Frequently Bought Together
Technical Details
Size: 55-Inch
- Brand Name: Panasonic
- Model: TC-P55VT50
- Display Technology: PLASMA
- Display Size: 55 inches
- Image Aspect Ratio: 16:09
Product DetailsSize: 55-Inch
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Product Description
Size: 55-Inch
|
What the press is saying:
"Panasonic's new flagship HD 3D plasma model. Probably the best looking TV you'll see this year"..."Unrivaled picture quality. Incredibly deep blacks stand up in bright rooms." ~Gizmodo (June 15, 2012) The VT50 series is the Full HD 3D Plasma flagship series. This top-of-the-line HDTV offers a revolutionary level of picture quality (Full HD 3D; 1080p Full HD resolution) and features the Infinite Black Ultra Panel (VT series only). Other unique features include ISFCCC Calibration Mode with Advanced Calibration, 2500 Focused Field Drive, and a VIERA Touch Pad controller (VT/WT series only). VIERA Connect IPTV - More Fun Comes Via a Cloud Service VIERA Connect is a cloud service that provides apps in categories like video and music, social networking, games, news and lifestyle, sports, health and fitness. Learn more about the world of Smart VIERA and VIERA Connect here. |
"The Panasonic TC-PVT50 series produces some of the best pictures ever, with exceedingly deep black levels, highly accurate color, and perfect screen uniformity and off-angle performance. It can get brighter than competing plasmas and performs better in well-lit rooms"...."The bottom line: The Panasonic TC-PVT50 series represents the pinnacle of current flat-panel TV picture quality." ~CNET.com, (June 4, 2012)
p Support 
Communicate with Family and Friends
2012 Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTV Comparison Chart
| Series | VT50 | GT50 | ST50 | UT50 | XT50 | U50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Models: | 50", 55", 60", 65" | 50" | ||||
| High Definition Resolution | 1080p Full HD 3D | 1080p Full HD 3D | 1080p Full HD 3D | 1080p Full HD 3D | 720p HD 3D | 1080p Full HD |
| Mercury and Lead Free Panel |  | | | | | |
| Long Panel Life | | | | | | |
| VIERA Link | | | | | | |
| Game Mode | | | | | | |
| Media Player (SD, USB, DLAN via LAN) | | | | | | |
| SD Card Slot | | | | | | |
| HDMI/USB Port | 4/3 | 4/3 | 3/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/1 |
| 2D-3D Conversion | w/Face Detection | w/ Face Detection | | | | |
| Wi-Fi Capability | Built-in Wi-Fi | Built-in Wi-Fi | Built-in Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi Ready | Wi-Fi Ready | |
| DLNA (via LAN) | | | | | | |
| Smartphone Remote Function* | | | | | | |
| Fast Switching Phosphors | | | | | | |
| VIERA Connect | | | | | | |
| 2500 Focused Field Drive | | | | | | |
| Skype Communication | | | | | | |
| Social Networking TV | | | | | | |
| E-Help | | | | | | |
| Infinite Black Panel w/ Louver Filter | Ultra | Pro | Pro | |||
| Pro Settings | | | | | | |
| 3D Real Sound | | | | |||
| 24, 576 Shades of Gradation | | | | | | |
| THX3D Certified | | | | |||
| VIERA Touch Pad Controller | | | | | | |
| 96Hz Playback of 24p | | | | |||
| ISFccc | | | | | | |
| Online Movies | | | | |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Available Warranties or Services for This TV
Size: 55-Inch
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
445 of 453 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:65-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase
In my opinion, this tv is the best to be had at this time. To provide some background for that opinion, I have tried the following sets while I still had my Kuro 5020: The VT30, D7000 and the 80" Sharp 632U LED. The Sharp was something I had to try based on some reviews but it really was quite disappointing and never even made it onto the wall. For further information regarding my opinion of the Sharp, please read the comments section where I have answered a question regarding my expereince with this set. The VT30 was quite good but had color issues, uniformity issues and large bezel syndrome. The D7000 was far better than I had expected after reading the nasty comments about it. But none of these sets allowed me to feel good about sending my 9g Kuro packing.
With much anticipation, I ordered the 65VT50 from Amazon. The entire process was painless and quick as per usual. Delivery was sooner than expected and professional. They did send only one driver, so be prepared for that. But we managed just fine. I quickly inspected the set and immediately mounted it and got things setup. Everything went smoothly.
I did download and install an available update. The only new "feature" I noticed after the update was a fairly long duration banner at TV startup. This is defeatable within the settings, so fear not.
**** A second update had been released and is mentioned at the end of this review.
****** 09/28/2012 update #3 version 1.17 is out. This may effect a calibration
Now for my impression of this television.
