Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic TH-58PX60U 58-Inch Plasma HDTV

This is phenomenal tv. I searched for quite some time, looking also at the Pioneer and Samusung models which are in the 60 to 63 inch range. I found this one to be the clearest, crispest, sharpest, and brightest picture. I went to Circuit City to see it in person, as I hate buying a product site unseen.

I am using a Comcast HDTV cable box with the DVR functionality. The HDTV channels look absolutely amazing, even when standing 1 foot from the set. UNBELIEVABLE. The normal (non-HD channels) also look very good. I noticed that normal channels also appear clearer and crisper than they did on other tv's. Not sure why that is exactly.

I mounted the tv to the wall, using the Omnimount tiltable wall mount system. As long as you hit studs for all 4 lag bolts, it will hold just fine. I was a bit nervous about mounting 115 pounds on the wall but its held just fine.

I am not a believer in over priced Monster cables. HDMI outputs are a digital signal--either it gets through or doesn't. It's not a sliding scale or progressive like an analog signal. I used the Philips HDMI cables from Walmart for $20. The picture is absolutely crisp from the cable box and from the dvd. It looks as good as the display model did in Circuit City, so I can't see the point of paying $140 for monster cables.

Whatever cable you choose, however, it will look good on this tv! You can't go wrong with this model!!

Josh
josh@mrbond.com

I researched dozens of tv's over the last few weeks and it is very difficult to determine in a store and online which tv has the best picture. Although money was a consideration my primary interest was screen size and quality of the picture. I primarily watch sports such as football, basketball and golf however we do like to watch our shows such as Lost, Heroes, etc... You know... the good ones that are in HD...

Anyways, I was seriously looking at the 61" Samsung DLP and the Mitsubishi 57" DLP because you get more screen size for the buck and they are 1080P. My thought was that 1080P is the future and so I want to future proof my setup. Unfortunately 1080P plasma's were way to out of reach for my budget. I wasn't considering plasma's at first because I wasn't about to buy a 1080i/720p model however, I came across this model TH-58PX60U at Costco for $2300.00.

How I made my decision was based on the refresh rates of action sports which I've concluded that Plasma is the only way to go...In stores, the DLP's seem pixelated and the screen couldn't keep up with the motion. I think if electronic stores want to sell more DLP tv's...they need to enhance their signal.

I did buy an HDMI cable (rocketfish 4' for $65) for my Verizon FiOS HD DVR and hooked it up and I could tell a slight difference in quality vs. the component video feed. Now that I have it setup the picture is amazing. Here is what I tested:

I tested late night drama's and the picture is super clear. I did get some football clips on ESPN sportcenter and the picture and clarity was exactly what I was hoping for. I started watching non HD broadcast and the picture is good...I was watching the Golf Channel and even though it is not broadcast in HD, the picture is very good. I am excited to see what it looks like on HD over the weekend.

The price to value ratio for this particular tv is awesome! I am a little concerned still that I didn't buy the 1080P but it is way to expensive to keep up with technology. 2 Years ago this TV was over 5K and now it is less than half that. In the stores, I couldn't tell the difference between 1080P and 1080i/720P and although I am taking somewhat of a risk by going with the 1080i/720p I should be good to go for the next 5-7 years before I buy again. Besides, broadcast TV is only 1080i/720p and since that is what I predominately watch a 1080P TV isn't going to do me much good. Of course Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are out however, now that I blew my wad on this TV...it's going to be a while before I can get one of those...not too mention that they are going to have to come down in price to about $200-250 before I would consider them. I did test my DVD player and it was ok...We watched 'Cars' and there were absolutely no artifacts from the speed of the picture. It was clear and overall, I'm very happy.

58" Plasma for less than 2500 bucks...Wow! you can not go wrong...especially from Panasonic and their quality products that they put out...I would recommend this set to anyone.

Another reason to buy from Costco is they extend the manufacturer's warranty by an additional year so you get 2 years for the price of one. And if you pick it up...not that heavy and the box is easy to manuveur because someone got smart and put handles in the box although you will need a truck...

Anyways, hope this helps!

I've had this panel for a little over 2 months now and am still amazed at the quality of the picture. I was upgrading from a traditional style (big box) rear projection HDTV and was definitely concernced that the picture would be better, but not enough so to justify the $3500 I paid. I must say this is one of the best investments I've made in entertainment value. I don't get to watch very much TV, but when I do have a few minutes to enjoy a show, sports game, or movie - I want to really enjoy it e.g. great visual and audio experience. Part of the reason I don't watch much TV (aside from my 3 kids, busy job, and numerous other interests) is that the picture has always been dull, dark, without much life when compared to actually being outside and doing things. A few years back I spent over $3800 on a new "top of the line" HDTV thinking it would be a whole new experience. It was not. The picture was certainly better, but it was still very one dimensional. The color reproduction, contrast, and brightness wasn't lifelike and I was easily bored with what I was watching. After looking at numerous Plasma TV's in electronics stores over the past several months I decided to give one a chance in my own home to see if the in store WOW factor translated to a real world experience in my own home. For the first time ever watching TV, the experience is as close to actually being there as I've ever had. The clarity, brightness, and vivid colors combine to create an almost 3 dimensional clarity. I have mine mounted on the wall which really ads to the experience, like you're watching what's happening through a window. It's a rare occasion when a piece of technology actually delivers on its promise. This is one of those occasions. I strongly recommend going and checking this panel out at your local store. Sit in front of it for 10-15 minutes and you'll notice things you've never seen before while watching TV. Good luck in your search for the right TV for you. This was definitely the one for me!

For me 50" is a big TV and looks impressive, but at 58 its no more a TV its a mini Movie screen. Those last 8 inches makes a real difference.

First I decided the reason I want a new TV is not to have a TV but have that movie feeling at home. So ruled out all below 50" sets. 50" looked like a Tv where as 58 gave that movie touch.

100% of the available onair/cable channels and 99% of DVD's are not full HD there is no point spending $2K to $3K more for a 1080p set so 1080i / 720p is more than sufficient for next 5 years.

60" projection TV's looked nice then I was told that I will be spending atleast $1000 on bulgs to match the same life span of Plasma. Plasma's are durable. For commercial puposes every one goes with Plasma. The real drawback is Plasma consumes 3 times more power than LCD but 60" LCD is about $8K++. And Good 60" lcd projection TV's and this TV are in the same price range (give or take couple of hundred bucks). I think under $3.5K this is the best buy.

Now for the real review. I dont have HD transmission on Dish Network. Regular channels looked better than on any normal Tube TV. So I can attest that for regular channels this TV looks excellent. DVD picture is also very very good. I haven't tried HD yet but will keep you posted as I get a HD antenna.

One -ve I can fishout with difficulty is that the sound is less than stellar (Still way way bettern than my previous TubeTV) but on the other hand why spend $600 more for 600U while you can use that money on a home theator.

I had a defective sector show up on the screen within the first 30 days. I called Panasonic and they promptly had a repair service come out the next day to replace a board (San Francisco Region). The picture is excellent with 702p and 1080i HDTV and delivers a good clear image under digital standard definition. I would buy one again.