Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV

by Panasonic

Product Features

• 1920 x 1080 Resolution
• 1000000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio for the Brightest whites and darkest blacks
• 4096 Shades of Gradation for spectacular Color Reproduction
• Viera LinK™ HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control
• GalleryPlayer® allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV

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Product Description

Amazon.com

Amazon.com Product Description--March 10, 2008 With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,000,000:1 contrast ration to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

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What's New This Year?

• Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year's 15,000:1.
  
• Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
• new anti-reflective filter; lead-free "Tough Under Force" panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
  
• Built-in SD card slot with Photo Viewer/Gallery Player software
• x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
• Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
• Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
  
• At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
• THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.

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Amazing color reproduction

The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you'll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that's as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV.

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Consistent brightness from any angle

A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle.

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Smooth, graceful motion

When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

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1,000,000:1 Contrast

The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

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More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

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Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

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Connectivity

Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2008, Viera Link is compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.

Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs.	Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.
4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.	Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VIERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor.

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Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

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Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920x1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720x480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

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Which is the Right Viera for You?

	Screen Size Measured Diagonally	1080p Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels	Native Contrast Ratio	PC Input	THX Cert	24p	Speakers	HDMI Inputs	One Sheet of Glass Design	Swivel Base	Shades of Gradation	H.264 Codec	Digital Cinema Color	Studio Reference Mode	Pro Setting Menu	Serial Port	Standard Features
TH-42PX80U	42 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096						480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology Anti-Reflective Filter Viera Link HDAVI Control Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer Deep Color Technology x.v. Color 3D Color Mangement Sub-Pixel Controller Motion Pattern Noise Reduction Anti-Image Retention Mode Game Mode Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day) Lead-free Panel
TH-50PX80U	50 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ80U	42 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ80U	46 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ80U	50 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ85U	42 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ85U	46 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ85U	50 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ800U	42 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ800U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-50PZ800U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-58PZ800U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ850U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-50PZ850U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-58PZ850U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-65PZ850U	65 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120

Product Description

With an incredible depth of crisp, clear, real-life colors created by a wide range of black gradations, VIERA flat panel HDTVs truly usher in a new VISUAL ERA. Improved resolution delivers theater-quality reproduction, and sporting events such as the Olympics, plus season premieres and other programming are displayed in exciting, vivid color-no matter how lively the movement in the action. Outstanding picture quality, connectivity and service. That's VIERA.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Plasma for the Money April 12, 2008

By D. Moujaes

I'm not sure what the huffing and puffing is all about... Some people are leaving negative reviews supposedly because of the reflections on this Panasonic Plasma TV. One reviewer's comments and to paraphrase that "So bad that it almost makes the tv unwatchable in anything but pitch black room" What???? and as John McEnroe would say: You Cannot Be Serious!!

The TV is in our family room with several windows. Either we are all blind in my household or we are watching 2 different televisions.

I purchased the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV towards the end of March. This TV has been nothing short of amazing. The picture quality is unbelievable. It has 3 HDMI ports. I connected our PS3 and Wii to it and I can tell you that playing games on this puppy is awesome.

The screen life is rated at 100,000 hours compared to last year's model of 60,000. So basically if you keep the TV on for 8 hours a day, the screen will lose half its brightness in 30 years.

Consumer Reports rated last year's model as the best 50 inch Plasma TV, and I have no doubt when they review this newer model the rating will stay the same.

The bottom line, for the price and Panasonic's excellent reputation for Plasma TVs you can't go wrong with this one.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars take reflection reviews with grain of salt please April 3, 2008

By Tim Lieberg

Amazon Verified Purchase

I've only had this tv for 5 days and I'm new to big screen tv's but the reviews here stressing the glare are greatly exaggerated. Can you see reflections on the screen when it's off? Yes. Can you see lights reflected on the screen when watching the tv? Not really. If you're looking for it and focusing on nothing else maybe. Now would be a great time for you to go to a chain store and see these things including previous years models hanging on the wall as well as LCD's. You'll see they all will have reflections (you may have to lower yourself to see them - the stores deliberately tilt them and otherwise engineer it so these are hard to see) There are many reasons to choose LCD or plasma but if you're otherwise considering this tv don't let these complaints about reflection deter you. I'd have given it 5 stars but my home theater is still under construction and I haven't had it long enough to make a complete and fair assessment.

Update (4/18) - I've had the TV for three weeks now and if the "edit review" option permitted it, I'd up my score to a 5. The TV has great picture quality. The only notable "drawback" I would mention is that it does not excel at processing standard definition input so if you don't intend to get HD inputs (from an antenna, satellite/cable receiver, upconverting or Blueray dvd player, etc.) or if you need to continue to support SD inputs you may be disappointed in its performance on those content sources.

105 of 114 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost identical to last years March 7, 2008

By California

I have owned a few different HDTV's in and I have to say the Panasonic plasma is one of my favorites. I own a 52" XBR4 LCD and this plasma blows that out of the water when watching fast moving sports and movies. I also have a Pioneer 5010 and under normal everyday viewing, there is very little if any difference in picture quality.

