Where to buy
Panasonic TH-50PX60U:
$1,899.95
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$1,899.95 | Yes |
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