It's that time again to buy a new tv. So far i have narrowed it down to the plasma type. I was looking at the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46" 1080p Plasma. I was wondering, how is the picture quality, glare and such?

Also in terms of picture quality how would it compare to a top notch lcd?

The 46PZ800U is a great choice. However, for just a tad bit more the 50PZ800U represents a good value as well. If you go towards the PZ800U this is a great choice.

Chris

Also in terms of picture quality how would it compare to a top notch lcd?

It would crush any LCD on the market hand's down provided you are in a medium dark to dark room with no significant light source being directly opposite the television.

It's that time again to buy a new tv. So far i have narrowed it down to the plasma type. I was looking at the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ800U 46" 1080p Plasma. I was wondering, how is the picture quality, glare and such?

Also in terms of picture quality how would it compare to a top notch lcd?

Check out the review.
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-viera-th-50pz800u/4505-6482_7-32886472.html

Im wondering about this tv also- Doesnt the inclusion of having a crummy 24P mode make this a deal breaker tv?

I have had 3 people out of 3 people NOT notice the flicker at 48hz for 24p. I notice it. I point it out after a bit of time and they can kind of notice it. I still don't know if they actually do or not...??

There is a mile long thread on the 800u....Start reading

Im wondering about this tv also- Doesnt the inclusion of having a crummy 24P mode make this a deal breaker tv?

If you're one of the people sensitive to flicker on 24p at 48hz then play it at 60hz. It looks great.

The 46PZ800U is a great choice. However, for just a tad bit more the 50PZ800U represents a good value as well. If you go towards the PZ800U this is a great choice.

Chris

The 50inch model is just a tad too big for my needs.
Thanks for all the help guys!

Just another quick question, how would the plasma fare with gaming? I know about image retention and break in and what not but after the initial 200-1000hours, would i have any problems with image retention/burn in?

The 50inch model is just a tad too big for my needs.
Thanks for all the help guys!

Just another quick question, how would the plasma fare with gaming? I know about image retention and break in and what not but after the initial 200-1000hours, would i have any problems with image retention/burn in?I use last years 1080p Panasonic (77U) for PS3 and Xbox 360 and it looks fantastic. You'll see some temporary IR during the first few hundred hours or so but after that it will be barely noticeable. Permanent burn-in is very rare on modern plasmas.

I was looking at this other Pansonic model. I'm wondering would it give me better
picture quality?
Panasonic TH 46PZ850U
I don't care about the Viera link because i have a ps3 for those things.

I was looking at this other Pansonic model. I'm wondering would it give me better
picture quality?
Panasonic TH 46PZ850U
I don't care about the Viera link because i have a ps3 for those things.

Well according to the Cnet review the PQ of the 800u is slightly better than the more expensive 850u. Here is a link to the review.

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-viera-th-50pz850u/4505-6482_7-32896587.html?tag=prod.txt.1

Here we go with the semantics..... Cnet actually never says that the 800u looks "better." They do say that the 800 is more accurate and that the decision to say what is better is highly subjective.


Directly from Cnet:

An argument can be made that the wider color gamut on the 850 looks better, but that's largely subjective. Our goal, as always, is to evaluate color accuracy, in this case compared with the HD standard, and by that definition the 800U, along with the two Samsung displays in our comparison, were a good deal more accurate than the 850U.

Here we go with the semantics..... Cnet actually never says that the 800u looks "better." They do say that the 800 is more accurate and that the decision to say what is better is highly subjective.


Directly from Cnet:

They do actually say that the picture quality is slightly better on the 800. Here is the quote.

"The TH-50PZ850U is the company's flagship plasma, the most expensive in its lineup, but the less expensive 800U we tested delivered slightly better picture quality, mainly due to its superior color accuracy."

I will agree that the term "better" is subjective.