This VT50 is simply beautiful. The smaller bezel and overall aesthetics are quite excellent. Gone are the days of "but LCD's are so much slimmer and/or less bulky". This set looks great turned off. I am happy to pay a premium for the single sheet of glass design even if that was the only difference over the GT, but its not.
Some complain about the silver trim, but you will be hard pressed to find an owner that does not like it. Personaly, I really like the look. I think the TV would look rather run of the mill and boring without it.
The touchpad was easy to pair with the television. I do not imagine myself using the touch pad much, but it does work as advertised. If you use your television to browse at all, you may find the touchpad quite useful. I had no issues navigating with it at all.
It is also worth mentioning that this set is also quite a bit lighter than the VT30.
To my eye, the blacks are right there with the Kuro I just sold. A meter may say otherwise but it takes a trained eye to see the difference if not side by side. The blacks are inky and satisfying and do not leave me wanting in any way. My eyes are pretty damn good and all I can say is that I do not miss my Kuro one single bit. And the extra real estate is quite nice as well.
Equally as impressive is the increased brightness of this panel. If you find that you are really drawn to the brightness of an LCD, but prefer the motion of a plasma, this set should fit your bill perfectly. I have two large windows in my living room and never feel like I need more out of my set in terms of brightness. The anti-glare works excellent as well.
If I was forced to come up with a gripe, it would be the red LED that comes on when the set is on. This was poor planning on Panasonics part but I am not losing any sleep over it. A little well trimmed piece of electrical tape takes care of that if it really bothers you.
Everything works as it should. HDMI control works perfectly on mine. I can hit the power button once on my Directv remote and everything turns on as it should (STB, TV, and AVR). ARC (Audio Return Channel) is also nice. This allows the audio from the TV to play through your home stereo while utilizing the same HDMI cable that feeds it content. To utilize this feature, you will need to plug your HDMI cable into HDMI #2 on the television. This is great for when you are watching Netflix or something emanating from the TV itself. All this functionality is assuming that you have an AVR that is up to date and HDMI 1.4a compliant as well as your HDMI cables. I use these cables Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - (6 Feet) - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available]. They have worked perfectly for me every single time and the price is nice. I still feel compelled to interupt when I see an employee at a Big Box store trying to convince an unknowing person to spend over $100 on a Monster cable.
You will notice that the HDMI ports are extremely close to the edge of the set. If you have rigid cables, it can present a problem and possibly cause them to protrude past the edge. There are several fixes for this. The one I chose was to use two of these connectors Cable Matters Gold Plated HDMI Male to HDMI Female 270 Degree Adapter. Together they create a 180 degree bend to allow your cables to be neatly installed.
Bluetooth is a great feature that this TV has. I can place my receiver in standby (bypass mode) and listen to TV at night with my wireless blutooth headset. I will take a quick moment to endorse this headset LG Tone - HBS-700 Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Retail Packaging - Black/Orange. They work flawlessly on everyting I throw at them from working out, talking on the phone while driving to listening to a TV show while eating a midnight snack. They are ultra comfortable and sound excellent. At any rate, I am unsure why this feature gets such little attention. But keep in mind that you do need to verify that your AVR will pass through sound via HDMI or there will be no sound at all when the AVR is off or in standby mode. This is assuming that you pass your content through a receiver. You can't fault the tv if no sound is getting to it.
I have had many high end TVs over the years but this one takes the cake for me as an overall package. No offence to anyone intended, but you could not pay me to place an LED TV in my living room. Sure the Sharp Elite looks great head on, but try going off to an angle, and not even an extreme angle and watch the PQ fall off a cliff. Looking at a plasma from any angle is like looking through a window. Not to mention that motion is far more natural looking on plasma in general.
As far as sound is concerned, I personally place very little time in this area. Many people may use the built in speakers for night viewing. I would say that these speakers are quite capable for that purpose. If you are looking for this TV to have a capable 24/7 sound system, then you will probably be let down with this and pretty much any other flat screen offering. If you are going to lay down the funds for this beauty, you should also be ready to invest in a descent sound system if you do not already have one.
*** Amended 3D glasses info.
Considering how passionate some folks seem to be about the exclusion of 3D glasses, I will only say this: This set does not come with 3D glasses. I am fine with that. You may not be.
