My old projection HDTV died and I needed to replace it, so I started doing the research. I learned that plasmas have a better picture quality than LCD, and that Panasonic makes the best Plasma displays (now that Pioneer is not making them).
I liked this set because of it's 1080 moving lines of resolution, contrast ratio, refresh ratio and for the quality of the plasma display. I looked at this set at the stores, and to my surprise it looked dull and less sharp than the Samsungs it was hung next to. After tweaking the settings of the set (it had been set to the factory default). I saw it could be set bright, like the other sets. The Samsung also looked sharper, but after closely watching the sets for about an hour, I noticed the Panasonic had better depth of detail, while the Samsung only had edge detail which stood out. The Samsung increases contrast and sharpens the edges which at first looks good, but provides an unnatural looking image for normal viewing. In the end, the Panasonic provided more depth of detail and looked more natural to me.
I decided to buy this set, and it was no mistake. The picture quality is perfect, I don't have a complaint. The color setting looks a bit warm at the store, but this looks more natural in the ambient lighting in my living room. I suspect this may be intentional on the part of Panasonic in order to produce normal colors to our eyes in a typical home setting.
I've looked at lots of LCDs and LED TVs and watched TV at other homes with high end LCDs, and this set is better by far than the others.
One other factor is that I looked at the reviews for this set. Typically, when people buy a set that is defective, they write bad reviews for it. There are lots of good reviews and very few bad, so this implies to me that not a lot of these sets are defective out of the box. I've also owned lots of Panasonic products in the past which all have lasted well beyond my expected life for the product so I think this set will last me quite a long time (much longer than my 'other' name brand projection set which broke with a costly repair every 2 years).
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 Awesome screen
The S1 series is the cheapest NeoPDP display available right now. It is awesome. I love it.
The screen is so awesome I give it 5 stars even though it has two flaws-
1) The speakers are tinny as hell. But if you are serious about a screen like this you get a sound system to go with it.
2) The remote is maddening. Response is spotty and/or laggy.
The screen is so awesome I give it 5 stars even though it has two flaws-
1) The speakers are tinny as hell. But if you are serious about a screen like this you get a sound system to go with it.
2) The remote is maddening. Response is spotty and/or laggy.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 GREAT SET
I received my Panasonic VIERA S1 p50I plasma 3 days ago. I now have it hooked up. I was VERY nervous about making this purchase. Very expensive and on-line ordering. ALL my fears were for nothing. This is a FANTASTIC set and it arrived from 6ave in great condition & on the FIRST day promised. I was impressed.
The picture quality is amazing. I did a LOT of research before purchasing this set. I read reviews, I talked to others that had a Panasonic, I even went to "Best Buy" (terrible experience) and compared this set to many others, and a few other electronic stores. It did look better that most other sets but I wasn't sure if it was worth that much more. I have to say now it was worth it. Especially since buying it online I got a better price than the less expensive models. I think the need for more adjustments to the picture is a bit overrated. The settings that are available do just fine.
The sound quality is also very good. I had heard a few 'knocks' about the sound but for my I like it fine. I even turn my Sony Home theater OFF and just listen to the set.
Lastly the looks of the set are great. It is very sleek with the piano finish black trim and no gaudy trim to distract you from your viewing.
AND as a final "seal of approval" even my 92 year old mother when she saw the new set said it looked great and she was amazed by the picture.
And getting her approval for anything that costs money is going some.
If your are considering getting a new Plasma set look closely at this Panasonic 1080p Plasma 50". You won't be disappointed I assure you.Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
The picture quality is amazing. I did a LOT of research before purchasing this set. I read reviews, I talked to others that had a Panasonic, I even went to "Best Buy" (terrible experience) and compared this set to many others, and a few other electronic stores. It did look better that most other sets but I wasn't sure if it was worth that much more. I have to say now it was worth it. Especially since buying it online I got a better price than the less expensive models. I think the need for more adjustments to the picture is a bit overrated. The settings that are available do just fine.
The sound quality is also very good. I had heard a few 'knocks' about the sound but for my I like it fine. I even turn my Sony Home theater OFF and just listen to the set.
