Hello all,

I am venturing into buying my first plasma TV and I am having a small dilemma. Which model should I purchase between these two:

1. Samsung 50" PN50A550
2. Panasonic 50" TH50PZ85U

The TV will be used in my living room which I would say that 95% of the time during the day, it is darker than normal.

Thanks for any help on helping me make the right decision. :)

Buy the one that looks best to YOUR eyes.

Buy the one that looks best to YOUR eyes.

I guess these 2 models are very close to each other as far as features and PQ is concerned?

Sammy is what I have and highly recommend.

You are going to get a little better color accuracy from the Samsung other than that they are very similar in price, features and PQ. I would recommend the one you get the best price on.

Sammy is what I have and highly recommend.

Thanks for your input. What I'm going to do is head on over tomorrow to my local Circuit City and compare both units side by side and decide on what I think is the best QP in my "eyes", as discopaul suggested.

You are going to get a little better color accuracy from the Samsung other than that they are very similar in price, features and PQ. I would recommend the one you get the best price on.

Ok, thanks... The price difference right now between the two, is just $180 USD, with the Samsung being the cheapest one.

Thanks for your input. What I'm going to do is head on over tomorrow to my local Circuit City and compare both units side by side and decide on what I think is the best QP in my "eyes", as discopaul suggested.

This is the best way to go for sure. My vote is for the Panasonic because of the feedback I have seen and heard myself.

I have the same two sets on my short list and after seeing the Samsung 50A550 in person, it's my #1 choice. It's a beautiful TV on and off, the menus are super slick and the swivel stand will be useful to me. It is receiving good reviews and can be found for about $100 cheaper than the Panny. I'm big on bang-for-buck and the 50A550 seems to fit the bill.

You'll have a great TV either one you choose, so just compare the features and go with your gut.

This is the best way to go for sure. My vote is for the Panasonic because of the feedback I have seen and heard myself.

I have the same two sets on my short list and after seeing the Samsung 50A550 in person, it's my #1 choice. It's a beautiful TV on and off, the menus are super slick and the swivel stand will be useful to me. It is receiving good reviews and can be found for about $100 cheaper than the Panny. I'm big on bang-for-buck and the 50A550 seems to fit the bill.

You'll have a great TV either one you choose, so just compare the features and go with your gut.

OH GOD! LOLOLOL I already have a migraine!! How difficult it is to decide... But I am enjoying this thread alot, because I know that for my price range and budget, I believe I have narrowed down my choices to the best options I can have. I know that with whichever I go with, it will be a good buy.

The question is though... which one! HAHAHAHAHAHA

After much reviewing, reading and comparing features, I am more inclined towards the Panasonic. I will make the final decision tomorrow morning when I visit the brick and mortar store for the final subjective evaluation! :)

After much reviewing, reading and comparing features, I am more inclined towards the Panasonic. I will make the final decision tomorrow morning when I visit the brick and mortar store for the final subjective evaluation! :)

Keep us posted on your decision. Good luck!

I will, Roman!!!! Thanks!

See if one brand is more apt to suffer from IR. Ask if one brand is returned more often for any kind of problems. Compare the remotes because you will live with them a long time unless you use a universal remote. Does one have more user friendly hook ups in back and front. Does one have a more attractive stand? Does one look better when it is turned off? Compare owners manuals. Take someone with you for their opinion on initial response. If the choice is that close you have to pick nits I guess. Go to another store and ask about return issues for the two brands.

See if one brand is more apt to suffer from IR. Ask if one brand is returned more often for any kind of problems. Compare the remotes because you will live with them a long time unless you use a universal remote. Does one have more user friendly hook ups in back and front. Does one have a more attractive stand? Does one look better when it is turned off? Compare owners manuals. Take someone with you for their opinion on initial response. If the choice is that close you have to pick nits I guess. Go to another store and ask about return issues for the two brands.

Advice taken! Thanks :)

I think many people will be choosing between these two tv's.

I think many people will be choosing between these two tv's.

I agree as it might be a while for Pioneer to compete in this range

perhaps:

-Panny = blacker blacks but noisier picture

-Sammy = cleaner picture but lighter blacks

based on what I've read on the web, that seems to be the case! what a dilemma!!!! :(

+1 for the TH-50PZ85U. It's received great reviews from users on this forum and it has great black levels which means, better color saturation and higher contrast. Plus, it's available for a great price. Personally, I'm biased towards Pioneers but Panasonic has always been my #2 choice.;)

i love samsung products and i own quite a few...newest is my gi-normus samsung fridge. =) but given the choice, i would go with the panasonic. i just got mine about 2 weeks ago and love it. you will be happy with either, however. just buy the one you like the most and/or is the cheapest. they're both great sets.

