I disagree with you guys about SD on plasma. Yes, a 30 inch CRT may look better with SD, and if you can live happily with that (and no HDTV) then feel free and save money to boot. But if you want a larger picture to watch, want to enjoy HDTV and DVDs at their maximum resolution, you really do want a plasma IMO. I have the 42PA25U and am thoroughly pleased with it. SD quality depends on your source - some channels will look like crap and others will look very good. So don't blame the plasma - blame the source. Watching HD feeds in the stores gives customers unrealistic expectations for their typical analog channels. No digital display will look as good as a high quality CRT (32" or less) on analog signals, but then no other 42" or larger digital display will show SD better a good plasma IMO.

Originally posted by dsmith901
I disagree with you guys about SD on plasma. SD quality depends on your source - some channels will look like crap and others will look very good. So don't blame the plasma - blame the source.

I think dsmith901 is right on the money.

Here is a re-cap of my personal experience. I got the pd50u and hooked it up to a Comcast STB. My first impression was that the analog SD channels were a bit fuzzy, the digital SD channels were fair and the HD content was absolutely awesome. That’s the way it is supposed to be right? Well, NO, that is not correct. In my case, I had really poor signal quality and I did not know it. I found this out when I noticed I was not getting a digital channel that I was paying for. This channel was working in another room, but not in the room where my DPD is. I also was getting some occasion pixelation on an HD channel.

Problem:
I called Comcast and requested that a technician come out to check my signal strength. To no surprise I had terrible signal strength. It turns out that the previous owner of my house added cable to each of the 4 rooms one at a time. This resulted in a cable technician doing half-a$$ed jobs overtime a room was added. There were two unnecessary splitters and at least 50 feet of unnecessary cable line.

Solution:
The cable guy cleaned up the wiring and got rid of the two splitters. This improved things a fair amount, but the last step was most significant. My DPD is as far away from the incoming cable line as possible (top floor – opposite side of house). The last 15 feet were wired by me and I was clueless. I used a piece of store bout RG6 that was 50 feet long. After the cable guy was done I asked him to make a me a 20foot piece of the Comcast cable to replace my 50 ft piece. This last change made as much difference as all the changes the cable technician made. It was pain because I had to fish wire, but it was worth the effort.

Results:
My analog SD channels are equal to the quality of the same channels on my 32 inch CRT. My digital SD channels are a tad better than I see on my 32 CRT.
The HD content is stunning.

Lesson Learned:
Getting a clean signal is very important with the analog SD. It is also important with the digital SD and HD channels, but my biggest improvement was with the analog channels.

The 50u is just the messenger and although we love to shoot the messenger (at least in America) its not fair to do so. Make sure the message is right before you kill the messanger.

JSPirate,

Have u tinkered w/ your settings again? Also do u have different settings for SD, HD, and DVD?

JT

JSPirate,
I'm absolutely agreed with you.
A lot of factors depend on signal strength and quality. I do have about 50 feet long cable coming from my dish. So i expect to loose signal. However, as I said before, CRT gave me better picture than 42PD50U using the same feed.
I hope this helps someone who is not getting HD feed and considering plasma.
That’s all i want to say.

I agree with dirokol,
My SD on 42pd25u from D*TV satellite was so bad I returned it and purchased a 32" analog CRT. Granted that I DO MISS the HD and DVDs on the plasma so I want to get 50". But it will only be used for HD & DVD. Also there are very few HD channels in my area. If I had 10 or 15 like some people on this forum I would have kept the plasma and got rid of D*TV!

Alot of people are referencing the 42pd50u as the '50u', I think we should say pd50u because when the px50u comes out, it will be hard to know which model is being discussed.

just my .02

DPD = ?
I assume you guys meant to say PDP which = Plasma display panel. Just making sure people aren't inventing new acronyms for nothing. Could be confusing to see both.

Originally posted by housecor
Just making sure people aren't inventing new acronyms for nothing.
Never happens on THIS forum. :D

Back to the thread. I did finally get to see the 42PD50 this weekend at a BB in Orlando.

It was sitting directly beneath the Sharp 45" HD LCD, and between Zenith and Sammy 42" ED PDPs.

First thing I confirmed, in line with all the other posts I've read, is that it did indeed outshine the other ED PDPs, noticeably. But the comparison with the top dawg Sharp was also interesting. The Sharp was remarkably smoother, BUT it looked like there was an additional layer of "something" between me and the screen, as the overall picture was much softer, I might even say bland. My son also noticed this without me saying a word. Colors nowhere near as vibrant as the 42PD50. Out of these four sets, the Pany won, IMO.

BUT if this panel does have sub-pixel control, it doesn't do near as much for SDE as I would have hoped. I could still see it at eight feet in the bright areas, and especially in the large block text that's part of the HD advertising loop. Sharp beat it dead there.

But then I moved on and viewed the 50" Pioneer and Sony. Wow. Even closer than eight feet, the HD 50s were far more satisfying!

Somehow I gotta find an extra few $$$. :(

Originally posted by dirokol
JSPirate,
I'm absolutely agreed with you.
A lot of factors depend on signal strength and quality. I do have about 50 feet long cable coming from my dish. So i expect to loose signal. However, as I said before, CRT gave me better picture than 42PD50U using the same feed.
I hope this helps someone who is not getting HD feed and considering plasma.
That’s all i want to say.

I don't know to much about this stuff, but I wonder if the dish signal is maybe not all that great to start with and the CRT can get away with a poor signal where a plasma can't? Of course, in my case my 32 inch CRT is not all that great so maybe its not fair to compare the plasma to the CRT. Just thinking out loud (or in text)...
:)

Originally posted by rspad1
Alot of people are referencing the 42pd50u as the '50u', I think we should say pd50u because when the px50u comes out, it will be hard to know which model is being discussed.

just my .02

I agree. You need to identify the pd50u at least once at the very beginning of the post. After that 50u is fine.

Originally posted by housecor
DPD = ?
I assume you guys meant to say PDP which = Plasma display panel. Just making sure people aren't inventing new acronyms for nothing. Could be confusing to see both.


Well, thats what happens when you multi-task and don't check your text before posting. Although, I guess we could start using a new acronym. Maybe DPD could stand for Digital Plasma Display :p

Originally posted by Tanvols
JSPirate,

Have u tinkered w/ your settings again? Also do u have different settings for SD, HD, and DVD?

JT

No, not yet Tanvols. Its one of the things I want to do, but I just haven't taken the time to do it yet. I will be running through the DVE disk again soon and I will post my results when I do so. Its been crazy busy at my house lately :eek:

BUT if this panel does have sub-pixel control, it doesn't do near as much for SDE as I would have hoped.

Maybe I missed something somewhere, but I don't think Panasonic ever claimed sub-pixel control had anything to do with SDE. It seems to me that assumption just grew on these pages. :confused:

Macfan, that's been my impression all along. Never could understand how sub-pixel control could make any difference to SDE, which (afaik) is an artifact of the physical pixel structure.

Originally posted by PerryU
...SDE, which (afaik) is an artifact of the physical pixel structure.

That's how I understand it, too.

I did an install of a pd50u for my brother over the weekend and found an interesting anamoly. When connecting a DirecTV receiver to my Panny with an HDMI connection and an over-the-air HDTV antenna I am seeing the data information (in the form of little white lines and dots) at the top of the screen. This occurs on High Def over the air channels only.

When I run from the box to the Panny using component inputs, the problem pretty much disappears. Anyone else having this problem or know how to solve it??

Thanks,

Barry

Originally posted by Macfan424
Maybe I missed something somewhere, but I don't think Panasonic ever claimed sub-pixel control had anything to do with SDE. It seems to me that assumption just grew on these pages. :confused:

Agreed. :)

But I've read some enthusiastic posts on previous pages of this thread stating that SDE was less apparent on this panel than on other ED panels. And if I recall correctly, the poster(s) (incorrectly it seems) tied the two together, one even claiming that this panel MUST therefore have SPC.

I was reporting what my eyes told me. And if increased perceived resolution were to necessarily mean decreased SDE, then this panel doesn't have it.

FWIW

Originally posted by yobob
Agreed. :)

But I've read some enthusiastic posts on previous pages of this thread stating that SDE was less apparent on this panel than on other ED panels. And if I recall correctly, the poster(s) (incorrectly it seems) tied the two together, one even claiming that this panel MUST therefore have SPC.

I was reporting what my eyes told me. And if increased perceived resolution were to necessarily mean decreased SDE, then this panel doesn't have it.

FWIW

I've read those, too, and finally decided to comment. ;)

I doubt the PD50U has SPC for several reasons, not the least being that Panasonic doesn't mention it. For example, the specs for the 30U series (which does have SPC) list both horizontal pixels and "dots" (@ 3x the pixel count). No such reference for the PD50U.

As for apparent SDE, a number of factors might affect this for various individuals. I haven't watched daytime TV since the New Years bowl games, two days after I got my PD25U. Yesterday afternoon, I watched a Cubs game on WGN HD (absolutely stunning "you-are-there" PQ). The room has huge windows and was flooded with light on a bright, sunny day, resulting in the Auto Picture Mode being cranked all the way up (virtually indistinguishable from Vivid).

Somewhere along the way, I realized that SDE was undetectable from 9 feet, a distance from which I can usually see it if I try. The combination of ambient lighting and screen settings had made the effect less apparent to my eyes. (Usually I watch in a very dark room, and the auto setting is quite low.)

I don't claim it actually happened, but couple of tweaks in the electronics factory settings might have made SDE less apparent to some people on the 50U vs the 25U under certain circumstances. Like you, though, I haven't seen any difference.

http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61402&item=5766924737&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
This guy shows a cable card and 2 coax imputs?

Originally posted by Sheldon186
http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61402&item=5766924737&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
This guy shows a cable card and 2 coax imputs?

Couldn't follow the link, but no matter what they're claiming, it is NOT a 42PD50.

Originally posted by Sheldon186
http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ssPageName=WDVW
This guy shows a cable card and 2 coax imputs?If you mean the one on Ebay selling a PD50u - check the dimensions and you will see he is listing the specs for the PD25U not the 50u. He should be reported.

Hey Macfan, are these specs for the xvs series on its listing on panny's website, or is it just in the manual?

does circuitcity or bb do internet price-matching? I think i'm gonna be getting my set this week

They do if you catch them at the right time! I Mean CC pricematching. Sometime there jerks thou. I was told saturday to come up and get a match only to get there and get screwed. Went to ABC, got it $300 below cost if i bought there 5 year "no dead pixel warranty", with it! Problem is, i have a Sony that went back to CC with a warranty issue. They wouldn't even give me a Gift card. Im sitting at home with no proof of anything. Im about to sue them. Total ******* alround, warrant, service, consumer relations, god forbid you talk to anyone from this area about service. Anyway, they will, but even when i thought about buy the tpanny for full price, the manager informed me that there warrant on plasma lcd is that MIN. of a 6 picks must be dead in a clump in order to get a replacement. not a hundred in different areas. ahhh.

Just got my 42PD50 and put in on a table for now. Looks great right out of the box. Is their anything I should be doing with it right now as far as adjustments? The manual mentioned nothing about burn in.. but after reading on this site I am watching all regular TV channels in Zoom mode to fill the screen. My question is on DVD's. When I play a DVD It does have some boxes on the top and bottom. I can't get the DVD to zoom.. will this cause burn in? Anybody else have this model, is there a way to zoom this out? Ok, one last question. which wall mount for this Plasma?

Husker, get the Sanus VMPL/S.

Originally posted by Carey P
If you mean the one on Ebay selling a PD50u - check the dimensions and you will see he is listing the specs for the PD25U not the 50u. He should be reported.

And the PIC Shown is also from the TH-37PD25UP / TH-42PD25UP Models. :mad:

Originally posted by bigredhusker
Just got my 42PD50 and put in on a table for now. Looks great right out of the box. Is their anything I should be doing with it right now as far as adjustments? The manual mentioned nothing about burn in.. but after reading on this site I am watching all regular TV channels in Zoom mode to fill the screen. My question is on DVD's. When I play a DVD It does have some boxes on the top and bottom. I can't get the DVD to zoom.. will this cause burn in? Anybody else have this model, is there a way to zoom this out? Ok, one last question. which wall mount for this Plasma?

read the Burn In thread at the top of this forum. There you will find a link to panasonic's page that talks about burn in.

To summarize, for the first 100 hours:

-make sure the picture fills your screen most of the time
-avoid static channel logos
-avoid high contrast settings

after that, burn in should a lot less likely!

Why cant the panny to zoom in DVD mode which is 480 right. unless it is set to a higher output.

I get HD on my local channels thru DirectTV (NY area) which is great, however, the picture comes in 4:3 and even when I zoom in (I have the HR-10 250 DVR from Direct TV - allows u to view in 480i 480p 720p or 1080i) I still have the black bars.

Does anyone know how to get rid of them? Initially I thought I would have to watch in 480p because 720p and 1080i only support 16:9 and would not allow me to change to the aspect ratio. When I turned to 480p I was able to play with the aspect ratio but couldn't zoom in enough to get rid of the the black bars.

Maybe the shows were not in HD, hence the black bars.

Anyone w/ similar experiences or know the answer.

Thanks
JT

I received the 42PD50 from Circuit City this past Friday. I hooked up my cable box (Adelphia) via the HDMI input. The pq is phenomenal, especially on the HDTV channels. I watched the Yellowcard concert presentation on INHD Net and was blown away by the brightness and punch of the colors.

Only negatives are speakers as previously mentioned, a single line of distortion and noise at top of screen on HD local channels via box (though this could just be the feed... any ideas?... should I return for a replacement plasma unit) and the bezel is a bit ordinary (cosmetically the unit looks a bit like a computer monitor). Also, I could not get the LGD DVD player (new 418 upconverting model) to work with the HDMI cable (though it looked pretty good with component cables). I took it back to CC twice and the guy hooked it up to test it. He couldn't get it to work either and determined that this LG unit was not compatible with EDTV. I wonder if the new Panny S97 would have this same problem?

