|
The Best Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST30 55-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV Review
Couldn't be happier
I remarked that each of the hours I spent reading super detailed reviews was somewhat a complete waste of time because as it pertains down to it, I would not really love and even spot the subtle differences that so many people compare. I simply wanted a solid tv with great picture at reasonable prices and also this was it.
The setup was beyond easy. The remote and on-screen menus have become user-friendly.
The widgets all work all right. Watching youtube videos on the 55in could be entertaining.
My roommate i are traveling surfers and licensed skydivers and we all have plenty of GoPro HD videos we watch on this tv using the Files slot(we also watch them over the youtube widget)and so they look phenomenal.
BOTTOM LINE: If you need a solid giant screen with great picture at the right price than the is it. Suggest. When you have any queries then just leave a comment.
Fluctuating Brightness Can Break Your Movie Watching Experience...or not!
Immediately after turning the st30 on & popping in The world on Blu Ray to get a test run I used to be extremely happy with both new size of screen in front of me & the great picture. I played around some more, tweaking the picture & features on my own new set & thought we would start watching a few of my select Blu Rays that do not have letterboxing. I read somewhere that it is far better to watch movies online that undertake the complete screen for your first 100 hours roughly of an new plasma. I'm no tech head so I function what I'm told. :p
Not long into watching "Starship Troopers" I noticed my first flicker, or fluctuation. Every time the film designed a cut there were an adjustment in brightness that came one half second later. I began rewinding it over & over & couldn't believe my eyes. After the awful flickering at first I continued to observe & noticed it happening throughout, though not as bad because the start of the film. I've watched a few movies since that time, for example - Sin City (noticeable although not terrible), LotR Fellowship from the Ring (noticeable however, not terrible), & OH MY GOD Final Fantasy: Advent Children. Final Fantasy only agreed to be unwatchable with flickering all around us. For those who don't know, Final Fantasy is entirely cartoon which might have something to do with it being so noticeable. I would expect the Pixar films to behave just like poorly but I can't say for sure.
I started researching & found out that the fluctuating brightness (or "FBr") is not a rare phenomenon. Just google "panasonic fluctuating brightness" & have a look at it. The forum "high def junkies" is a great starting point for because they are already discussing it in depth for a while.
I haven't lost all hope yet! There has been talk of Panasonic sending out a firmware upgrade on their Spanish customers on a case-by-case basis that actually FIXES this concern! Or no less than adjusts it therefore the fluctuation isn't visible on the human eye alone. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this firmware helps it be stateside in order to begin enjoying my tv. If that occurs Let me definitely change my rating of merely one to your 5 star. I'll be keeping my eye on that 30-day return date in the meantime, however.
********EDIT**************
After emailing Panasonic & starting in a situation using them I waited patiently to have an email or a telephone call, but after a month none came. I kept up using the community on high def junkies & eventually found out that Panasonic had started sending local repair guys by helping cover their a whole new A-Board, or should you be one of the lucky few a significantly simpler fix was available if a Panasonic employee could visit the house. I called Panasonic to view the status in my case was, only to find that they had closed my case without the sort of notification. Jerks. The person I spoke with around the phone was apologetic & knew what exactly I became referring to while i raised fluctuating brightness. I was FINALLY getting somewhere. Within every week of this call they sent the replacement A-Board to my local mechanic & I'd an "FBr" free tv!
For those curious, they did need to take apart my tv. After watching that terrifying ordeal it absolutely was simply a simple unplug-this plug-in-that & we were holding done. VERY happy overall.
After the fix this is easily a 5-star tv in my book. I'm just a little conflicted on showering it without a penny but praise, however. I didn't exactly buy this tv day-1 of it's release & it took them this long to even acknowledge there was an awful defect inside a great number of their sets.
For those few who complain about picture I'll agree that right out of the box the image quality doesn't really jump out at you, but finally, before using a calibration disc & tweaking the custom settings it truly looks amazing. Easily the best in its budget.
In short - in case you are on the fence about this set, don't be. If you're unlucky & obtain one which was built before that they this fix installed, Panasonic will handle it!
Beats every TV on the market for the price. Blows away LED/LCD!
Regardless I went out and bought things i felt was a bargain, a 60" Sharp Aquos Quattron 60LE832U from BJ's for $1,799. It was thin, had wireless connectivity built-in, 60", and cheap for the purpose you still have. The picture was good but I soon noticed a lot of artifacts in the picture. The color in the factory was overly bright and oversaturated. I am usually individual who likes a rather less realistic picture for slightly more saturated and vivid images too but this became outrageous. No matter what I possibly could not have the image quality right high were definitely motion issues despite the claimed 240Hz aquamotion. Turns out it's not truly 240Hz and yes it suffers from the identical motion issues that all LCD's are plagued with. Frustrated I examined towards the plasma side but was apprehensive because in the store plasmas generally go looking horrible. Their pictures are dull and over-brightened to the location where the blacks look gray plus they are always alongside shiny LED/LCD's that are so excellent. I had enough inside my account to get an additional TV thankfully to determine what it really seemed like next to the Sharp and figured I might get back the one which looked worse. In this case I had been losing 5" in picture and was worried that this ambient light inside my lounge would drown out the plasma picture simply because this had been an issue with plasma.
The second I hooked up this TV I was blown away! The color balance out in the box was breathtaking along with the blacks were spot on. There was obviously a golf tournament on and I felt like I used to be there looking through a window. The Sharp had good resolution however it felt fake because the picture was so bright (even if refused) and also the motion unrealistic. I immediately packed the Sharp and took it back. I am suggesting if you're pondering LED/LCD don't do it, plasma is when it's at and also you cannot beat the image with this TV for your price, it is unbelievable!!! LED/LCD just has not been perfected enough which is why there are many various sorts for instance edge-lit, full array, etc.
I do desire to mention for all of us wanting to get this TV that we recommend you break it set for the first 100 hours by not displaying any static images such as logos or game HUD's. I also recommend running the slides that can be found here:[...] to the first 100 hours of the TV to age the phosphors inside TV evenly. The simplest way to do this is always to put these slides on an Facts and run them through media player ensuring to operate the slideshow on loop mode and continuously. This allows each pixel to age at the exact same rate to ensure following the 100 hours each pixel gets the same color saturation. Early on phosphors are soft and acquire hotter than normal, making them more susceptible to burn in and image retention but since they age they harden and colors be normalized. After this time around burn was a smaller amount of a worry plus your TV will calibrate much better as each pixel has a normalized color on the one alongside it. The most effective settings for the TV is available here: [...]Issues-Thread but ought not to be used until As soon as the 100 hour break in time! Remember to not use vivid mode for the very first 100 hours either because this can increase possibility of image retention although on newer TV's it's not quite as much of a problem anymore.
Now onto the actual review:
Pros:
1) Picture quality - Absolutely stunning, the picture will be as realistic because it includes good saturation along with the brightness is perfect. I have put this TV next to everything out there add the GT30 and VT30 then there is zero distinctive from what my eyes are able to see. All you receive is THX mode and 1 HDMI and USB port on the other half models and anyone who informs you the PQ is way better on those is simply being overly critical and properly a total calibration nut because I recently can't view it nor can most of the people.
2) Black levels - Any deeper of the black and yes it would look fake, even though the brightness is appeared they stay completely black, it is not not just a stupid balancing act want it is by using LED/LCD in places you ought to tradeoff black levels for other pursuits like brightness.
3) Internet apps/connectivity/networking - Comes with a wireless dongle to allow for link with your network and it's also far more useful than I believed. DLNA works 1000x superior to the Sharp that has been clunky, slow, and didn't play all media types. The ST30 even previews your video files in your network since you are scrolling through them, it is just a very cool feature which is very responsive. The apps are great too with just about all you would be looking for such as Pandora and Youtube.
4) Price - When i previously mentioned you are unable to beat this PQ for the price. $1499 for the most part places and it can even be found a tad cheaper. The Vizio 4SV 55" model is practically $2000 and it is large, ugly, and contains all sorts of problems for example randomly turning off. This is a documented problem you could look for and Vizio is apprehensive to repair it for anybody.
5) 3D - I'll admit I wasn't really big on this and the Sharp I got myself didn't need it because I can care less over it but this did (and was cheaper, go figure). I am really glad seeing that it lets you do own it because 3D is just breathtaking then there is little to no crosstalk whatsoever! All another makers (except maybe Sony) were built with a great deal of crosstalk, especially Samsung. The Sony I viewed had great 3D but it was also running with a demo in the store hooked to some bluray the industry bit deceiving when compared with watching it on DirecTV or something like that. Also don't forget that Vizio TV's are not listed (right this moment) being a supported 3DTV with DirecTV!
Cons:
1) Only con I can consider is the 60" model is practically $600 more, that is a bit ridiculous. I was hoping it had been a lot more like $300 more while i would have jumped onto it if so.
2) Very little else, this TV absolutely rocks!
Bottom line:
If you are on a fence that TV to acquire or you are debating plasma vs. LED/LCD please take this review seriously and check out the plasma, I am almost planning to guarantee that for this price that you are going to want it more. The new Samsung 55" LED/LCD is $2650, while this amazing 2011 plasma is $1499, you should not spend $1200 more!
This is really as good because it gets!
After doing research for months, I wound up getting the 65ST30 from Amazon for $2050 last month. I'm a very first time Plasma buyer, so researched A lot into this technology. I was surprised the length of time Plasmas have fallen along. I did previously think they just don't have a long life, or are an outdated technology. I couldn't are actually more mistaken. Furthermore, i checked out the GT and the VT series, but VT was unthinkable as a result of ridiculous pricing, as well as the image quality of GT didn't look different than ST30 at the local best-buy. GT does have a smaller bezel though, and it is more inviting looking.
Also, reading several reviews and speaking with people on AVS forum - I found out GT has bigger difficulty with floating blacks and brightness fluctuations, so decision was rather easy. ST30 was normally the one to acquire.
CALIBRATION:
After I got the set, I used the D-Nice's settings/slides to prep the looking for his calibration (available online). You won't need to make this happen, even using his calibrated settings looked very good out of the box - but I experienced his recommended process, to get the best possible image. If you possess patience, I'll recommend using his entire process. It's worthwhile.
PICTURE QUALITY:
After inputting the settings furnished by D-Nice (and a few of my tweaks) the picture quality was simply breathtaking. I was just amazed how natural the picture looked. I became told this is actually the biggest good thing about going Plasma over LED, and at first I wasn't sure if I'll see much difference - the good news is I'm sold.
I obtained a 2011 LG LED TV just month or two ago, and this Plasma is way better. I compared them next to the other person, and it is not close. Not only you receive true natural colors with Plasma, you will get very deep blacks no motion blur. Can't wait to look at some football with this beautiful set. I became somewhat concerned with floating blacks - but no problems with this set. Watched several Blu-Ray movies about it - and was mesmerised from the height and width of it and the fine picture quality. The tv screen speakers aren't great, but aren't bad either. I plan to get a sound-bar eventually though.
FEATURES:
a) 3D - I'm not a huge fan of 3D (not yet at the very least) but 3D is pretty damn good for this tv. Much better than any other set Possess seen. But, 3D image has always given us a head-ache, so I stay away from 3D.
b) Online services - Basic applications are there, such as Netflix, Amazon videos, Youtube. User-Interface really is easy to make use of and is intuitive. I mostly begin using these services from the Blu-Ray player anyway. You are able to play videos or view pictures through SD slot or USB drive or DNLA server (connecting for your PC through wireless).
c) Viera Connect - I love this feature. After I bought this TV, I also obtained a Panasonic Blu-Ray player along with Viera Connect, it is possible to sync up the device along with your TV and rehearse it remote to manipulate you. Simple idea making a great deal of sense.
d) Handy remote control - I've not said this shortly, however i absolutely love the handy remote control that accompany this TV. It's also back-lit, that's helpful during the night. Again, very easy and intuitive.
CONS:
I haven't yet find anything wrong using this set. But, I have to admit - no TV is perfect. LEDs have their own issues and Plasmas have their own issues. I used to be conscious of basic problems with Plasma's - so nothing caught me off-guard. I'll advise everyone to look into these complaints beforehand, or ask me for those who have questions. These are small issues to manage, nothing major but one should be aware them.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Another thing I'll advise everyone thinking about purchasing a Plasma - don't pass the product in question at your local store. If you have to compare at the shop, compare Plasma television with Plasma TV - avoid LEDs. Plasma TVs must be set-up in accordance with your room and lighting. Or else set correctly, Plasmas will certainly look pale and dull. To have the picture to pop-out and appear accurate concurrently (something LEDs have a problem with), you need to mess with the settings. As i've already explained, google for D-Nice's settings - he or she is an experienced calibrator who has shared his settings. Of course, you've kept to tweak your settings - but it offers you a great beginning. Also check out AVS forum to purchase more setting options and determine what works well with you.
I've had this TV for a month, and so far, it has been among the best TVs I've ever purchased. Ever since then, I've got a new 50ST30 also for my bed-room and am equally happy about that set. If you element in the cost (for 65ST30 or 50ST30), I doubt you will find a greater deal on the market. I looked over the Samsung Plasmas (that happen to be skinnier) and appearance great at the same time. Ultimately, Panasonic can be a more renowned brand with regards to Plasmas and still a stride or two ahead when it comes to black levels and over-all quality. Also, Samsung has inadequate customer care - which made the decision to me.
Great TV
Great TV, 1 problem that undoes all of it. - *****Update problem solved*****
1) I LOVE Panasonic products. I have had their phones/shavers/Digital Cameras/and now a Blu-ray player i love them.
2) I even love the PQ about this TV as well (barring fluctuating brightness of course).
3) I'm giving it a 1-star rating having a heavy heart but a good observant mind.
4) If only I never were required to write this review.
The deal breaker??? - Fluctuating brightness!!!
I have read rave reviews for this TV here/other places and I believe them PQ-wise. But when in support of If the set has this and you've noticed this you're done. I am hoping this is not true along with you but it's true beside me and few others. Unsure the number of "few" people it requires to find the attention of a major manufacturer but here's my viewing experience to date. I've had this TV for 3.5 weeks now.
This TV attempts to adjust its brightness A whole lot. Tastes time a scene changes from a dark scene to a (much) lighter scene/area - you can view the changing brightness - especially on the face, it'll go wayyyy brighter, then normal again. Eventually the light will be perfect/even great hue however the "switching" drives me nuts. While dark scenes themselves look great overall - I additionally noticed some dark/darkness adjustment even a night scene where the light within the scene/room was off. It happens much less often nevertheless it does. The adjustment in dark scenes are not that distracting as they are less frequent/apparent. Daylight/bright scenes - another story.
I even attempted to "ignore" this by telling myself - oh well no TV is ideal and ok, i'll just "live" from it however i just couldn't. Besides - for a $2K TV to complete what my $250 seven year-old Sharp (CRT) TV does NOT do is simply unacceptable.
I have tried Blue ray/SD content/HD contect/netflix/regular DVDs plus they all display fluctuating brightness. I grant it is not there ALL the time but boy when it rears its ugly head (and this can be) - that's ALL I watch and well that's ALL I'm watching right this moment - not willingly I need to add. I've gotten the latest firmware at the same time.
So why only a 1-star when the PQ/blacks are excellent. The brightness problem is so glaring it handily undoes the MANY good/great/outstanding qualities of this TV. Speaking of outstanding - yet another excellent thing concerning the TV is kinds of skin - oh so natural. Once i was TV hunting/doing "eye test" in shops - LED always did actually have an edge. But man - this colors/skin tones are extremely realistic within this TV. I do not want to eliminate the great PQ with this TV - in most fairness, yet at the same time I wouldn't want to take away the undeniably distracting viewing this TV presents in my opinion. Actually I am like I have been previously relegated to "watching" the fluctuating brightness instead of actually enjoying the experience of this otherwise great TV. I even tried telling myself - maybe I'm "looking" for this brightness fluctuation issue but no no no - it's THERE.
I'm at a loss to explain why Panasonic did not/does not notice this - that is certainly - whenever they don't. They need to correct it and fasten it now. In my opinion Panasonic can and will help it become right. And that i still maintain it's really a great TV. I do not determine if others have experienced the same issue or to this degree but it's been my experience. I'm not sure the technical details however they *should* have the ability to fix this which has a firmware fix. I've not abandoned them and hence have requested Amazon for another ST30. It's a great TV otherwise however you buy a TV to relish the programming content, NOT distractions. Panasonic - you are the top plasma maker out there. All of you have the complete (former) Pioneer/Kuro team helping you. Are you going to please ensure it is right!!!
When I purchase the brand new TV - Let me re-evaluate and post my findings. Oh by the way Amazon was 100% helpful/quick in sending an upgraded. Thanks Amazon!!!
****Update 3/29/12****
I know I understand - LONG overdue update.
Ok to start with - it's a 5 star TV ... and then some.
For this price - this picture - that would be that. I realize D7000 is a useful one also but a tad higher priced.
I were required to move through 3 TVs before they figured out the A-board replacement. And boy will it fix the problem. I deliberately delayed my update a 'bit' 'cos I didnrrrt want to just accept is as true 'cos others were saying it. I REALLY attempted to 'find' the fluctuating brightness issue as soon as the A-board replacement but I'm very happy to say I recently can't find it. This TV greater than rocks. The are likely lower now... so what're you looking forward to? .. however , they've got ST50 out now *wink wink*
Someone asked earlier why so many ppl are giving 5 stars to the TV when others are (were) reporting fbr issues. Well many of us had older versions where problem was prevalent. The modern TVs post-august 2011 I do believe shouldn't have this challenge and for the older ones the A-board replacement fixes the situation. Read my first review above - other than the fbr - the TV had No-fault whatsoever. I can't discuss others' TVs but my issue disappeared following the A-board fix. I'm happy that Panasonic acknowledged and then fixed the situation using product.
I can't thank Amazon enough. To remain 100% supportive through the Twice I needed to switch the TV. Am glad everything resolved well ultimately. I'm pleased to say I do not regret buying this TV one bit .. despite each of the trouble of replacing and waiting. I'd do all of it all over again in a very heartbeat. Why? Get up than ends well :-) It is going to for you personally too.... buy it and thank me later .... I mean thank Panasonic later.
Plasma >>> LCD, No Question. Best Image I've Seen.
After doing research, I began to know why there was still a niche for plasma: it can be desirable to people that really value their TV technology. The truth that prices for the systems were now under comparable LCD televisions only agreed to be an extra. When the decision to go plasma was made, I needed to then go with a set. Since i have wanted to make the most of Amazon's 24 month no interest financing offer, I had to choose between the LG as well as the Panasonic. That choice was a little easier: reading literally each review for both TVs on Amazon, and also countless Vacation professional reviews, I selected the Panasonic. The and standing of quality, in addition to client satisfaction, had me sold.
I also have the looking for about Four weeks now, and may give you my experience so far.
SHIPPING: We used the super-saver shipping, which used the house Direct USA company to ship from Amazon with a company, then local company to my house. Despite finding some negative reviews with Home Direct, We can tell you that I made two phone calls for them to make sure that location and timing (their tracking site doesn't update regularly, it only notifys you once they picked it from amazon when it's delivered to the neighborhood company) which both times we were holding extremely courteous and helpful. The television arrive at the local carrier exactly when it turned out meant to. The neighborhood carrier first set every day for delivery that was A day later than the Amazon "delivered by" date, but that wasn't really a huge problem. They did, however make an effort to call the day before delivery to achieve the date pushed back further due to driver issues; I insisted on keeping my original date (because i had already requested the time-off from work) plus they could actually accommodate. The delivery men were professional and courteous, and my only minor gripe about them is the fact that one of them attempted to get me to sign the "I received the package without any damage" form before going ahead and opening the television to evaluate for damage. I politely refused to sign it until we succeeded, plus it would have been a non-issue. There was clearly no problems for the set from transport.
BREAK-IN PERIOD: I'd planned on running the break-in slides and doing the full dnice process (see highdefjunkies for more info), however the room I was placing this TV in had exactly 27 hours before my daughter's sleepover house party will be kept in that room, and I knew that 7 pre-teen girls would not take kindly to a single) no TV or 2) watching color slides as entertainment. Therefore, I put aside my plans to the 100-150 hour break-in and began researching its necessity. I stumbled upon you can find just like many individuals who feel that is totally unnecessary as there are who feel it is absolutely necessary; though the argument against it really is that, basically, if your manufacturer was in any respect interested in quality reputation, and felt it was needed, they'd include it inside the manual. Because it is not included, then it is likely not essential. In order to undertake it, and also have the luxury of using this method, go for it. Honestly had I unnecessary the set in just a short timeframe, I'd likely have tried it myself in order to say I did so it. Realize that the break-in isn't tied to image retention (on that later); it's simply supposed to evenly age the phosphors in order that when calibration is conducted down the road, the calibrator can tell these are working from the same baseline. Used to maintain your brightness and contrast down and I zoomed in if you watch anything with bars for your first couple of hours people (maybe 20). I've since turned the brightness and contrast up and also have watched LOTR: Fellowship plus a few others movies.
CALIBRATION SETTINGS: As a way to set the television to settings I liked, I started with dnice's post-break-in calibration settings. Purists will surely claim that that is blasphemy and i needs to be stripped of my tv set immediately and instructed to an amish internment camp. No, no, slow down. I wouldn't, is not going to, declare that those calibration settings, without the presence of break-in period, gives me absolutely the top image possible since i have didn't follow his procedure. He's a professional calibrator, and I discover why he disclaims to do the opposite settings first, as he doesn't want someone using his settings w/o doing it then claiming he's wrong. I simply desired to use his as a beginning. As i have it set, and watched for any little bit, I started tweaking every now and then. Sometimes I favor warm1 over warm2. I've turned the contrast and brightness up a little bit. And the like. It just depends. Take into account something which is stated by many on those forums: what many people are employed to watching is over-saturated, over-brightened images that aren't true to real-life. The calibration settings get as near to real-life as possible; if you'd like your image over-saturated, more vibrant, etc., you'll have to tweak it yourself. YMMV.
PICTURE QUALITY: Wow. After all... wow. Again, coming from LCD, I didn't know clarity existed with this level. In my opinion, going from your mid-range Lcd television to some high quality plasma was like re-discovering HDTV. I am not sure I'm able to really quantify the feeling, to be quite honest. I not really know I can write excessive on PQ which is simply tough to describe. The picture is crisp and sharp on a level previously unseen by me, also it looks... natural. Once I have come across it, I feel like LCD images are receiving to overcompensate to acquire near this degree of clarity. It would be as if all you have ever had is artificial sweetener, then tasted real sugar the first time in your life. It is simply... authentic.
- Glare: Many people are worried about glare from plasma. This TV glares no more than new LCDs do. Don't allow that to hold you back.