Get that Panasonic TH50PZ85U.

perhaps:

-Panny = blacker blacks but noisier picture

-Sammy = cleaner picture but lighter blacks

based on what I've read on the web, that seems to be the case! what a dilemma!!!! :(

If this is the case, then I will definitely go with the Panny. It will be hooked up to a PS3, XBOX 360 and Verizon FiosTV. ;)... Oh, and I will also be building a new gaming PC this week, which will sport an nVidia 9800 GX2 videocard which has HDMI output!

I have the Sammy PN50A550. I saw them both in CC, and they were side by side with the same feed. They Sammy looked better to me, and I did get them to match Amazon's price. So I ended up getting it for around 500 less than the suggested retail of the Panny. They were also running the 3 yr no interest on the Sammy's. I know this sounds crazy, but I did read the entire Panny thread on the 80u, 85U. The amount of complaining about green blobs in the middle of the screen, dead/stuck pixels, and ghosting finally made me rethink the Panasonic. Then once I saw them side by side my decision was made. In the store the flesh tones were way too red on the Panasonic. Having peoples faces look correct is important to me. Everyone should not look like George Hamilton. Just my two cents, and why I ended up with the Sammy. I also have to mention, I am still breaking in my set. I have no dead/stuck pixels, and no green blobs. I also went from a Mitsu 46" rp 1080i and the difference is remarkable. This set is way clearer and has a much better picture overall. Hope this helps. It still boils down to what looks best to you.

Hey Smitty, which ut are you 4?

The Vols

Go Big Orange! Always good to meet another Vol fan on the net. I'm a season ticket holder to the football games.

I'm thinking the 50A550 is going to be perfect for football season. You know, orange is a difficult color for a display to produce accurately. Have you tried a Vol network DVD yet?

No I am in Maryland now. I guess I could order one. I grew up between Bristol and Johnson City, about 10 minutes from the track.

In the store the flesh tones were way too red on the Panasonic. Having peoples faces look correct is important to me. Everyone should not look like George Hamilton. Just my two cents, and why I ended up with the Sammy. I also have to mention, I am still breaking in my set. I have no dead/stuck pixels, and no green blobs.

the 2 tvs may have been side by side and on the same feed, but how were they set up? how were the settings done? i can tell you that people don't have crazy looking faces and skin tones on my 50pz85u. it's VERY hard to be objective looking at tvs in a store like best buy, etc. and i also have no dead/stuck pixels or green blobs. ;)

I know that in the store is not the best, and the settings for each really matters. I don't think you can go wrong with either set. All things said and done I believe that they are fairly even. Panasonic a little better blacks, Samsung a little better color accuracy. The Samsung also has a few more features, I believe. So all things being fairly close, CC matching the price and the 3yrs no interest sealed the deal for me. Plus I got to take it home that day. I am not very good at the waiting thing. I ordered an Outlaw LFM-1 compact sub, and it almost killed me waiting for it. I am not putting the Panasonic down, but the amount of complaining on the Panasonic thread is amazing. I guess that most of the people that post are the ones complaining. All the people that have good ones are probably to busy watching theirs.

:D:)

Wasn't trying to run one set down. Just giving my reasons. I also didn't intend to imply that the Panasonic had really bad flesh tones. I do see a lot of people buy sets that they think look great, that are just really bright and cartoon looking. I think a good tv should be like good speakers. They should not add or take away. They should just reproduce the original image or sound as close as possible.

Hello all,

I am venturing into buying my first plasma TV and I am having a small dilemma. Which model should I purchase between these two:

1. Samsung 50" PN50A550
2. Panasonic 50" TH50PZ85U

The TV will be used in my living room which I would say that 95% of the time during the day, it is darker than normal.

Thanks for any help on helping me make the right decision. :)

One thing to keep in mind is Service, both panels are going to give you a great picture, but I would warn you that Samsung has awful customer support. For that reason alone I'd go with the Panny.

I personally picked up the Panny. I liked the bright whites and the darker blacks that I found on them.

As for the green/red blobs and stuck/dead pixels... I had NONE of the those on my set. Just a perfect picture.

