Comments on: TH-50PZ77U: should it stay or should it go?

By: Ergozoom

Ergozoom — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:22:16 +0000

Wow way off on the 480Hz speculation. 480Hz refers to the subfield drive most plasmas employ. Like the new panys, they run 60fps with 8 subfields per frame (60×8=480Hz). You can’t look at it loke LCD because it’s totally different. That’s why their response time is 4time faster than an LCD (lcd=4ms / plamsa=1ms)

On their 800 and 850 series panels it’s the same eccept when in 24fps play back mode when the Tv runs 48fps and 10 subfiels at 480Hz.

By: Jones Johnson

Jones Johnson — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:36 +0000

I guess it all depends on how much you think you’ll need those extra features.

24p – I don’t have this in my 1080p set, but I sure wish I did. Do I notice the 2-3 pulldown that occurs with my set? Not really. But if I look real hard at certain panning shots, then yes. Not a huge deal though, and I’ve learned to live with it. Can you?

Deep color/x.v. color – Really? Do we need these? Yes, those new sets are capable. Yes, Blu-ray players are capable. But do we have any material that’s encoded in Deep color or x.v. color? Last time I checked, which admittedly was a few months ago, there aren’t any.

480 Hz Sub-field Drive – I have no idea what this is, but I’m going to assume that it has to do with 480i/p material. With the advancements in the high-def world, is it really necessary to worry about SD anything???

HDMI inputs – 3 vs 2. A pretty big deal unless you have a very capable A/V receiver with plenty of HDMI inputs.

Contrast ratio – After seeing pictures of Pioneer’s KURO concept, I was blown away. And if there is a huge contrast ratio difference in real world testing, then I say this is a big deal. Even though plasma’s are famous for their inky blacks, improving upon that would make a better overall viewing experience.

To be succinct, I have no idea what you should do. Sorry.

By: David

David — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:06:53 +0000

I say keep the current set. The difference is probably going to be negligible, and you got a great deal on an awesome TV. Enjoy it, and rest easy in the knowledge that you would have had the “new one came out” problem eventually, whether in 3 days or in 30.

By: Jonas

Jonas — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:02:00 +0000

It’s not a good feeling to have something “outdated” arrive but just because something with better specs comes out, costing hundreds of dollars more, it doesn’t mean you need to trade up. For an $800 difference, I’d keep the first TV, although I’d want to see one of the newer sets in person to be sure.

Also, keep in mind that manufacturer specs are often exaggerated so those contrast numbers may not be real. Could the contrast really improve by a factor of three in one generation of TV set?

By: Dave Zatz

Dave Zatz — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:18:40 +0000

On paper (err, web) the contrast ratio is better… but that’s not the whole story. Who knows if the overall picture will be better or worse until someone looks at it? I say enjoy what you have and in 18 months make it the bedroom TV and get whatever the greatest is then. By the way, what’s up with Pioneer possibly giving up on plasmas??

By: Avi Greengart

Avi Greengart — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:57:50 +0000

I went to the Panasonic CES press conference with this exact scenario in mind — I had just purchased the 720p version of your set along with Panasonic’s PT-AE2000U (1080p) front projector (http://hometheaterview.typepad.com/hometheaterview/2007/12/ces-2008-do-i-r.html).

Bottom line: if you can swap them out for the same price, or if you really need the front HDMI input, go for it. Otherwise, keep what you have. I suspect you were looking for a good panel at a good price, not higher specs (if you were willing to pay more for better absolute black level, you should have bought Pioneer’s Kuro, which is still the one to beat). If it makes you feel any better, tell yourself that the reason you got such a good deal was becasue the new models were about to come out.

-avi

By: George Seto

George Seto — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:04:34 +0000

I just stopped by the Best Buy on Geary in San Francisco and they didn’t have an 80U or 85U for viewing. However, I do see the online availability on their website. Also, I just received a Best Buy Reward Zone coupon in the mail for 12% off any single item, which should include the 85U. It’s good between 3/7 and 3/10. I’m assuming you’re a member, so look for that in the mail.

By: George Seto

George Seto — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:25:51 +0000

I was just thinking about what tivoboy said about the HDMI inputs. That in itself would be the deal maker or breaker for me. If you need all three HDMI ports – HD cable/dish, Blu-ray player, and upscaling DVD player – and don’t care how funny looking it is to have a cable sticking out of the side of your set, then you should probably go with the 85U or 80U. But, on the other hand, a good receiver can remedy a lack HDMI ports.