- Viewing Angle: My viewing room is pretty square, so the viewers aren't a lot more than probably 25-30 degrees right of left from the core TV; however, only to test, I've stood 75-80 degrees sideways, and also the image quality will not go away in the slightest. Additionally, there is absolutely no difference vertically - a major problem I had created with past LCDs. Whether the TV is slightly above, below, or directly in front of your viewing angle could make no impact on your perceived picture.
SOUND QUALITY: I have the TV connected to a receiver w/ 6.1 multichannel, but I did briefly test the speakers around the TV ahead of connecting it for the speakers. Only were with all the TV for casual television viewing, the built-in speakers could be plenty adequate. I can't go ahead more detail because I only listened long enough to consider a "thumbs up/down" measurement, and decided thumbs up determined by about 30-60 seconds of listening.
IMAGE RETENTION: Ok, meat and potatoes time. Does the TV experience image retention? Again, I've only had it about 3-4 weeks, and possibly just 40-50 hours of use so far. I can tell you how the first day I needed it, I made use of the heck from it, primarily with my PS3 (for watching blu-rays, .mp4/.avi movies, and playing some games). There were a few times when I walked out of the TV while using PS3's primary menu up (the XMB), i a picture of my kids around the background. That night, after i powered down it and the room was totally dark, I could *faintly* visit a residual picture of my kids' outlines around the TV. I went downstairs for about 30 minutes, went back up, plus it was gone. It was never noticeable when watching or playing anything. Ever since then, I've played Madden 12, Uncharted 3, aforementioned LOTR:FOTR, and other movies/tv shows, and also have not once experienced any IR at all. Also i changed the XMB background around the PS3 from the kids to the default one, which a far more pastel color with moving glittery specks. Bottom line: In my opinion for the reason that TV was new, as well as the phosphors soft, the style retention was probably that occurs, and even then it would be a non-issue. Since the phosphors have aged, even after 40-50 hours, it's really no longer a concern.
- Gaming: so many people are interested in gaming on plasmas in regards to IR. Do not be. From a few things i can inform, all of the recent games I've played have breaks inside action when any static images are removed along with the entire screen is used for something. Example: Madden 12 could have a score box up, but it frequently cuts to instant replays, quarter/half endings, and also other cutscenes that eliminate the static image every few minutes. The same with Uncharted 3. There is only ever a few momemts at any given time when a static image remains on screen. And the older your TV gets, greater aged the phosphors get, the unlikely IR would be to occur or why not be a concern.
BRIGHTNESS FLUCTUATION: I haven't checked the rear to see when my TV was manufactured, but I can say with certainty that we are not experiencing and enjoying the conditions that others are describing. This leads me to believe the models being shipped out (at least from Amazon directly) are newer and have the patch applied.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
- 3D: Sorry, I'm no help here. I got myself a 3D TV so I'd have that substitute for put money into later. We have no glasses or 3D movies to look at.
- VierraCast: I no more sign up for NetFlix, so I can't tell you about its player (aside from the truth that it's there.) Pandora lets you manage multiple accounts from screen, so that's pretty awesome. There's an Amazon Video player, the first I've seen one out of a computer device similar to this (why don't you think positioned on the PS3 yet?!?) however i avoid them either. Overall, the net choices plenty in quantity, recption menus is not hard to navigate and tuned in to the remote (in comparison to some I've used, like Samsung), and getting for the menu takes 1 button, that is nice.
- VierraLink: This lets you link devices as if your PS3 and also the TV via HDMI. I have never tried while using TV remote for stopping/starting video or navigating the screen, but I do LOVE the truth that turning on one device activates another, provided that the tv screen was last applied to that input. Only turn on it, the PS3 automatically occurs. The PS3 lets you know when enabling this feature that if it's actively being used (i.e. playing a game title or watching a motion picture) it disables the shut-off feature, so if you want to leave your game paused to get some food but need to turn off it, it is possible to.
- DLNA/Media player: the DLNA player works, but Panasonic obviously didn't want to purchase a DIVX license or something given it won't play .AVI files. Just as one Apple user, I typically handbrake everything to .mp4 (H.264 codec) anyway, and the ones play fine. I personally use the PS3 for some of my media playback needs, but there are occasions it's not your best option, and also the TV's DLNA server is utilized. The media player is separate, which is used when you wish to plug in a USB or SD device. My biggest complaint about both could be that the browsing of files carries a "feature" where it will start playing it in a preview window as you're wanting to browse. Inside a large list of files, this may be a problem. The interface bogs down and becomes nearly impossible to find through, nearly as the memory buffer gets full from trying to play the previews. On the USB stick this is not a challenge; over a DLNA server with 85 files in 1 folder, it is a problem.
Aesthetics: The bezel is good, the base is great. The tv screen is sturdy for the base - I'd to get a cabinet out the other day to acquire behind it for a lot of cabling (unrelated on the TV) as well as the LCD employed to teeter somewhat while i achieved it - never in danger of falling, but never giving me a fully secure feeling, either - but the Panasonic didn't budge. I may mount it around the wall one day, but for now it works looking at the cabinet.
Summary:
Pros:
- Image quality is the greatest I've ever seen, blows away every LCD I have seen. Calibrate for the most powerful results (don't you need to default settings)
- Glare is reduced and on-par with new LCDs
- Heat is not any worse, and actually better, than the LCD I replaced it with from 2008
- Viewing angle - notice from anywhere you can view the screen without quality drop-off
- Tedious break-in period is required by some but not needed by plenty others. Some and am happy.
- Image retention is mostly a non-issue; at the beginning of its life-cycle there can be a small case of computer, however it is not visible during viewing and definately will stop as phosphors age.
- Sound is slightly above average, although an external audio system is obviously recommended.
- Added features for example VierraLink, VierraCast, DLNA and media player are nice and act as expected. They're all to easy to get to and navigate.
- Good to look at; the bezel isn't too big or distracting, and also the base is solid and sturdy.
Cons:
- Originating from LCD, it's difficult to get use to "true black." If watching a compressed video, blacks may not translate correctly, resulting in black blobbed mass on screen. I've were required to show up the brightness over a few videos every single child see. This was *only on compressed videos* though, and in all probability not so well done. DVDs, Blu-Rays, TV, and quality digital files were fine.
- Ports. A few will say "yeah but here is the lower end with their line-up." I do not care. It's competing against other TVs in the same price tag, also it fails with this aspect. 3 HDMI vs 4 on others, and no VGA port. This made the choice between the LG and Panasonic difficult. Fortunately I cared about quality of image and brand reputation a lot more than 2 extra ports, but I shouldn't must make that choice. I do not foresee it becoming an trouble with me while i do not have a lot of things to plug into this TV, however for others it could be a frustration.
BOTTOM LINE:
I recommend this set and this brand to everyone who'll listen, also to a few who don't care. I liked it a lot i decided this week to adopt benefit of the 24 months no interest deal much more and upgrade our crappy little LCD inside the bedroom for the 42" Panasonic S30 TV (the price difference forced me to be opt for the S rather than the ST.) I anticipate getting it in sometime in a few days. If you are attempting to decide between LCD and plasma, and also you want the most effective picture in the best price, get the plasma--and get the Panasonic.
A superbly nice TV! And at 3K, it need to be!
This set comes with every possible connection that you'll need to look at and hear any situation that you desire, it offers a WiFi adapter on your Internet applications which plugs into among the two USB ports available and obviously, an Facts slot for viewing pictures, listening to mp3's,3D movies etc.Gleam pc connection if you decide to go that route,however i play one of the HDMI connections for my laptop which does an exceptional job.
There are four HDMI input jacks, an optical digital audio output jack, and the opposite standard inputs that you will need including a PC along with a wired LAN connection.
Setting up this beast took approximately 15 minutes, and I began going through the digital as well as analog channels that were only available in on my own cable system.
After setting the image function to vivid, and backing off many of the adjustments, the thing looked superb... I also own a Panasonic vierra 50in plasma set that work well being a champ, the reason why I went with this one, as well as the picture here exceeds the pictures I'd see with all the 50 inch.
I fooled around slightly while using Internet applications, it has every one of the usual ones, netflix - twitter -face book etc.
It also offers some games you could play if you need to,and you can download more apps... Some are free and several cost around Three or four dollars to set up inside the TV. Looks nice and works along with you may expect... My DSL connection is merely 700 mbit and so the quality just isn't as topnotch since it will be over a faster connection... Say FIOS or something.
I then add in the avatar 2D bluray DVD, and that's where this thing really shines! The set has a function inside it that permits you to smooth the look. This is quite helpful for removing the jerkyness which you see of many televisions when things move from side to side or up and down and yes it gives the appearance of a very smooth and flowing image... I love this and you've got choosing turning this off and on. You can see this relation to some sharp and Samsung High definition tvs... Now it's positioned on plasma.. Good. The thing is maybe an inch thick front to back so when you find it from your side you can barely even find it... And then as you step outwards through the side of computer, you start to determine every one of the picture without having color degradation or decrease in brightness that you get with LCD TVs, so viewing angles aren't a difficulty.
This is one of the clear reasons for me investing in a plasma TV. And the black levels, as promised, are infinitely black! I viewed it inside a completely darkened room and contrast levels are fantastic... once the screen goes black, you couldn't see anything inside the room except for the red light for the television.
The set is 3D ready but you'll need to buy 3D bluray player along with the special Panasonic active shutter 3D glasses you must purchase separately... Another $400 approximately for all those additions... So for the present time I cannot discuss the 3D functionality of this set.. But More than likely that it must be beautiful because any devices looks great with this titanic screen.
My son has seen it and it is bugging me about obtaining the 3D glasses so that they can observe avatar looks in 3D so maybe you will have an addition for this long review not far off. Kudos to Panasonic.. I love it!
5/29/11-I forgot to note usually the one BIG negative i have using this type of set,that's the speakers inside the tv,they SUCK!They seem like something you'd probably find in say a 19"television,thin and tiny...its kinda weird that my 50"speakers seem to sound better than these but i guess that the thinking is to use a screen this big,you will be using an external surround system anyway, when i do,so there's that.It also comes with a very well-lit,once the light button is pressed,handy remote control.There are many more things this set are capable of doing,you will need to get one and play with it to check them out,
LB
Great TV with excellent picture (Fixed Fluctuating Brightness)
I have owned this TC-P50ST30 to get a approximately Two months now. Bought from Amazon, it arrived quickly along with perfect condition along with the delivery driver reduced the problem carry it inside and helped me open it up to be sure it had been ok before signing correctly. The TV can be used for typical family content (movies, TV, & sports) from DirecTV HD-DVR and blu-ray playter, and it has ~500hours onto it.
While the tip in the bezel is just not anywhere near as elegant as my TC-P65VT30 it is a lot more than adequate, if your bit understated. The TV is thin and appearance great placed on the wall. Again, only at that price point, to get a plasma with great display quality that supports 3D... this set can be a bargain, and also the looks are just fine. I could have preferred metallic bezel, there is however nothing that sticks out as bad with the looks on this thing.
I had not a problem adjusting this TV to acquire a great resulting picture. I couldn't believe how great the picture quality was about this TV from day one, especially great deal of thought came at a real great price. With tuned in settings the colors are deep and rich and not over saturated, the blacks and shadow detail were tremendous, along with the 3D looked amazing. My loved ones and that i enjoyed reading this TV without the issues that others have complained about (green "blobs", buzzing, IR/Burn-in, fluctuating brightness) for your first 450 possibly even hours. Then, as if someone flipped a switch... smack, here comes the fluctuating brightness. I begun to notice it on several older movies, and believed that it was even though this article was older. As the times went it onto it got worse and starting presenting itself on a growing number of content, including movies that we had watched before without problems. At this point it is now challenging to watch a motion picture or Television show which includes virtually any quick scene consist of a dark scene to your brighter scene as a consequence of these fluctuations. If they happened gradually it would be fine and couldn't survive noticed, or whenever they happened immediately on the scene change it out could be fine at the same time. As it's, if the scene changes as described above, there is a brightness shift approximately half an additional afterwards.
I've watched the identical content with an LCD i have in my bedroom, from the same source , nor see these fluctuations. I have also watched this same content, from your same source, on my TC-P65VT30 , nor see these fluctuations. There is clearly something wrong this set, however from reading others experiences.. Panasonic is claiming that this is typical and within spec, which is a design "feature". Really? I use a get in touch with to Panasonic now, and am waiting to listen to back. It is a shame because this TV was this type of great deal and looked delicious at first, the truth is still looks great.. however it is tough to watch and revel in it with one of these problems.
Unfortunately if Panasonic cannot understand this covered with a software update, this TV will be relegated to your gaming looking for the youngsters to work with while using Xbox. I am not pleased.
EDIT/UPDATE: Since posting my original review, Panasonic has come forward and incredibly moved up on the plate. Engineer's took on all reports concerning the fluctuating brightness problems, worked with calibration experts inside the field, and have created fix. There are two possibilities open for fixing the fluctuating brightness: #1. A Panasonic representative can come to your dwelling and use a software fix (this can be a flash on the core software about the TV) employing an Sdcard. #2. Panasonic can send an authorized service center to change the A-board with the TV with a new the one which already contains the updated/fixed software. It are at Panasonic's discretion (mostly dependent to option of Panasonic field reps). In my case I managed to get the software fix, however i know many more who have had the A board replacement and also have seen the identical results because i have.
When the Panasonic rep came to the home, we watched content showing the challenge, the rep then followed his procedure and flashed the firmware on both TV's. After the software program upgrades we watched the exact same content we watched just Ten minutes earlier, as well as the fluctuations were gone. It has been 4 days because the update i haven't yet go to whichever remaining fluctuations/problems.
Panasonic has told you that they're incorporating this fix into all newly produced 2011 sets you start with August builds, and can fix any TV's which may have recently been purchased of produced before that. If you have have a set with this problem, contact Panasonic Viera Concierge immediately and they're going to get you looked after.
Panasonic needs to be greatly applauded when deciding to take proper care of this problem, I'm extremely happy with not on the the TV's, though this resolution. This update to my original review is reflecting such.
65ST30 Great (After Fluctuating Brightness Patch)
Most will agree that this picture on this set is fantastic aside from the fluctuating brightness problem. Panasonic North America has established a patch because of this issue. In the event you own a set that has this concern, contact Panasonic and let them know which you see "fluctuating brightness" on various content. They've created sure there is a latest firmware updates, and that CATS is off, and then will document your settings. After you make sure they know which you still see fluctuating brightness they may plan a technician holiday to replace your A-Board or flash your TV having an Files (new A-Board is easily the most likely). The modern A-Board/SD Card flash will fix the fluctuating brightness. I received it last week and scenes that exhibited the problem before have become working as they must. Bravo to Panasonic NA for addressing the matter.
Image Quality:
The display quality for this panel is amazing. Black levels are deep, colors are lifelike/realistic and still vibrant concurrently, whites are white, movement is fluid for sports and games (no input lag in any way for video gaming). Bear in mind, it could only produce a fantastic picture so long as you provide it great content (blu-ray, and HD cable/satellite with a lesser degree), so don't feed it junk (SD content).
3D:
The 3D quality is exceptional. The depth you will experience makes for some exciting experiences. I initially wrote 3D off as being a gimmick, however, you realize the fun you could have after you pick up some high quality 3D content. As you're watching 3D movies occasional crosstalk/ghosting is noticeable in a few scenes whenever a bright image is front of dark backgrounds; normally, this is sporadic and a lot of other sets can have a similar ghosting...exactly the nature with the 3D beast at this time. Overall the 3D is fantastic. Out of your 3D movies I own, here is the order I rank them: Avatar, Tangled, Rio, Tron Legacy, Ice Age 3. More 3D movies are coming out therefore it is a great time to give 3D a try. I've only played a number of 3D games for instance Wipeout, Stardust, Black Ops, and Uncharted 3 Beta. So far Wipeout wins, Uncharted 3 and Stardust were very good, but Black Ops was lame i think. As time passes I might imagine the quality of 3D gaming increases.
Settings:
First of most, hire a professional calibrator (not Greatest coupe) to have the most accurate settings. However, since several individuals don't wish to spend extra cash for a calibration, seek out D-Nice's settings in Google for a few great/accurate Custom settings which don't involve extensive work (I cannot publish his settings here). I've also discovered that Cinema gives a very nice picture, and listed below are the settings I use (observe that each set vary):
Picture Settings:
Picture Mode: Cinema
Contrast: 92
Brightness: 55
Color: 56
Tint: -1
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm 2
C.A.T.S.: Off
Video NR: Off
Aspect Adjustments Settings:
Screen Format: Full
HD Size: Size 2 (occasionally Size 1 depending on what I'm watching)
HDMI Settings:
Leave on default
Advanced Picture:
Block NR: Off
Mosquito NR: Off
Motion Smoother: Off
Black Level: Light
3:2 Pulldown: On
24p Direct in: 60Hz
For 3D, I personally use the same settings above, but increase Contrast to 100, and sharpness to 50.
I gathered these settings while using Disney WOW blu-ray optimizer. In the event you haven't heard of that disc, I suggest you research it and take into consideration purchasing it because it comes with some terrific tips/explanations, a pixel flipper (I'll talk about that in the second), along with a visual reference disc which has videos of some terrific scenery.
Issues:
As with all of plasmas, you will observe some line-bleed in numerous content. The line-bleed will seem enhanced due to the large sized the TV, but there's nothing you're able to do about this. Ultimately, it does not negatively affect your TV viewing. One issue lots of people panic about is image retention and/or burn in. As you will discover in many knowledgeable discussions of plasma TVs, burn was extremely unlikely within this day and age. Sure, it's possible to ruin your TV in case you never vary your site content, but it takes some effort. To get extra cautious, make sure to chill out inside the first 100 hours. I personally don't lower my contrast and brightness settings, but some people do. I recently be sure to switch content up once in a while, attempt to watch fullscreen content without logos, and limit time playing video games. Once the TV has aged somewhat, technology-not only as normal. Do not ONLY watch stations 24/7 having a fixed logo, or scoreboard (ESPN), and ONLY play the same video game for numerous days consecutively without switching up the content. This does not mean you can't play video gaming for years, or watch ESPN for a while, it just means be aware and smart. Sure, if you do long game sessions you could start to see the HUD, or scoreboard after watching some sports, however it goes away over time. A very important factor I discussed earlier would have been a pixel flipper around the Disney WOW disc. It possesses a constantly moving static signal that exercises each pixel on the screen specifically combat image retention; it's actually a pretty cool feature which i strongly suggest. Overall, in the future plus your TV ages it'll approximately increase an immunity to image retention. Up to now, I watch free movies online and play video gaming heavily for the 65ST30 and have not noticed any image retention in any way.
If you want to research much more about this TV, or any TVs, take a look at [...]. I learned a lot because of this forum.|
Great TV!
Good TV for any good price
5/15/2011
Small update: we have spent couple weeks trying different features I have to unfortunately say that the built-in Netflix performance is sort of inconsistent. I have been previously having random difficulties with sound (skipping/crackling) randomly times by it, no matter what I've tried the issues didn't disappear completely. The firmware on TV will be the latest currently available. The separate device (Roku player) which I also provide plays Netflix movies flawlessly using exact same wired internet connection. Not only a problem if you ask me (We have Roku player for those my Netflix needs), merely a warning to the people who buy this TV and intend to utilize built-in Netflix player.
5/29/2011
New update: Panasonic finally released new firmware (version 5.040), after updating it the Netflix sound issue has disappeared.
What More Can you Want?
The ST-class from Panasonic is one step down through the their premier GT line or more from your non-3D S-Class, of course, if you need only a 50" screen, the top of the the queue. In addition to all the expected bells and whistles, you'll also find a WiFi adapter within the box. That's focus on detail, and saves you about $50 if you'd like it. The next feature worth mentioning: Panasonic has integrated their digital product family much better than anyone else. The remote not just controls the very-well regarded Panasonic DVD players, but also lets you control playback from Panasonics equally well-regarded video cameras!
So this all would be for naught if your one thing you get a big-screen for was lacking - the picture. It is bright enough in almost all lighting conditions, with all the deep blacks and contrast you anticipate from your good plasma, excellent crisp 3D performance with minmal artifacts, and as they are, the very best calibrated sets in the marketplace. While virtually all big-screens make use of calibration, most people will quickly realize which is an alternative with all the Panasonics. This is unquestionably far from the truth with many other TVs I viewed. Many were so far off spec they can be laughable. Figure that like a $150 to $200 savings. Like the review title says, what else can you want?
Great TV permanently price
Wow - Am I happy!
The set is basic black in style, heavier literally and visually as opposed to led. However, I'm putting the tv in it's spot there it stays. It's worth it. The performance is fantastic. I'm so glad Panasonic still supplies a great 46in 1080p plasma. SD is quite good and HD is wonderful and immersive. Although the picture is really clear, it's kind of less dynamic,as opposed to LED but much more nuanced.
Adjustments are easy, the remote is not hard albeit not just a high-end device though not chintzy, it does the trick effortlessly. I really like the Viera Link. The interface could be a little slow, however it is simple and easy , uncluttered. I must say the grade of the streaming is excellent, with a lot of things i watch being SD, the telly displays it well.
Glare: - My room provides extensive windows, there's glare. The tv screen swivels and i also are able to turn it out of the windows as well as the great picture stays intact . That LED only looked good from straight on and the screen's matte finish hazes over from the window light, then a picture washed out when viewed at an angle. I'm actually better able to overcome the issue with all the Panasonic. I range from period of the tube. All sets were stationary with reflective glass. Glare would be a part of the experience. Mental performance overlooks it after a while.
Buy Me
Picture: I do not have words. Lifelike doesn't do the picture justice, because the word implies you could discern generated image from actual. After tweaking picture (James Cameron Avatar recommended settings), video looks absolutely amazing. Standard 480 looks a bit blurry, but that can happen on any TV this big. 720 looks great, 1080 even better. I'd personally go on and on about the picture, however the TV's specs speak for their own reasons. I've not noticed any green blobs and other oddities that some report.
Glare: Plasmas have an overabundance of glare than many LEDs, but this TV performs well in bright light. Even if viewing the weather is lower than ideal I will still begin to see the picture clearly through the glare.
Menus: Comparable to S series, neat and with relative ease to work with. You will find there's bit of input lag, however it is not a huge problem - after you set everything up you will soon change common features. One nice feature will be the ability to custom name inputs and channels. Pro picture settings, parental lock, cc, plus some nice anti-image retention features round out the menus nicely. **Make sure you disable Motion Smoothing (adv settings) across your media, it can make video look very odd.**
Internet: Wireless adapter contained in box is $100 on its own, if you were thinking about buying one anyway this TV makes a lot more sense in your case. The adapter is effective and connects @ 100% to my house network. When you understand the tv screen networked, there is the VieraCast menus share a small amount of the lag since the TV menus. The DLNA implementation has hardly any support, although there are a number of apps available, I needed varied success. Netflix afflicted me with a rebuffering issue on my small first movie, and the audio seems a lttle bit spotty (occasional pops/crackles). I've experienced none of such issues using the same services through PS3+HDMI connection.