I had originally ordered the PD25 from BrandSmart on closeout at $$$$. Then I noticed they had in the PD50 which displayed a much more vibrant picture (but they wouldn't give me a price break). I also like the compactness of the PD50 versus the PD25 with the speakers on the side. I believe I got a great buy at Circuit City online... it was marked down to $$$$ from $$$$ and then I received an additional discount for buying at that moment (total out of pocket was $$$$ plus tax).

Though I love the pq, at the risk of sounding greedy, would I see a noticeable diff in pq if I purchased the commercial 42PD7UY (with HD vs ED). I would have to lay out another $700 and am not sure it is money well spent. Also, I was considering the Hitachi 50VS810 in order to enjoy a larger screen (50") and not have to worry about burn in. Would I be disappointed switching over to an LCD from a plasma regarding pq. I am concerned about burn in as most dvd movies have the black bars top and bottom. I was told not to exceed 15% of my total viewing time with such bars being displayed. Does this sound about right.

[MSRP ONLY]

Originally posted by bigredhusker
Just got my 42PD50 and put in on a table for now. Looks great right out of the box. Is their anything I should be doing with it right now as far as adjustments? The manual mentioned nothing about burn in.. but after reading on this site I am watching all regular TV channels in Zoom mode to fill the screen. My question is on DVD's. When I play a DVD It does have some boxes on the top and bottom. I can't get the DVD to zoom.. will this cause burn in? Anybody else have this model, is there a way to zoom this out? Ok, one last question. which wall mount for this Plasma?

To see full screen DVDs without the black bars and without using zoom mode you need to be viewing a "wide screen" version of the DVD. Some disks have the regular and wide version on one disk. Some disks have just the regular version and some disks have just the "wide screen" version. It is usually identified on the disk if you look. You should not have a problem zooming in on a regular (non wide screen) DVD. I am running my DVD off of component and I can zoom in on any DVD.

There are two areas to check to make sure this is possible:
1. What input are you using (component, HDMI etc...)
2. Make sure your DVD player is outputting in progressive

If you get your DVDs through Netflix or something similar you may be surprised at how few of these disks are wide screen.

As for wall mounts... I went with the VMPL2s and its great. There is NO room to spare behind the unit though and the power cord can be a problem if it plugs into the wall directly behind the unit. The cord will work if you can keep it to the bottom left or right of the pd50u. This will keep the cord hidden, but it will require a harsh bend on the piece that plugs into the wall. In the end, the unit is not perfectly parallel with the wall, but you have to have your face up against the wall to notice that its off a tad.

waverunner,

Most DVD players have a zoom function that will remove sidebars or letter-boxing bars. That may work better than zooming in the display, but I would try it both ways.

I have the Panny DVD s27 and it allows you to zoom in on DVD's and fill out the picture (getting rid of the black bars). So try the DVD player rather than the TV to change the aspect ratio.

JT

Originally posted by vfxguy
I did an install of a pd50u for my brother over the weekend and found an interesting anamoly. When connecting a DirecTV receiver to my Panny with an HDMI connection and an over-the-air HDTV antenna I am seeing the data information (in the form of little white lines and dots) at the top of the screen. This occurs on High Def over the air channels only.

When I run from the box to the Panny using component inputs, the problem pretty much disappears. Anyone else having this problem or know how to solve it??

Thanks,

Barry

Sounds like you need to adjust the 'overscan' for the HDMI input to remove the data info. While viewing the HDMI source, adjust the overscan setting in the setup.

Originally posted by bigredhusker
The manual mentioned nothing about burn in.. Check again.

Page 2, 7 and 47.

Originally posted by wassim17
Hey Macfan, are these specs for the xvs series on its listing on panny's website, or is it just in the manual?

Both, I thought.

But I just checked the site again and can't find it, so it must have been my imagination. (Creeping senility? :rolleyes: )

It had to be somewhere on the net, as some other reference caused me to check the manual in the first place. (I'm usually inclined to discount information I see on the internet if I can't verify it on something I believe has been carefully reviewed, like the manual.)

Originally posted by napple
does circuitcity or bb do internet price-matching? I think i'm gonna be getting my set this week

In my experience with digital cameras and camcorders, cc will price match if the internet site you are shopping, also has a B&M presence, i.e., bb.

In the first post, it now states the 37" will have a CableCard slot. Is this info accurate? If so, where did it come from?

I was under the impression the PD50U and new 37" HD would be stripped of this feature.

This came from the properly formatted Panasonic New release.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=5409693&highlight=word#post5409693

Just bought the PD50U last night from the local CC. I got the last one in town. For those of you lurkers who have been reading about various displays, I strongly encourage you to go out and have a look at this model as it appears to be widely carried (when you can find it in stock!) at common electronics stores. The PQ of this set clearly stood out above the competition at the CC I visited. The sharpness of the display in particular is very impressive in my opinion. At the store I visited, I even noticed that the 50u had been dialed down to Standard picture mode from Vivid, and it still noticably outshone competing models like the Sony which were all in Vivid showroom mode!

Just so as not to overhype the display, I will mention a few shortcomings I have already noticed. There is an oversaturation of the greens that seems to be common to panasonic products (I noticed the same thing in a Panasonic DLP that I briefly owned). There is no pc input of course. I was expecting a little more out of the PQ for SD content. However, this may just reflect my bitter hatred of stretch modes, as I have not been able to view SD on any other ED plasmas. And of course, as has already been mentioned, the bezel is pretty lame.

However, if in business it's location, with digital displays it's PQ, PQ, PQ. And this set has got it. Throw on top of that a price that's $1000-1500 less then any of it's competitors, and I forgot about my reservations in a hurry.

I smell a price war. Too bad I couldn't hold out any longer.

Originally posted by jambon
I was expecting a little more out of the PQ for SD content. However, this may just reflect my bitter hatred of stretch modes, as I have not been able to view SD on any other ED plasmas.

Disclaimer: I am a proud and very biased pd50u owner.

Make sure you have a good signal. I just got my signal cleaned up and the analog SD improved more than the other two (digital and digital HD). That being said the non-HD digital channels also improved. In fact, I think the non-HD digital channels are better on my pd50u than on my 32 inch CRT. The analog channels are probably not as good on the CRT, but its a close call. In my mind, its close enough that it doesn't bother me. I am not really a "pixel peeper" though.

Two of my best recent decisions:
1. Buying the pd50u
2. Putting a great deal of pressure on Comcast to clean up my signal

Pirate, how did they go about cleaning up your signal? They have to rewire anything? Replace hardware?

I have been lurking here for a couple of weeks in search of 42 inch plasma. The pd50u is one model I am looking at very closely. I plan to get OTA HD signals thru the built in ATSC tuner. I currently have regular cable, not digital cable. Just a cable wire coming to the house with no set top box. And I have no plans to upgrade my cable connection. How would I plug in both the regular cable wire and the OTA antenna wire to the pd50u? As of now I have no home theatre equipment but I might get some down the road. How do I switch from the OTA to cable? Thanks.

Originally posted by iBleedGarnet
Pirate, how did they go about cleaning up your signal? They have to rewire anything? Replace hardware?



Well, the house had been wired one room at a time and it has 4 rooms with cable plus cable internet. This adding one after another resulted in an amplifier, un-necessary splitters (plural) and longer coax runs than were necessary. This was causing a number of problems:
1. Pixelation on two HD channels
2. Numerous missing digital non-HD channels
3. 10 fuzzy analog channels
4. Generally poor analog performance

I thought the signal strength was the problem for items 1 & 2, but I really didn't expect it to improve the situation for items 3 and 4. Anyway, I got an excellent technician (which seems very hard to do). Not only did he diagnose the problem correctly, but he also fixed the problem, educated me and provided me with some cable and connectors to make further improvements. He sensed I wanted to understand and really unloaded on me – thank you Mr. Technician :)

The fix was to remove at least 50 feet of unnecessary cable, two splitters and he replaced one splitter to get a cleaner connection. This improved everything a fair amount, but I was still getting 5 fuzzy analog channels. The reason for these last fuzzy channels is my own fault. I ran a new cable for the new Comcast STB myself. To do this I disconnected a coax line that I wanted to leave in a wall and ran a new piece through an adjacent wall and into a closet for my new service. This new cable was connected to the same splitter as the abandoned cable had been connected to. The cable I used was RG/6, but it was thinner than normal RG/6 and 50 ft long when it only needed to be 20 feet. I asked the tech to cut the length and add a new connector, but he would not do it. I thought this was because I ran the cable, but he said "no, I am not confident that I can make a good connection with the crimper I have." I then asked him if he would make a 20 foot section for me with the cable he had on the truck. He did so, and then I ran the new 20ft cable in place of the thinner 50ft cable. Not only did this get rid of my 5 fuzzy channels, but all of my SD PQ improved.

Long story short...
All the little things add up and you need to pay attention to every detail.

Interesting note:
In my area, Animal Planet (cable channel 74) is apparently sent/broadcast on a similar frequency to the OTA PBS channel. The tech claims the PBS signal "leaks" into the weak points of the coax and connections to cause signal problems. It sounded like hog-wash to me until I saw the end result.

The bottom line: Details. Details. Details.

I keep hearing about you guys getting awesome 25% off MSRP type deals... the best i can do was at bb with 10% off the MSRP! ~ with tax, that comes close to the MSRP out the door. :( help?

I experienced many of the same signal problems as you (jspirate) when I upgraded from analog to digital service. In my case all RG-59 cable was replaced with RG-6, and wallah... the picture quality for SD & HD programming improved dramatically.

I have been lurking here for a couple of weeks in search of 42 inch plasma. The pd50u is one model I am looking at very closely. I plan to get OTA HD signals thru the built in ATSC tuner. I currently have regular cable, not digital cable. Just a cable wire coming to the house with no set top box. And I have no plans to upgrade my cable connection. How would I plug in both the regular cable wire and the OTA antenna wire to the pd50u? As of now I have no home theatre equipment but I might get some down the road. How do I switch from the OTA to cable? Thanks.

my suggestion would be to hookup your cable feed into a vcr, and then use the rca outs from the vcr to the tv. then just plug your antenna straight to the tv for your OTA HD.

one other note, you might actually get some HD channels through your cable connection, a lot of other users report that their local HD channels will come unscrambled through cable. (just do a channel scan first to see if you get any. if not i would say the vcr setup is the best option)

Will a QAM tuner allow me to tune in HD channels without an OTA antenna?

Originally posted by iBleedGarnet
Will a QAM tuner allow me to tune in HD channels without an OTA antenna?

This has been discussed several times in this thread. The short answer is probably, unless your cable company is doing something funky. I believe people have had problems with Comcast in some locations.

I have Time-Warner and I can get the local HD channels on my PD50.

I wouldn't plan on getting any 25% off of MSRP on this item. My experience is that it has been hard to find in stock at all so far, and is already $1000-1500 less than its direct competition. I'm amazed that any price discounts are being offered at all.

I did notice that the Fujitsu 42" ED had been discounted $1000 within a week of the PD50U's arrival at one store, and the salesman said he expected that Sony would be forced to follow suit as well. Good time to be in the market for a 42" ED.

It's just that 75% of internet merchants advertise at 25% below MSRP.... so the price range is definately not out of question. And if these small merchants can offer it at that price, then you KNOW the big chains can sell it even lower because they buy more at a time and their cost is even lower.

Cost to the B&M chains is only part of the equation. They have to spend a lot of cash training their floor reps to not use their brains.

The internet folks, OTOH, don't have such an expensive overhead to contend with. :cool:

whoohoo... i just picked up the PD50 at a price i want :D :D :D;)

I can't believe that less than a year ago, 3k for a fully featured EDTV was a "good deal"!

Hi Folks,

I am new member to the forum and a proud owner of the TH-42PD50U.
I do not have any calibration disk to tweak the settings, Can you guys please post your picture settings for the display.

Thanks
SEAPM

Originally posted by jambon
I wouldn't plan on getting any 25% off of MSRP on this item. ..

No, but 17% off MSRP is pretty darn good and many of us have managaed that from BM stores...

Originally posted by seapm
Hi Folks,

I am new member to the forum and a proud owner of the TH-42PD50U.
I do not have any calibration disk to tweak the settings, Can you guys please post your picture settings for the display.

Thanks
SEAPM


I use:

P+15
B+9
C+1
T-3
S0
color temp: normal

I think part of the reason why this set looks so good compared to other displays at the store is that the factory default settings are very very good and need little tweaking.

Last night I got a good plasma related chuckle. The mother-in-law is in town helping us with some time related resource challenges and last night when I was getting ready to go to bed she asked me if she could watch the plasma. I was surprised she asked because I didn't think she really cared about which TV she watched and I assumed the 32 inch CRT would have been all she needed. I also think she is a bit paranoid because she knows how anal I am and my wife had briefed her on break in, black bars etc... Anyway, I set the unit up for her on the HD channel she needed and proceeded to show her how to turn the plasma off. I got the "deer in the headlights" look when showing her the remote(s), so I decided to show her the LED light and power button on the unit. She seemed happy and I took off to prepare for bed. About 30 minutes later (right before getting into the sack) I decided to check on her to see if she was all set. I guess she didn't hear me coming and when I walked in she was about 12 inches away from the screen scanning the surface as if she was an inspector. When she realized I was there she was a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable. I didn't even acknowledge the situation and just continued with the "good night" routine.

I guess its not all that funny, but it does amuse me that an older and electronically challenged woman would be pixel peeping :p

As mentioned above, I have had my PD50 about a week. I have noticed several (about 10) intermittently scattered white pixels showing up on the top line of the display. This does not happen that frequently and disappears a few minutes later. (It seems to happen on HD channels). Is this normal or should I return the set for a replacement from CC.

Also, I really like the pq straight from the factory and have only changed the setting to normal (from vivid). Pertaining to burn in due to high levels of BRIGHTNESS and CONTRAST, do I need to adjust these factory settings or are they okay at this level to help avoid burn in during the break in period.

Thanks.

Originally posted by waverunner
As mentioned above, I have had my PD50 about a week. I have noticed several (about 10) intermittently scattered white pixels showing up on the top line of the display. This does not happen that frequently and disappears a few minutes later. (It seems to happen on HD channels). Is this normal or should I return the set for a replacement from CC.

