I just saw the Panasonic DLP and it looked as good as the Samsung's, Mits and Toshiba's.

It looks similar to the Toshiba because of the side speakers , it looks almost idenitcal to the Panny LCD.

The Panny has the typical look of the DLP's that incorporate the HD2+ chip, which is very deep, rich and vibrant colors. Good black at same time very bright.

One thing I did notice about the Panny, "screen door effect" is visible from at least 6 feet. It still has a very nice picture.

Even though the Panny has the 8 segment color wheel, I did see one rainbow

:D

I am new to the forum...like many.

I am about to buy...very interested in the Pany DLP, Mit DLP, Pany LCD, Tosh DLP.

What size DLP did you see?
Where did you see it?

From my net search, the delivery of the units is delayed till 2005...so your post surprises me (in a good way).

Does anyone know if TVAuthority will do a power buy on the Pany DLP?

Originally posted by abms
I am new to the forum...like many.

I am about to buy...very interested in the Pany DLP, Mit DLP, Pany LCD, Tosh DLP.

What size DLP did you see?
Where did you see it?

From my net search, the delivery of the units is delayed till 2005...so your post surprises me (in a good way).

Does anyone know if TVAuthority will do a power buy on the Pany DLP?

I saw the 50 inch Panny DLP.

Andersons TV & Stereo in Santa Clara, CA.

They must have decided to get those bad boy's out right now. If they wait until 2005 they must realise that they would be pulverized by competition by then.

I looked up the msrp for the 60" stand. $999!! And given the odd pedestal design of the tv, the stand is basically integral to the design.

what is the msrp on the panny?

Originally posted by HuntzHD
what is the msrp on the panny?

$3499

Originally posted by Auditor55
$3499
thanx

What are the eight colors on the Panny 8 segment color wheel?
Does anyone know the answer to this?

2 reds, 2 blues, 2 greens and 2 dark greens???

I am most interested in the Panasonic PT-50DL54 DLP as I pre-ordered it sight unseen.

This was because of the HD2+ chip and 8 color wheel. It is a gamble, I know. Got a good price with shipping from an online vendor.

I am the type of person that doesn't really catch the "rainbow" with DLPs and the Sammys with the HD2+ chip seem to be running a bit high for my budget.


Would be interested in any in-store comparisons as I live in rural Iowa and we won't see these trickle down to what few electronic stores we have for a while. If these are truly out, the vendor will be calling to confirm so post here any critical comments.

Originally posted by kculp




Would be interested in any in-store comparisons as I live in rural Iowa and we won't see these trickle down to what few electronic stores we have for a while. If these are truly out, the vendor will be calling to confirm so post here any critical comments.

Don't worry, if you like the look of DLP's you going to love the PQ on the Panny, its equal to the Mits, CPT. Kirks and Toshiba's. If nothing goes wrong with the set through shipping, you going have a real nice DLP.

Also, in store comparisons are basically worthless, because different sets are set up differently.

I would really like to see this set too. Actually the 60" version...

Does anyone know what major chains are going to sell the Panny PT-50DL54? I've been checking BB and CC, neither know anything about it. Tweeter tells me they aren't planning on carrying it either.

I went to the local CC and they were taking a new Panny out of the box. I asked "is this the dlp?" and the guy said, "no, the LCD, Panasonic doesn't make a DLP." I quickly said yes they do to which he replied, "We won't carry them."

compusa.com has Panny PT-50DL54 50-inch DLP Rear Projection TV, Silver on their web site now. :)

Originally posted by jagman2010
compusa.com has Panny PT-50DL54 50-inch DLP Rear Projection TV, Silver on their web site now. :)

Oh really... I might have to make a visit to the local CompUSA tomorrow...

Before you burn gas please check compusa.com for inventory for your zip code.

None available yet in DFW area.

You're right... I just checked the same here. N/A

I'd say yes Bob... 2 dark greens and the rest as normal.

Maybe Optoma did the light engine for them.

Interesting. Canada Panasonic DLPs get 2 speakers. US Panasonic DLPs get 4 Speakers.

http://www.panasonic.ca/English/audiovideo/television/projection/pt50_60DL54.asp

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=F&storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&itemId=71470&catGroupId=11072&modelNo=PT-50DL54&surfModel=PT-50DL54&ignoreRedirect=1

It has to be a mistake. I find it hard to believe they would do two different types of machines for US and Canada

i work at a compusa and we're not expecting the dlp's till the end of this month due to manufactoriing problems in mexico
i'll keep ya posted

The website mentioned HDMI, but did not say how many. Does anybody know?

in our compusa system it says 1 hdmi port

I saw the specs at :www.brianscamera.com/pt50dl54.html


Panasonic PT-50DL54 50" Diagonal HDTV Monitor with DLP(tm) Technology
Input Signal Formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080I (Native Display Format: 720p)[1]
Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing(tm) Technology
Contrast Ratio up to 2500:1[2]
Photo Viewer with SD and PCMCIA Card Slots[3]
Split-Screen Display Capability
8-Segment Color Wheel
16:9 Aspect Ratio
1280 x 720 Pixels
1024 x 768 Maximum RBG Resolution (XGA)
10-bit 60MHz A/D Image Processing
Progressive Cinema Scan (3/2 Pulldown)
Enhanced Progressive Scan Doubler
HD Enhancer Wideband Video Amplifier
Motion-Adaptive 3D-Y/C Digital Comb Filter
Precision Picture Processing (P3) Technology
Horizontal & Vertical Edge Correction
Artificial Intelligence Picture Control
Color Matrix Adjustment - Panasonic PT50DL54
Color Temperature Control
Four-Speaker Sound System with 30W Total Audio Power (8 ohms, 50Hz-18kHz, 10% THD)
BBE(r) High Definition Sound [4]
Artificial Intelligence Sound Control
Surround Sound
Stereo/SAP with dbx(r) Noise Reduction
Bass/Treble/Balance Controls
Input Jacks: 3 sets of Component Video (Y, PB, PR), 3 sets of A/V (1 front), 3 S-Video (1 front), 2 RGB PC Inputs (1 front), 2 PC Audio Inputs (1 front), 1 UHF/VHF - Panasonic PT-50DL54
Output Jacks: 1 set of Audio (Fixed or Variable) and Video (Program Out)
HDMI/HDCP Interface - Panasonic PT50DL54
Lighted Disc Home Theater Deluxe Remote
New Graphic Menu System
Video Input Skip
Video Picture Memory
Video Input Labeling with Presets
Direct Access Video Inputs - Panasonic PT-50DL54

PC Richards claims 100 arrived in their NY warehouse and should be on the showroom floors early next week.

Ultimate Electronics has them in DFW. I have seen them at the stores in Southlake and in Hurst. MSRP $3499. The first one I saw was in the front of the store with the shrink wrap still on it. I made them set it up for me.

$3499?!?!?!
at compusa ours are $2999 when they come in

thats not what the compusa web site says

well in our system they're at that price
we were told that we'll be carrying 3 dlp sets
1) panasonic at a price of 2999
2) hitachi at a price of 3299
3) samsungs with prices at 3299 and 3499 i think

Originally posted by RelDudeGOP
well in our system they're at that price
we were told that we'll be carrying 3 dlp sets
1) panasonic at a price of 2999
2) hitachi at a price of 3299
3) samsungs with prices at 3299 and 3499 i think

OK, this is the second time in two days I've heard about Hitachi DLPs (first was in CC)...any truth to this rumor, or is there confusion with the updated Hitachi LCD coming out soon?

i'm sorry i meant the lcd!!!
sorry guys

Well then are you sure that panny isnt also the lcd. Because their 50" rplcd does retail for 2999. I cant see a big retail store having a non sale price of 500 less than msrp.

The pricing brings up an interesting point. Since Panasonic is the only manufacturer with both an LCD and DLP version of a TV that looks almost the same, where does the $500 come from? Is TI really charging that much more for DLP chips vs LCD?

I didn't know Compusa sold TVs - perhaps some VPs are suffering from a lack of focus?

Panasonics are made in Mexico?

Maybe we should start a Hitachi thread seeing as more and more rumours of a DLP model hitting shelves in near future.

no we're definatly carrying panasonic lcd and dlp. one of each both 50"

"I didn't know Compusa sold TVs - perhaps some VPs are suffering from a lack of focus? "

No, I think they came to the realization that they can't survive as a computer only store.

okay i found out the hitachi is the 710 and it sells for $3299
the panasonic DLP was bumped up in our system to $3499 but i figure it'll be priced much more like lcd when it shows up in stores later this month. should be soon!
can't wait to see the 2 next to each other on demo!

I am buying the 50" Panny today - UE is going to upgrade me to the 60" when it hits - I will report back soon.

Originally posted by aspenblue
I am buying the 50" Panny today - UE is going to upgrade me to the 60" when it hits - I will report back soon.

Come back sooooooon with an exciting report!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michaelmorio

Originally posted by aspenblue
I am buying the 50" Panny today - UE is going to upgrade me to the 60" when it hits - I will report back soon.

Are you planning on hooking up a computer? I need to find out the best resolution you can get from the VGA port.

The Panny is hooked up - 50" version of course - the 60" will show up in a few weeks and UE is going to let me swap up at the same discount. First impression is great - big wow factor on HD. Sharpness, brightness, contrast, etc. look perfect in HD. I have only run a couple of DVD's thus far - blacks look good. No rainbows so far - maybe because of the 8 color wheel. SD is not great - but I have not seen it look good on a DLP yet. Digital off air channels are very nice. I am using DVI to HDMI on satellite right now, component on DVD. Will update you when I know more... I am not hoooking computer to it -did hook up PS2 using standard RCA connections - looked great - can't wait to do it in component or S Video.

aspenblue,

Looking at the owners manual, there are a few settings in the other adj section under picture setup. Have you tried changing or enabling, video NR, 3D filter, color matrix, etc. to improve the SD quality? Is SD viewable? Any worse/better than the other DLP sets you've looked at?

Ordered mine yesterday at UE at 12% off and will be delivered tomorrow. In the showroom, HD looked great, most of my DVD's looked great (Close Encounters was horrible) and SD looked so so. The only thing that was on at the time was an infomercial. But I would not say it looked any worse than SD material I've seen on other big screens. I tried to hook up my laptop but didnt have the appropriate cable. The first time I saw the unit was as it was being turned on for the first time. After the guy turned it on, he made some PQ adjustments and the picture was then better than right out of the box.

Does anyone know who I can call in the DFW area to get this set professionally calibrated?

This is my concern with the Panasonic DLP that I need someone to confirm or deny:

From their manual

Analog RGB signals that can be input
The table below lists the different types of analog RGB
signals that can be input. If a signal which differs greatly
from any of the types listed below is input, the picture
image may not be displayed correctly, or a black
background may be displayed.

Display.........No. of dots....Vertical scanning
mode name..(H x V)...........frequency (Hz)
VGA70...........640 X 400.....70.1
VGA60...........640 X 480.....59.9
SVGA60.........800 X 600.....60.3
XGA60...........1024 X 768...60.0

Note: The number of dots for this Projection Television is 800 × 600
for NORMAL display. Number of dots other than 800 × 600 in
the above data, will be converted to 800 × 600 (with the
exception of MAC 16, which will be displayed in 832 × 624 dots).

Does this mean that I can't get native 1280x768 with a PC hookup? I did see this limitation with the LCD TV.

More from last night - SD not so bad after all after some tweaking. It actually strated looking pretty good. Only thing is that when using HDMI in SD you can not expand to full screen - you can only get 3:2. Dangerfish - thanks for putting me onto that UE in Southlake - where I got mine - same price. Sorry I can't help with the RGB question - no idea.

Does anyone know if component or S would look better with PS2?

I am pretty happy - the PQ is outstanding in HD (both sat and over the air). More to come on the DVD front....

Dangerfish - PQ is much better than in the store - they are running a split sat signal over component - HDMI makes all the difference.

Salukis - I have not touched the "other" settings.

Bottom line - this is a great looking set at a good price point ($3K for 50" - retail). It does not have some of the features of the Mits (NetCommand, etc.). However, it also does not have that annoying glare screen. If you don't need integrated tuner, etc. - may be your answer before the next gen chips come out this winter. The UE guys were great - allowing me to swap up to the 60" when it hits (regardless of timeframe) won my business.

any chance you could post a picture or two of it in action at it's best???

Originally posted by aspenblue
this is a great looking set at a good price point ($3K for 50" - retail).

?? We are talking about the Panasonic DLP right? I thought the 50" version retailed for $3499. Am I wrong?

Yes the 50 inch Pansonic retails for $3499, but nobody pays that :)

I am most interested to hear about this model as you are the first to post anything about it!! I ordered mine 3 weeks ago and we are still waiting. Might even be worth a new thread as this is the first in-home peek on PQ and such.

Well, I just saw it at Ultimate Electronics. Not as good as I was hoping. The picture was softer than I expected, and the colors were a bit muted. It reminded of of the Mitsubishi, only not as sharp. So far the Samsung pedastal model has been about the most impressive. If you are in the Twin Cities, and want to see it in person, check the UE in Burnsville. Hopefully it hasn't been tuned yet - maybe that would explain the sub-par image.

