Does any one have dimensions on the new Panasonic TH50PX600U? I have a cutout and am hoping the new Panasonic will fit. Thanks.

I have the same question, but with stand. TVAuthority says no info available yet.

TVAuthority has a picture on their site which makes it appear as if they have moved the speakers to the sides on the 600U which might make the new model too wide for my space. That picture is what made me ask the question about the dimensions. Any idea if the picture on the TVAuthority site is real?

bwm57-

i don't know how you could conclude that the speakers are moved to the side by seeing that pic. the 60 series pannys look almost identical to the 50 series except perhaps the frame is a little thinner or streamlined making it almost impossible for the speakers to be moved.

i believe that the dimensions of the new unit will be pretty close to the dimensions of the 50 series. if anything the 60 series may be just a TAD smaller because - to me - the frame appears smaller. that's my conclusion only after downloading pics of both and comparing side by side.

bwm57-

i don't know how you could conclude that the speakers are moved to the side by seeing that pic. the 60 series pannys look almost identical to the 50 series except perhaps the frame is a little thinner or streamlined making it almost impossible for the speakers to be moved.

i believe that the dimensions of the new unit will be pretty close to the dimensions of the 50 series. if anything the 60 series may be just a TAD smaller because - to me - the frame appears smaller. that's my conclusion only after downloading pics of both and comparing side by side.
The reason he thinks it looks as though the speakers were moved to the sides on the 50" 600u is because TvAuthority has the incorrect pic being displayed for that model. They are displaying the 65" that was at CES with removable speakers. That is not what the 50" 600u looks like.

Those speakers look like their going to be an option / removable. ( My guess based on appearance )

There is a picture of the 600u in the panasonic FAQ site at the top of this board. It was the model shown at CES this year, and does indeed feature "invisible speakers". However, panasonic has said that the final specs were not pinned down yet, which means they could change the look though its not likely it will vary greatly from what was shown.

See this picture: (thanks to Bruzzi)
http://www.glaucobruzzi.com/Attachs/img-PX600U.jpg

or this one: (thanks to golem)
http://s88769421.onlinehome.us/pics/ces2006/P1000587.JPG


Doug

Thanks for the info.
I was looking at the picture on their site (which is the 65") but, now it's good to see that it looks like the new 600U will (hopefully) still fit in my 55" wide cutout.

The picture at TVAuthority may be correct. I have seen the pics of HP's 42" and 50" plasma (it the same TV) and they have the same look and detachable speakers.

Ok. I guess I will have to wait until there is something official regarding the dimensions posted on the Panasonic site.

Still nothing on the dmensions for this TV?

Still nothing official. From the looks of the set, it will probably be similar in size to the 500u - and I would guess 5.5 inches deep or so. Keep an eye on panasonics website, I'm hoping for an announcement or product page in the next few weeks.

Doug

My guess is...

something like :

50 3/8 x 30 5/8 x 3 7/8


Just a guess. :D



ATTENTION: The New Domain for BruZZi's Plasma FAQ is www.bruzzi.ws
If you have a direct link to the site please uptade to the new Domain Name.
All the links in the Panasonic FAQ Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=407154) are already updated.

So who feels these will be almost impossible to get like the 500U's??

not me chris...they know they blew it with the 50's and 500's, they lost lots of money from people jumping ship to pio's etc because they werent available...they wont make that mistake again...the 60's and 600's will be plentiful when they come out. so just be ready to tell your suppliers to stop gouging you and to drop their price.

^^^^ I hope you are right to some degree, then maybe I can give you the price you have been looking for...LOL

I thnk a number of people would pre-order if they could get some solid information on price and specifications.

why the heck did they drop the cablecard on the 60u though? sux

^^^^ I hope you are right to some degree, then maybe I can give you the price you have been looking for...LOL
thatll work..

why the heck did they drop the cablecard on the 60u though? sux
why else? so they could save money and drop the retail price. its going to be 300-500 lower than the 50u, depending on which posts you want to believe.

why the heck did they drop the cablecard on the 60u though? suxwhy else? so they could save money and drop the retail price. its going to be 300-500 lower than the 50u, depending on which posts you want to believe.Dropping the CableCARD slot doesn't matter unless you subscribe to Cable TV. At least Panasonic replaced it with another HDMI connection. Regardless of what your in-home set-up may consist of today, when you decide which series PDP to buy... it is beneficial to obtain a display that supports as many different types of connection interfaces as possible. This provides you with more long-term equipment/connection "options" as you to build/modify your home theater environment. If you are a Cable TV subscriber I urge you to buy a TV with a CableCARD slot. This is the only methodology currently available which supports direct digital input to a display and the end result is always a better picture.

So who feels these will be almost impossible to get like the 500U's??

New price sheet came out for the Panasonics. Yes these will be 2 times as hard to get. With the pricing I have there is NO WAY Panasonic will be able to keep up. NO WAY

please elaborate on the price sheet.

^^^^ Against Forum rules. Panasonics prices will be the lowest in the industy as always.

New price sheet came out for the Panasonics. Yes these will be 2 times as hard to get. With the pricing I have there is NO WAY Panasonic will be able to keep up. NO WAY

Did the Orig MSRP change ?

I apologize, will not happen again

Did the Orig MSRP change ?

No MSRP change.

^^^^ Against Forum rules. Panasonics prices will be the lowest in the industy as always.
chris, you mean between panasonic, pioneer and fujitsu, not the lowest in the industry. there are tons of plasmas cheaper than panasonic (vizio, samsung, LG(zenith), philips, etc)

Right, between what I call (Just a opinion) the leaders in the plasma industry......

daggummit, you insiders and your insider's knowledge ;)

please elaborate on the price sheet.

There is a price sheet (SRP) for the new Pannys on another AVS thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=626355&page=1&pp=30&highlight=press+release

hes talking about the price sheet that cleveland plasma has...which is forbidden to post.

I work part-time at a Best Buy, and we having pricing for the 60 series(they wont let us carry the good stuff). I'm can't look at the exact pricing right now, as I'm not at work, however the th37px60u is going to retail at 1999.98 and is about an inch to an inch and a half narrower along the width. BBY employee cost is about $$$$-$$$$ , to give you an idea of a pricing floor.

Bob, can you find out about the 42PD60U? With the 37" HD less than $2K, I'm hoping the 42" ED's price point will start at $1,799.

bobthemonkey, when does BB expect the TH-42PX60U to be in stock.

April?
May?

If it is in the system already, can we pre-order with them. When will they be in the warehouse. Because once they hit the warehouse, you can order it. That was what I did with the Sony. I bought it before it hit the BB shelves.

Everyone I have talked with including store chains are saying April......

thanks cleveland. do you think you can special order with any of the big stores early.

Maybe, it depends if they are in there system...I know I have them on order already.......

These are the specs I have so far...very short...

60U>>>> 10000:1Contrast,SD Card, 1024x768Res,Spkrs(20Wx2)

So is it true the 60U is spring and the 600U is Juneish?? Or both at the same time? June will be a tough pill to swallow for those that have wanted a plasma since Nov 05.