Thanks.

I do not notice this on my pd50u, but I do have one HD channel that sometimes gives me a scanning effect at the very bottom of the screen. It doesn't happen on any other channels and is infrequent on the channel of concern. As a result, I am inclined to think it’s a problem with the channel or signal and not my plasma.

If I was in your shoes I would try to determine if it’s coming from the source/signal. This will probably involve the cable company (if that’s the source) and will probably not be painless. If I ruled out any problem(s) with that channel/signal, then I would assume it’s the TV and start talking with CC. That's just my opinion...

Originally posted by napple
It's just that 75% of internet merchants advertise at 25% below MSRP.... so the price range is definately not out of question. And if these small merchants can offer it at that price, then you KNOW the big chains can sell it even lower because they buy more at a time and their cost is even lower.

so, 20% can be had NOW and EASILY with one of the E reatailers, or E providors listed above as SPONSORS in ORANGE above.

I would go for that, and have ordered there before.

I agree that the recommended "less than 50% contrast and brightness" settings for 100 hour break-in are totally unacceptable for decent picture quality during daytime viewing.

One of the reasons I went with Panasonic is that their panels have always received good reviews for burn-in resistance. I'm working on the assumption that if you use settings higher than 50%, ALWAYS use full screen display, and avoid channels with logos, that you will be aging the pixels evenly and will not have to worry about burn-in despite violating the first 100 hours recommendations.

Is this a reasonable assumption?

I have the 42PD50U,and use the following settings. (I'm definitely a novice!!) I like the picture, but will admit that it's off a bit... green grass is a too green.

P: -2
B: +1
C: -3
T: 0
Color Temp: Normal

Are my setting much too high or too low?? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Originally posted by jambon
I agree that the recommended "less than 50% contrast and brightness" settings for 100 hour break-in are totally unacceptable for decent picture quality during daytime viewing.

...I'm working on the assumption that if you use settings higher than 50%, ALWAYS use full screen display, and avoid channels with logos, that you will be aging the pixels evenly and will not have to worry about burn-in despite violating the first 100 hours recommendations.

Is this a reasonable assumption?

On the "better-safe-than-sorry" premise, I'd recommend you at least draw the blinds and use STANDARD, not VIVID settings during the 100 hour break in period. That's only a month, and you'll probably be keeping your plasma for years.

It's Panasonic that recommends the "less than 50% picture" setting during this time, so the advice seems worth heeding. They advise both always filling the screen and the 50% picture setting during break in.

Lowering brighness is NOT neccessary! This is something I think the people here kinda made up... the panasonic white paper said nothing about lowering brightness. Brightness just controls the brightness of black levels, which isn't exactly burn in material.

If anything, theoritically raising the brightness will be better because is lessens the contrast between the blacks and the light colors.

Use your common sense!

All this is just to prevent potential burn in. A higher contrast means a bigger difference iin color between the pixels, so if you do have a static image, it's a little more likely to burn in than a lower contrast. Remember, burn in is uneven aging of the phosphors in the pixels. The less difference in color you have (contrast) the less likely you'll have burn in due to a static image.

So if you are careful with the stuff you watch (no static images) then you'll be fine with a factory contrast setting. Remember these plasmas are supposed to have a "near crt burn in resistance." Stop worrying and enjoy!

I use MTV as my "break in" channel. With all the stupid reality shows they play and all the commercials they have, they have very little static images. I zoom in the picture, and let my tv run overnight for a couple of days. Before you'll know it, you'll have reach 100 hours....

That's good advice Macfan, and yes I'm using Standard mode with the contrast dialed down even from the default +20 to +15 which is still 75% of the possible contrast value. Vivid mode comes set at +30 or 100% of the possible contrast value!

I am also experiencing oversaturation of greens even though the green decoder checks out acceptably using the smpe color bars and the green filter that comes with DVE. I suspect my cheap target component cables, and I have purchased some higher quality ones that I will test tonight.

Originally posted by jambon
I am also experiencing oversaturation of greens even though the green decoder checks out acceptably using the smpe color bars and the green filter that comes with DVE. I suspect my cheap target component cables, and I have purchased some higher quality ones that I will test tonight.

This makes no sense to me, but it seems to have happened anyway. I had the same over-saturation of greens concern at first with my PD25U, but over time it seems to have become less and less an issue. I don't know whether anything changed, or I just got used to it. Anyway, when watching the Cubs in HD recently, the grass at Wrigley looked just like the grass out my window, not the florescent glow I'd seen when I first got the set.

What annoyed me even worse at first was the green cast over everything which I found very disturbing with skin tones. That problem has ceased to exist.

Admittedly, I was fooling around with the settings at first (starting with very low picture and brightness settings, then trying to get the color and tint right) and now I use the factory settings. That's probably the source of my original problem, but I suppose it's possible that the greens mellow a bit as the panel breaks in.

As I said, doesn't make much sense, but my green problems seemed to have vanished. :)

FWIW, which probably isn't much.

Oddly enough, my greens seem to overassert themselves in dark scenes such as in Collateral or Fight Club. I find myself asking, "Is LA really lit with green tinted lights late at night?" or even wondering if Hollywood is maybe shooting low light scenes with green lights to get more lumens on the actors while still keeping the scene "dark."

Anyway, I am highly suspicious of my $9.99 Target component cables with the connectors that I have to compress with a pair of pliers before connecting because the metal is so soft. I'll get down to the bottom of that tonight and share the results. I have not been a big believer in the merits of high-priced cables in the past, but I'm willing to give them a try in this case.

Originally posted by jambon
I have not been a big believer in the merits of high-priced cables in the past, but I'm willing to give them a try in this case.

Healthy skepticism!

Advice: stay away from Monsters. They are WAY high priced, and there have been more than a few posts here where they appeared to be defective.

I've never heard a discouraging word about bluejeans.com cables. Check their website. They tell you up front what materials they use, and you can custom order what you like. At a fraction of the cost.

Unfortunately Monster is the only higher-performance brand available locally, and I just can't bear to wait for shipping. I can tell you that they appear to be priced significantly lower at Radio Shack than at electronics stores. I bought a 2m component cable (not the Ultra THX) for basically the same price as the bluejeanscable.com belkin cables, under $50.

And my skepticism of cable hype comes from the audio world where the snake oil peddlers there make Monster look like a Catholic charity in comparison.

Just a little tidbit, the new professional series Panasonic Plasmas are around the corner.

Just a little tidbit, the new professional series Panasonic Plasmas are around the corner.

When?!?!?

Before fall? I was gonna get the 7UY, but if the 8UY is coming soon, I can wait a month or two.

I agree that sometimes the greens look too green. I played with the tint a bit and now it seems more realistic. i'll post my new settings later tonight.

It would be nice to try out other peoples settings and post comments, this way we can all enoy a better picture. So please post your settings and comments on other settings..

JT

Originally posted by AdilM
Just a little tidbit, the new professional series Panasonic Plasmas are around the corner.

Adilm:

That would be excellent. I was not expecting them until September/October. IIRC you provided some preliminary info on the 2005 consumer line early on. So when you have details on the professional/commercial, please share.


JCPZero

Originally posted by Tanvols
I agree that sometimes the greens look too green. I played with the tint a bit and now it seems more realistic. i'll post my new settings later tonight.

It would be nice to try out other peoples settings and post comments, this way we can all enoy a better picture. So please post your settings and comments on other settings..

JT

Yeah, the greens can be a bit neonish when you watch golf or some other green fielded sport. In those scenarios I have to switch the color temperature to "cool." I did not notice this until I watched The Masters this past weekend.

Originally posted by yobob
Healthy skepticism!

Advice: stay away from Monsters. They are WAY high priced, and there have been more than a few posts here where they appeared to be defective.

I've never heard a discouraging word about bluejeans.com cables. Check their website. They tell you up front what materials they use, and you can custom order what you like. At a fraction of the cost.

FYI... I am using the Monster HDMI from my cable box to the PD50 with incredible results. It is well worth the $120 in my opinion!

Here's an example of the green push in dark scenes. Rent the Fight Club DVD. In scene 4, Ed Norton is sitting on the toilet in his bathroom ordering from a catalog. In Standard picture mode, the PD50U shows the bathtub tile and all of the bathroom as a pastel green. Connect your dvd player s-video to a CRT set and you'll see that the tile is actually a bone white. The same green push can be seen in the same scene on the inside of his refrigerator and especially in the intial scene of his visit with the doctor. I upgraded my component cable before making this test, and it had no effect.

Strangely, the extrasaturation of greens in well-lit scenes like a golf tournament doesn't bother me so much, but this consistent green tinging of dark scenes has got me a little worried. I found something of a workaround to it though. If you change the color temp to warm and set the color to -10, it will take out much of the green and restore the dim incandescent yellow/whites that were being greened. Obviously you have some tradeoffs in fleshtone. I'm still evaluating if this is really a practical workaround or not.

I really wonder if this is a Panasonic thing. I had a Panasonic DLP about a month ago until I started having problems with rainbows, and it had this exact, and I mean exact, green pastel takeover of low-light scenes. You can see the same thing in the movie Collateral.

Excuse ME? Has a brightness "specs" been identified on the px50u or pd? Ive been looking around, but couldnt find it.

400cd/m<sup>2
is this brightness correct for th-42pd50u? Why is it lower then previous models!

Wiht my 37pd25u, i use to get channel 787 (ABC-HD) but now with the 42pd50u, I don't get that channel anymore? I've tried inputing it manually, no luck.

Anybody else have problems of dissapearing digital channels? I wonder if Charter has changed this past week, or if there is something with the TV....

I had the exact same problem. I was getting PBS HD, ABC HD and CBS HD with the PD25. when I exchanged it for the PD50 I lost all three but started getting HDNET, HD Movies and ESPN2 HD.
I posted the question earlier and was advised to check under different channel numbers- but to no avail.
Let me know if you find a solution- I was thinking in the lines of calling panasonic and if not resolution will think of getting STB.

Ram

Originally posted by sm46
I had the exact same problem. I was getting PBS HD, ABC HD and CBS HD with the PD25. when I exchanged it for the PD50 I lost all three but started getting HDNET, HD Movies and ESPN2 HD.
I posted the question earlier and was advised to check under different channel numbers- but to no avail.
Let me know if you find a solution- I was thinking in the lines of calling panasonic and if not resolution will think of getting STB.

Ram

I don't know much about this stuff, but I just went through a "clean up" of my coax cable as it runs through the house. My signal goes through a STB, but the issue is still the same. I have two different STBs, but one was getting more channels than the other. In the end, the "lame" STB was not to blame. The signal was just weaker in one room than another and this resulted in a lack of reception on some channels. Could it be that the two different receivers respond differently to the same frequency (referring to the freq that that channel is sent at over cable)? As a result, the TV does not have what it needs to display the digital and thus doesn't.

I might be grasping here, but my recent exercise in signal strength and channel availability has lead me to believe that it should always be the first item of consideration.

Just got my 42PD50 last weekend and am hooked up to Comast cable. I am getting all the HD local channels I expected. NBC analog is on 8 and NBC-HD is 8-1, etc. Also found INHD1 & 2 on 73.1 and 73.3

The TV did not seem to find the IHND channel during the auto-scan, at least I did not notice. I had 'turned off' all the digital channels until I saw on this post about INHD and went back in and turned them on.

Adilm,

You have stirred the fires of anticipation in a host of us lurking in the shadows waiting for any tidbits of information that will lead us to actually purchase something ... you have our attention, and we humbly entreat any insights that you may share regarding the availability of the 8UY, and especially any information about the nature of this new beast. TIA

When I get definite facts I can disclose, I will post.
Do Not PM pretending to want to purchase from me, it's all the facts I can give out right now. Thanks.

AdilM,

I see that you are an installer/dealer and to me that means that you are an expert on the subject of plazma. In my shopping around I was able to see a side-by-side with the Panny PD50U and the Sammy R4232. While I found the Panny to have the better PQ, it also exhibited some very troubling "clay face" on the ESPN sportscenter. What causes this and can it be fixed? Have you compared the PD50 and the 7UY? Hundgry for some expert analysis...TIA for anything you can share.

Originally posted by NikeMan
Just got my 42PD50 last weekend and am hooked up to Comast cable. I am getting all the HD local channels I expected. NBC analog is on 8 and NBC-HD is 8-1, etc. Also found INHD1 & 2 on 73.1 and 73.3

The TV did not seem to find the IHND channel during the auto-scan, at least I did not notice. I had 'turned off' all the digital channels until I saw on this post about INHD and went back in and turned them on. How were you able to "turn back on" digital channels that were not originally auto-scanned?

AFAIK, you can not "add" digital channels manually. It MUST find them during an autoscan or it will never know about them. If you learned something different please let me know. Thanks!

In the manual tuning menu you go to the channel like 73.3 and flip the right most column(Add) to 'Yes' . In the initial scan it did not set it to display when thumbing thru the channels.

Sorry for my difficulty explaining properly, trying to remember what I did when I am nowhere near the actual TV

Has anyone with the 42PD50 had an issue with the close captioning. I turn it off and when I turn on the unit the next day the captioning is back on, usually on the digital HD channels. It does not alway happen but it is odd. Of course it might just be some other user in the house is doing something I don't know about:-)

Originally posted by NikeMan
In the manual tuning menu you go to the channel like 73.3 and flip the right most column(Add) to 'Yes' . In the initial scan it did not set it to display when thumbing thru the channels.

Sorry for my difficulty explaining properly, trying to remember what I did when I am nowhere near the actual TV That's what I thought. It must have found the channels during the initial autoscan.

I also noticed close captioning today on my NBC DTV station, but only on the HD (4-1) Channel. It was not on the 4-2 SD channel, nor any other DTV channels. Also, I have CC set to OFF in the Setup. I think the CC was somehow forced ON in the regular feed. Next time I see it, I'll check my other receiver to make sure it is not a problem with the PD50U in particular.

well, i re-scanned and still nothing... my ABC-HD is gone :(

Hey Napple , maybe a silly question, did you try entering the channel directly? For me ABC-HD would be 4-1 where regular ABC is 4

The only thing that comes to mind is that your previous receiver that got ABS-HD is more sensitive than the one in the Panasonic plasma. It has to still be there somewhere

yeah, i tried punching it in directly (ch # 787) it's as if it never existed...