Smitty, when you were comparing them, did you have the remotes to be able to make adjustments to the picture or did you go by the store settings and determine that every face was too red? Just wondering because that could have been turned down and might have been made to look more competitive with the Sammy.

Honda - Which one did you decide on? Are you going with a brick and mortar store or opting to go with a forum sponsor. I got a great deal from one of the forum sponsors and they were so easy to work with. I would highly recommend them if you're interested.

I am not putting the Panasonic down, but the amount of complaining on the Panasonic thread is amazing.
yeah, i hear ya... but one thing you have to take into account is the size of the thread compared to the samsung set owners thread. let the samsung thread reach that size and i would be willing to bet it wouldn't be any different. people will complain about anything and everything. =/

i am deciding between these sets too. tough choice. circuit city has them both hooked up to blu players so i am going to bring some of my own discs in to play on them to check out.

One thing to keep in mind is Service, both panels are going to give you a great picture, but I would warn you that Samsung has awful customer support. For that reason alone I'd go with the Panny.

This is a point that is oftentimes overlooked because of the excitement of bringing home your new toy. Try calling Samsung and Panasonic's help lines and simply ask for help with a problem. See where they send you and how long it takes to actually talk to someone that could actually help you. You might try it two or three times to see if there is any consistency.

i am deciding between these sets too. tough choice. circuit city has them both hooked up to blu players so i am going to bring some of my own discs in to play on them to check out.

Let us know what you think when you come back.

i am deciding between these sets too. tough choice. circuit city has them both hooked up to blu players so i am going to bring some of my own discs in to play on them to check out.
just make sure to bring some good settings for both sets and that they will hand over the remote to you.

I'M THE PROUD OWNER OF A PANASONIC 50" TH50PZ85U!!!!

I bought it yesterday from Circuit City and all I can say is WOW! The picture quality is simply amazing! Colors and contrast is unlike anything I have ever personally experienced. It is amazing when even the FiosTV menu looks different with shades of green in it that I didn't even know were there! hahahah My wife was like, why is the menu with that shade of green? It's simply unbelievable.

I got it hooked up to my PS3 and FiosTV via Monster 1000 HDMI cables and the image is simply breathtaking.

I am going to leave it running for extended periods of time, in order to get that 100hr break in period over with. I have it on Discovery HD and let it play all day.

One thing I did notice is that last night we were watching a Blue-Ray movie and in extremely dark scenes, the blacks had sort of a reddish tint to it. Is this normal? Or do I need to first get the 100hr break in period done then calibrate the colors or something? Be gentle on me, this is my very first Plasma set, so I am a newbie!

A little bump... ;-) Trying to find out about the reddish tint to the blacks.

I'M THE PROUD OWNER OF A PANASONIC 50" TH50PZ85U!!!!

I bought it yesterday from Circuit City and all I can say is WOW! The picture quality is simply amazing! Colors and contrast is unlike anything I have ever personally experienced. It is amazing when even the FiosTV menu looks different with shades of green in it that I didn't even know were there! hahahah My wife was like, why is the menu with that shade of green? It's simply unbelievable.

I got it hooked up to my PS3 and FiosTV via Monster 1000 HDMI cables and the image is simply breathtaking.

I am going to leave it running for extended periods of time, in order to get that 100hr break in period over with. I have it on Discovery HD and let it play all day.

One thing I did notice is that last night we were watching a Blue-Ray movie and in extremely dark scenes, the blacks had sort of a reddish tint to it. Is this normal? Or do I need to first get the 100hr break in period done then calibrate the colors or something? Be gentle on me, this is my very first Plasma set, so I am a newbie!

CONGRATULATIONS DUD! Post some pictures! :p

I have the TH50PZ85 and I absulutely love it. I have no green blob or any stuck or dead pixels. The picture is simply amazing...make sure you use toms setting from the calibration thread... I have found that everything looks better with those settings... I play COD4 all day on this TV at first there was a little green fringing at first but now that I am over 100 hours... you can barely see it. Best TV for the money.

I'M THE PROUD OWNER OF A PANASONIC 50" TH50PZ85U!!!!

I bought it yesterday from Circuit City and all I can say is WOW! The picture quality is simply amazing! Colors and contrast is unlike anything I have ever personally experienced. It is amazing when even the FiosTV menu looks different with shades of green in it that I didn't even know were there! hahahah My wife was like, why is the menu with that shade of green? It's simply unbelievable.

