Panasonic TH-50PX60U (1 Viewer)

[ChrisClearman]

Buy the 42" panny, don't look back.

 

[Barry.Evans]

Would Bluray content make a difference over upscaled SD DVD on these Panny sets since they don't support 1080p? The 42" & 50" are on our short list and we're curious.

My understanding of the PS3 is that it down samples to 480p if the connected TV doesn't support 1080p. Is that too basic an understanding of it here?

 

[MikeUp]

AAARRGHH! This TV decision (or lack thereof) is making me feel like Hamlet. Now I'm starting to get concerned about the reliability and service costs of plasma.

Can anyone point me to some readily available, and up to date, information on service rates for plasmas? The CR report I found online is old. I've heard anecdotes from people who work in TV repair who say they see lots of plasmas. I've chalked this up to early generation plasmas showing their bugginess as they age a bit, but for this kind of money and with my strong mistrust of extended warranties, I don't want to be wrong.

 

[Paul_Dunlop]

This model supports 1080p - Below is from the Panasonic site

9th Generation HD Panel
1080p Digital Processing

 

[Paul_Dunlop]

Panasonic quote 60,000 hrs on their bulb life - your TV will be gone before the bulb wears out

Long Service Life – 60,000 Hours*
By making the panel glass thinner, we were able to increase the light transmission to create a brighter picture with less power. We’re also proud to have achieved a VIERA lifetime of about 60,000 hours, at 6 hours per day that equates to more than 27 years!

 

[ChrisClearman]

buy the plasma, you will be happy.

paralysis by analysis is not a good thing...but we've all gone through it.

 

[MikeUp]

I need to just pull the trigger and quit worrying so much. Everything I've read about this particular TV has been stellar.

Coincidentally, my boss just told me we'll be getting our bonuses today. So I should be able to add my glowing review to the hundreds of others in the near future...

 

[MikeUp]

Can you tell me where you found that on their site? I looked at the tech specs for this model and it just says 1080i, despite listing a 9th generation HD panel as the panel type.

If this TV does 1080p, it's news to me and great news at that! It's inability to adapt to next-gen DVD (which may or may not matter to me in the long run) was its only disadvantage so far.

 

[ChrisClearman]

I'm 99% sure it only accepts up to 1080, and displays in it's native, which is basically 720p.

 

[MikeUp]

1080i yes, but not 1080p. Am I misunderstanding hi-def DVD? I thought all hi-def movies on DVD so far were in 1080p and otherwise were downscaled to 720p on sets that don't support 1080p. So many numbers, so many letters...

 

[Paul_Dunlop]

Hi
I got the info from www.panasonic.ca

Site seems to be down right now, but go to Plasma and look at the specs

I pulled the trigger on this last friday - delivery TOMORROW!

http://www.panasonic.ca/english/audi..._50_58px60.asp

 

[MikeUp]

Interesting. I'd say either the Canadian site has a typo or the US site is badly in need of an update! (Not that I think 1080i vs 1080p is such a big deal.)

 

[corona13]

tv set up.

HD and DVD looks GREAT! SD TV is ok at best. maybe calibration will improve.

anyways, great purchase.

well, HDMI issue, not sure if I need to tell the Panny to only use HDMI for video?

I have no HDMI swithing ablility, so I ran HDMI from SA 8300 and Philips DVD for video, and optical from SA 8300 into receiver and digitial co-ax from DVD to receiver. When HDMI 1 or 2 is the input on the TV, no DD sound comes through, still get sound, but not DD.

As soon as I change video inputs on the TV, to something other than HDMI, sound comes through the receiver perfect. Obviously, this is no good becasue I cant see what I'm hearing!

example: TV set to HDMI 1, receiver set to Video 1. I get sound, but not DD. Change TV to Video 3 (my receivers set up menu, fed with composite video), I see my receivers set up menu, but can hear the TVs aduio in perfect DD sound. Same deal with DVD player.

Do I need to tell the Panny to stop looking for HDMI audio so my sources can send the aduio to the receiver?

 

[MikeUp]

Oy vey. All these potential HDMI headaches are already making me furrow my brow. But it's a small price to pay for what I'm going to get from the TH-42PX60U and an Oppo 970HD. Hopefully...


And any tweaking recommendations for improving SD television on this Panny would be greatly appreciated. I'm not planning on getting it ISF'd until after the 100-hour break-in, so until then I'll be on my own for immediate-need calibrations and will be watching mostly SD cable programming.

 

[corona13]

mikeup, i'm not saying the HDMI issue is with the panny,but it seems to be based on whats happnening......could be with the SA 83000 HD HVR Explorer and my DVD player.


anyone out there have any thouhgts?

 

[Paul_Dunlop]

See post #6 on the first page

 

[MikeUp]

Thanks, Paul.

 

[corona13]

thought of an idea. I wonder if I turn off the Panny speakers if the sound will work?

If the TV is casuing this while mess, it is obvisouly confused as to what to do with the the audio signal that is coming in from the cable box and the DVD player. It must only be able to play it through the TVs speakers, or output it to a receiver, not both at the same time. (not that you would want that, but why put on the recevier just so the kids can watch Handy Manny?)

what do you guys think?...make sense?

maybe i'll call my wife and have her try it really quick....yeah right!...HDM what?