Customer Reviews

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The value you get for the price of this tv is second to none. I just recently put this tv in my house replacing an old rear projection tv and i am amazed at its color accuracy. I did find my self making a few tweeks from the factory settings but once you get it to where you like the picture you'll fall in love. Sports and movies shine on this set. I preferred the plasma over the lcd because the movement on the tv was much more natural than the 120hz lcd displays. I sell T.V.s at sears and after being around both for a while I find the plasma image much easier and natural to look at. I chose Panasonic because they seem to have mastered the plasma technology and even a Samsung rep told me that he preferred Panasonic's plasma to Samsungs plasma. I will admit to liking some of the new Sony's coming out and the new LED tv is really cool but you cant touch those televisions at this price point. I kind of wish I had waited for the G10 seeing as it came in at such a close price difference but I cant complain I love this tv and it is a few hundred dollars cheaper. I should also note that the anti-glare filter works really well I wouldn't be worried about glare issues. If anyone got through this review my advice to you is to buy this or the step up G10.

I decided on the P50S1 after about 250 hours of daily HDTV research for the past 3 or 4 months, in which I debated everything from plasma vs. LCD to screen size to features to ease of use to durability.

The 2009 Panasonic plasmas use the new "Neo-PDP" panels, which I can tell you personally having lifted both are much lighter than an equal size 2008 model plasma. The manual prudently warns against a single person lifting the set, but I did so myself with no problem.

This model was initially sold on Amazon at the initial MSRP of $1799, but has now dropped to a street price of under $1400 one month after being released. Placed my order on Wednesday the 8th, scheduled delivery for the following Wednesday the 15th. Was very surprised to get a phone call from Amazon's freight carrier, CEVA, asking if they could deliver the TV on the 11th. Four days early, and on a Saturday no less. The CEVA driver carried the box into my apartment, unpacked it, let me inspect the TV, assembled the stand, put the TV on the stand, and let me hook up the power and HDMI connection to turn the TV on, all before I signed for it.

Picture quality in the Cinema preset is already outstanding to my eyes. However I'm sure color accuracy will improve once I tweak some settings as posted at [..]. The Panasonic 2009 S series, G10 series, and V10 series all use the same physical panels, so the only differences between them are software/firmware, and extras like the VGA input and VieraCast on the other series. If you don't need the extras and are willing to tweak your picture settings, the S series is the best value for money out there.

If I really nitpick, the only negative I can come up with is the glossy black finish shows dust very easily, but that is true of most any HDTV currently sold.

This tv is great! I have been researching tvs for over a year to find the right one. I read all of the professional reviews (cnet) and this is the tv that I decided on. I was on a budget, I am a college student who does a lot of gaming and blu-ray watching. I am extremely picky about picture quality and this tv delivers an amazing picture! This blows nearly all LCD tv's out of the water. I was not going to get a plasma to begin with because of the supposed "image retention" which I have yet to notice. I am extremely glad that I got a Panasonic Plasma. The blacks are so deep, it almost looks as though the tv is off when the screen is black. The deep blacks make the colors pop! I have watched a number of blu-rays and played a couple of hours of games and I am in love already. I highly recommend this tv to everyone. It is an extremely good deal. Any LCD for this size would be much more expensive and have a much lower picture quality. Also for those of you deciding between the G10 and this tv I would recommend this one. I went to the local Best Buy and compared the two next to each other and I could not notice any difference between the two. Save yourself some money. Good luck deciding on your next tv I hope this review helped.

My current TV was a Toshiba DLP, which was going through $[...] bulbs once a year ! So i went looking for a new lcd or plasma. First, i don't see how anyone will be very impressed with the standard picture setting ? It's a dingy, dull screen. However on "Cinema" or "Custom" setup, this picture is night and day brighter and more colorful. Maybe too much so. But at these settings, this tv easily rivals anything out there.

Here are CNET's calibrated settings, which i was'nt impressed with at first, but am using now.

On your remote click "menu", then click "picture" to get into these adjustments. Use the "arrow buttons" to navigate and change settings. Click the "return" button to get back out.