You can't tell anything in the store - when I bought mine they were running a split sat feed across component - when I got it home and did HD over HDMI.... whoa momma - sweeeet

Hopefully that was it. Not sure how you are supposed to pick out a tv given the wildly differing signal quality and the lack of tuning, etc. So far the only in-store DLP picture I've been impressed with is the Samsung pedastal model - too bad it looks like a bad sci-fi prop from Star Treck 1st gen :-).

Originally posted by handydave
PC Richards claims 100 arrived in their NY warehouse and should be on the showroom floors early next week.

If anyone cares, I just went to PC Richards in Wayne, NJ. Their computer showed 50 in the warehouse. I asked when the stores would get one, and his response was that with 48 stores, they may not send them to every one. He said Paramus would be most likely to get one as well as a few of their other big stores. His next shipment was Wednesday.

Screen Cleaning Cloth for DLP and Plasma TVs This Non- Abrasive Nano-Fiber Cloth is Perfect for Cleaning DLP, LCD and Plasma Screens. Safely removes dust, grit,silt, smudges, fingerprints, contaminants and airborne pollution that can damage your screen. It is 100% soft, dust free & cushioney and will throughly clean without leaving any residue. (Accept NO substitutes , use a Certified DLP /LCD Screen Cleaning Cloth ONLY! )SCC$69.95 That was from that Brians Camera site as one of the 'add ons' for this TV!

$70 for a cleaning cloth! Right....................

I'm interesred in purchasing a new tv soon and wanted to know how the new panny dlp compare to the rest of the new dlp's? Hows the color and sharpness?

When is this TV supposed to hit big chain retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City, HH Gregg, or Sears? Hopefully the 60" version comes out shortly after the 50". Otherwise I may have to get the Toshiba or Mitsubishi without even looking at the Panasonic.

Hi owners of this DLP TV

Please update us wiht more reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

I just came back from Ultimate Electronics after checking out the Panasonic. They had it hooked up to a HD feed showing the Olympics. I was really impressed with the picture. They had it set up in a row with Samsung, LG, Mitsubishi, and JVC sets. One thing I noticed was the Panny was much brighter than any of the other sets. I asked the salesman and he said that he had calibrated each one and that the Panny was just that much brighter. Has anyone else seen this or do you think he set it up too bright?

in our system at compusa it shows the panny uses the HD2+ chip
is this true?

From what I've read it is an HD2+ chip.

PC Richards in Wayne and a few other stores finally got theirs. They must have shipped since their warehouse was down to 34. I went to compare it today and all I have to say is WOW. The box looked great :(. Sure wish I could have seen it hooked up. They told me they would hook it up tomorrow.

It is indeed a HD2+ chip.

The Panny is now available in Canada; I had a chance to see the 50" at a Calgary Soundsaround this afternoon. It was badly in need of some tweaking, but otherwise there was subjectively a noticeable improvement over the 43" LC13 sitting right beside it. I didn't spot any rainbows while watching the Panasonic CART racing clip they were showing on both sets, and I see them quite easily on the Sammy HLN.

I'm still torn between the 60" GWIII XBR, the Panny, and the still-unseen Toshiba. Sigh.

Originally posted by RelDudeGOP
in our system at compusa it shows the panny uses the HD2+ chip
is this true?

Yes.

O.K., can we then expect more substantial reveiws this weekend?

MIchaelmorio

Originally posted by handydave
From what I've read it is an HD2+ chip.

PC Richards in Wayne and a few other stores finally got theirs. They must have shipped since their warehouse was down to 34. I went to compare it today and all I have to say is WOW. The box looked great :(. Sure wish I could have seen it hooked up. They told me they would hook it up tomorrow.

If you go back, let us know how it compares to the other sets there (Toshiba DLP, Mits, I-DLA) I saw the Toshiba there this week and it was "ok", but not great (the Toshiba looked better down the road at 6th Ave Electronics than it did at PCR). The I-DLA looked a bit sharper than the Toshiba, although I didn't have time to adjust the settings on either. As for the Mits....well with all the glare, who could tell.

My local Anderson's has the PT-50DL54 displayed next to the Mits WD-52525. Played with the settings of both, and to "my" eye; the Mits wins hands down.

I'm back - was banned for a few days due to some disparaging Mitsubishi remarks - I own the new Panny DLP - it is nothing short of outstanding - only flaw - like all other DLP's - is that SD is not perfect. If you are buying a digital set, however - it should be HD, DVD and gaming. IF you are not doing HD - you might as well buy a high-end CRT rear projection and save some money. I hope to have a photo up soon. PM me with any questions.

compusa.com online inventory now shows for several US zipcodes that "check local store for availability" on 50" Panny DLP. This is indications that some compusa store may have it in stock now.

where i workd we still show them as being on order. I've checked numerous zip codes and stores and all i've seen is on order altho i was told they'd arrive around now so i'll keep you posted!

Originally posted by aspenblue
I'm back - was banned for a few days due to some disparaging Mitsubishi remarks - I own the new Panny DLP - it is nothing short of outstanding - only flaw - like all other DLP's - is that SD is not perfect. If you are buying a digital set, however - it should be HD, DVD and gaming. IF you are not doing HD - you might as well buy a high-end CRT rear projection and save some money. I hope to have a photo up soon. PM me with any questions.

Why buy a high end CRT just for SD? That is not a smart thing to do.

Anyone know what the MSRP will be for the 60" Panasonic DLP?

Originally posted by MarkMSM
Anyone know what the MSRP will be for the 60" Panasonic DLP?

Should be about $4499.

Finally, PC Richards in Wayne, NJ hooked up the 50" Panny DLP. They had it right next to the 50" Panny LCD. Comparing the two, the housing looks exactly the same. They had an HD Feed of the Olympics playing at the time. You could definitely see that the black levels are better on the DLP vs the LCD. One thing that impressed me was how good the picture looked only a few feet away. I'd still like to hear how well this unit handles a PC hooks.

I didn't have too much time to play around with it since I had to run. I'll probably be buying a unit in about 3 weeks, so I'll do a little more comparing, but I'll probably end up buying this unit.

Has anyone compared the Panny 50" to the Samsung 5085 or 5685? PQ???

As I understand, PT50DL54/PT60DL54 has no DVI port to connect your PC. When you connect your PC through RGB port, you can't use split screen functionality.

bummer :(

Off my list.

Isn't there a such thing as a dvi/hdmi adapter that will allow you to hook your computer up to the HDMI port on the tv?

Originally posted by minime9us
Isn't there a such thing as a dvi/hdmi adapter that will allow you to hook your computer up to the HDMI port on the tv?
HDMI is backward compatible with DVI. Get a cable with a male DVI connector on one end and a male HDMI connector on the other end. A two meter cable delivered is $40 at Pacific Cables on-line. I just bought one. :)

Anyone have a timeframe for the 60" Panny DLP? I might need to buy a new TV in the near future and would really like that unit?

I should get to play with the 50" tomorrow at work (American TV). One should have arrived at the store today, but I was off.

htwaits so i guess youre saying with all that is that you can hook a HTPC with dvi out to the panasonics hdmi port. Right??? Dont really understand backward compatible just want to know you can connect a HTPC to the panasonic that only has HDMI and no DVI input since i see someone has posted that since the panasonic wont accept his HTPC due to HDMI and no DVI port its a deal breaker. You just got way too technical for me with that one.

Thanks

Originally posted by minime9us
htwaits so i guess youre saying with all that is that you can hook a HTPC with dvi out to the panasonics hdmi port. Right???

Yes that's what I'm saying. An HDMI port can accept DVI input. All you need is a cable with the right connectors.

I'm sure the Panasonic DLP sets are HDCP enabled so that shouldn't be a problem. If there are problems they are due to malfunctions not the standards used by DVI and HDMI.

Anyone who owns this set:

It's been a day since the last post was posted. Ummmmmmmm...............
Review pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 1

Thank you and forgive my impatience.

Michaelmorio

I got the Panasonic PT-50DL54 DLP set up yesterday. I am not as experienced as others is writing a review, but I will try. I bought this set because of the HD2+ chip and the 8 segment color wheel.

We don't have an upscaler DVD player, so all I could do was set our existing panasonic DVD player to progressive scan. Also, I don't have the high def tuner yet so can't comment on HDTV. This is just the limitations I have right now and both of these are expected to arrive any day now.

If we could say one thing at the outset, the color is just outstanding. There are preset modes for the type of picture you want VIVID, cinema etc. Of course you can manually adjust anything.

There is a remarkable improvement in PQ with the HD2+ chip that has to be seen. The blacks are excellent and you can distinguish images and shadows that some LCD screens miss in the dark scenes. This is why I went with DLP as I have a older sony LCD data projector and when we show movies on it the dark scenes are terrible. Contrast is also excellent, I think this chip is rated at 2500 compared to the HD3 at 1500.

There are also preset ASPECT ratios - we don't need to worry about burn-in with DLP do we? (I am a newbie so someone please comment). We have a few "full-screen" DVDs that I hate to zoom or stretch. Anyway, I think users will find it easy to change the aspect ratio on the fly.

The remote is excellent. No concerns there. Easy to navigate to a component. The remote supports DBS, although the button configurations in those modes will take some time for us to learn.

Fan is absolutely quiet. Don't even know it is on really. There are built in speakers that some people don't like. Haven't had time to put the sound system through its paces, we pump it though a DTS receiver.

Overall, I love this set. Can't want to feed it an HDTV signal. Wish it had more than on HDMI port - I was told this was a fairly cheap thing for the industry to implement. Why didn't they add a second one? There are 2 RGB ports. One on the side of the unit (right side, where power button is located) and I belive 3 component inputs with 1 on the right side as well. See, can't understand why Panasonic thinks we need all of these component inputs, but only one HDMI.

Sorry, that is about all I can say about this unit. We just got it out of the box and plugged it in. Took more time to assemble the cabinet (not Panasonic, but I swear I spend two hours on it).

I think for the money, it is an excellent value over the Samsung and Toshiba (I won't name the online vendor we went with, but do a search and you can see that this set is about $300 to $500 lower). There was something about the shipping to watch out for too, these boxes require NOTHING to prepare for. Ours was trucked to the front door for $97 and I thought that was fair. Definitely would not pay much more than that to any vendor as they get another mark up on that piece over the price they post.

Thank you for the review. I really hope we see more reviews of people that have bought this set. I know it's pretty hard to come by right now though. I saw one in person last weekend and the salesman worked out a great deal for me with the extended warranty, well below MSRP, but I was hoping to see a few more reviews before I made the purchase. I was very impressed with this TV and will probably end up picking one up this weekend if they have any left in stock anyway. I wasn't able to compare it side by side to any other DLPs as they had it next to the Panasonic LCD in another area, but it killed the LCD and was one of the best pictures I've seen. To me, it was better than the Samsung Kirk and at least as good as the Mitsubishi. I have not seen one Kirk that looked good yet...I mean usually at least one store has one that looks good or decent, but every one I have seen was less than desirable. The Mitsubishi is awesome too. I just hate that glare screen as I can't really control my lighting and I don't want all of the integrated stuff.

Anyway, any more reviews out there? I know a couple people have posted that they bought one. Any minor or major bugs or problems? Anybody hook up a PC to it (VGA and DVI)? That is very important to my needs that the computer works well with it.

Ed

I'm starting to get intersted in this set as well.

It's the same price as the Samsung HLP-5063, but it boasts an HD2+ chip instead of the Samsung's HD3 chip.

I currently have the Mitsubishi WD-52525. It also has an HD2+ chip and an ATSC Tuner, but the glare is unbearable for me. In addition, the fan noise is too loud for me.

The Panasonic DLP is $500 cheaper than the Mit's. I think it's a great value. I can always buy an external ATSC Tuner for about $250 down the road.

I'd really like to see this set too. I've narrowed it down to the Panasonic (which I haven't seen yet), the Toshiba 62", the Mits 62525, and the JVC dila. I keep wanting the Mits but it's just not as bright as I'd like, plus the blacks seem noticably better on the Toshiba. I don't like the glare screen on the Mits either. I think the glare screen just takes away from the 3D affect too.

MarkMSM,

Have you watched any movies in low lighting? If so, how do blacks look on the screen? Also, FYI, you can remove the glare screen if you don't know already. I believe it will make it slightly brighter but you'll loose a little bit of contrast though.

On the glare issue: I am going to move the PT-50DL54 around in the room some more, but I share that frustration. We had our older TV (Sharp 36" CRT) right beside this one and it always had glare from a soft light we had in the room.

The panasonic does have an antiglare screen and we didn't really notice it last night. Also, we found we didn't really need the room as dark to see the picture. This is probably going to depend how bright you set the screen though.

I don't see a rainbow at all, but I was never one to pick it up. I consider that resolved, but if someone is really sensitive to it that would need to check for themselves I guess.

Right now, I consider it a good value. Can't believe I am saying that as I have never shelled out so much for a TV in my life. Oh well, no matter what we buy it will be outdated in a year or two anyway.

