Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic TH-50PZ80B - 50" Widescreen Viera 1080P Full HD Plasma TV - With Freeview

I bought this to upgrade from a four year old 42" LG Plasma. I wondered whether the screen size might have been a little large for my lounge but if anything I was surprised how little difference there was as much of the increase is represented in height rather than width. The TV actually takes up the same space as the LG did due to the speakers being hidden underneath rather than being positioned at the sides, which is really useful if you have space issues and don't want to hang the TV on the wall. Another advantage is that the picture is less stretched, more natural, and people don't look like American football linebackers all the time ! The full HD picture with an appropriate HD source is excellent. The sound is OK (but nothing more) so a home cinema set up is probably in order for sound buffs.

One gripe with the supplier was they tried to get me to pay an extra £20.00 for delivery citing problems with their current shippers. I declined telling them that if the TV arrived damaged then that was their problem not mine and to send it at the price quoted by Amazon (£41.00 plus),so Buyers beware !

In summary, a quality Plasma TV at a very reasonable price (albeit the price has risen twice in two weeks on Amazon !)

Brilliant TV.Obviously best when used on full HD but BBC HD chanel looks good even though its not full HD. PS3 games and Blu Ray are stunning,with decent sound. I had a 42" High end Hitachi before this and before HD came out. With the larger TV it can sometimes show up issues with older programes or programes with poor qaulity.ie , it may pixilate. This is the only minor issue and doesn't affect normal use.

I have deliberately left writing this review for six months to allow the screen to 'bed in' as recommended by those in the know.

First, as with all plasma TV's it is most important that you turn down the contrast level to a maximum fifty percent for at least the first 100 hours use. This will greatly reduce the risk of 'screen burn'. As usual I found that mine had been shipped out of the factory with the contrast set at 100%! This seems to be standard practice by most of the manufacturers as it gives an amazingly bright picture straight out of the box which helps to make their model stand out from all of the other ones on display in the shop. But it is a false practice and risks problems further down the line. So, the very first job on switching on for the first time is to set all the levels at 50%. It won't give you the amazing picture you may be instantly anticipating but it will certainly pay dividends later on.

The first problem/disappointment was that although there were three HDMI sockets (as described in the blurb) which is the minimum I need, it hadn't told me that one is on the front of the set for easy connection of a HD cam-corder. I appreciate that this TV was last years model when I bought it, hence the 50% price reduction, and that four HDMI's is now the norm, but it's a pain having a thick HDMI cable permanently situated at the front of the set. Aesthetically anyway. In five years time we will probably have 10 HDMI's, including a couple at the front.

Initial set-up was a doddle. Just a case of making the proper connections, turning it on and following the on-screen instructions. Far, far easier than TV's of old. Once I had properly adjusted the settings, in this case by using the picture set-up guide on the "WALL-E" Blu-Ray DVD, the picture was really good on HD input. I then did the same with my Sky HD+ box settings, which just left SD. By now the picture was very good and was what I had anticipated from a Panasonic after having researched for months.

Jumping forward a bit, once the hundred hours 'bedding-in' time had elapsed, I went through all the settings again and found that very little needed altering. Contrast is now set at @70% which, although leaves dark scenes a little too undefined in bright daylight, is about the best general setting for me. Brightness has remained at 50% which is amazing for a screen this large.

In fact that's probably my biggest criticism really. Sighting of the screen seems to be quite critical. It is imperative that you avoid placing it in a direct light source. If it is very sunny you will really struggle with dark scenes, i.e., Batman, Dark Knight. I can only locate mine in one place, which isn't perfect and I find myself watching films at night to get maximum enjoyment. This isn't a specific fault with this TV, all will be affected, but the size of the screen doesn't help. Another thing, please, please be aware that unless you view a 50 inch screen from a minimum of ten feet away you will see a distorted picture and will have wasted your money. So please make sure that your room is big enough to take a screen this size. There is tons of info on the internet which will help with your buying decision and set-up.

I don't really watch SD signals -don't see the point of lashing out on A 50 inch HD TV to do that- but the picture is pretty good. Though any imperfections are further highlighted by the size of the screen.

The standard speakers are adequate but I would highly recommend using a surround sound system. It's the only way of getting the most out of the viewing experience. Once you have tried it you will never go back, believe me.

So in conclusion, Panasonic Viera HD TV's have a strong and well earned reputation which my buying experience confirms. The build quality is excellent, as is the picture quality, once properly 'bedded-in' and adjusted, and the standard speakers are good enough if you really can't have surround sound. It is very easy to set-up and use and I would recommend it as a good buy. Just remember that if you wait until the end of the model year you should be able to buy the previous years model for 50% of it's previous selling price. Happy hunting.
PK

Panasonic TH-50PZ80B - 50" Widescreen Viera 1080P Full HD Plasma TV - With Freeview

Bought this product a few weeks ago and I'm absolutely delighted with it. I already have a 42" HD ready Sony LCD tv which was bought around 2 years ago and despite the fact the Panasonic has a much larger screen the picture quality is superior. Great picture on SD and HD, although on SD it does depend on how high a quality the source is as some programmes appear grainy. This would occur on any 50" though. I would highly recommend this product if you're looking for top end picture quality without having to pay top end prices.

Buying a tv is always a worry and the more reviews you read the more you get confused, till you reach a point where you just jump in and buy one. Doing that with this set will leave you feeling as pleased as punch.

The set performs well with all inputs and obviously is stunning when displaying blu ray and HD pictures. Its Freeview pictures are really good too which was something I was bothered about, especially with the size of this set possibly magnifying any faults in the picture.

We have had a non HD plasma Panasonic tv for about 4 years now and it has never had any problems. We also have a Panasonic lcd tv and that too has not had any problems so as a brand I felt that the Panasonic one was one I could trust for reliability which is another important consideration.

It is quite simply a stunning tv and you will not be disappointed with it.