Originally posted by napple
yeah, i tried punching it in directly (ch # 787) it's as if it never existed... Make sure it is in your "manual" channel list and you have a "YES" there to turn it on. Don't forget the "-X" after the channel number, which should be required.

I have not had trouble lately with digital channels dropping off the face of the earth like I used to. Seems whatever it was corrected itself.

However, in my never-ending quest to combine DTV antenna signals with Cable, I have so far only been able to program the set to receive all the off-air digital stations PLUS any analog stations that I want on Cable up to Channel 17 max. This is using the Antenna mode and I must use a switch to flip from OTA to Cable.

An anomaly occurred while I was manually adding analog stations in the list while in Antenna mode. I was actually able to set ALL the cable channels (up to 69 anyway) by hand, one at a time. However, going back to normal TV viewing, those stations above 17 would no longer come in! If above 17 are only "Cable" frequencies, I wonder why it is able to get them while manually editing and not during normal viewing.

I tried a regular RF splitter in the reverse direction to avoid having to use the switch, but this only caused the digital OTA signals to drag down from the cable signal input. Therefore, I'm back to using a switch.

Does anyone know the proper "Combiner" to use for combining UHF Digital RF signals with Cable? I wonder if these so-called Satellite/Antenna combiners would work for this.

The reason I'm so obsessed with this is because the cable analog signals look far better using the PD50U tuner directly, than going through my VCR via S-Video Input. Dot crawl and color fringing are eliminated and there is less noise. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. :)

FYI - you can now find information on the TH-42PX50U at the Panasonic web site - just do a search for the part number. I was able to "compare" it to the 42PD50U, but not all of it's technical specs are filled in yet - e.g. still not sure if it has picture-in-picture and the number/type of inputs.

Turns out msrp is 3500 for the 42px50u. I thought it was gonna be 4000. That's great news.

While I was shopping for a 42PD50U, I saw the 42px50u in CCs system and managed to catch the price while the sales man was checking stock (yeah, I know it was wishful thinking). anyways, It came up at 3100, I belive. It might've been 3199, but my gut is telling me that it was at 3100.

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93192&catGroupId=24983&displayTab=S&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&surfModel=TH-42PX50U&surfCategory=37\

Yep, there it is. MSRP=$3500. Let's hope they don't change it.

Pretty good deal if you ask me. Only $1000 more than the 42PD50. Comes with Cablecard and 768p.

Now, where is the 50PX50? Maybe the MSRP for that will be $500 less than previously thought, meaning $5000?

Does anybody know when the 42PX50U will be available for sale?
I have not seen it listed online anywhere yet.

yeah, I'm very excited about the pq of the upcoming px50u... gosh, right now, an OPEN BOX 42px25u @ bestbuy is going for $3799!!!

There is a reputable web site (much more a retailer than a wholesaler) which has the new Panasonic models listed (if you search by model number), yet not available. I do believe that the MSRP's are included with these models since they do have the TH-42PD50U listed at $2,499.00, which as I understand is the MSRP.

Here are the prices which I am assuming are Panasonic's MSRP (hope I am not overstepping here). Even if these are lower than MSRP, they are a good frame of reference for what we are going to be paying because the prices will be close to these (probably between $100-$300 max diff).

TH-42PX50U
$3,499.00

TH-42PX500U
$3,799.00

TH-50PX50U
$4,799.00

TH-50PX500U
$5,299.00

They are all listed as currently unavailable with no projections of when they will become available.

Does anybody know what type and how many inputs the px50u has?

The panasonic site says 2!

Check forum sponser eCost ---- search for 'panasonic plasma' and scroll to the bottom. The new models are listed with prices lower than MSRP. Of course, they are not yet available, except for the 42PD50.
A previous poster mentioned this, and the probable pricing looks encouraging. Others will likely follow this price level.

I think ecost just became my favorite online vendor. :D

Does ecost take back plasmas that are damaged during shipping?

How about if the plasma has dead pixels?

Hey Napple,

In my comcast system ABC-HD is 704 where on my Over-the-air receiver it is 4-1. It is also 4-1 on my pd50u.

The HD version on an analog channel usually is the analog channel number with a "-1" after it. What is your ABC channel over-the-air channel number? Try that with a -1 after it.

I am not giving up yet, it has to be there:-)

Originally posted by NikeMan
Hey Napple,

In my comcast system ABC-HD is 704 where on my Over-the-air receiver it is 4-1. It is also 4-1 on my pd50u.

The HD version on an analog channel usually is the analog channel number with a "-1" after it. What is your ABC channel over-the-air channel number? Try that with a -1 after it.

I am not giving up yet, it has to be there:-) I found if you enter the actual UHF channel number that your OTA DTV station uses directly (e.g. 32) into the remote control (in 'Antenna' mode with antenna connected), the PD50U will first check for the analog signal there (you will see snow) and then it will find the digital one, which it will display as 4-1 or whatever. It should then appear in the channel list from then on. No need to rescan. You can now enter 4-1 as usual.

That said, there are times when a station signal gets screwy (happened to me a few times) and the set somehow refuses to re-lock on the signal using the above method. Only a re-scan seems to cure this problem.

I am going to buy the Zenith P42W46X or the new Panasonic 42PD50U ED today. Because I got waylayed by my tax effort I don't have time to sort through all the posts for these two sets. My calculations show that the Panasonic is about $450 more at Good Guys today on their 10% off sale and a published $1999 for the Zenith.

Can anyone summarize the key +'s and -'s between the two sets?

Jack

I called ecost two days ago... and they said they won't get any in for 3 weeks.

fyi, i got the pd50 @ cc for under that price!

I contacted an online vendor. They expect to receive the first shipment of the Th-50PX50U at the end of May.

:(

Of course, it's possible that other vendors/retailers will get their shipment earlier.

Hey JackB

I just bought to PD50U, it was sitting right next to the Zenith. Even my wife thought to picture quality of the Panasonic was much better. I did not pay hardly any more for the PD50U than the Zenith.

napple,

Are you saying you got the Panasonic for less than the Good Guys List - 10%?

Jack

Originally posted by JackB
I am going to buy the Zenith P42W46X or the new Panasonic 42PD50U ED today. Because I got waylayed by my tax effort I don't have time to sort through all the posts for these two sets. My calculations show that the Panasonic is about $450 more at Good Guys today on their 10% off sale and a published $1999 for the Zenith.

Can anyone summarize the key +'s and -'s between the two sets?

Jack

This is the wrong place for an "objective" comparison, as it is heavily populated by Panasonic owners.

Suffice to say that the Zenith is a good set, but most reviewers think the Panasonic is better. CNET says the previous model Panasonic (42PD25U) is the best plasma on the market, and many other reviewers agree (though, obviously, not everyone). I've never seen a claim like that for the Zenith (other than from owners). The 42PD50U is too new to have any independent reviews yet, but it is undoubtedly at least as good as its predecessor (many here say better).

I'm not sure how 10% off a MSRP of $2500 turns out to be $450 more than $1999. Something's wrong with the math there, somewhere. You should have no trouble getting the Panasonic within 10% of the price of the Zenith. Most of the people on this thread would say that makes it a no-brainer, but there are plenty of happy Zenith owners out there, too.

MacFan424,

The $450 was arrived at by subtracting 10% from both $2499 and $1999, or $2250-$1799=$451.

Thanks for your other comments.

Jack

Originally posted by jrock65
I contacted an online vendor. They expect to receive the first shipment of the Th-50PX50U at the end of May.

:(

Of course, it's possible that other vendors/retailers will get their shipment earlier.

[wishful-thinking]Maybe they meant the PX500U?[/wishful-thinking]

Looks like it's time for a dedicated PD50U owners thread. I suspect that this thread is about to become a full-time PX50U discussion.

Look guys/gals, if it came across that the newer Professional series would be out this month or the next month that was not my intention. I think of product releases in quarters and my post was partially meant as sarcasm for those who wait and wait and never buy and just criticize.
When I get something that I can post for all I will.
I am not a fan of the frenzy and conjecture that occurs in the electronics industry and apologize for inciting any of that and I am not a Panny shill either ;)
As far as I know the PX50U units will be out end of May w/ some getting them around May 16-June 1.

Personally I thought the Panasonic was easily worth $200 more than the Zenith which is why I bought it. It is really important to have both setting next to easy other, playing the same input and try to get the setting as close as you can. I have heard many folks really like the Zenith, I almost decided on it before hearing about the new Pannys and waiting to see them.

Originally posted by JackB
..The $450 was arrived at by subtracting 10% from both $2499 and $1999, or $2250-$1799=$451.


I misunderstood because around here — up to now at least — the Zeniths have been offered at $1999 only on "sale."

I'm solidly in the Panasonic camp, but I'd have to give the Zenith another hard look at $1799, although the Panasonic should be available for 15-20% off list if you look long enough. (Forum sponsor eCost had them for even less, but I don't know what they charge for shipping.)

Like NikeMan, the Zenith was on my short list because it offers a lot for the money. In the end, I thought the Panasonic was worth its extra cost because of its PQ and excellent QC reputation. LG (Zenith, Goldstar) has not earned the latter yet in the US. They are second only to Panasonic in worldwide plasma sales, though, so they must be doing something right.

There are no Good Guys around here (well, there are, but no store by that name ;) ), so I don't know what their display policies are. If they'll do it, try to look at both sets with a SD cable feed and DVD before you buy. When I looked, the Zenith seemed to fall short in those areas. Virtually any plasma will look good with an HD picture.

Panasonic is especially admired for their blacks, but LG is closing the gap. In absolute terms, they compete very well, but to my eye, they fall behind in shadow detail, so you might want to look for that.

Admittedly, it's hard to judge PQ in a store, as ambient light and picture settings are usually much different than at home. I went from store to store comparing my two finalists (Sony and Panasonic). One would look better in one store, the other in the next. Whatever you choose, it's likely to look better in your living room than on the sales floor.

Good luck!

Originally posted by Macfan424
Panasonic is especially admired for their blacks, but LG is closing the gap. In absolute terms, they compete very well, but to my eye, they fall behind in shadow detail... Whatever you choose, it's likely to look better in your living room than on the sales floor.


To reiterate things I've said earlier in this thread, I had a Zenith for several weeks before I exchanged it for a Panasonic PD50, and to my eye (and my wife's) there was really no contest -- the Panasonic's PQ is much better, especially on dark scenes, where the 2048 gray levels are really helping. I also had reliability problems with the Zenith, but those seem to have been atypical.

I happily paid about $400 more for the Panasonic, and I think it was worth it.

got my PD50 today... good lord, it makes me embarassed to say i ever owned that wretched samsung 4251... the panny pq out of the box is absolutely impressive...

I took the plunge and got a HD10-250 DirecTivo for my PD50U and the difference between the SD through the HDMI interface and the old SVideo is pretty great. SD Looks alot better. The HD channels look fantastic! I also have an OTA antenna and get almost all the local digital channels. They look great too, although I wish I could stretch the picture like on the SD channels.

One question, on the digital OTA channels, the side bars are in black. The TV is set to Grey bars, and I can't change it anyway since it is greyed out. The DirecTivo is also set to Grey Bars, but the digital OTA channels still are black. Is there something I am missing, or will they always be black?

I am confused by the fact that panasonic says that these panels use 8th generation glass. The specs are identical to the 7 series industrial models. Have the industrial models been updated too?

I have an update on my obsessive investigation of the greens in the PD50U.

The "Color Matrix" setting has a significant impact on what I noticed earlier in dark scenes on DVD's. Setting it to HD instead of SD helps noticably. The setting cannot be set to HD when watching a SD signal however, and you will still see a decided green pastel tinting of bone/ivory colored objects. Last night during the Yankees/Red Sox game in SD, there was a closeup on the ball, and it was distinctly tinted pastel green. This however, is something I am prepared to grant a little more leniency to. After all, I didn't buy a digital TV so I could criticize SD content for not being perfect. Anyway, all other colors are absolutely beautiful, so I'm feeling a lot better about this set.

Current settings I'm using are

Picture +14
Brightness 0
Color -2
Tint +2
Sharpness 0
Color Temperture Normal
Color Mgmt Off

Still no service menu discovered by any members. Is it possible that as part of the reduced feature set of this model, that it does not have a service menu?

Originally posted by soncomet
I am confused by the fact that panasonic says that these panels use 8th generation glass. The specs are identical to the 7 series industrial models. Have the industrial models been updated too?

As far as I can tell, the only thing that the 8th Gen adds over the 7th Gen is the sub-pixel control.

I have seen MSRP on what I believe are the new models of $2499.95 for the 42PD50, $3499.95 for the 42PX50, and $4999.95 for the 50PX50.

At discounted prices, I might be able to get the 42PX50 for about $650 more than the 42PD50. My viewing distance is 8' - 9'. Primary use is SD cable, HD OTA, and a DVD couple times a month. Any reason NOT to get the PX for this price difference?

Originally posted by jambon
I have an update on my obsessive investigation of the greens in the PD50U.

The "Color Matrix" setting has a significant impact on what I noticed earlier in dark scenes on DVD's. Setting it to HD instead of SD helps noticably. The setting cannot be set to HD when watching a SD signal however, and you will still see a decided green pastel tinting of bone/ivory colored objects. Last night during the Yankees/Red Sox game in SD, there was a closeup on the ball, and it was distinctly tinted pastel green. This however, is something I am prepared to grant a little more leniency to. After all, I didn't buy a digital TV so I could criticize SD content for not being perfect. Anyway, all other colors are absolutely beautiful, so I'm feeling a lot better about this set.

Current settings I'm using are

Picture +14
Brightness 0
Color -2
Tint +2
Sharpness 0
Color Temperture Normal
Color Mgmt Off

Still no service menu discovered by any members. Is it possible that as part of the reduced feature set of this model, that it does not have a service menu?

Has anyone else seen this same green tinting? There are a lot of new PD50U owners here, so as a potential PX50U buyer, I'm curious to hear how common this issue is.