Originally posted by xb1032
I'd really like to see this set too. I've narrowed it down to the Panasonic (which I haven't seen yet), the Toshiba 62", the Mits 62525, and the JVC dila. I keep wanting the Mits but it's just not as bright as I'd like, plus the blacks seem noticably better on the Toshiba. I don't like the glare screen on the Mits either. I think the glare screen just takes away from the 3D affect too.

MarkMSM,

Have you watched any movies in low lighting? If so, how do blacks look on the screen? Also, FYI, you can remove the glare screen if you don't know already. I believe it will make it slightly brighter but you'll loose a little bit of contrast though.

I mostly watch the Mits in low light because of the glare. In my opinion, the blacks are as good as any other digital set, except for LCD. I previously had a Panasonic Plasma with 4000:1 contrast ratio, and the Mits. seems just as good. As with any digital set, the blacks are not as good as a CRT.

I saw the 50" DLP at the Magnolia Hi-Fi in Palo Alto last week. I was hoping that the HD2+/8-segment wheel would make it eliminate the rainbow issue for me, but alas it was not the case. I saw it consistenly in every high-contrast scene in the periphery of my vision.

I also do not care for the dimples/ripples in the screen near the top of the bezel. I noticed this on their 50" LCD RPTV, and I thought it might be an isolated defect, but the DLPs have this too! It really ruins the aesthetics for me, especially considering I will be spending $3K+ on a unit.

I'm going with the GWIII.

Is this set ever going to make it to big retailers like CC, BB, HH Gregg, or Sears? This set was supposed to be out in June and has only made it to a handful of stores. Other manufacturers have been somewhat close to their release date but Panasonic is really way off. If it doesn't make it soon and the 62' Toshiba makes it soon I'm just going to decide between the Toshiba and the Mitsubishi. I'm a little concerned about the Panasonic after the last DLP they put out (with the flickering issues on the PT52DL52).

If you can't tell I'm getting impatient !!!:mad:

thanks for the minireview kculp. i've got my eye on the Panny too but unfortunately have not seen in stores yet.

once question though cuz i'm a newbie. you mentioned the panny has only one HDMI port. does this mean that if i had both a dvd player with digital outputs and an hdtv tuner/box with digital outputs, i would have to choose one or the other???

It really isnt technical. The TV has 1 HDMI input. You can plug a DVI plug into this input using an adapter. Also, my HDTivo came a cable that is DVI on one end and HDMI on the other so I guess you could buy one of those as well. If you use DVI you will also need another connection for audio because DVI does not carry audio. Also, the TV has 2 RGB inputs for connecting a PC capable of resolutions up to 1024 x 768. This connection looks just like a regular pc monitor connection.

I have had this TV for about 2 weeks and I love it. So far, I have only watched SD material on it and it is about what I expected and I have no problems with it. If you take a 480i signal and blow it up to 50in, of course it is not going to look as good as it did on a 27in screen. SD doesnt look great on any big screen no matter what technology. I personally think black level performance on this unit is very good. I am having my HDTivo hooked up on monday and I will try and come back and give a report on what I think then. I am also planning on having the unit ISF calibrated in a couple of weeks and from what I understand, this will make a huge difference.

Originally posted by minime9us
htwaits so i guess youre saying with all that is that you can hook a HTPC with dvi out to the panasonics hdmi port. Right??? Dont really understand backward compatible just want to know you can connect a HTPC to the panasonic that only has HDMI and no DVI input since i see someone has posted that since the panasonic wont accept his HTPC due to HDMI and no DVI port its a deal breaker. You just got way too technical for me with that one.

Thanks

Saw newly unboxed Pannys at Fry's this evening - each 50", 1 with black bezel said 720p on lower right, 1 with silver bezel said 1080i in same place - what gives? Thought DLP was supposed to be compatible with each, maybe convert all signals to 720p - was 1080i a new LCD or alternate version of DLP? No pricing or signs, but sets & remotes otherwise looked identical, similar PQ. Looked very similar to Toshiba 52" DLP with apparently more versatile rear hookups. Only 1 HDMI is unfortunate. Torn now between this & JVC DILA (latter has direct access buttons for video inputs, Panny has you go to menu screen) - JVC narrower at 52" due to speakers on bottom (a plus), slightly prettier design; Panasonic remote higher quality. Did see dead pixel on Samsung last night - glaring white BB-size light in the middle of the screen. That scares me - would that be covered by factory warranty or extended store warranty? Fixed by just changing out chip or is it more complicated than that? Just know I couldn't live with it. Concerned in any format about long term reliability & customer support/service. Heard too many complaints about Sony lack of support on problems. Major plus with DLPs appears to be distinctly less overscan than LCDs for slightly more $$, smoother picture & less heat generating than plasmas for lots less $$. And is everyone covering the bulbs with extended warranties now, CC says they are, BB "thinks" they are, etc. Too much money to sink into TV until all relevant questions are answered. All things considered, still leaning toward JVC at this point. Would appreciate further discussion & any answers offered.

Hey Everyone. Okay, well I did it. I went back to UE this afternoon and they still had one in stock so I took it. We just got it unboxed and hooked up a couple hours ago. I don't have any pics yet though, sorry. My digital camera died a while back, plus I don't have a stand yet and the room is a mess. I just have to say that this TV is awesome! I just popped Finding Nemo in and was speechless. The most impressive thing, I think, is the SD looks great. I have Comcast digital cable (getting HD Monday) and to me it's totally watchable. From what I've seen in stores showing SD and what others that own other DLP's were saying, I was expecting it to be totally unwatchanle. Definately not the case. The blacks look great...best in a DLP yet. I'm ordering my DVI-HDMI cable now, so I won't be able to test a DVI hookup until later in the week. I should have a VGA cable for my PC tomorrow and I'll see how it looks through that. Definately need to get the component cables for the PS2 and Gamecube too. Played a little Mario Kart DD and it looked okay, but could definately stand to be improved. Still awesome to play games on such a big screen! Bottom line, I am so impressed with this TV and as I keep looking at the TV displaying an awesome SD Cinemax movie picture, I have no regrets. Just for the record, I don't see any rainbows and I actually never have in any DLP. The fan is also extremely quiet. You can't even hear it unless you put your ear right up to the TV.

On another note, anyone know if there are any discreet remote codes posted for this TV yet? Anyone that already has one care to post their picture settings?

Anyway, I'm gonna watch another DVD. Can't get enough.

Ed:D

Originally posted by FaSSt2001
Hey Everyone. Okay, well I did it. I went back to UE this afternoon and they still had one in stock so I took it. We just got it unboxed and hooked up a couple hours ago. I don't have any pics yet though, sorry. My digital camera died a while back, plus I don't have a stand yet and the room is a mess. I just have to say that this TV is awesome! I just popped Finding Nemo in and was speechless. The most impressive thing, I think, is the SD looks great. I have Comcast digital cable (getting HD Monday) and to me it's totally watchable. From what I've seen in stores showing SD and what others that own other DLP's were saying, I was expecting it to be totally unwatchanle. Definately not the case. The blacks look great...best in a DLP yet. I'm ordering my DVI-HDMI cable now, so I won't be able to test a DVI hookup until later in the week. I should have a VGA cable for my PC tomorrow and I'll see how it looks through that. Definately need to get the component cables for the PS2 and Gamecube too. Played a little Mario Kart DD and it looked okay, but could definately stand to be improved. Still awesome to play games on such a big screen! Bottom line, I am so impressed with this TV and as I keep looking at the TV displaying an awesome SD Cinemax movie picture, I have no regrets. Just for the record, I don't see any rainbows and I actually never have in any DLP. The fan is also extremely quiet. You can't even hear it unless you put your ear right up to the TV.

On another note, anyone know if there are any discreet remote codes posted for this TV yet? Anyone that already has one care to post their picture settings?

Anyway, I'm gonna watch another DVD. Can't get enough.

Ed:D

FaSSt2001:

Thank you for your positive review. Can you elaborate on the following:

1. Blacks: Can you darken the room (just turn all the lights out is fine) and see if the TV still casts good blacks? Or does it cast grayish or dark purplish blacks?

2. How do the details in dark scenes look? Do they look crashed?

3. Does picture look kind of flat like a computer LCD monitor (especially like a laptop monitor)? Or more 3 dimensional?

4. Fast moving scenes. Any motion blur?

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

FWIW, the manual for Samsung DLP's does state that there is a danger of burn-in. Fill that screen!

Eric

Magnolia HiFi in San Ramon, CA has one on display. The picture quality looks better than the Samsung HD3 units.

Originally posted by Michaelmorio
FaSSt2001:

Thank you for your positive review. Can you elaborate on the following:

1. Blacks: Can you darken the room (just turn all the lights out is fine) and see if the TV still casts good blacks? Or does it cast grayish or dark purplish blacks?

Well, last night I watched X-Men on DVD with all the lights out. To me, the blacks look black and good. Definitely not dark purplish or dark grey like my friends GWIII look. Unless I'm just blind, they look very close to a CRT to me...just not quite as dark. :D

2. How do the details in dark scenes look? Do they look crashed?

The dark scenes look great to me. My untrained eye couldn't see any crush unless I just don't know what I'm looking for. I'm not a seasoned videophile by any means, but I've seen TV's that don't look well in dark scenes.

3. Does picture look kind of flat like a computer LCD monitor (especially like a laptop monitor)? Or more 3 dimensional?

The picture definately doesn't look flat. There is plenty of life in the picture.

4. Fast moving scenes. Any motion blur?

I have not noticed any motion blur yet. I've just watched some Olympic running and The Fast and the Furious so far and it was flawless.

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

Please see all my answers in the above quote. Of course picture quality is very sbjective, so I'm sure other people will probably see different than I'm seeing. Definately see it for yourself and make your own judgments before buying. I wouldn't want to be responsible for someone buying one and not seeing what I see. I'm describing what I see and maybe it's just coming from a smaller TV that everything just looks so much better. My previous TV in my living room was about a 12 or 13 year old Trinitron. I won't say what size, because you'll all laugh. :D That TV looks so dull and lifeless compared to the Panasonic. I'll gladly try to answer any questions and post DVI and PC results later.

Ed

Originally posted by Arbitter529
Magnolia HiFi in San Ramon, CA has one on display. The picture quality looks better than the Samsung HD3 units.
And woldn't really agree with this statement. Seemed a bit dimmer, and no as sharp.

Originally posted by uncledougie
Looked very similar to Toshiba 52" DLP with apparently more versatile rear hookups.

Cosmetically or picture quality?

FaSSt2001/Michaelmorio,

The X-men DVD that FaSSt2001 watched was a good test. On the Samsung HLN617w that I owned it really put the Samsung through the test on this DVD. The Samsung failed. It was rather dim in lowlit scenes (particularly the ending on the Statue of Liberty) and the blacks definitely had a grayish tint. Hopefully I will be as impressed as you FaSSt2001. I've narrowed down my search to the Toshiba DLP/Panasonic DLP and still not out of the picture is the Mitsubishi DLP. Problem is, the 52" Toshiba isn't out yet and I've not seen the Panasonic DLP yet. Hopefully the Panasonic will make it to stores like HH Gregg/BB/CC/& Sears. HH Gregg & BB do not have it listed in their systems yet as of 8/27.

I've seen the 52" Toshiba DLP at Best Buy for more than a week here in Raleigh, NC. I've never seen the Panasonic DLP.

we're still waiting for it at our compusa in parsippany

I just stopped by Fry's in San Jose (Brokaw) this afternoon. They have Samsung (Captain Kirk), Toshiba 52", JVC DILA, and Panasonic. The Samsung is too expensive($4400). The rest are about the same price ($3400). I like the Panasonic. Has any one tried it with HTPC? Any problem connecting it with PC?

After buying and loving my Samsung HLP 4663 until I realized that a good portion of HD programming looked dubbed because of the now infamous sound synch problem, I worked out a deal with Magnolia in San Francisco to exchange (with a bit more $) for the Panasonic PT-50DL54. In store, side-by-side with Samsung, looked terrific with color that to me seemed more realistic, i.e. during the Olympics the floor of the basketball court looked the color of blond wood as it is in real life and not orange-ish as on virtually all the other sets. It's a beautiful TV and hopefully won't have the sound synch issues of Samsung. Better chip. 8 color wheel. Handsome tv. FYI... MAGNOLIA WAS SHOWING THE SET ABOVE MSRP. I BROUGHT IN THE PANASONIC WEBSITE PAGE WITH MSRP. MAGNOLIA LOWERED PRICE TO ME TO $250 BELOW MSRP. THAT'S ALL THE HAGGLING I'M WILLING TO DO! With the money I "saved" i bought the 4 year BULB INCLUDED maintenance plan

By the way: best HDTVs on the planet: LOEWE.
My ARTICOS 30 CRT kicks the butt off of every DLP, LCD, Plasma I've ever seen. If you've got a smallish set and don't care about hangin' it on the wall, find one of these.

Their other sets are amazing too

The Panny DLP is a good set. To me better than their LCD sets. It may be the one I recommend as a low cost way of getting an HD2+ set.

Saw the new panny dlp over the weekend at the great indoors in gaithersburg, md. The picture was great. They had a football game playing on espnHD on all the sets and the panny looked fantastic. The colors were more accurate and the blacks had plenty of detail.It actually looked a tad better than the hlp5085 sammy and the toshiba dlp.

