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Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV | 
 enlarge | Brand: Panasonic
Category: CE
List Price: $2,499.99
Buy New: $1,739.99
You Save: $760.00 (30%)
New (16) Used (1) from $2,190.87
Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 2054
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: Yes
Display Size: 50
Shipping Weight (lbs): 99.2
Dimensions (in): 13.1 x 55.2 x 36.5
MPN: TH-50PZ800U
Model: TH-50PZ800U
UPC: 037988241927
EAN: 0037988241422
ASIN: B00142JKSG
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 1920 x 1080 Resolution | | • | 1000000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio for the Brightest whites and darkest blacks | | • | 5120 Shades of Gradation for spectacular Color Reproduction | | • | Viera LinK™ HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control | | • | GalleryPlayer allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The PZ800 series meets the THX Certified Display specifications, signifying the highest standards of performance and quality. The PZ800 Plasma televisions feature an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1; Game Mode; VIERA Link; a PC Input, four HDMI connections and an all new one sheet of glass design concept.
Amazon.com Product Description--August 05, 2008
With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings an astonishing 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.
What's New This Year?
- Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year's 15,000:1.
- Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
- new anti-reflective filter; lead-free "Tough Under Force" panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
- Built-in SD card slot with Photo Viewer/Gallery Player software
- x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
- 24p native reproduction
- Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
- Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
- At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
- THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series
Which Viera is Right For You?
Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.
One Sheet of Glass Design Beautiful, elegant, and functional -- a single pane of glass covers the entire front of the television, including the bezel. This design reduces or eliminates the "halo" effect that can occur around lettering and logos with traditional 3-pane designs
| | Amazing color reproduction The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you'll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that's as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV. |
| | Consistent brightness from any angle A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle. |
 | Smooth, graceful motion When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible. |
 | 24p native reproduction Movies are shot at 24 frames per second. Unfortunately, TVs operating at 60Hz can only refresh 20 times per second, which means they must drop every fifth frame. With its 2008 Viera PZ85, PZ800, and PZ850 models, Panasonic introduces 24p native resolution, which means 24 frame per second movie content is reproduced frame for frame exactly, making for true-to-source smoothness of motion. |
 | 1,000,000:1 Contrast The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right |
 | More Colors Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. - Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
- Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
- Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors
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 | Deep Color Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.
- Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
- Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
- Enables increased contrast ratio
- Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.
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Connectivity Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2008, Viera Link is compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.
| Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs. | Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device. |  |  |
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| | Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VIERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor. | 4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.
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 | Long Life Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved. |
 | Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920x1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720x480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste. |
| Screen Size
Measured
Diagonally
| 1080p
Full HD
1920 x 1080 pixels
| Native
Contrast
Ratio
| PC Input
| THX
Cert
| 24p
| Speakers
| HDMI
Inputs
| One Sheet
of Glass
Design
| Swivel
Base
| Shades
of
Gradation
| H.264
Codec
| Digital
Cinema Color
| Studio
Reference
Mode
| Pro
Setting
Menu
| Serial
Port
| Standard Features | TH-42PX80U
| 42 inches
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| 15,000:1
|
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|
| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096
|
|
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|
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| - 480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology
- Anti-Reflective Filter
- Viera Link HDAVI Control
- Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer
- Deep Color Technology
- x.v. Color
- 3D Color Mangement
- Sub-Pixel Controller
- Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
- Anti-Image Retention Mode
- Game Mode
- Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel
- 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day)
- Lead-free Panel
| TH-50PX80U
| 50 inches
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| 15,000:1 |
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| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
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| TH-42PZ80U
| 42 inches |  | 20,000:1
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| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
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| TH-46PZ80U
| 46 inches | | 20,000:1 |
|
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| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
|
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| TH-50PZ80U
| 50 inches | | 20,000:1 |
|
|
| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
|
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| TH-42PZ85U
| 42 inches | | 30,000:1 | |
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| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
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| TH-46PZ85U
| 46 inches | | 30,000:1
| |
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| 2
| 3
|
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| 4,096 |
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| TH-50PZ85U
| 50 inches | | 30,000:1 | |
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| 2
| 3
|
|
| 4,096 |
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| TH-42PZ800U
| 42 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,096 |
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| | TH-46PZ800U | 46 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,096 |
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| | TH-50PZ800U | 50 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,096 |
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| | TH-58PZ800U | 58 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,096 |
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| | TH-46PZ850U | 46 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,120 | | | | | | | TH-50PZ850U | 50 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,120 | | | | | | | TH-58PZ850U | 58 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,120 | | | | | | | TH-65PZ850U | 65 inches | | 30,000:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,120 | | | | | |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Panasonic 800 Series HDTV Review & Configuration Help June 13, 2008
Sean C. Stephens (Phoenix, AZ USA)
315 out of 328 found this review helpful
My hope is that this review will come across as credible after a brief introduction revealing my technical background. I have been a home theater enthusiast since 1995 and ran a small video and independent film business from 1996 - 2001. This review and check list are based on both personal research and professional experience. If you do not wish to read this entire review, feel free to scroll to the bottom where I have created a systematic checklist that will enable any Panasonic 800 series HDTV to maximize its fullest potential. More specifically, I will attempt to draw upon the televisions abilities when viewing Blu-ray movies which, to date, offer the best HD image quality and upgradeable potential.