Now lets talk about breaking in your plasma and some of the myths that go along with that. Many people will religiously use what are called break-in slides for the first 100 hours that they own the television. There are good reasons for this and there are misguided reasons as well. These slides are full screen color slides that you would run at 100 contrast for 100 hours as a slide show. This allows the phosphors to age evenly in there more fragile and impressionable state that is the first 100-200 hours. Now it is just as reasonable to simply watch mixed content for the first 100 hours instead of using slides. You just want to be sure to avoid letter box material or leaving stations on with static logos for long periods of times. The only downside of using content instead of slides is if you plan on using offered calibrated settings from someone like D-Nice on AVS. He has been kind enough in the past to offer calibrated settings to folks in an attempt to help out the community. He will break-in a set with the slides and then calibrate it. He will then post these settings for others to get at least close to a calibrated look. The best way to mimic his results is to break-in your set with the slides as he did. He will also be the first to tell you that panels vary and you may or may not benefit from his offered settings. If you do not use the slides as he did, then you will have less of a chance of benefiting from his settings because the panel will have been aged on a far less consistent scale. At this point in time, D-Nice has not posted settings for this particualr set. So keep this in mind, as there are questions as to whether or not he will at all.
Personally, I am not using slides anymore other than for use to inspect my panel for problems. Nobody wants to have a brand new set off limits for 4 days. I know I don't. This time round, I have not used slides and all is well in the world. If I want to get the set calibrated, I will.
Running slides in the hopes of matching the exact characteristics of someone elses panel is a gamble that may or may not pay off, and how would you really know if you were getting the most out of these "Free" settings without meters and training to tell you?
But, it is fair to say that you will have the least chance for any type of IR in the first 100+ hours by running the slides. There are no logos or bars or HUDs to worry about. I stress the point that they will not CAUSE IR but they will not help remove it. Read more ›
With much anticipation, I ordered the 65VT50 from Amazon. The entire process was painless and quick as per usual. Delivery was sooner than expected and professional. They did send only one driver, so be prepared for that. But we managed just fine. I quickly inspected the set and immediately mounted it and got things setup. Everything went smoothly.
I did download and install an available update. The only new "feature" I noticed after the update was a fairly long duration banner at TV startup. This is defeatable within the settings, so fear not.
**** A second update had been released and is mentioned at the end of this review.
****** 09/28/2012 update #3 version 1.17 is out. This may effect a calibration
Now for my impression of this television.
This VT50 is simply beautiful. The smaller bezel and overall aesthetics are quite excellent. Gone are the days of "but LCD's are so much slimmer and/or less bulky". This set looks great turned off. I am happy to pay a premium for the single sheet of glass design even if that was the only difference over the GT, but its not.
Some complain about the silver trim, but you will be hard pressed to find an owner that does not like it. Personaly, I really like the look. I think the TV would look rather run of the mill and boring without it.
The touchpad was easy to pair with the television. I do not imagine myself using the touch pad much, but it does work as advertised. If you use your television to browse at all, you may find the touchpad quite useful. I had no issues navigating with it at all.
It is also worth mentioning that this set is also quite a bit lighter than the VT30.
To my eye, the blacks are right there with the Kuro I just sold. A meter may say otherwise but it takes a trained eye to see the difference if not side by side. The blacks are inky and satisfying and do not leave me wanting in any way. My eyes are pretty damn good and all I can say is that I do not miss my Kuro one single bit. And the extra real estate is quite nice as well.
Equally as impressive is the increased brightness of this panel. If you find that you are really drawn to the brightness of an LCD, but prefer the motion of a plasma, this set should fit your bill perfectly. I have two large windows in my living room and never feel like I need more out of my set in terms of brightness. The anti-glare works excellent as well.
If I was forced to come up with a gripe, it would be the red LED that comes on when the set is on. This was poor planning on Panasonics part but I am not losing any sleep over it. A little well trimmed piece of electrical tape takes care of that if it really bothers you.
Everything works as it should. HDMI control works perfectly on mine. I can hit the power button once on my Directv remote and everything turns on as it should (STB, TV, and AVR). ARC (Audio Return Channel) is also nice. This allows the audio from the TV to play through your home stereo while utilizing the same HDMI cable that feeds it content. To utilize this feature, you will need to plug your HDMI cable into HDMI #2 on the television. This is great for when you are watching Netflix or something emanating from the TV itself. All this functionality is assuming that you have an AVR that is up to date and HDMI 1.4a compliant as well as your HDMI cables. I use these cables Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - (6 Feet) - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available]. They have worked perfectly for me every single time and the price is nice. I still feel compelled to interupt when I see an employee at a Big Box store trying to convince an unknowing person to spend over $100 on a Monster cable.
You will notice that the HDMI ports are extremely close to the edge of the set. If you have rigid cables, it can present a problem and possibly cause them to protrude past the edge. There are several fixes for this. The one I chose was to use two of these connectors Cable Matters Gold Plated HDMI Male to HDMI Female 270 Degree Adapter. Together they create a 180 degree bend to allow your cables to be neatly installed.
