50" - 16:9 - 1366 x 768 - Surround - HDTV - MPN: TH50PX60U
Strengths: Crisp, clear, razor sharp picture.
Weakness: Controler could be larger, small keys hard to see in dim light. Would settle for backlighting, though.
After much research, this was my pick. I have not been disappointed in any way. I use the Direct HD package and am amazed at the fantastic picture. For the price, you can't go wrong. (This is the first time that I have ever taken the time to write a review on anything I have purchased.)
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TopStrengths: will be repaired by service people on site
Weakness: Died in 3 days, I will end up with a repaired (refurbished) tv instead of the brand new one I bought. Panasonic recommends getting a warranty from other sources.
My wife bought me the TH-50PX60U 50" panasonic plasma for Christmas. This product was new in the box, ordered from the factory. After spending $2300 on the TV, we installed it on the wall (make sure you have at least 2 people for this, and hook all of your cables up ahead of time) we sat down to enjoy our TV. I used s-video connections from satellite box and dvd player.
Picture: Okay, it wasn't an HD signal. But the picture seems pretty blurry, like when you print a JPEG picture. Lots of noise and poorly rendered colors. Much better with the DVD, but I thought it would be better considering it is a digital signal (directv).
Workmanship: Here's why it gets such a low rating. Chrismas morning, a whole three days after I got the tv and set it up, it died. No picture, no sound, just an LED blinking 7 times. The manual said to unplug the tv and call the service department. Panasonic offers "concierge service" for people who buy their plasma tvs. Whoopee. The machine at the other told me to call bak during normal business hours (they were closed on Christmas--probably because they figured that nobody would get one of these sets for christmas, and need help.)
So I called back today (26 DEC.) They set me up with a repair appointment tomorrow morning. That's 3 days with TV, three days without, so I average around $800 per day of viewing. since I only watch about 5 hours of TV in the evening, that's about $160 per hour of viewing. Pretty expensive.
Okay, so it's broken. Assuming the repair guy can fix it tomorrow, I'll only have to watch it on day to achieve parity between days inoperative and days of viewing.
I talked with the support supervisor about extending the warranty for me, since my faith in panasonic's products (they insisted this was a "quality" product) was shaken. He flat refused to extend the manufacturer's warranty, but did tell me that panasonic does try to "work things out for mutual benefit" of customers who have issues beyond the manufacturers warranty. I assume "mutual benefit" means they'll fix it, after you pay shipping, handling, parts and labor. He even had the gall to recommend that I check with my credit card company, because they often warranty items purchased. (I assume this isn't their standard practice, but the if this is their company policy, they owe it to the consumer to put a big sticker (say, 50" diagonal)on their product that clearly states "You should seriously consider a third party warranty with this product.")
If you bought a BMW, and three days later, it inexplicably died, would you let the dealer fix it, and be happy with your "good as new" vehicle (good as new until the carfax report comes out), or would you tell them to keep it, and get your money back, and go buy a Mercedes for the same price? I would assume that the BMW company was happy with their quality assurance, and this was an example of their service. I'd be rolling around in a mercedes.
My opinion, go with a company that'll stand behind their products, and replace things that break or no reason, rather than fixing them. In effect, I now have a soon-to-be-refurbished TV, not a new one, and panasonic is happy with that. I am not. The only thing that panasonic could (and should) do to make this right is to give me an extended warranty on my TV--for the entire expected life of the the TV, which they publish as 60,000 viwing hours) or to refund me the difference between the price I paid for a new TV and the refurbished product I now own.
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TopStrengths: supreme color clarity & contrast, sound is crisp & clear, 8 input modes to allow you to label them, doesn't get too hot after watching 10 hours per day everyday for 4 months
Weakness: slow start syndrome (8 secs) for the picture & sound to be appeared, remote control is less responsive (have to point directly to the infrared box of the TV)
We compared many plasma TV when we were shopping around and noticed that the color and clarity of TH-50PX60U is the best (apart from Sony XBrite LCD) among all other brands we've seen. (Unit was purchased in May 2006 for a little less than $3,000).
The Panasonic plasma TV has a very well balance design and yet functional. The TV has ‘clear cut’ and ‘timeless’ appearance. The sound system is loud and clear even though one is needed to invest a professional sound system to fully appreciate the high quality sound and picture to replicate the theater-like experience.
We would highly recommend this unit anytime especially with the big price drop after Panasonic released their 58" model.