The 42PX50 is on Panasonic's official web page now. Yep, $3500 MSRP is confirmed.

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelList?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=24973&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

Originally posted by rbkessler
...One question, on the digital OTA channels, the side bars are in black. The TV is set to Grey bars, and I can't change it anyway since it is greyed out. The DirecTivo is also set to Grey Bars, but the digital OTA channels still are black. Is there something I am missing, or will they always be black?

The black bars you are seeing on HD are transmitted by the station and you have no control over it. Even when they only have 4:3 program material, they are sending a 16:9 picture which include the bars. Some stations, like CBS in Chicago, vary the color of the bars, but black seems the most popular choice.

If you are seeing the black bars on digital SD stations, it's a different matter. That doesn't happen on my 25U, and I wouldn't expect it to on the 50U either, but I suppose it's possible.

Originally posted by Geordon
[
At discounted prices, I might be able to get the 42PX50 for about $650 more than the 42PD50. My viewing distance is 8' - 9'. Primary use is SD cable, HD OTA, and a DVD couple times a month. Any reason NOT to get the PX for this price difference? [/B]

I doubt it.

1. The silver bezel on the 42PD50 makes for less contrasting material surrounding the display, while the black bezel on the 42PX50 visually enhances the display, IMO (one could make the argument that the visual dynamics of this "contrast" dynamic makes this somewhat a given).

2. Having viewed the 42PD50 at 4 different stores with an itchy trigger finger, I just couldn't get the SDE thing from creeping into my visual analysis of this set\/ I paced off 8' (my viewing distance for my home) while in the stores and I could see some of the SDE in many scenes. Then I would jet my eyes over to the HD displays and see no SDE. Again, the SDE is not overly apparent at all (disappearing past 9 feet in my estimate) and my obsessiveness is obviously getting in the way here. So if you are like me, purchasing the 42PX may not leave you second guessing about the SDE.

Now about the SD PQ situation - it seems as though it would take an act of congress to get any rep to feed you an SD signal to the 42PD50. I tried in every store to no avail. If only they knew that if the 42PD50 showed a marked improvement in SD over the HD models in the store, I might have just walked out with the 42PD50 (I also have a high SD viewing percentage).

Originally posted by soncomet
I am confused by the fact that panasonic says that these panels use 8th generation glass. The specs are identical to the 7 series industrial models. Have the industrial models been updated too?

Most, if not all, published specs reflect the electronics, not the glass.

As far as I can tell, the only thing that the 8th Gen adds over the 7th Gen is the sub-pixel control.

Sub-pixel control is done by electronics.

Chances are, the biggest generational changes in the glass itself are in the manufacturing process used. Judging by replacement costs, the 8th generation glass is much less expensive to produce than the 7th or 6th.

From a consumer point of view, the most noticeable improvements in the glass, per se, in recent years have been increased longevity, greater resistance to burn-in, better glare resistance and whatever reduction in SDE that may have occurred. Blacker blacks may also be at least in part attributable to the glass.

PQ is largely a function of electronics, which is why Fujitsu, Hitachi and Sony ALiS sets, for example, look different even though they all use the same glass or why Sony sets have a family resemblance even though they get their glass from several different sources.

Originally posted by empire_of_one
Has anyone else seen this same green tinting? There are a lot of new PD50U owners here, so as a potential PX50U buyer, I'm curious to hear how common this issue is. Don't see it here. But then my Tint is at -2 (Color at -4), Color Mgmt is ON and Matrix set to HD. Or maybe I'm just lucky.

Originally posted by jrock65
The 42PX50 is on Panasonic's official web page now. Yep, $3500 MSRP is confirmed.

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelList?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=24973&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

Looks good, but I have one question (maybe it's been answered before, but I don't remember). The original announcement in the first post described all these new plasmas as 720p, not 768p. Was I taking that too literally in thinking the native resolution would be 1280x720? The 42PX50U is spec'ed at 1024x768, same as the 25U. Does this mean the 50PX50U will be 1366x768, not 1280x720?

Originally posted by empire_of_one
Looks good, but I have one question (maybe it's been answered before, but I don't remember). The original announcement in the first post described all these new plasmas as 720p, not 768p. Was I taking that too literally in thinking the native resolution would be 1280x720? The 42PX50U is spec'ed at 1024x768, same as the 25U. Does this mean the 50PX50U will be 1366x768, not 1280x720?

Yeah, the 50px50 will definitely be 1366x768. I think the 720p was there just to emphasize that the consumer set will finally accept 720p natively. Or to say that it'll display only one of the HD standards fully (720p but not 1080i). Dunno.

The 37px50 will be 1024x720.

Hey guys.. just FYI if you are a Marrott rewards member. You can use your points on the PD50. I just got mine... GREAT tv... and it only cost me two years of travelling :) Been playing a little bit with the settings. Anybody use a DVD or other method to calibrate.. if so what are you settings? thanks

Don't look for the green pastels in HD or DVD content with Color Matrix set to HD. You're alright in that mode.

The green pastels show up in SD content when displaying bone/ivory or light tan colors. Hook up a crt to a second output on your satellite box so you can compare side to side and it won't take you long to find it. Look for kitchen cabinets, baseballs, or other off-white colors and you'll see it.

I purchased the PD50U from CC last week. I was able to pick up CBS-HD (the only available network) and Discovery-HD with the cable hooked directly to the television. HD picture is beautiful, especially on Discovery-HD.
Cinema mode seems to do a good job of smoothing out the sd channels when the room is dark. Have adjusted standard settings to those that Carey P and jspirate have shared.

From what I have read most seem to watch in Just mode. I originally set to Just, but when watching basketball the other night I was flipping back and forth from Just to Full and felt that Full was actually easier to look at. If you look in the manual with the circles on the screen for the various modes it appears that Just slightly zooms and stretches, whereas Full only stretches. It appears to me that the zooming for Just is slightly degrading the signal. Maybe I'm the oddball, but I'm curious as to what mode others are using.

I'm going from a 32" to a 42" and sit about 8 feet from the screen due to room constraints. For me the ideal viewing distance for this television would be about 10 feet, not because of the pq, but the size of the screen. My eyes seem to fatigue when trying to take in the entire screen. Has any one else experienced this and is this something I will eventually adjust to.

Originally posted by bigredhusker
...Anybody use a DVD or other method to calibrate.. if so what are you settings? thanks I calibrated to Avia and found the following using the component input with DVD. Note, the Pict (Contrast) and Brightness values are really arbitrary, since it depends on source material and taste, etc. - as long as the Brightness is set so that shadow detail is not lost:

Vivid:
P= +6
B= +15
C= -4
T= -1
S= -3

Standard:
P= +5 to +8
B= +7 to +12
C= -4
T= -2
S= +1

Cinema:
P= +7
B= +5
C= -4
T= -3
S= 0

The critical values are for C and T to get the colors right. They seem to work for other inputs and sources as well. YMMV.

{I'm going from a 32" to a 42" and sit about 8 feet from the screen due to room constraints. For me the ideal viewing distance for this television would be about 10 feet, not because of the pq, but the size of the screen. My eyes seem to fatigue when trying to take in the entire screen. Has any one else experienced this and is this something I will eventually adjust to.}

I don't experience any eye fatigue but I agree -- I can't get over how dang BIG my 42PD50 is. I also have a shallow room where I placed my set and I'm thinking of wall-mounting it just so I can get an extra six inches of viewing distance. (Well, that and the uber cool factor.) I watch at about 7 feet and PQ-wise it's just fine. I don't notice any SDE.

I was tempted to exchange for the 37, but realistically I don't think they're going to be out within my 30-day return period. And while I doubt the step down in size would bother me, the step up in cost is a dubious prospect at this point. (When was April 15th again?? Let me check my bank statement...)

I think what will improve my enjoyment of the set is if I get some actual HD channels via cable. A crappy feed on a big screen gives you what? -A big pile of crap. Compare something like CSI to that vomit they put on the soap opera channel. That taught me a very important lesson about source!

I have also found that you really have to work at calibrating the settings of all of your equipment to ensure you're getting a good pic. It seems that all TVs and DVD players are set to display garish 480i garbage out of the box.

Once I got my equipment set properly, I've been very happy with the quality of DVDs I've watched. Whether I step up to HD cable or not is a different question.

okay well i just got my DVE disc and calibrated it last night, i'll probably do some more using the steaming rat method, but here is what i got.

Standard:
P= 15
B= 9 to 12, I prefer 9
C= -5
T= -5
S= 1
color temp is normal
color management is off
color matrix is set to SD
black level is set to light

my settings from messing around with my set on my own for a week were:
P= 17
B= 6
C= -6
T= -4
S= 1
color temp is normal
color management is off
color matrix is set to HD
black level is set to light

so not too much of a difference, but i say it does look better.

here are my thoughts...
when setting the color matrix to HD, colors seem more vibrant, but when i use the color filter, there is a severe green push. it gets better when i set it to SD (not perfect though, but better). skin tones also seem more natural in SD, no slightly rosey cheeks.

judging by my eye, i don't like setting the black level to dark at all, it loses a lot of detail.

my dvd player is an onkyo cp-702 connected through component cables. and i think it's great, i see no interlacing errors what so ever. (which i was looking out for when DVE was displaying a clip of the US flag) my player also does not display "blacker than blacks"/ "whiter than whites"

and to jambon,
i watched fight club and did not notice any green in the bathtub or fridge, the doctor scene seems to have a green pallete on purpose though.

I feel like a kid on Chirstmas eve...waiting on the PX50 is killing me. Moving into new house in 2 weeks...looks like I'll be starring at an empty wall for a bit.

So what is the native resolution on the 42PX50, and can it display true 720P resolution?

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know what the suggested MSRPs of the commercial models of these will be? Or can speculate?

As I will be needing another plasma soon, I wonder if you new owners are experiencing any uneven black levels as described here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=508818)

I'm almost certain that I'm pulling the trigger on the PX50 about as soon as I can get one. I'll probably wait a couple of days and see if the board's reaction is overly negative but I'm anticipating it beign positive. Seems like if I can get it for some discount off list price, it will be a steal compared to similar quality 50inch HD plasmas. I'd been looking at the Sony XS955 and Pio 5050, plus the existing Pannys. My wife really prefers built in speakers for simplicity, she doesn't like surround sound, so commercial models are out. If the PX50 is as good as its billed, I think I'll be saving 1-2Gs over the Sony and Pio for hopefully a comparable or better picture.

Seems like the PX500 however is only going to list for an extra $500. But its not coming out for another couple of months I believe. Seems like the PX500 is going to add a few computer related capabilities like PC inputs. Does anyone have a clearer picture of the advantages? Are they worth the extra $500 (I know that is a subjective question)? More importantly, is it worth waiting one to two months more? My basement is days away from being complete and all its waiting for is its new TV.

Still not decided which Plasma I want. Watched again the new Panny today but there is one very annoying point (imo); the 4:3 broadcast > 16:9 scaling is bad if you compare it with Philips, Pioneer, Sony, etc.
Human heads are too wide, not natural. Other brands i've mentioned do a better job. They cut slightly more from top and bottom of the image so heads remain their natural appearance.

I've tried the 'just' setting too on the Panny, but this doesn't help, looks the same as 'auto'. Why oh why Panasonic?
(even a el cheapo Vestel does a better job on this)

i have purchased the pd50 and have it now for 1 week the pq is great!

the concern i have is and i new it when i bought the set, is it only has 1 antenna input. i want to run cable tv without a box and ota with rooftop antenna through this input. can this be don? i tried a rat shack a/b remote switch and it did not seem to work as i needed to rescan for each a and b, when i did this it would erase all previous channels. am i doing something wrong. sure would hate to have to return the unit only because it has 1 rf input. some say to connect to a vcr but then you would have to use the tuner in the vcr correct? why would panasonic put multiple tuners in one unit if you can only use 1 or the other. maybe i am missing something.

please help.

t.i.a.

Originally posted by Bengbeng
I've tried the 'just' setting too on the Panny, but this doesn't help, looks the same as 'auto'. Why oh why Panasonic?

This is a personal taste question. Panasonic's JUST mode is less strong than the similar modes of other manufacturers; I like it better myself, but if you don't, it's a potential issue.

Originally posted by schmendrick
i have purchased the pd50 and have it now for 1 week the pq is great!

the concern i have is and i new it when i bought the set, is it only has 1 antenna input. i want to run cable tv without a box and ota with rooftop antenna through this input. can this be don? ...why would panasonic put multiple tuners in one unit if you can only use 1 or the other...

The PD50 only has one tuner; I don't know a way around your problem; as far as I know you have to rescan, but I've never tried switching antenna inputs. You may be able to get your local HD programming off your cable connection and so have no need to receive OTA broadcasts -- that's what I do.

It is too bad that you have to rescan. You may only need to do this to see an HD OTA channel and an HD cable channel; if all you're watching from one or the other source is regular NTSC you might be able to just leave the settings as is.

no i hve adelphia cable and no hd channels when scanning cable channels, think you only get hd with their stb.

Originally posted by schmendrick
no i hve adelphia cable and no hd channels when scanning cable channels, think you only get hd with their stb.

Sorry to hear that; I've heard that some Adephia systems do carry clear HD, and I thought they were actually required to by the FCC. Yoiu're sure you don't see any HD signals (look in the manual list for channels with hyphens in the number)?

If you just want to pull analog signals off your cable, then a cheap VCR will work fine as a second analog tuner; save the PD50's tuner to do OTA HD.

Originally posted by Bengbeng
... there is one very annoying point (imo); the 4:3 broadcast > 16:9 scaling is bad if you compare it with Philips, Pioneer, Sony, etc.
Human heads are too wide, not natural. Other brands i've mentioned do a better job. They cut slightly more from top and bottom of the image so heads remain their natural appearance.

I've tried the 'just' setting too on the Panny, but this doesn't help, looks the same as 'auto'...

I felt the same way when I first got my 42PD25U, but I pretty much got used to it after awhile, if that helps at all.

As a compromise, I use ZOOM instead of FULL/JUST on some material. Doesn't work on everything, but it does sometimes, especially on movies.