Image Retention: I'm going on fourteen days since purchase and have noticed no damaging effects. For your first week I followed burn in procedures (low contrast, low sharp, no static images) and while I still use their anti-image retention tools, We've since started activating the juice for movies/games. I propose using burn in settings for regular TV viewing and settings with blu rays. Also, limit gaming sessions with static HUD/displays for the first couple of weeks after TV purchase...better safe than sorry.
VieraLink: I paired the TV which has a PS3 and Onkyo HT-3400 receiver and delay pills work flawlessly - the tv screen turns the receiver and PS3 on/off in sync with all the TV. It won't power on all connected peripherals each and every time, just the one attached to the current input. By way of example, if my input was set to antenna when the TV was powered down, it will only switch on the receiver. When input is switched to PS3, it's going to turn both receiver the PS3 on (and off after an idle period). The Viera remote actually controls basic menu functions inside PS3, so from turn on to playing a blu ray I'm able to pull off 1 remote. Fantastic aspect IMHO (requires HDMI connections between equipment along with compatibility).
3D: Awesome. Some much care about 3D while i put down, the good news is that I contain it, hardly anything else will do. Having the correct picture settings is essential! I saw several 3D movies in theaters and then watched them about this TV - the high quality is likely same. If anything 3D is more enjoyable for the TV (ignoring coming to home in jammies), since in the 50" size characters often look life size. During one evening movie session I nearly had to check for intruders; a personality from the movie walked in "front" of the the screen and that i thought someone what food was in the room. Up to now every 3D movie I've watched looks perfect. It also upscales nearly any source (never have bothered trying with 480 content) into 3D, so re-watching a few of your preferred movies brings a whole new dimension towards the table, literally. Upscaling isn't nearly as delicious as true 3D content, however it works remarkably well for an on-the-fly solution.
3D makes the eyes hurt: Yours maybe, but I haven't noticed any problems. I have had extended gaming sessions of 5/6 hours rather than noticed an issue. I can't wear glasses nor have problems with eye problems, therefore i can't speak for all, but I doubt how the vast majority will suffer any side effects. I'd, however, not recommend it while nursing a hangover.
Gaming: I have a PS3 Slim connected through HDMI, and while I have not been a massive console fan, this TV may help change my thoughts. Graphics look good and games operate correctly. As for 3D games, WOW. Research though, like every new technology the rush to function out content has resulted in some very sub-par products. The nice games however, are AMAZING. Killzone, Crysis2, etc. in 3D are merely startling. Sets from the gun's sights having depth to your rocket coming out of the length and flying past your head create a surreal gaming experience. Like a lifelong FPS fan playing a casino game such as this in 3D makes a great deal sense. Several other games like GT5 look wonderful as well as are very effective in 3D.
Content: There isn't various 3D available yet, however, there is enough there for to acquire on the bandwagon. Movies all look fantastic, and between what's out already and after that be out by the end of year you will see a good amount of options. Cable providers are only starting to carry 3D programming; We've basic cable and no box, but this TV has were pickup a digital 3D channel from my provider (not sure if they're intentionally providing it, but I'm not really gonna complain) For games, you need to be careful - poorly designed games have horrible image conditions may have a negative impact.
All things considered, I'm thoroughly happy with my purchase, sufficient reason for Amazon, and would recommend both to the people looking for the top in 3D TVs around this price range. If you do not care about 3D, this TV still boasts specs much better than nearly any comparable non 3D panel, and may allow you to try the technology out at a later time.
Pros: Above
Cons: The ARC (audio return channel) appears to strip my 5.1 surround signal. I originally plugged my PS3 into the TV via HDMI, then picked the audio high on the receiver via the ARC. I was never capable of pass the signal with the TV for the receiver with surround, together to transmit sound directly to the receiver via optical, not just a big problem though.
I also felt the tv screen had mediocre Internet implementation at best. I do think it is a secondary concern, however. Firmware updates are always possible, where there are lots of devices that will connect straight to the TV to supply desired services.
Very, Very Impressive!
'Let the bodies hit a floor!!' -- A gamer's review
Compatibility for use on the PC: after i was doing my research I can not have any clear info from Panasonic as to whether it could work effectively going from HDMI on my small graphics card to HDMI on the ST30. Some desire to use the VGA port around the TV and thereby be tied to an analog signal. I can report that HDMI to HDMI works perfectly fine with my case. I will be utilizing an 'Abacus' 6 foot cable bought in Amazon which I will tell you will support proper 3D and Blu Ray playback. Also, they may be cheap--under $10. However, it could be required to insure that your particular graphics card is HDCP (hd copy protection) compliant--my nVidia GTX 580 is. or even you may get a black screen when going HDMI to HDMI--I'm unsure. There is an nVidia website that offers a directory of TVs and cards in their lineup that can work HDMI to HDMI, and properly support 3D. Just 'Google' nVidia TV list, and visit the first link. Following that select 'System Requirements', after which select 'Supported 3D TVs'.
Screen uniformity for the plasma is way better than that seen about the DT30 LED, which has been a great set, but did incorporate some minor back light bleed. This appears to be a challenge inherent with LCD/LED displays, because last 3 I've had all had some extent of back light bleed. I could view the ST30 from just about any angle with no lack of picture quality. The black levels about this set are outstanding. In dark games like 'Dead Space' it seems truly awesome giving an extremely enhanced a sense immersion hanging around. I've also done lots of multi-player gaming online, such as the 'Battlefield 3' beta last October. I'm able to report confidently there doesn't are most often any issue with input lag.
Re image retention and burn in: The shooter game(s) We have played possess a static HUD as well as other content (game map, etc.) on the watch's screen. Initially I started with very short sessions in such games, and gradually increased the duration as I became certain that the set was not being adversely effected. I now occasionally play for as much as 3 hours straight using this HUD on-screen and also have seen NO image retention or burn in in any respect. Many of these longer sessions were in video game play, leading to every 25 minutes roughly there is a map change/refresh around the server which eliminates the HUD for maybe 90 seconds--I don't even think that is a good enough break to create any difference. Initially I ran the anti image retention scrolling bar after such long sessions, along with bother any longer. So for gamers I'd personally strongly suggest the ST30.
3D VS. 2D--Just a simple note here: several Panasonic techs all told me how the picture in 2D mode is much better about the 3D sets compared to 2D picture on 2D sets that they manufacture. For this reason I made the decision to secure a 3D set, although it cost you a much more. While i had the DT30 LED set that's 3D I determined i was can not see images in 3D on these sets--probably because among my eyes has lower vision than the other. I went 3D anyways because I wanted perfect 2D picture in games. I didn't want to give the extra $$ for the GT or VT series, but Panasonic said that this ST picture was comparable in quality to people higher lines.
Re 'Break In' during first hours people: Panasonic tech explained to follow the following procedure--they said that it could assistance to diminish any probability of burn in or image retention at a later date. Run the ST30 in 'standard' picture mode at default settings (low contrast and brightness) to the first 100 hours. I went a stride further, and downloaded a program (it's free--use google) that runs a number of solid color screens sticking with the aforementioned recommended settings too. I followed this routine approximately 125 hours about 20% of these given to regular viewing (movies, and web browsing still always in 'standard' picture mode) and also the rest on the color slides. I believe that following above 'break in' method probably have helped the set's performance re having no burn in or image retention inside the FPS games I play.
There a few online calibration professionals who recommend 'torching' the phosphors during 'break in' by running large slides rich in brightness and contrast in 'Vivid' picture way of the initial 100 hours of usage so that you can gain the most effective image quality with proper calibration later on. This seemed counter intuitive in my opinion, and that i made a decision to follow the advice given by Panasonic tech support. For gamers at least I might advise to do a similar, and steer clear of our prime contrast-brightness approach during 'break in'.
Sound--I wouldn't consider to use the speakers on the unit this way. If you'd like the audio part of your experience to complement the recording quality the ST30 can provide, this set should be along with a standalone sound system. In my case that involves A Yamaha AX-900U 'Natural Sound' integrated amp, and a pair of Cerwin-Vega RE 30 floor standing speakers--all older components which definitely out perform what these firms market today. This audio gear is running from the integrated sound card on my own eVGA e770 motherboard using Realtek sound drivers. With the ST30 it has a very immersive experience of games. To downgrade a real set depending on the quality of sound provided by the built-in speakers as being a few reviews have could not make any sense to me--I even have the TV audio disabled.
After buying this unit I acquired a Panasonic blu-ray player, and have been buying some movies. Of course the set looks outstanding watching such media. previous to getting this set I used to be gaming and watching movies with a 27 inch Hanns-G LCD monitor. This purchase is a HUGE enhancement of my set up. BTW, avoid Hanns-G such as the plague--they ripped me off when my still in warranty monitor developed problems.
In closing, my set come to perfect condition without any defects. No Fbr, no green blobs, etc. Provided that it doesn't 'die' on me unexpectedly I will be VERY happy using this purchase, and am definitely a 'plasma' convert. I obtained mine at 'B&H photo' because at that time their price was better. Price not being a concern, I'd personally highly recommend Amazon--their support is the best.
___________________________________
Great investment
Normally I'd not give out any reviews but after seeing the clarity on this TV, I possibly could not resist to spread the term. Bought this TV looking at through various A/V forums and reviews. It is the best TV for that dollar amount. Very little else comes close. Just follow through the calibration steps mentioned by among the reviewer which TV can be your neighbors/friends envy! Though I did not value 3D capability, it absolutely was simply spectacular.
-Ebjoy
Successful Servicing for Fluctuating Brightness Problem
The tech noted that my unit had been serviced previously, had the A-board replaced. Problem could be that the tech that replaced it did not have the authorization to update to the most current EEPROM (only official Panasonic tech can play around with that stuff), in order that it wasn't properly fixed... completely. Which was why the set got returned. This thing is brand spankin new, no scratches. I acquired a genuine steal about this one.
For me, using "risk" was all granted through the thorough reviewers who explained how you can undergo all the steps. Kudos in their mind.
If you wish to grab an arrangement for super cheap ( I got mine for $685), then that path is actually worth it.
Regarding the Netflix usage:
I realize that the Netflix through the Viera Cast about the TV is kinda wanky. It won't possess a search function (will find), so you can't try to find specific movies. Not just a big deal because I take advantage of the Blu-Ray player to the Viera cast that includes a a lot more comprehensive, fully functioning Netflix. Nevertheless, if you only have the TV, you are SOL. Which is a little bit silly. If I occur to discover that needle-in-a-haystack, I'll update this review.|
Great TV with excellent picture (Fixed Fluctuating Brightness)
I have owned this TC-P50ST30 for a just over Two months now. Purchased in Amazon, it arrived quickly along with perfect condition as well as the delivery driver solved the problem bring it inside and helped me open it up to ensure it absolutely was ok before signing because of it. The TV is utilized for typical family content (movies, TV, & sports) from DirecTV HD-DVR and blu-ray playter, and contains ~500hours about it.
While the tip with the bezel isn't anywhere close to elegant as my TC-P65VT30 it's greater than adequate, if the bit understated. It is thin and appears great placed on the wall. Again, with this price point, to get a plasma with great image quality that supports 3D... this set is a bargain, and the looks are simply fine. I would have preferred a metallic bezel, however, there is nothing that is unique badly using the looks on this thing.
I had no problem adjusting this TV to get a great resulting picture. I could not believe how great the picture quality was about this TV from day one, especially great deal of thought came at this type of great cost. With tuned in settings the shades are deep and rich and not over saturated, the blacks and shadow detail were tremendous, along with the 3D looked amazing. Our kids and that i enjoyed reading this TV with none of the problems that others have were unsatisfied with (green "blobs", buzzing, IR/Burn-in, fluctuating brightness) for that first 450 roughly hours. Then, as if someone flipped a switch... smack, here comes the fluctuating brightness. I began to see it on several older movies, and belief that it absolutely was even though the content was older. Because days went it into it got worse and starting presenting itself on a lot more content, including movies we had watched before with no problems. At this point it's now difficult to watch a movie or Tv series which includes any type of quick scene vary from a dark scene to your brighter scene as a result of these fluctuations. When they happened gradually it could be fine and couldn't survive noticed, or if they happened immediately at the scene change it will be fine also. As it's, when the scene changes as described above, there's a brightness shift approximately half an extra afterwards.
I've watched a similar content on an LCD i have within my bedroom, from your same source and don't see these fluctuations. We've also watched this same content, from the same source, in my TC-P65VT30 and never see these fluctuations. There exists clearly a problem this set, however from reading others experiences.. Panasonic is claiming that is common and within spec, which is a design "feature". Really? I've got a get in touch with to Panasonic now, and am waiting to listen to back. It's a shame because this TV was this kind of good deal and looked so competent in the beginning, in fact still it looks great.. yet it's hard to watch and enjoy it with these problems.
Unfortunately if Panasonic cannot get this cared for using a software update, this TV is going to be relegated with a gaming set for the children to make use of while using Xbox. That's not me pleased.
EDIT/UPDATE: Since posting my original review, Panasonic originates forward and incredibly stepped up for the plate. Engineer's took on all reports in connection with fluctuating brightness problems, worked with calibration experts within the field, and still have created a fix. There are two options available for fixing the fluctuating brightness: #1. A Panasonic representative may come to your residence and put in a software fix (this can be a flash to the core software about the TV) having an Facts. #2. Panasonic can send an official service center to replace the A-board with the TV once you get your the one that already offers the updated/fixed software. It is a Panasonic's discretion (mostly dependent to availability of Panasonic field reps). In my case I managed to get the program fix, however i know many more who have had the A board replacement and still have seen the identical results while i have.
When the Panasonic rep located my home, we watched content to exhibit the challenge, the rep then followed his procedure and flashed the firmware on both TV's. After the software program upgrades we watched the exact same content we watched just Ten mins earlier, along with the fluctuations were gone. It has now been 4 days considering that the update and i also have yet to use whatever remaining fluctuations/problems.
Panasonic has stated that they are incorporating this fix into all newly produced 2011 sets applying August builds, and may fix any TV's who have also been purchased of produced just before that. If you've already have a group using this problem, contact Panasonic Viera Concierge immediately and they're going to enable you to get covered.
Panasonic should be a lot applauded for taking proper care of this concern, I am extremely pleased about this is not on the the TV's, but this resolution. This update to my original review is reflecting such.
So glad I chose the 55ST30 3D Plasma from Amazon
Plasma, IMO, is finer quality than LCD/LED because it had deeper blacks, better contrast and off axis viewing. Due to it's higher refresh rate, motion in sports is a bit more real life with less lag time than present in LCD/LED. The Panny is probably the defacto standard of these areas.
I was, however, slightly disappointed that the Panny was can not stream a film using it's wireless dongle 25 feet in the router. In all of the fairness this might be on account of limited bandwidth from my PC/router. I had created already run ethernet cable ( cheap cat5 wire ) under my home which can be always a much better solution than wireless. Hard wiring the Panny, Blu-ray player and AV receiver for the router via one cat5 cable and a $12 switcher makes for huge video and audio options on the net. Developing a selection of apts from every component during my product is also worthwhile.
Sound wise the Panny is not any better or worse than other panels. But no-one should have for instance a great picture without equally good sound. Please do not waste money with a sound bar or system in the box but rather spring for a decent 5.1/7.1 receiver associated with good speakers plus a sub. This is the best to get full enjoyment in the HT experience.
Rarely would you read complaints of having a display size too big. Usually oahu is the opposite. I have found the 55ST30 ( 55 inch )is good for viewing distances of 10 to 13 feet while a 50 inch may be too small.
The 55ST30 weighs a hefty 80 lbs so I think wall mounting will be more difficult compared to the lighter LCDs. I bought an excellent looking $199 stand from Sams that matches the Panny perfectly and has room for those components and also a center channel speaker.
Reflections from the large glossy bezel and screen happen to be mentioned as negatives however some room darkening inner curtains and spring rods from Walmart will fix that.
I purchased the 55ST30 from Amazon and shipping, delivery, and set up was a breeze. The freight lines called as well as set up an appointment after which brought the set inside available trucks. The delivery guy opened the therapy lamp, placed the set on my own stand and plugged it in. Been there not worked he'd have it back at that moment along with a replacement would been ordered.
I usually show little brand loyalty but Panasonic to me is a huge cut that beats all others and contains stood the test of your time. It began with my Technics turntable in the 1970's which plays great today and reaches a class D amp which after 8 years still amazes.
Beautiful Plasma TV
Image clarity is beautiful, colors are vivid, blacks are really the black, i decided the TV after overwhelmingly positive reviews and also a good deal of research, i needed the tv screen delivered by Amazon and, then proceeded to age the tv-phosphors equually for break-in using the "Evangelo2's slide set" and directions from D-nice posted on Highdef Junkies.
The optimal way to get this done if you're interested is usually to download the slides to a SD card or USB flashdrive, and insert the charge card or Thumb drive onto the TV, then click viera tools and play them like a slideset using the inbuilt viera Media player, and run them continuously for 100 hrs(i would periodically rest the plasma for 2hrs every 2 days) using D-nice's specifications(necessities such as initial specs for breakin(quite simple), then following your break-in period, i calibrated along with settings much like D-nice recommendations, overall, i'm mesmerised by the vivid colors, My tv is within a nicely lit room, and doesnt have any noticeable glare,(this is the a weakness for most plasmas). Furthermore, i obtained a Panny Bluray on amazon and am thrilled to manage to use my TV remote to manage the Bluray/DVD player.
I haven't tested the 3D yet, and honestly my cause of purchase is the 2D picture. The key reason why 3D tv's have better 2D pictures, is because need more powerful processors to render these D images, and these processors then are very ideal for giving a good 2D image, this rule generally applies to most TV's, the TV's that we see today execute a great deal of processing to give their images and cover-up for inherent screen deficiencies (lcd-poor angle and contrast, LED looks too bt=right and colors must be objective a little, plasma-prevent burin etc).
The Audio is average and may possibly need an upgrade to some dedicated speaker system in the future, but this can do for now.
I am happy while using panny plasma and would definitely recommend buying this TV on Amazon and taking advantage of D-nice settings on highdef junkies forum to the TV, these steps are incredibly all to easy to do and have created a good difference inside image quality before and after the changes..
Very impressed, excellent TV
The TV is light, only 76lbs current included is made of 86lbs, as well as the included wide stand screws in and installs inside of 2mins. The stand can be so simple to wear and secure that even my cat might have tried it. The TV is performing great, but it's still in it's burglary period.
NOTE: I recommend immediately setting the image settings per input and take that contrast way down in the default 100 (max) setting it's sitting at. That's showroom settings and especially during breakin, the worst thing you need may be the contrast or picture settings maxxed. It will eat in the lifetime of it and unnecessarily uses more power. From the PS3 bluray, I popped inside the Disney's Whole world of Wonder calibration disc and tried my best to set the best levels around the TV. There's really only 4-6 settings to play around with. This is what is known as a consumer calibration, be simple one. The professional $300 kind involves entering the service menu, blah blah. I have no idea, unless someone can reply time for me and tell me the merits or worth of having this done within the consumer level adjustments, then I'll just keep with this. The picture is excellent, the same as all the others this is saying.
The settings I run are I leave the tv screen in custom mode and i believe the settings I rule are all-around this:
Contrast: 60
Brightness: 55
Color: 60
Tint: unchanged
Sharpness: 60
To my eye, these look vivid and not overly so, slight surge in sharpness but nothing crazy, and fiddled around with contrast and brightness a great deal in the WOW calibration disc that we just chosen these settings. The black level was set perfectly, nevertheless the white levels for reasons unknown can't be adjusted enough for me to receive the ideal level the WOW disc said I ought to be seeing. Only a small issue. When I recieve home again i'll look for a THX pixar/disney movie and check out those THX test patterns to ascertain if I would affect the Contrast/Brightness again.
But I watched Avatar and Predator up to now and both were incredible. It's not just the image settings and 1080p bluray which makes it incredible, but this TV also automatically smooths your picture slightly (the 600hz feature I imagine) and this provides it with that "real" "looking by way of a window" effect that many people like. LCD's do similar things making use of their 120/240hz feature. Too much of this feature, and people call that "soap opera" effect meaning they do not want it too smooth. Personally, to me, we obtain expensive speakers so that we can be "there" as best as we can on the live recording. We get expensive TV's, so that we can be "there" too I'd imagine. I don't get individuals who love to always have their movies be 24/30 frames per second rather than want that changed. In my experience, that is not realistic, it keeps you aware that you're just watching a film. You head outdoors and yourself hope the eyes were running at 24/30 FPS? What I'm saying is, in car stereo, we are after realism, likelife realism and a smoother picture gets you much closer.
So this is the most dramatic point about this set, the black levels are dark, very dark which explains why I turned up the vividness simply a tad by improving the "Color" setting to 60 rather than 50. I wanted it a tad more vivid. Slightly increased Brightness and Contrast too, but nothing near to VIVID mode which has Contrast cranked to 100 ;)
Anyway, inform me for those who have better settings I will try, however, there is no noise from my set, only watched some blurays to date, black level is incredible and the image quality has run out of our planet. My roommate includes a 42" panasonic and merely a couple of minutes of watching Avatar, and later Predator, he was the overnight trying to get a similar set from Bestbuy regardless of the anger it'll generate from his wife. The smoothness and image quality (after adjusted settings) are wonderful. I haven't tried the 3D yet however.
Predator was incredible too. I thought because of an old movie that it couldn't survive nearly as good, in 1080p, large and smoothness of these jungle, your hair on their face detail, along with, was all incredible. It was very smooth and lifelike, yet I became seeing more vivid colors which i hadn't seen before. If you can find this set for around $1500, you'll be very happy
No Disappointment!
There are time where customer reviews are too good really was. But in the matter of this Panasonic screen, I can't discover a consistent string of substandard ratings for other sites. Based on consumer reviews and CNETs praising from the screen, I chose go into.
Ordered it from Amazon along it delivered by Pilot within Three days from ordering. The crew was professional and extremely helpful. I didn't utilize 'white glove' service of unpacking the the screen and configuring it while i was able to perform that myself (by making use of son : ) ). TV arrived undamaged, shipping box clean of dents or other external marks that will indicate if you ask me the screen was treated roughly during shipment. I would recommend the white glove service folks who wants manage the setup yourself as the 50inch screen is bulky to address all on your own.
I installed the solid metal mounts (heavy casted aluminum bracket and strong sheetmetal base) while using the supplied instructions. No downside to that step. Please note it is a two person job positioning the screen to the stand so remember to not try and become a Superman and man-handle it yourself. Get help!
This TV has got the HDMI 'ARC' connection setup. Reading about is a lot more confusing that what it really actually does for you personally. Basically it is really an intelligent communication protocol that eliminates the rat nest of cables between devices and a 'remote controller basket' alongside your the chair. Using your controller it is possible to control other devices like Blu-ray/DVD players without jumping through hoops working out what button to push on the controller to behave. I was pleasantly surprised that my Samsung Blu-Ray player synched fine with the ARC protocol and that i surely could control basic functions for the player while using screen's remote. No special coding or secret handshakes were required to have it working.