Everyone I have talked with including store chains are saying April......
i hope youre right chris. the sooner they come in the easier itll be to return my vizio to the w.c. i bought it at.

So is it true the 60U is spring and the 600U is Juneish?? Or both at the same time? June will be a tough pill to swallow for those that have wanted a plasma since Nov 05.
the 60u is going to be even more stripped down than it was last year. no thanks. its 600u or nothing.

Yeah I have no plans on the 60U since I require PiP which is only on the 600U, but I am wondering if I should go dining room set since the 600u isnt really going to be available until June.

Bob, can you find out about the 42PD60U? With the 37" HD less than $2K, I'm hoping the 42" ED's price point will start at $1,799.

Try this link:

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelComparisonResults?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&items=96290|96293|

Of course things may change when they actually ARE available.

We never know an exact date that a product will acutally hit stores. What I do know is that there are none in our district warehouse yet, I can't preorder, and that we have burned through our entire stock of 42px50u panels. There are still 37's and 50's, and I imagine they want to dump those before they start selling the old ones.

The In-Stock date at BBY for the 37, 42, and 50" 60u's is 3/19/06.

The In-Stock date at BBY for the 37, 42, and 50" 60u's is 3/19/06.

Any word on the 42" 600Us? (mainly for the PiP, cable card, and VGA connection)

If you use IceTBC's link and change the "96293" to "93882" it will show the 42" 600 specs. The title is still 'TH-PX500U' but the specs are from the 600. The spec sheet says "Product Coming Soon" and its details have it at 29 billion displayable colors and 9th generation plasma panel. If you want to see the 50" 600 change the digits to "93883".
Like IceTBC said, "Of course things may change when they actually ARE available."

No MSRP change.

According to the panasonic web site, a significant MSRP change is scheduled for the 60 series vs 50 series for the 50 in size. These prices are significantly lower than the prices posted at the CSE show in January. Also if one does other comparisons of the models I believe thay will see similar drops in MSRP. Unfortionaly, the 600 series is not available on the site for comparision yet.

Replace XXX with com -- I haven't been a member long enought to post a hot link. Maybe you or another member can post the link.


//catalog2.panasonic.XXX/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelComparisonResults?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&items=93338|96292|

New price sheet came out for the Panasonics. Yes these will be 2 times as hard to get. With the pricing I have there is NO WAY Panasonic will be able to keep up. NO WAY
so if I understand it right, as soon as these are out to stores they all will be sold... everyone will preorder the thing. LOL

So according to Cleveland Plasma the MSRP did not drop, does that mean they squeezed the margin for the retailers?

So according to Cleveland Plasma the MSRP did not drop, does that mean they squeezed the margin for the retailers?
Supply - Demand history means they'd be fools to drop the MSRP unless they suddenly became a not-for-profit. Would any of us lower the price with the panels flying off the shelves? They are in the business of making money to think anything less is wishful prospecting but denying reality of the market, quality competition and healthy supply flow will be the only thing that drives the prices lower. ;)

Supply - Demand history means they'd be fools to drop the MSRP unless they suddenly became a not-for-profit. Would any of us lower the price with the panels flying off the shelves? They are in the business of making money to think anything less is wishful prospecting but denying reality of the market, quality competition and healthy supply flow will be the only thing that drives the prices lower. ;)Wes, I agree with your logic, and yet the 42PX60U is on their website with an MSRP of $2499.95, which is $200.00 less than the MSRP stated at CES, so some price erosion is already occurring. Unfortunately it's the only 60U/600U model shown so far so we'll have to wait to see if this new reduction will carry throughout the rest of the line. Here's the link:
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=96291&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-42PX60U&surfModel=TH-42PX60U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

BTW: If you pre-order one the shipping date is mid-April. I assume that's the first of the 60U/600U models that will show up or they'd have the others listed also.

Does anyone know if Circuit City will carry the TH-50PX600U?

Right, between what I call (Just a opinion) the leaders in the plasma industry......

If they once again sell their glass to Toshiba, they will have a rival in PQ and more feature options. I gave up on the 500U and jumped to Toshiba and could not be any happier.

Wes, I agree with your logic, and yet the 42PX60U is on their website with an MSRP of $2499.95, which is $200.00 less than the MSRP stated at CES, so some price erosion is already occurring. Unfortunately it's the only 60U/600U model shown so far so we'll have to wait to see if this new reduction will carry throughout the rest of the line. Here's the link:

BTW: If you pre-order one the shipping date is mid-April. I assume that's the first of the 60U/600U models that will show up or they'd have the others listed also.

Hi,
This is my first post (anywhere, actually). Regarding the above price difference, I did notice that the 60u is not listed as CableCARD ready. and weights 10 lbs less despite having some of the 500u slots (although it doesn't have the PC inputs). Not sure why it's lighter?

I'm one of those people trying to decide what to purchase (50U/500U, 60U/600U). The combination of difficultly finding the current models vs. waiting for the new ones that I haven't even seen. I do feel al little better that Panasonic will now let you Pre-Order the 60U.

Does anyone know if Circuit City will carry the TH-50PX600U?

I don't know if CC will carry the TH-50PX600U or not, but I was somewhat surprised when I saw a newly setup TH-50PX500U on display 2 days ago at a local CC that I frequent regularly and I understand they also had them available in stock at msrp. Prior to this I had never seen any of the 500U series at any of the metro area CC stores before. By the way it looked great showing the HD loop being fed to it.

There is a picture of the 600u in the panasonic FAQ site at the top of this board. It was the model shown at CES this year, and does indeed feature "invisible speakers". However, panasonic has said that the final specs were not pinned down yet, which means they could change the look though its not likely it will vary greatly from what was shown.



why do the blacks look so washed out in that first picture? looks bloody horrible, hope that is a result of the camera that took the picture.

Hi,
This is my first post (anywhere, actually). Regarding the above price difference, I did notice that the 60u is not listed as CableCARD ready. and weights 10 lbs less despite having some of the 500u slots (although it doesn't have the PC inputs). Not sure why it's lighter?

I'm one of those people trying to decide what to purchase (50U/500U, 60U/600U). The combination of difficultly finding the current models vs. waiting for the new ones that I haven't even seen. I do feel al little better that Panasonic will now let you Pre-Order the 60U.Most likely the weight difference can be attributed to the bezel design which accommodates the larger (and heavier) speaker system of the 600Us. I'd anticipate the newer models will offer more grayscale steps to render a better picture and the 60/600U series include a second HDMI connection. If you subscribe to Cable TV I recommend going with the 600U series PDP which includes a CableCARD slot. Your TV will render it's best picture with a direct digital input source supported by CableCARD technology because the PDP has a better MPEG decoder and deinterlacing/scaling chip than any cable provider's STB. A CableCARD also provides a 3rd tuner, where you can split the incoming signal to support both an STB-DVR and CableCARD. This enables you to record two shows on the DVR at the same time while watching a third program with a CableCARD.I don't know if CC will carry the TH-50PX600U or not, but I was somewhat surprised when I saw a newly setup TH-50PX500U on display 2 days ago at a local CC that I frequent regularly and I understand they also had them available in stock at msrp. Prior to this I had never seen any of the 500U series at any of the metro area CC stores before. By the way it looked great showing the HD loop being fed to it.Thanks for your reply. I'm considering the possibility of returning my 50PX50U to Circuit City and swap it for a 50PX600U because Panasonic will not fix the optical audio out problem of the 50Us w/CableCARD.

