Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic TH-50PZ850U 50-inch Viera 1080p Plasma HDTV

This is my first HDTV. It is a huge upgrade over my 15 year old 27" Philips TV. So saying the picture is amazing really isn't saying much; I think I would say the same thing about almost any high end HDTV I bought. The TV looks awesome even when shut off. I do have it in a room with lots of windows, but I see no problems with glare. When the TV is off during the day, I can see reflections on the screen. Once I turn the TV on, however, I can only see those reflections if I really stare hard beyond the actual picture. When I just focus on watching the picture on the TV, I don't see any reflections.

I also considered a Sony XBR LCD TV, but the pictures on LCDs always look "cartoonish" to me. They just don't pop out like they do on a Plasma. Panasonic and Pioneer always get excellent reviews from CNet and Consumer Reports so I knew those were the brands I would look at. The price to value upgrade for the Pioneer just wasn't there for me so I went with the Panasonic. I debated between the 800U and the 850U. Ultimately I went with the 850U mainly because of the internet connection. I only paid a couple of hundred dollars more for the 850U. I know the internet content on the TV is limited now, but I'm sure this content will really open up in the future. Plus it is nice to get firmware updates over the internet. It's the same reason why I plan on getting the Yamaha RXV-3900 instead of the 1900 when I buy a new receiver.

All in all this is a great TV and I love it.

Excellent price/delivery from Vanns/Yellow freight. Great TV, games and movies via PS3 amazing, sound is so good that I won't be buying a theater system anytime soon. Standard TV is ok too, better then I expected eventhough I'm less then 8ft away. Glare is somewhat of an issue during the day and night viewing with lights on, but it's ok and I will get used to it. Viera cast is easy to setup and have been using it to check the weather and look at u-tube videos. All in all perfect so far.

I also want to comment on Vanns excellent customer service. I placed the order on 09/02/08 and it was delivered on the 8th. During that time Vanns dropped the price a couple of times, a quick email to them and they promptly credited my amazon CC. I thought that was pretty classy.

Folks, this is a great TV. By spending few hundred dollars more, you will get the best from Panasonic. Here is why I would recommend you to buy it:

1) Great sound. It has 4 speakers and a subwoofer which makes it a unique set as compared to other panasonic plasma TVs except for TH-PZ800U which I believe also has same number of speakers. With this TV you wont need an external surround sound system.
2) Viera Cast Feature- I just love the new web interface introduced in this particular model.

a)Download all your digital pictures at Picasa Web Album and watch it on big screen TV with a sweet background score as you watch the slide show. Share your pictures with your guests at home on big screen.
B) Watch U tube videos on big screen. Its so much fun.
c) Watch Bloomberg updates on your TV.
d) Panasonic is currently working to add more.

3) AVCHD compatible for 1080p video camcorders
4) Picture quality is extremely good with Native contrast ratio 30,000:1 and Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 1,000,000:1 this is the highest contrast ratio available in the current market on a plasma TV.

If you can afford to pay few hundred dollars more, you get the best technology out there from Panasonic.

I spent a bunch of time researching, reading reviews, visiting local electronic stores to compare picture quality for myself. Bottom line, getting this Panasonic Plasma through Amazon has been a smooth experience. The picture quality is great. To my eye, only the Pioneer Kuro was "slightly" better but at twice the price, not worth it in terms of value. I also purchased a Panasonic BD55 Blu-ray player at the same time. The link feature which allows the same manufacturer device to be automatically recognized and operated by the same remote works great. I find the remote from the Blu Ray a better option to control both. I do have this in a room with alot of natural light. Depending upon where you are sitting, you will have some reflection from background light. I do not find it a significant issue because I had the same issue with the prior TV. This plasma's color and picture brightness blows the previous TV away and therefore the background reflections are actually less noticeable. I must have picked this TV up at the "right time" because the price went up $30 a few days after I bought it and has not come back down. yes, I know this model has been updated but I did not want to wait until May or June to get the latest and greatest.

Like most of my electronics purchases, I researched this for over a month. Waited for price to settle and got a great deal with Amazon. I already own 40" and 46" Samsung 7 series 1080p LCDs, Sharp Aquos 1080p 32"LCD and Toshiba 1080p 32" LCD. This TV is exceptional for watching movies in particular. The color reproduction is unrivaled. The picture is a bit softer than the LCDs. The LCDs have sharper contrast, but almost too stark and colors not as natural. Paid extra for the Sammy anti-motion blur 100 mHz feature. Works ok sometimes. But nice thing about the Panasonic is no motion blur b/c smooth high speed images inherent in plasma technology. Front drop down access panel for power, vol, ch controls and inputs for RCA, SD card, and HDMI convenient feature. No fumbling around the dark back of the set to plug in dig camera, SD card, Sony PS, etc. Hooked up to ethernet and able to surf the web and display images and video from PC-a real kick to see Windows desktop on 50" screen. Movies on studio reference setting like being in the theater. Only other TV considered was Pioneer Kuro. Head-to-head similar reviews. Panny half the price. A no brainer. We never go to the movies anymore! Buy it you won't regret it!