I possess the Panasonic sound bar (SC-HTB10) that is certainly ARC compatible and integrates well into the system. Using a HDMI cable between it and also the 'ARC' HDMI port on the screen, it'll automatically turn on/off the sound bar and adjusts the volume appropriately. Basically I daisy-chained the DVD player's HDMI to the sound bar, (yes I typed correctly) and then I connect the sound bar on the screen's ARC HDMI port. (The sound bar has its own power supply so it plugs into the wall.) The screen's speakers are OK, but if you're really in the audio side of things, you might consider this to be option.
(I've my sound bar connected to the the top screen to stop any difficulty with the IR remove receiver for the front in the screen. There are reports that until you elevate the screen, the bar will block the receiver.)
To say the screen is outstanding can be an understatement! Out with the box the defaults are fantastic and I never have seen any issues with them. If you might be bold, there are several sites that may walk you through a 'custom' setup to completely tweek the creation of this screen!
If you happen to be worried about pixelization or 'bug noise' as a result of high-speed motion (read sports), do not be. Watching basketball and football five feet from the screen showed NO noise . I am impressed!
Did not purchase the tv screen for internet access so I cannot tell you pros or cons than it. I can advise you although it was all to easy to get together to your wireless router using a encryption key.
So in summary
Pros
- Color 10/10
- Refresh 10/10
- Audio 5/10 (works ok but look at a sound bar etc)
- ARC hook up (it is a gem, what don't others contain it ?)
- U-verse remote synched up fine with it
- Free Delivery (Pilot)
- Price Match (Amazon stood behind their price-match policy as a day after buying it, I found it for $95 cheaper - from Amazon! A simple email and that i was credited the main difference.)
Cons
- Weight (challenging to move around on your own)
- Audio (again, try it first within your environment before passing judgement)
- Early reviews whined about brightness cycling. I sure enough have it was a problem then but it's not an issue now. Seems like Panasonic fixed it in a hurry.
Great TV, together with remote operates my Sony Blu-ray player!
The kind of the television is great, despite individuals that say it really is clunky. Sure it isn't ridiculously thin, however i didn't expect it to be (I'm coming from a classic school TV). The menus are quite obvious and straightforward to function. The image quality looks great. I have not used the 3D feature, but I am getting excited about having the ability to up convert 2D shows to 3D. From your comments We have read, the fluctuating brightness problem is a thing of history and doesn't affect models past August 2011 (and those prior happen to be fixed with firmware updates to my knowledge).
One feature I adore is the fact that the remote can operate my Sony BDV-E570 Blu-ray Player Watching movies System. Though the Blu-ray player is just not Panasonic, the "Viera link" feature with this TV is basically just Panasonic's version of CEC (Gadgets Control), meaning that it's virtually compatible with other newer home theatre accessories. As an example, after i start the television, my Blu-ray player/receiver and speakers turn on. I can access the Blu-ray menu and it's really IPTV and also other features by pressing the "Viera Link" button and selecting "Player" which activates recption menus system on the player. Then this left, right, enter buttons are common sent to the gamer. Also, when playing a Blu-ray or DVD, the TV's remote works to pause, play, skip ahead, etc. Very similar to recption menus button (to get into the DVD's top menu as well as other options) is the "Sub-menu" button about this remote. Put simply, don't even think which simply because you increasingly becoming a TV that is the different brand than your Blu-ray player that they can won't cooperate, they more than likely will should they support CEC.
As for setting this up, should you search online so as to someone named D-nice has come up with a couple threads with specific settings to use for a 100 hour duration of slides that you simply experience the tv screen to evenly age the phosphors. This gives each of the pixels to age evenly and gets you past that 100 hour period where you should be careful about watching images with static logos or black bars. Then he includes a list of calibrated color settings to make use of after the slides. So after getting this TV and and can heat up to room temperate, I transferred those slides (just jpegs) to a USB, plugged it in, set up the display settings, and kept it playing for 4 days straight. In all probability it wasn't necessary (making it me very impatient), and I do not know i would've known the main difference, however it is nice knowing I own a better calibrated picture. Check against each other in case you are curious. The thread I oftentimes tried was titled "2011 Panasonic Settings/Issues Thread" about the highdefjunkies site. On page 63 from the thread someone summarized all you need to know of the process.
My only complaints are how the TV features a red LED on continuously to show the TV is on (I pay for it having a speaker), i have discovered not a way to change off the display after i am just playing Pandora. Also the web has a couple of seconds to reconnect after turning the TV on. When watching YouTube, no one is able to go forward or rewind in a clip. You don't appear to be capable to change aspect ratio/format when you use Viera Connect. Finally, the Wifi adapter stands apart after dark bezel if you use it without the extension cable (I merely use an ethernet cable).
Overall, it becomes an awesome TV. I enjoy it! Inform me for those who have questions and then leave a comment. Otherwise, I am hoping this is helpful. Happy watching!
It'll cause you to a motion picture addict!
When you walk into a big-box electronics store like H.H. Gregg or Greatest coupe the brand new generation of LEDs look the very best because of the bright screens. Whenever you take a look at a plasma TV just like a Panasonic 60" VIERA beside an LED it's enjoy it includes a gray-ish film regarding this. In order that it isn't surprising my top pick in TVs (I tend to be described as a Sony guy however LEDs are unimpressive) was the newest Sharp Quattron. After countless visits to several stores, one and only thing keeping me from getting a Sharp was the retail price. Though there is not such a thing being an LED TV, per se, as they are LCDs with LED backlighting, the retailers and manufacturers are asking reasonably limited mark-up to them.
Many of my co-workers, many salesmen and a lot of on-line reviews kept harping on plasma for a lot better color accuracy at the low price. I kept looking at plasma and I kept struggling to simply accept it given that they consistently looked somewhat dingy. However, I saw this Panasonic model at a Best Buy being clearanced as a floor model and also the picture blew me away. Long story short, I took a chance and assumed with a few adjustment I really could get a picture I liked.
I've had the TV for 2 months but wanted to wait before posting an evaluation. The very first day or two I'd the Panasonic I doubted my decision as playing with the brightness didn't help in any respect. The truth is, the brightness control have not just how I expected. However, accidentally I flipped through various built-in modes and discovered a factory "bright" (I do think quite simply) pre-set. Whilst not everything was right with the picture settings, it solved the darkness issue. Reviewing exactly what the factory tried, I discovered the key to finding the kind of spot-on brightness I desired ended up being up the contrast. We have it set at 80. The factory used a setting of 100 which may very well work with many. Bottom line, the gray dullness is fully gone and it easily blows away the 36" Sony Bravia LCD I've in my study. Don't misunderstand me. The Sony remains a quite nice TV I take advantage of a whole lot, particularly gaming.
When you compare, say, the colour of grass on an in-store demo of plasmas and LEDs the LED, to start with, looks more pleasing. Why? Since it is a bright green that pops; whereas, the plasma seems like real, lush dark green grass you see in the real world. I was commenting to a Best to buy salesman the amount better the Best Buy logo looked while on an LED when he pointed out in my experience that, in fact, the LED didn't accurately render their brand name and he proved it by pointing to a logo on his shirt. True enough, after i went home and looked at my Sony Bravia it dawned on me I'd objective all of the color settings to just about how the plasmas look automatically once i originally push the button. Obviously, that is all reliant on personal taste.
One 'problem' We have may be the Panasonic is turning me in to a movie hound. I acquired a Panasonic Blu-ray player for it and obviously Blu-ray discs are amazing into it. I watched "Super 8" yesterday evening and it's really just like having a bit theater during my home. I'm so spoiled from the Panasonic it's zapped me from a interest in traversing to a movie in a theater.
I haven't any 3D discs (I'm meant to get "Avatar" totally free of Panasonic sometime in the near future) but I have been capable of view 3D movies on HBO's on-demand. I would not have name-brand Panasonic 3D glasses though the pair of knock-offs I have may be nice. The 3D affects vary by source. The very best 3D affects weren't in a Hollywood blockbuster like "Clash from the Titans" or "Despicable Me" but a documentary on Egyptian mummies of the things. Anyway, I've found the 3D to be pretty good. In case a 3D version of an movie was available I'd be inclined to attempt it within the standard format. I'm glad I acquired it on my TV but I'm not 100% obsessed about it (since in the proprietary nature of glasses).
Eventually, I expect 3D will hit prime-time and also you won't need glasses. Meanwhile, you will get some TVs like LG's line-up that utilizes the cheap 3D passive glasses like they will use at theaters. However, the LG glasses offered me a very bad headache after only about Ten minutes. Panasonic active technology doesn't bother me in any way. Your mileage are vastly different which means you should check this out on your own. I am going to the LG in-store demo has become the impressive of all of the brands I tested including Panasonic, Sony, Samsung and Sharp.
The sound around the TV is fine for general use. However, I set up a 5.1 home home theatre component system since i have want to make use of the Panasonic mostly to look at movies, football, as well as other big events. For something this large, I am unable to imagine not upgrading to at the very least a budget home theatre in the box.
I have my Panasonic hooked up to the web via Ethernet but, frankly, won't utilize this feature apart from upgrades. We have my Panasonic Blu-ray running through a 5.1 Onkyo tuner therefore i apply it online content like Amazon's Prime videos. The television did feature a USB wi-fi unit (that we had no idea about would have been a feature once i bought it). Used to try and setup the wireless dongle however i have a very strong password for my router's WPA along with the Panasonic remote doesn't support each of the characters We need. As opposed to customize the password, I merely hooked the tv screen to a 4-port switch I already had.
The final point here is I've no issue giving this TV my highest recommendation.
Beautiful TV!
The contrast with pure blacks is outstanding! I did not think I possibly could notice this without having the LG next to each other while using Panasonic, but I sure can! Real deep blacks with crispy clean picture. Also, the SD picture on this is a lot superior to the LCD. I've heard this can be true when comparing any plasma to LCD..but I thought it was worth noting. I have only watched "Cars 2" Blu Ray, fat it had been awesome picture. I have just played PS3 Madden 12 and require for speed 2 with my son! UNBELIEVABLE graphic detail on madden 3. Mind you, I'm not a serious gamer...but to see the metallic paint shimmer within the helmets and also the reflections of stadium lights in helmets is crazy detail. Need for speed was awesome, and at times, the landscape speeding by looked like video rather..Regarding the 3d, I haven't yet completed it yet. Again...this became not as imperative that you me as being a great picture. But soon Let me find some good OEM glasses and I"m expecting in the same way spectacular an image.
The VIERA wireless system is great. Easy to use for essentially the most part. Typing passwords with a keypad obviously is lame..but if your signed in to say Amazon video, you don't have to do again. The HD video on Amazon on demands is fantastic, as well as the SD just isn't bad either.. Very surprised.. There's a whole bunch of apps on the website, but we're going to probably just use the Amazon, maybe weather app from time to time and perchance 1 or 2 others. It is dumb that this wireless usb stick shines of the side with the TV until you also employ the included extension wire. Bad design idea adding a pointless additional cable.
I have this technique hooked up to Yamaha VX371 receiver with HDMI passing the video signal from my comcast cable box, in the reciever, then to TV's ARC input. Bluray also performed this way. I'm not happy using the reciever on account of some issues the way it does switching with audio..seems to be a difficulty. But i recently let you know here how its set up and also the picture is aweseome with the HDMI passing via a low to mid price receiver. Not sure if it might be better still direct from cable box to TV or with better receiver.
I mounted this about the wall utilizing a CHeetah Mount with double swing arms. TV is heavy and the children held one side to lift as I held the other. Mount is very rewarding and also the TV really looks great for the wall. I noticed when researching this TV there are "poor marks" for design. I dont know if you possibly could call a black frame thats about 1-1/2 inches a poor design. I guess thats when you begin to acquire insanely picky when comparing similar models. Don't allow that to choose to suit your needs. PICTURE QUALITY is a vital in my mind.
Now....in connection with main issue on amazon about fluctuating brightness. This was my only fear in ordering this TV...however i did identify that panasonic was fixing or had fixed. When I got the television it a mfg date of May 2011. But I haven't seen some of this challenge. Unless i can not notice, or I just got lucky. I will update this later if it changes. Also interesting was there was a great page inserted with instructions known as the Panasonic Concierge. It had 800# listed with info thanking you for purchase and asking to call with any questions/concerns. Wondering if it was as a result of fluctuation issue? Nice touch anyway..
Hope this review helps those on the fence. I researched for several months and found returning to the reliable plasma technology for the best picture.
The Best I've Seen
BUT... you cannot experience some tips i have if:
1.) There is no need a Cable or Satellite HD Receiver. and/or
2.) The space where your TV is, has windows or perhaps is very bright. This will likely, obviously, not be an issue at night.
Where these Point Top is involved, I realize somebody who sells these TV's. He hears complaints from unsatisfied buyers haven't any HD Receiver, nevertheless they expect to start to see the same vivid and spectacular images that they saw inside store. Furthermore, i HIGHLY recommend use of an HDMI cable to connect the TV on the Receiver, rather than standard RCA cables. This will likely significantly increase the display quality!
Where lights are concerned, we now have placed this TV in the room which has no windows that face the screen. That detail MAY explain some of the faded picture comments that I have read. I am aware that plasma screens work most effectively without competition from windows.
Since Initially when i first published this review, I've purchased (iTrek) 3D glasses. Please read my 5-Star review for these rechargeable glasses. Ok, i'll just inform you: the 3D is breath-taking! On a negative note, this TV boasts a chance to simulate 3D from 2D sources, but I haven't found this feature to be anywhere near as effective because i hoped. I could it maybe once or twice and was not impressed. But, if your Cable or Satellite Service offers 3D channels, you are in to get a real treat!
The Viera also boasts Wifi, and offers you the capability to run Netflix, Youtube and Hulu and a few other Internet movie sites, with NO need for the computer or nintendo ds middleman connection!
Bottom line: If a 65" TV is at your financial allowance, I Recommend this model. When it is too pricey, then opt for a smaller screen, however the Panasonic Viera is the approach to take! Two thumbs, In place!!!
If you purchase this, you will not be sorry... My children it was Pretty pleased using this purchase!
Wonderful Picture
If they had six stars, I'd use'em.
When When i first turned it around the picture wasn't things i hoped for, however i attended the web site highdefjunkies.com (Go towards the website and go into the model number inside their search field) and they have a "panel prep" procedure that they claim prepares the pixels with even wear because of their suggested custom settings AND prevents burn-in. I did it (what's four days?), then build their suggested settings (I'd have never came across all of them by learning from mistakes.) The image now looks friggin' amazing.
I was nervous in regards to the reports of fluctuating brightness, but Panasonic now repairs affected TVs, as well as the same website features a page with step-by-step directions on working with Panasonic, so that provided me with reassurance. (If mine is affected, it's too subtle to notice.)
An Excellent TV
I got it and immediately ran it through approximately 100 hours of burglary using slides I found with the AVS forums. This was a thing that many individuals had suggested. It was tough the inability to watch it without delay. After which was completed I calibrated the tv screen picture with a couple seeting that had been recommended inside forums. These recommended settings also turned off/minimized the feature that caused the most popular Floating Black issue. I did tweak the recommended settings and also the resulting picture is fantastic.
The TV is used heavily for watching sports and playing PS3 (COD), along with regular TV programs and some movies, both streamed and Blu-ray. There aren't issues with all of these uses. The TV enables you to create different settings for each and every input separately. I have my sports as well as other TV using one setting for image quality as well as the PS3 for games and Blu-ray using a different setting. The hands per hour around the TV is fantastic. There is not any lag due to the TV. It is fantastic for over the internet gaming.
I avoid the net part of the TV nor will i use Netflix. I did connect it towards the network to check out its streaming capabilities however it couldn't stream nearly all of my movies though they may be AVI files. Since I'm able to already take action over the PS3 I didnrrrt investigate further.
This TV has become fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone, particularly if they enjoy sports and game playing.
Great TV as soon as you dowload the newest software.
As soon when i received my set, I hooked it up, turned it on and also the brightness was fluctuating around. OH NO, much like Someone said in a few other reviews. I called Panasonic and they explained this would be a downside to C.A.T.S., a characteristic that dims the emerge the dark and brightens it inside light. You'll be able to disable this feature and the Panasonic rep explained that it was fixed using a software update. She would definitely send it in my experience by using an Facts while i asked easily could download it in the wi fi connection. She said "I think so" and that i proceeded to try and configure the tv's wi fi connection to the internet.
I enter in the TV network settings and locate my Verizon FIOS wi fi router, enter in the security key as well as the TV connects for the router but can't experience an IP address. I attempt numerous times however the TV is unable to get the IP address through the router. So, I Google "Viera Link and Verizon FIOS" and learn that others have experienced this matter which is resolved by manually entering an IP address, gateway and DNS to the TV network settings. As soon as I do this, I connect and download software version 5.07 for your TV.
Once new software packages are installed, I'm able to find no evidence fluctuating brightness or Netflix audio processing issues. I begin evaluating the set and everyone at home is impressed from the picture. Awesome color and black levels with no motion artifacts or LCD soap opera effect.
I would recommend this TV to anyone and thought it was important to share the resolution to the few technical glitches I experienced. Panasonic support was responsive although not that knowledgeable. Luckily you can find any answer through Google.
Absolutely floored with that amazing tv!
I don't even know where to start describing the phenomenal picture this tv produces. One thing Used to would have been a firmware update over wifi i crossed my fingers and expected them to be the best. I switched off C.A.T.S. like others suggested and that i haven't ever noticed a single fluctuation with all the brightness over the past month that my parents have had this tv. I do must point out that the audio quality as they are was not impressive but after tweaking the audio options the degree increased dramatically and I were help the expertise of the audio to your very acceptable level. My own tv is connected to a 5.1 home theater system so I'm very spoiled with audio but my parents state that the Panasonic audio sounds great to them in comparison with their old 50 inch plasma so I'll let it rest during this.
Although there might be more selections for tweaking the image and sound I'd say there are tons adjustment choices on this unit. My parents family room is actually comparatively brightly lit therefore the Game mode looks like it's the best choice of viewing modes on their behalf. There is one mode which is even brighter than Game and that's Vivid though I've been relayed through a Panasonic customer care rep that you simply shouldn't use that mode for the very first couple months of use. No requirement to worry for those who have a brightly lit room as Game mode is plenty bright enough.
I love each of the applications including Netflix and Pandora especially since Pandora lets you input several log in emails immediately to help you switch between music accounts using a touch of your mouse. Pick your account and bam your music increased and running right on your tv. If I'd to nit pick I'd state that sometimes (maybe once of the many 10 times) the tv provides me with a blunder after i try to connect with the net. All I have to do is back out and hit the button again and yes it connects making this not really a huge deal.
I have not yet try the 3D mode therefore i can't reply to that but over all the tv is fantastic. I've come across 65 inch tv's at over double the amount price of this place who's picture doesn't look much better in my experience (in fact they generally looks worse). My parents tv is connected to Dish Network along with the HD quality is the best I've ever seen on any television. It is possible to probably get a few more great features on Panasonic's highest end televisions but I doubt you would be far more impressed using the display quality. This is definitely the top tv your money can buy i believe.
Awesome
One very last thing I want to note was the web area of this TV. When I first setup the network to my wireless router I had created it looking for A and N on wireless, that i believe is the default setup. On netflix it might transfer the interest rate from 1080p to 480p every 5 minutes...I used to be getting pissed, i really turned off the Some, therefore it is N only and after this I purchase 100% 1080p output on the internet...So if you feel getting under 1080p and you have wireless N, set it up fot it only, that should get it to remain with the 1080p output only.
Best Bang For Buck
Great set, great benefits, great price.
* very good anti-glare coatings. The bed room the set is in gets lots of light and the coatings work nicely.
* no issues with green globs as some have reported.
* you can hear buzzing, but just with the amount off plus your ear towards the set. At normal viewing distance you hear nothing.
* no difficulties with dim images as some have reported.
I've not put a meter about the set yet, but anticipate that's could be dialed in very nicely using the cuts and drives exposed to the user.
Configuring the network (wifi adapter use in the box) took more than one try, but which may have been my downside to case-sensitivity in the passphrase key. I'm currently running it with DHCP without issues.
One side comment about Home Direct, the shipper for my set. When the set reached my area, they used a nearby contractor to finish the delivery. They called 1 day prior to the expected delivery date and planned to give you the set 6 days after the expected date. Amazon was amazing at helping "knudge" for a delivery date eventually prior to expected delivery date. THANK YOU AMAZON!
Nice quality TV
The 2D picture is fantastic - the black levels are solid - the brightness is superb for any plasma - and the colors are abundant in saturation.
The 3D picture is amazing! We hold the rechargeable glasses while using Avatar Kit and they're lightweight and work well. The 3D was actually a lot better than inside the theater.
For a mid-level TV, this really sets the bar. I highly recommend this television.
Fantastic TV and a great price
Definitely worth the cost - see strategies for optimizing picture
A couple of months later, we started shopping around again so we realized that regardless of this FBR issue, this model was consistently rated presents itself all takes hold this size and price range. When I looked into it some more (mostly by reading helpful reviews from others here on Amazon), I learned that Panasonic was able to reproduce the challenge coupled with make a fix. If you needed a collection that have been manufactured prior to a specific date (It is at Oct 2011), then you could request that Panasonic send a technician to your residence free of charge to replace an individual part which will fix the FBR issue; this fix was a part of new sets produced in October 2011 on. So, if you ask me, it was no longer a concern - basically was lucky, I'd have a set with the fix added at the factory. If I used to be not lucky, I might just have to schedule you to definitely remedy it personally. It's also worth mentioning a large number of those with sets that have this FBR issue do not even notice it, so chances are you would not even require fix.
While reading the reviews just for this set here on Amazon, I saw that some people mentioned instructions for calibrating this set to optimize the image quality. One or two of the reviews mentioned a web site called highdefjunkies dot com for instructions on carrying this out properly. If you try to their user forums, hunt for the thread called "2011 Panasonic Settings /Issues Thread". This thread was started by D-Nice, some guy who is really a living professionally calibrating televisions, which requires purchasing expensive calibration equipment and experience by using their equipment. According to the people who eat, sleep, and breathe car stereo, this is a smart investment to pay the $400 approximately to possess your HDTV professionally calibrated as it will allow you to maximize the enjoyment of one's HDTV throughout its lifetime.
Most people (including me) wouldn't move through using this as a result of expense and/or because we might believe that it could come from the factory using the proper setup. Thankfully, D-Nice did everyone a big favor. In that thread, he outlined a really specific group of steps to follow as a way to reproduce display settings that happen to be not far from those he achieved on the same unit using his professional calibrating equipment, which intrigued me. So, we bit the bullet and ordered the set.