If you factor tax and delivery, I bought the TH-50pz800U Plasma for about $700 less than retail and it performs great. The best-upgraded features on 2008/09's Panasonic 800 series include the 24p playback for Blu-ray movies and 100,000-hour lifespan of the display itself.
Why the 100,000-hour lifespan is important
This feature was a major selling point for me because I wanted a Plasma due to LCD's poor dark color reproduction but was worried about the shorter lifespan of most Plasma's which is typically only 30,000 to 70,000 hours. However, this baby specs out at 100,000, which is equal to 8 hours per day for over 34 years. Unheard of for Plasma displays until the 800 series arrived in April.
Why 24p is important
Although this HDTV supports a variety of features that will be better utilized in the next stage of HD technology 24p is here now. Currently only Blu-ray and a variety of high-end camcorders are capable of outputting 24p content. What is 24p? In a nutshell 24p is the frame rate in which images are displayed on your TV or Computer screens. A 24p capable system can display video at 24 frames per second rather than succumbing to display a converted video signal at 30 frames per second. This is important because all Hollywood films are shot and later projected in theaters at 24 frames per second. After theatrical release, studios then convert their films to 30 frames per second and ship them to the home video markets as well as television broadcast networks. This conversion process is known as 3:2 pull down and it means that you ultimately lose several frames as they are blended together to display at 30 frames per second. This is why you sometimes will not see smooth motion when you fast forward or rewind DVD's. Once a Blu-ray begins, be sure to use your TV remote to enter the advanced custom picture options and select 48Hz (a factor of 24) rather than 60Hz under the "24p Direct In" field. The instructions to set this up are included in the checklist at the end of this article. At first, you may notice a slight flicker but after your eyes adjust, you will feel as though a State of the Art film projector is rolling your favorite movies right in your living room. When you are done with 24p content, the TV will switch back to 30 frames per second (60Hz) automatically.
Future Proof
The other features available with the 800 series Panasonic's are intriguing but will not be able to dazzle you until media technology catches up. For example, this TV supports Deep Color, which is technically the next step up from True Color. True Color is the color depth standard that has been output to computer displays for years. Deep Color enables many more variations of color. Unfortunately, nothing on the market except for a few high-end camcorders output images utilizing this advanced color pallet. It is safe to assume that Blu-ray movies will do so in the future because of there massive storage capabilities. For PS3 owners you will need to turn on the "Super-White" feature under "Display Settings" to enable this functionality. It took a bit of research but essentially "Super-White" is Sony's name for Deep Color. Again, detailed instructions for setting up this feature can be found at the end of this review.
Many websites and message boards claim that Deep Color will not be a big deal when it finally arrives because its full potential is impossible to detect. What this means is that although Deep Color will offer several thousand additional color variations the human eye will only be able to differentiate about 360 of them. Still, further research will reveal that those 360 additional shades essentially push the entire color pallet of the human eye to its limits. In other words, all the real time color data that went into establishing the next shot of a film appears in front of you exactly as it did for the director. No visible shade of color gets lost or fades when put through the eventual electronic transfer process.
