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"Great Picture and Perfect Size" on by glpatnode
Pros: Detailed picture, great color and clarity
Cons: Setup time may be longer than expected
Summary: I set this model up recently and I found that the color controls took some time to master, but once you take this plasma's setting out of the preset "torch" mode, it looks better almost instantly.
It took more time to get the greens from "glowing", but once that was tweaked, everything else seemed to be in place.
The 1080p detail on this plasma was amazing and it showed none of that "grid" that was visible I used to see (at least me, anyway) on the older 58" Panasonic plasmas with 720p: Seating distance was approx. 9 feet away.
When I got the HDMI cabling for the Panasonic DMP-BD10A hooked up, I played the "Ghost Rider" BD (Blu-ray Disc).
The picture was amazing with good detail and contrast, colors seemed accurate.
Audio was provided using a Denon AVR-2807 and 7 Polk speakers plus a subwoofer, so I didn't really use the internal speakers and I don't think many will for this size set.
This 58" size is neither too big or too small for most living rooms or smaller home theater rooms.
An 8300HD DVR provided another source for imaging and the digital SD channels came in good and clear; HD channels like "Discovery HD Theater" were still very good, though probably not as good as the BD player source:
I would like to try a comparison with "Planet Earth" with a HD DVR recording vs. BD on this plasma for comparison sometime.
This set is not perfect (none really are, IMO) but this series of 1080p Panasonic plasmas (at least this model) is very close to it and if you have some patience, the setup time is well worth it. -
"very,very nice tv" on by skinfan31
Pros: clear, large picture
Cons: people complaining about the sound
Summary: I've had this tv for about a week and couldn't be more pleased. First of all let me get this out of the way. When reading reviews about this tv the only complaints I could find were about the speakers. To rate this tv a 6 because of the sound is outrageous! The speakers sound just fine to me. But if you can afford this tv, then chances are, you have a surround system anyway.
The sound issue aside, the picture is excellent. This set replaced a 56 inch 720p dlp. I had no ideal how good HD could be until I hooked this up. Not only is the HD crystal clear, the SD programs come in very clear as well. With my dlp the SD programs were almost unwatchable. Not the case with the Panasonic.
You will not be dissapointed if you choose to purchase this tv. -
"Do NOT buy this Plasma" on by PeterNhTown
Pros: Picture, remote, design, SD slot, price
Cons: They are being sold with a known defect
Summary: The Panasonic TH-58PZ700U is not only a great looking Plasma TV, but the picture on it is incredible. The remote control, besides not being backlit, is excellent in layout and functionality. It's great having the SD card slot, and although some people have complained about the sound, I've found it to be very good.
Why am I telling you NOT to buy such a wonderful television? Because it is being sold with a horrible defect. The internal power units go out. They just cease to function.
I have had my Panaonic for 5 days, and now it won't turn on. After doing some quick searching on the web, I discovered that this is an all to common issue.
Not a problem for me, because I'm taking it right back to Best Buy. But what would happen if it goes out in 13 months - one month over Panasonic's factory warranty. Well, according to Panasonic, who did admit that there is a problem, they will 'handle it on a case by case basis.' I asked why they just wouldn't warrant a bad power system for 5 years, which I believe is perfectly reasonable on a $3000+ television, and they told me that they couldn't commit to anything. Wow!!!
So to summarize. Panasonic is selling very expensive Plasma televisions with a known defect. They have several options. They could recall all the TV's and replace the power systems. They could just extend the warranties on that particular part of the set so that a mass recall wouldn't be necessary and which would probably save them money. Or, they can continue selling them, and fix the ones that fail within a year, and decide what to do about the rest later.
Because they chose option 3, I will not only be purchasing a different brand, but I will warn everyone via the web about this issue.
I tried to contact Panaonic Customer Relations to voice this concern and to find out if they are looking at it in more detail as these things continue to fail, but alas, there apparantly isn't a Customer Relations Department or they prefer to remain out of touch and unseen.
Since Panasonic is choosing to play this kind of game on customers who are spending a lot of money on this product, I must give this product a rating of 1 even though I'd give it a 9 had this issue been handled correct.
I'm not a scorned customer, because I'm getting my money back; however, I am concerned about all those people who will be paying hundreds of dollars for repairs after 12 months has passed. -
"best I found - buy it" on by doodahman
Pros: picture quality; motion quality; colors
Cons: a removable bottom speaker for a narrower overall profile would be nice
Summary: I take forever to make big $ decisions. I've been renovating a 15' x 30' family room since March 2006 and have finally finished. During that time, I continually researched plasmas on cnet and just about every other place I could find. My overall procrastination paid off in the sense that I was able to purchase this TV which wasn't even available last year and which blows away anything near this price that was available last year.
Color accuracy, at least to my eyes, is fantastic, perfect even. I've seen cheaper Panny's have their yellows tend green (especially football goalposts) and I've seen hi-end hitachis have really gray blacks. I've got this TV dialed down off of the out-of-the-box high color settings and I think is is marvelous. The first movie I watched was Gladiator which has lots of shadowy scenes. Not a bit of detail was lost. I was prepared to have some trouble with dark scenes, but I have been blown away.
Motion on this TV is great. I've seen cheaper plasmas struggle with motion and the picture gets stretchy. Sports and action are simply flawless.
I can't speak to the sound of the speakers on this TV b/c I have mine hooked up to a home theater system. And, if you are dropping this kind of cash on a tv, you really ought to have it running through a surround sound system. You wouldn't take a Ferrari down a dirt road, would you?
The only complaint - and this is really nitpicking - is that I would like to see the bottom speaker come off (ala Pioneer) so that the overall height of the TV could be reduced. But this is really quibbling. The lower end of the frame only adds an extra inch or so. It looks bigger when you have it next to a Pioneer in the store, but when it is hanging on your wall, and you're sitting 10-12 feet away, you'll never notice it. Trust me, I measured and measured until my measurer was sore and went with the better picture and never looked back.
The cnet review lists standard def as a negative for this TV. I disagree. I think standard def looks pretty good, and the TV has a number of aspect ratios that can fill up the screen. True, it is not HD, but it looks pretty good. And, if you spend time looking at a lot of plasmas, I think you'll find that one of the big differences is how the expensive ones can show decent SD TV. The $1500 Vizios and Toshibas can do decent HD, but, in my experience, render SD unwatchable - not just worse than HD, but worse than a tube TV.
I give this TV a wholehearted recommendation. Perhaps the Pioneer 1080ps might be better, but, at this size, that's another several grand.
Simply put, if this TV doesn't do it for you, no TV will. So, go but this TV and get used to drinking your morning coffee in front of Sunrise Earth. It's a great way to start your day. -
"A Fantastic TV" on by THEDEVO
Pros: 1080P with excellent blacks
Cons: Anti Glare screen is so-so
Summary: First off I actually bought the 58PZ750U not the 58PZ700U so I could get the third HDMI port, but it pretty much the same TV other than that. I was quite surprised how good the sounds was on this after reading negative comments on it from other posts, the sounds is rich and full of bass. Also the 1080P resolution is great, but you will need to sit quite close to notice it. Once you get past 7 feet or so the benifits of 1080P will disapate. I also have a SXRD XBR2 TV and the Panasonic a better TV in my opinion. I would highly recommend this TV for anyone looking to go bigger than 50".
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