After the break in period, I started using the 4:3 mode for serious watching, less because of horizontal stretching than because the picture looks crisper in its native shape. Of course, I may be atypical, as less than 15% of my viewing is of 4:3 programming. Generally, I watch OTA HD broadcasts.

So, I've been waiting to get the px50u when it comes out, and I just got a chance to see the pd50u at tweeter, and all I can say is wow! It's beautiful! It was seated just over a px25u, and it completely blew that plasma away. It looked brighter, more vivid, and much more colorful. The px25u looked slightly sharper, but only barely so, and the differences made the ed set seem sharper before careful examination. I wonder if the px50u is going to be better than the pd50u, as it seems like a hard feat to accomplish. I just keep thinking, though, about the price drop of the px series from 5500 to 3500 bucks, as opposed to the pd series' much smaller price drop of 3000 to 2500. I also can't buy the tv until may, so I'm definately going to wait and compare the two sets. I think the one thing that might give me the final push me towards the px50u is if it has the 2 rf inputs. Only time will tell.

Originally posted by schmendrick
i have purchased the pd50 and have it now for 1 week the pq is great!

the concern i have is and i new it when i bought the set, is it only has 1 antenna input. i want to run cable tv without a box and ota with rooftop antenna through this input. can this be don? i tried a rat shack a/b remote switch and it did not seem to work as i needed to rescan for each a and b, when i did this it would erase all previous channels. am i doing something wrong. sure would hate to have to return the unit only because it has 1 rf input. some say to connect to a vcr but then you would have to use the tuner in the vcr correct? why would panasonic put multiple tuners in one unit if you can only use 1 or the other. maybe i am missing something.

please help.

t.i.a.

I asked this exact same question a few pages back in this thread. I was told the only way to get around this problem is to use the VCR as a tuner for your cable connection. Use the RF input for the OTA antenna. Use your VCR for one of the video inputs. It's a pain, it means every time you want to watch cable you have to turn on the VCR and the appropriate video input. I wonder if the PX50U model has two RF input?

Originally posted by pgrokkos
I'm almost certain that I'm pulling the trigger on the PX50 about as soon as I can get one. I'll probably wait a couple of days and see if the board's reaction is overly negative but I'm anticipating it beign positive. Seems like if I can get it for some discount off list price, it will be a steal compared to similar quality 50inch HD plasmas. I'd been looking at the Sony XS955 and Pio 5050, plus the existing Pannys. My wife really prefers built in speakers for simplicity, she doesn't like surround sound, so commercial models are out. If the PX50 is as good as its billed, I think I'll be saving 1-2Gs over the Sony and Pio for hopefully a comparable or better picture.

Seems like the PX500 however is only going to list for an extra $500. But its not coming out for another couple of months I believe. Seems like the PX500 is going to add a few computer related capabilities like PC inputs. Does anyone have a clearer picture of the advantages? Are they worth the extra $500 (I know that is a subjective question)? More importantly, is it worth waiting one to two months more? My basement is days away from being complete and all its waiting for is its new TV.

Pgrokkos im in the same boat, waiting on the px50 but would gladly pay the extra few hundred for the px500. Not exactly sure what the difference is to tell you the truth, but i figure if im spending that much i might as well spend a few hundred more for the extra pc inputs, pcmcia slot, etc. Only problem is panny lists it as coming out a few months later, and im not about to wait ANOTHER few months, i've been waiting long enough.

Has anyone else hooked up their pd50u and a CRT set to the same sat/cable box for side-by-side comparison of SD content?

The Color Matrix setting cannot be be changed from SD when viewing SD content, and my set exhibits a distinctive green pastel tinting of tan/beige colors on SD signals that is easily visible in regular viewing when using this Color Matrix setting.

I'm sorry to keep harping on this, but I'm wondering if this coloring is specific to my individual set or if it is typical of the color decoding of this model. I'm leaning toward requesting a replacement set, but it's not worth the effort if all sets are the same.

Originally posted by jambon
Has anyone else hooked up their pd50u and a CRT set to the same sat/cable box for side-by-side comparison of SD content?

The Color Matrix setting cannot be be changed from SD when viewing SD content, and my set exhibits a distinctive green pastel tinting of tan/beige colors on SD signals that is easily visible in regular viewing when using this Color Matrix setting.

I'm sorry to keep harping on this, but I'm wondering if this coloring is specific to my individual set or if it is typical of the color decoding of this model. I'm leaning toward requesting a replacement set, but it's not worth the effort if all sets are the same.

I may have noticed something similar on mine when my son is watching Spongebob Squarepants: check out the color of Mr. Krabs' eyes :-) I haven't tried to tune this out, and I can't say I've noticed it on anything else, though it's true that greens are a bit too saturated with the default settings.

Has anyone been able to get (or buy) a technician's "service manual" yet?

Originally posted by GmanAVS
Has anyone been able to get (or buy) a technician's "service manual" yet?

Check http://www.servicemanuals.net

Here it is... (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93192&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-42PX50U&surfModel=TH-42PX50U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702) and the operating instructions. (http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF)

The TH-42PX50U (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93192&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-42PX50U&surfModel=TH-42PX50U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702) is listed on Panasonic's web site.

Originally posted by optivity
The TH-42PX50U (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93192&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-42PX50U&surfModel=TH-42PX50U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702) is listed on Panasonic's web site.

Yeah, it says it'll be available to ship on 04/25/05.

Like the MSRP. One of the biggest downward changes I've seen. :)

Heads-up for the .pdf owner's manual. It should answer a lot of questions that remain about inputs, etc. Looking back, I think the 42PD50 manual turned out to be accurate, despite the rumors that flew around.

Good to see that Panasonic is dropping the price, still too much difference in price between ED and HD models though.


JCPZero

Yeah, but it sure makes the HDs look better (than they used to). :D

Wonder why they still don't have the 37 listed.

It's awesome how much these things have dropped in price.

The TH-42PX20U came out in September 2003 with a $6500 MSRP.
The TH-42PX50U comes out in April 2005 with a $3500 MSRP, with more features (CableCard, ATSC tuner, 720p) to boot.

That's a price drop of 46% in a little more than 1.5 years.

Has anyone accessed the "service menu" on the PD50U?

JT

Originally posted by iBleedGarnet
Wonder why they still don't have the 37 listed.


or the 50 - all 3 were supposedly coming out the same time

Thanks for the post and link. Several stores around here have the older 42PX25 cost reduced at the same price as the new PX50. Amazingly, one store even has a new 42PX25 on sale for an even $2000 – which they claim is $3000 off! No joke! We also found a 42PD25 still being sold for $3000! It's a jungle out there!

I have a hard time finding a 42PD25 for sale ANYWHERE here in northern NJ. I may have no choice but to get the 42PD50 although I really prefer the features of PD25. I may be on to a good lead for the PD50 for $1900 before taxes.

Originally posted by Turtledoves
Thanks for the post and link. Several stores around here have the older 42PX25 cost reduced at the same price as the new PX50. Amazingly, one store even has a new 42PX25 on sale for an even $2000 – which they claim is $3000 off! No joke! We also found a 42PD25 still being sold for $3000! It's a jungle out there!

There is a local store with the 20 series at $1000 over what there are selling the PD50U. Gives me a good laugh everytime I see it.

JCPZero

Originally posted by GmanAVS
Has anyone been able to get (or buy) a technician's "service manual" yet? Originally posted by housecor
Check http://www.servicemanuals.net
nothing coming up on that web site...

I also went to that site and tried to find the service manual. I even requested it and they promised let me know in a day on its availability.

I promise to buy it if available and post any info requested from it on this forum if someone could please, please help me with determining if my set is exhibiting a defective green pastel tinting. Ccdgenr and Vannguyen have been kind enough to post their observations, but so far I have been unable to convince anyone to perform the test that makes the green pastel tinting in SD content the most obvious on my set - hooking up the PD50U and any CRT to the same cable/sat box at the same time and watching SD content side-by-side. This is only a problem with SD content when the set forces the Color Matrix setting to SD, but on any channel beige/tan/offwhite colors will be pushed to a light pastel green. If you watch a baseball game on TBS, any closeup of the baseball will show pastel green, if you watch Home Improvement channel, off-white cabinets and beige walls will show a pastel green tint, etc.

If I can't find someone to help confirm/deny that this is specific to my particular set, I don't know what I'm going to do. But I will promise to buy the service manual if anyone will help me. I throw myself on the mercy of the forum.

Originally posted by jambon
I also went to that site and tried to find the service manual. I even requested it and they promised let me know in a day on its availability.

I promise to buy it if available and post any info requested from it on this forum if someone could please, please help me with determining if my set is exhibiting a defective green pastel tinting. Ccdgenr and Vannguyen have been kind enough to post their observations, but so far I have been unable to convince anyone to perform the test that makes the green pastel tinting in SD content the most obvious on my set - hooking up the PD50U and any CRT to the same cable/sat box at the same time and watching SD content side-by-side. This is only a problem with SD content when the set forces the Color Matrix setting to SD, but on any channel beige/tan/offwhite colors will be pushed to a light pastel green. If you watch a baseball game on TBS, any closeup of the baseball will show pastel green, if you watch Home Improvement channel, off-white cabinets and beige walls will show a pastel green tint, etc.

If I can't find someone to help confirm/deny that this is specific to my particular set, I don't know what I'm going to do. But I will promise to buy the service manual if anyone will help me. I throw myself on the mercy of the forum. Ok, here are my observations:

I do notice a green push on most cable analog channels, compared to OTA digital. It didn't really bother me that much before, since my cable channels are so crappy to begin with. Some don't seem to show it as much as others. Commercials, in particular always vary widely even on my CRT.

So I compared the PD50U to my CRT on the same channel and found I need to adjust the Tint on the 50U to -8. This makes it look pretty much identical. I use Vivid mode now at this setting for my analog cable channels.

I noticed that even viewing analog cable directly with the 50U tuner, the green push is still there so it doesn't appear to be an input related problem.

For HD stations I have the Tint set to -3, which seems to be correct. I also have Color Matrix set to SD to not make the greens so vivid. I am using Standard for HD.

Note that Color Matrix is not even active for analog cable 480i, as stated in the manual. So I don't think it's "forced" to SD or anything else.

If you do get the service manual and find out how to access the service menu (if there is one), please tell me how. Thanks. :)

Thanks Carey,

When you say green push are you referring to an oversaturation of already green tones resulting in neonish greens or an actual change from beige/offwhite tones to light pastel green?

Everynight, I come home and think, "Man this picture is beautiful. I must be wrong about these greens." Then comes a scene where the color is totally wrong. Tonight I was watching The Luzhin Defense on IFC and the sanitarium he is in is tiled in, you guessed it, light pastel green. Exactly one scene later, the camera changes angle and you can see that the tile of the same room is clearly a beige/yellowish color.

For me the oversaturated neonish green push does not bother me much. But when the set actually changes the color, I have to wonder if this is supposed to be considered normal.

I really find it interesting that you use SD color matrix for HD content. I find that the HD setting eliminates most of the green pastel tinting from my DVD content.

If I get an answer back from servicemanuals.net, you'll be the first to know :)

Originally posted by jambon
Thanks Carey,

When you say green push are you referring to an oversaturation of already green tones resulting in neonish greens or an actual change from beige/offwhite tones to light pastel green?
Sorry, I suppose I had the terms backwards. By green push I actually meant the tinting of white's or Beige colors. The neonish green issue was corrected (for me at least) by setting the matrix to SD.

Originally posted by optivity
The TH-42PX50U (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93192&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-42PX50U&surfModel=TH-42PX50U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702) is listed on Panasonic's web site.

Any word on the 50 px50u or the 50 px 500u yet. What is the PCMCIA slot for?

Reply from servicemanuals.net

"I am sorry, we do not have that manual in stock, nor do any of our
suppliers. Please give us a try for your next service manual request."

I'm beginning to think that this model does not have a service menu.

Originally posted by x-spyder-x
...What is the PCMCIA slot for?

It works with the Picture Viewer feature. With an appropriate adapter, you can view photos on cards other than Panasonic's SD type.

Originally posted by jambon
Reply from servicemanuals.net

"I am sorry, we do not have that manual in stock, nor do any of our
suppliers. Please give us a try for your next service manual request."

I'm beginning to think that this model does not have a service menu.

Have you called Panasonic? Their parts and service website says "Service Manuals can be purchased by contacting our National Parts Department at 800-833-9626 or through our Feedback page (using the Parts Information subject)." See http://www.pasc.panasonic.com

That said, you sound like a good candidate for a professional color calibration. Go to http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm and see if there's a local certified calibrator.

Originally posted by ccdengr
That said, you sound like a good candidate for a professional color calibration. Go to http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm and see if there's a local certified calibrator.

I'll be damned if I'm paying an extra $400 dollars to tweak out what appears to be a problem with the color decoding on my specific set. No one else on this forum appears to be having this green tinting to the degree that I am, and at a CC today I was able to watch a SD feed on another pd50u on multiple channels without detecting anything like what I see at home. This set is going back for a replacement.

I am thinking about getting one of the 50" for my house. It will be the main TV, and thus used for DVD's, regular TV, and plenty of xbox goodness. However, I have been considering a D-ILA or even a Sony XS to fill this role. I have never owned a plasma, nor have any friends that own one. I really want a TV that will have a crisp picture with rich colors, because washed out color and a fuzzy picture bug the heck outta me. This is why I am leaning away from the other 2 choices and more towards the Panny. I guess my main hang up is that I could get a 60" or 70" one of the others for around the same price. So do you all think that these will be the better grad due to its PQ, or will the PQ not be that much better?

Originally posted by ccdengr
I may have noticed something similar on mine when my son is watching Spongebob Squarepants: check out the color of Mr. Krabs' eyes :-) I haven't tried to tune this out, and I can't say I've noticed it on anything else, though it's true that greens are a bit too saturated with the default settings.

After reading the above comment I did the CRT and pd50u test. Mr. Krabs eyes are indeed slightly green, but Spongebob's are clean white. Even more bamboozling is that Squidworths eyes are a different color altogether. They are more yellow than white (or green). After some consideration, I prefer Mr. Krabs eyes as they appear on the pd50u. In fact, I am not so sure that maybe my CRT is the one under performing.