I just bought the TH-50PZ85u and calibrated it yesterday. First of all let me say that I also own last years TH-50PZ77u and bought this to put in our bedroom. I was really excited about the improved contrast ratio because on paper it was such a huge jump over last years model but after getting it set up and watching it side by side with my TH-50PZ77u, I have to say it looks almost exactly the same. I played several Blu ray movies (Cars, Casino Royale...etc), test patterns and solid color screenshots and they were no differences to my eyes. In some instances, the blacks were more detailed on my TH-50PZ77u. I also prefer the bezel on last year's model. the TH-50PZ77u also has a great anti-reflective screen that helps out immensely with sunlight and ambient lighting

All this said, I do think that this TV displays and excellent picture both in HD and SD but it's not an improvement over last years model at all, just an updated look. I really wish that there was some sort of standardization when it comes to TV specs because this TV does not live up to its advertised specs.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Panasonic TH-50PZ85U: great buy from Amazon July 15, 2008

By John Ringler

I have been the proud owner of the Panasonic TH-50PZ85U plasma TV set for about a month.
This is my first flat-panel television and I switched from a 27 inch CRT Sony Trinitron.

Pricing, Ordering and Delivery:

I had been monitoring the price of this set ever since it got released earlier this year.
I had many opportunities to look at the set with my own eyes at Best Buy and other retailers but the price from most of these retailers was a little high, when considering that I would need to add sales tax as well as shipping (I found out that the box with the television would never fit in my car!).
So, when I saw the attractive price - with no sales tax - on Amazon, I jumped on it. Also, the free "while glove" delivery was a big plus as I had read too many horror stories about people getting a damaged or broken television and spending way to much time and energy to finally get a replacement.
The price on Amazon was several hundred dollars less than most local retailers.

Ordering was easy. I also ordered a Sanus VMPL50B tilt bracket (also from Amazon) to mount the display over my fireplace.
I placed the ordered on a Thursday and the product was delivered the following Thursday. Not bad!

The display was delivered by a shipping company called CEVA Logistics. Two persons carried the large box to the second floor of my condo where my living room is and unpacked the television so that I could make sure that it was in good condition, which was the case.

Installation:

I didn't use the stand provided with the television. Instead, I mounted the display on the wall over my fireplace using a Sanus bracket....
Initially, I was going to use the Sanus VMPL50B but, because of the position of the studs behind the wall, I decided to exchange it for a longer, adjustable one. I picked a Sanus VMPL3B which is basically the same, with the difference that the plate is 10 inches longer, when fully extended.
This way, I was able to mount the bracket using 4 studs instead of just 2 studs if I had gone with the VMPL50B. It gives me a peace of mind and I know that I am not going to find my plasma television broken into pieces anytime soon.
The installation was fairly easy and took about one hour total. My wife helped me carrying the display and securing it on the wall bracket since it is pretty heavy (approximately 80lbs).
The display sits only 2.5 inches from the wall but it was actually hard to tilt because of the HDMI connectors in the back. The problem is that the panel in the back where all the connectors go is not recessed enough. I just wish there was an extra 1/2 inch of space.
What I did is that I purchased a couple of HDMI "right-angle" adapters (from an excellent Internet store called MonoPrice). This way, the HDMI cables run along the back of the plasma set and it is way easier to tilt the display.

Operation and Picture Quality:

I am truly impressed by the TH-50PZ85U. Not only it performs well but it looks great on the wall.
The only connectors I have are HMDI. I have one HDMI cable running from my digital cable box (Time Warner - Scientific Atlanta) to the TV and one HDMI cable coming from my SONY DVP-NS3100ES DVD player (up-converting DVD player, not Blu-Ray).
HD channels are simply outstanding, even in Standard mode. It is such a pleasure for the eyes to watch anything. I surprised myself at watching a full hour of an animal documentary on Discovery HD, even though I have never been a fan of animal TV show.
The level of details is amazing.
Standard cable looks very good too but obviously not as good as HD. My only concern is that currently I only have 22 HD channels (and 3 or 4 of those don't even have regular programming). Time Warner can't beat satellite in my area but I am not ready to switch yet. There are some reports that new HD channels will be added soon so I just need to be patient.

The remote control is easy to use and it can also operate other devices such as a cable box, a DVD player and more. With my configuration, this is pretty much the only remote I use now.

I like the fact that there are some extra video inputs (including HDMI) located on the side of the display. I use them to plug my video camera.
Several settings for the sound can be adjusted as well (balance, treble, bass and some other effects I am not really familiar with yet). Overall, the sound is excellent but when watching a DVD movie, I use my home theater system (I have a 5.1 speaker system with a SONY STR-DA3100ES receiver).
The great thing about HDMI is that it only takes one cable for both video and audio signals. I can always use the TV speakers while playing a DVD or watching a cable program. When I switch to the receiver, all I have to do is mute the sound from the TV.

Note on "break-in" period:

I know there are many forums talking about the 100-hour "break-in" period. There is no mention of it anywhere in the user's manual. So I went on the Panasonic website and I found some info. Basically, for the first 100 hours of operation, it is advised to watch television in Full Mode or Zoom Mode only (to avoid black bars on the side) and to avoid prolonged period of time of static image or channel logo.
Since I had read many threads dealing with playing a "Break-in" DVD, I called Panasonic Technical Support direclty. The person told me that it was not necessary as long as the above rules were followed for the first 100 hours of usage and that it wouldn't make any difference in the end.
SO I watched different shows in Full format mode as well as DVDs. Whenever I would watch a channel with a logo on the bottom-right corner for over 30 minutes, I would use the "Anti-Static Retention" feature for a few minutes (accessible with the remote in the Main Menu). What it does is that it displays a scrolling white bar over a black background.

Bottom Line:

The TH-50PZ85U is an incredible set for the price. I have been reading reviews and comparing with other existings sets (including LCD sets) for the past 6 months almost and I think that, for this size, this is the best option in terms of price and quality.
Panasonic is a reputable manufacturer and no one can go wrong with this display. Read more ›