Got new pics of the PX600U:


http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/8950/px600u012sp.jpg

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/3527/px600u021ha.jpg


ATTENTION: The New Domain for BruZZi's Plasma FAQ is www.bruzzi.ws
If you have a direct link to the site please uptade to the new Domain Name.

GLORIOUS!!! :eek:

Does anyone know if Circuit City will carry the TH-50PX600U?

I talked to the Mgr at my local CC today and he said it will be just like last year.....60u yes, 600u no.

Most likely the weight difference can be attributed to the bezel design which accommodates the larger (and heavier) speaker system of the 600Us. I'd anticipate the newer models will offer more grayscale steps to render a better picture and the 60/600U series include a second HDMI connection. If you subscribe to Cable TV I recommend going with the 600U series PDP which includes a CableCARD slot. Your TV will render it's best picture with a direct digital input source supported by CableCARD technology because the PDP has a better MPEG decoder and deinterlacing/scaling chip than any cable provider's STB. A CableCARD also provides a 3rd tuner, where you can split the incoming signal to support both an STB-DVR and CableCARD. This enables you to record two shows on the DVR at the same time while watching a third program with a CableCARD.Thanks for your reply. I'm considering the possibility of returning my 50PX50U to Circuit City and swap it for a 50PX600U because Panasonic will not fix the optical audio out problem of the 50Us w/CableCARD.

But how can you get the direct digital input source if you decide to also use a DVR STB?

[QUOTE=optivity] If you subscribe to Cable TV I recommend going with the 600U series PDP which includes a CableCARD slot. QUOTE]

Hey All - Excuse my ignorance - am a NooB here :D But was looking at the 50U and saw the 60U was coming (at lower price) so thought I'd wait a few weeks - but stumbled across your forum here and see talk of no cable card slot in the new 60U? I can't seem to locate current specs for the 60 - is this true?

If so - then will look at the 600 I suppose - Anyone have a price differential on the 2? :confused:

Cheers -

Killer :p

[QUOTE=optivity] If you subscribe to Cable TV I recommend going with the 600U series PDP which includes a CableCARD slot. QUOTE]

Hey All - Excuse my ignorance - am a NooB here :D But was looking at the 50U and saw the 60U was coming (at lower price) so thought I'd wait a few weeks - but stumbled across your forum here and see talk of no cable card slot in the new 60U? I can't seem to locate current specs for the 60 - is this true?

If so - then will look at the 600 I suppose - Anyone have a price differential on the 2? :confused:

Cheers -

Killer :p

The 60U does NOT have CableCard slot, but the 600U does (both have 2 x HDMI slots, though).

The MSRP for the 42" 60U is currently $700 less than the 42" 600U.

In addition to the CableCard slot, for that extra amount, the 600U includes split screen (PiP), "upgraded" speakers, better (IMO) stand, VGA connection, and more black/less silver bezel.

However, the 42PX60U MSRP dropped $200 between the CES press release and the actual shipments, so perhaps the 600U MSRP will drop as much, as well, when it ships, so the difference could be only $500.

(hope I'm not violating forum rules, but I'm only talking MSRP, here!)

There is an extensive discussion of the 60/600 series at another AVS forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=652809

The 60U does NOT have CableCard slot, but the 600U does (both have 2 x HDMI slots, though).



Thanks JKirk - Is this the same for the 37" as well? (No cable card & any idea about MSRP diffrential?)

Many thanks-

Killer

I'm somewhat new to these forums, but I have some insider information that many of you may be interested in. This information is direct from a Panasonic rep which I have been dealing with for a while now. While this information can be deemed as accurate, the new 600U models are still subject to change:

Anyways;
1-The cable card slots are reported to be removed from all new Panasonic U series sets due to insufficient support/interest from the cable companies. So no CC slot on the new 600U as well as the 60U.
2-The 600U does NOT have PIP at this time. Major let down as that is one of the reasons I originally ordered my 500U (which was subsequently cancelled by Panasonic due to low production runs). I'm hoping they change their mind on this prior to final production.
3-The EARLIEST ship date for PRE_ORDERED 600Us is June (but probably later according to my source).

I myself am thinking of going to the Pioneer model for the PIP, but am waiting to see the final production specs on 600U as I'm sure most of you are also.

I'm somewhat new to these forums, but I have some insider information that many of you may be interested in. This information is direct from a Panasonic rep which I have been dealing with for a while now. While this information can be deemed as accurate, the new 600U models are still subject to change:

Anyways;
1-The cable card slots are reported to be removed from all new Panasonic U series sets due to insufficient support/interest from the cable companies. So no CC slot on the new 600U as well as the 60U.
2-The 600U does NOT have PIP at this time. Major let down as that is one of the reasons I originally ordered my 500U (which was subsequently cancelled by Panasonic due to low production runs). I'm hoping they change their mind on this prior to final production.
3-The EARLIEST ship date for PRE_ORDERED 600Us is June (but probably later according to my source).

I myself am thinking of going to the Pioneer model for the PIP, but am waiting to see the final production specs on 600U as I'm sure most of you are also.

That is some really strange information. You should post it on the "Official" Panny site on AVS (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=652809&page=34&pp=30 ) to let them know, or get feedback on that comment from Panasonic.

Information has been posted @ other forum per your link

Thanks Jkirk~

Huh???? That "insider information" is most unusual at the very least! Is there a web link that gives more details?

I'm somewhat new to these forums, but I have some insider information that many of you may be interested in. This information is direct from a Panasonic rep which I have been dealing with for a while now. While this information can be deemed as accurate, the new 600U models are still subject to change:

Anyways;
1-The cable card slots are reported to be removed from all new Panasonic U series sets due to insufficient support/interest from the cable companies. So no CC slot on the new 600U as well as the 60U.
2-The 600U does NOT have PIP at this time. Major let down as that is one of the reasons I originally ordered my 500U (which was subsequently cancelled by Panasonic due to low production runs). I'm hoping they change their mind on this prior to final production.
3-The EARLIEST ship date for PRE_ORDERED 600Us is June (but probably later according to my source).

I myself am thinking of going to the Pioneer model for the PIP, but am waiting to see the final production specs on 600U as I'm sure most of you are also.

Ah, you Pioneer fan, you! :D

Huh???? That "insider information" is most unusual at the very least! Is there a web link that gives more details?I can't speak for the 600U, but specs on the 60U are available now at the Panasonic Web Site (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=96292&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&surfModel=TH-50PX60U&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&displayTab=S) (note that under "Cable Card" it says no…)

I can't speak for the 600U, but specs on the 60U are available now at the Panasonic Web Site (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=96292&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&surfModel=TH-50PX60U&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&displayTab=S) (note that under "Cable Card" it says no…)Panasonic added an additional HDMI connection which is great... but dropped the CableCARD slot from the PX60U series PDPs... without DCA this is not a good choice for CATV subscribers.