Lastly the looks of the set are great. It is very sleek with the piano finish black trim and no gaudy trim to distract you from your viewing.
AND as a final "seal of approval" even my 92 year old mother when she saw the new set said it looked great and she was amazed by the picture.
And getting her approval for anything that costs money is going some.
If your are considering getting a new Plasma set look closely at this Panasonic 1080p Plasma 50". You won't be disappointed I assure you.Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 Fantastic Picture for the Price
I purchased this TV back in March and have been holding off on the review until the TV was properly broken in (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1128487 -- the first parargraph in the first post is the procedure) then calibrated to my liking. I must say I have been very pleased with the time I have spent with it. I was a bit worried when I read the CNET review about the color inaccuracy, but I think mine looks great. The picture is crystal clear and motion is smooth. Blu-Rays on the PS3 look awesome. While watching all the dark scenes in Spiderman 3, I can easily make out the details in the shadows and black clothing. This set really handles black well. I also have no complaints looking at flesh tones and whites. All the colors are vibrant and look spot on.
My primary TV is a Sharp Aquos I purchased 3 years ago, and this set blows it away for half the price I spent on the Sharp. I think that people are really pushing the G10 series and that is fine, but for $200 less, this 50S1 looks fantastic and I have no regrets that I purchased this set. My only suggestion would be to check out the above link and spend the time to properly break-in the set. It is not very difficult. All the phosphors break-in evenly and you only need to calibrate once. Trust me, this set looked a TON better after the 100 hour break-in period.
The sound and remote are passable, but not terrible. I think most people have surround sound now anyway. These are the only 2 things not fantastic about this TV.
My primary TV is a Sharp Aquos I purchased 3 years ago, and this set blows it away for half the price I spent on the Sharp. I think that people are really pushing the G10 series and that is fine, but for $200 less, this 50S1 looks fantastic and I have no regrets that I purchased this set. My only suggestion would be to check out the above link and spend the time to properly break-in the set. It is not very difficult. All the phosphors break-in evenly and you only need to calibrate once. Trust me, this set looked a TON better after the 100 hour break-in period.
The sound and remote are passable, but not terrible. I think most people have surround sound now anyway. These are the only 2 things not fantastic about this TV.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 Excellent choice, you will not regret it.
This tv uses Panasonic's 12th generation panel called Neo-PDP. What that means is that the picture is exceptionally bright and saturated, and that the tv draws 40% less power than last years models. That means that power consumption is now on par with many LCD's in this size range.
I purchased this TV after 6 months of searching and couldn't be happier. In a brightly lit room, the picture is bright and vivid. Watching movies in the dark, the blacks are so black. It's unreal, I've never seen blacks this dark. To get blacks as good on a comparable lcd, you would need an lcd tv with local dimming -- and to get that you'll pay 3 times as much. The native contrast ratio is 40,000:1. That's native contrast! You won't find many lcd's that have this native contrast ratio. The dynamic contrast ratio is 1 million:1.
The viewing angles are exceptional. From the extreme right or left, the colors are just as vivid and beautiful as they are from the center seated position. This is not true of many lcd's where the colors tend to shift as you move to the extremes.
Another good thing about plasma tvs is the complete lack of motion blur. When a scene pans quickly in a movie or during sports, you could get some blurring with an lcd. To get an lcd without motion blur, you'll need a 2ms panel and 240Hz processing. LCD's also tend to do some processing that some say makes motion unnatural (for example, Samsung uses Auto Motion Plus `AMP').
The LCD's I was considering had reports of clouding and flash lighting. I was considering the Samsung Luxia LED backlit models or the Samsung B-Series LCD's that use traditional CCFL backlighting, but after reading many reviews, it just didn't make sense to take the risk that I might get a set that had problems.
I'm very particular about my displays. I can't rave enough about this TV. Knowing how good it is now, I should have picked up the 54" model of this tv. Or even the upcoming 58" or 65" models. You will not be disappointed by this television.
When checking out tvs in a store, remember that most lcd's are set with blindingly high backlights. Most plasmas will appear dim when compared against such an lcd. But in reality, this tv is exceedingly bright. And in the stores, the blacks don't impress but when you see it at home, you will know how inky black they really are.
