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9
stars
Amazing Picture, nice features, great looking cabinet
by goldinmonkey
on
May 7, 2007
Pros: Picture is fantastic, not too expensive considering its a 1080P plasma
Cons: Does have some of the advanced burn in protection that the samsung has
Summary: I've only had the set for a few days and I have not had it connected to a true 1080P source yet, but this TV is really amazing. My ...
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Summary: I've only had the set for a few days and I have not had it connected to a true 1080P source yet, but this TV is really amazing. My previous set was a 48" Mitsubishi 1080i projection TV. I recently purchased a Sharp 52" 1080P LCD to replace it. It was okay, but it wasn't great. The hight speed motion blurr was quite noticable and the picture just seemed a little off, especially for a $3000 TV. So I returned that (thanks, Costco) and found this. The improvement between this and the Sharp LCD is significant. Even my wife took one look at it and could tell the difference. I've watched a couple episodes of the Discovery HD Planet Earth series on this set and its the best picture I've ever seen. Almost no motion blurr. The Planet Earth episode about Caves was really a showcase for the deep and true blacks. And its only a 1080i source from my Directv HD tivo. The reds seems a little "hot" but I'm sure I can make some adjustments for that.
I've also tried DVD from my Oppo DV-981HD. It upconverts to a 1080P singal, but of course this is not even close to what I expect to get from a true 1080P BluRay or HD DVD.
The much-hyped anti-glare coating seems to work great. I haven't noticed any significant glare. I haven't given the SD slot a try, but since I do have a digital camera with SD, I expect that this will come in handy.
The remote is nice even if you need other Panasonic components to take advantage of the EZ Synch feature. It has to really big buttons in the middle for channel and volume. Kind of nice to not have to fumble around for them.
Overall I couldn't be happier with my new set.
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22 out
of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
I took the word of November Consumer Reports
by Louie1961
on
November 24, 2007
Pros: Did not realize how much I was missing. Wow!! So much yet to discover.
Cons: Pricey but.... you get what you pay for as they say
Summary: Still awaiting installation of high def satellite for true high def content( next weekend). But what I can tell you is this TV will blow you away right out of ...
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Summary: Still awaiting installation of high def satellite for true high def content( next weekend). But what I can tell you is this TV will blow you away right out of the box. We went with an upconverting DVD from Panasonic along with the THPPZ700U and using Monster 1M HDMI cable to connect the two. When we finished hooking it up we debated on what DVD we were going to use to challenge our new purchase. We chose King Kong and I can't tell you how amazing the crystal clear, highly defined picture looked. We were mesmerized (lost track of time as we were just doing a test)for about an hour as we were in awe of all the detail we had missed watching this on our old TV. Unbelievable! I presently have it hooked up to a digital cable receiver until next weekend, and if high def is better than this, Oh my god, I'll never leave the house.
Panasonic you rock !!! Thanks consumers report for your in depth review in November 2007 issue.(Highest rated TV they have ever tested)
After keeping an eye on trends of the Plasma market for the past 2 years waiting to jump in, and watching Pioneer be the #1 rated Plasma in every review with a price diff. of roughly $1,000 to $1,500 more for this same sized panel. I'll update when I have Satellite connected.
If your in the market for 50" you won't be sorry going with this beauty. Be sure you get the THP50PZ700U. 1080p, antiglare screen,PC input. They offer many choices in the 50" size but the PZ is the Cadillac.
Well done Panasonic.
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12 out
of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
unbelieveable pic and sound
by ruggb
on
June 27, 2007
Pros: picture, sound, features, inputs
Cons: cost, power consumption, setup
Summary: This set is true Panasonic. I based the purchase mostly on the Panasonic reputation of the past few years since there were no reviews of this set. I would place ...
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Summary: This set is true Panasonic. I based the purchase mostly on the Panasonic reputation of the past few years since there were no reviews of this set. I would place this with the Pioneer FHD1. The cabinet is beautiful. Inputs are good. Sufficient for me now, but I may need more than 2 HDMI in the future. I can't see it though at this time.
Setup and adjustment is a little bumpy - not smoothly executed but totally sufficient when done.
It has automatic audio leveling when using an antenna input. Unfortunately, with cable or satellite it has to be done in the cable box, which it isn't. You can't level an input.
Speaking of the audio, it is fantastic. My neighbor commented on that immediately and is jealous. The speakers themselves are about 2". The processing makes them sound as good as using my 12" stereo speakers. Bass is fantastic. There appears to be a resonance at a low frequencies. However, it may be what was broadcast because it happened only in one spot on one advertisement and repeated with the ad.
The connections to secure it to the wall when using the supplied pedestal stand are a joke. Fortunately, it is very stable on the pedestal and really doesn't need this, assuming it is sitting on a stable stand to support 123.5 pounds.
