Panasonic TH-50PX77U 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
See it at Amazon.com for $1,499.00Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (5 out of 5)Panasonic TH50 77U plasma
Recently bought the Panasonic 50 inch 77U at Costco. Awesome quality, easy to operate and unbelieable picture. Currently have it hooked up to my DirecTV HD-DVR, and the HD channels are awesome, but the standard DTV channels also look very good for a flat screen. Standard was a huge concern, as the children watch kids channels that are in standard only. Paid a visit to CC and the salesman placed a Sammy 4661 LCD and this unit on a standard DTV channel; sold on plasma hands down. Then you add the improvements that Plasma has accomplished lately, coupled with Panny's reputation and it was an easy decision. Yes, LCD may be the latest craze, but talk to the LCD owners re: their viewing experience outside of HD-DVD and HD channels, and you'll find some are quite unhappy. Nice to have a balanced product, which at this time, I can find NO NEGATIVES to report.
(5 out of 5)Great set at a steadily dropping price.
I've had this set for about 2 months now and couldn't be happier. I initially was going to go with a Pioneer model but the price and mainly the anti-glare feature is what swayed me. This model dropped over $500 in the last 3 months. Gotta love that price protection from certain retailers :D
My main concern was the glaring issue many plasma tv's have. Being that i live in a chalet with a wall of glass I really needed something just like this since curtains just don't look right on my house. If you can control your lighting I certainly recommend the px75u,same thing without the anti-glare and will save you $100+. But as for me, I couldn't be happier with the anti-glare. I see absolutely NO reflections on my tv. And when I shut it off and stand right in front of it, you only see a muffled outline-hardly noticeable.
The picture itself is great even on SD channels, although your source will play a big part. Whats great though is this set has a few built in features that can help with a less than perfect feed. The scaling is fantastic as even standard 4:3 programming stretched across the screen is very watchable. Some stations look as good as on my Sony CRT, while there are a few that are just a tad fuzzy. Same goes with HD channels-DiscoveryHD looks absolutely amazing-while other HD channels not so much. You can definitely tell the difference between programs shot in HD and programs converted to hd thats for sure! otherwise, I have my set top box to output only 720p and 1080i so even SD gets unconverted and looks great. Im actually switching to satellite this Sun. just to get more HD channels lol.
As for sound-I have no complaints. I read in other reviews of some people hearing a clicking noise but I haven't heard anything except for the initial power on and off click. I even intentionally listened for it just to see if I experienced it but to no avail-no clicking noises! I have a large 32x24 living room and the sound fills it all. Admittedly, im buying a 5.1 surround sound system in the very near future but for now the tv's speakers are fine. I just want that full theater effect and be surrounded by sound :D
The included stand went in my basement as I opted to hang it on a wall and it looks great, on and off. The only thing I noticed is the side speakers have little dimples. Only noticeable on an angle. i read its normal but it still looks a little ooogly if you ask me. No big deal though. Oh, and it lacks a pc input,ie, vga. Im not hooking up my computer and using this for a monitor but for those that are keep that in mind. All in all im happy with my purchase and glad to see all plasmas/lcds finally coming down to reasonable prices. Soon i'll be able to put a 103" plasma in my bathroom at these prices! ;p
(5 out of 5)so far, so good
I've had this unit for 3 weeks now. So far I am very pleased with it.
First, it is very attractive. The piano-like finish suits it nicely and the unit itself isn't overly heavy and is very thin.
As for performance, it provides a very nice picture, is easy to view from angles, and the manual is straightforward to read. The remote is fine too. The anti-glare screen works well, as we have a fairly bright room and have noticed no problems with glare off of the tv. If anything, you can get some glare off of the bezel finish.
I was aware, from AVS forums, that clicking noises have been an issue for some with this unit. I did hear such noises often enough with mine that I decided to call Panasonic and alert them to it. They contacted their local tech. people and sent them out within a week. The techies installed a felt kit that apparently keeps the innards from expanding against one another, which creates the clicking noises. So far I haven't heard anymore clicks. The tech guy says the felt kit costs about a dollar. He also said Panasonic really tries hard to make their customers happy, and he proceeded to tell me about some examples from his own experience.
Overall, I'm happy with the purchase and usually I've found that you can rely on Panasonic to produce a strong product.
Also, I ended up ordering a Panasonic upconverting DVD player to go with the plasma. I hooked it up today and watched parts of Braveheart on it. Wow!! What a difference!! I also had ordered HDMI cables ("Cables to Go" from Amazon; about $13)to use with the DVD player and I noticed so much more detail from the movie than I ever had before.
(5 out of 5)Fantastic product
Love it! Fantastic picture--especially with the shows broadcast in HD!
I was already familiar with the previous year's model of the Panasonic 50" Plasma, since a couple of my friends had bought one. Even though that last year's model is cheaper, I was willing to pay a couple hundred dollars or so more for the anti-glare (I have a very bright sun-filled room) and the aesthetics of the black instead of the silver frame.
I had researched this pretty heavily online (LCD vs. Plasma, manufacturers, the different Panasonic models, etc.). I also researched the whole buying online thing--especially since this is a major $$$ purchase. Panasonic offers a Concierge service as part of the warranty. For the first year, they will send someone to your home to repair or replace anything defective with the unit. I did not see that offered by the other manufacturers, although they might offer it. The idea of not having to lug a 90 lb. screen somewhere for who knows how long if I needed repairs was very appealing to me.
I am very pleased with the plasma screen, and the functionalities I use. I have HD-DVR service, and a small home theatre system, and now that I have all the pieces together, I'm in media heaven!
Also, I had seen what kind of damage the wall mount does to drywall, when I helped someone else mount theirs (renters beware!). After seeing the height they ended up putting the TV, I decided a piece of furniture was a better option. I sprang for a really nice cherry big screen entertainment center, and the black plasma screen on its stand embedded in the furniture looks smashing--whether the picture is on or off! It really makes my Great Room.
(1 out of 5)Worst television I've ever owned
I bought this television at Best Buy exactly 6 weeks ago and today, exactly 6 weeks to the day, it completely stopped working. I paid $1800. for it and Best Buy will not accept an exchange or return, no matter what. The home theater manager told me that they do not relax their return policies no matter what. He also told me that there is a power supply problem with these televisions, so beware when buying one, that it may not last very long due to this issue. Make sure to buy it somewhere else, and to get a warranty on it because apparently they are made not to last.