Do you remember when HDTV first came out? The early reviews claimed that the picture was so clear it was like looking through a window. Well, theoretically Deep Color will bring this statement to life because for the first time in history an electronic image will be able to reproduce every single color that is recognizable to the human eye.
Conclusion
The 800 series of Panasonic displays are the perfect solution for consumers looking to add a long-term home theater display to their arsenal. The set is ready for features that have potential to become more of an HD standard in the years to come. The product line is truly future proof and ready to adjust to the rapidly evolving HD industry. If you are like me, you may also be considering the only other real competition in the high-end Plasma HDTV market, Pioneer. If so, consider this; beginning next year Pioneer will no longer continue developing their HD product line from scratch. Instead, they will be outsourcing for raw plasma displays and then tweaking them. Where will they get these raw displays? You guessed it, Panasonic.
Checklist to maximize this TV's Performance
If you wish to enable feature 5 you may need to toggle between "Size 1" and "Size 2" for maximum visuals during Blu-ray Screenings/Video Gaming (Size 2) and all other viewing (Size 1)
1. Connect your Blu-ray player or PS3 using a Category 2 HDMI cable to ensure that you are ready for future Deep Color support as well as current support for a broader color space through x.v.Color. Be sure to connect this device to the first HDMI port labeled "HDMI 1" in the input menu. If you search Amazon by entering: Category 2 HDMI, you will find several affordable options.
a. HINT: Expensive name brand cables make no difference when transferring a digital signal and do not improve picture quality. Digital signals are either present or not present. There is no such thing as a weak digital signal. That is why the world is moving away from analog and switching to digital. All data that travels through an HDMI cable is 100% digital.
b. You want to use the first HDMI port because it is possible that the HDTV bases its HDMI compatibility for future devices on the first port. In other words if you do not install the device with the most compatibility into the first HDMI port then your Blu-ray player may be limited to the specifications of whatever device ends up getting plugged into the first HDMI port.
2. Set the television's picture mode to "Custom" from the display menu.
a. HINT: If you use the other picture modes (i.e. "Game," "THX") you will not be able to turn 24p and other advanced features specific to Blu-ray. However, you can always manually adjust the "Custom" levels (i.e. brightness, color, and tint) to match the other picture modes and you will get identical results. You may even wish to have the "Custom" levels professionally calibrated although these options are often a matter of personal taste. I find the default "Custom" display levels to be sufficient with a slight tint level adjustment towards the green end of the spectrum.
3. Turn on your PS3 or Blu-ray player and enable Deep Color support. You will only need to enable this on the initial setup.
a. HINT: Deep Color support may also be labeled "Super White," "x.v. color," "RGB Full or Wide," and "xvYCC." Although x.v.color, xvYCC, and RGB Full settings are not technically the same as Deep Color they do increase the color spectrum and can most easily be thought of as a stepping-stone towards the realism of Deep Color. In addition, when Deep Color becomes available most players will automatically support Deep Color when these options are on.
4. Leave your PS3 or Blu-ray player on and prepare to adjust a couple settings within the "Custom" picture mode you enabled during step 2. You will only need to make the following adjustments on the initial setup:
a. Set the "x.v. color" option to "Auto."
i. HINT: This option requires you to scroll to the second page within the "Custom" picture mode settings
b. While your Blu-ray player is turned on with any title playing select the "advanced picture" option from the "Custom" picture mode menu and select "48Hz" from the "24p Direct In" field. The TV will automatically adjust you back to "60Hz" when you finish watching a Blu-ray movie. In addition, it will automatically go back to "48Hz" when you put back in a Blu-ray movie.
i. HINT: If 48Hz is not available to select make sure that your Blu-ray player or PS3 has the most recent firmware update and that the movie is playing beyond the previews and preliminary copyright warnings. If your player is connected to the internet, the most recent firmware update should be installed automatically by selecting the players "check for update" option. For Blu-ray devices not connected to the internet or those that do not include and "update" option search the manufacturers website for a downloadable update which can be burnt to a CD and installed manually. Although most players, PS3 included, have 24p enabled automatically, you may be required to enable it from within your players video output options. Setting the Hz output to any factor of 24 enables 24p (i.e. 24Hz, 48Hz, 72Hz, 96Hz, and 120Hz).