I got it hooked up to my PS3 and FiosTV via Monster 1000 HDMI cables and the image is simply breathtaking.

I am going to leave it running for extended periods of time, in order to get that 100hr break in period over with. I have it on Discovery HD and let it play all day.

One thing I did notice is that last night we were watching a Blue-Ray movie and in extremely dark scenes, the blacks had sort of a reddish tint to it. Is this normal? Or do I need to first get the 100hr break in period done then calibrate the colors or something? Be gentle on me, this is my very first Plasma set, so I am a newbie!
congrats... glad you're enjoying it. that is how i broke mine in as well. just left discovery or something like that up all day. don't need a break in dvd or anything like that...just watch fullscreen programming. i have not noticed a reddish tint to dark scenes. what are your settings?

CONGRATULATIONS DUD! Post some pictures! :p

I will ASAP!! :)

I have the TH50PZ85 and I absulutely love it. I have no green blob or any stuck or dead pixels. The picture is simply amazing...make sure you use toms setting from the calibration thread... I have found that everything looks better with those settings... I play COD4 all day on this TV at first there was a little green fringing at first but now that I am over 100 hours... you can barely see it. Best TV for the money.

Where are Tom's settings? Thanks for any help...

congrats... glad you're enjoying it. that is how i broke mine in as well. just left discovery or something like that up all day. don't need a break in dvd or anything like that...just watch fullscreen programming. i have not noticed a reddish tint to dark scenes. what are your settings?

I have not touched them.. They are at factory default..

One thing to keep in mind is Service, both panels are going to give you a great picture, but I would warn you that Samsung has awful customer support. For that reason alone I'd go with the Panny.I was going to mention this.;) Of course, the best customer service is that which you never have to use. That particular Sammy may be a great set and last forever but...I have not had good luck with Samsung products in the past.

edit- didn't read far enough to see the OP already got the Panny. Congrats and enjoy! :)

Boy, threads really get buried quickly around here! Can anyone point me in the right direction, as far as how to properly set up a Panasonic TH50PZ85U? Someone mentioned something about Tom's settings, but I have no idea what or where is that. And yes, I searched the forums but I get like 200 threads containing hundreds posts each! :confused:

Boy, threads really get buried quickly around here! Can anyone point me in the right direction, as far as how to properly set up a Panasonic TH50PZ85U? Someone mentioned something about Tom's settings, but I have no idea what or where is that. And yes, I searched the forums but I get like 200 threads containing hundreds posts each! :confused:




Tom's Settings:

Cinema
Picture: 60
Brightness: 52
Color: 41
Tint: -2
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Warm
Black Level: Light


Look here yes, it did get buried... might want to make the thread a sticky.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1019763

Ok, I went ahead and set my TV to those settings... Should I go ahead and get the DVE Blu Ray and set the TV with that also or should I wait till the end of the 100hr break in?

Congrats! You bought one great set!

One word of advice though is to order some HDMI cables from Monoprice and take that overpriced Monster cable back and get your money back.

One word of advice though is to order some HDMI cables from Monoprice and take that overpriced Monster cable back and get your money back.

Why?

Why?

Well if you paid full price for the Monster 1000 HDMI then you paid well over $100 for a cable correct?

You can get a monoprice HDMI for about 5 bucks give or take. Same quality picture. When your talking digital connections Monster is the biggest rip-off in the business. The $5 dollar one sends the same 1's and 0's as the monster.

Use the money saved to put toward a blu-ray player or some HD movies.

Why?

Because the cable you bought for $60-$100 can be found elsewhere in a different brand name for $6

Well if you paid full price for the Monster 1000 HDMI then you paid well over $100 for a cable correct?

You can get a monoprice HDMI for about 5 bucks give or take. Same quality picture. When your talking digital connections Monster is the biggest rip-off in the business. The $5 dollar one sends the same 1's and 0's as the monster.

Use the money saved to put toward a blu-ray player or some HD movies.

Because the cable you bought for $60-$100 can be found elsewhere in a different brand name for $6

So you both recommend that I get the cables from Monoprice? Yup, I paid over $100 for each cable (bought 2)... If this is the case regarding the quality of Monoprice cables, then I will take them back to CC and ask for my money back. Just went to Monoprice and they have tons of cables.. Which one's you recommend?