I'm somewhat new to these forums, but I have some insider information that many of you may be interested in. This information is direct from a Panasonic rep which I have been dealing with for a while now. While this information can be deemed as accurate, the new 600U models are still subject to change:

Anyways;
1-The cable card slots are reported to be removed from all new Panasonic U series sets due to insufficient support/interest from the cable companies. So no CC slot on the new 600U as well as the 60U.
2-The 600U does NOT have PIP at this time. Major let down as that is one of the reasons I originally ordered my 500U (which was subsequently cancelled by Panasonic due to low production runs). I'm hoping they change their mind on this prior to final production.
3-The EARLIEST ship date for PRE_ORDERED 600Us is June (but probably later according to my source).

I myself am thinking of going to the Pioneer model for the PIP, but am waiting to see the final production specs on 600U as I'm sure most of you are also. [QUOTE]
hifirob, What's the name and phone number of the "panasonic rep" you spoke to? I'd like to verify your story. On the other thread, you posted that you were copy/pasting a post from "another forum". On this thread, you say you got this info from a Panasonic rep. Your inconsistencies in the source of your info, and the fact that no one believes you on the other thread cause me to doubt your information. But, I'm open to checking it out since I'm waiting for the 600.

I can't speak for the 600U, but specs on the 60U are available now at the Panasonic Web Site (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=96292&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&surfModel=TH-50PX60U&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&displayTab=S) (note that under "Cable Card" it says no…)

Why bring up this about the 60u? I think it has been pretty clear for a long time that the 60u's have no cablecard slot. :rolleyes:
This is about the 600u so you seem to be disputing with yourself :D

hifirob, What's the name and phone number of the "panasonic rep" you spoke to? I'd like to verify your story. On the other thread, you posted that you were copy/pasting a post from "another forum". On this thread, you say you got this info from a Panasonic rep. Your inconsistencies in the source of your info, and the fact that no one believes you on the other thread cause me to doubt your information. But, I'm open to checking it out since I'm waiting for the 600.

I am unable to give out that information due to legal reasons ( I belong to one of those very expensive factory direct clubs, so I have access directly to the manufacturer at the distributor level if you must know). Secondly , it was my own post that I copy/pasted.

The main reason I have this information is due to the fact that long story short, I originally had a 500U unit ordered...Panasonic could not fill the order...now I regularly get updates on the 600U from Panasonic Reps because it is the replacement to my original 500U. I think they are just trying to appease me with it due to the fact that they have been paid 8 months in advance now.

Anyways, at this time, all information you see is still speculation (and at best well educated guesses derived from information from a variety of sources). Most of it is from press releases. No one really knows. I am just trying to give those interested in this product the information I receive directly. So any information you see on the 600U at this point is subject to change until the final production specs are available.

You, as well as others, can take it for what it's worth.

oh, and one piece of information that is concrete and that I can pass on: cost for the 600U is CHEAPER than the 500U.

So any updates as to when the 600U is gunna be coming out.... Id be interested in a 50" model....

The user manuals for both the 60 and 600 series are now online at Panasonic's Canada website. According to the manuals both Cablecard and PIP are on the 600 units (all sizes).

For what ever it's worth, I spoke with the person I've been dealing with at Tweeter last night. He confirmed the 50" 600U is now finally in their computer system at the expected list price, but they show expected arrival to be end of June or early July.

Owner of store I pre-ordered 42" 600U seems to agree with that timeline. Inter-County (large distributor in Northeast) has expected timeline of late June or early July as well.

oh, and one piece of information that is concrete and that I can pass on: cost for the 600U is CHEAPER than the 500U.

Well, that is obvious from the MSRP from Panasonic.
I chose a 500u over a 60u. Can you still get a 500u? It might be better than waiting for the 600u.
That's what I did and zero regrets. :D

I've had my 600u on order for too long! What's the holdup?

I've had my 600u on order for too long! What's the holdup?

Good luck getting that 600u before Christmas :D

Good luck getting that 600u before Christmas :D

I ordered the 500U last Christmas, and it never came! Hopefully I have a shot at getting the 600U, I don't really feel like waiting for next years model.... :D

I ordered the 500U last Christmas, and it never came! Hopefully I have a shot at getting the 600U, I don't really feel like waiting for next years model.... :D
---------------

Panasonic supposedly has twice the capacity of any other plasma manufacturer - what are they doing? running at half capacity??????

How come they are unable to release a model even 6 months after they said they would! I am surprised since Panny has a long history in the consumer electronics business :confused:

I'm holding out now for the 600U, but if it starts getting too close to the NFL season or the World Series I'll be looking at a TV made by someone else.

I'm holding out now for the 600U, but if it starts getting too close to the NFL season or the World Series I'll be looking at a TV made by someone else.

If last year is any indication of the panny's time table, there were 3 different reports of the PX500 series actually in stock on 06-30-2005. Would be real nice if they surprise us by appearing earlier than that this year.

It's starting to sound like June 30th would be good. I haven't pre-ordered from anywhere yet because things have seemed so uncertain, have many people placed 600U orders yet?

I DID! Ordered from Tweeter in Chicago and when I paid the balance a few days ago the guy said the computer showed a June 13th delivery date. But who knows until that day finally rolls around . . .

I put 20% down on a 42 inch 600 from Tweeter here in Houston and they said August 1...............kwajaln, please keep us updated.

Preordered and paid for mine from MHT, Northern Suburbs of Chicago.

Hey, I'm new here but based on the previous posts it seemed like everyone here was really knowledgeable and could help me out. I'm interested in purchasing a TH50PX600U or a TH50PX60U. Though, I've been hoping to get a 1080p TV (as opposed to 1080i). Does anyone know if these Panasonic plasmas are 1080p or 1080i? Also, any other suggestions as far as which model to choose over the other would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello All,

I am new here too and had this question regarding where to buy a good plasma TV. What do you experts think? Should we buy from Costco or from Circuit City/Best Buy/Sears etc.?
Please give inputs regarding this.
Is there any other forum regarding this? If so can you please direct me to that link.

Thanks,

Hello All,

I am new here too and had this question regarding where to buy a good plasma TV. What do you experts think? Should we buy from Costco or from Circuit City/Best Buy/Sears etc.?
Please give inputs regarding this.
Is there any other forum regarding this? If so can you please direct me to that link.

Thanks,

Can somebody give me suggestions please.

Hello All,

I am new here too and had this question regarding where to buy a good plasma TV. What do you experts think? Should we buy from Costco or from Circuit City/Best Buy/Sears etc.?
Please give inputs regarding this.
Is there any other forum regarding this? If so can you please direct me to that link.

Thanks,

You should do the research and decide which plasma you want before you decide where to buy. Which plasma you want should be your first decision. (Actually, your first decisions should be which display technology and display size, but I'm assuming you've decided that already... If you want help deciding that, PM me.)

Let me tell you what I decided:

I decided to buy a Panasonic TH-50PX60U (50-inch consumer plasma). Without discussing specific price points (against the rules of this forum), I basically found that there were two types of stores: Online ones that were the cheapest, and local established ones like Sears and Circuit City and Costco that were cheap, but not as cheap as the online places.