It is vital to notice that this D-Nice instructions require that you simply follow everything exactly or your results will alter from his. This resulted in when you started up the set, in lieu of make your favorite movie or Tv program, you had to operate a specific list of colored slides for 100 hours to artificially age the phosphors (supposedly, the initial 100-200 hours that this plasma screen runs the pixels have the potential to subtly change colors, so these slides increase that process and age all pixels uniformly which improves color fidelity). There is a very helpful FAQ in post #1258 of these thread (which is located on Page 63 of these thread). Please read this FAQ for the better concept of how to handle it and why our recommendation is that you do this.
I do not know just what it could have looked like if as opposed to following D-Nice's instructions I had created just turned it on and put on the extender like 99% of us would've. However, I do know the picture is beautiful i usually do not regret waiting any additional 100 hours before I possibly could utilize it.
We also wound up buying Walker Edison Regal 60-In. 4-in-1 TV Stand with Mount to set the HDTV on (we bought the 60" version on this label of HDTV). The original plan had been to utilize its included mount to mount the television instead of set it in the top shelf, but Panasonic's documentation was adament that you just only use Panasonic-certified mounts i really chose to set it up on the top shelf instead, that has been no big deal. We have the next equipment within this stand: middle shelf: Onkyo TX-NR509 5.1 Channel Network A/V Receiver, Ps3 160GB System. Bottom shelf: VIP 622, D-Link DGS-1008G 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch. So far, all tools are running properly seeing as there are no ventilation difficulties with this stand. The stand can be very attractive and appearance great in your basement (which gets hardly any ambient light so we have no glare problems with its reflective glass screen).
We also just bought Panasonic TY-EW3D3MU 3D Active Shutter Eyewear for Panasonic 3D HDTVs (Medium). We got them yesterday, and do not yet have much content to evaluate them with. I found a number of 3D demo videos on the web and played them plus they looked decent. I also received Batman: Arkham City that may be took part in 3D, though to tell the truth Some go to whichever real difference after enabling 3D (though I only played it another hour or so). So, currently, That's not me overly impressed while using 3D functionality but like I said, we'll see how are you affected while i get some good real 3D content.|
Beautiful TV
Definitely recommend this TV as it comes with a great price with 3D.
Great TV Picture!!
I had it more than 1 month and everything works well. I possibly could never get back on an inferior Lcd television. I highly recommend this TV.
Beyond my expectations!
ST30 was an easy task to setup out of the box and yes it even was included with WiFi dongle and so i was connected during first minutes. I've read about the fluctuating brightness issue but I haven't noticed it yet after 4 times of viewing on different sources - HD feed, Blu ray, etc. I prefer to watch sports and films and this TV is completely perfect for that. Amazing refresh rate for action-packed pics and action sequences!
The standard picture setting is not good. Neither is Vivid or Game. Too contrasty and unnatural. You will need to set the image setting you to ultimately get the most of using this TV in Custom mode. I followed this set up and i also was amazed. [...] The setting here doesn't even push the contrast that far or the black levels. But it's just right...blacks are plenty deep with great detail. Colors are natural and realistic yet saturated with the nice pop. Yes it lets you do wash out a little if you're watching it during the day in brightly lit room but it's not dramatic.
I'm very impressed with this particular TV thus far i haven't even tried the 3D yet. On the price it's going right this moment this is a great buy. Along with the Prime white glove shipping was very convenient since they dropped it well in my lounge. They will agreed to obtain it out of the box. I'm super satisfied with the acquisition so far.
Great picture, features, and price!
The display quality is gorgeous. From 1 foot away, the image is a bit noisy, but from any reasonable viewing distance, the picture is perfectly smooth and gorgeous. Couldn't request better. I enjoy it. Don't be concerned about the fluctuating brightness problem either. The brightness fluctuated until I connected the television to the net and downloaded the newest firmware. BTW, all the features from the TV are easy to use.
Youtube is effective for this TV. The interface is easy and effective. You can access your youtube account about this TV. I have never tried one of the other internet features yet, however, there is many of them. Use a wireless keyboard using this type of TV.
The 3D feature is awesome and works extremely well. That is one of the very best TV's to look at 3D videos on. The best 3D videos I have come across thus far are the IMAX under sea videos. It's like you're deep-sea diving and you are feeling as if you can touch the ocean creatures in front of you. These videos blow away any 2D videos I have come across about marine life. You can play 3D games for this TV too. Nvidia makes software that allows you to play 500 computer games in 3D in your hdtv. I aquired Blick brand 3d shutter glasses as opposed to the Panasonic brand. Blick is cheaper and. They work perfect. In order to impress your mates, suggest to them the IMAX 3D under sea videos on this TV.
As far while i can inform, this TV does not have a chance to record programs onto another harddrive. Here is the one item If only it did have. So I'll have to use another way to record programs. However i still wouldn't wish to spend twice as much money for any samsung tv in order to get that feature.
I didn't get an Television because (1) they're much more expensive, (2) they're too bright for me and hurt my eyes, (3) they have got ghosting on quick images for instance in sports, and (4) 3D is way better on plasma.
This TV found over 100 over-the-air channels within my area, so apparently it features a great tuner.
The sound quality is superb for any TV. I've not installed speakers with it yet and I feel like I'm not really missing much, although I actually do prefer to attach some good external speakers and a subwoofer between the near future.
I've been playing xbox 360 games on my TV lately. It functions ideal for gaming!!! Furthermore, i loved watching 1080p versions from the classic Alien movies about this TV. This really is my first hdtv and I always aspired to see Gi joe alone big TV. It is rather impressive. The image is really smooth, perfect, and detailed. I've also played a few PC games with this TV too, also it looks gorgeous. I installed my graphics card towards the tv using a 15 foot DVI to HDMI cable.
So if you want a tv, I'd look no further and merely purchase a panasonic ST30 series TV.
Excellent picture...Best HDTV for your price
I'm trying to puzzle out good settings for any bright room, therefore if anyone knows good/optimal settings for the bright room, please make me aware.
GREAT TV - GREAT VALUE!!!!!
Superb product
Rolled the dice and won!
so far awesome!
my experiences up to now...
Hulu Plus - today June 15 2011, it's still out of stock. We are really disappointed, because section of my purchase decision was HULU which Panasonic advertised on their own internet site and HULU mentioned while back as "will be for sale in May", not is says "coming later this year".
Netflix - I needed to manually upgrade to two.04 patch to remove static audio noise (that is known bug), following the upgrade I got amazing near to HD video and sound is fixed
Amazon Video - is effective, there isn't much free (free for amazon prime users) content on amazon video yet
Skype - I bought your camera (it's extra not cheap accessory). In case you have decent web connection (be sure to have at the very least 500kB/s UPLOAD speed on sides), it really works great. I tested it with PC and iPhone conversely. My TV is actually comparatively far from the couch, I had been worried about microphones not being able to pickup my voice. Everything is very rewarding.
DLNA - I take advantage of external hard disk drive connected to home Netgear N600 router. TV found the foundation quickly i was able to watch movies online without issues. In reality I needed some difficulties with some formats, still must research somewhat... I tried a music track as well, I had created a lot of audio tracks, it's kind of slow and never the best way to listen to music through TV.
PlayON via DLNA - I tried it, but although TV was able to find PlayON running on my own computer, I used to be not able to play any movie from any source (local, hulu, ...). Various other users reported problems with PlayON and Panasonic and Samsung TVs.
Pandora - works well, it doesn't need the very best internal speakers. I can't think I will use TV to listen to Pandora...
There is small issue with the Wireless connection. It's kind of expected, nevertheless, you could be surprised. Whenever you turn the TV ON, the wireless connects to your home WIFI router, which take 5-10 seconds. If you are planning to utilize the TV limited to internet content, this is little annoying wait time. Almost all what huge problem, but nonetheless...
Panasonic Plasma 46ST30
After running slides for 24 hrs, I ran a few shows only to see if the set works. The best picture was the HD broadcast of Wimbleton. It was awesome. After seeing other channels and media for the looking for about 30 min, I started running slides again.
July 4, 2011: HD channels look wonderful. Too bad I only get 10 of which. I am particularly impressed using the newscasts. Be conscious HD channels doesn't invariably broadcast HD shows. Some shows in HD channels still looks better inside my 32" Sony CRT. Shows that come in as 410p resolution, does not show also, in comparison with my Sony CRT.
It will costs me over $50/mo to join to more HD content. I'll must mull it up to determine if it's worth that much personally.
Blu-ray "Matrix" is extremely good. Always thought Trinity was pretty and with an a-kicker, but after seeing her in Blu-ray I am aware she gets a beautiful face.
Blu-ray "Up" didn't pop-out using the settings We used with regular films. The kids wanted it to possess vivid and bright colors. he Vivid setting seems too saturated for my taste. I have yet to discover the settings i like when viewing cartoons like Up.
The Avatar 3D looks great, but I found the fast moving scenes tough to watch. The main subject inside the fast scenes look really good, but it's difficult to comprehend the fast moving background - I had to create a conscious effort to take a look away. Scenes and then there are slow panning or stills, the 3D can be a pleasure to view.
I bought the television along with the 3D package like a deal. But I recommend to only obtain the TV and pass on the 3D package whether or not this means being forced to buy it for a couple hundred dollars. I am not into 3D. My kids were really enthusiastic about the 3D, nonetheless they is only able to make use of the glasses for 30 min during a period. If you will discover somebody who allows you to utilize the 3D glasses and movie for any day, do it. It could help you save an excellent chunk of income.
Netflix looks great too, provided that this article is HD. It needs a few minutes to load the film, but there was no hiccups, or buffering issues. If you watch the old TV series "Twin Peaks," there was plenty of rebuffering. This was midday (PST) with a Sunday. Note: We have the television hardwired to my router but my the web maximum is 1.5 Mbps.
Other random thoughts:
I viewed many TVs at several stores and I've determined that TVs that show badly within the showroom really should not be eliminated out of your report on possible choices. The origin as well as the showroom environment are major factors within the picture (PQ). Sometimes, show rooms just use the cable lines (RG6) to demonstrate content. HDMI is important. My panasonic showed poorly inside showroom, nevertheless it shows great within my house.
Whenever I make an major purchase, It's my job to be worried about finding a lemon. But I didn't see any with the problems others have observed with this particular TV.
Choosing internet choices is easy. I prefer that there is a parental control. This TV can play in the movie/video during my network server. My Sony S470 (Blu-ray, 3D) doesn't play them.|
Sweet Panel for Budget Minded Enthusiasts!
I've had this panel for over 4 months now and possesses performed flawlessly. I'd some really loud buzzing however it was just a loose screw inside A-board, i popped a corner panel off and tighened it. Now I will only hear a faint buzzing sound with my ear around the back of the panel.
Colors are great. Brightness is unquestionably improved vs. the 42" ST30 that's in the bedroom. Black levels can also be noticeably deeper.
3D is fantastic. The wife loves it too and that we watched Avatar in 3D while using xpand 103s and it was quite an immersive experience.
Network features work perfectly. No issues whatsoever streaming Netflix currently (obviously, a complete overhaul of my network to gigabit everything had something related to it, I know).
Couldn't be happier!!!!!!
Now concerning the TV: The picture rocks ! if you have HD. It has 3 HDMI inputs then one of these supports ARC, that enables car stereo to feed with just the HDMI cable. I cannot attest to the wifi and many types of the different apps since I use a Roku player which does all the plus much more to me. I could have at the very least used it out, unfortunately where this TV is sitting, it's nowhere all-around an ethernet cord or my wireless modem. You can get an invisible USB adapter to connect the USB input which means you do not have to connect your ethernet cord. I'm sure I'll eventually do this out and definately will update the results.
I've read that the best time and energy to buy new TV's is in the fall because that's when so much years models go on sale. Once I made the decision to secure a new TV there were No chance I could wait that long! I really did not have a large number of specifications which i absolutely needed on a TV. The main thing would have been a Giant screen, great picture, rather than too complicated. This TV met and surpassed my expectations. I got this TV within my local Best to buy store for $1400.00. I was down getting Any sort of TV so long as it worked and I weren't required to service it every couple of years. So that automatically took DLP TVs out of your equation since I would need to change the bulb included most of the time. So it was between LED and Plasma. ALL from the LED's I looked at (60in or bigger) were WAAAYYYY to pricey. And really the only upside of LED being that it saves more energy than Plasma, I narrowed my search to Plasma's. Also I mainly watch sports and I've read that some 120hz LED's couldn't carry on each time a fast picture went across the screen.
Since Panasonic could be the "KING" of Plasma TV's I began investigating their distinctive line of products. Like I said earlier, I didn't need every one of the "bells and whistles" in the new 2012 line so I went for the most basic 2011 TV. Overall, this TV is BREATH TAKING!!! Trust me you won't regret having this at home. It offers you a home theater experience without leaving the home. I noticed Amazon's price was around $1700 after i purchased it and that i checked out it today and it is $2000! Crazy!!! If you don't wish to pay anywhere near this much cash on a 2011 TV take a look around your local electronic stores. I just happened to have lucky. If you had been to purchase this TV at Greatest coupe completely new in box it would set you back $1899. However, once i went and looked they just had 1 left and yes it was the display model. My initial thought ended up being to keep away from it. So I left and kept researching TVs for the next couple of weeks. I kept returning to this model though. I basically had my thoughts set from day one, I merely was required to get the best price.
Personally, Irrrve never made this big of your purchase on the internet in order that kind of deterred me from buying it on Amazon. So, I go back to Biggest score and start considering a few of the positives of the display model rather than the negatives. All Plasma TVs say to get the best "optimal" performace you should proceed through some kind of technique of breaking your TV in. Every manufacturer differs about the length of time however, if I got myself the display model this procedure was already done and I would use it straight away. Next, the price of the display was dropped to $1710 from $1899. And last, in the event the TV would definitely be described as a "bad egg" you'd probably may have learned! Plus still it had the 12 months manufacture warranty however did make a mistake as time goes on. Also, you have Half a year from the date of purchase to acquire a different Two or three year warranty from Panasonic. While this seemed like a good deal I didnrrrt desire to hassle with calling Panasonic and going thru that whole process of waiting for a Panasonic tech to be sold and repair my TV, and so i started looking at the "Black Tie" warranty offered thru Greatest coupe. I have this on my laptop and possesses come in handy NUMEROUS times.
So, if by some CRAZY reason you're debating on getting in touch with pick the floor type of a TV just be patient. I got lucky with a GREAT Best Buy employee helping me. At first he was quoted saying he perform somewhat for the cost of $1710. I told him I seriously only felt comfortable spending $1500. So he asked if he could get it down to 15 would I walk out by it today. I told him not today but def in the future. So he returned and spoken with his manager and went back at a price of $1550. I told him that I would go back home and consider it and come back tomorrow. So, in the morning I came in already planning on buying it because of this price and started arranging generate income would definitely obtain it home and asking him the past questions inside the buying process. He already knew I had been planning on buying it i asked if there was anyway he might get it down to $1500. He went and spoken with the manager and returned and said what price you'd probably you go out by using it today? I said $1500. He goes "how's $1400 sound"? I thought he only agreed to be joking but sure enough he sold me the tv screen for $1400. Keep planned he will not make any commission!!! And the man already knew I had been buying it! So, with those prices I went ahead and also got both the year "Black Tie" warranty from Greatest coupe for $200 bucks only to be secure. Even though I have NEVER stood a downside to a TV going wrong but I've read SO many reviews of individuals experiencing difficulity I desired to possess some sort of reassurance.
The moral of the story shall be patient. Companys need to released the most effective and newest products displayed in case last years model is on the ground they don't really have room to set it. They will do ALMOST anything to obtain the old products sold along with the brand new ones on display! Normally I do not invest in Best to buy because they're so darn expensive. You will get the same item here on Amazon for half the buying price of Greatest coupe. I'm sure that is certainly one of only some exceptions.
I know the most my review wasn't in regards to the TV itself however i desired to think that maybe I possibly could help somebody feel the joy I did so when generating a major purchase. Overall, this TV isn't the best or perhaps the most high-priced however it does the job. The picture will be as good as any TV on the market and it's huge! Obviously, as with any flat panel TVs in order to get pretty much as good sound as you do picture, you're gonna must get a home theater system or sound bar to improve your own home theater experience. BUT the sound remains good and will be plenty loud if you don't. You just won't hear whatever you could with external speakers.
Large, competent, pleasing 3D-capable Plasma television at a good price
I decided on the Panasonic ST30 initially because Panasonic offered a 3D-ready 65-inch Plasma model which was affordable. I initially leaned towards a more economical 60-inch S34 model that CostCo has at a great price, but that model was not 3D ready, and reviews suggested the ST series also works on the high quality screen. As for pricing, a few things i situated on Amazon was certainly the best offer. Best price AND free postage cannot be beat (CostCo wanted almost $100 just to ship). The crew even carried it upstairs and hang it down.
How do I like it? The 65-inch screen is gratifyingly large when compared to 52-inch I had created before. Picture is very good, particularly with 1080p Blu-Ray movies, games and the like. With standard satellite HDTV, you'll be able to from time to time observe that exactly the same 1920 x 1080 pixels are stretched over a larger screen, making the picture seem softer and lacking the trademark HDTV super-sharpness (which, I suspect, could be the marketing basis for switching to 3840 x 2160 when that receives). Overall, the image is excellent, though the blacks usually are not as pitch-black when i had expected. Sound is very good considering there actually is no room for speakers of these super-thin new flatscreens.
Speaking of size, the 65-inch Pana flatscreen is amazingly thin. Not waver-thin, but very thin, like two inches roughly. However, it can weigh on the hundred pounds and the box is big, so don't believe since have a 37-inch box below your arm and pop it inside the backseat of one's car, that you can do the same with a 65-incher. You simply can't.
As for 3D, the P65ST30 is ready for active 3D but doesn't include glasses. I aquired two sets of XPand X103 universal 3D glasses that really work great. Problem really is there's which has no 3D content. The pair of 3D Blu-Rays I purchased are eye-poppingly gorgeous around the big Pana, and several scuba video we recorded with a GoPro 3D camera setup looks absolutely stunning about this TV (the built-in media player had no problem reading it from your unit's SDHC card reader). There is a setting to create regular TV look 3D, but although it kind of works, it's reaching i can't see anyone wear the glasses only to visit a bit of depth on regular TV.
Another difference, btw, between your S30 and ST30 Series is that the latter has wireless WiFi by means of a WiFi USB stick. I found themselves not using it since it couldn't find my home network well, i just used a LAN wire instead.
Smart TV is perhaps all the rage, and then for the TC-P65ST30 has Panasonic Viera Apps. There's even a Viera app store where one can download additional apps. I oftentimes tried the apps to view Netflix movies, Vimeo, tune in to Pandora, etc., etc. It's actually a handy thing to have, although Viera interface is a little sluggish.
Overall, I'm totally satisfied with the Panasonic TC-P65ST30 plasma TV, and Amazon certainly aced it with price and the free delivery. It's actually a huge intensify in viewing experience and pleasure from my old 2007 LCD. Several years from now, it'll likely be obsolete as we'll have 3840 x 2160 resolution, full smart TV, and likely 3D without glasses (I cannot see 3D really increasing in popularity with glasses), until then this TV is exactly what I would like and wish.
Panasonic VIERA TC-P46ST30 46-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV
Best Deal!
Just a sidenote: Delivery was fulfilled through Pilot, and the whole process couldn't have gone smoother. The tv screen arrived inside the guaranteed two hour window, along with the deliveryman even installed the stand and taught me to be lift it to where I desired it. If you possess choice between couriers, choose Pilot!
"Drop dead gorgeous" picture!
Absolutely floored with the PQ!!
Without getting too technical, all I could have to say is that the display quality is just amazing. The colors, the blacks, the type with the motion..it is jaw dropping good. It is actually like watching actual through a window. The picture just pops out!! Visuallyy, it is the same reaction We've while i saw top quality $3-4K LED TVs (though I will be bias towards plasmas).
I have not seen the color fluctuations others have brought up, and possess not even a chance to run d-nice slide show and calibration settings, however i can't imagine what the PQ can improve.
Hooked up my PS3, and visited town watching Transfomers Trilogy on blu-ray. Simply fantastic.
You won't be disappointed, nor overwhelmed
OMG! 'nuff said!
Even unpacking finished . was orchestrated (the directions are on this area, so don't go tearing into the thing). Logical, manageable, and effortless unpacking and that i was viewing tv inside Twenty or so minutes. No flicker has been noted (they must've fixed this dilemma). Flawless picture, surprising audio quality, intuitive setup. Excellent selection for our 20 x 20 family room.
Best picture I have seen to date
A few factors that influenced my decision. The TV will be inside a open room with several sliding doors. I was weighing the advantage of buying an LED tv which may be better for a nicely lit room. However, the majority of my viewing time is at night therefore i decided on the overall best picture which would function as the plasma.
No issues with shipping. I did perform the d-nice calibration while using the first 100 hours burning in the tv. This was over the weekend so somewhat painful I do glance at the custom calibration is the best picture. If anyone needs the web link to those instructions please leave a comment and I will post the url there (don't think you'll be able to post it in main reviews). I did contain the tv on cable for approximately a hour prior to doing the 100 hour d-nice update. The biggest improvement I saw was using the non-HD channels.
Few additional notes - glare won't seem that bad at in the mid day. However I am not what I would look at a videophile. You need help lifting it to your stand. My existing stand is just too small at this time to the tv but holds it sufficiently. The 65" plasma is around 20 pounds heavier as opposed to 2008 42" plasma. Gotta love technology. Audio isnt bad although not great either. I appear to have to crank up somewhat when using netflix.
Best TV to the price, absolutely.
As far because the TV goes, I researched plasma's vs LCD's and wound up choosing to opt for a plasma, I know the majority of you might have read that they just merely have better picture quality // correct colors. After starting the process of I had been planning to choose a plasma I was in between this Panasonic TC-P50ST30, the Samsung PN51D6500 along with the LG 51PZ750, all of them are inside the same price range.
When I acquired the television the delivery guy look into the panel made certain nothing was wrong and through the second he turned it on I used to be stunned. This TV looks so excellent, its unbelievable, the sole other place I've seen this kind of PQ is within 2-3K plasma's i personally think this TV even performs better then them in some areas.
My TV would be a 2011 May model but the moment I create the internet, it updated the firmware, which mind you is pretty amazing. It doesn't only have got all you main Apps you'd want on the tv (Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Amazon Streaming, etc.) however it even posseses an app store and a few other apps which are pretty cool.
If you need a plasma and also you would want to stay in budget (and in many cases when you have a higher price rage). Really consider this TV, trust me, it will amaze you!|
Great Value - Pull the Trigger
Warning: I ordered the Panasonic wireless adapter to match tv due to these experience last year when I necessary to include that, but this model includes a nice wireless adapter and docking station. Simply wanted to advise if you happen to failed to read details in it.
Just Amazing
Here is my review: Oh my gosh GOD!
It was internal September of 2011 hence the flickering problem is nothing We have noticed.