In the end, it's up to you. Do the research like on AVSForum. You will see that many experts who know about good picture quality. They frequently recommend Panasonic plasma sets. And if you make that decision, the Panasonic S1 is an excellent choice.
Amazon is a great place to buy with an excellent return policy. The pilot delivery service was ok. But they do not set up your tv, unbox it, or help you put it on a stand so plan accordingly. They also gave me an 8 hour delivery window which sucks.
Good luck.
I purchased this TV after 6 months of searching and couldn't be happier. In a brightly lit room, the picture is bright and vivid. Watching movies in the dark, the blacks are so black. It's unreal, I've never seen blacks this dark. To get blacks as good on a comparable lcd, you would need an lcd tv with local dimming -- and to get that you'll pay 3 times as much. The native contrast ratio is 40,000:1. That's native contrast! You won't find many lcd's that have this native contrast ratio. The dynamic contrast ratio is 1 million:1.
The viewing angles are exceptional. From the extreme right or left, the colors are just as vivid and beautiful as they are from the center seated position. This is not true of many lcd's where the colors tend to shift as you move to the extremes.
Another good thing about plasma tvs is the complete lack of motion blur. When a scene pans quickly in a movie or during sports, you could get some blurring with an lcd. To get an lcd without motion blur, you'll need a 2ms panel and 240Hz processing. LCD's also tend to do some processing that some say makes motion unnatural (for example, Samsung uses Auto Motion Plus `AMP').
The LCD's I was considering had reports of clouding and flash lighting. I was considering the Samsung Luxia LED backlit models or the Samsung B-Series LCD's that use traditional CCFL backlighting, but after reading many reviews, it just didn't make sense to take the risk that I might get a set that had problems.
I'm very particular about my displays. I can't rave enough about this TV. Knowing how good it is now, I should have picked up the 54" model of this tv. Or even the upcoming 58" or 65" models. You will not be disappointed by this television.
When checking out tvs in a store, remember that most lcd's are set with blindingly high backlights. Most plasmas will appear dim when compared against such an lcd. But in reality, this tv is exceedingly bright. And in the stores, the blacks don't impress but when you see it at home, you will know how inky black they really are.
In the end, it's up to you. Do the research like on AVSForum. You will see that many experts who know about good picture quality. They frequently recommend Panasonic plasma sets. And if you make that decision, the Panasonic S1 is an excellent choice.
Amazon is a great place to buy with an excellent return policy. The pilot delivery service was ok. But they do not set up your tv, unbox it, or help you put it on a stand so plan accordingly. They also gave me an 8 hour delivery window which sucks.
Good luck.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 Great TV!
I have been researching for the past 6 months for a Plasma TV. There are several reasons why I choose this one. The price was a great value for a 1080P Plasma. I paid $[...] shipped. In my research I found that more people were generally happier with Panasonic brand and had a great picture. When I finally hooked up this TV I was amazed. The blacks are great and the colors are superb and this is out of the box. I cannot wait to get this TV calibrated and have an even better picture. I firmly believe any who purchases this TV will not be disappointed. The TV itself looks sleek and the connections in the back are well thought out. Did I say how great the picture is? :)
If I had to say anything negative, that there are not enough options to calibrate the colors and picture. However that isn't a big deal if you are willing to go into the service menu and make a few tweaks. Please note that doing so could void warranties so either hire a professional to do it or research the TV online for calibration settings which will get you to 95%-98% close to a professional. No matter what plasma TV you get a calibration is something you should have done. Check [...] for more info on this. (As of April 27th there are settings have not yet been posted).
I hope my review helps you decide.
If I had to say anything negative, that there are not enough options to calibrate the colors and picture. However that isn't a big deal if you are willing to go into the service menu and make a few tweaks. Please note that doing so could void warranties so either hire a professional to do it or research the TV online for calibration settings which will get you to 95%-98% close to a professional. No matter what plasma TV you get a calibration is something you should have done. Check [...] for more info on this. (As of April 27th there are settings have not yet been posted).