I decided to go with Sears because they had the model I wanted in stock, and did home delivery for a reasonable price. Sears was a little more expensive, but the online places I've heard are really sleazy, try to sell you stuff you don't need, don't deliver ontime, gouge you with ridiculous shipping prices, and sometimes will deliver you a damaged display.

Costco is a wildcard. Their return policy is awesome, but they don't do home delivery. Since plasma displays CANNOT be turned on their sides or bottoms for transportation home in your trunk, I'd go with home delivery from Sears or some place like that if you don't have a way of transporting your display from the store to home while keeping it standing upright.

Now, sometimes the online places will offer you such a deep discount off the local places that you might want to go with them instead. Make sure that wherever you're buying from has good customer reviews on places like Nextag, Cnet, and Froogle. Sometimes people will post some ridiculous horror stories that are intended to (and should) dissuade you from buying from a specific online retailer. In my experience, the little extra for local places is worth the extra peace of mind.

Oh, and a little secret: NEVER ever pay for the upgraded "white glove" service where the delivery guys set up your TV in your house for you. Pay for the home delivery where they bring it to your door, and then pay them $20 (or so) under the table and they'll set up your TV so that you don't have to pay the store way more money for the "white glove" service. (I hope this isn't against forum rules.)

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me, as I literally got my Panasonic TH-50PX60U plasma delivered yesterday from Sears. Good experience.

Out of curiosity, which display(s) are you thinking of getting and where are you thinking of buying?

Thanks Applky -
I just sent couple of PMs to you.
What I meant with 60U is the Panasonic model #TH-50PX60U. But ofcourse this is not available in Costco.
So if have to buy from Costco which one would you recommend? How about the Vizio or the Pioneer one? First of all do you recommend Costco or Sears/CC?

why is all of this in a 600u thread???

Thanks Applky -
I just sent couple of PMs to you.
What I meant with 60U is the Panasonic model #TH-50PX60U. But ofcourse this is not available in Costco.
So if have to buy from Costco which one would you recommend? How about the Vizio or the Pioneer one? First of all do you recommend Costco or Sears/CC?

why is all of this in a 600u thread???

Ditty, refer to my forthcoming PM.

Dtrell, you're right. Digressions...

If anyone else is interested in what I have to say to Ditty, PM me.

I have a 60U on order right now but their telling me I'll have to wait until Mid to Late june for a store transfer and if I wait for the direct Panasonic shipment mid to late July. My sales guy told me that the 600U is coming out between 06/03-06/09. Its not much more for me to upgrade to that unit. Should I? I haven't been able to find any good information on the differences. I just want to know if I should wait or go with the new 600.

kwajaln, please keep us updated.
JAY - I spoke to Tweeter again today and they confirmed the NEW release date of June 13th. Plus, in another thread here at AVS I found a post by someone who went to his local Best Buy and was given a June 16th delivery date. I seriously think it is looking better and better that the 600U's are released mid-June!!

I CAN'T WAIT TO POST PICS OF MY 50-inch 600U ! ! !

JAY - I spoke to Tweeter again today and they confirmed the NEW release date of June 13th. Plus, in another thread here at AVS I found a post by someone who went to his local Best Buy and was given a June 16th delivery date. I seriously think it is looking better and better that the 600U's are released mid-June!!

I CAN'T WAIT TO POST PICS OF MY 50-inch 600U ! ! !

Is anyone positive what they look like yet? I've seen two different pictures in various places on the internet and have heard comments that "it could change before release"!!!

I too also was finally able to placed an order for a panny 50PX600U yesterday at a local BB Magnolia B&M, delivery expected second week of June. :D Guess I can now breathe a sigh of relief since I have been holding my breath and walking on egg shells after the houdini disappearing act the 50PX500U model pulled last year in November causing it to remain on back order until a whopping 2 months after the the new PX600 series had been officially announced. Talk about pent-up anxiety!

Hey guys I was just wondering if the TH-42PX600U and the TH-50PX600U look the same cause every website I went to shows the TH-42PX600U to look different. I'm interested in buying the TH-42PX600U but I want it to look like the on 50" thats shown in this forum. Does anyone know if they will be the same and also when does this TV become available for sale.
EDIT: I guess since its not out some websites even still show a picture of the TH-42PX60U which is a good TV but I think the appearance sucks. Thanks guys I finally found the tv I will be buying. Comon TH-42PX600U for me.

[QUOTE][NEW release date of June 13th. Plus, in another thread here at AVS I found a post by someone who went to his local Best Buy and was given a June 16th delivery date. I seriously think it is looking better and better that the 600U's are released mid-June!!]

If your looking for another confirmation. My company has a discount program set up thru Magnolia's Corporate HQ. I'm getting my 600U from them and my guy says their expected release date will be between June 3rd - June 9th.

I spoke with a sales associate at Panasonic Direct and he told me that the major differences between the 60U and the 600U are: 6 built in "invisible" speakers, PIP, Cable Card Slot, and VGA slot. Cosmetically they have added a Black border around the screen which he says is adding about 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the width of the unit. He also said the stand will NOT change between 60u and 600U so, we can still expect the long H Foot for the display.

Has anyone gotten a June date for the 42 inch 600? I just got back from Tweeter here in Houston and they are still saying August 1. You guys have all been talking about the 50 inch. (I only ordered mine a week ago ..which may be the rub...but they wouldn't take the order a month ago.........) I sure hope you're right and they're wrong.
Thanks for any info. I may stop at BB or CC later to see what they have for dates.

... I spoke with a sales associate at Panasonic Direct and he told me that the major differences between the 60U and the 600U are: 6 built in "invisible" speakers, PIP, Cable Card Slot, and VGA slot. Cosmetically they have added a Black border around the screen which he says is adding about 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the width of the unit. He also said the stand will NOT change between 60u and 600U so, we can still expect the long H Foot for the display.

Thanks for sharing that info, also note that the online Operating Instructions Manual for the TH-42PX600U, TH-50PX600U & TH-58PX600U models (http://www.panasonic.ca/PDP/OperatingInstructions/th42-50-58px600-oi-eng.pdf) confirms the PIP, Cable Card & PC VGA input but shows a distinct difference in the number of speakers and the type of included pedestal stand the Panasonic Direct sale associate mentioned above.

6 built in "invisible" speakers
page 61 of the operating manual - Specifications lists only 4 speakers instead of 6 which include a pair of 3.2" (80mm) woofers and a pair of 0.9" x 4.0" midrange/tweeters
Last year's px500 series had 6 speakers, this year's px600 series have 4 speaker.