Picture is really good, particularly for movies on channels like HBO HD.
Highly recommend. Mine will be the 50".
Here is my review: Oh my gosh Gawwwd
Awesome TV
Absolutely Worth every penny!
I have experienced the TV for about 21 days which is the prettiest picture I hvae ever seen. I don't know how a TC picture might get any benefit this. For the cost on amazon, there is not any benefit. You have to have fun with the settings a bit as the standard pictures settings usually are not quite perfect. I have experienced some reviews about glare issues but there are absolutely no conditions i noticed. The room is ready to accept your kitchen in front of my TV and i also can barely use whatever glare when the kitchen light is on. Even if hte window treatments are open still very little glare whatsoever.
Viewing at any angle. You can see the picture as clear as day from any angle on this TV. I basically climb onto the wall and check out the television and i also can still read words on screen, that's how clear it really is from nearly 90 degree angle.
Black level is basically true black, when there is a black background it is possible to barely tell the sting of the TV in the actual screen, it really pops watching sports and also you see the Deep Black and bright whites, it's amazing. You do need to change the black level within the settings from Light to Dark to actually get the true effect. I have never used the viera apps since i have provide an XBox and find out silly for them. I also never have used the 3D since I do not want to buy glasses and extremely limited content. We have no intrest in 3D.
Extremely Happy
The speakers on the TV are not very good however i just ordered a house theater system while i ordered the TV anticipating this. Problem solved.
Cinema mode is excellent in my room as I can control the lighting pretty much. The screen is pretty reflective although not any worse than you would expect from your glass screen that plasmas have.
Overall In my opinion until this is a good buy to get a 60" approximately as good a picture just like any people will certainly appreciate.
Great 3D tv
Absolutely love this TV
Beautiful
Oh and wow- were playing Gears of War on it right now in fact it is using this world- awesome! I can't wait to find out what how the PS3 games look about it. It happens to be only a wow-factor tv. Not to note the price- wow again. If you're going to get this tv though, I definitely recommend getting channels in HD. It is so big that this local channels look a bit funny. But the HD channels help it become look like the folks are waiting in front individuals. So all in all- great tv, would buy it again in the heart beat. Thanks Amazon...you are the best!
UPDATE*****
We hooked up our wireless home network to the AWESOME tv with virtually no problems. Super fast & easy. Didn't need to buy anything additional for that wifi feature to work either. We can now watch free movies online off our computers directly on the television and never having to fool around with plugging your computer in to the tv, or burning a motion picture onto a memory stick, or joining an outside hard drive. So I could not be happier. Oh know what's even better is that there is NO skipping or lagging. I don't know how many of you've experienced this... but on our old tv, we had to utilize the PS3 to play movies as well as the lagging was just beyond annoying inside arse :) With this particular tv having wifi- it reads everything perfectly with not even tiniest of lag!
Picture quality that blows you away.
I've had a 67" DLP which I've watched many 3D movies on. And the 3D on which is impressive. But it requires to use checkerboard which I believe fails exactly the same current tech does. Current tech provides a 1080p image to EACH eye, so when you watch a high quality 3D game or bluray, things that may actually come out of the screen literally seem like they may be floating in mid air. Because they keep their INSANE 1080p detail even when floating toward your eye.
Hence the Main point here:
- "entry level"? This seems like a premier in the line with amazing picture quality
- 2D from good sources is insanely detailed with colors that appear to pop off the screen
- 3D quality isn't just "very good" which I've heard said concerning this set. It's incredible
- Pixel refresh speed is excellent, I can't notice hardly any blurriness on fast paced objects.
- Black levels seem very good, dark places remain dark while light areas inside same image still pop off the screen.
- Bad speakers. But you can find an amazing mid sized speaker system for $400+ that will go great with this 50". Look into Energy Take, or Polk Audio, or any other home theaters inside a box.
One last item, don't be concerned about fluctuating brightness, if you notice it just call Panasonic they have been taking care of everyone I hear. Or should you still store warranty let them handle it if it's a lesser hassle for you personally. Summary: whether or not this occurs, you may be covered.|
Overjoyed But Wary
- turn CAT (the sunshine sensor) off since it is regarded as quirky (if it is not off already)
- within the first 100 hours, see the TV in just zoom mode (no letterbox) plus only cinema/custom viewing settings
- don't leave the screen on the fixed image
- she asserted I shouldn't, but when I experience All of these problems, to call right away and they're going to address it
I also report that people call Panasonic shortly after they buy the TV to generate a 'case file' with them when you have problems, they already have your entire information - you merely give them true number.
Other than that, the picture is beautiful - crisp and clear. I favor to observe it in cinema mode - it isn't as vivid as the appropriately-named vivid mode, but it's brighter compared to standard mode, that is type of dark. However, the vivid mode is more effective than its competitors. The Samsung's video mode is merely atrocious - it's surreal and will give more sensitive people headaches. Additionally, the Panasonic is just 60lbs, which makes the machine not terribly heavy, given the size that the weight is distributed.
Overall, I will be delighted... Wary that something might get it wrong, but definitely enough thus far to never exchange it. It's very difficult to not fall in love with the picture quality. This indicates at this juncture that Panasonic is aware of and making plans to alleviate the software snafus. Easily experience any of those aforementioned issues, I anticipate lowering my review and rating.
Nice Television!!!
Excellent bang for your buck
Some people say they have FBr, but seriously, this has been quite a minor issue to my eyes. I imagine Panasonic will quickly to discharge firmware update as continues to be done in aspects of Europe.
In the showroom in the big-box stores the picture quality with this plasma is ho-hum next to the super-bright LED sets. However, as soon as you understand it in your family room so you start watching movies in the dim lighting condition, it can be absolutely fantastic. You can find the picture just bright enough being perfect without having to burn your eyes. If you need that liquid-smooth, accurate picture, plasma is the way to go. Finally, you'll be able to boost the colors a bit in custom mode to get additional pop.
Excellent TV
The best picture you will get for less than $1500
When you first of all open the therapy lamp, you'll need to setup the set by attaching the will it. This isn't difficult but if you do have a larger set, you might want to ask somebody to help you with the lifting. The stand is actually two metal posts that this TV sits on top of, and then you bolt them in through the back. I wouldn't want to go ahead and take potential for dropping my set while attempting to line the posts up so that they easily fit into the TV's slots.
Once that's done, the others is a snap to setup. Going with the menu for initial setup takes literally seconds. As with any plasma set, you might be inclined to employ a break-in way to age the phosphors prior to starting regular viewing. The ST30 posseses an Sdcard slot inside side, so it will be quite simple to operate slides into it for break-in purposes. This could be the method I decided to use and that i couldn't be happier with the picture.
The apps are very effective also, mostly I don't use anything but the Netflix one. I haven't noticed any lag.
The sound is approximately what you would expect from TV speakers. If you're getting this for the serious home entertainment, it form of is obvious that you will never be utilizing the TV's speakers. I currently am while using the built-in speakers however, because I spent all of my money on the television! Seriously though, they're acceptable for normal viewing as well as the audio quality is actually a lot a lot better than other TV's I've had.
If you must have done research on the ST30, maybe you have discovered some news in regards to the "fluctuating brightness" issue on this set. Previous Panasonics had rising blacks, as well as the 2011 sets have fluctuating brightness. The issue is apparently much worse about the GT30 than the ST. On my ST30, We have only seen it a small number of times and it's never distracting. What the problem is is simply the tv screen adjusting scene brightness mid-scene. You are able to see the issue when a particularly dark shot transitions to a lighter one. Sometimes it will initially display the brilliant scene, and you will dsicover the brightness increase or decrease extremely slightly. I suggest taking a look at many of the in-store models to see if you are able to notice it. Like I said, I've barely seen any cases of it from a month of viewing. Others have reported that the dilemma is so bad on their own set that they to send back it. The last I heard, that is inherent for the driving mechanism inside TV and likely can't be corrected via a firmware or any other update. The 2011 Samsungs also exhibit similar behavior.
Overall, despite having the fluctuating brightness issue, this is without doubt the most effective TV you may get at under $1500. I couldn't be happier with mine, so when then it's time for an additional set I am going to likely get another Panasonic plasma. I was hesitant about going plasma at first, though the image quality blows my LCD from the water.
Love it!
Panasonic 55 inch Plasma 3D HDTV
One thing to notice: You will get the soap opera effect unless you switch off Motion Smoothing. It's enabled by default.
Better than LED
OMG! This TV is Amazing!
Picture is superlative. Colors are pure, natural. Picture is bright. No motion blur whatsoever. 3D effect is the most suitable I have come across anywhere including concert halls. Anytime there's not movie data coming through via hdmi or an ethernet application like netflix, we have an attractive 3D screensaver (2D image flipping around 3D space such as the superman 2 "prison") Have was required to make use of the internal speakers until We have my main audio system installed. Sounds acceptable.
There are some defects, however the picture is definitely so awesome i still provide five stars:
1) there isn't any antiglare treatment. Keep the windows open, light shining in anywhere behind you together with you will see the reflection inside the TV although the picture is usually bright enough to mask the reflections.
2) netflix does not have looking function.
3) annoying boing (might be muted) every time the cursor is moved inside the viera menu.
4) no pip. who uses pip anyway? But frequently it's nice to possess.
My last TV as a 3/4 highdef panasonic plasma bought in 2003; they've still was able to evolved quite a bit.
Great TV
Only small issue is Panasonic TV's usually do not natively steam VUDU, and so i still need to use my blu-ray player to acquire this particular service.|
Excellent product and repair by Amazon
Excellent TV
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY
First of all, I bought the television for 2D viewing (3D does nothing for me personally). After researching them for longer than half a year, I'm SOOOO happy that we went with the Panasomic TC-P46ST.
It required a month or more of minor tweaking to find the picture to my satisfaction, however it was worthwhile. I used to be finally pleased with things i was seeing, therefore i was now ready to the upgrade to HD programming. WOW, WOW, WOW... it will be the best picture I know of ANYWHERE! Bar none!
This should be the best choice sold at this class. Just don't expect perfection straight out of the box. Remain calm and keep adjusting until its right. And revel in.
Who knows?... maybe I'll buy pair of 3D glasses.
So lovin' it!
Panasonic Viera Review
GREAT PRODUCT Recommend
Bill
Great TV @ an excellent Value
The TC-P46ST30 i bought has been fantastic. It had been quite simple to setup along with the instructions is not hard to follow along with. The wireless took a short while to connect, but once which was setup i was browsing youtube, netflix, and pandora! So far, the picture quality has been amazing. The initial movie we watched was Lord from the Rings in 1080p. Wow, the picture was stunning. Also of note: It sits inside a west facing room. Within the afternoon sunshine shines to the TV although it is a Plasma, we have not had any picture problems. It is bright enough to overcome the glare.
My only small gripe using the TV may be the uber-shiny bezel. I have found more glare about the bezel compared to TV itself.
Amazing, for your price; mind-blowing!
Pros:
- Price
- 1080 Lines.
- Hulu+, Netflix, Amazon, Youtube... all in-tv. Basically an AppleTV/Roku/? built right in. The DLNA movie streaming though is certainly not great; about comparable to Apple TV after hack.
- Game Mode
- HDMI CEC
- Thin & light (for size)
Cons:
- DLNA Streaming for movies isn't awesome; but that's why I own a PS3
- Haven't tried 3D yet so no opinion there
- Lots of bad reviews
Honestly this TV is extremely good. I may go through all of the highly geeked out details, but people have already gone into the extremely important spec analysis. If you ask me, since January 2012 there is absolutely no much better than this TV for that price; I really like it.
Blu-ray is GREAT
This TV is among the best That i have ever seen for Blu (when calibrated). The catch is that TV, upscaled DVD, etc all looks significantly worse than other sets.
For BD's I have a 10 from 10 for PQ.
For everything else it is a 6 beyond 10.
Sound is fine for some for casual viewing, the bezel is overly reflective, and the screen appears like a mirror if you have light in front of it.
For MY use, it's a Upscale. For a person inside a busy livingroom watching television, I would give it 2 stars.
Perfect!
Love my new TV
Amazing what you can get for so little
The image quality on 2D is awesome, so glad which i went Plasma instead of LCD. No motion blur, deep black levels. Couldn't be happier using this set. Would recommend to anyone!
Love the TV - wonder in the event the process of getting older helped
I do desire to mention that the reflections off the screen and the bezel are actually strong if there is a window on the other side from the room, you'll want to put some blinds into it.
Finally, I paired the new screen with Yamaha YHT-695BL Complete 5.1-Channel Home entertainment system and i also don't even think I must navigate to the movie theater anymore.
Apparently, Amazon replaces external links with [...]. To find the missing link from your first paragraph, perform Search for "here is really a spelled out guide for setup" while using quotes included.
Absolutely Amazing TV!
With in spite of this, this TV is amazing! I contain the 50". Beautiful picture, an easy task to setup and rehearse, and Viera connect rocks !! Once calibrated, this plasma blows almost every other LCD I've ever seen out of your water. I should be aware of as this is my fourth new TV since Black Friday. I've been on the look for the perfect one. Think it is!
Just two tiny cons though.
1.) Like all other TV around, the audio quality isn't great. But, who cares? With a smart investment such as this, you ought to have a fantastic home cinema.
2.) I can't manage to get the ARC HDMI connection to help my Panasonic home theater's ARC HDMI conneciton. The picture is fine, but I still have to use an optical audio cable to get sound. Not sure what the issue is here, but I'm doing research. If anyone knows what may be up, please make me aware!
I guess I used to be also one of several lucky ones that did not get yourself a set with brightness fluctuating issues. From what I've heard though, it becomes an easy fix!
Bottom Line: Fully grasp this TV! You'll like it!
Great
The description wasn't really clear to me; and so i purchased a wireless adapter to match it. But make no mistake; this TV comes with the adapter. And so i sent the main one I ordered back; Amazon is terrific. Even returns less difficult more hassle-free than going to a big box.
The ones they're shipping will have replacement panel that corrects fluctuating brightness problem
It was a relief to view no fluctuating brightness problem. The alternative would have been to necessitate the technician to be removed and replace the board in question. I do not know if your one I got was originally constructed with the best board or one with the correct replacement board, this I don't have to endure this problem, thankfully.
The first thing noticed may be the picture is really as good as Consumer Reports stated it would be. Panasonic is a leader in large plasma TVs, and also the VIERA TC-P65ST30 was meant as part of their flagship fall into line. The picture is not dark in a very bright room, no less than so far as We can tell.
I join whilst saying the sound just isn't so great. This TV seems to demand external speakers, which I'll certainly get.
Considering everything including price, I do believe this TV is definitely an good buy.
Best picture at any price
Outstanding Picture at a great price
Many everyone was compalining about the shipping company, Direct USA, but didn't go through the problems they stated. Although, the tracking information has not been updated online but bottom line it did arive from the date posted by Amazon.
UPDATE 3/10 -
Have had the TV for three months as well as the picture remains the BEST I have seen up to now. The blacks are as advertised - deepest in the market. Have not experienced any of the light fluctuations others mentioned. I believe that the firmware update Pani pushed thru the net fixed the problems. Although, the TV did start to have a very noticeable buzzing once the picture scene changes from black to white. Called customer satisfaction and so they sent a tech a similar week. He pulled the back off and tightened the 20 or so screws a 1/4 to a 1/2 turn. Problem solved with a no hassle warranty service from Pani.
This TV is found an area with a lot of windows. The light will not develop a noticeable glare on screen that some reviews warn about.
I haven't used the 3D but use the internet connection for Netflix with no problems.
I recommend this TV for people looking for a GREAT picture.
Update 6/3/2012 - loud buzzing
It is often a May built 46" company, immediately after turning it on I saw the fluctuating brightness.
Panasonic customer satisfaction was good and I have a repair guy coming out when the part gets in.
I'll update following the repair.
One thing that is certainly upsetting, I believe that Amazon could be removing bad reviews about this set. I saw a single star review
and when I went back to read it during a work break it was gone.
Update- Tech guy came and swapped the board and everything appears being ok. I bumped my rating to five stars from 4. Will update again if something happens.
Update 6/3/2012.
I love it, nevertheless it started a loud buzzing yesterday that's very annoying. I have never researched how to handle it yet, but hopefully whether or not this continues, the warrant will handle it.
Grace in the eyes...
I'm a "Believer"
Really great product (and annoying issues finally fixed)
Great image quality in the 2D and 3D. Fast embedded media player with QuickTime and MKV support.
DLNA supports only QuickTime (mp4) video without having problems. No AVI or m2v etc.
Panasonic market and applications - not usable personally. Used only Netflix player (as much as 720p quality)
Also found one appears as if minor but strange issue - when no signal on selected input - it shows analogous noise - have no idea of why cause it's fully digital =) Do not know could it be intentional to extend plasma life or some bug from Panasonic engineers. Anyway it's no affect on image quality when playing video from any source.
Panasonic - please please do not close plasma products! Dislike LCD even latest. Best ever quality/price ratio!!!
Panasonic Plasma TV- 50
My first plasma i adore it!
First all, I was very impressed with Amazon delivery. The local company in Nashville brought the set to my family area (inside scheduled time frame), unboxed it, installed the stand to it, position the TV on my own entertainment center, and powered it up. They aren't allowed to connect everything else, however i could take over from there easily. This service and delivery could be $70 from someplace like Sears, HH Gregg, or Biggest score, so that it is certainly added value for Amazon.
After making some video adjustments determined by online forums, We are really impressed while using clarity and excellence of the tv screen. I use Uverse HD as well as an older Blu-ray player, and also the picture is terrific from both sources. It is actually a big improvement from DLP and my older rear projection set. I am surprised about how you can visit a clear picture from any angle (even entirely aside), a thing that most technologies just don't possess. The picture really wins this set over.
While I have the television connected to the web, I can't have a large amount of use to the apps. You may add apps to the set, however you ought to sign up with a credit card, even if the apps have the freedom. Youtube is nice, however, if I ever get Netflix again, I would rather use my bluray player for this.
I can't say anything about 3D yet. No glasses comes with it, i don't even have a 3D bluray player. I am glad it's that functionality, but I will probably watch for the right deal on glasses along with a player before investing that technology.
I use and older Sony soundbar (CT100) while using system, which works pretty much. So I can't make use of the built-in sound. The only problem is which i ought to operate or improve the remote really high to turn around the TV, since bar blocks the IR port when seated. All my components enter in the soundbar sub, plus it connects to HDMI 1.
just as described
Great TV....so far!
Very nice!
Fantastic!
I'm astonished at how useful Viera Tools are. I did not think I'd use Netflix streaming b/c We have that through Tivo, but the Viera interface is really a lot better.
Haven't tried 3D yet so no thoughts on that particular way or some other. Used to get a free pair of glasses and Avatar 3D, however i haven't bought a 3D DVD player yet.
Matched w/ Oppo BDP-93 3D Blu-ray player, this TV is amazing. Avatar is stunning (After all the image quality is stunning; the actually movie itself is perfectly).
Happy With Purchase
Even with standard definition cable the image is nice. Nothing like HD or blu-ray, but a good image. The challenge I encountered from changing from my older panasonic viera to the one was as it is HD, it noticed the reduced signal strength with the cable getting into your house the 480p screen did not really get.
I'm still unclear why an ordinary DVD player shows a real bad signal, nevertheless the Oppo 93 I recently purchased was great.
I set up a new Oppo 93, and i also ought to say the picture is amazing! So rating may be changed to mirror this. Others which have exactly the same problem, look at the cable signal strength for source. This screen will grab any risk.
I guess the single thing I am going to have to say is an opportunity how the tv needs to solve this problem failed to help me, so maybe the signal strength ended up being to bad for the tv screen to solve internally in custom mode.
After reading some poor reviews about Panasonic CS on other products I figured I would update my review with how I was treated. In terms of my customer care support from Panasonic I used to be pleasantly suprised. I filed my ticket on the web and within 4 days I had a response asking intial questions. After i could reply, it only took another day or two to secure a reply then this couple more tech out to your home. Yes it wasn't very quickly, nevertheless it solved my concern. Many peaople have bad opinions about Panasonic support, but I for starters was very pleased with things i got. Yes it wasn't a sudden answer, but it did solve my concern as well as in the conclusion that is what I needed. In times where we expect things done yesturday, I for one don't mind waiting a lttle bit so long as I'm heard. And Panasonic followed me.
Old Review - can be disregarded. Just left to show differ from 3 begin to Five star.
I purchased my 60 inch ST30 for any steal of the deal once i promised myself I'd personally wait for a while to find out how these new models were performing.
No green blob, no fluctuating brighness, no other concerns that people are already observing and reporting. I felt really lucky. I performed the panel prep as some sites recommend and used the calibration settings specified for custom mode.
My set is hooked up to a HD cable box, standard DVD player along with a Denon AVR 891 receiver by HDMI cables, and component for the DVD.
When watching cable and films, the outlines of objects (stationary and slow moving) use a pixelated check out them who have various colours making the look look out of focus... Similar to the outline is flickering. So unlike a lot of reviewers I can not be happy with the PQ even when Im not picky with regards to a product I spent a lot money on at a bargain price... It is not the issue some sets have for flickering with action-packed objects as my son i were watching Barney and the man was standing still at that time!
My other complaint is the hours that Panasonic Concierge service has in Canada for customer care. It is simply 9 to 4:30 EST, monday - Thurs if I'm around the west coast, like me, I would have to leave work on 1:30 in order to call when the office closes!!!! In my experience that's not customer service since several people watch their tvs in the evening, and can't reserve time work to deal with a problem during the day!!!!! Not one other option besides doing that!!!!!
I will probably be filing a fix ticket with Panasonic to find out about fixing the problem and will edit this post if your problem is solved.
Absolutely beautiful
Outstanding
Please ignore reviews that give a low rating because they got a defective unit (except the thing is that a number of them will appear). A lemon is often a lemon. If you compare a non-defective unit to the majority other cost comparable units available I will guarantee that this will impress.|
Panasonic tcp55st30
Great TV to get a Great Price
Magnificent picture
Have no fear purchasing this set, a great TV at this price tag.
Definitely the correct choice
Pros:
Awesome picture quality (nothing matters more in my book). Going coming from a 42" 720p Panasonic plasma for this model, the 'softness' of DVD content articles are quite apparent from two separate excellent upscaling players. Blu-ray is essential as of this screen size, and also the quality is definately that watching outdoor scenes coming from a stationary camera that suddenly sets into motion is slightly disorienting. The effect is quite like looking an open window and the scenery sets out to move as though the house is on wheels. I spent the first few days viewing various content using the cinema picture setting reading several articles designating this because nearest THX. I later found a niche site with specific consumer calibration settings with this model along with the difference this adjustment made is remarkable. I've replaced the factory default with these settings for many inputs and now along with, color temp, saturation, contrast, etc., are right. Cinema isn't bad, nevertheless it definetely mutes the colour pallete too strongly for my liking.