Bluetooth is a great feature that this TV has. I can place my receiver in standby (bypass mode) and listen to TV at night with my wireless blutooth headset. I will take a quick moment to endorse this headset LG Tone - HBS-700 Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Retail Packaging - Black/Orange. They work flawlessly on everyting I throw at them from working out, talking on the phone while driving to listening to a TV show while eating a midnight snack. They are ultra comfortable and sound excellent. At any rate, I am unsure why this feature gets such little attention. But keep in mind that you do need to verify that your AVR will pass through sound via HDMI or there will be no sound at all when the AVR is off or in standby mode. This is assuming that you pass your content through a receiver. You can't fault the tv if no sound is getting to it.
I have had many high end TVs over the years but this one takes the cake for me as an overall package. No offence to anyone intended, but you could not pay me to place an LED TV in my living room. Sure the Sharp Elite looks great head on, but try going off to an angle, and not even an extreme angle and watch the PQ fall off a cliff. Looking at a plasma from any angle is like looking through a window. Not to mention that motion is far more natural looking on plasma in general.
As far as sound is concerned, I personally place very little time in this area. Many people may use the built in speakers for night viewing. I would say that these speakers are quite capable for that purpose. If you are looking for this TV to have a capable 24/7 sound system, then you will probably be let down with this and pretty much any other flat screen offering. If you are going to lay down the funds for this beauty, you should also be ready to invest in a descent sound system if you do not already have one.
*** Amended 3D glasses info.
Considering how passionate some folks seem to be about the exclusion of 3D glasses, I will only say this: This set does not come with 3D glasses. I am fine with that. You may not be.
Now lets talk about breaking in your plasma and some of the myths that go along with that. Many people will religiously use what are called break-in slides for the first 100 hours that they own the television. There are good reasons for this and there are misguided reasons as well. These slides are full screen color slides that you would run at 100 contrast for 100 hours as a slide show. This allows the phosphors to age evenly in there more fragile and impressionable state that is the first 100-200 hours. Now it is just as reasonable to simply watch mixed content for the first 100 hours instead of using slides. You just want to be sure to avoid letter box material or leaving stations on with static logos for long periods of times. The only downside of using content instead of slides is if you plan on using offered calibrated settings from someone like D-Nice on AVS. He has been kind enough in the past to offer calibrated settings to folks in an attempt to help out the community. He will break-in a set with the slides and then calibrate it. He will then post these settings for others to get at least close to a calibrated look. The best way to mimic his results is to break-in your set with the slides as he did. He will also be the first to tell you that panels vary and you may or may not benefit from his offered settings. If you do not use the slides as he did, then you will have less of a chance of benefiting from his settings because the panel will have been aged on a far less consistent scale. At this point in time, D-Nice has not posted settings for this particualr set. So keep this in mind, as there are questions as to whether or not he will at all.
Personally, I am not using slides anymore other than for use to inspect my panel for problems. Nobody wants to have a brand new set off limits for 4 days. I know I don't. This time round, I have not used slides and all is well in the world. If I want to get the set calibrated, I will.
Running slides in the hopes of matching the exact characteristics of someone elses panel is a gamble that may or may not pay off, and how would you really know if you were getting the most out of these "Free" settings without meters and training to tell you?
But, it is fair to say that you will have the least chance for any type of IR in the first 100+ hours by running the slides. There are no logos or bars or HUDs to worry about. I stress the point that they will not CAUSE IR but they will not help remove it. Read more ›
99 of 108 people found the following review helpful
By Brandon
Size Name:65-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase
Pilot freight services delivered my unit May 8th, 3-days sooner than advertised. While I was apprehensive about set-up, an HDMI (not included) and power cord were all that was needed to start watching programs through my receiver. I'm a big guy, so hefting the TV onto its base wasn't such an ordeal, but I will note that most people will need help with this chore. I opted not to put it on the wall due to its weight and my living room's space restrictions (not to mention the extra price/non-availability of a wall bracket). The pedestal required a Philips screwdriver to construct and does not swivel in the slightest. Upgrading to 65-inches, I don't miss that feature.
The viewing experience is as advertised. Out of the box, the VT50 is set very dark. Unless the unit will be placed in a home theater, you will need to use a custom or the "THX Bright Room" setting. At any setting, however, you will note the incredible degree to which blacks are displayed. I tested some modifications while watching a MLB game broadcast in HD. Its difficult to describe the "new" shades of black and grey that I could discern on this set, but I can say that I never saw them before. Every detail that I thought of or tried to see was simply: there. The one sheet of glass addition is gorgeous, though when the TV is on it kind of disappears. Simply put, I've never seen a better looking plasma display.
VIERA functionality is running wirelessly and almost seamlessly through my Netgear N900. Every app I've tried (I'm not a subscriber to anything like Netflix, so I don't know how well pay apps function) loads quickly. The on board browser is ever so slightly slower than one on a dated laptop I've got, but every web-page loaded without issue. I found streaming videos from a networked PC not to work unless I ran them from a my X-box 360. I can only assume that this is a codec issue.