Also on page 12 of a different colorful brochure pdf, Panasonic 2006 Viera Flat Panel Displays (http://www.panasonic.it/_ftp/catalogs/VIERActlg_EU_06.pdf) , are photos & diagrams that shows the actual number, size, location and sound dispersion patterns of the 4 speakers in the 2006 viera series. This pdf is also a very good read in further understanding the technology built into the 2006 panasonic vierra panels.

the stand will NOT change between 60u and 600U so, we can still expect the long H Foot for the display
page 6 of the operating manual - List of include Accessories show the diamond pedestal stand, not that duck foot H pedestal stand. TBL2AX00021 for the 42px600", TBL2AX00061 for the 50px600, TBL2AX00071 for the 58px600.

page 7 of the operating manual - Instructions for Attaching the Pedestal Stand also show detail views of the diamond pedestal stand instead of the duck foot H stand

Also the 50" px600u is 49.9" (1,266 mm) wide compared to the 50" px60u which is 47.6" (1,210 mm) wide, about a 2.3" difference which accounts for the angled outward silver frame around the black bezel of the 50" px600u model

Great Info D-Buck,

Been looking for specifics like that. Guess my salesperson wasn't as in the know as I thought he was. Also Thanks for the links. I downloaded that PDF file. So, I can have some fun tonight drooling. I've got my order in for this sucker. Supposed to have mine in hand by the 06/12...we'll see. I'm gonna have a TV warming party when I finally have the thing. Of course its going to be a "POTLUCK" after spending that kinda of money I can't afford to feed myself let alone other people.

The Best Buy near me in Houston doesn't even have the 600 Series in the computer to preorder. Has anyone actually seen the mid-June date or have they just been told it? I don't doubt anyone. It's just that I have the 42 inch on order and I can't find anyone to say that they will give me one anytime sooner than August 1.

Yeah Superfuzz, once you get to see that georgeous picture this panel is capable of in your own home, you'll be too energized & pumped up to think twice about "POTLUCK", food, or other such mundane worldly matters for a while :D . In the meantime, working through all the choices and the other little specific details like the kind of credenza or wall mount to be used, the audio video cables & connections, speaker wires, the source components & stb's, surge protection and/or power conditioner, calibration disks, surround systems, sub-woofer, etc will help past the time until that special day in June.

JayDarg, that August 1 date you mentioned seems rather long to me, you may have to check with a Magnolia store within Best Buy or a stand alone Magnolia Home Theater, rather than the regular Best Buy super store to get the best estimate of availability dates.

D-Bucket, Nearest Magnolia Store is 3 hours away.............

I was going to try CC, another Best Buy, and another Tweeter here in Houston to see if I could get better dates for the 600 release, but after what the Circuit City guy told me, I got my answer. He told me, despite at least 3 attempts to differ, that all the 2006 Panny models were out for this year. The next ones would be the 70 series. Well, there you have it. we are all SOL until next year !!!! I brought my 2-year old with me, who had fun moving their price tags all over the place.

I don't want to digress into a salesman rant - but good grief, you would think that someone who sold AV gear would at least read forums like this to obtain news and see what the consumers are saying. I guess they spend all their time in the breakroom reading the latest spiff propaganda...

The 50PX600 is in the UK shops, and a few homes, as we speak if you want a bit of early feed back before it hits the States. :)

In case anyone else is interested, one lucky person has already received his px600 plasma in the UK and posted a nice picture of his setup in post #6 on this UK av forum Just ordered PX600 - arriving on Tuesday! (http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=344837)

You can read thread the without registering, but you may have to register (which is free) to see the picture. Here (http://www.avforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30617&d=1148043424) is a direct link to the picture.

When the px60 series first came out, there were some really great pictures of px60 series setups posted on that forum before there were any sightings here in the US. I was drawn to those photos like a moth to light but seems like I remember having to register before I could view them.

600U will not be sold at CC or BB. MHT or Tweater are the types of stores the 600U will be sold at.

BB Magnolia sold the 500u's last year, there might be a chance (very good chance) they will sell the 600u this year since that is where they like to sell the higher end models and gear.

It's great to see our friends in the UK are getting the 600U. Panny needs to bring it to us ASAP! :)

There was an ad for Panasonic Plasma's on American Idol last night, and the plasma in the ad was the 600U. Hopefully that means they're coming soon!

They are definitely here. I went to the Magnolia in San Jose hoping to order a TH-50PX600U and find out when the release date is. The salesman initially thought he could send me home with one today. We ultimately discovered that the one in the back was already sold but mine will be in store either tomorrow or tuesday. I'm still getting over the shock.

I did get to admire the display for a few minutes. Looks just like the pictures in the brochures and user manual links posted here previously. The stand is diamond, not H. Hey, I'm going to wall mount, should I auction off my diamond stand to someone who really hates the duck feet on their 60U?

There were reportedly 21 units that came for all SF bay area Magnolias (and the Magnolias inside Best Buy are different..?). They'll probably be sold out vefore the weekend is over. My timing is pretty lucky, though a few hours earlier and thing would be in the back of my truck right now.

After reading Snowbear's post I called up Magnolia in Colma, Daly City, CA and they told me they had a 50PX600U on the floor right above a 50PX60U. OK, so the WAF and I motored down to check it out. Yep, there it was in real life. It'd only been out of the box a few hours. Put both sets into STANDARD picture mode and compared. Clearly the 60U had the brighter picture. The whites also looked whiter. The 600U whites seemed be pushing a green tint. Lastly, skin tones looked a bit rosier on the 60U while pn the 600U more pale. Even, the salesman had to agree and didn't have a better answer than perhaps it was because so many TVs were hooked up to the same distribution feed. :eek:

Another curios thing. The 600U is a lot thicker at the bottom. There's a bulge in the back, a big one, the full length of the set in the back. The 60U, is uniformly flat on the back. Trying to imagine why they would need so much space back there.

Well, nevertheless, took the leap of faith and slapped down my credit card. Perhaps it was just that one, out of the box, which was like that. Then, again, it comes from the same batch of first arrivals. Magnolia does have a 30 day no hassle no restocking fee return policy, so I'm OK with the risk. Don't want to get caught between stock shipments. In the past, I've seen lengthly gaps. They had 50 delivered with 30 allocated to existing orders. So that leaves 20, err, I mean 19 now. Set will be delivered today and they even priced matched Panny Direct. :cool:

After reading Snowbear's post I called up Magnolia in Colma, Daly City, CA and they told me they had a 50PX600U on the floor right above a 50PX60U. OK, so the WAF and I motored down to check it out. Yep, there it was in real life. It'd only been out of the box a few hours. Put both sets into STANDARD picture mode and compared. Clearly the 60U had the brighter picture. The whites also looked whiter. The 600U whites seemed be pushing a green tint. Lastly, skin tones looked a bit rosier on the 60U while pn the 600U more pale. Even, the salesman had to agree and didn't have a better answer than perhaps it was because so many TVs were hooked up to the same distribution feed. :eek:

Another curios thing. The 600U is a lot thicker at the bottom. There's a bulge in the back, a big one, the full length of the set in the back. The 60U, is uniformly flat on the back. Trying to imagine why they would need so much space back there.

Well, nevertheless, took the leap of faith and slapped down my credit card. Perhaps it was just that one, out of the box, which was like that. Then, again, it comes from the same batch of first arrivals. Magnolia does have a 30 day no hassle no restocking fee return policy, so I'm OK with the risk. Don't want to get caught between stock shipments. In the past, I've seen lengthly gaps. They had 50 delivered with 30 allocated to existing orders. So that leaves 20, err, I mean 19 now. Set will be delivered today and they even priced matched Panny Direct. :cool:


Just because you'll have your new toy please don't forget about us!! Any chance we can get pictures and our very first "at home" review ASAP??? I've been holding off for weeks waiting for this puppy to come out before making my final decision. Thanks!!