Nice connected functionality and application suite. Netflix streams nicely along with the picture is wonderful for their HD content and subpar for non-HD. That's not the tv's fault...their SD content seems like crap on smaller screens too. The apps are arranged nicely and they work. The connected submissions are not a big factor personally, nevertheless the app selection introduces several offerings, Amazon and CinemaNow, which aren't available on my other streaming devices. HuluPlus is notably missing, if that matters to you. Getting connected was easy, that is certainly, easy after I gave up trying to enter my wireless network passkey (which has been rejected) and instead connected through WPS function. Hopefully your router has this feature as it made the procedure a piece of cake.
Cons:
Pedestrian styling. This set is considerably thinner than earler generation plasmas, nevertheless the styling is squarely ho-hum. The bevel is comparatively thick and even though there's not much to complain about, there also little that improves upon the aesthetic of the company's predecessors. The set is also fairly non-descript therefore it is improbable being an offensive addition for your living room, and there is absolutely nothing to detract your eyes from the excellent picture when powered up. The base pedestal can be a high shine piano black finish that does an admirable job of exposing how rarely dusting happens around my place.
The not too subtle brightness shift occurring between light and dark scene transitions described in other reviews here is a fact on this model. While it's noticable, it is markedly less so, provided you make some picture adjustments that ought to be made even in the lack of this flaw. It's certainly not a dealer breaker with this reviewer, and there are a lot more egregious imperfections in the present competing flat panel technologies.
Overall, choosing pushed to identify a type of this quality and performance available, especially with this cost.
Very happy with this TV!
Set up was a breeze; took about 3 minutes to acquire over the initial menu; I delayed the internet connection (a dongle is roofed)at first but later installed by purchasing not an issue. (it helps to read the manual online just before delivery!) I already have got it about the included stand. It was delivered (from Amazon) via CEVA; they notified me Two days prior to scheduled delivery and also delivered it per day early. There is just one delivery guy; he agreed to get another helper however it could have been later in the day, therefore i helped him bring it in. He opened it; he helped me attach the stand and lift it to TV stand (not really heavy as it is kinda big to take care of), and waited until I acquired it installed and turned it on. I hadn't ordered anything this big from Amazon before; however i can do so in the future!
Regular HDTV cable is fantastic; bluray DVDs are absolutely fantastic. I have never really noted any motion blur. I do not utilize TV's sound as I pipe it over the home cinema setup on a regular basis. The web connections work flawlessly, although We've only used Netflix and YouTube so far. I obtained a few the short 3D DVDs; aside from the DVDs being pretty lame (no great movies yet) the 3D very effective. I purchase somewhat breakup on 3D; but I have since look at DVDs I purchased are problematic for your, although I do think I'll hang the system on the wall to get it somewhat higher to get a better feed to the glasses synch. I needed to play from it a little bit to have the 3D, but been found my issues was with my Sony bluray player (that is my 1st 3D)
I would have been a little concerned which i hadn't actually seen the television before selecting it, as it wasn't in stores yet, however i ended up investigating last year's Vieras, and so i thought it will be OK. It's - and i'm very glad I got myself it - no regrets whatsoever.
I highly recommend this TV!
Too many reviews totally unbalanced
I followed D-nice's suggestions on breaking within the TV and taking advantage of his calibration settings. It generates an excellent picture.
[...]
I am absolutely exuberant about my new TV. This is exactly why We are so annoyed at lots of the reviews on Amazon. I don't see any green blobs other's have experienced, and my panel was one of many earlier production runs determined by its serial number. The sound is perfectly passable, but anyone expecting high-quality sound coming from a 50-in panel for under a great just doesn't know very well what they're doing. The built-in sound on any giant screen panel only exists in order that it functions unless you buy a sound system, ideally surround-sound. Of course, if you wouldn't want surround-sound, the built-in audio is fine.
My TV does have the problem in the brightness shift JIMMIENOMAN noticed, but after updating the firmware, the shift is hard to note, simply happens once inside a long while. Also, it's wrong to assert they're brightness "fluctuations," since that sounds like several brightness changes in a row. It is simply a shift, since the brightness changes noticeably once at a time. I would still call Panasonic to come fix the problem, but it is barely worth my time because brightness shift if barely ever noticeable, when it is noticeable, it hardly distracts from the viewing material. None of these issues qualifies 1-star reviews. Essentially, It would warrant a few star deductions, but giving this panel 1/5 stars is simply ridiculous. You simply can't expect $5,000 of quality when you've paid barely greater than 900.
All having said this, I'm thoroughly very pleased with my panel , nor regret it, even after learning more about other plasmas considering that the acquisition of the ST30 (particularly this year's LG models, which sound great but they are more costly).
Great value for that quality!
If you are looking for a major beautiful television and should not afford a top from the line LED/LCD, this is the best choice imho within the price range.
Everyday I like it more...
I cant find no problem with it yet... Played XBOX onto it, watched HD Movies and HD TV, and a few SD TV, things are all exactly what it ought to be. But the most popular part may be the Apps... I'm able to watch Netflix now without using my XBOX, I'm able to pay attention to Pandora while I'm in another room. This TV has so much to offer, I'm like I'm gonna pop.
I also have a pretty bright living room and I dont have to achieve the TV very bright to relish it.
Oh and I'm a smaller lil thing and I could lift this TV by myself and mount it in my wall by myself. My old LCD was atleast 10lbs heavier, even though I did understand it unusual, I dont think I could obtain it on...
Make sure you will get it calibrated... tho it's fine out of the box to the untrained eye.
LOVE THIS TV
Best Purchase Ever
Best TV I've ever owned.
Great!
Amazing!
I waited per year to create the review
Love it
Panasonic TV
what let me tell you is that This TV exceeded my expectations. here will be the features I prefer the most:
It comes with a WiFi antenna.
IT converts 2D to 3D.
its really thin.
sound quality is extremely good.
HD movies look extremelly great.
really easy setup.
its advisable to have a Blue ray player plus a surround system to completely see why TV.
hey, for just 1K, I'm really happy, specially when Best to buy has it for $500 more....
Great TV!
Great tv to get a good price!
Beautiful picture
Awesome Price to have an best of all picture and features
Definitely would buy again. 3d is excellent. Avatar was awesome. Call of Duty is excellent at the same time. Lower your expenses and go along with the better pictured Plasma within the overpriced Led (which is essentially simply a brighter Lcd). Plasmas cash better blacks but maybe not as bright as Led but in a dark room/movie setting it is a lot better than Led.|
Picture quality companies which God himself never seen...
Are there better pictures? Yes.
Are there bigger televisions? Yes.
Are they really worth price bump? Not in my opinion.
I'm applying this TV placed on the wall using a mid-range blue-ray player, Dish Network DVR with an XBox360. All are connected via HDMI, each is stunning to look at. The speakers are passable, but I make use of a surround rcvr. The remote is decent, but I wish it might control something besides Panasonic products.
I cannot imagine why anyone would spend on the "higher end" offerings from Panasonic or Samsung or Sharp or Sony once this absolutely gigantic and exquisite picture are available for under $1700.
Excellent, especially for the price
Nice!
completely satisfied
Panasonic plasma ST30 55 inch
Excellent set in a great prtce.
Panasonic 65" Plasma ST, WOW
I didn't obtain the VT since I'm going by way of a Harmon Kardan AVR 2650 and I've got 5 HDMI inputs already.
Let me just say the picture is totally stunning. Panasonic knocked it out in the park with this particular set.
Great Order
Panasonic Plasmas rule
steveinnovi
Loving this TV!
Currently connected to my system:
xbox
Panasonic SC-BTT370 5.1 Channel 3D Blu-ray Cinema Surround Entertainment System
PC with WMC7 and Antenna-In
Love this TV
blank screen
Great TV
Perfect
This TV will not prosper on standard definition. If you're buying a $1000+ TV, you might assume choosing running HD. I liked to swap between SD and HD as well as the SD isn't good, worse than my 3 year old 40" Samsung. With in spite of this I acquired this TV to operate HD. I broke within the panel using HD color slides for approximately 100 hours. After it absolutely was broken in, I made use of D-nice settings making minor tweaks. I personally much like the panel light on mid while many others enjoy it on low. I recommend following D-Nice settings after which adjust it from there to how to you want it.
It really shines with HD. Nature scenes are vivid along with the color is very useful. It took awhile to have skin tones right. I found a whole lot that people's faces might have an orangish tint like they were wearing some cheap tanning spray. I found the warm2 setting makes people come out too orangish. After getting that adjusted, the television just looks great. People look natural and high pace videos prosper with no warning signs of blur. I also watch a lot of sports and i also usually do not notice in motion blur and also the images just look crisp.
In regards to 3D, there's just not a great deal of content around. 3D is dear now, but when Blu Ray first arrived on the scene, the average Blu Ray movie concerned $25 there weren't many titles available. In time the price of 3D should come down plus more movies is going to be available. The 3D for this TV is nice. It took awhile to alter the 3D settings. I used a pair of SanSonic universal glasses which are half the cost of Panasonic's. The default settings for 3D can be harmful. You'll must enter the 3D menu and fuss. I also found once you play a movie, it defaults to cinema mode. I like to keep my custom settings for 3D. I've only watched one movie in 3D and so i can't say a lot of more. I'm anxious for additional 3D content.
Overall this TV is an excellent value. It competes with TV's that cost $1500-2000. I don't believe you will need to bother about fluctuating brightness either that i'm betting most of their pre-August stock is sold out.
Fantastic Television
DELIGHTED
Excellent TV and amazon experience
Finally after a month of deliberation, I decided to get it and ordered one from Amazon. My almost 5 years old was excited for a big TV. The very first TV was shipped via Home Direct and when it came home, the screen had multiple cracks. It absolutely was so disappointing for individuals. I almost decided to ask for refund as opposed to reshipping and choose Brick-and-Mortar store. Somehow, my knowledge about Amazon forced me to be to give them another chance.
So I asked for the next piece. Around same time, Sears came with $899 price and i also was able to price match this with Amazon following a simple call. It absolutely was being a BF deal.
After another 5 days, the TV arrived. Now Ceva was the carrier as well as the TV what food was in perfect condition. Two relatively old people came, i ensured they have a good tip for their effort. All things considered, it turned out a happy moment.
I ran the break in slides approximately 100 hours after which started watching it. (I had been watching lil bit prior to burglary was complete), but boy...the standard has stunned me and so gets the features. Using a yellow light close to the TV, and many types of lights off, the Cinema mode gives such a true epidermis. Watched Oscars on HD and my family and i were left marvelling at the plasma technology.
For anyone around the hook about plasma and torn in deciding relating to the two, my advice is usually to go for plasma. It is just a better tested technology than LED/LCD and picture is amazing. The newer plasmas have much features in order to avoid the screen burn because this can be no more a concern.
We are enjoying this quality TV. Btw, amazon refunded me $50 to the problem with the very first shipment so this TV is made for $849. That's steal deal and than BF INHO.
Amazing TV
Totally well worth the price and must-have for gamers!
There's that thing about plasma's that a lot of people around me were wanting to deter me from...but these were debunked especially when i bought this, such as:
-It's thinner than my Sony LCD! It's seriously at the very least 50% thinner.
-The colors, even the blacks look spectacular.
-Motion smoothing works well.
-Very sharp and doesn't run as hot as everyone got to be.
-Clean and crisp, better than my LCD.
-FAST RESPONSE TIME!
My big thing needed a TV that we can play video games on too (yes, I am a nerd but this would be a big deal-breaker for TV's not merely for gaming but even for movies and shows). Most LCD's I've were required to handle latency issues (that you hear the sound first and pictures later). Even if your game a feature to alter to the lag, still couldn't calibrate correctly; furthermore in case a game was without the characteristics (especially pre-PS3/360 era), you're doomed. This TV doesn't have even those problems. If you play fighting games, you couldn't ask for a TV with quicker response. For music games (such as Guitar Hero, Beatmania, DDR, etc), this is the TV for you personally. Even for titles on the Ps2 (or systems which utilizes component/composite connections), I had created virtually no issues scoring on top of older titles without looking to make amends for lag like I'd to for my LCD.
We've used this TV for movie nights, Super Bowl and sports, gaming nights, you name it. It's been a large hit at parties and events, I could not recommend this TV enough! Not only performs this succeed, it looks sleek too! With the correct TV stand, it's beautiful.
(And that i was lacking any fluctuating brightness issues)
My only gripe would be that the speakers are pretty lackluster, but we obtained a decent Vizio soundbar and it's just kicked it down several notches!|
More than expected
An AMAZING TV at an AMAZING price!!
I found the 55ST30 within my local Sears for $1074.99. That is a rock-bottom price for a 55" 3D, 1080p, Smart TV. Considering I became expecting to spend anywhere between $1500-$2000 to get a TV, to state I became ecstatic could be putting it mildly. We had arrived aware that some models produced before August 2011 had difficulties with brightness flucuations, but as our model was created in October 2011, we were good to go.
After getting the TV home and unboxed, I ran across the setup to be extraordinarily simple. There was everything hooked up and able to will end up in minutes, and upong turning the television on found the inital onscreen setup to become just like simple. After answering a few questions i was directed in to the WiFi part of the setup. The included WiFi dongle was attached and discovered my router easily and within minutes we had arrived working and viewing tv in stunning 1080p.
THE INITAL IMPRESSION:
At first, I was NOT blown from the water. Although picture was detailed, the shades were passed and dull and also the tv's brightness was lacking. I was disappointed. That was until, however, I stumbled upon the TV was set to "standard" mode. We set it to "cinema" mode then "game" mode therefore we were really COOKING! The colours were VIBRANT and also the images POPPED with the screen which has a fury. We had arrived amazed by the crispness and clarity fo the photographs and may not believe how well basic televison looked. Only then do we moved onto HDTV programming and switched on some college basketball on ESPNHD. That has been the next step of WOW! It had been should you be there in the arena. It is hard to place into words how amazing this TV looked. The shades were vibrant, but natural (unlike LED's) as well as the detaisl were amazingly crisp. We could not imagine the TV looking much better...we were WRONG!
10 out of 10
FIRST IMPRESSION OF BLU-RAY About this TV:
We made a decision to next move from HDTV to Blu-ray. We make the Blu-ray of Pixar's "Up" and our jaws dropped for the floor. The image was AMAZING. Details that we had never seen before were exploding out from the screen at us. We might not believe our eyes. The crispness and clarity was BREATH-TAKING. It can be hard to truly place into words how amazing Blu-ray looks on a great TV unless you actually experience it in the home, out of the lights of an retail setting. It is a true cinema experience that is certainly unparalelled in its beauty.
10 beyond 10
SMART TV APPS:
This was obviously a feature of the TV we really wanted. We're already memebrs of Netflix on our Xbox360, and we all knew that having Netflix streaming on our tv was the next thing. Your choices available fromt he start are ample. Netflix, Facebook, Cinema Now, MLBTV, NBATV, and Hulu Plus are only a few of the apps available out with the box, as well as you will find there's Viera Apps store to purchase and download countless other apps and games. Really the only downside of this really is there is an annoying "dinging" noise evertime you cycle through apps.
8.5 beyond 10
VIDEO GAMES:
Wow...After all, WOW!! We connected our XBox360 and we were ready to go. We threw in MLB 2K10 and were floored from the detail. It seemed like i was watching a TV broadcast and never playing a game title. COD: Modern Warfare 3 looked a lot more incredible. I could only imagine that gaming on a PS3 would look more amazing!
10 out of 10
3D TECHNOLOGY:
We failed to purchase everything to utilize 3D tech, so Apologies to convey that I can't rate this. We like getting the 3D just in case we choose the technology in the foreseeable future, but right now that wasn't one of our major concerns in getting a TV.
No Rating
AUDIO:
The audio is standard (if the little around the lower side) which is the one disadvantage to the television. Obviously, were hooking in a multichannel system and so the TV's audio is immaterial, as well as the sake of rating every facet of the TV as a whole, I have to rate the audio too to become fair.
5.5 from 10
Overall, we need to claim that this TV has met and exceeded all expectations. Do yourself a favor: should you be searching for a 1080p TV, aren't getting LED, get plasma, and second, ensure it is a Panasonic plasma, and third, be sure it becomes an ST30, you're gonna receive an amazing TV for the price which is affordable on nearly everyone's budget.
excellent go forward my part
Beautiful picture
Very Happy
Pro:
* Remote - it illuminates, it's not at all smallish or ultra-light.
* Great PQ
* 3D looks great.
* A great deal of inputs - including 3 HDMI (and one HDMI on the side making plugging in my PC very easy every once in awhile).
* Price - paid $1387 in Dec 2011. Free ship. Great value.
* Better in a lighted room on the Samsung or LG models as a result of less glare.
* The internet connectivity is terrific and easy to arrange. Includes Amazon Video, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Facebook, Twitter, UStream, etc.
* Comes with wireless dongle included for wifi connection, but additionally has LAN connection.
* USB input
Cons:
* No RCA output for sound - only Digital Audio Out. I was required to upgrade my old Technics stereo receiver anyhow.
* Speakers are okay, but sound is way from rich sounding. You need this baby connected to a stereo receiver anyway to savor movies.
* No 3D glasses included. They are $200/pair.
* Bezel is thick. Not a deal breaker for me personally.
awesome 3D
P55ST30 knocks my socks off!!!
I'm very content with this purchase through Amazon. I was extremely pleased using the White Glove shipping -- around the specified date I decided. Thanks!!!
I am curious though...has anyone purchased a protracted warranty? If that's the case, that do you suggest?
Good Purchase
loving my tv
Great plasma television..biggest bang for the buck!
When I aquired it home very first thing I realized was that the TV is exceptionally bright. All I desired to accomplish was customize the default 'standard' picture mode to 'game' or 'cinema' which TV is brighter than my old LCD. I bet the store people had it on standard mode which is the reason I wasn't in awe of it. So, if you are looking to acquire this TV, determine if you are able to alter the picture mode in the store or give it a shot with a friend's place. The picture quality is a lot better than many High definition tvs. Blacks are pitch black and HD picture looks simply gorgeous.
Besides the superior display quality the features for example Viera connect and DLNA get this to TV a must buy. TV quickly detected my wifi at home at full signal although the TV is within the basement as well as the router is for the upper level. No problems in accessing network apps. I instantly started viewing HD pictures from my online google account. After that I explored the DLNA feature and was surprised to find out my network hard drive is detected and able to browse. Simply no hassle!! I started viewing contents on my hard disk drive (songs, videos, photos) in seconds. Everything was accessible without delay and did take almost no time to configure anything.
I haven't tested the 3D feature yet, but from a few things i have seen so far, I'm convinced that this TV has provided biggest bang for my buck without stepping into the 3D benefits.|
Great Picture
Great bang to the buck
Wow!
I upgraded for the 60ST30 from a mature rear projection crt hdtv (that was no slouch). The ST30 blows the existing tv out from the water generally in most every way:
Pros-
-Superb picture. Motion is incredibly smooth with or without motion smoother turned on
-Crisp image
-Ink dark blacks
-Plethora of online options
-Veralink link to other Panasonic devices (e.g. blu ray players for one-touch operation)
-Nice remote, though I'm using a logitech harmony
-Decent amount of hdmi connections, component video and optical audio out
-Excellent delivery service and return policies (when you need them) from Amazon
Cons-
-Heavy, though for many other tvs on this size it's a given. I struggled with only my wife and me and I'm quite a big guy; this isn't a 1 person job if you are not mounting it on a wall
-Plasma technology could be susceptible to burn in and image retention. Haven't had this tv for a specified duration to comment, there is however been none to date. My older crt rptv also uses phosphors together no issues, so ymmv. For me it's worth like a bit careful with static on-screen images for the payoff in image quality
-No 3d glasses packaged, have to have a 3d blu ray to work with 3d movies. You have to pay to experience I guess; I will most likely not be trying 3d about this tv to get a while
-Glossy screen might be a Con, however my room has windows behind the viewers of the tv then there is no glare issue. Might be worse in a very bright room therefore it is something to consider
Other thoughts:
I did a 100 hour screen aging with this particular tv, running colored slides and then setup the tv screen with settings as specified on an hdtv forum (google st30 calibration for a couple examples)
Comparing a GT30 with Samsung offerings in a very big supply yard, Samsung's plasma image looked better however i took a risk about this since the price was better. Though the ST30 can be a cheaper price compared to the GT30, I am unable to think of the image getting any benefit by paying more. Perhaps the VT30 would be, but you should be nitpicking - the ST30 is superb.
love this TV
Wonderful TV - picture and sound, very good
The 50 inch model was the greatest screen that may easily fit into our house room space. Happily, setup was obviously a snap and we were watching what is the news and weather in about 20 minutes (including utilizing the huge cardboard box over to the18 wheeler).
Interestingly, we found that our old HD cable box didn't have an HDMI connection port the like the HD stations, the picture quality wasn't crisp. Hmmmm. A fast vacation to our local cable support store and a swap out to the newest box and it was instant "wow!" to the crisp colors, sharp pictures and top quality sound over the integrated speakers.
We have not yet test out the world wide web interface (Hulu, Facebook, Netfilx, etc.,) although connecting it wirelessly can't are actually easier. (Yes, we have a wireless network within our house.) The Netflix interface may seem like possible since a show ticket inside theatre these days is $12.
As a died within the wool Sony guy, finding happiness in a Panasonic is high praise indeed.
Highly recommended.
Best picture ever!
So the final outcome this TV is a fantastic smart 3D TV.
Better than I was expecting!
bought for my son
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50ST30
Issues with Viera Cast feature.
First of viera cast is an excellent feature we use it constantly, netflix, amazons video service, hudu
suggestions for panasonic:
- Please include VUDU and
- Please allow hd view in youtube (all youtube content is tied to Standard definition)
New firmware please!!
Make mine 55 ...
OK with purchase
Great Panasonic Plasma TV
Received my shipment confirmation info & name/number of who be contacting me for delivery date--they called me as promised & scheduled delivery--they then called on morning of delivery to offer me w/est delivery time--they appeared by the due date as promised --very professional did what you were suppose to accomplish and left--very happy w/delivery service.
As for actual TV--could NOT be more satisfied -very an easy task to setup--took longer to get out of box and hang into position than starting up all of the connections and settings for colors.
Have been with them for approx monthly now & am Extremely pleased w/overall display quality & easy of operation --would highly recommend both this TV & delivery service to anyone---even my mother inlaw.
Best value
AWESOME 3D TV
Great tv !
Get it now.
Best TV for the price
great tv
Great TV - understand it while you can
Superb Image quality to the Price - No Fluctuating Brightness Issue
The picture was excellent out of the box. I ran the D-Nice break-in and calibration. It now has a good picture with great color, overall detail, and dark detail. Excellent value, you can not beat this set at this price.
Awesome TV!
AWESOME!