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TopStrengths: Picture and number of input/outputs (HDMI)
Weakness: None
Debated on the Panasonic, Pioneer Plasma and the Sony XBR LCD Projection. Overall picture quality and price both in the short and long term beat the Sony. Price alone was the biggest factor in the Panasonic TH-50PX60U over the compatible Pioneer model. Currently using a 1080i upconverting DVD by Sony. I rate the picture a solid A. Would reccommend to anyone. Try and catch one on sale.
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TopHi,
Thank you all for leaving the feedback, I am seriously considering this TV but am seeing a distortion issue with this tv in most stores I have looked at it. I have even had sales people in Best Buy tell me the same thing - the TV artifacts pretty heavily under rapid movement especially compared with competitors (IE Hitachi). The colors, black levels are superior to the Hitachi but I am concerned about the movement issue. I was wondering if anyone with the TV could comment on that - are you seeing any issues at home or could it be a connection problem in the stores? Thanks!!!!!
Strengths: Super good picture and color (even when calibrating), excellent packaging, best price for a reliable plasma television, HDMI ports, decent specifications for an above average user, and SD memory slot.
Weakness: Below average speakers, unattractive remote control, no PIP support, no PC port, specifications are inadequate for a super technical consumer, and pretty heavy.
Summary: For the above average user, this plasma television has everything you need. The price, brand name, and quality of the plasma television makes the TH-50PX60U an excellent choice.
Although I am just an average electronics consumer, I know for fact that the TH-50PX60U plasma television from Panasonic has great picture and color. What also really intrigued me about this plasma was the price. Also, Panasonic is known to be a very reliable company and on the top of the electronics corporations. I also read many reviews before actually buying this plasma. Apparently, most of the professional critics and the user reviews gave a high score to the TH-50PX60U. Since I’ve had this plasma for about a month, I haven’t had a problem or any major dissatisfactory with this television.
I would also like to comment about the great packaging of the plasma. The box was made a certain way that greatly reduces the damage risk while unpacking. Also, the Styrofoam fitters and the plastic cover of the plasma was very well designed and allowed the transportation of the television to be safe and secure.
When I first turned on the television, I was amazed by the brilliant colors, depth, shadows, and so on! I must say, this plasma looks much better in your home than on display at an electronics store. The television was pretty easy to set up, but it was much heavier than I expected. (Personally, I wouldn’t suggest putting this plasma on the wall). Although this isn’t much of an issue, but the remote control isn’t very attractive. Very large buttons and other details that aren’t very important but annoying to me. I would also like to comment about the speakers of the plasma. It isn’t as good as my older projector’s speakers. If you’re big on audio aspects of a television (and have extra money to spend on a home theater), I would advise you to install a surround sound system to counter this weakness. Furthermore, it would have been nice if there was a PC port on this plasma.
Some people have complained about the user manual for this television, but I personally believe that this plasma is straight forward and doesn’t have that many technical aspects to adjust (I tend to skip the user manual reading). Also, I’ve read many people talk about calibrating the television (set all of the picture values to 0 for 200 hours) to reduce the chances of “screen burns/imprinting”. Even when you calibrate the television, the picture looks fabulous!
Overall, I believe this plasma was a good choice for me and for many other people too. It contains all of the necessary aspects of a dream plasma television. I highly recommend this plasma!
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TopFirst of all I enjoyed reading your review and completely agree with your assessment of the speaker being of below standard quality. On my unit I notice one of the speakers rattle and the volume isn't even turned up very loud. (I am currently shopping for a surround sound system that should alleviate this situation) Concerning the calibration statements you made, actually setting the video settings on all zeros is not "calibrating" the TV. The Panasonic web site recommends making these settings for the first 100 hrs (not 200 hrs ) of operation because the plasma gases tend to over over stimulate when they are brand new. After this 100 hr break in period, that is when the calibration process takes place. Personally, I will adjust my setting to what looks good to me without spending hundreds on a professional calibrator of calibration software. There is also a debated thought that some people believe since the panel is rated for 60,000 hrs that the break in settings are not necessary. All agree to not leave black sidebars or top/bottom sidebars and static logos on the display for any length of time. Minutes, not hours. Hope this clears some stuff up. BTW, I agree it is a great TV. I bought a 3 year extended warranty and hope I don't have to use it.