Use a quality HDMI cable, and give it about 3-4 weeks to break in. These settings really work well after some break in.
_________________________________________________________________

picture mode: CINEMA
Contrast: +55
Brightness: +63
Color: +32
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0 ( I am at +50 )
Color temp: Warm
C.A.T.S: Off
Video NR: Off
Zoom adjustments: ( Grayed out )...not adjustable

-Advanced picture submenu...< same menu, but arrow down and you'll see this.>
3D Y/C filter: ( grayed out )...not adjustable
Color Matrix: ( grayed out )...not adjustable
MPEG NR: Off
Black level: Light
HD Size: Size 2.......(mine is now on size 1 now and grayed out,Maybe a Dish network thing ?)
H size:( grayed out )......( mine is now adjustable and i have it on size 1 ) I'm guessing another Dish Network thing.
____________________________________________________________________

I have the TV picture size ( format ) on "Normal".

I have the Dish box tv size ( format ) on "Normal"

For best picture and easiest setup, use a quality HDMI (digital) cables instead of Component (analog) cables. They don't have to be $150 monster cables. I ended up using a $9.00 HDMIKing HDMI cable. Component cables will provide HD, but you won't get as sharp of picture as HDMI.

I got into it with Charter because they had given me a HD box that was component cable only, and they would'nt swap my box out for a HDMI box. I ended up switching to Dish Network, and am glad i did.

In 1983 i paid $750.00 for a 27" Toshiba flatscreen, picture tube. 4 years ago my 46" 720p DLP cost me $[...]. This 50" 1080p Plasma was under $[...] !

Out of the box, this TV is nowhere near it's potential. With some time and setup it it has a very good picture. I still compare it to more expensive LCD's and i still feel i made the right choice.

I've been using the S1 for almost a month now and absolutely love it. It has a beautiful, realistic picture that is perfect for video gaming and Blurays. It may not have quite the 'pop' of an LCD, but I much prefer the look of a plasma with it's improved accuracy and uniform picture. I'm coming from a 34" Sony XBR970 - which itself is a very accurate set - but this Panasonic has made me a convert. It's plasma from here on out (or as long as they keep making them I suppose).

Of course one of my concerns before purchasing this set was burn in. I do a large amount of gaming and letterboxed movie watching, and I didn't want to have to be constantly worrying about damaging my set. Well, I've been gaming on this thing since day 1 - many of which have static HUDs - and I have yet to see even the mere hint of image retention. Same goes for letterboxes, they leave absolutely no lingering image. I play 360 and PS3 on the Game picture setting and movies on Cinema - both of which have their contrast set around 80.

Regardless, I have been running break-in images while I'm not using the set. I'd say it's getting on average about 15 hours of use a day for the past few weeks. Not necessarily because I'm worried about image retention any more, but more as a stress test - because I figure if anything is going to break down it'll be in the beginning. I'd also like it broke in for proper calibration as well.

The blacks are very black - but not pure black. There's a bit of brightness still there, but it's more than acceptable. In my opinion still better than any LCD I've seen, and even more important more uniform.

The remote is pretty awful, so maybe plan on replacing that with a Harmony or something.

SD signals are what they are - SD. They tend to look a little worse on this plasma than they did before on the Sony, but I think a large part of that is just because of the bigger screen. Flaws and static are more readily apparent at 50".

I'm no videophile, so personally I'm not seeing any sort of green push. Sometimes I *think* I see it, but I can't totally convince myself it's not just the source - because 99% of the time the picture looks great. I'm still looking to get it professionally calibrated down the road though, so I'll be curious to see what difference that makes.

I have been researching for the past 6 months for a Plasma TV. There are several reasons why I choose this one. The price was a great value for a 1080P Plasma. I paid $[...] shipped. In my research I found that more people were generally happier with Panasonic brand and had a great picture. When I finally hooked up this TV I was amazed. The blacks are great and the colors are superb and this is out of the box. I cannot wait to get this TV calibrated and have an even better picture. I firmly believe any who purchases this TV will not be disappointed. The TV itself looks sleek and the connections in the back are well thought out. Did I say how great the picture is? :)

If I had to say anything negative, that there are not enough options to calibrate the colors and picture. However that isn't a big deal if you are willing to go into the service menu and make a few tweaks. Please note that doing so could void warranties so either hire a professional to do it or research the TV online for calibration settings which will get you to 95%-98% close to a professional. No matter what plasma TV you get a calibration is something you should have done. Check [...] for more info on this. (As of April 27th there are settings have not yet been posted).

I hope my review helps you decide.