I hope my review helps you decide.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 First plasma - highly impressed
I've been using the S1 for almost a month now and absolutely love it. It has a beautiful, realistic picture that is perfect for video gaming and Blurays. It may not have quite the 'pop' of an LCD, but I much prefer the look of a plasma with it's improved accuracy and uniform picture. I'm coming from a 34" Sony XBR970 - which itself is a very accurate set - but this Panasonic has made me a convert. It's plasma from here on out (or as long as they keep making them I suppose).
Of course one of my concerns before purchasing this set was burn in. I do a large amount of gaming and letterboxed movie watching, and I didn't want to have to be constantly worrying about damaging my set. Well, I've been gaming on this thing since day 1 - many of which have static HUDs - and I have yet to see even the mere hint of image retention. Same goes for letterboxes, they leave absolutely no lingering image. I play 360 and PS3 on the Game picture setting and movies on Cinema - both of which have their contrast set around 80.
Regardless, I have been running break-in images while I'm not using the set. I'd say it's getting on average about 15 hours of use a day for the past few weeks. Not necessarily because I'm worried about image retention any more, but more as a stress test - because I figure if anything is going to break down it'll be in the beginning. I'd also like it broke in for proper calibration as well.
The blacks are very black - but not pure black. There's a bit of brightness still there, but it's more than acceptable. In my opinion still better than any LCD I've seen, and even more important more uniform.
The remote is pretty awful, so maybe plan on replacing that with a Harmony or something.
SD signals are what they are - SD. They tend to look a little worse on this plasma than they did before on the Sony, but I think a large part of that is just because of the bigger screen. Flaws and static are more readily apparent at 50".
I'm no videophile, so personally I'm not seeing any sort of green push. Sometimes I *think* I see it, but I can't totally convince myself it's not just the source - because 99% of the time the picture looks great. I'm still looking to get it professionally calibrated down the road though, so I'll be curious to see what difference that makes.
Of course one of my concerns before purchasing this set was burn in. I do a large amount of gaming and letterboxed movie watching, and I didn't want to have to be constantly worrying about damaging my set. Well, I've been gaming on this thing since day 1 - many of which have static HUDs - and I have yet to see even the mere hint of image retention. Same goes for letterboxes, they leave absolutely no lingering image. I play 360 and PS3 on the Game picture setting and movies on Cinema - both of which have their contrast set around 80.
Regardless, I have been running break-in images while I'm not using the set. I'd say it's getting on average about 15 hours of use a day for the past few weeks. Not necessarily because I'm worried about image retention any more, but more as a stress test - because I figure if anything is going to break down it'll be in the beginning. I'd also like it broke in for proper calibration as well.
The blacks are very black - but not pure black. There's a bit of brightness still there, but it's more than acceptable. In my opinion still better than any LCD I've seen, and even more important more uniform.
The remote is pretty awful, so maybe plan on replacing that with a Harmony or something.
SD signals are what they are - SD. They tend to look a little worse on this plasma than they did before on the Sony, but I think a large part of that is just because of the bigger screen. Flaws and static are more readily apparent at 50".
I'm no videophile, so personally I'm not seeing any sort of green push. Sometimes I *think* I see it, but I can't totally convince myself it's not just the source - because 99% of the time the picture looks great. I'm still looking to get it professionally calibrated down the road though, so I'll be curious to see what difference that makes.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 AMAZING!
This tv is great! I have been researching tvs for over a year to find the right one. I read all of the professional reviews (cnet) and this is the tv that I decided on. I was on a budget, I am a college student who does a lot of gaming and blu-ray watching. I am extremely picky about picture quality and this tv delivers an amazing picture! This blows nearly all LCD tv's out of the water. I was not going to get a plasma to begin with because of the supposed "image retention" which I have yet to notice. I am extremely glad that I got a Panasonic Plasma. The blacks are so deep, it almost looks as though the tv is off when the screen is black. The deep blacks make the colors pop! I have watched a number of blu-rays and played a couple of hours of games and I am in love already. I highly recommend this tv to everyone. It is an extremely good deal. Any LCD for this size would be much more expensive and have a much lower picture quality. Also for those of you deciding between the G10 and this tv I would recommend this one. I went to the local Best Buy and compared the two next to each other and I could not notice any difference between the two. Save yourself some money. Good luck deciding on your next tv I hope this review helped.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Panasonic TC-P50S1 For most people, this set represents the best value for money of any 50" class HDTV
I decided on the P50S1 after about 250 hours of daily HDTV research for the past 3 or 4 months, in which I debated everything from plasma vs. LCD to screen size to features to ease of use to durability.