TV awesomeness = permanent butt imprint on couch
I have zero major complaints relating to this TV thus far. Minor complaint - there exists occasionally a "humming" noise in the TV when watching certain channels. I've come across others mention this issue in reviews on Amazon. Not to bothersome. Sound is excellent (TV is a fairly-small lounge). Picture is just gorgeous. We've yet to view various movies on this thing, so cannot comment about any fluctuating brightness issues mentioned previously by other reviewers. One thing - creating WiFi on the TV would be a big problem, and took a long time, and was just resolved by digging through numerous online forums for "codes" to input.
Overall, pleased as punch!!
Awesome television for the money.
Love this TV
I love all of the features and have used lots of the more interesting ones. I manipulate the DLNA link to view movies and photographs from home network, I have tried personally the viera url to link up the Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D Blu-ray DVD Player which i bought and it works great. I have also used the world wide web content alot since i have am a prime member and also have netflix.
The only downfall to this particular TV in my opinion was the placement with the USB ports, once you turn on either the dongle or whatever else it shines the inside with the TV. However I solved this by hardwiring my internet plus will probably be while using SD slot rather than the USB.
All in all this TV is not beat for the price. I have the best TV from anyone I realize and a lot people paid a lot more than I did so.
Great TV, specifically the price
Amazing set...Love the Viera Connect feature
After doing a Large amount of shopping, I came to the conclusion that you just can't beat the price for performance and real estate property of this set.
Very happy return panasonic customer.
Oh, I can't use whatever of the brightness fluctuations that some reviewers were not impressed with.
Experience buying from Amazon was perfect. Delivered in advance of schedule and my local home theatre store (that I have spent thousands at) cannot receive the set, so when it might are available in, their utmost price was almost $500 more! That was almost 33% more expensive...ridiculous. Thanks a lot Amazon!
The Wife Approves!
Plasma Panasonic Viera TV
I am comfort-oriented as well ordering this kind of item from Amazon. I was hesitant to start with but our son assured us that Amazon is definitely an reputable company plus they support the things they sell.
Nice TV
Great value
The ST is a great tv and also a great value, particularly if don't care about the additional internet features, which it has, however i didn't need. I only require a fantastic picture and 3d capable TV.|
impressed
Amazing!
Love this plasma!!! 60ST30
First set was a 60GT30 from BB, noticed green blob on a gray screen and $500 over this set i really returned. Second set would be a Samsung 59D7000 from Amazon but that set buzzed an excessive amount of, could not hook up with wifi, really flimsy looking, and cheaply built (although it look cool). Therefore i sent that problem and ordered this 60st30.
First off shipping via CEVA is 100% a lot better than Pilot. Two guys actually took it from the box, helped assembled, and put it around the stand for me. The people from Pilot i would like me to sign the paper, didn't even want to wait for me to test for cracks on the screen (I made them wait). I would like to drop rid of it and elope as soon as they might.
When When i first saw it, I thought that they mistakenly sent me the 60GT30 since bezel looked so great. And it also am much thinner than I anticipated. And if you're deciding if you should spend an extra $300 for any nice bezel, DONT'T! It is no worth every penny. Spend that money only when you desire another HDMI, THX (that we will not be using anyways since i have anticipate using CUSTOM mode), or if you want to mount your TV as near towards the wall as you possibly can (don't recommend this since you will have pretty tough time plugging anything into TV after it's mounted. You will need about 1.5-2" from wall to TV for clearance of cable and bottom speaker protrusion.
Now that the TV is about the stand, I will tell you I have no regret obtaining the ST in the GT (also another excuse I acquired the Samsung because I was thinking it looked cooler). So even when seventy one sets worked perfectly, I might get the ST and save at least $300 over other 2 sets. So far I haven't watched much TV but seventy one sets looked on the same in my experience, I just just like the panasonic better than the samsung. If you've done any research you realize each one of these sets have similar picture so can't go wrong with them. I've a 7 years old panasonic plasma that i'm still happy with it, no problems in any way. I plan to bare this TV for around another 7 years.
Awesome TV!
I needed to reset the picture settings to obtain the picture to check the best. I oftentimes tried settings that were recommended on plasmatvbuyingguide.com not to mention, upgraded my cable plan to recieve HD.
I never have tried the 3D yet. I've asked Santa to bring me some 3D glasses for Christmas.
Buying from Amazon.com was obviously a pleasure. I was lucky to get in on a two day sale the place that the expense of the tv screen was unbeatable. They shipped it in perfect condition in mere over a week. The delivery company brought it into my house, unboxed it, set it up, and turned it to be sure it worked. How about that for service! And also on surface of everything, THE DELIVERY WAS FREE!
Loving my 60ST30
Amazing!
Save your eyeballs. Just buy it or the Panasonic VIERA TC-P65VT30 65-inch 3D TV.
Panasonic tc-p50st30 under $800...yes please!
The service was poor in the beginning but exceptional towards the end.
I was looking for a scheduled delivery between your hours of 4-7pm. Around 1PM I called CEVA while i became in the office to confirm the delivery and this time window. The rep from CEVA confirmed this and said I used to be set. I was thinking this would be perfect because I was thinking about surprising my spouse after she left your house at 1PM. After i hung up, I headed time for my desk and obtain an appointment from a weird number. Therefore i answered thinking it had been CEVA. It sure was!!! Nevertheless it was the delivery guy calling saying he could be outside the house door and my lady was at the backdrop. To remind you it turned out merely one:05PM. I told him another at 4 while i get off work i will set it up once i return home. That has been my only negative experience.
What was positive was they came exactly at 4 ( I really saw them waiting down my street when I got home lol), took the tv as is also, wear it the stand, and turned it on, which was connected to a cable source. It literally took them 5 mins. The wife came home and was still being surprised but I want to have experienced her initial reaction.
Now for your TV! This TV was shipped from the Arizona distribution center i wound up getting an April build. At first I became somewhat discouraged because it wasn't a post august build. But reading many thread posts on AVSFORUM, this set might be fixed by the technician that panasonic sends out which enable it to be fixed within 15 mins. However when I switched on the tv screen, I searched for the fluctuating brightness and that i only saw minor fluctuations every once in a while. Besides that things are all exceptional. The colours are natural as well as the blacks are black. Before I oftentimes tried D'nice slides I was watching the Thursday Night Football Game (Marshawn Lynch=Beast Mode). There was clearly no Image Retention, no Green Blobs, and no buzzing. They were several things I was looking for only was gonna return the set.
Overall it is a great set. I strongly suggest this, specifically under $800.
Word of Advice: "Don't be discouraged by a model# which is not post august build because that can be fixed!!! For me, return for those who have blobs, buzzing, or image retention.
This tv beats any led/lcd tv everyday of the week. The pq is amazing. colors and blacks are exceptional. The demo begins the store don't do this tv justice. Trust the reviews!!
Great TV
One thing. The cables protrude through the back in the TV about a inch. I mounted this TV and so i necessary to nail a 2x4 for the studs behind my wall and then the mounter on the studs. Careful if your mount is flush to the wall.
I haven't figured out how to use the online stuff yet...?? I lost the manual though.
Oh as well as FYI. I'm all about image quality and I returned an LG LED TV because I wasn't satisfied with it.
Great Product and Service
Excellent
Awesome TV with a Great Price
Looking for top 60in flat screen available with a great price don't look any additional...
This TV is superior to I was expecting!!
Love it!
Better than I was expecting.
I am very happy with my new Panasonic HDTV.
My new HDTV was purchased in Amazon and the shipping was free. I was glad I just got a fresh VISA from Amazon. With purchases this way I'll develop points in no time. Now I have to shell out the dough.
Excellent 3d Monitor
following through
Excellent upgrade from a 50 inch 2008 model
The 50 inch that got replaced would be a Panasonic TH-50PZ77U. It's actually a great TV, but this 55 inch blows it away.
I tuned it down somewhat according to generic settings I really could find on the net, and possess ordered a calibration disk, but even without that, the sharpness along with the colors are significantly better.
The delivery process was painless - I'd have liked it more should they had taken the packaging using them, but apparently they wished to get forced out here in case we required to return it - whether or not this doesn't die within the next 30 days, there's no chance of that.
Highly recommended.
Great TV
Living Large
Awesome TV!
Best quality plasma!!!
Brand New
As I mentioned I did so "extensive" research and after viewing numerous models I got myself this model despite the fact that many people have criticized this model I cannot. I experienced no problems whatsoever and believe this model contains the best blacks That i have ever seen on the plasma. Much continues to be stated on some D-Nice settings for "burn in" etc, but with labeling of the calibration testing "at your personal risk" I'd equally assume skip it. I did however take the advice of plasmabuyingguide and used their setting which has a slight adjustment on a few colors. Picture preference is a personal preference and really should stop dictated by anyone else. My only advice is usually to make certain you do as instructed and put the image in "home mode" because it is defaulted to in-store display setting and hang to the hightest settings.
The sound is superb specifically for how big the speakers and may be adjusted (Extra bass, simulate surround, etc..). I use the speakers when viewing normal tv and use home theater audio when viewing movies. Setup is easy and there's a firmware update available upon entering vieracast. I have cat5 attached i really cannot touch upon loss of sync issues using wireless.
Yes, The manufacturers should set had more however i read the product material and knew just what I became purchasing and what features I was receiving. I additionally purchased a multi-year protection plan and possess not used nor mean to buy 3-D glasses and so i cannot touch upon that.
It is hard to gauge any TV within the store because models all are actually used in their highest settings for that consumer to see, I really liked several models to add Sony and Samsung. But the pricepoint for that panansonic was spot on for me.
If I encounter 'ANY" issues I am going to update my review, best of luck in purchasing your new TV.
Excellent picture and great features
3D AT ITS BEST
Panasonic 55 inch ST30
TV
Don't use the web features a lot of, nevertheless they work fine.
Amazing TV, Phenomenal Picture, Awesome 3D, Very Happy
7/3/11 I are actually using a trouble with a buzzing noise through the back with the TV and have contacted Panasonic who definitely are sending someone to look at it in the future. The brightness in the picture makes all the buzzing vary and may be heard when my TV is appeared to a 40, so it will be rather loud and annoying. I can keep review updated when Panasonic comes by.
7/8/11 The technician said the noise was normal also to just keep listening to ensure it didn't get any louder. I found this rather odd but I've never owned a Plasma before along with a little noise from the back to the amazing 3D and great picture, ahh, who cares.
I really loved this TV
Second of I performed the 200 hrs break-in using D-Nice settings and WOW. Picture looks great, no green blob or green tint problems, bright enough to watch flawlessly without burning your vision, overall an excellent Product using a great price. In my opinion that price/performance ratio is unbeatable. There might be many TVs having a greater image and satisfaction than this but for the price it is a steal.
I must hold off until the 3D glasses arrive to determine the 3d capabilites, i am going to update on that.
Amazing picture
MG1245xxxx from September 2011
Ordered from Paul's TV (fulfilled by Amazon). Could save $50 while ordering from Electronics Expo but looking at several pages with their rating/feedback, the concerns about their reputation have affected my decision. Plus, a previous TV was from Paul's TV too (fulfilled by Amazon too), therefore i was biased. We have experience of exchanging/returning three big and heavy (160 lb!) TVs due to defects, therefore there is a chance that a seller sends going back item if you ask me scares us a lot! Mind you, should you be curious, returned TVs were from Sanyo, Polaroid (having a Samsung panel and electronics inside), and Sony brands.
Panasonic carries a strong green/ecological program so that as a somewhat environmentally concerned consumer, I like their program and possesses affected my selection to some degree.
The box arrived via Home Direct (one day late), nevertheless the driver helps to handle it in and unpack (Big Due to him!).
This TV was version MG1245xxxx and manufactured in September 2011. Whether it is important for you, the assembly was over in Mexico, but over the vent holes it is possible to identify that the panel itself was manufactured in Japan.
The sound in the speakers and also the inputs/outputs usually are not imperative that you me. Honestly speaking, if your are prepared to spend this sum of money for this type of TV, you ought to need to pay $200-$400 on the receiver. In the older days plasma TVs are not real TVs, we were holding HD monitors i could be willing to buy this TV for the same price even if it might have only one HDMI input with out speakers.
The media player (with AVCHD support) is really a nice feature. Thanks to Panasonic for your continued inclusion with the SDHC card reader! Haven't tested with SDXC yet.
Regarding the black level. In case you glance at the screen, even when it is off, the screen NEVER seems to be black since the bezel. In the event the TV is on, and there's a second or two of black between credits and also the action, as an example, then that black doesn't look as black as the bezel too, and appears somewhat lighter compared to the appearance of the screen if the TV is off. Some individuals in on-line forums explain that plasmas have deep blacks that cannot be achieved by LCD and LED-based LCD panels because each individual plasma cell could be switched off completely. Well, I was expecting an in-depth black (much like the black bezel) in those pixels, yet it's not happening (Will it be an incident with OLEDs? We'll see in 10 approximately years). It is not a con, in order to maintain the evaluation objective!
There was a great deal of temptation in regards to a 70" LED LCD Sharp, but paying $600 more for the brand that is certainly valued lower than Panasonic appeared to be excessive. Yes, you will find there's difference in power consumption (P65ST30 consumes 500 watts versus around 300 watts for Sharp), but the expertise of the picture and sturdiness are from the higher priority in relation to such a an item.
Speaking about durability. Although Panasonic is generally regarding like a long-lasting brand, but everyone knows that some items of electronics fail prior to other, so I've added a 4-year extended warranty from SquareTrade in case (the expertise of returning three other TVs continues to be during my memory).
UPDATE from May 18th, 2012: Uncertain whether it be that the this TV is larger or since it has better dynamic range and rendition of colours and shadows comparing to a 42" LED LCD by Panasonic, nevertheless it seems that before the yet movies from Blu-ray discs and from DVDs, now we view more details, which seemed to be missed with the previous TV. Even tho it's a blend of the scale as well as the dynamic range. By the way, a blu-ray player, associated with this TV, is Panasonic DMP-BD45 Ultrafast-Booting Blu-ray Disc Player (Black). It is connected by using an expensive HDMI cable. It's the same setup that was used with the 42" LED LCD model.|
amazing picture even better wifi included
Panasonic Viera 65-Inch 3D Plasma
Set up was simple. I run everything through my Yamaha receiver using HMDI cables.
The 3D aspect is amazing. Over delivers i believe and watching Avatar in 3D was like watching it with the movie theaters.
Wathcing Blu-Ray 2D movies can also be amazing along with the image quality is unmatched. You need to do need to manually adjust along with settings thought, "Standard" setting the TV is sold with is dark. Cinema is best however you can adjust it from there.
The online features are also fun, the tv screen was included with a wireless router and was easy to set up. Vieracast incorporates some neat programs and features like movie channels, NetFlix, and Skype for example.
I would definetly recommend this TV to friends and family-
High Quality, perfect price point
Update to these review.
----------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE...............
After a few months of watching this gem, I still have 5 stars. By all accounts I would be getting the Fbr issue. I received a May 2011 build having a PDP-EEP price of 72.51. I haven't seen any Fbr problems YET.
I used Dnice's slides for more than 100 hrs then applied his settings. Excellent! Used to do adjust some minor things however the picture is sick good!!! Blacks are truely black and white's can be extremely white. I prolly have 200+ hrs with this tv and also have not seen any retention/burn in, and that i watch many buisiness channels with the tickers and logos.
The sound is definitely OK, but it's never great with any of these slim Tv's. I've got a home entertainment system, but regardless of whether I didn't I could cope with the sound. It isn't a large issue.
Amazon uses great delivery. Some point out that they add the pedistal and set it on the stand. They did not do this personally. However they plugged it into be sure it worked.
Have not looked at the 3d freature cause I am unable to decide what glasses to acquire. I could only suppose it's going to be awesome. This Tv rocks !. I can't think you'd reget spending the bucks just for this tv. Amazon involved 500 dollars less then my local stores. Great Buy!!!!
Update.. Tv still works flawlessly... BUT, I do watch MSNBC and FOX very often. These stations or anything else have static images that made a burn in in my panny. We have options are numerous to reduce, or eliminate the retention/burn in. First off, I use the disney wow vid that has the possibility for pixel flippee. After hours people this was no help. Therefore i then used the scrolling bar feature with panny... Still no joy.. read several articals about "burn in" as apposed to retention.. After several hours when attemping to aliviate this problem, I'm thinking this is true "burn in" and not retetion. I've come across retention and could rid it.. I am unable to do away with this,.. Any help could be appreciated..
CASUAL USER
Great TV, Poor delivery
GREAT TV,BUT...
I love my Panny!
I wish it had more apps. My spouse loves the pandora app and that i that way I will stream my music to the tv. I am aware Panasonic announce more apps but to date I haven't seen any will need to have.
I would certainly buy it again.
Excellent Picture in HD
Panasonic VIERA TC-P65ST30
First ok, i'll say this... this TV is big. If the viewing distance is below 10 feet away, it really is too large. We set this up inside our current house at 8.5 feet, and we're very fortunate the new house is further back, because at 8.5 feet away your neck gets to be a workout watching it. We've two friends who bought 60 inch TV's and they also both said the TV was too large, opting to match a 51" TO 55" instead, and moving the monster inside the basement. Aside from being too large for 8.5 feet away, the picture is amazing.
Now the big question... do you need 3D? I became undecided concerning this, but we went with a 3D TV even though it's cool and it's better to own it and never require it than want it not have it... right? Well, not. We took place to Blockbuster to rent a 3D movie... nothing/zip/nada. We attended Biggest score and bought the last Harry Potter for $30 in 3D (I hadn't seen it) and IMAX under the sea in 3D (also $30). Underneath the sea was sorta cool watching it on some $50 SainSonic 3D active shutter glasses we have on Amazon for $50 each. Harry Potter alternatively was lame... there, I said it. The film will not be lame, however the 3D added nothing to me. Would I am going 3D again... prolly not. Would The year progresses 65" at 8.5 feet, not really. I can't wait to find yourself in a place sufficient to savor this TV from 10 feet away.
Now for your wireless... do you want this? I only say no. If you wish to streamline Netflix, undertake it in the Blu-Ray. I aquired the Harmon Kardon AVR3600 due to the music power along with the Oppo 93 to streamline video, why is it that I want it to talk to the web? It does, and that i may require it later, however i really don't require the Amp, Blu-ray and TV to complete the same.
For the record I will be delighted using this purchase. The guy helped me unpackaged it and hang up it about the stand. He said Amazon's return policy was the best, and no challenege show up, make sure you keep your box. He relayed a tale of a BestBuy TV he delivered and was standing there because the guy was conversing with BestBuy, explaining to them it arrived broken. BestBuy advised him to hold the TV and told him that giving back the TV that day (though it was broken) had not been an alternative. Unlike Amazon, that produces sure it's all cool prior to deciding to accept it, I found this cool.
In the final, would I order it can... absolutely. It requires two more MartinLogan Motion 10's, but I'll wait till I can make them for $125 each.|
the best TV that i've ever owned...
Amazing!
Spoiled on the max.....
love it! great tv with excellent display quality.o
Great TV
Great Picture
The screen is slightly more reflective than my old TV, which does creates a distraction in day time when Sunlight is directly arriving the area.
I initially bought a Sharp Quattaron as a result of LED hype, but when it had been setup my eyes cannot adjust. I thought might be it really is getting from 50 to 60 inch so I gave it some time, enjoyed its settings, colors, contrast etc, Did each of the readings, but tend to not get it to operate properly.
When I watched it from front, the shades were dull, therefore i increased the backlight, however when the white scenes came the sunshine caused a glare and that i was required to close this article in the TV. Then when I watched it from 30 degree angle the pic looked washed out.
Not confident that that has been with my tv or even in general but I can't afford a 60 inch mistake in my family area looking at me for next Five years.
This Panasonic TV was close to after it came out of this area. I prefer vivid settings, and everything was ok.
Also connected this to youtube, the image is ok, slightly dull, but so is this article online :) very little to look at there anyways.
The text entry is on search page was 20 years old technology, however, you can connect your USB keyboard if you'd like. Good thinking to place USB slots and Facts slot sideways when it really is mounted on the wall they may be still accessible.
Sound is usually ok for normal transmission, news, serials etc, but if you truly desire to savor some space alien action flick it's better to connect it with a good speakers.
Last thing concerning the Bezel, CNET gave some concerns about the surrounding bezel i was worried the way will be on the wall. Actually it looks a lot better than my old TV as well as the Sharp I purchased. The speakers as an alternative to protruding outwards, and in actual fact going backwards, so it closes the space at bottom whenever you mount it over a wall.
The delivery guys were also nice and work it very quickly for me personally.
Saaack!
Another Panasonic Hit
Used D-nice's set up for color contrast, brightness, pro settings etc. without the need for color slides to the first 100 hours as suggested. The setup is beautiful. Takes away the haze I used to be seeing with all the pro settings with my very own settings. The way I think of break-in is when Panny sent out TV which has a known issue of needing break-in time they couldn't make this kind of quality item of equipment as well as their popularity couldn't be all the way to it is. cnet raves about the ST, GT and VT TV's. The ST is certainly the top bang for that buck. VT excessive unless dedicated to majority of viewing as 3D. That leaves the GT vs. ST, and what I've heard is PQ can be compared. My set will be as perfect because i expected.
Just an excellent plasma television with extraordinary picture with settings that provide you total control, 300$ extra for THX had not been a choice, and not needed.
GREAT TV !!! CDN
tv ,Panasonic ( TC-P50ST30) because I became aware of
getting a tv pre xx1215.I got lucky.The model no . was higher.
I have had this set for Two weeks now in fact it is incredible.
I have read some websites talking about a "breakin"period.
From several knowledgeable people and also the guys at Digital Home,
they say it is NOT required to do any fancy breakin steps.
They say that in the event the tv needed to be broken in it would in the
owners manual.However,during the past two weeks I have
watched old dvd movies,hd movies,BD movies,3D movies and even
played a video game.I also watched movies and tv programs with
the transfer from 2D to 3D.Everything looked awsome,especially
watchingn Avatar and Pirates of the Caribbean On Strange Tides
in 3D.I became very surprised to see how now this tv changed my
2D movies to 3D.Can it be full 3D? No,but certainly adds depth
to the image.
I also got a new Panasonic 3D BD player and 3D Glasses.
The 3D glasses would be the lighest in weight ( 1 ounce) available on the market.
They are nothing like the clunky ones that they last year.
After a couple of minutes you obtain so involved with watching 3D that you just forget you have them on.The advertising said that these glasses may be worn over
regular glasses. The simple truth is !!!They can fit as being a glove.
3D Player : DMP-BDT210
3D Glasses :TY-EW3D3MU ( one can choose from 3 sizes s,m,l) I purchased the
medium.
I saw the FIFA soccer games last year in 3D at Future Shop and was
blown away by the picture.It felt like I was located on the field
with the players.That is what 3D does.It can make you really feel portion of what
is happening ,on the screen. I hope the Super Bowl and also the 2012 Olympics
are in 3D because that would be incredible to see.
High Desires Panasonic
No comments:
Post a Comment