I received my Panasonic VIERA S1 p50I plasma 3 days ago. I now have it hooked up. I was VERY nervous about making this purchase. Very expensive and on-line ordering. ALL my fears were for nothing. This is a FANTASTIC set and it arrived from 6ave in great condition & on the FIRST day promised. I was impressed.
The picture quality is amazing. I did a LOT of research before purchasing this set. I read reviews, I talked to others that had a Panasonic, I even went to "Best Buy" (terrible experience) and compared this set to many others, and a few other electronic stores. It did look better that most other sets but I wasn't sure if it was worth that much more. I have to say now it was worth it. Especially since buying it online I got a better price than the less expensive models. I think the need for more adjustments to the picture is a bit overrated. The settings that are available do just fine.
The sound quality is also very good. I had heard a few 'knocks' about the sound but for my I like it fine. I even turn my Sony Home theater OFF and just listen to the set.
Lastly the looks of the set are great. It is very sleek with the piano finish black trim and no gaudy trim to distract you from your viewing.
AND as a final "seal of approval" even my 92 year old mother when she saw the new set said it looked great and she was amazed by the picture.
And getting her approval for anything that costs money is going some.
If your are considering getting a new Plasma set look closely at this Panasonic 1080p Plasma 50". You won't be disappointed I assure you.Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

I purchased this TV back in March and have been holding off on the review until the TV was properly broken in (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1128487 -- the first parargraph in the first post is the procedure) then calibrated to my liking. I must say I have been very pleased with the time I have spent with it. I was a bit worried when I read the CNET review about the color inaccuracy, but I think mine looks great. The picture is crystal clear and motion is smooth. Blu-Rays on the PS3 look awesome. While watching all the dark scenes in Spiderman 3, I can easily make out the details in the shadows and black clothing. This set really handles black well. I also have no complaints looking at flesh tones and whites. All the colors are vibrant and look spot on.

My primary TV is a Sharp Aquos I purchased 3 years ago, and this set blows it away for half the price I spent on the Sharp. I think that people are really pushing the G10 series and that is fine, but for $200 less, this 50S1 looks fantastic and I have no regrets that I purchased this set. My only suggestion would be to check out the above link and spend the time to properly break-in the set. It is not very difficult. All the phosphors break-in evenly and you only need to calibrate once. Trust me, this set looked a TON better after the 100 hour break-in period.

The sound and remote are passable, but not terrible. I think most people have surround sound now anyway. These are the only 2 things not fantastic about this TV.

This is my first HDTV (and my first plasma TV). We bought this in October. After much research and online reviews (believe me, I did countless hours of research to make sure this TV was it), I think overall this TV is great. I give it 4 stars (instead of 5)for the following:

1. Remote control is not entirely intuitive and takes getting used to.
2. Out of the box, flesh tones are greener than normal.

Overall, I am very happy with the TV because:

1. Resolution is fantastic, even with standard definition (SD) DVDs. You would have to peer closer to the TV to check for blurred images. Since my viewing distance is about 10 ft away, the images look pretty sharp with SD.
2. Although I mentioned color issues, they can be remedied. I went to the AVS forums ([...]and based upon user settings, changed setting to:

Picture Mode: Cinema
Contrast: +73
Brightness: +61
Color: +39
Tint: +2
Sharpness: +24
Color Temp: Warm

Advanced Picture
MPEG NR: Off
Black Level: Light
HD Size: Size 2 for blu-ray Size 1 for everything else.

Colors looked more natural!!

3. Has a service menu you can access for more professional tweaking (although I wouldn't do it myself).
4. Has a nice SD card slot to load hi res photos or as some AVS forum users have done, toggle images to perform an initial plasma burn-in.

You can't get a better deal with plasma TVs than this. Overall, great bang for the buck TV.

Highly recommend this tv for a low-price, high-picture-quality tv. For the price, I cannot complain; however, if I had to say, the bad thing about this tv is that the picture isn't adjustable enough. In the settings menu, there are options that are grayed out, which is extremely annoying because as far as I know they just disabled the settings to try to get people to spend more to get the G10 series tv. I don't know how these things work exactly, so maybe it was a measure taken to cut costs and keep the price lower, but I don't see why they would include the options in the menu just to gray them out.
Besides that, no grief at all with this tv. I'm pretty happy that it's also relatively energy efficient for a plasma tv.