Strengths: Awesome picture, lots of inputs, many picture options, Panasonic phone support
Weakness: Weak user manual, no PIP
I have been looking at Plasma's for over two years now to replace my projection TV. The Panasonic proves to be the best picture and good price. I have been researching consumer reports, friends opinions, electronic store employees and everyone points to this Plasma. When I originally went into the store, I was looking for a cheaper tv such as a DLP LCD, etc. Since this is a long term investment and I loved the picture qaulity so much, I decided to spend the extra money on this one.
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TopStrengths: Natural color, life like picture, great value for money, 2 hdmi, accepts 1080p input, can change aspect ratio on HD sources.
Weakness: silver color, very heavy, consumes lotsa electricity, potential for burn in, shows reflections, not enough picture adjustments, anemic user manual
I will try to qualify the title. First, onto the negatives, since I believe that the drawbacks of a product are more important to know than the specs and what it can do.
The boatloads of silver makes it unappealing. Black is best. Enough said.
It is a beast to lift. You will need two people to move it around. But, how often are you gonna move it.
It is almost as expensive as running a fridge, while it is on. Remember to shut it off when not in use ;-)
Then you gotta baby it for the first few hundred hours by not displaying the black bars or static text or logos on the screen. This is just a precaution so burn doesn't set in. Remember that burn in is not covered by warranty and you'll follow my advice.
Since the plasma is a glass face, it shows refections. Big time. Make sure you are curtained in you viewing space. Panasonic claims to have reduced reflections, but I don't see a difference in this year's model.
It has some deficiencies in adjustments, most notably lacking picture settings that stick for each input. Also, an additional zooming mode for the picture would have been nice.
Lastly, the user manual is pretty much useless. It doesn't have the depth or clarity of well written user manuals. For example: what is the basic difference between vivid, cinema and standard.
Now you might be thinking. That's all the negatives?
To balance these annoyances, you get the best picture on the market for a 50in TV. No doubt about that. That's why you're buying a TV, isn't it?
This year's model has a few important upgrades over last year's. It has 2 hdmi inputs which can accept 1080p. Future proof. Although hdmi itself has huge problems so far and I don't like it yet.
Also you can change the aspect ratio of 720p and above sources to fill your screen. This is a lifesaver, since you don't want to worry about burn in.
For the money, this is the best value on the market.
Note: If you found this review helpful, even you did not agree with what I said, please comment.
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TopI have some questions. How does one avoid showing the bars or the logos? Also, what do you mean by being thankful that you can fill up the screen from 720p to fill up the screen? I did not find any of these options on setting up the TV. Also, I did not find any choices for the picture, such as sports, cinema, etc. as I am accustomed to on my HD Toshiba. Did you find any picture choices? Thanks for writing in. zoo 21
I think by using the "Just" mode, you will be able to fill up the TV without having the black bars on top and bottom. I have the 42" model and now I am considering buying the 50" as well. Also, the logos in most shows these days are actually transparent where the show itself will show up in the logo which should avoid the burn it effect.
Good review.
But does anybody know why in the past the industrial models cost less than the consumer ones? Now it's reversed: the industrial TH-50PH9UK with added HDMI module costs more than the consumer
TH-50PX60U with 2 HDMI included.
Thanks for any replies.
Older pro models had 3 BNC connectors. If you wanted Hdmi or component inputs.. its xtra.
when your done, its no way cheaper. Its amazing picture needs proper placement and room set up to avoid reflections as stated by others and a problem with plasmas in general.
I think its incredible, were picking apart differences with each technology and just a few years ago we had CRTs to debate how big you wanted your Sony.
Out
Strengths: Size for the money, Picture Quality, HDMI ports, SD slot
Weakness: Remote doesn't have a very good range, no PC port, no PIP
After doing much research I decided to go with the Panasonic. I spent many hours reading various websites and going to plenty of stores to look at plasmas, and this TV sold me. Panasonic plasmas have a great reputation and seeing this TV in person a couple of times sold me. It is priced fair and the picture can't be beat. I have only had it for about 10 days, but so far I'm amazed by the performance. I have an HDMI DVD/amp combo attached to it and it is a wonderfully clear picture. I also have it hanging on the wall and it looks beautiful.
If you want a TV that has a great picture, multiple inputs, and is easy to use, I can't think of a better choice.
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TopStrengths: This set has by far the best picture of ANY 50in set at any price.
Weakness: Not as full-featured as some other sets.
I have been shopping for an HDTV set for over a year. I was attracted to projection sets but wanted a wider viewing area and better color satruation that plasmas gave.