The speakers are "Meh". At this level of monitor, you better already have standalone speakers running through an amp or your missing out. Form factor-wise, the included speakers and woofer melt into the VT50's body. Frankly, I wouldn't have known they were there had I not read the specs. Additionally, and this probably can be attributed to my Pioneer receiver or an HDMI bug, you cannot listen to the set's speakers and your externals at the same time.
The touch-remote is a nice addition, but responsiveness and fine movement leave a little to be desired. It's not a laptop/ipad... er, pad. I've got an android smart phone that quickly synched with the VT50 and functions better during internet browsing. Media transfer from the TV to the phone was a button click away, however, going the other way around has escaped me for the moment. Attempts to "flick" a pic or .mov from my phone all end in a triangle inset with an "!" on the TV. There's probably a work around, but I'm a little disappointed it didn't work out of the box.
On the disappointment front, I feel obligated to express mine at the lack of 3D glasses included at purchase. I knew that going in, but never the less, it still stings not to have the ability to test such a significant function of the VT50. At around $3,800 I think I've earned at least one pair. Additionally, don't let some idiot at your local big-box store attempt to sell you last years glasses (not that this happened to me, even though it did). The VT30 & VT50 are incompatible.
Finally, I live in Colorado and my front door opens at 6,170 feet-ish. My previous plasma was built in 2003 and did not like this altitude. It ran hot and buzzed incessantly. 15-min of use and you can feel the heat escaping the top of the VT50's rear vents with a wave of your hand. It doesn't heat my living room after being on for an hour or buzz at all like my previous set, but I'll be sure to update this review if anything changes. Panasonic's own tech support sent me an email before I purchased it, ensuring me the all their plasmas were rated to 8,000ft, and a local specialist told me that I'd be safe up to 11,000ft.
To be clear: I took a star off my review due to the lack of included glasses at this price. It's like buying a pick-up truck and being told that the lever/toggle switch for your included 4-wheel drive is an extra. Bad marketing Panasonic, bad. Other than that, and the odd Android functionality, I cannot recommend this Plasma any more than if I were to post a picture of me hugging it. The P65VT50 is truly fantastic. While I cannot speak for a comparison between this set an a comparable LED, I would figure the LED to be brighter. But if you do most of your TV watching at night, as I do, I'd stick with the Plasma.
The viewing experience is as advertised. Out of the box, the VT50 is set very dark. Unless the unit will be placed in a home theater, you will need to use a custom or the "THX Bright Room" setting. At any setting, however, you will note the incredible degree to which blacks are displayed. I tested some modifications while watching a MLB game broadcast in HD. Its difficult to describe the "new" shades of black and grey that I could discern on this set, but I can say that I never saw them before. Every detail that I thought of or tried to see was simply: there. The one sheet of glass addition is gorgeous, though when the TV is on it kind of disappears. Simply put, I've never seen a better looking plasma display.
VIERA functionality is running wirelessly and almost seamlessly through my Netgear N900. Every app I've tried (I'm not a subscriber to anything like Netflix, so I don't know how well pay apps function) loads quickly. The on board browser is ever so slightly slower than one on a dated laptop I've got, but every web-page loaded without issue. I found streaming videos from a networked PC not to work unless I ran them from a my X-box 360. I can only assume that this is a codec issue.
The speakers are "Meh". At this level of monitor, you better already have standalone speakers running through an amp or your missing out. Form factor-wise, the included speakers and woofer melt into the VT50's body. Frankly, I wouldn't have known they were there had I not read the specs. Additionally, and this probably can be attributed to my Pioneer receiver or an HDMI bug, you cannot listen to the set's speakers and your externals at the same time.
The touch-remote is a nice addition, but responsiveness and fine movement leave a little to be desired. It's not a laptop/ipad... er, pad. I've got an android smart phone that quickly synched with the VT50 and functions better during internet browsing. Media transfer from the TV to the phone was a button click away, however, going the other way around has escaped me for the moment. Attempts to "flick" a pic or .mov from my phone all end in a triangle inset with an "!" on the TV. There's probably a work around, but I'm a little disappointed it didn't work out of the box.
On the disappointment front, I feel obligated to express mine at the lack of 3D glasses included at purchase. I knew that going in, but never the less, it still stings not to have the ability to test such a significant function of the VT50. At around $3,800 I think I've earned at least one pair. Additionally, don't let some idiot at your local big-box store attempt to sell you last years glasses (not that this happened to me, even though it did). The VT30 & VT50 are incompatible.
Finally, I live in Colorado and my front door opens at 6,170 feet-ish. My previous plasma was built in 2003 and did not like this altitude. It ran hot and buzzed incessantly. 15-min of use and you can feel the heat escaping the top of the VT50's rear vents with a wave of your hand. It doesn't heat my living room after being on for an hour or buzz at all like my previous set, but I'll be sure to update this review if anything changes. Panasonic's own tech support sent me an email before I purchased it, ensuring me the all their plasmas were rated to 8,000ft, and a local specialist told me that I'd be safe up to 11,000ft.