I would really like it if calibrating these sets was made doable by none technically challenge people. I think this set is less calibratable then last years version, but I am still waiting on a real technical review to find out.
It looks most impressive at about 4 feet. That is where the pixels disappear with 1080P resolution. Normal viewing for me is about 10-11 ft.
It may have some green push, but when I think it might, it is hard for me to tell if the green is not suppose to look like that. Not all green looks pushed just some landscape green - grass, trees, etc. - especially the ad for Planet Earth in HD.
Cost - paid a no hassle $3019. delivered - not setup. You can probably do a little better at a few other online retailers - but expect a hassle with some.
I can't configure it to make it easy to switch between component and HDMI on my DVR to see if there really is a difference. That is an issue of the cable box. The cable guy said one could see a difference especially in 50" and over sets.
Anti-glare screen effective but not perfect.
SD card nice touch. No headphone output. Only composite video input on front panel. Some basic controls on front panel. As with most sets the remote is the best place to control it. There appears to be service connections under a panel on the rear which would probably require special equipment.
Power consumption is rated at 695 watts. I was told by Panasonic that it was typically about 1/3 of that and I measured it with a Kill-a-Watt at about 300 watts with a PF=1. IE, watts=VA.
Overall - I would do it again in a heartbeat. Panasonic's reputation is not faltering.
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9 out
of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
This is a REALY good TV!
by gleiblein
on
May 19, 2007
Pros: Picture, Picture, Picture.
Cons: Only 2 HDMI ports - no 1080p via component or VGA
Summary: I was down to the 52' Sony XBR2 and the 52' 92 series Sharp. Then I saw this TV. WOW! While the other two TV's offer better conectivity options, ...
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Summary: I was down to the 52' Sony XBR2 and the 52' 92 series Sharp. Then I saw this TV. WOW! While the other two TV's offer better conectivity options, the Panasonic beats them both easily in the picture department (and thats what its all about, isnt it?). Some of the deepest blacks I have seen, no motion blur, and the colors make your jaw drop. I got mine at circuit city for $2960 (I used the old "can you match or beat internet prices?" and to my surprise they actualy did. This TV is among the best.
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5 out
of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Panasonic: How do you do it?
by brx1769
on
May 18, 2007
Pros: FullHD picture: PERFECT black level detail; great sound for a flat panel
Cons: Relatively expensive for a plasma; Only 2 HDMI inputs
Summary: Once I heard that Panasonic was to release a 1080p plasma, I waited anxiously for this TV to arrive at my store. The minute this TV came in on the ...
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Summary: Once I heard that Panasonic was to release a 1080p plasma, I waited anxiously for this TV to arrive at my store. The minute this TV came in on the truck, I brought it straight to the floor and hooked it up to a Blu-Ray player and our DirecTV HD receiver. Along with a Denon AVR-987 and a KEF 3005 speaker system, I turned X-3:X-Men United on Blu-Ray and was completely blown away. This TV displayed EVERY detail in the picture, with amazing detail and ZERO motion blur. Images were crisp, colors seemed well accurate, fans were quiet, black level was perfect, and it definitely challenged Sony's XBR2 picture quality. Remote was very simply laid out, so Panasonic definitely took the average consumer into consideration when designing this TV. Speakers are forward-firing and on the side, unlike their 75 series. For being a flat panel, sound was actually somewhat deep and did not have that tinny sound at all. Biggest cons, as with all plasmas, was the glass screen reflecting all the ambient light. Keep in mind, this is in a store with lights everywhere. So the average room wouldn't be so bad with this TV. Panasonic could've just thrown the anti-glare coating on. Also, most TV's being released now have 3 HDMI inputs, whereas this has two, which was no big deal, since I only had two HDMI sources hooked to it anyway. All in all, this definitely has to be my most favorite plasma.
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5 out
of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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8
stars
Excellent overall, despite repair
by ferreirar6248
on
October 3, 2007
Pros: Absolutely gorgeous picture, especially with Blu-ray/HD-DVD
Cons: Easily loses picture settings
Summary: My rating would be higher if it weren't for a less than satisfactory repair experience. The TV broke down 2 weeks after delivery and was down for 6 weeks ...
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Summary: My rating would be higher if it weren't for a less than satisfactory repair experience. The TV broke down 2 weeks after delivery and was down for 6 weeks with multiple on-site visits and a lengthy period in the shop. But it was finally repaired and I've been thrilled with it since, especially with the picture quality. Even in standard def, the picture is better than any tube TV I've seen recently. But I was truely floored when I first plugged in my Panasonic Blu-ray. Even after watching 10+ movies, I still marvel how incredibly sharp the detail is, especially people's faces. I have since bought an HD-DVD, and even though the Toshiba outputs only 1080i, its at least as good as the Blu-ray's native 1080p picture. My one gripe: just one wrong button press in the weird picture control causes you to lose all your picture settings. They really should fix that.