I was in Fry's one afternoon comparing sets and the Panasonic was displayed with 2 Samsung, the Zenith, and an LG. The Panasonic was by far the superior picture and the Samsung rep was busy adjusting his sets.
Setup is straight forward. Recommend highly.
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TopStrengths: Picture quality,beautiful colors, deep blacks,2 HDMI inputs
Weakness: No PC input,no PIP.
This thing has an unbelievable HD picture,the colors are amazing and the blacks are deep. Some complain about the lack of cable card, but I plan to get the new Tivo series3 which will have dual cablecard 2.0 slots, so no big whoop. Another common complaint I hear is there is too much silver on the bezel, but I think it's sharp.It actually compliments my Harman Kardon AVR635's color scheme. The menu also has just,full,zoom,hfill modes so you can watch 4:3 without bars. The just mode looks great without making the picture look like a carnival mirror. The setup was easy and took a matter of minutes to put on the stand.
Several picture adjustment options.
Best picture for the price.
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TopStrengths: Realistic image (when properly calibrated), Deep blacks, 2 HDMI ports, Aspect control for HD, Low price compared to Panasonic's only competition: Pionner and Fujitsu
Weakness: no cable card, SD card images do not display full screen, Some have a low buzz
I have been looking for an HDTV for a few years now. I was originally set on DLP's for their sharp look and low cost but kept gravitating to the Plasma's because of their 3D image and great viewing angle. Panasonic made my decision easy when they introduced their 2006 model for $500 less than last year’s model. Although I will admit it’s far from perfect, I believe it is the best picture you can buy for the money.
First a few minor gripes:
No cable card – This would have been nice to have although it is not essential for HD viewing.
SD Slot – New addition this year that fell short in terms of functionality. Images are not displayed full screen when viewing pictures from an SD card. 4:3 image does not reach the top and bottom of the screen.
Buzzing – Not all PX60u noticeably buzz, but I can pick up a buzz from about 5 feet with the volume muted. I only hear the buzz when the volume is very low. Not enough to drive me crazy but enough to point it out in this review.
One coax input – I’m not sure if the majority of plasma’s only come with one coax input but I wish the PX60u had 2 so I could watch HD through QAM cable and pick up additional channels through an OTA antenna. I tried an A-B switch but that didn’t work since I needed to rescan the channels after every switch.
Now for the one good point. . . UNBELIEVABLE PICTURE! Isn't that what you buy a TV for? A GREAT Image? Give this TV a nice HD feed and you will be in awe of the realistic colors, shadows, sharpness and sense of depth it produces. I will literally scan all my HD channels just to watch a great HD picture, even though I could care less what the show is about! (tip) Do not judge the px60u by a floor model in the store. The settings are horrible out of the box. You need to take it out of Vivid and drop the contrast a bit in order to achieve a great image. I would definitely calibrate the TV after 100 hours of break-in (all settings set to “0”).
The upcoming px600u does offer a cable card, PIP, PC connection, and better sound but I felt the bells & whistles were not worth the xtra $500. (tip) You can hook up a computer to the px60u with a DVI-HDMI cable. The picture is exactly the same on both so I decided I would only crack the bank and not break it :) I am extremely happy with my purchase and would recommend this TV to anyone who wants an amazing (no frills) picture at a relatively affordable price.
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TopIs your review suggesting that all video setting should be set to equal 0 for the first 100 hours of use?
Also, when I connect a DVD player to this TV with HDMI cable I got a screen message saying audio was not supported through HDMI cable? IS that right? I thought the purpose of HDMI cable was to have picture AND sound in one cable.
Thanks for the great review.
Yes, keeping all the settings consertive ("0") for the first 100 hours greatly reduces the chances of burn being that is the most vulnerable time. Calibrating the set after 100 hours gave me the following settings: picture +13, brightness +5, color -4, tint -5, sharpness -12, black level "light".
I can't help you with your HDMI problem since I do not have an HDMI dvd player. Sorry!
The tv comes with standard settings, so you are saying move everything to zero in the first 10 hours? Alos,do those settings give you the best picture?
The standard settings out of the box are way too high. All tv manufactures crank up the settings in order to make their TV brighter than the TV beside it in the store room floor. First thing you should do is move your picture setting out of "Vivid" and into "standard" then bring everything down to "0" for the first 100 hours. Then you can use the above settings and tweak to your preference.
As for the settings, I followed the recommendation from PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com.