To be clear: I took a star off my review due to the lack of included glasses at this price. It's like buying a pick-up truck and being told that the lever/toggle switch for your included 4-wheel drive is an extra. Bad marketing Panasonic, bad. Other than that, and the odd Android functionality, I cannot recommend this Plasma any more than if I were to post a picture of me hugging it. The P65VT50 is truly fantastic. While I cannot speak for a comparison between this set an a comparable LED, I would figure the LED to be brighter. But if you do most of your TV watching at night, as I do, I'd stick with the Plasma.
60 of 67 people found the following review helpful
By jordan
Size Name:55-Inch
My VT50 arrived a little over two weeks ago and I feel that I'm now familiar enough with it to write a review. This review is for the 55" model.
The VT50 replaced my 50" G-Series Panasonic plasma from 2010. While I liked it just fine, it was a tiny bit too small, had a bezel that got uglier over time, and suffered from floating blacks, which was very annoying since my primary use of the display is watching Blu-Ray content in the dark. I had been anxiously awaiting the release of the VT50 - so much so, that I ordered one without seeing it first, reasoning to myself that if I didn't like it, then I wouldn't be satisfied with any TV this year.
The VT50 arrived. Once unpacked and set up, I marveled at the TV before I even turned it on. Was this TV really made by Panasonic, the company known for being helplessly behind the competition is terms of industrial design? The svelte single sheet of glass design is beautiful. The VT50 takes the design introduced with last year's clunky VT30 and trims it down to perfection. The bezel is much smaller than Samsung's E7/8000 and much more attractive in my opinion. It features a nice silver trim around the edges and a classy stand with a silver/black gradient. I can see how the silver edge might be a problem in a very bright room, but I really like it.
But design is secondary, isn't it? Picture quality is why anyone buys a flagship model and the VT50 more than delivers. Panasonic has made major improvements over 2011 models, with a new driving method, redesigned panel, and improved filter. Once initial set-up is done, the TV defaults to standard mode, which looks awful - dull and lifeless with egregious line bleed. Thankfully there's an easy fix - this a THX certified display, and new for 2012 Panasonic includes two separate THX modes for 2D viewing - THX Cinema and THX Bright Room. These modes look great out of the box. THX Cinema is what I mainly watch with, although I sometimes use Bright Room mode, albeit with contrast scaled back to 80. Compared to the THX mode on my last Panasonic, the mode here is much improved and lacks the greenish push that I noticed before. I think rather than try to eyeball it, since I'm not a calibrator, I'm going to leave it in THX mode sans any adjustment and pay someone to calibrate it later this year. Compressed satellite HD actually looks surprisingly great, image processing is top notch here and is good at masking artifacts from less-than-stellar feeds. Definitely better than my old Panny. The picture also has a characteristic that is hard to describe - perhaps "smoother" is the word I'm looking for here; it just looks incredibly natural and effortless in subtle color transitions and gradients. I suppose that can be attributed to Panasonic's claim of improved shades of gradation.
The real test, however, was when I turned off the lights and fired up the Blu-Ray player. The home menu on my Sony Blu-Ray player is a light gray, which is great for testing panels for flaws in uniformity. Knowing problems with banding, blobbing, and splotching Panasonic had with last year's model, I nervously inspected every part of the panel. No anomalies to be found, whew. I pressed play and ended up sampling a variety of content, and the VT muscled through all of it with incredible prowess. The black level here is impressive - I've seen a VT30 in the dark and this rightfully trounces it. I've also seen an E8000 in the dark and it can't get quite as dark as the VT. Letterbox bars blend into the bezel. Thanks to the deep, dark blacks the VT50 is blessed with incredible contrast. Images have an abundance of pop and lifelike depth, and recall the tangible realism produced by later-generation Pioneer plasma panels. Motion is natural, cinematic, and artifact-free when the 4:4 pulldown 96Hz mode is engaged. I do not notice any flicker either. It should also be noted that I have watched enough on it to verify that the image is rock-solid - no floating blacks, fluctuating brightness, no distractions. Just a beautifully rendered, film-like image that pulls you in.