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4 out
of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Phenominal Television!
by Vendian
on
September 15, 2007
Pros: Great color blending, deep blacks, 1080P, Overall great TV.
Cons: Could possibly use one more HDMI, but with most receivers having HDMI switching on them now its not an issue.
Summary: I sell Plasma TV's all day long, and I watch A LOT of different sources on different TV's. I just wanted to post a rating to say that ...
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Summary: I sell Plasma TV's all day long, and I watch A LOT of different sources on different TV's. I just wanted to post a rating to say that this is an amazing Plasma, and that I would rate it higher than the Samsung FPT5084. The picture quality is much better, and the Samsung seems to band a number of sources and block colors together. I would buy the Panasonic over the Samsung any day of the week.
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4 out
of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Great panel! Panasonic does it again.
by method62
on
June 12, 2007
Pros: Amazing Picture. Great black levels. Elegant design. A much improved setup menu.
Cons: Panel expels a lot of heat. Panel doesnt swivel.
Summary: This is my second Panasonic plasma. My first one being the TH-42PX60U. That in my opinion is one the best 42 plasmas for the money. First and foremost, what I ...
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Summary: This is my second Panasonic plasma. My first one being the TH-42PX60U. That in my opinion is one the best 42 plasmas for the money. First and foremost, what I love about the 50pz is that Panasonic has ditched the grey cabinet with a more elegant piano black. One issue that I had with my 42px was some heavy false contouring in very dark scenes of a dvd. This issue from what I've been able to see has been resolved. The picture on the 50z is awesome. High def broadcasts look great on it as well as standard def. For DVD playback I use Oppo's flagship model, the 981-HD. Like I said before the picture looks incredible with no noticeable false contouring at all. The anti-reflective coating really does cut down on the glare from ambient light sources. I have my panny in my bedroom and I have no problem wathcing tv during the day. The only minor issues I have with the set are that it throws out a lot of heat, but this is a common issue among plasmas. The remote control is well laid out with big buttons that are spaced well apart. I really wish an illumination feature was designed on the remote for night time adjustments. The speakers on the set are side firing and are some of the best I've heard. Granted my bedroom isnt the size of someones living room, but they do an exceptional job. As a footnote I work as an installler for a local electronics store. I deliver many makes and models of plasmas, lcds, lcos, and dlp displays. I must say out of all the tvs I have unboxed, panasonic packages their sets remarkably well. The display was literally encased in styrofoam. This may help alleviate some concerns for people buying over the internet. All in all the TH-50pz700u is a great buy. An elegant cabinet, superb picture, and easy to use features make this panel a must buy.
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4 out
of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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10
stars
There may be no perfect TV but..
by marksman00
on
August 24, 2007
Pros: Black levels, image quality, sound, design,
Cons: haven't found it yet
Summary: ...This one is as close as you'll get. We weren't even looking to replace our standard TV yet, but I've been researching plasmas for two years waiting ...
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Summary: ...This one is as close as you'll get. We weren't even looking to replace our standard TV yet, but I've been researching plasmas for two years waiting for a great full 1080p. One of the major retailers had a 40% off sale on all their plasmas and this TV had only been on the market for a month. We were leary about them and their past delivery history. The next day, we were in another store and my partner saw this playing a Blue Ray DVD and was in a trance over it, and he's not the tech guy. Right there he decided he wanted it, so we went to another retailer and told them about the sale at the first store. They matched it plus 10%, free deliver, and 18 month 0 financing. Lets just say we paid 1,000 less than retail at the time and most places are still higher, even with sales.
The new set came two days later and we have not regretted it since. Everyone that watches it is amazed even those that have other models of LCD and plasma, and we are only running 1080i max right now. The colors and sound are amazing, fast action is crisp, nature scenes are like looking out a window, and the set just gets better to watch every day. There is no reason not to buy this unit, unless your buying it's bigger brother the 58" unit. CNET needs to get off their duff and review this before it gets replaced by the next gen.
This one gets a 10.
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2 out
of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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9
stars
Fantastic 1080p, Blu-Ray's best friend!
by marlowe1941
on
August 20, 2007
Pros: 1080p, Beautiful Piano Black Cabinet
Cons: Heat output, a little pricey
Summary: This plasma is the perfect partner for Blu-Ray. Gorgeous piano black cabinet, low glare, dynamite sound, deep, dark blacks, great contrast and fantastic 1080p full HD capability. 300, Casino Royale, ...
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Summary: This plasma is the perfect partner for Blu-Ray. Gorgeous piano black cabinet, low glare, dynamite sound, deep, dark blacks, great contrast and fantastic 1080p full HD capability. 300, Casino Royale, and the full Planet Earth series all on Blu-Ray look absolutely stunning. It will forever be much tougher to go to the theater for films!
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2 out
of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