5. This step is optional, however, should be completed in order to maximize the potential of the current Blu-ray disc specification and the 800 series HDTV. Under the "advanced picture" settings within the "Custom" menu, you can select "Size 2" from the "HD size" field. By selecting "Size 2," you will reveal 5% more picture that is available on all Blu-ray discs and most current generation video games. Most Blu-ray players, the PS3 included, support this and if they do not you will see video noise (fuzz) around one edge of the picture, usually the top of the screen, or obvious black bars on the right and left sides. This noise DOES NOT harm your TV in any way so do not be afraid to experiment. After this option is set, the image size will remain fixed until you select "Size 1" again. If you elect to use this option chances are you will use "Size 2" for Blu-ray titles and games while switching back to "Size 1" for everything else (i.e. DVD and Cable/Satellite Broadcasts.Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-inch 1080p Plasma HDTVPanasonic Viera TH-42PZ800U 42-inch 1080p Plasma HDTVPanasonic TH 50PZ750U - 50" plasma TV - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTVPanasonic TH-58PZ700U 58-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
TH-50PZ800U - review from an engineer's perspective June 28, 2008
Phacops Trilobite (Dallas TX)
31 out of 32 found this review helpful
Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Reviewed June 28, 2008 - Owned for 45 days
Updated November 2008 - still lovin this TV and haven't seen anything in the price range that beats it. About to buy one for my dad.
PICTURE QUALITY
I can not say anything negative about the picture quality... it's a ten for today's technology.
SOUND
I dealt with a Panasonic rep when I made a deal on the 800U and he indicated that the sound was superior to the PH-50PX60U I already had... yeah, it's a tad better but not by much. My 14 year old Sony KV-27HFR tuber still blows them away in sound. But I guess most people don't use their flat panel TV for sound like I do... this ones in the bedroom and I don't have an audio system hooked up to it.
BEAUTY
The cabinet is nice... much nicer than I expected. It's got that sheet of glass front rather than several inches of bezel protruding around the glass that most flat panel TVs have nowadays. There is maybe a 1/4 inch low-profile black bezel around the glass front... very new looking. There is still a 3-inch bezel surrounding the picture tube (if that's what they still call them) - but it's underneath the sheet of glass front so when the TV is off it looks much nicer than that standard bezel look.
ANTI-GLARE SCREEN
The anti-glare screen is better than my PH-50PX60U... but not much. Don't expect it to be much of an improvement. One thing I did notice is that from the side, you don't as much depth in the double images... not much to comment on but it is another improvement. Cleaning the screen can and is hard to do. I used regular Windex after testing a small area. Using a soft micro-fiber cloth, it took a lot of reapplying Windex to get the finger smudges off the screen. Our hands left a lot of finger prints from hanging the TV. If you don't get the fingerprints completely cleaned off - then they leave an iridescent sheen on the screen that quite visible. This kinda reminds me of the anti-glare coatings on camera lenses.
MPG VIEWER
The TH-50PZ800U has a decent MPG viewer... it's not great but it's a step better because it "can" fill the screen now. Pictures don't get shrunk - they just display as-is. I've started cropping mine with ACDSee or Photoshop at 1920x1080 so they fit perfectly. This year is a big improvement over the older viewer SW they had before. Controls via the remote are minimal... seems like you can start, stop and move forward & backward... and set the slide show delay in seconds.
The picture viewer on my old PH-50PX60U was lame. Even though I would feed it a 2272x1704 picture - it would shrink it down to about 1/2 the size of the screen... grrr. Guess back then they didn't have any good SW engineers working at Panasonic.
TV ERGONOMICS
About as nice as you can get for a plasma today. Black rounded back that doesn't look bad when seen from the side. The front panel that folds down so you can access the SD memory slot is ok... but again, I give Panasonic a ding in the design - why did you not recess the SD slot a bit more so I could close the door when the SD memory card is inserted but not pushed in? Why oh why Panasonic guy??? This means that I can not store my SD card with my reformatted pics "in" the TV's SD slot... unless of course I leave the door cover open. Oh well. And why don't they give us a little slot under the door that holds a dozen or so of the SD cards... I've got 10 or so now and would like to use the smaller ones to organize my pics... and keep them in the TV. Oh well.