Panasonic has just published the owner's manual (PDF) today!

service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

(sorry, still too new to post URLs :^( )

Covered models:

TH37PX50U
TH42PX50U
TH50PX50U

These are the Hi-def (not EDTV) models that include built-in
ATSC/NTSC tuners and CableCard (QAM) slots.

Manual includes dimensions down to mm / fractions of inches which
some posters have requested.

Originally posted by jambon
No one else on this forum appears to be having this green tinting to the degree that I am, and at a CC today I was able to watch a SD feed on another pd50u on multiple channels without detecting anything like what I see at home. This set is going back for a replacement.

Well, good luck with that. Were I in your position, I wouldn't pay for ISF calibration either. Obviously, without being able to see your set or vice versa, it's hard to be sure if your set is way off or whether you've just had the bad luck to run across source material that highlights the slight green tint that many PD50s appear to have. Let us know how it turns out.

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

Here's the link. It doesn't mention a choice of selecting sub-pixel control (doesn't mention sub-pixel control at all, in fact), but we know that it has it. Probably means that the 42PD50 has it as well.

I was in a Tweeter store in Dallas today, and according to their computer they will receive 35 Th-42px50u's on May 6 and another 350 on May 20.
The price is msrp $3499.

For what it's worth, probably not much!

Mike

Originally posted by yobob

Heads-up for the .pdf owner's manual. It should answer a lot of questions that remain about inputs, etc. Looking back, I think the 42PD50 manual turned out to be accurate, despite the rumors that flew around.

Is the pdf on the website? I have looked with no success. If it is there can someone provide a link?

*EDIT*

found link here:

http://service.us.panasonic.com/operman/

JCPZero

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

Originally posted by ccdengr
Well, good luck with that. Were I in your position, I wouldn't pay for ISF calibration either. Obviously, without being able to see your set or vice versa, it's hard to be sure if your set is way off or whether you've just had the bad luck to run across source material that highlights the slight green tint that many PD50s appear to have. Let us know how it turns out.

I will. I really feel like I've done due diligence on this issue. As legendary as this community is for being hypercritical, I feel sure that if what I am seeing is typical of this set, it would be bugging the heck out of someone else here too. That fact that no one so far has even really noticed this tinting despite heavy power of suggestion on my part convinces me that my problem is specific to my individual set.

The good news is, I paid extra to buy from a B&M, so no problems/costs getting an exchange or return!

Originally posted by Mike Hill
I was in a Tweeter store in Dallas today, and according to their computer they will receive 35 Th-42px50u's on May 6 and another 350 on May 20.
The price is msrp $3499.

For what it's worth, probably not much!

Mike

I can't imagine that is 350 for one store, is that the number they will receive in the company wherehouse? Can't wait to check them out in person.

JCPZero

still 1024x768? was hoping for a 16:9 resolution for easy use with computers.. :(

Originally posted by Mike Hill
I was in a Tweeter store in Dallas today, and according to their computer they will receive 35 Th-42px50u's on May 6 and another 350 on May 20.
The price is msrp $3499.

For what it's worth, probably not much!

Mike

is that only the 42's or do you know if they are getting the 37 and 50's the same time? Thanks

In case you didn't see it in the other thread, here is the PX50U Operating Manual.

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

This leads me to think the 50" will msrp at just $1K more and hit the street at considerably less after a month or so. By Christmas I may have to buy myself a new present.

Originally posted by jambon
I will. I really feel like I've done due diligence on this issue. As legendary as this community is for being hypercritical, I feel sure that if what I am seeing is typical of this set, it would be bugging the heck out of someone else here too. That fact that no one so far has even really noticed this tinting despite heavy power of suggestion on my part convinces me that my problem is specific to my individual set.

The good news is, I paid extra to buy from a B&M, so no problems/costs getting an exchange or return!

hi jambon (and everyone else, my first post here):


i've been reading up extensively on the forum, in anticipation of the arrival of my 42PD50U. it came yesterday, and since i was aware of your problem, i kept constant watch for any green push as i viewed (for several hours, needless to say).

my picture isn't calibrated, i just set it to standard and let 'er rip, but all the whites appeared true white. the colors in general were a tad oversaturated, but i'm sure that's because i haven't done any calibration yet.

granted, this is only after a few hours of watching the set, and my eyes certainly aren't trained, but my uneducated guess is that you may have a defective set. it would probably be worth it to exchange.

hope this helps,

VA

Originally posted by hoodlum
In case you didn't see it in the other thread, here is the PX50U Operating Manual.

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

Just came back from downloading the op manual. I went directly to the hookups section.

Did I miss something, or do these sets also have only one antenna input, as does the 42PD50? (Not counting Cable Card.)

Why did they get rid of PIP? That's my only draw back on these new panasonics.... I just can't buy one if I can't see two football games at the same time... is the 500 going to have PIP?

Sounds like the PX50U has only one ant input, no PIP.

JCPZero

Don't some Set Top Boxes come with a built-in PIP feature?

Originally posted by taz12
Why did they get rid of PIP? That's my only draw back on these new panasonics.... I just can't buy one if I can't see two football games at the same time... is the 500 going to have PIP? Wouldn't a true HD-DTV implementation require dual ATSC/QAM tuners? I don't believe any FP makers offer this feature.Originally posted by iBleedGarnet
Don't some Set Top Boxes come with a built-in PIP feature?Yes, but at least in TWCs (SA8300HD-DVR) STBs its a poor implementation compared to Panasonic's dual NTSC tuner which provides: PIP/POP/Split-screen features.

Thanks for the heads-up!
Originally posted by nogits
Panasonic has just published the owner's manual (PDF) today!
service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/TH37PX50U.PDF

Originally posted by jspirate
After reading the above comment I did the CRT and pd50u test. Mr. Krabs eyes are indeed slightly green, but Spongebob's are clean white...In fact, I am not so sure that maybe my CRT is the one under performing.

So much for using Spongebob for calibration :-) I did a similar experiment, though I stopped short of dragging my 150 lb CRT downstairs to set it right next to the plasma. Krabs' eyes were pretty much white on the CRT and distinctly green on the plasma, but the CRT was obviously set too bright; I tweaked its color temp a little and there was a slight greenish tint to the eyes, though never as strong as the plasma's. Images on the net also show the slight greenish tint, so I'd be inclined to think that the plasma is getting closer than the CRT. Without looking at the chroma information, it'd be tough to say for sure. They don't call it NTSC for nothing :-)

Originally posted by ccdengr
Images on the net also show the slight greenish tint, so I'd be inclined to think that the plasma is getting closer than the CRT.

Wow, I looked at Mr. Krab's on the net and his eyes are really green!

http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/toonroom/sponge/cast.htm

http://www.nickelodeon.com.au/toonroom/sponge/krabs.htm

Manual says:

• To reduce the occurrence of after-images, set the
“Side Bar” to “Bright”.

[I hope they meant to say "Mid" and not bright----does anyone want to try watching 4:3 with "bright" sidebars....that's as bad as "black" sidebars]

• The side bar may flash (alternate black/white)
depending on the picture. Using Cinema mode will
reduce such flashing....

[Oh nice....a "flashing" sidebar----sounds just like the issue that commercial-model posters have mentioned, and are still hoping to have fixed. And notice they don't say "will ELIMINATE such flashing".]

But I will still see for myself, as the manual is not always exact. Just something to ponder, I guess.

Keith

Originally posted by swflbatth
I am thinking about getting one of the 50" for my house. It will be the main TV, and thus used for DVD's, regular TV, and plenty of xbox goodness. However, I have been considering a D-ILA or even a Sony XS to fill this role. I have never owned a plasma, nor have any friends that own one. I really want a TV that will have a crisp picture with rich colors, because washed out color and a fuzzy picture bug the heck outta me. This is why I am leaning away from the other 2 choices and more towards the Panny. I guess my main hang up is that I could get a 60" or 70" one of the others for around the same price. So do you all think that these will be the better grad due to its PQ, or will the PQ not be that much better?

I had the Sony 60" XS LCD RPTV for a few weeks, ended up returning it because I was dissatisfied with the PQ. I think plasmas are a much better bet PQ-wise. I also think there is an inherent trade-off between size and PQ; larger screens will usually look a bit softer and any flaws will be magnified at that larger size. I'm planning on getting the PX50U or PX500U 50", I'm sure it's PQ will blow away any LCD, DLP or LCOS set out right now.

Originally posted by jcpzero
Sounds like the PX50U has only one ant input, no PIP.

JCPZero

One HDMI too (more important to me, since I expect to be using an STB). Do we know how many antenna and HDMI inputs the 500U's will have? Will they have PIP? And for 50U or 500U, does the optical audio output pass through audio from HDMI, or does it only output ATSC/QAM audio?

I own the Panasonic TH42PD50U Manufacture date March 2005. It is a great set but not much has changed from the TH42PD25U 2004 set. The Silver finish is not cheap looking at all and in fact looks really great. I wanted to purchase the TH37PD25U from circuit City but after a month of waiting because they were back ordered i opted for the newer 42" version. The newer 42" does not have a Cable Card, PIP, VGA input or Memory Slot for your Digital Camera's. I thought i would be disappionted without these features but the set looks so good and the picture quality is outstanding for a EDTV. I highly recommend this set. I paid $2,299 at CC.

Originally posted by Bender_unit_22
so what is everyones opinion on this?

keep the TH-42PD25U I bought 2 weeks ago?

or

return it and wait for the new TH-42PD50U?

will the new model have all the features of the old one?
cable card, pc imput, sd??

I love my set, but feel that I bought at the worst time with new models comming out very soon

I know next to nothing about all this stuff

I need help!

im confused about this whole "no pip" thing, you mean to tell me a telivision that costs thousands of dollars doesn't have pip? I cant watch 2 tv shows at once, or a tv show with a computer window in the corner?? please tell me im reading this whole thing wrong, i plan on buying the 37 inch hd and the 50 inch hd when they come out, that would be preetty disapointing (and unbelievable) not to have any kind of picture in picture.

Theoretically a DTV with CableCARD and (2) digital tuners will support PIP but no-one makes one yet.

Keep the TH42PD25U unless you can do without the Cable Card, PIP, Memory Slot and VGA connection because the newer TH42PD50U has none of these. From what i have read Panasonic didn't make that many changes in the newer set from the older one except maybe enhanced the panel display a bit. It does have HDMI input . Someone mentioned the memory for the video selections and it hasn't changed from the 2004 model. It still sucks in that regard. I do love the set though and will keep it even though all those features are missing in the 2005 version. Oh well so far i don't miss them.

Originally posted by dontdothat88
im confused about this whole "no pip" thing, you mean to tell me a telivision that costs thousands of dollars doesn't have pip? I cant watch 2 tv shows at once, or a tv show with a computer window in the corner?? please tell me im reading this whole thing wrong, i plan on buying the 37 inch hd and the 50 inch hd when they come out, that would be preetty disapointing (and unbelievable) not to have any kind of picture in picture.

It seems inexcusable to me that PIP is missing from so many plasmas, but it is. One of the reasons I selected the 42PD25U over Sony's KE42M1 was the former's more complete feature set, especially PIP. It's a convenience I use almost daily, and would hate to give up.

Manufacturers are driving production costs down, and PIP is one of the casualties. I guess they believe most people buy on price, not features. They're probably right. I doubt Panasonic has seen any reduced demand for their 2005 plasmas, even though they are missing PIP and many other "luxury" features offered in the 2004 models.

Originally posted by Macfan424
Manufacturers are driving production costs down, and PIP is one of the casualties.

This and possibly because some STB cable boxes (SA8300HD for example) have built in PIP. Although, the SA8300HD pip does not allow the nice split screen feature that some TVs offer.


JCPZero

Originally posted by Macfan424
It seems inexcusable to me that PIP is missing from so many plasmas, but it is.

I think this is just one of those personal preference things. I couldn't care less about PIP, but some people love it and demand it. The Zenith I had before I switched to the PD50 had it, and I tried it out a few times displaying the antenna input and my cable STB input, but the user interface on the remote was very confusing. Without two tuners in the TV, its usefulness really seems marginal, especially in an era with PVRs, commercial skip, time-shifting, etc.

I suspect the manufacturers have some market research that says people won't pay an extra few hundred bucks to have it.

Never had a TV with PIP, but I can remember (years ago) when dad used to drive mom nuts at Thanksgiving by setting up two TVs at the end of the table to watch football! :D

Maybe that's why PIP is a non-issue with me also.

There may be other constraints too. True PIP would require (4) tuners, (2) analogue and (2) digital. Unless the PDP has an external media box the manufacturer probably can't fit (4) tuners inside the panel.

Good point.

But now I'm confused. (surprise!) Didn't I just read above that the 25 series did have PIP? And it doesn't have a media box.

:confused:

Originally posted by optivity
There may be other constraints too. True PIP would require (4) tuners, (2) analogue and (2) digital. Unless the PDP has an external media box the manufacturer probably can't fit (4) tuners inside the panel.

The PD25 only has two NTSC tuners and one ATSC, so at least one screen must be SD when using PIP unless an additional external ATSC tuner is utilized.

Originally posted by optivity
True PIP would require (4) tuners, (2) analogue and (2) digital.

Once analog broadcast stops being used, you'd only need two ATSC tuners. A dual-mode two-input NTSC/ATSC tuner needn't be all that large -- see http://products.zarlink.com/product_portlets/thomson_pnp.htm -- though I don't think vendors are routinely using this level of integration yet.

The Zenith, for example, only has one tuner (and it's NTSC only), so its PIP can only display one OTA source at a time unless you use an external tuner.

The confusion of the requirement to provide ATSC and whether or not the current CableCard spec is anything but transitory probably makes it less attractive for the manufacters to try and figure out which kind of PIP to provide; easier to just leave it off.

Originally posted by ccdengr
...I suspect the manufacturers have some market research that says people won't pay an extra few hundred bucks to have it.

I'm sure you are right.