The 2009 Panasonic plasmas use the new "Neo-PDP" panels, which I can tell you personally having lifted both are much lighter than an equal size 2008 model plasma. The manual prudently warns against a single person lifting the set, but I did so myself with no problem.
This model was initially sold on Amazon at the initial MSRP of $1799, but has now dropped to a street price of under $1400 one month after being released. Placed my order on Wednesday the 8th, scheduled delivery for the following Wednesday the 15th. Was very surprised to get a phone call from Amazon's freight carrier, CEVA, asking if they could deliver the TV on the 11th. Four days early, and on a Saturday no less. The CEVA driver carried the box into my apartment, unpacked it, let me inspect the TV, assembled the stand, put the TV on the stand, and let me hook up the power and HDMI connection to turn the TV on, all before I signed for it.
Picture quality in the Cinema preset is already outstanding to my eyes. However I'm sure color accuracy will improve once I tweak some settings as posted at [..]. The Panasonic 2009 S series, G10 series, and V10 series all use the same physical panels, so the only differences between them are software/firmware, and extras like the VGA input and VieraCast on the other series. If you don't need the extras and are willing to tweak your picture settings, the S series is the best value for money out there.
If I really nitpick, the only negative I can come up with is the glossy black finish shows dust very easily, but that is true of most any HDTV currently sold.
The 2009 Panasonic plasmas use the new "Neo-PDP" panels, which I can tell you personally having lifted both are much lighter than an equal size 2008 model plasma. The manual prudently warns against a single person lifting the set, but I did so myself with no problem.
This model was initially sold on Amazon at the initial MSRP of $1799, but has now dropped to a street price of under $1400 one month after being released. Placed my order on Wednesday the 8th, scheduled delivery for the following Wednesday the 15th. Was very surprised to get a phone call from Amazon's freight carrier, CEVA, asking if they could deliver the TV on the 11th. Four days early, and on a Saturday no less. The CEVA driver carried the box into my apartment, unpacked it, let me inspect the TV, assembled the stand, put the TV on the stand, and let me hook up the power and HDMI connection to turn the TV on, all before I signed for it.
Picture quality in the Cinema preset is already outstanding to my eyes. However I'm sure color accuracy will improve once I tweak some settings as posted at [..]. The Panasonic 2009 S series, G10 series, and V10 series all use the same physical panels, so the only differences between them are software/firmware, and extras like the VGA input and VieraCast on the other series. If you don't need the extras and are willing to tweak your picture settings, the S series is the best value for money out there.
If I really nitpick, the only negative I can come up with is the glossy black finish shows dust very easily, but that is true of most any HDTV currently sold.
Panasonic TC-P50S1 Great Buy
The value you get for the price of this tv is second to none. I just recently put this tv in my house replacing an old rear projection tv and i am amazed at its color accuracy. I did find my self making a few tweeks from the factory settings but once you get it to where you like the picture you'll fall in love. Sports and movies shine on this set. I preferred the plasma over the lcd because the movement on the tv was much more natural than the 120hz lcd displays. I sell T.V.s at sears and after being around both for a while I find the plasma image much easier and natural to look at. I chose Panasonic because they seem to have mastered the plasma technology and even a Samsung rep told me that he preferred Panasonic's plasma to Samsungs plasma. I will admit to liking some of the new Sony's coming out and the new LED tv is really cool but you cant touch those televisions at this price point. I kind of wish I had waited for the G10 seeing as it came in at such a close price difference but I cant complain I love this tv and it is a few hundred dollars cheaper. I should also note that the anti-glare filter works really well I wouldn't be worried about glare issues. If anyone got through this review my advice to you is to buy this or the step up G10.
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