I called up MHT in a best buy here in Chicago land and they said not in their computer system yet. :(

Just because you'll have your new toy please don't forget about us!! Any chance we can get pictures and our very first "at home" review ASAP??? I've been holding off for weeks waiting for this puppy to come out before making my final decision. Thanks!!
OK, I'll do my best. My living room will go though a total rearrangement. Been watching a 32" so the couch and everything gets rotated 90 degrees. This includes the Hi-Fi, surround system, et al. Only the rug will be in the same place. I won't be able to hook up HD until I arrange for Dish to sell me & set up the new HD receiver which will be in a totally different location than it is now. This will mean new cable routing under the floor boards in the garage and repointing the actual dish for HD. One step at a time. ;)

Another curios thing. The 600U is a lot thicker at the bottom. There's a bulge in the back, a big one, the full length of the set in the back. The 60U, is uniformly flat on the back. Trying to imagine why they would need so much space back there.



I haven't seen the 600u but the 500u also has a big bulge towards the bottom on the back side

None at Magnolia Pasadena. CA. They said check back in 1 month.

i saw them at the best buy/magnolia in woodland hills, ca yesterday...it looks OK...still silver but the bezel is a black and thicker...there is a pronounced bulge in the back bottom of the the panel...

since the PQ on the panasonic is already great...why doesn't panasonic focus on the aesthetics as well and make an all black plasma? look at the pioneers and samsungs...they look awesome in piano black. the silver/gray color is just so bland. :mad:

I wonder if the big bulge on the back isn't the "hidden speakers".

Anyone know of any online vendoprs with this item in stock??

They are definitely here. I went to the Magnolia in San Jose hoping to order a TH-50PX600U and find out when the release date is. The salesman initially thought he could send me home with one today. We ultimately discovered that the one in the back was already sold but mine will be in store either tomorrow or tuesday. I'm still getting over the shock.

I did get to admire the display for a few minutes. Looks just like the pictures in the brochures and user manual links posted here previously. The stand is diamond, not H. Hey, I'm going to wall mount, should I auction off my diamond stand to someone who really hates the duck feet on their 60U?

There were reportedly 21 units that came for all SF bay area Magnolias (and the Magnolias inside Best Buy are different..?). They'll probably be sold out vefore the weekend is over. My timing is pretty lucky, though a few hours earlier and thing would be in the back of my truck right now.


Thank You Snowbear!

I'm in San Jose as well. I checked with my sales guy and confirmed that the 600U's shipped early and were in the store. So mine is being delievered and installed TOMORROW! :D
Now I've got to go home and put together the Entertainments stand and unhook all my other stuff so I'll be ready for the delivery guys. Thanks again for the heads up!

Panasonic Direct now has the 600U's in stock. Call them to place your order.

Ultimate Electronics has them in stock now.

For those living in Colorado, Kansas, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Tulsa, Minnesota, Arizona, Missouri you can go get them.

and im sure that ultimate and magnolia will be glad to sell you them at full retail price...ill wait a few weeks longer for cleveland plasma.

I have a Best Buy near me but not a Magnolia. Will Best Buy be carrying the 600U?

no

Does anyone know when and where they will be available on the east coast or a reputable web dealer?

found a side view of the 600U

Does anyone know when and where they will be available on the east coast or a reputable web dealer?

Isn't Panasonic direct a reputable dealer? I certainly hope so since I just purchased from them.

FYI... the 600Us (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelList?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=24973&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702) are listed @ Panasonic's web-site.

found a side view of the 600U

Very similar to my 500u.

My 600U was just delivered by ABT in Chicago. The installer is here today putting everything together...can't wait to get it on the wall. Currently still in the box as my dog is running around. As soon as I get it out, I'll let you know about the bulge.

...and to think all I used to want was a Red Rider BB Gun, yeah this is WAY better :D :D :D :D .

My 600U was just delivered by ABT in Chicago. The installer is here today putting everything together...can't wait to get it on the wall. Currently still in the box as my dog is running around. As soon as I get it out, I'll let you know about the bulge.

...and to think all I used to want was a Red Rider BB Gun, yeah this is WAY better :D :D :D :D .

Just got off the phone with them- they have 42 of them in stock. :)

My 600U was just delivered by ABT in Chicago. The installer is here today putting everything together...can't wait to get it on the wall. Currently still in the box as my dog is running around. As soon as I get it out, I'll let you know about the bulge.

...and to think all I used to want was a Red Rider BB Gun, yeah this is WAY better :D :D :D :D .

Keep it out of 'Vivid' or you'll burn your eyes out. ;)

The Bulge is there...sticks out about 1.5" (depth) from the rest of the TV. Although not the most attractive, it does provide a little extra protection for your cabling inputs. :o

The Bulge is there...sticks out about 1.5" (depth) from the rest of the TV. Although not the most attractive, it does provide a little extra protection for your cabling inputs. :o

Good luck with the set! I hope you put up some impressions soon!

I Ordered 50 600U tonight at BB Magnolia store in Tinley Park Illinois. They said delivery next week on June 8th and they told me they showed 64 in stock at their Chicago warehouse

My Panasonic TH50PX600U will be delivered on Thursday but don't reallty want ro need the stand it comes with as I am mounting in the center of the wall. Problem is I have no idea what kind of mount to get?

I don't need anything fancy, just somthing that will hold and isn't that far off the wall...is that low profile? Sorry never had a plasma before and there a ton of knowlegable people here that have used mounts on similar before.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

I checked out a couple box retailers here in northern New Jersey but no 600U sightings. PC Richards and 6 Ave show the 600U in stock on their computer system but none on display at the store :mad:

Does anyone know when and where they will be available on the east coast or a reputable web dealer?

Best Buy Magnolia from Tinley Park, Illinois installed my 50PX600U last Friday.
They used a Sanus VMAA18S articulating mount which goes from 3 1/4" when closed to about 19" when fully extended. It is rated for 130 pounds maximum. We used this bracket because my TV is mounted in a cutout above our fireplace and I wanted to be able to get behind it for wiring etc. I do think this type of mount would would also be nice on a flat wall for the same reason though.

bwm57, I wish I had a cutout, then I could see using that mount. That would be perfect. However, it is only a flat wall that this baby will be going on.

I have been looking at all the mounts ABT has and man are there so many. Hard to choose considering the different types and features.

Still lost! :(

B19
This mount is still only a little over three inched thick when fully collapsed, you may still want to consider on a flat wall anyway.

I used a Chief pro tilt rated for 200 hundred pounds. Its installed with 7 lag bolts and concrete anchors into the briock above my fireplace. Its not the easiest to get at because of the height so I made sure and wired everything I needed before it went up.