Originally posted by xb1032
FaSSt2001/Michaelmorio,

The X-men DVD that FaSSt2001 watched was a good test. On the Samsung HLN617w that I owned it really put the Samsung through the test on this DVD. The Samsung failed. It was rather dim in lowlit scenes (particularly the ending on the Statue of Liberty) and the blacks definitely had a grayish tint. Hopefully I will be as impressed as you FaSSt2001. I've narrowed down my search to the Toshiba DLP/Panasonic DLP and still not out of the picture is the Mitsubishi DLP. Problem is, the 52" Toshiba isn't out yet and I've not seen the Panasonic DLP yet. Hopefully the Panasonic will make it to stores like HH Gregg/BB/CC/& Sears. HH Gregg & BB do not have it listed in their systems yet as of 8/27.

Where do you live? I've seen the 52" Toshiba over a month ago here in California.

Originally posted by bton
I just stopped by Fry's in San Jose (Brokaw) this afternoon. They have Samsung (Captain Kirk), Toshiba 52", JVC DILA, and Panasonic. The Samsung is too expensive($4400). The rest are about the same price ($3400). I like the Panasonic. Has any one tried it with HTPC? Any problem connecting it with PC?
I'm using it as my monitor right now, just through the VGA cable though. I won't have my DVI-HDMI until Wednesday. It doesn't take up the whole screen of course, just as much as if it was a normal sized monitor. It looks great like that (the desktop looks awesome, but the text could be a little better), can't wait to see the DVI. I haven't done anything other than web browsing yet though. I'll be testing Doom 3 as soon as that cable comes in.

I also got my HD box from Comcast today and am watching my Boys win in HD. Awesome...I don't think I'll ever leave my house again.:D I'll check out some of the other HD channels after the game. Again, this is through component for now.

My one and only complaint so far....the split screem doesn't work with the stupid VGA port. Grrrr...I can't watch TV at the same time. I guess I'll live though. Why would they do that? The Samsung supports at least PIP with the VGA doesn't it? Does the Mitsubishi? Not that big of a deal. I'll just have to buy a 20" LCD or something as a second monitor for when I want to watch TV too, I guess. Well, off to more HD viewing!

Ed

Any of the Panny DLP owners out here notice any "lip sync" problems (Video not in sync with audio)?

I am seriously considering this over the Sammy DLP as it appears that some folks who got the new DLPs from Samsung (HLP series) are still encountering sync issues.

Question answered previously...

Originally posted by Quill
Question answered previously...

I assume you are replying about the lip sync issues. I did a search, but didn't see anything about Panny DLPs and lip sync. Do you have the answer?

Originally posted by Quill
Question answered previously...

I have gone through this entire thread myself and found no mention of the lip sync issue. Can you point out the post number in this thread where this was referred to? I must have missed it.

Originally posted by antongusa
Saw the new panny dlp over the weekend at the great indoors in gaithersburg, md. ....


I assume this is the store on Shday Grove Road? I have been waiting to see this one in action, it's the last chance DLP has for my dollar after rainbow overload on the "kirk" models.

Thanks to everyone for their informative posts.

Originally posted by cyclocommuter
Any of the Panny DLP owners out here notice any "lip sync" problems (Video not in sync with audio)?

I am seriously considering this over the Sammy DLP as it appears that some folks who got the new DLPs from Samsung (HLP series) are still encountering sync issues.
I have not noticed and sync issues yet, but I really haven't paid attention to that too much. I guess if it was happening bad enough, I probably would have noticed it though. I'll check it out tonight when I get home.

Ed

Originally posted by videobruce
That was from that Brians Camera site as one of the 'add ons' for this TV!

$70 for a cleaning cloth! Right....................

Or as Bill Cosby might put it, "Riiiiiiight." :)

Originally posted by egcarter
FWIW, the manual for Samsung DLP's does state that there is a danger of burn-in. Fill that screen!

Eric

I suggest that this is a manufacturer just covering its a** but doing so unnecessarily. There have been innumerable burn in threads here and the next post I read in which a poster claims that he sustained burn in on his DLP will be my first. As I understand it, albeit imperfectly, there is simply nothing to burn in on a DLP set.

I have had my 50" RCA DLP for ten months; I can't stand stretch formatting where 4:3 material is stretched to 16:9, so I watch all SD programming in 4:3 pillar box. I have sustained no burn in.

Originally posted by cyclocommuter
I have gone through this entire thread myself and found no mention of the lip sync issue. Can you point out the post number in this thread where this was referred to? I must have missed it.

Aw geez, sorry! I had asked a question, hit post, and then found it had been covered on a previous page that I had skimmed over...so I edited my post with what was obviously a very cryptic comment...D'oh!

So, "question answered" referred to mine!

After watching the various online retail for signs of the 50DL54, I happened to notice that One Call is showing "INSTOCK". I don't know if it is true, but I wanted to let you know. This could be a sign wider distribution.

Originally posted by antongusa
Saw the new panny dlp over the weekend at the great indoors in gaithersburg, md. The picture was great. They had a football game playing on espnHD on all the sets and the panny looked fantastic. The colors were more accurate and the blacks had plenty of detail.It actually looked a tad better than the hlp5085 sammy and the toshiba dlp.

what did you like better about the Panasonic over the colors? Was it as bright as the Toshiba? Were the blacks as good or better?

Originally posted by FaSSt2001
I have not noticed and sync issues yet, but I really haven't paid attention to that too much. I guess if it was happening bad enough, I probably would have noticed it though. I'll check it out tonight when I get home.

Ed

Thanks Fastt2001, reason I am particular with this issue is because I have been burned before. I bought then returned a Samsung HLN567W earlier this year after I found the lip sync issues more than annoying. I decided to wait for the HLP series instead of opting for the fix (to the HLN) but based on Samsung HLP owners comments, it appears this problem still exists. Hopefully Panasonic does not have this problem.

OK, I got my HD receiver hooked up. I find the picture to be fantastic. I watched a football game last night, some Discovery HD, and something else but I dont remember what. DVD's look fantastic as well. Blacks are black as far as I can tell. No lip sync issue. When I stand up close to the TV, I can see "noise" in the picture. But from my watching position, I see no distortion or noise whatsoever. I find the speakers more than adequate. SD is not perfect but in my opinion I have seen a whole lot worse on other RPTV's. I find it easily watchable. One thing I have noticed is that the TV takes 5-10 seconds to turn on or off after you hit the power button. This is apparently normal as it has something to do with the fan. So far, I am very happy with my purchase. I am planning on having the unit ISF calibrated next week, so I can come back then and let you know what I think of it then.

Remember, the thread is the Panasonic DLP set. But can't help responding to the Loewe fan. Glad you are happy with your Loewe tube set, I'm sure it's great. The Articos DLP set (55", I believe) was a real disappointment. Blacks not even close to being black. You pay a HUGE premium to have a German set, and perhaps the scaling from analog signals is great BUT if the picture is washed out, who cares? Getting down to Earth in terms of price, the Panasonic DLP is looking very good. I was really interested to see the JVC D-ILA set and finally saw it today. Nope. Might be a great technology down the road, but for now IMHO the picture on the Toshiba or Panasonic DLP looks the best in this price range. If $$ is no object, the new Pioneer plasmas really shine.

My impatient wait to see 50" Pany DLP is OC, CA ended when I saw one at Magnolia (BB) near South Coast Plaza. Was probably not well set up but I was not as overwhelmed - or even fully whelmed - as I had hoped. I did not have time or energy [medical issues] to tweak settings.

My biggest disappointment was that the retail price was $500 over what I thought the MSRP was going to be, although the salesman was quick to mote possibility of $500 of discounts. What a deal. If anyone sees these sets at another OC, CA retailer please let us know. (I cannot handle mail order/uncrating/setup due to aforementioned medical issues.)

I am assumiong that proper calibration will help the video, and hope we hear from others who are now finally seeing the set in person.

$500 over MSRP? Ouch. At the one BB I've seen this set at thus far, their sticker price was well under MSRP. I won't say exactly how much if only to heed the rules, but lets' just say "greater than 15% off" :D

Sadly, this particular BB had poorly imformed salespeople, at least insofar as DLP is concerned. Their "expert" was keen on pitching the Sammys, insisting that the HLPxx63's were HD2+ and not HD3.

Originally posted by dangerfish
OK, I got my HD receiver hooked up. I find the picture to be fantastic. I watched a football game last night, some Discovery HD, and something else but I dont remember what. DVD's look fantastic as well. Blacks are black as far as I can tell. No lip sync issue. When I stand up close to the TV, I can see "noise" in the picture. But from my watching position, I see no distortion or noise whatsoever. I find the speakers more than adequate. SD is not perfect but in my opinion I have seen a whole lot worse on other RPTV's. I find it easily watchable. One thing I have noticed is that the TV takes 5-10 seconds to turn on or off after you hit the power button. This is apparently normal as it has something to do with the fan. So far, I am very happy with my purchase. I am planning on having the unit ISF calibrated next week, so I can come back then and let you know what I think of it then.

Hi Dangerfish:

When you saw the "noise", what kind of noise was it? Also, how close were you to the TV?

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

I really dont know how to describe the "noise". It's kinda like blocky movement around areas of different colors. But this is honestly when standing like 1 ft from the TV if not less. From normal viewing distances, this is not noticeable HD and really not even in SD. Like I said, I am pretty darn happy with the SD picture.

Originally posted by cyclocommuter
Thanks Fastt2001, reason I am particular with this issue is because I have been burned before. I bought then returned a Samsung HLN567W earlier this year after I found the lip sync issues more than annoying. I decided to wait for the HLP series instead of opting for the fix (to the HLN) but based on Samsung HLP owners comments, it appears this problem still exists. Hopefully Panasonic does not have this problem.
Yeah, I'm watching Austin Powers on Starz HD right now and no sync issues at all. I also watched a little SportsCenter in HD and no sync issues. I'll pay attention as I watch more stuff tonight, but there looks to be no issue to me.

Ed

It's there y'all in my Samsumg HLP 4663 (Yes, HLP has the problem too). I wasn't even looking for it, but started noticing it and thought maybe it was my receiver. Turned receiver off, watch tv w/tv sound only. Problem continued Anyway, I only discovered that others had the same problem after I started researching. Try watching one of the morning talk shows, or news or some live feed HDTV. There the problem is particularly bad... and no, it isn't present on other TVs, it is a problem with the HLP 4663. In other words, test it out enough and you'll find out that it's not the broadcast but the tv. Supposedly there's a fix on the tech menu. I can't be bothered.

ALSO If you use component connection, you cannot use the tint control, it simply won't work. That problem is not fixable.

topcatsf, I had exactly the same experience as you with my Samsung (HLN series). I found that the problem would appear intermittently both when watching OTA and certain DVDs (PoC, Shrek, Total Recall, among others). I also compared it to my regular TV (side by side) just to be sure the delay was not caused by the source (broadcaster).

I suggest you return the Samsung HLP to the dealer and perhaps get the Pansonic DLP. It appears the sync problem (caused by the TV, not the broadcaster) does not exist based on feedback from this thread and elsewhere.

For some reason I hadn't had much interest in the Panny DLP, but after my big letdown with the new Hitachi 50VS810, seemingly no solid info on the XS series of the upcoming GWIV, etc. There were no current TV's that were garnering my interest. Last night I went to Ultimate Electronics to see if they had one of these sets up and running. To my surprise the Panny DLP performed amazingly well. It is ugly as sh*t in my opinion, especially if you don't want the matching stand, but I though the PQ was pretty great. It sat between the JVC D-ila and a GWIII and on PQ alone my eyes continued to wander back to the Panny. I went out to the floor and grabbed a relatively crappy DVD player and hooked it up via component just so I could see how the set handled the scaling, etc. Put in the campfire scene from SeaBiscuit and thought the blacks looked pretty good. Detail seemed good, I didn't notice any sync issues. Suddenly this set was looking like a possibility. I was happy to see 3 component inputs, 1 HDMI, and 2 PC hookups. Not bad. It doesn't have OTA tuner or CC but for me those are not requirements as I plan on continuing to use satellite. To be honest I don't have anything bad to say about it other than its form factor, but for some reason I still don't have the urge to buy it. Could it be that I am scared to be done with my never ending hunt for a new HDTV? I don't know. At this point I will definitely wait to hear what info Cedia brings, but if the Tosh HMX series and the Sony XS series don't find store shelves in the next couple weeks, I may actually buy the Panny DLP!

It could be that you are shy from the let downs that nearly every dlp2+ suffers from. Not that they are terrible, but that there is no clear winner and each has conflicting pros and cons. Kind of makes it difficult to pull the trigger.

The current crop of RPTV DLP 2+ are a brutal lesson in "How To Be A Good Consumer.".

Another report on my new Panny 50" ...

PQ still great on HD and DVD - some SD over satellite actually looks pretty good too. The only issue I am finding is that I get some screen flicker on HD stations when I change the channel or use my on-screen guide. The picture flickers briefly and then looks fine again. Interestingly, it only happens when going between HD stations, or when the guide is brought up while on an HD station. It is most pronounced on HDNet for some reason.