WHAT'S BEHIND DOOR NUMBER 1
The front panel swings up to expose some external connectors and the important TV controls - just in case the dog carries the remote away.
Menu TV OK/Video v-Vol-^ v-Channel-^
1-S-video connector
1-Video L-Sound-R (RCA PLUGS)
1-HDMI connector
1-SD memory card slot
SERVICE & MY DOG EARS
Don't know if it's just me or what - but after the TVs been on a while, I begin hearing a high pitched noise coming from the TV. Kind of like a low pitch noise you hear from a transformer outside - but at the high frequency end. Mute the sound and it's less but still there. Turn up the sound and it louder. In fact, this is why I have the 800U... the noise from the old 60U was driving me crazy. But I must say that the local Panasonic customer service rep was great and he replaced the TV for me near the end of the 1 year warranty. I just paid a couple of hundred dollars and upgraded to 1080p. Again - Panasonic service was top notch! But if you haven't seen inside a 50 plasma yet, let me tell you - there's a whole lot of 2-inch high voltage capacitors in there... enough to make some serious high pitched electronic hum for sure. Don't let this sway you from a decision on this - no one else hears it but me... hence the dog ears.
CONNECTIONS
It's got everything I want... just check the published specs. The only thing I would recommend they change next time is to angle the connectors on the back down a bit so things like the HDMI plug don't stick out so far. This would allow the tilting wall mount to tilt down a bit more - right now it's resting the connectors against the wall. Not a big deal just a suggestion for Panasonic next year.
REMOTE
The remote mostly sucks in the normal remote ways, ie, the ergonomics, functions and button positions are poorly laid out. And where the frig did the sleep timer button go - it existed on my PH-50PX60U remote. So guess what - I'm using my old remote for the new TV... just for the sleep timer function... that's the only reason I pick it up. For everything else I use my FIOS TV Motorola QIP6416-1 DVR remote... but like most all remotes - it does not have a sleep button either - grrr.
FINAL CONCLUSION
Overall TV satisfaction... a 10.
Suggestion for next years model - get some decent ergonomics engineers on staff and build the worlds first award winning remote :)
Very satisfied July 9, 2008
Barry Moore (Durham, NC, USA)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
Very happy customer. Briefly here are my comments:
PROS:
A) Good Price on Amazon
B) Great quality set
C) THX is great quality
D) Very usable set. Controls and menus very well laid out
E) Remote control is best thought out i ever used
F) Sound is very good on this set too
G) Image viewer is good.
H) On screen sound change only lasts 1 second. Just right amount of time of a visual cue.
I) Surround bezel is very classy
J) Set doesn't get too hot (it has fans - but mine never kicks in yet)
K) Colors are very good. Blu Ray is amazing
L) Amazon shipped to me in Carolinas in 4 days. Setup was ok. Set was perfect.
Cons:
A) Light reflection of glass is very strong. Set is great in dark room, but does pick up reflections very easy. You'll find yourself moving lamps around and keeping shades down more that you used to.
B) Most expensive TV i ever bought. But it maybe 3 times bigger that i ever bought before (i love it)
Amazon and Panasonic Deliver! June 17, 2008
Alan Walsh (Bloomington, IN USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
I was one of the folks who jumped on the "pre-order" sale back in early spring, before Panny was actually shipping product. I had narrowly missed the amazing Panasonic Plasma/Blu-Ray deal a few weeks earlier, so I was determined not to miss out. As soon as I saw the price I jumped.
First things first: as many others have reported it was not until late May before Amazon received units from Panasonic. Nonethless, I am happy to report that after "confirming" my order and agreeing to the slight delay, I was surprised in early June with a shipping notice. My unit arrived within a week - well ahead of estimated schedule.