3D performance: Using THX Cinema 3D mode, the 3D image looks great. This is the first 3D TV I've owned but I've seen plenty of 3D on other flat panels and some projectors. 96Hz is unavailable here. Great sense of depth and minimal crosstalk, although I do notice some in higher contrast scenes. This can be somewhat remedied by switching from 60 to 48Hz mode, but it introduces some annoying flicker. I tested using Blu-Ray content like Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D, Hugo, Tron:Legacy, Arabia 3D, and the Adventures of Tintin 3D. 2D>3D conversion is still unimpressive, even after making 3D adjustments, but I suppose it's not too bad considering the display is doing the conversion on the fly. Not a big deal. Please note that Panasonic does not include glasses in the box for North American sets this year. Yeah, it's a bummer, but the good news is that this year Samsung's cheap SSG-4100 glasses are fully operational with the VT50. I own a pair and a pair of the official Panasonic-made TY-ER3D4MU glasses, and performance is identical, although I find the Panasonic glasses have bigger lenses and are more comfortable.
One thing I did not test much is the Viera Connect platform. I poked around a bit, and it seems largely identical to the interface on my BDT310 Blu-Ray player but with the addition of the web browser. Since the VT50 has a dual-core processor it is quite a bit snappier loading apps and navigating between them, however. Panasonic includes a touchpad remote to make web browsing easier but I found it a bit awkward to use, and while the web browser is decent, I don't see myself ever using it. I don't want to browse the web on my TV, but for those that do, it's not bad.
So while I generally try to shy away from giving products five-star reviews, I have a hard time finding anything bad to say about the VT50. The only thing I can really knock it for is the anti-glare filter - while it's incredibly effective, it does compromise the vertical viewing angle of the TV. I'm assuming it functions by absorbing ambient light from above and below the panel and rejecting it, resulting in a darkened image from above or below. The horizontal viewing angle is not compromised, so I certainly don't think it's worth taking a point away, especially considering that neither I nor anybody I know watches TV sitting below the screen or standing above it.
All told, the VT50 is, simply put, the best plasma Panasonic has ever made, and represents more than a minor improvement over the VT30. Panasonic has set the bar not only for themselves, but has left Samsung in the dust this year. While Panasonic focused on drastically improving image quality this year, Samsung seems content with making minor improvements while adding a camera and frustratingly stupid gesture control to their plasmas. Highly recommended!
The VT50 replaced my 50" G-Series Panasonic plasma from 2010. While I liked it just fine, it was a tiny bit too small, had a bezel that got uglier over time, and suffered from floating blacks, which was very annoying since my primary use of the display is watching Blu-Ray content in the dark. I had been anxiously awaiting the release of the VT50 - so much so, that I ordered one without seeing it first, reasoning to myself that if I didn't like it, then I wouldn't be satisfied with any TV this year.
The VT50 arrived. Once unpacked and set up, I marveled at the TV before I even turned it on. Was this TV really made by Panasonic, the company known for being helplessly behind the competition is terms of industrial design? The svelte single sheet of glass design is beautiful. The VT50 takes the design introduced with last year's clunky VT30 and trims it down to perfection. The bezel is much smaller than Samsung's E7/8000 and much more attractive in my opinion. It features a nice silver trim around the edges and a classy stand with a silver/black gradient. I can see how the silver edge might be a problem in a very bright room, but I really like it.
But design is secondary, isn't it? Picture quality is why anyone buys a flagship model and the VT50 more than delivers. Panasonic has made major improvements over 2011 models, with a new driving method, redesigned panel, and improved filter. Once initial set-up is done, the TV defaults to standard mode, which looks awful - dull and lifeless with egregious line bleed. Thankfully there's an easy fix - this a THX certified display, and new for 2012 Panasonic includes two separate THX modes for 2D viewing - THX Cinema and THX Bright Room. These modes look great out of the box. THX Cinema is what I mainly watch with, although I sometimes use Bright Room mode, albeit with contrast scaled back to 80. Compared to the THX mode on my last Panasonic, the mode here is much improved and lacks the greenish push that I noticed before. I think rather than try to eyeball it, since I'm not a calibrator, I'm going to leave it in THX mode sans any adjustment and pay someone to calibrate it later this year. Compressed satellite HD actually looks surprisingly great, image processing is top notch here and is good at masking artifacts from less-than-stellar feeds. Definitely better than my old Panny. The picture also has a characteristic that is hard to describe - perhaps "smoother" is the word I'm looking for here; it just looks incredibly natural and effortless in subtle color transitions and gradients. I suppose that can be attributed to Panasonic's claim of improved shades of gradation.
The real test, however, was when I turned off the lights and fired up the Blu-Ray player. The home menu on my Sony Blu-Ray player is a light gray, which is great for testing panels for flaws in uniformity. Knowing problems with banding, blobbing, and splotching Panasonic had with last year's model, I nervously inspected every part of the panel. No anomalies to be found, whew. I pressed play and ended up sampling a variety of content, and the VT muscled through all of it with incredible prowess. The black level here is impressive - I've seen a VT30 in the dark and this rightfully trounces it. I've also seen an E8000 in the dark and it can't get quite as dark as the VT. Letterbox bars blend into the bezel. Thanks to the deep, dark blacks the VT50 is blessed with incredible contrast. Images have an abundance of pop and lifelike depth, and recall the tangible realism produced by later-generation Pioneer plasma panels. Motion is natural, cinematic, and artifact-free when the 4:4 pulldown 96Hz mode is engaged. I do not notice any flicker either. It should also be noted that I have watched enough on it to verify that the image is rock-solid - no floating blacks, fluctuating brightness, no distractions. Just a beautifully rendered, film-like image that pulls you in.