Still very pleased - the fan noise in non-existent, no glare, good blacks, no rainbows (which I did see on the Mits), etc.

I will post a digital photo if you will tell me how.

Originally posted by SomeDude
$500 over MSRP? Ouch. At the one BB I've seen this set at thus far, their sticker price was well under MSRP. I won't say exactly how much if only to heed the rules, but lets' just say "greater than 15% off" :D

Sadly, this particular BB had poorly imformed salespeople, at least insofar as DLP is concerned. Their "expert" was keen on pitching the Sammys, insisting that the HLPxx63's were HD2+ and not HD3.

So the Panny is showing up in Best Buy now? I checked about 2 days ago and they didn't have it in their system. Hopefully I'll start seeiing them locally soon :D .

My apologies; I have habit calling the chain stores "big box", hence the "BB". I'll stick with B&M from now on :D

Only one retailer I've found has the PT50DL54 on display (Soundsaround); everyone else, including Best Buy, are still waiting for delivery. Keep in mind, though, that I'm in Canada.

Still waiting to see the 60" set. I know these aren't due for another couple of weeks yet.

I have seen it at the great indoors in Woodbridge, NJ along with the Mits/Sammy Kirk/toshiba dlp's... but their set up's are so screwed up that I could not make heads or tails of the quality on any.

Originally posted by salukis
Does anyone know what major chains are going to sell the Panny PT-50DL54? I've been checking BB and CC, neither know anything about it. Tweeter tells me they aren't planning on carrying it either.

I saw it last night at "The Great Indoors" in Gaithersburg, MD. This was actually a decent place to see them... way better than CC or BB. Not crowded and the sales reps weren't morons.

We were hard pressed to spot rainbows on it watching the US Open. The only place they appeared where on Maria's shoulder straps. There was some "shimmering" to the horizontal lines on the court and the net, possibly caused by the source. The picture quality looked identical to the "kirk", but they only had HDNet signals going in, so it's not a fair call without seeing a DVD.

This set had much more defined edges around the players than the 50LC14 did, my girlfriend claimed to see some motion blur (i couldn't see it) on the LCD but not on the DLP, so that's another thing this set has going for it.

On a side note... I was shocked when I saw the Mitsu DLP, as it was using the same signal, and it was covered in raindows. Every line on the court made them. Maybe the glass screen made it easier to see them. I saw no rainbows on the lower end Sammy DLPs. Huh.

My local Sound Advice (Tampa) has over 100 on order with a due date of 9/7.

Sound Advice is part of Tweeter.

I talked to a salesman at Tweeter in Boston and he stated that they were getting the Pannys within 2 weeks of today/

Man, this thread drops too fast. We need more people to buy this TV so we can keep the thread up. I think they should start showing up in major quantities withing this week or next week. When I bought mine last week, UE said that the Denver warehouse was expecting 2xx (can't remember the exact number) units on 9/1.

Anyway, I received my DVI-HDMI cable yesterday. I hooked up my Comcast 3250HD right away and honestly couldn't really tell a difference in PQ between DVI and component. I switched back and forth a few times and on different HD stations. The difference wasn't really enough to stop using component, so for now my PC is using the DVI.

It took a while to get my PC to display correctly. I had to reinstall my ATI Catalyst drivers before it would give me any resolution choices other than 720x480 or something like that. I even tried PowerStrip, but have since removed it since I finally got the PC to display different resolutions on it's own. It might just be my crappy 9600SE that is causing so many problems. When I had PowerStrip on, the EDID was reading from the TV correctly so I'm not sure what was going on. I'm very computer literate as I am a programmer, but video and graphics are definately not my strong points. Anyway, I finally got it to display at 1280x720. Of course there is the overscan on all sides, but that's not too big of a deal right now. The text is crystal clear and I can read it from my normal seating position and I don't have 20/20 vision anymore. My background wallpaper actually doesn't look that good. It's kind of too sharp or something. I haven't figured that one out yet. The pictures in my screensaver look fabulous though. I played a movie and it looked pretty good, although not as good as my DVD player. I only have PowerDVD installed right now though and no extra software so I'll leave final judgment on that until I get it set up correctly. I also palyed Doom 3...for far too long on a worknight I might add :D...last night. My card will only support it on medium, but it still looked awesome. So much better than my CRT monitor. I just wish it would play in widescreen though. It actually won't let me play it in anything other than 800x600. Every time I change the resolution in the options to anything higher, it just defaults back to 800x600. I've seen pictures of Doom 3 in widescreen, but maybe it was just stretched or something which you can't do on the HDMI input. Maybe some gamers have some tips? I'll probably have to ask on the HTPC board. The overscan would be my only other complaint so far (the other not being able to use split screen on VGA input), but that's an issue with all TVs so....I will just keep on keepin' on.

I'm not too sure why PIP was dropped either. Split screen is awesome, but it's nice to have the choice of either one like on the Samsung and I believe the Panasonic LCDs. I should have some pics to post this weekend.

Ed

FaSSt2001-

I am curious. Why are you using the DVI in for your HTPC? I know that on many of these RP tv's that is the only option to hook up a PC, but I thought the Panny DLP had 2 PC inputs (VGA?) Do these not work well? I am trying to understand the difference because I am considering this unit but was thinking that I would use the PC input for my PC? Can you give me the scoop on the pros/cons of this?

Originally posted by jacobms1
FaSSt2001-

I am curious. Why are you using the DVI in for your HTPC? I know that on many of these RP tv's that is the only option to hook up a PC, but I thought the Panny DLP had 2 PC inputs (VGA?) Do these not work well? I am trying to understand the difference because I am considering this unit but was thinking that I would use the PC input for my PC? Can you give me the scoop on the pros/cons of this?
The PC input works fine.....but it won't display your desktop in widescreen. It just displays it in basically a normal CRT monitor sized area which leaves lots of black area on the sides of the desktop to fill the rest of the screen. It fills the screen top to bottom though. Unless I'm missing something with the way my resolution should be set to get it to fill the screen, that's what I get. The manual states that the VGA input will accept 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768 inputs, but it will scale down the 1024x768 to 800x600. I didn't try playing a movie or games with the VGA input yet so, I'm not sure if a movie would force it to use the whole screen or not. Like I said, I'm not too sharp on the video and graphics parts of computers. It does look great like that though. The desktop is clear as well as text although the text is sharper and clearer through the HDMI input to my eye. I also want to use my computer as a media server and play movies off the hard drive or the computers DVD ROM. If playing a movie through the VGA input will force full screen use, then I would probably go back to that. I'm not sure of the PQ differences between VGA and component/DVI yet either. Can anyone enlighten me about the difference in PQ between VGA and component if any since they are both RGB?

Ed

Have you tried a custom resolution? I have seen people in other threads set the rez to like 11XX x 6xx and it stayed widescreen. That was with teh LCD model though....

Originally posted by FaSSt2001
Man, this thread drops too fast. We need more people to buy this TV so we can keep the thread up.

I have added this thread to the "Popular Thread" Post stuck near the top of the forum list.

Originally posted by Barrybud
I have added this thread to the "Popular Thread" Post stuck near the top of the forum list.
Well GRACIAS!:D Hopefully more people will be bringing this TV home in the next week or so.

I was reading the DOOM 3 thread in the gaming forum, so that will help with the widescreen of the game. Now I just have to figure out the VGA port and see if a custom resolution will help. I guess I'll reinstall PowerStrip and see what I can do.

Ed

Fastt2001, when I had the Samsung, I use to connect my PC to it via the RGB (analog or 19 pin D-SUB) connector and the video card (an nVidia GeForce 4 4200 ti) using the latest nVidia drivers at the time had an option to display at a resolution of 1280 X 720 (or 720p).

Is your video card capable of supporting this resolution (1280 X 720)? Have you tried it using the RGB (analog) connection as opposed to the HDMI? Does Panny's analog RGB connection only accept 800 X 600 and 1024 X 768 as opposed to true 720p (1280 X 720)?

I've had my PT-50DL54 for about a week now. A bit more experience with it, but still waiting on the HDTV from E* so we don't have a signal to feed it yet. Ordered the Zennith DVB318 DVD player, that also hasn't arrive yet. So, we are dressed up for the party when everybody shows up.

Playing regular progressive scan DVD looks ok, doesn't justify the expense of the TV obviously.

Sound is fantastic. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this. Yes, I have a sound system. But, if you don't always turn it on with causual watching you will be amazed at how great this thing "simulates" 3D sound with just the two built in speakers. You don't get the deep base and I am not trying to make this out to be DTS, but it isn't shabby at all. Justifies having the two speakers built in.

No fan noise to report and no lip synch problems.

I do see a bit of glare, minor. There is an antiglare coating, but I am particular with that when there is a light on in the room.

Vivid, bright colors. Deep blacks. No rainbows.

Originally posted by cyclocommuter
Fastt2001, when I had the Samsung, I use to connect my PC to it via the RGB (analog or 19 pin D-SUB) connector and the video card (an nVidia GeForce 4 4200 ti) using the latest nVidia drivers at the time had an option to display at a resolution of 1280 X 720 (or 720p).

Is your video card capable of supporting this resolution (1280 X 720)? Have you tried it using the RGB (analog) connection as opposed to the HDMI? Does Panny's analog RGB connection only accept 800 X 600 and 1024 X 768 as opposed to true 720p (1280 X 720)?
Yeah, I'm using the VGA input right now and the desktop takes up only a portion of the screen in the center. There are big black bars along both sides of the desktop and there are small black bars on the top and bottom. I can set the resolution on the card to 1280x720, but it uses the same screen area and when you move your mouse to the edges, it scrolls the desktop. Do you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, it looks fine like that and it kills the 15" monitor I was using before. I just want to use my computer as a HTPC and play movies off the hard drive/DVD ROM and through this input, the movie doesn't fill the whole screen. The manual does state that the VGA input only accepts those three computer resolutions, nothing about 720p. I guess I'm just out of luck on that one. :confused: I wish it did and then I would use the HDMI for my cable box.

Ed

I see what you mean, it appears the Panny won't display resolution of 1280 X 720 via the RGB (VGA) connector... that's too bad but reading your other post, I get the impression you were able to set your video card to display at that resolution using the DVI output.

That would be good enough for me as my video card has a DVI output. I remember having overscan / underscan problems too when I had my PC hooked up to the Samsung before I returned it.

Blacks and brightness were similar but the panny had better skin tones.

Well, the wife and I have this set being delivered today. I for one would really like to get the ball rolling on this thread, and will try to be as informative as I can. I don't have any HD gear right now, but I will be picking up some Xbox Monster cables this weekend, and will try to update everyone on the set and Xbox gaming.

I have SD Satellite through Bell ExpressVu. I am also going to try and get my hands on a HD receiver in time for NFL Sunday ticket ;)

While auditioning Superbit Resident Evil, Fifth Element and Alien at the store, We were really impressed with the blacks and PQ, especially in the Superbit. All of this was with a Panny DVD player hooked up through component.

My wife saw no rainbows. I did see some rainbows in Alien (opening credits where the "Alien" logo slowly appears), but it required me basically shaking my head like I was at a speed metal rock concert. :D Normally watching the set, I noticed no rainbows, and wasn't bothered by it at all. I did notice rainbows significantly in a DLP projector with a 3 segment colour wheel.

Darkandlong:

Thank you for your commitment for reviewing this TV. I can't believe there was no post for this thread on September 3. I know you are going to be busy watching your TV this weekend. But your updates are truly appreciated.

Michaelmorio

First time message for me, I am looking at both the Panny 50 inch and Toby 52 inch. I have found great prices out there for both of these new sets. My question comes to reliabilty of the vendors or retailers. I'm looking at buying on the net because the best prices are out there.
Does anyone have any feedback on 888 Camcorder.com. Their prices are great, just don't want a big hazzle if they are not a good company.

Thanks Smokievol

Can try reselleratings.com:

http://resellerratings.com/seller2432.html

Only 1 post so statistically it does not show much but will say it again.. lowest price usually means highest risk.

ONecall seems to get good reviews from people here as well as on resellerratings.com

http://resellerratings.com/seller1873.html

It all comes down to what it's worth to you to feel safe in your purchase.. a bargain is only a bargain if it arrives and you have no problems. Lot fo the NY discount houses have poor reputations for customer service. Good luck!

Quick question.. when watching in 4:3 format, does the Panny use gray bars or black ( or even uder selectable)? I usually HATE stretch modes for 4:3 format and still watch 4:3 format at least 30-35% of the time ( this is one reason I have stayed away from plasma ). But, being picky, I also dislike gray bars. Thx in advance!

I’ve been reading posts on this forum for some time deciding between the various DLP projection sets. At lot of the information has been very useful so I though I’d share my observations on the set that I finally settled on – the Panasonic PT-50DL54.

First I spent a lot of time comparing PQ on the Mit52, Samsung Kirk, Toshiba 52, JVC and the Panny50. I was only interested in the HD2+ chip sets. The Mit52 and the Samsung had a very high contrast picture that proved very tiring to my eyes after 15 min or so of watching, the JVC seemed to bright and colorful for my taste.. The most “comfortable” pictures were from the Toshiba and the Panny. I was finally able to see the Panny DLP and the Toshiba DLP side by side at the F*y’s in Fremont (Bay Area) and the Panny won out due to the purity and realism of the colors (The Toshiba had to much red push and did not have the “3D image depth that the Panny sported).