So you both recommend that I get the cables from Monoprice? Yup, I paid over $100 for each cable (bought 2)... If this is the case regarding the quality of Monoprice cables, then I will take them back to CC and ask for my money back.

Well its not so much about the quality of Monoprice cables any cheap cable will work just as good.

Its just the fact that when your talking about a digital connection the TV is either receiving the signal or its not. If its not getting a good signal then the picture will freeze and/or get all blocky. For Monster or anybody to claim that there cable will provide a better picture is just absurd.

Bottom line...If you are receiving a good picture you are receiving all that is being sent from the source. Remember we are just talking about 1's and 0's Monster dosnt magically block out 2's or 3's lol.

If it was me I would take them back. Just don't fall into the Monster placebo and think that you some how have a worse picture with out the "monster". :)

Sooo just out of curiosity are you a cop that rides a Honda motorcycle?:)

Sooo just out of curiosity are you a cop that rides a Honda motorcycle?:)

Nop, I'm a cop who owns a Honda car... ;)

Because the cable you bought for $60-$100 can be found elsewhere in a different brand name for $6


I just bought two of these from monoprice for $14.62 shipped, trust us you will never see a difference between these Monoprice HDMI cables and Monsters rip-off HDMI cables.

---------------

HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 6ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated Connectors) - BLACK - Total $14.62 shipped

yah i got 2 of them as well, they were a little smelly for some odd reason, but im still happy with the purchase and its not like im going to wear them around my neck :P

HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 6ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated Connectors) - BLACK - Total $14.62 shipped

Ordered 2 of these! As soon as I get them, I will return the MonsterRipoffs back to Circuit City and get my money back. Thanks!

I made the mistake of buying a 40.00 phillips hdmi cable thinking the more expensive the cable the better picture I will get. Wrong. Cnet even has an article on their website saying the brand of hdmi cable really doesnt matter.

I would agree with most here no need to spend crazy $$ on cables. But I have seen instances where I had cables just look cheap and not work period. So just dont go to cheap :) The Monoprice and the other cable companies up top are good.

I made the mistake of buying a 40.00 phillips hdmi cable thinking the more expensive the cable the better picture I will get. Wrong. Cnet even has an article on their website saying the brand of hdmi cable really doesnt matter.

My mistake was even worse! I paid $116.99 a pop! That was $233.98 for just 2 cables. As soon as my cables from Monoprice arrive next week, I'm taking these Monster cables back and getting my money back. I will have saved $218.86! AMAZING!

I would agree with most here no need to spend crazy $$ on cables. But I have seen instances where I had cables just look cheap and not work period. So just dont go to cheap :) The Monoprice and the other cable companies up top are good.

Thanks Roman, I did purchase two (2) sets of cables from Monoprice for $15.12 shipped!!! What a huge save, my friend.

I would agree with most here no need to spend crazy $$ on cables. But I have seen instances where I had cables just look cheap and not work period. So just dont go to cheap :) The Monoprice and the other cable companies up top are good.Yes, this needs to be emphasized... most everyone knows that Monster cables and the like are wastes of money...but there is a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive".;)

My mistake was even worse! I paid $116.99 a pop! That was $233.98 for just 2 cables. As soon as my cables from Monoprice arrive next week, I'm taking these Monster cables back and getting my money back. I will have saved $218.86! AMAZING!



Thanks Roman, I did purchase two (2) sets of cables from Monoprice for $15.12 shipped!!! What a huge save, my friend.

Wow are you having trouble sitting down after that???/ ;)

Great posts, I'm thinking about the Sam vs. Pan as well. Looks like Pan has the upper hand for now.

As far as cables, CablesForLess is another choice with lots of options for non-Monster quality cables.

Anyway, Circuit City or Best Buy will match the Amazon price?

Great posts, I'm thinking about the Sam vs. Pan as well. Looks like Pan has the upper hand for now.

As far as cables, CablesForLess is another choice with lots of options for non-Monster quality cables.

Anyway, Circuit City or Best Buy will match the Amazon price?

I'd like to know that as well. Fry's has an excellent price today on the 85U. No tax for me, but I'm a little leary about how these things are shipped, (realizing, of course, that the units have to be delivered to CC or BB by truck, in the first place).

Can someone give me the dimensions of the actual shipping box? (I'm not sure it will fit in my RAV4 or not, if I can get a local price match). Thanks.

Hey, terminatorbob - we're almost neighbors! I'm in Mauldin.