The delivery itself was fantastic. A very pleasant young lady called me one evening to schedule delivery. I picked the day I wanted and she told me it would arrive between 10 and 2. They called me about 30 minutes out and arrived right in the middle of their delivery window at about noon. After a quick check for damage I was assembling the pedestal stand. I can't recommend the delivery and service enough.
Oh yeah - the TV! What can I say, the Panny delivers the goods and far exceeds expectations. You know the specs, so I won't bother repeating them here. I do want to mention how nice it is to look on the back and see 3 HDMI ports (the 4th is up front). It also has a digital out for sound, which is both convenient and necessary IMO. My one disappointment is with the built in speakers. Not enough oomph for me, but I may just be spoiled by my own surround setup.
I have seen this very unit in the store and I was blown away when I hooked it up to DirecTV and began sampling. I have at this point seen all the HD channels that D*TV provides and the only way I can describe it is breathtaking. Literally. I found myself watching some of the programming with my mouth wide open. The colors are amazing. I was slightly concerned that even a latest generation plasma would lack the punch that I had seen from some of the nicer LCDs in stores. No need to worry - the improvements in this year's model will blow you away. I was lucky enough to watch the Stanley Cup (game 7), the NBA Finals, and The U.S. Open all in HD, and I can attest to the superb quality for live sports. Movies and other programming will never be the same after watching them on this TV. I caught a repeat of SNL the other night and it was almost creepy how crisp and realistic the picture was.
The unit itself is gorgeous. I might have to get a new house to match my TV. :-) I started with a pedestal and have since moved on to wall mounting. Both were a breeze, although the unit is heavy enough to require two people to lift.
SD programming is good, although I have developed a very strong bias for HD content, so I find myself watching a lot less of that. I also hooked up my 480p DVD player and I am pleasantly surprised with the performance. I can't wait to get my hands on a Blu-Ray to see what 1080P and 24p playback will look like.
I have to get back to my TV now...
Cognitive Dissonance December 3, 2008
Kent Cullins (Dallas, TX)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I researched HDTVs for a couple of months, and decided to pull the trigger on the 50pz800u. I am very pleased with my decision. I think the 800u is the best high-end plasma for the money.
After reading countless CNET reviews, Amazon reviews, and AVSforum comments, I narrowed my decision to the Samsung LN46A650 LCD, Pioneer 5020FD Plasma, and the Panny 800u. After watching a couple of football games at Best Buy, I decided that plasma was the way to go--sports looked incredible.
The Pioneer Kuro line has the best picture quality and black levels, but I feel that they have poor value. In my opinion, the differences in quality are not worth the premium you must pay for the Kuros (especially the Elites).
Having said that, the Panny looks far better at home than it does in any store. This is especially true in the THX mode. The THX mode was a major selling point for me, and it looked mediocre at best inside many brick & mortar stores. I knew that I would never have my HDTV calibrated and the 800u has a very accurate picture right out of the box with the THX mode.
Additional thoughts:
- After you watch the THX mode (especially at night) it is hard to go back to vivid. I never realized just how cartoonish colors were in the vivid setting.
- Viera link is a great feature. To control my surround sound (Panny HTIB) or Blu-ray player, I can conveniently use the TV's remote--a very underrated feature.
- 24 fps. I was excited about the 24 frames-per-second feature, hoping it would be a more film-like experience. As so many have noted--there is definitely flicker that is clearly visible in bright scenes. Flicker seems the least-noticeable when you are looking directly at the tv from a distance. If this is a major selling point for you--try and find an 800u at a store that is hooked up to a Blu-ray player and watch. I can't handle it, some can.
- Shipping. Amazon's shipping (through Pilot) was great. I received the television 5 days before I thought I would, in perfect condition. Pilot called me twice to notify me of the TV's delivery. Do not let ordering such a valuable product online scare you (its a LOT CHEAPER). This was my first major purchase ($1000+) from an online retailer--and I am extremely pleased.
- Value. As I mentioned before, I wanted a high-end HDTV with a lot of relevant features (the Samsung's 650 series hooks up to the internet for news on your TV--but who really uses that?) and a great price/value ratio. If money isn't an option, get an Elite. Otherwise, spend the money you save on surround sound.
I wanted the best HDTV I could possibly buy for under $2000---and I made the right decision going with the 800u.
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