I’ve had the Panny for about a week now ; with a Samsung HD Direct TV Satellite tuner using a DVI to HDMI cable, Denon DVD-1600, and Replay TV PVR. I performed an Avia calibration and this did improve the picture. I was surprised at how sensitive the set is to the correct settings. I previously owned a Sony 34” HD XBR and it was not nearly as sensitive to the picture settings. The picture settings after calibration were:

Standard Picture Setting
Color 27
Tint 29
Brightness 35
Picture 55
Sharpness 30

Cinema Picture Setting
Color 24
Tint 29
Brightness 31
Picture between 40 and 50 (little effect on other settings)
Sharpness 22


The picture quality from the HD channels is so exquisite and realistic that I could reach into and behind the picture if the darn screen didn’t get in the way. The picture quality on SD is really BAD. My complaint on the SD picture is a shimmering ghost that surrounded most high contrast image areas on the screen (like football players on a field). My old Sony XBR HD set was much more forgiving; an excellent HD picture and handled SD content very well…. But now for the good news…..

Today I went back to M* HiFi and had the sale person put an SD picture feed from the Samsung Direct TV tuner on all of the display sets in the store (an SD college football game); the picture was as BAD on all the sets; even the Plasma and the LCD projection sets….. CRT sets handled the SD picture fairly well. So I guess if I want good HD, I have to put up with bad SD…… The sales person agreed to hook up a pre-scalar between the Samsung tuner and an HD set to see if this improved the SD picture. The sales person said he would set this up in the next week or so and let me know if it helped…..if it does it may be worth the $$$$.

All In all, I am extremely pleased with this set and would recommend it to anyone. The picture quality is as good as it was on my 34” Sony XBR HD set, only much bigger. I am planning to get the Direct TV HD recorder soon (I’m resisting as I only use a cell phone and don’t want to spring for a land line just to set up and use the HD recorder) and an up-converting DVD player (likely the Denon’s that just came into stock at the M*Hi Fi store today).

Welcome to these forums Panny50. Your post will definitely help others make better decisions. However, it would be even better if you re-post your ongoing experience with the Panny after a few more weeks of use. Based on the initial posts here, the Panny is becoming more and more like a good choice. I only wish they would come out with a 54 or 56 model.

Panny50, thanks for those settings... I'm waiting for my copy of DVE to ship, and this was great to see.

Have you tried using any of the additional video settings?

As far as my 1 day's experience so far:

I didn't really consider the SD horrible, but I was switching from a 10-15 year old Toshiba CRT. Some feeds were definitely horrible (IE: World cup of Hockey on CBC), but a lot of my SD Expressvu satellite TV feeds weren't totally atrocious.

I'm pleased to add that I personally didn't notaice any button lag on Madden 2k5 on my Xbox while doing the FG drills. I thought I experienced a little lag kicking with ESPN NFL 2k5, but madden was spot on.

HD Xbox is great... I just with more games did 720 and up. True Crime streets of LA looked nice.

My only complaint was that the yellows of the goalposts in madden seemed more green then yellow, using the standard picture setting. I plan on fiddling with it some more soon.

Originally posted by Panny50 The picture quality from the HD channels is so exquisite and realistic that I could reach into and behind the picture if the darn screen didn�t get in the way. The picture quality on SD is really BAD. My complaint on the SD picture is a shimmering ghost that surrounded most high contrast image areas on the screen (like football players on a field). My old Sony XBR HD set was much more forgiving; an excellent HD picture and handled SD content very well�. But now for the good news�.. I have this TV for a few days now and found SD picture to be very decent (Dish Network SD feed) :) Obviously the HDTV picture looks much more realistic but, again, the SD picture looks very good on this set (at least on mine).

Where are you guys seeing the Panasonic, BB or CC near me don't have it.

-smak-

I found the Panny in the SF Bay area at F*y's, and high end retailers And*son's TV and M*Hi Fi. I'd call the high end stores and F*y's if there is one near you. Most retailers have the Panny LCD models but the Panny DLP is harder to find. C*USA is also carrying it.

About the SD picture quality... after seeing SD on all of the TV's in the show room, the PQ on the Panny was no better or worse than other large HD sets.....I guess I was just expecting better..... but I find I'm only watching HD or DVD anyway.....now I don't have to surf through 500 channels, I only have about 7 DTV HD and about 5 OTA HD to surf.... life is simpler :)

BB in SF also has it but the price is ridiculous: higher then MSRP!

Back to the SD picture quality, I have also a 34" CRT EDTV Panny (actually it says HDTV on the TV itself) and PQ is practically equal to DLP Panny.

Originally posted by jdavis37
Quick question.. when watching in 4:3 format, does the Panny use gray bars or black ( or even uder selectable)? I usually HATE stretch modes for 4:3 format and still watch 4:3 format at least 30-35% of the time ( this is one reason I have stayed away from plasma ). But, being picky, I also dislike gray bars. Thx in advance!
Glad to see there's more posting going on in this thread and more buyers.

The bars are black. My cable box lets me pick the color anyway, so I guess it didn't matter what the TV did. I too, prefer the black.

I finally got my stand, which is awesome. It's an Omni Mount Stellar G-343 which I got from UE. It's about 40 1/2 inches wide which is just about ewxactly the width of the Panasonic base. It also has a curve on the front that flows very well with the curve on the base of the TV. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looks like it was made for the TV. Very nice!

I borrowed my mom's digital camera and took some pics, but I forgot to take her cable to transfer them to my computer. As soon as I get the cable or the card reader from her, I'll post pics. Had the whole family over today to check it out and everyone was absolutely amazed. I wish there would have been NFL today though, but we watched some baseball in HD and some other random HD stuff.

I also got component cables for my PS2 today. WOW! What a difference. Some people say the component cables make the no-progressive games look really bad, but not the case here. To me, this is the best I've ever seen PS2 graphics. When I first tried it with composite, it looked like PS1 PQ...now I'm happy.:cool: Now, I just have to hunt down the ever elusive and hard to find Game Cube component cables.

Now, I have an issue I want to see if the other owners see. Down the middle of the screen. there is what looks like light spilling out in sort of an hourglass shpe from top to bottom. It's like 4" wide on the top to none in the middle to 4" wide at the bottom. You can't see it when you're watching the TV from a normal postion, but if you are looking down or uo at it you can. The more of a vertical angle you are viewing, the more you see it. It just looks a lot brighter in that area.:confused: Anybody else see this or anything like it on theirs? I'm not sure whether I should have UE send a tech out or if it's a normal thing with DLPs since I can't see with a normal viewing angle. It kind of only shows up good on a white background too like this site.

Panny50, thank you for posting your settings. I haven't had a chance to get my calibration DVD's yet. I'll check yours out to hold me over until I can get mine.

Ed

FaSs.. thx for the black bar info ( I had just read the owner's manual and found it there but sometimes manuals are less than accurate ). Good luck on the lighitng issue.. I have not yet been able to see this set in person though for now it is near or at the top of my list ( Tosh HMX series needs looking into though ). If it were my set, I'd defiitely look inoto the lighting thin, even if it meant going back to the store to see if their set is doing the same thing. If it is a problem, they don't usualy get better with time! Thx again for the info !

I finally found it at Ken Crane's here in L.A.

I REALLY like the Pani, first the PQ looked great to me, I think they had directv discovery HD as the source (split a billion ways), but still it looked great.

Also, and maybe i'm weird, but the BLACK border surrounding the TV made it look a lot better than the very similar Toshiba. It somehow made me not notice the speakers on the side as much.

KC is having a no tax weekend, which is essentially 8.25% off the price, plus free delivery and setup, so I'm not sure I can get that much better, and it's local and they're a "high-end" shop, so I may get better service than a big box store.

This might be the set i've been waiting for.

-smak-

Smak..

No, you aren't weird about the black border/bezel. I react the same way. If the Tosh 52/62HM84 had the black bezel and a black bars for 4:3 format, I'd probably lean that way ( except for fact I have not yet been able to find aPanny locally ). The black bezel to my eyes adds a lot of depth to the picture. I notice this effect on plasma as well. I'm sure it's one of those intangible things that affects some of us more than others. Just wish I could see one in person.. then to decide if the 60 inch is the right beast or not :)

I believe the Toshiba 52/62 HM84 "Cinema" series (coming out this month) has a black bezel around the screen and two HDMI inputs..... but the PQ on the Panny is still better in IMHO.

Well, after waiting for 9 months since the HD2+ sets were announced in January, we finally pulled the trigger on the Panasonic. We just got this on Friday. It's sitting in our basement on a coffee table until the TV stand comes in. I also order digital cable with HD, but that won't be installed until 9/15. I've watched a couple of DVDs on it(via S-Video) and must say I'm very impressed. I watched Finding Nemo and was amazed at how the colors seemed to jump out at me and the details I could see that I never noticed on our 27" Sony.

Haven't noticed any sort of lip sync issues nor rainbows (but I've never seen those in the first place). SD viewing via cable is fine for me. Haven't had a chance to do much playing around with it, but I'm very pleased so far.

Samsung definitely lost a sale with their slow movement on getting a table top HD2+ set out, but I think I would have bought this even if they had been available.

I totally agree on the Samsung.

There are 4 current HD2+ models.

You have the Kirk which I like, but it's a lot more expensive.
You have the MITS which is more expensive and has the glare screen
And then you have the pretty similar in look and price Toshiba & Panni.

I like the Panni over the Toshiba, so now you have one low priced and two higher priced sets.

I'm going with the Panni, I think i'm going to go buy it right now :)

-smak-

Weekend #1 is in the books, here's my observations:

-Watching DVDs using my Xbox (I have a oooold 1st gen DVD player) and component yielded some really nice PQ. We watched Hidalgo, The Girl Next Door, and T2 Ultimate (not Extreme) edition. Everything looked great, especially in a pitch black room. I had a bunch of people over and nobody commented on any rainbowing or any other PQ complaints.
-Xbox gaming is godlike. I just started Leisure Suit Larry 2004... I'm not sure if it is 480 or 720, but the widescreen graphics are AMAZING. Still no sign of button lag.
-I think my only moderate complaint occurred this morning. I fired up the TV during breakfast and actally heard the fan, after not hearing it any other time. I didn't find it noisy or high pitched, just audible. I did have the sound low as to not wake any neighbours (I'm up at 5:30 am and I'm in a townhouse).

I honestly think this set is a keeper. I tried panny50's settings and was very pleased with the PQ in Hidalgo (great movie to test it out btw)

Now all I need to do is scrounge up some coinage for HDTV NFL broadcasts ;)

What is the "regular" price of the 50" version not the MSRP. For instance, the Samsung 50" HD3 set pretty much goes for $3499 everywhere except for sales. Is it correct to assume that the PTDL6054 will go for the same price as the Toshiba 62HM84 ($3999 )? I've narrowed my search down to the Panny and Toshiba. The 62" Toshiba may show up late this week but still no sign of the Panasonic. If the PQ outperforms the Toshiba (which I really like) then the only advantage of the Toshiba would be 2" of screen size (which probably wouldn't be very noticable anyway). Anyone seen the Panasonic near Cincinnati? HH Gregg, Best Buy, or Circuit City still do not even have this TV listed in their system yet (the 50" or the 60").

OK,
after having decided to wait for the Samsung HD2+ tabletop DLP since January, I think I've been convinced by this thread (and the problems w/ the Sammy's detailed in other threads, including the fact they aren't even shipping yet), to get one of these Panasonics.

Does anyone know where I could go see one in the Boston ( or preferably suburbs west of Boston) area?

Thanks,
Mike

Originally posted by xb1032
What is the "regular" price of the 50" version not the MSRP.
Regular price around here is MSRP, $3499.

Okay, I have some pics for you guys. They're not great, but they will do for now I guess. I still haven't figure out how to take a good pic of a TV with it on. Don't mind my center channel on top of the TV, I still need to get a shelf or something. Anyway....

PBS nature show
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/bird.jpg

Melissa Ethridge concert - Only thing that was on at the time
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/eth1.jpg

Baseball
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/bb.jpg
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/bb2.jpg

A fireworks show - The screen looks a little dull in this pic, but that is not the case in person
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/fire.jpg

The top/front of the stand
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/stand.jpg

Last but not least, for those who might wonder what the heck that thing is that's standing on my sub....it's my TV guardian.:D Don't touch!
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/gremlin.jpg

That's it for the pics for now. Believe me, the pics do not do it justice and picture quality should not at all be judged by them.

On another note, I mentioned above about the problem I was seeing with what looked like light spilling out the middle of the screen. Well, I'm getting the TV replaced on Friday evening. UE and my salesman were great and no hassles. I looked at the one on display there for about an hour and couldn't see what I was seeing in mine, so I figured it wasn't normal. We'll see what happens.

Ed

I bought mine yesterday :)

Got 5 year plan for $399 including bulbs, which i think is a pretty good deal.