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th42px60u-review.html
Picture Mode Standard
Picture +22
Brightness +8
Color -1
Tint -4
Sharpness -14
Color Temperature Warm
Enhanced Black Level Off
Hope this helps.
Strengths: Great overall picture, black levels better than DLP, bright colors, strong contrast ratio, a variety of inputs and a price reduction from last year (more bang for the buck!)
Weakness: Lack of PIP and no cable card.
I researched HD TV's over a year ago and bought a 52 inch DLP TV. The TV had many repair problems and finally after nine weeks in the shop the extended warranty replaced the unit. I again researched all HD TV's. This time I paid attention to not only quality of picture but also to repair records and or replacement in case of problems.
My search narrowed to three TV's, the Sony Grand WEGA KDSR50XBR1 50" SXRD Projection TV, the JVC HD56FH96 56" LCOS ProjectionTV and the Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50" Plasma TV. The Sony seems to have problems with green color on the edges of the screen. The reviews were great on this model but this problem is a repair issue that is wide spread. The dealers I spoke with had all replaced sets for this reason. The JVC has a history of more frequent repairs compared to other projection TV's and the lamp life on the JVC is questionable. The Panasonic plasma was a new model that just entered the market this year. It is very similar to last years model that was a consumer best buy and rated very highly. This model is improvement over last years 50 series. This model cost less, has a higher contrast ratio, stand, speakers, more inputs, tuner and a great picture. So far this TV out shines any set I have seen. The HD picture on this plasma is out of this world that includes cable HD and over the air HD broadcasts. Digital signals are very good and analog is acceptable.
I encourage everyone to buy the longest extended warranty on any plasma, lcd, or rear projection TV available. Repair (except the bulb) is difficult at best on any of these TV's. On a plasma, replacement, not repair is more common.
After reading hundreds of reviews, talking to repair technicians, and on site inspections of all types of HD TV's. I would recommend the Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50" Plasma TV highly. Best bang for the buck.
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TopStrengths: Easy set up. Attractive looks. Light weight.
Weakness: Remote and it's instructions are not as complete as they should be. The entire instruction book is lacking information that would be helpful.
Right out of the box, easily put on stand. Connections were easily made through cable box, dvd and Denon receiver.
Picture quality is good, excellent from a distance of 8 feet or more.
The remote is not as user friendly as I would have expected. The instruction book is adequate, yet not as informative as it could be.
I found the vivid to be way to intense and standard works out well with some minor adjustments in the picture mode.
It is easy to adjust and readjust as you wish.
Overall - very happy with the product for the price.
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TopStrengths: true hd resolution,natural color,amazing contrast ratio,bright,sharp,
Weakness: price,can`t support 1080p
WOW pictures are excellent specialy in 720p mode &
superior detail in dark scene.
realy beautiful panel even befor you switch it on!!
Low Power Consumption - No fans necessary. Very quiet operation.
Most realistic color reproduction in the market.
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TopOther reviewers and the specifications shown at the Panasonic website say that the 60u supports 1080, provided that the source provides 1080. Why do you say it does not?
probably that the resolution is not 1080 native.
Like most plasmas, this unit consumes a lot of power.
According to the specs, 515 watts!
That's 0.515 Kilowatt-Hours for each hour it is on.
Or, 1.03 Kilowatt-Hours every 2 hours running.
I've owned mine since Jan 2007 and noticed the difference
in my electric bill.
But, I must say the beautiful sharp colorful picture is worth it.
TestSeek.com has collected 20 expert reviews for Panasonic TH-50PX60U and the average expert rating is 86 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use TestSeek.com to find all ratings, product awards and conclusions.
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Display is Average according to 3 Flat Panel TV experts. -- "Deep blacks provide excellent shadow detail during dark scenes, while brilliant whites render bright scenes with vivid realism."-reviews.digitaltrends.com -- "The 16:9 screen is perfect for wide-format DVD movies and HDTV."-products.howstuffworks.com -- "The native resolution is 1,366X768, and all images are displayed at...
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Panasonic Th-50px60u receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.25 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #75 plasma flat panel TV of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...
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A piece of crap
Strengths: a good picture
Weakness: the hdmi ports are for crap, if you use them it will brake your tv.
I have had this tv for 5 months and only been able to use it for 3 of the five, the other two waiting on Panasonic to fox it. It had been fixed once and then after only two hours of operation broke again. This tv is a piece of crap better off getting anything other than a Panasonic ANYTHING.....
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