Every one of the features Panasonic dropped in 2005 is in the same general category, desirable to a few, but unimportant to most.

manufacturer probably can't fit (4) tuners inside the panel.

They are just chips and don't take much room. An ATSC/NTSC chip probably isn't much bigger than a NTSC only chip. But it costs more. Quite a bit more, I think.

...the user interface on the remote was very confusing. Without two tuners in the TV, its usefulness really seems marginal, especially in an era with PVRs, commercial skip, time-shifting, etc....

Fortunately, Panasonic has a very easy to use interface, even when using an external tuner. I do wish my PIP (actually, it's the "Split" screen feature I use) had two ATSC tuners, but the second program I usually watch (Bulls games) is on D* anyway, so that's the input I use. It would be nice to see the home WGN games on split screen in HD, though. I don't use either internal NTSC tuner, as analog reception is unviewable at my location.

Someday, I'll join the Tivo crowd, but not until the HD versions become affordable. $1000 for the D* HD recorder is way beyond what I'm willing to pay.

...dad used to drive mom nuts at Thanksgiving by setting up two TVs at the end of the table to watch football!

Not annoying someone else with this is one of the few good things about living alone. My dog doesn't care! ;)

I am wondering what forum members think of the new Panasonic TH42PX50 with increased contrast ratio of 3000:1?

What problems do you think will be alleviated with this new model?

What are it's short comings, if any?

How has Panasonic been in regards to "burn in" and other plasma flaws? What is the company line for defects after the warranty period have there been many?

I am a projector owner but have been considering a change. Would this be for the better?

I don't think this Panny is out in the market yet. But it should be very soon. Also there is a whole thread dedicated to the new Pannys.

what other thread? isn't this the thread about the new pannys?

Leeda, those two posts just got moved into this thread from a different thread.

Summary of text below: I am a fan of the pd50u (now you can skip the text below if you wish)

Ok, I’ve been using the pd50u for about 3 weeks and I have to say that I am very proud. I say proud because I feel like a made a good decision about an issue that is not exactly "plain and simple." Buying a PDP can be a daunting task and I bet there are others out there that are laboring with the plasma decision. So, I just thought I would throw out a couple-ten comments. First, let me say that having a PDP is almost like a hobby. Since day one I have been tweaking and playing and at this point I have a better picture than the day I plugged the unit in. Most of this is due to some focused effort that was aimed at improving my signal quality (I use Comcast and the Motorola 6412 dual DVR). So here are a couple-ten things I find interesting:
1. My wife walked in the plasma room last night and said "you love that TV don’t you?" I never realized how much I like to watch it. I was watching "Eyes" in HD last night and I found myself marveling at the detail in the faces etc. Its absolutely awesome. I think its impressive that I am still amazed after three weeks. I assume that "newness" factor will wear off sometime?
2. For our use (DVD and DVR/Cable), I have no need for any additional features. My coax input is not even being used. I live by the DVR so I do not really feel the need for a cable card slot.
3. My wife can work the TV and STB. She can get the DVD (or VCR) player working and she knows how to tune in the HD channels as well as any other channels. I explained it to her twice and she is now a pro. Maybe I am a good teacher, but I think the pd50u’s interface helps.
4. Digital SD content is darn good over Comcast. In fact, on a couple occasions I have used the input button to make sure I wasn't receiving a HD signal on a non-HD channel (blush). The analogue channels are not as good, but many of the shows we would watch on an analogue channel are available on HD (the big 4 networks).
5. When explaining to my father-in-law that the pd50u is not a HD set and that it was an EDTV, he said "I don’t know how you could get a better picture than that."
6. I really like the silver bezel. Our plasma room is red and the silver looks very natural against the red back drop. Who would have thought that silver would look "natural?" Anyway, I like the look and I didn't think I would. Maybe black would look good also, who knows...
7. Did I mention the picture is great?
8. The speakers sound as good as any on-board sound I’ve heard yet.
9. The pd50u is relatively inexpensive. This will allow me to get another PDP or LCD sooner rather than latter.
10. I have never seen my wife go from super pissed off at me to being indifferent so quickly (she did not know about the plasma until the day it was to be delivered).

There is one major problem with the pd50u. I guess its not reasonable to expect Panasonic to disclose this sort of issue, but I did not have the for-sight to consider it. My family has three different TV show viewing preferences. These include reality TV, Discovery/History type shows and Spongebob Squarepants type shows. Everyone wants to use the plasma to watch his or her shows. I sure am glad Motorola makes the dual DVR.

SO there yoiu have it... I am just another happy pd50u owner :)

Thats sounds great jspirate! With all of the positive feedback on the pd50u model, I can't wait to see how the px50 turns out. I can't wait to get my hands an a 50" px50 !

Originally posted by jspirate
5. When explaining to my father-in-law that the pd50u is not a HD set and that it was an EDTV, he said "I don’t know how you could get a better picture than that." I would "love" to see two properly adjusted Panasonic PDPs (TH-42PD50U & TH-42PX50U) side-by-side displaying the same HD content so I could determine if my "discerning" eyes would notice a difference. Since I'm "married" to the concept of a 50" panel I guess that in my case this idea is "moot." I'm optimistic the Panasonic TH-50PX50 or 500U will meet my expectations in terms of price and performance. I am near the required WAF so it seems I may be at the point where all my "ducks are lined up" which will enable a PDP aquisition.... finally!!!

Enjoy your PD50U...

I need your assistance

I have the TH42PD50U and i am a bit confused with the ATSC/QAM/NTSC built in tuners. I contacted panasonic to question them on the Cable Card issue. There is a lot of confusion concerning this. There are alot of sites that claimed this set had a built in Cable Card slot including CC. Panasonic say's it does not. I own the set and it definitely does not have one. Below is what Panasonic replied back to me.

Dear Sir

Thank you for your inquiry. Based on the information you have provided
the TH-42PD50 does not have a Cable Card slot. The unit has a tuner that
does not require a STB.

Thank You,
Panasonic Consumer Support

Well i have Time Warner and when i contacted them about having Digital service and HD they told me i do need a STB. If that is true then what good is it having a digital tuner built in? Can anyone answer this for me? Thanks for any help you people can provide and thank God for these forums because all your input really helps.

The Panasonic site for the TH42PD50U says the following:


Tuners :NTSC (Standard analog broadcasts)
ATSC/QAM (SDTV and HDTV broadcasts)
CableCARD Ready :No

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=89237&catGroupId=24973&displayTab=S&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&surfModel=TH-42PD50U&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs

So it will only do OTA -- not CableCARD. If you plug digital cable into it, you may get the unencrypted channels.

I have a TH-43PD50U hooked up to Comcast cable. Comcast encrypts almost all of their digital channels. I do, however, get all the local HD channels they carry and for some reason INHD1 and INHD2.

Originally posted by NikeMan
I have a TH-43PD50U hooked up to Comcast cable. Comcast encrypts almost all of their digital channels. I do, however, get all the local HD channels they carry and for some reason INHD1 and INHD2.

Does this set have 1 or 2 tuners. The Panason site says Tuners -- plural. Does it support Picture-in-Picture ?

Originally posted by intrac
Does this set have 1 or 2 tuners. The Panason site says Tuners -- plural.

Depends on how you define tuners, I guess. It has a NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuner , but since it performs separate analog and digital functions, it can be thought of as separate tuners.

Does it support Picture-in-Picture ?

No.

Originally posted by Macfan424
No. Nor does any other PDP/LCD maker.

Originally posted by optivity
Nor does any other PDP/LCD maker.

Not quite true. Look at the Dell 4200HD -- Multiple viewing choices are easily supported with dual tuners and PIP, POP, and PbP

It has two tuners included, dual ATSC/NTSC (digital/analog) and an NTSC (analog) tuner

Originally posted by NikeMan
I have a TH-43PD50U hooked up to Comcast cable. Comcast encrypts almost all of their digital channels. I do, however, get all the local HD channels they carry and for some reason INHD1 and INHD2.

I wasn't aware that they have a 43" model? Are you sure you didn't mean 42"?

Originally posted by intrac
Not quite true. Look at the Dell 4200HD -- Multiple viewing choices are easily supported with dual tuners and PIP, POP, and PbP

It has two tuners included, dual ATSC/NTSC (digital/analog) and an NTSC (analog) tuner Cool. I could never understand why dual digital tuners were not included? Perhaps this is a 'feature' to come 'next' year?

But no one in their right mind would buy a Dell. Or would they?

Dude... don't risk getting "Dell'ed"

Originally posted by catslick
[B]If that is true then what good is it having a digital tuner built in? Can anyone answer this for me?/B]

This has been covered many times on this thread already. New people, please try and search the thread before asking questions. I know the thread is really long; that's what searching is for.

To answer your question, I can see the local HD stations on TWC without doing anything special, and that's what the digital tuner is for (other than OTA with an antenna, of course.)

Originally posted by optivity
Cool. I could never understand why dual digital tuners were not included? Perhaps this is a 'feature' to come 'next' year?

But no one in their right mind would buy a Dell. Or would they?

Dude... don't risk getting "Dell'ed"

FYI: Look at the Dell 4200HD thread in this forum.

BTW -- there are Hitachi Plasmas that also have 2 tuners and Split Screen capability.

Originally posted by intrac
FYI: Look at the Dell 4200HD thread in this forum.

BTW -- there are Hitachi Plasmas that also have 2 tuners and Split Screen capability. After having bought a Dell PC (2001) I guess I'm just not interested in a Dell PDP or reading that thread.

Well, I was holding off on buying the 42PX25U because there were several features I was hoping the PX50 would have. One was the PX50's digital audio output. The other was dual cable/antenna inputs. The PX50 will (like the PD50) only have one antenna/cable input, which means you can either do Cable or OTA HD, but if you want to switch (either directly swapping the cables or via A/B switch) you have to re-scan all the channels. What an annoyance. I have seen the 42PD50, and really the picture is better than the other sets around it in terms of sharpness. I expect the PX50 to be superior as well. But perhaps I am better off getting a disocunted PX25? I guess I will have to wait for the specs on the PX500U to come out....


Darren

Darren, I have the PD50U and I plan on using both OTA antenna and cable. When I install my outdoor antenna it will go into the RF antenna input. I will plug the cable into the VCR and use the VCR S output to one of PD50U's video inputs. I will use the VCR to scan for all cable channels. The drawback with this setup is every time I want to watch cable I would have to turn on the VCR and switch to the appropriate video input.

Does anyone know for sure yet, if the PX500U's will have two antenna inputs or (more importantly for me) two HDMI inputs?

Originally posted by mister_two
Darren, I have the PD50U and I plan on using both OTA antenna and cable. When I install my outdoor antenna it will go into the RF antenna input. I will plug the cable into the VCR and use the VCR S output to one of PD50U's video inputs. I will use the VCR to scan for all cable channels. The drawback with this setup is every time I want to watch cable I would have to turn on the VCR and switch to the appropriate video input.

I am well aware of that "fix". The real issue for me is PQ. I just don't imagine I will get the same PQ running the cable through the VCR. Plus the VCR will not pass through the HD channels, even if unscrambled, as I am unaware of any VCR with a QAM tuner, which the Panny has, which is why folks are getting the cable HD channels when plugging in directly to the set, even without the cablecard. Another solution is to pay the cable company (here it is Comcast) the extra 5 bucks for the STB. Or 10 extra for the STB and the HD DVR.

By the way, you mentioned an outdoor antenna. Have you tried an indoor antenna, either powered or unpowered? I currently use a powered indoor antenna (that I got at Target) with tremendous success. It is hooked into my STB from Wal-Mart for my Tosh 56H80. I get all my local HD stations except PBS, plus the Washington DC stations, and PBS from Annapolis, so I pretty much get everything.

Darren

Originally posted by DarrenK
I am well aware of that "fix". The real issue for me is PQ. I just don't imagine I will get the same PQ running the cable through the VCR. Plus the VCR will not pass through the HD channels, even if unscrambled, as I am unaware of any VCR with a QAM tuner, which the Panny has, which is why folks are getting the cable HD channels when plugging in directly to the set, even without the cablecard. Another solution is to pay the cable company (here it is Comcast) the extra 5 bucks for the STB. Or 10 extra for the STB and the HD DVR.


For SD, going through the VCR is unlikely to make much difference in PQ. If you want to get some HD channels from your cable and some from an antenna, you're right, the VCR solution won't solve your problem. (The JVC DT-100 D-VHS HD VCR does have an ATSC tuner (broadcast only), but it's quite expensive.) At some point, buying a $2000 plasma and not spending $5/month for a cable HD STB if you want it seems inconsistent.

What about the fact that the resolution HD models do not match competing technology displays?

Does anyone not think this a disadvantage? I saw a 1280*720 LCD next to a 1024*768 plasma unit and I could see the LCD noticeably sharper.

What is Panasonic's policy on dead, stuck, burned, etc. pixels during the warranty period?

Anyone?

Based on the new online menu for the 42PX50, there will be no PIP or 2nd ant input. Looks like I may wait on the 42PX500 to see if it will have these options or go with the Pioneer 4345, 4350, or weight out the prices and see if I really need PIP or 2nd ant input.

It looks odd to me that the price differences on the 42PX50 and the 42PX500 is $1,000, but the difference on the 50PX50 and the 50PX500 is only $500? Are these just speculated prices? It seems all of the PDP's that Panasonic has released from their 2005 line has met the MSRP pricing on the 1st page of this thread. Just wondering why the $500 difference in the two 42" compared to the two 50".

Thanks
Jeff

The MSRP for the 42px50 dropped $500 from the originally reported $3999 to $3499. Maybe we can expect the 42px500 to do the same.

I had to take the plunge. Bought 42pd50u from CC, $80 less than posted earlier in this thread. I have to thank ALL OF YOU for the help. I had a hard time with the no PIP, no 3:2 pulldown, but most of my viewing is SD, comcast cable (no digital), so I felt comfortable with the choice. Best Buy would not price match (they thought I was lying) so CC was the choice. Good service, less than what I could get over the internet with shipping. Great deal, great TV. Very happy with choice and price. Can't be beat, unless you want to spend some $$. Again, THANKS for the help!!