3D performance: Using THX Cinema 3D mode, the 3D image looks great. This is the first 3D TV I've owned but I've seen plenty of 3D on other flat panels and some projectors. 96Hz is unavailable here. Great sense of depth and minimal crosstalk, although I do notice some in higher contrast scenes. This can be somewhat remedied by switching from 60 to 48Hz mode, but it introduces some annoying flicker. I tested using Blu-Ray content like Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D, Hugo, Tron:Legacy, Arabia 3D, and the Adventures of Tintin 3D. 2D>3D conversion is still unimpressive, even after making 3D adjustments, but I suppose it's not too bad considering the display is doing the conversion on the fly. Not a big deal. Please note that Panasonic does not include glasses in the box for North American sets this year. Yeah, it's a bummer, but the good news is that this year Samsung's cheap SSG-4100 glasses are fully operational with the VT50. I own a pair and a pair of the official Panasonic-made TY-ER3D4MU glasses, and performance is identical, although I find the Panasonic glasses have bigger lenses and are more comfortable.
One thing I did not test much is the Viera Connect platform. I poked around a bit, and it seems largely identical to the interface on my BDT310 Blu-Ray player but with the addition of the web browser. Since the VT50 has a dual-core processor it is quite a bit snappier loading apps and navigating between them, however. Panasonic includes a touchpad remote to make web browsing easier but I found it a bit awkward to use, and while the web browser is decent, I don't see myself ever using it. I don't want to browse the web on my TV, but for those that do, it's not bad.
So while I generally try to shy away from giving products five-star reviews, I have a hard time finding anything bad to say about the VT50. The only thing I can really knock it for is the anti-glare filter - while it's incredibly effective, it does compromise the vertical viewing angle of the TV. I'm assuming it functions by absorbing ambient light from above and below the panel and rejecting it, resulting in a darkened image from above or below. The horizontal viewing angle is not compromised, so I certainly don't think it's worth taking a point away, especially considering that neither I nor anybody I know watches TV sitting below the screen or standing above it.
All told, the VT50 is, simply put, the best plasma Panasonic has ever made, and represents more than a minor improvement over the VT30. Panasonic has set the bar not only for themselves, but has left Samsung in the dust this year. While Panasonic focused on drastically improving image quality this year, Samsung seems content with making minor improvements while adding a camera and frustratingly stupid gesture control to their plasmas. Highly recommended!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lives Up To Its Reputation
We wanted a great TV for our first house and all of the reviews pointed us toward this one for picture quality. It's really good. Read more
Published 5 days ago by FotoFan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Stay away, very poor support of Dobly 5.1 audio
Would be a great TV but it's poor support of Dolby 5.1 audio is a killer. The unit won't pass 5.1 from an HDMI source to the Optical (or ARC) audio output. Read more
Published 13 days ago by J. Macfarlane
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great picture, but suffers from burn in, already after 2 months
I agree with all the raving reviews about its outstanding picture quality. It has the best picture I have ever seen, but it has 2 of the drawbacks, plasmas are known for:
(1)... Read more
(1)... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Leo Poiesz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Really wanted to like it
In process of returning... Just didn't match the hype .... Now I don't know what to order ... Looking at Sharp or Samsung es8000 (sigh)
Published 1 month ago by Florida Mom
1.0 out of 5 stars
Customer Disservice
Panasonic has shown me they are more interested in trying to find excuses than actually helping their customer. Read more
Published 1 month ago by stargate125645
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC!
The Panasonics picture, it's 3D effect, are the best I have ever seen. The internet with VIERA tools are extremely helpful!
Published 1 month ago by Big Bob M
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as advertised!
The Panasonic P55VT50 was as good as advertised and we're exremely pleased with all features of the set. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jack L. Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent TV, just a little too large for us
We ordered this TV and after having it a few days, I decided it was just too large for our living room. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Audrey44
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything as advertised
Great picture, easy set up, plenty of adjustments to fine tune the picture and sound to one's liking. Slight plasma sound but not noticeable.
Published 1 month ago by CRTSF
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love it just like everyone else, so here's some negatives and other...
I was reluctant to get an HDTV because I didn't want to sacrifice the great picture of my old - but great - CRT TV. Read more
Published 1 month ago by thor3
|
|
|||||||
|