Being delivered Saturday.

Now I have to clean up.

I still don't have a stand. Does anybody have pictures of stands they are using, i don't want to spend a ton on a stand.

-smak-

Originally posted by FaSSt2001


I also got component cables for my PS2 today. WOW! What a difference. Some people say the component cables make the no-progressive games look really bad, but not the case here. To me, this is the best I've ever seen PS2 graphics. When I first tried it with composite, it looked like PS1 PQ...now I'm happy.:cool: Now, I just have to hunt down the ever elusive and hard to find Game Cube component cables.

Ed

Noticed any lag on your PS2?

Originally posted by smak


I still don't have a stand. Does anybody have pictures of stands they are using, i don't want to spend a ton on a stand.

-smak-

The official Panasonic stand that goes with it is a great match. It curves out slightly and the bottom part of the TV slots right into the top of the stand....looks really nice. It is expensive, but it really makes it look like a nice piece of furniture for a living room.

Originally posted by mlippert
OK,
after having decided to wait for the Samsung HD2+ tabletop DLP since January, I think I've been convinced by this thread (and the problems w/ the Sammy's detailed in other threads, including the fact they aren't even shipping yet), to get one of these Panasonics.

Does anyone know where I could go see one in the Boston ( or preferably suburbs west of Boston) area?

Thanks,
Mike

Tweeter on Boylston does not have them on display yet. (They say they should have them in 2 weeks) I do not have any on display at my CompUSA yet. I know over 15 are on order for the Woburn hub. I may try to get one for display in my store. This looks like the set for me finally.

Originally posted by faston
The official Panasonic stand that goes with it is a great match. It curves out slightly and the bottom part of the TV slots right into the top of the stand....looks really nice. It is expensive, but it really makes it look like a nice piece of furniture for a living room.

If the price i saw for it is the price, than i'm going to pass.

I didn't find a picture though, panasonic's site is messed up.

I'll probably just get a generic stand, or maybe one of those $99 ones from Ikea.

-smak-

Originally posted by FaSSt2001

Baseball
http://toys.addictedtotoys.com/images/bb.jpg


Is it just me, or does the picture look like it's tilted.... notice the horizontal score bar and compare it with the top edge of the TV. It might just be the angle at which the picture was taken. The reason I am stating this is because my Mitsubishi DLP has the exact same amount of skew towards the top of the screen...

I caught the tilt as well.

Appears to be the same exact 1 to 2 degree counterclockwise tilt as my Mitsubishi DLP as well from this picture.

but the hummingbird picture shows the TV tilted 1-2 degrees clockwise :)

Compare how the top edge of the TV is aligned to the frame of the picture.. they are not parallel. IMO, there is no tilt.

Just ordered the Panny PT-50DL54 from Abe's of Maine for $2,699 plus $280 shipping via private trucking company. Takes approx. 10-12 days to receive the TV. Hope to have it next week. Also upgraded my Directv to HD with a Samsung SIR-TS360. Purchased a Gefen 4x1 switch, need to connect the Sat rec, Comcast box and future DVD dvi playler. I have a cambridge soundworks home theater with a Sony receiver. The hardest part is picking out a stand that will hold seven components. Here's what I have invested so far:
TV: 2,699
Sat Dish: 50
Sat Rec: 240
Switch: 225
Once I get this up an running, I will let you know how it looks. I am buying this TV blind, no one has it in the Salem NH area. I was going to purchase the Panny LCD, but decided to go with the DLP.
Scott
Caboman

Originally posted by dnaren


Compare how the top edge of the TV is aligned to the frame of the picture.. they are not parallel. IMO, there is no tilt.

the frame of the TV is cut off in that picture... that is why it appears tilted. That shows nothing.

In the baseball picture compare the position of the score bar with the black edge of the screen.

Originally posted by UMD_Terp
Is it just me, or does the picture look like it's tilted.... notice the horizontal score bar and compare it with the top edge of the TV. It might just be the angle at which the picture was taken. The reason I am stating this is because my Mitsubishi DLP has the exact same amount of skew towards the top of the screen...

I think the tv itself being tilted in the pic is throwing your eyes off. To me, the distance from the top of the screen to the score bar is consistent across. At least from what I can tell in the size of the pic. I don't think I'd notice a tilt problem judging from the pic, but I may be able to measure one.

Originally posted by caboman
Just ordered the Panny PT-50DL54 from Abe's of Maine

Anyone have reason to believe that a Powerbuy or AVS pricing might be available for these Panasonic DLPs. Is there a reason there wouldn't be? Enough interest for a new thread? TV Authority...are you watching?

I'm pretty sure its either the Panasonic or the HLP 5063 for me. I really would like an HD2+ based TV, but the HLP is pretty compeling with multiple digital inputs, nice form factor, and attractive TV Authority pricing. One Call has a nice deal on the Toshiba DLP...but I like the Panasonic better than the basic HM model. Mainly I prefer the black "framing" of the screen, but I did see both in the same store and thought the Panasonic looked better (YMMV). In the end, I think that a good AVS pricing package might be enough to convince me to order the Panasonic.

Ben

Originally posted by dingJam
Anyone have reason to believe that a Powerbuy or AVS pricing might be available for these Panasonic DLPs. Is there a reason there wouldn't be? Enough interest for a new thread? TV Authority...are you watching?

I'm pretty sure its either the Panasonic or the HLP 5063 for me. I really would like an HD2+ based TV, but the HLP is pretty compeling with multiple digital inputs, nice form factor, and attractive TV Authority pricing. One Call has a nice deal on the Toshiba DLP...but I like the Panasonic better than the basic HM model. Mainly I prefer the black "framing" of the screen, but I did see both in the same store and thought the Panasonic looked better (YMMV). In the end, I think that a good AVS pricing package might be enough to convince me to order the Panasonic.

Ben

I can get the Panny DLP at cost so a Powerbuy would be a good idea for other members here. I have not seen the set yet but it seems to be quite a beauty.

Originally posted by darkninja67
I can get the Panny DLP at cost so a Powerbuy would be a good idea for other members here.

Can you get all of us here Panny DLP at cost? :D

Originally posted by dnaren
Can you get all of us here Panny DLP at cost? :D

If I could I would. Cost is only available through my workplace. :(

Originally posted by brokeniris
Noticed any lag on your PS2?
I would say that there is a tiny bit of lag on Madden 2004 when kicking. It's really not bad though and I just had to adjust my timing with the button presses a tiny bit and I'm back to normal. I didn't notice any lag doing anything else in the game or with other games though. The trade off for playing on a big screen with graphics like that is worth the tiny bit of lag on certain things to me.

Ed

Originally posted by UMD_Terp
Is it just me, or does the picture look like it's tilted.... notice the horizontal score bar and compare it with the top edge of the TV. It might just be the angle at which the picture was taken. The reason I am stating this is because my Mitsubishi DLP has the exact same amount of skew towards the top of the screen...
That is just the way I took the pictures. I assure you that it is not tilted. The space between the score bar and the top of the TV is the same all the way across. I believe the picture is just creating an optical illusion like stated above. I am in no way a professional photgrapher as you can tell.:D I believe that tilt would also be more visible with the PC hooked up and I have not seen anything to indicate that on mine.

Ed

Has anyone heard of any problems with the bulbs on these sets? I was just wondering since this set is in my top 3 for ownership.

Originally posted by FaSSt2001
That is just the way I took the pictures. I assure you that it is not tilted. The space between the score bar and the top of the TV is the same all the way across. I believe the picture is just creating an optical illusion like stated above. I am in no way a professional photgrapher as you can tell.:D I believe that tilt would also be more visible with the PC hooked up and I have not seen anything to indicate that on mine.

Ed

In that case, I guess it is just the way the picture was taken. Good to hear... it really is a nice looking set... have fun with it :D

Originally posted by dingJam
In the end, I think that a good AVS pricing package might be enough to convince me to order the Panasonic.

I was thinking the exact same thing. TVAuthority has it on their site but not on the "AVS page".

Hey Darkninja, did you get your order in before the EPP site flagged it as Out of stock? I missed it unfortunately.

Originally posted by zeeeter
Hey Darkninja, did you get your order in before the EPP site flagged it as Out of stock? I missed it unfortunately.

I can transfer the DLP once they come in to my home store at anytime. I get a good deal on them so this may be my set once I actually see it in action.

FaSSt2001,

Mind if I ask what stand you use for the Pani DLP? Thanks!!

Originally posted by caboman
Just ordered the Panny PT-50DL54 from Abe's of Maine for $2,699 plus $280 shipping via private trucking company. Takes approx. 10-12 days to receive the TV. Hope to have it next week. Also upgraded my Directv to HD with a Samsung SIR-TS360. Purchased a Gefen 4x1 switch, need to connect the Sat rec, Comcast box and future DVD dvi playler. I have a cambridge soundworks home theater with a Sony receiver. The hardest part is picking out a stand that will hold seven components. Here's what I have invested so far:
TV: 2,699
Sat Dish: 50
Sat Rec: 240
Switch: 225
Once I get this up an running, I will let you know how it looks. I am buying this TV blind, no one has it in the Salem NH area. I was going to purchase the Panny LCD, but decided to go with the DLP.
Scott
Caboman

Please let me know how your order went with Abe's of Maine because I was thinking about ordering from them as well.

Originally posted by biohoa
FaSSt2001,

Mind if I ask what stand you use for the Pani DLP? Thanks!!
This is a link to the stand I got. I got it from UE for $319. It fits so perfectly with this TV.

http://www.omnimount.com/product.asp?p=117

Ed

Nice stand. It puts all the components and the wires perfectly at the height my Jack Russel Terrier pups need to chew without exerting their necks!

I need glass panels for protection. Actually, knowing the pups as I do, I probably need bulletproof glass panels :)

Originally posted by antongusa
Please let me know how your order went with Abe's of Maine because I was thinking about ordering from them as well.
Will do, looks like I will get it next week. If you decide to go with a private shipper it take about 2 weeks before you get your set. Can't friggin wait!

Screen size
I have measured where my dlp would go and its about 9 feet from the front of the screen to the front of my face. Should I get the 50 inch now or wait for the 60 inch? Is the 60 inch too big?

I'm in the same distance of 8 or 9 feet.... I figured the 50" is large enough, even a 46" Toshiba maybe the right size too.

Originally posted by caboman
Will do, looks like I will get it next week. If you decide to go with a private shipper it take about 2 weeks before you get your set. Can't friggin wait!

Yeah - I was waiting to see what kind of report you give Abe's too . . . reseller ratings always scare the bejeezus outta me!

yeh we're still awaiting it's arrival at our compusa as well. it's been a while and they said they were delayed from the manfacturers in mexico. should arrive soon i hope!

Originally posted by RelDudeGOP
yeh we're still awaiting it's arrival at our compusa as well. it's been a while and they said they were delayed from the manfacturers in mexico. should arrive soon i hope!

Our Compusa here in SoCal has it in stock, as do Howards Appliances and "The Great indoors"

Hope it helps you find one!

we have to wait till our hub store which has 15 on order gets one and then we get one transferred from them

Originally posted by Arbitter529
Screen size
I have measured where my dlp would go and its about 9 feet from the front of the screen to the front of my face. Should I get the 50 inch now or wait for the 60 inch? Is the 60 inch too big?
Well, I'm sitting about 11 1/2 feet from the TV and I bought the 50. I probably could've done the 60, but this TV looks big enough to me in my room. I'm sure that'll change later though. If I was only sitting 8-9 feet back, I would definately go for the 50, personally. My friends dad has a 50" Grand Wega and only sits about 9 feet back and that TV is more than enough for that distance. I think the 60 would've just been too big. It all depends on personal preference though. The 60 will probably give you more of that in your face theater type experience, but then you have to worry about PQ if you are too close. What I did is I went to a store and stood 11 feet from a 50 and a 60, and the 60 was awesome but just not worth the extra money to me right now.

Ed

Originally posted by RelDudeGOP
we have to wait till our hub store which has 15 on order gets one and then we get one transferred from them Are you looking to buy the Panny DLP too?

I'm trying to work out if it is worth an extra $120 to get the TV from Plasma house now (delivered in a week or so) or to wait and try to get it from an employee purchase deal in a month and a bit . . . dilemmas dilemmas . . .:)


Update - aw crap, what the heck, ordered it . . . . :)

Originally posted by darkninja67
Are you looking to buy the Panny DLP too?

nope i already have a tv i'm happy with
my co-worker is buying a tv today and is getting the lcd pana projo and i was trying to get him to wait for the dlp but we have no idea when it'll arrive

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FaSSt2001
[B]This is a link to the stand I got. I got it from UE for $319. It fits so perfectly with this TV.

What is UE?

Ultimate electronics

After about 3 years of looking at DLPs and LCDs (I saw the first Samsung DLP that was never released when my wife worked for them), I finally ordered the Panny DLP.

Has anyone got their PC properly hooked up to the Pansonic DLP? Reading that people have been having problems.

I just noticed Amazon has this unit for less than $2600 with about $120 shipping. Check out the prices yourself as I don't want to violate forum rules regarding prices.

However, their description of the unit concerns me as it implies a built-in HDTV tuner, which obviously is incorrect - unless I missed something major.

