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

I have had the Panasonic TH-50PZ850U for about 6 months. I spent about $2100 with extended warranty. So far, I have been impressed. The resolution was top notch. I used "Finding Nemo" to test the colors. On the vivid setting it was fantastic... Probably a bit exaggerated. The Studio ref mode offers more accurate colors. The THX settings on the 800U may be more accurate, but I would love to have a little bit of oomph to the colors even if it is not accurate. Don't we all like "exaggerated fake ones"!
Clearly this TV is a winner. It comes close to the blacks in a pioneer and the THX accuracy of the 800U. It matches the Brilliant colors of a Samsung or probably even better. It has improved energy savings, better anti glare screen, wider viewing angle, and a web interface via viera cast. I am going to set up the viera cast soon. I cannot find another TV that packs more.
The speakers are great. I moved to a smaller home and had to keep the surround speakers in storage, but I don't feel the need for them.
It is easy to assemble and set up. You won't need a professional. I bought an upconverting DVD player to watch all my old DVDs and the difference is obvious. I am yet to watch Blu-ray movies. I am waiting for a good blu ray player that can also play movies stored on an external hard drive through a USB connection.
Like others have mentioned, the only bug - if a player is connected through a HDMI port it will switch out another that is connected via component cables.

We spent quite a bit of time doing our research on the 50-inch Plasmas. I looked at almost every brand (Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc) The performance and quality of the Pioneer Elites was hard to deny...but the price dictated our decision. Many reviewers (Cnet, independents, etc.) all had a hard time justifying the money as well and recommended this unit. We had a TH-50PZ800U that we lost due to a lightning strike. And when I went out to replace that unit, the 800U and 850U were the same price on Amazon. So it was a no-brainer....

The image quality is the same as the 800U, however the sound is so much better (we do not have any surround system, so this was a plus). The upgraded remote is a plus as well (lighted and runs our DirecTV DVR flawlessly). We currently have HD DirecTV DVR, Sony BD-S550 Blu-Ray, and a Nintendo Wii system hooked up to this TV. No doubt the Blu-Ray player really makes this unit dance and shine! And, the added Viera-cast features are nice also.

There is only one feature of this TV that annoys me and that is when it senses a signal come in on an HDMI port, the TV selects that port as the active input (ie: turn on the Blu-Ray player and it switches to that input). But, given the performance of this TV...we can live with it!

Got this a couple days ago and have been loving it. The internet connection isn't the best only YouTube and some picture site was hoping for NetFlix to be on it but it's not. Oh well still big and looks nice.

We searched long and hard before this purchase. I spent several months comparing Samsung, Sony and Panasonic HDTVs and deciding between a plasma or LCD. One feature that truly sold me on this television was the built in surround sound with sub-wof built in. The picture is stunning, there is no glare that is noticeable and it is located in a room that had a tremendous amount of natural light. I would highly recommend this product. The price was great and the delivery service was excellent.

I love this TV. The color is vibrant and accurate. The remote is easy to operate with user friendly menus. HD programming brings the action right into your home! The technical support from Panasonic over the phone was also very helpful. The only negative I have had with the TV is that blinds in windows do need to be closed for best performance, otherwise there is quite a bit of light reflection off of the screen. Overall the experience of purchasing this set through Amazon has been a great one.