Their description:
"Panasonic PT-50DL54 50" Rear-Projection DLP HDTV with Built-In ATSC/QAM Tuner"

Thats what it looks like!

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Panasonic_PT_50DL54__Standard_Televisions/display_~full_specs

Actually this is the most thorough explanation of the features I've found so far . . .

http://www.videodirect.com/panasonic/dlpprojectiontv/panasonic-pt-50dl54.html

WOW! Amazon has a great deal!!

Originally posted by zeeeter
Thats what it looks like!

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Panasonic_PT_50DL54__Standard_Televisions/display_~full_specs

The headline this links take you to reads PT -50DL54. This is the current model we are talking about in this thread. But when you look into its description on the bottom of the page, it mentions this is PT-50DLD64. So, does it mean Panasonic is coming out with 64 series and it has ATSC?
Does anyone know it? If it's true then when can we expect it?

Michaellmorio

Yes, this model is coming out later this Fall with an ASTC tuner. I bought the PT-50DL54 and love it. This is a fantastic set, I highly recommend it.

We finally got our 811 receiver for HDTV from E* and are enjoying it remendously with the presets calibrated for "vivid" color.

I really question if it is worth it to by an upscaler DVD, I bought the DVB318 and it is certainly a good picture. However, it is only marginally better than progressive scan. Until a high-def DVD format and media are available, I would say save your money on the player. We have the Faruda chip in this player and animation movies look great, but once you see the HDTV signal on the screen - it becomes the standard for all broadcasts and movies you watcn.

I took the plunge today for the PT-50DL54 from a local retailer. I have been checking this forum for a long time now trying to decide which way to go. The past few weeks I have been trying to decide between the Panny and the 50vs810. After viewing them today I thought the Panny just looked better to me. The clincher was that when I asked how much for the Panny he said 26 even, no hassel. Has Panny lowered their price?

"Has Panny lowered their price?"

Nope, still $3499 MSRP

Well, I am one happy camper.

Today I received my Panny DLP.

First thing i'm happy about, the set is awesome. Was hoarding some HD stuff on my Tivo, and everything looks pretty spectacular, without tweaking anything yet.

Second thing i'm happy about, the set actually fits perfectly on my old Bush stand that I had for my 30" widescreen. With the smaller base that most DLP's don't have, i have around 1/2 inch on each side of the base. Saved me more $$$

3rd thing is that my 30" widescreen which I moved to my bedroom fits absolutely perfectly on my old 32" Sony stand that I traded in.

I was figuing i'd have to buy at least 1, maybe 2 stands.

I'm also on the bubble about getting the upscaler DVD player.

Anybody have any tweaks they've done to make it look better?

-smak-

Originally posted by Michaelmorio
The headline this links take you to reads PT -50DL54. This is the current model we are talking about in this thread. But when you look into its description on the bottom of the page, it mentions this is PT-50DLD64. So, does it mean Panasonic is coming out with 64 series and it has ATSC?
Does anyone know it? If it's true then when can we expect it?

Michaellmorio

Yes, Panasonic is going to release a 50 and 60 in model later this year that will have built in ATSC and cable card. Price should be about $500 more than the current models. Just a wast of money if you ask me.

I had an ISF certified guy out today to calibrate my set. He was not able to do much because he did not have the panny service manual for the TV yet and was unable to find the service menu. It did seem to me though, based on the things he was telling me, was that the TV was pretty much spot on with where it should be. The TV color temp should be set to warm. This puts it at 9500 K (should be 6500 but this will have to be done in the service menu at a later time). Cinema mode (as opposed to normal or vivid) gave the TV the best picture (according to his numbers) and the sharpness should be turned all the way off. He said the sharpness is a left over setting from days of old, was not needed, and should be left off.

My HDMI input does not pass sound when watching an HD channel but from what I understand, this is a problem with my Tivo and not the TV.

Overall, I am very happy with this set. HD is fantastic and I am even very happy with the SD material.

Since Amazon seems to have such a good price, are they a good reliable place to get this set?

Originally posted by Auditor55
$3499

At Best Buy Plasma, its $600 cheaper...delivered!

I am just about to buy this set to replace my Toshiba 50h82. The biggest reason is that the size of the set will allow me to use my fireplace as a stand, and reorganize my living room.

Anyways, everything about the set seems good for me (size, connections, looks, etc) but the picture at Futureshop looked like crap. Yesterday they were showing a football game, and the players looked pixelated as they moved around. So I went back today, and they had the World Cup of Hockey in HD on, and all the players looked so pixelated that it was really unwatchable.

I asked the guy that worked there if he could change the settings to try and correct it, but he didn't know what he was doing, and I really didn't want to play with it myself because there was a bunch of squatters watching the game.

So I'm going to go back tomorrow and check it out again and see if I can get a better idea of the PQ. However, I don't know if there will be any sports on.

Does anyone have any experience watching sports on this t.v?

Is there a setting that I should change to fix this problem? I was able to sort of recreate it with the Hockey game when I got home by cranking the sharpness up, and the sharpness at FS was at 50.

Thanks

Originally posted by Grody


Does anyone have any experience watching sports on this t.v?

Is there a setting that I should change to fix this problem? I was able to sort of recreate it with the Hockey game when I got home by cranking the sharpness up, and the sharpness at FS was at 50.

Thanks

Grody

Got this set about 2 weeks ago now - at first I had it hooked up just through the rca video out from my evu reciever, and wasn't impressed with the quality on SD tv - swapped to the S-video and there is a huge improvement - no worries on watching sports - CBC hockey game wasn't to bad tonight as far as PQ, outcome of the game was sure sweet - I am sure the HD was nicer - I am running it in a justified mode on the cinema setting - I am impressed - TSN and Sportsnet come through very clean - the Baseball games are very vivid and colours jump at you - waiting for the new evu HD reciever before going that route but I am sure with a little tweaking you will be more then happy - DVD's are amazing on my progressive scan - "the Punisher" was very clean, crisp and almost like staring out a window - all this and I haven't recieved my Video Essentials yet for a honest calibration - I am sure once its burned in and I have ran this I will be even more happy.

Originally posted by Cpt.JackSparrow
At Best Buy Plasma, its $600 cheaper...delivered!

maybe for a 42" non-HD.

That is a great deal from Best Buy Plasma. Has anyone ordered from them before?

I've always had great luck with Amazon although this would be the most expensive single item I've ever considered buying online.

Amazon's deal is a "in-home warranty" so be sure this is the set you want. No trial period and no return in case you don't like pix.

I think I will pull the trigger on this one. Great price!!

I have been reading this thread and other similar threads for a few weeks now. Thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. It is much appreciated.

It seems that the PT-50DL54 is the set I am going to get. I think the low amazon price has sealed the deal.

I saw a post earlier on the OmniMount Stellar G-343 stand and I agree that it looks like a good fit. Does anyone have any other stand (or AV rack) recommendations? I am moving into a new apartment with no equipment whatsoever. My living room is 10' x 11'.

This is what I am thinking of getting:

Panasonic PT-50DL54
Panasonic DVD-F87K 5-disc DVD
Panasonic SA-XR50 (waiting for it to come out...)
Athena Micra 6 speaker set

Thoughts / recommendations?

Thanks!

is amazon.com an authorized panasonic dealer?

Originally posted by dangerfish
YHe said the sharpness is a left over setting from days of old, was not needed, and should be left off.

Is it a dead control? What happens to the picture if you turn it all the way up?

Sharpness is an artifact added to the picture to increase edge definition. It is fake and not part of intended picture. One of the first thing they tell you on a DVD setup disk is to turn it all the way down.

(This all hinges on me not being contradicted by a far more educated poster)

Originally posted by RudyMeister
is amazon.com an authorized panasonic dealer?


I don't know if Amazon is a authorized dealer or not. What implication is there if Amazon is not an authorized dealer?

They are certainly a reputable online retailer but if they're not a Panasonic authorized dealer, you can't get service from Panasonic.

I do not see on their site that they offer extended in-house warranty.

Best Buy, for example, you can purchase their warranty and if you should have problems during the first year, which is during manufacturer's warranty period, you have a choice to call Best Buy or the manufacturer for service.

Originally posted by jsterritt
Grody

Got this set about 2 weeks ago now - at first I had it hooked up just through the rca video out from my evu reciever, and wasn't impressed with the quality on SD tv - swapped to the S-video and there is a huge improvement - no worries on watching sports - CBC hockey game wasn't to bad tonight as far as PQ, outcome of the game was sure sweet - I am sure the HD was nicer - I am running it in a justified mode on the cinema setting - I am impressed - TSN and Sportsnet come through very clean - the Baseball games are very vivid and colours jump at you - waiting for the new evu HD reciever before going that route but I am sure with a little tweaking you will be more then happy - DVD's are amazing on my progressive scan - "the Punisher" was very clean, crisp and almost like staring out a window - all this and I haven't recieved my Video Essentials yet for a honest calibration - I am sure once its burned in and I have ran this I will be even more happy.

That sounds good jsterritt. Thanks.

I'm pretty much decided on this t.v, so now I'm just looking for reasons not to get it. So if I don't find one the next couple days, or I don't see something better, I'll be buying it on tuesday.

Hopefully it'll fit in the back of my SUV so I can take it home right away, and be able to trade it in within the 30 days if I'm not happy with it, without having to wait for shipping.

When is the 60 inch supposed to be in stores?

Could someone do me a huge favor and let me know the width of the base?

Panasonic's site lists overall width, but I am wondering if the set would fit on a particular stand.

Thanks.

I am having difficulty finding detailed dimensions for the TV. The user manual didn't have the dims I am looking for. I also don't have a local retailer I can visit with a tape measure to get the information myself.

Can someone please give me the width of the "base" (i.e. not the overall width with the speakers which is 55.8 inches)? I will need to use this information to get an appropriate stand.

Thanks!

Originally posted by smak
I totally agree on the Samsung.

There are 4 current HD2+ models.

You have the Kirk which I like, but it's a lot more expensive.
You have the MITS which is more expensive and has the glare screen
And then you have the pretty similar in look and price Toshiba & Panni.

I like the Panni over the Toshiba, so now you have one low priced and two higher priced sets.

I'm going with the Panni, I think i'm going to go buy it right now :)

-smak-

I'm looking for a DLP to get by the end of the year. I want the HD2+ chip. What did you like better about the Kirk than the Panny? Not that I want the Kirk with its stand, and smaller size.

I never saw the Panny until after the Kirk, and the I liked the Panny better.

I was comparing the Kirk to other ones before I saw the panny, especially the toshiba.

Besides the cool design of the kirk, i like that the screen is away from the base, and doesn't sit on a normal big stand.

I also like the screen surrounded in black, not silver. I liked that better about the Kirk over the Tosh, but the Panny has black around the screen.

One thing I didn't like the Kirk, is it kind of takes away the effect of having a small tabletop DLP over a big CRT, since the Kirk is pretty big overall.

That and the $700 price premium made me choose the Panny.

-smak-

Originally posted by RudyMeister
They are certainly a reputable online retailer but if they're not a Panasonic authorized dealer, you can't get service from Panasonic.



From Amazon's site:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/374886/103-4831504-6605462

"Because this product comes with an in-home warranty, returns will not be accepted after delivery. Upon its delivery, please inspect your television carefully for damage while the shipper's agent is still present. If you find any damage, refuse delivery, and you will receive a refund. Your signature on our carrier’s delivery receipt acknowledges that you understand our return policy. After the release form has been signed, returns of televisions with 27-inch and larger screens will not be accepted.

Should something go wrong with your TV while it is under warranty, a technician from the product manufacturer will come to your home and make the repairs. It's that easy! Still need help?"

It also listed the support info for Panasonic in-home service:
Panasonic: 1-800-211-7262; http://www.panasonic.com, http://panasonic.com/support/index.html

So, does that mean that amazon has white glove delivery too as well? Or do they just drop the unit off at the door and then you have to unpack it and haul it in your house?
I can't do that by myself...and surely it needs to be installed to see if there are any issues with the set...not just scratches or broken parts that can be seen from simple visual inspection. I'll try to call Panasonic. Thanks for the number.

Apparently it is "White Glove" delivery.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shipping Restrictions: This item can be shipped only within the contiguous United States. This product requires special handling and may ship separately from other items in your order. A fixed shipping charge of $xxx.xx applies to this product. Our shipper will call you, schedule delivery, and upon delivery unpack this item and remove all packaging.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I get 4% cash back on my amazon Visa ;-P

Am doing a war dance at work to drum up enough courage to push da button.

Originally posted by Jaspo
Apparently it is "White Glove" delivery.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shipping Restrictions: This item can be shipped only within the contiguous United States. This product requires special handling and may ship separately from other items in your order. A fixed shipping charge of $xxx.xx applies to this product. Our shipper will call you, schedule delivery, and upon delivery unpack this item and remove all packaging.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I get 4% cash back on my amazon Visa ;-P

Am doing a war dance at work to drum up enough courage to push da button.


Push it, Push it!!! :D :D ;)

Done :eek:

And so begins the wait ... tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock

Jaspo, please keep us updated on your experience with Amazon!