Does anyone know when and where they will be available on the east coast or a reputable web dealer?
The Big Screen Store in Rockville, Maryland has them in stock. I purchased two on Friday night at about 7:00 and they were delivered by 9:30 a.m. the next day. The salesman is a real gentelman, his name is James Stewart

Dagg21, I saw the Chief - PAC400 on ABT's site. Looked intriguing. Sounds good with the brick, sturdy. Without the stand, they say it weighs 94.8 lbs. The studs should be more than fine to hold this on my flat wall. I'm looking for support, accessibility and look. That is why the Sanus that bwm57 used might work pretty good. Three (3) inches totally collapsed is not bad. Only really be able to notice when you walk into the room (entrance way parallel with the plasma wall)

Yes the sanus sounds ideal, I thought the tilt on the Chief would help some but not the case the back is very tight where my wiring is and hard to get at because of the height. I do know Chief is a very solid mount and im glad for that as I dont want my new Panny taking a plunge anytime soon.

The good thing is I ran extra cables to almost every input for expansion purposes.

My 600U is sitting here waiting to be installed... can't wait for the guys to get home! :D

I used a Chief pro tilt rated for 200 hundred pounds. Its installed with 7 lag bolts and concrete anchors into the briock above my fireplace. Its not the easiest to get at because of the height so I made sure and wired everything I needed before it went up.

BMW, Dag 21, et al.,
I might be in the same situation of having to mount over a fire place that has a floor to ceiling brick wall (44" of wall + 70" of brick + 48" of wall) with the brick currently in the center of that wall (70" wide worth of brick) . I am considering covering over the brick with a new drywall with a wall mount being then attached to that with the wiring being set into the space between the new covering dry wall and the brick.

What problems did you run into and what problems could also crop up in the process?

Plus, did you have a center channel speaker to deal with? And if so, how did you address it's placement.

Thanks,
..Mark

BMW, Dag 21, et al.,
I might be in the same situation of having to mount over a fire place that has a floor to ceiling brick wall (44" of wall + 70" of brick + 48" of wall) with the brick currently in the center of that wall (70" wide worth of brick) . I am considering covering over the brick with a new drywall with a wall mount being then attached to that with the wiring being set into the space between the new covering dry wall and the brick.

What problems did you run into and what problems could also crop up in the process?

Plus, did you have a center channel speaker to deal with? And if so, how did you address it's placement.

Thanks,
..Mark

This might not work for you, however it might for someone else, so I will mention it.

The guy from ABT who installed mine was talking about fireplace installations and mentioned that they usually go through the wall, however that always isn't possible. In one situation they ran the wires between the rocks (yeah, I know you have brick) and then placed a thin layer of mortar over them.

This might not work for you, however it might for someone else, so I will mention it.

The guy from ABT who installed mine was talking about fireplace installations and mentioned that they usually go through the wall, however that always isn't possible. In one situation they ran the wires between the rocks (yeah, I know you have brick) and then placed a thin layer of mortar over them.


Thanks for the comment. In essence, I am considering using wood studs (either 2x 4 or 2x6) to frame out the part of the wall where the brick is (surrounding the firebox opening floor to ceiling). That is the only place on the wall where the brick is, however, it is floor to ceiling. Using the wider studs would allow me to have a small pvc pipe conduit between the brick and the drywall for wires/cables and might also give me the needed space for the distance needed to use the lag bolts to secure the mounting brace to the framing between the studs.

Additionally thought of this last night as a potential workaround to then be able to place my center channel speaker (which is 12"[d] x 8.5"[h] x 22" [w]) somewhat recessed into the new dry-wall above the mounted plasma. The cc placement/hideability was also an issue in estetics.

I all seriousness, am I being over indulgent or using overkill? or is this a decent option in seeking to address this in a reasonable/doable fashion. Any and all comments (and experiences) would be appreciated.

..Mark

The picture at TVAuthority may be correct. I have seen the pics of HP's 42" and 50" plasma (it the same TV) and they have the same look and detachable speakers.

Sam1000 or anyone who knows..... where did you get the information that the HP 42" & 50" TV is the same as the Panasonic? And since it has the detachable speakers, I would guess you are referring to the Panasonic 50u or 500u, not the 60u or 600u, correct?

Thanks

DrJ2B

Sam1000 or anyone who knows..... where did you get the information that the HP 42" & 50" TV is the same as the Panasonic? And since it has the detachable speakers, I would guess you are referring to the Panasonic 50u or 500u, not the 60u or 600u, correct?

Thanks

DrJ2B

I said "may be it's the same Plasma". There wasn't any information available at the time. Now we know that this year's HP plasmas are not same as Panasonic. In fact one of the HP dealer(TVA) has mentioned in this forum that it's a rebadged LG.

Hi Folks,
I received my panny TH-50PX600U on Thursday. Ordered it thru Crutchfield. I have connected it via the HDMI output of the Comcast DVR cable box. Had a few questiosn about this.
1. The analog channels look awful. The picture quality is extremely pixelly and grainy to a point of not being usable at all. For example channel 41 is not viewable at all.
2. IN the HD area, channel 703 (NBC HD) is again crappy. The ESPN HD channels that screen the world cup soccer are absolutly fantastic.

When I called up Comcast tech support, the guy said panny plasmas are not meant to be used for analog TV but they can only be used for HD. He asked me to call Panny and find out if there is a way to reduce the native resolution of this TV. I have it set currently to 1080i on the DVR box. On calling Panny, they said the cable reception is weak and that I should have the signal strength checked out.
I tried switching the output to component video, S-Video and directly going from the wall into the RF of the TV and the picture quality is awful in all the modes.

Anyone else have this issue? Any ideas what should be done here?

Thanks

The first thing you should do is to insure you have all RG-6 coax from the cable providers drop at the street... all the way to your TV. Also, try and minimize the number of times you split the incoming coax. Make sure all F-connectors are properly terminated & connections are tight. You might try & bring up the status menu on the TVs display to see what the signal strength is from you cable provider. Make sure contrast, brightness and picture settings are at reasonable levels. The TV should do a credible job rendering SD and HD should look spectacular on all HDTV channels.

Get it out of Vivid mode and turn the sharpness down to 0. It comes out of the box set at +15, which makes the picture look like total a$$.

I have our 50PX600U connected direct to the coax cable and a Comcast cable card and the picture on the analog channels is actually quite good.
We had the TV hooked up straight from the coax without the cable card for the first two weeks and although the chanel lineup was complicated the analog chanels seemed fine at that time also.
I wonder if your problems are signal related?
How do you check signal strength from the TV menu?

Thanks bbonds and optivity for your responses. Just FYI, I have the sharpness set to 0 and the viewing mode is "Normal" and not vivid. I will try and see how to verify that the cables are RG-6 from the street. On the status menu, the signal strength indicator is greyed out and is not accessible. If I do a manual tune and click on apply on the next screen, then signal strength indicator gets ungreyed but then I cannot select any channel in the box displayed and the signal strength numbers all read 0.
Why can we not select the channel in this mode?

I'm not referring to the "signal meter" as described in the manual. I'm referring to the status screen, which should look similar to this:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzequg9f/1.240.JPG

and shows the SNR dBmv values from your cable provider. I'm not sure with the PX60/600Us... but with the PX50/500Us the status screen is launched by holding both the (volume +) buttons on the TV & remote at the same time for approximately 5 seconds.

Some people have been saying that Best Buy will carry the 600U and some are saying that they will not.

Well, I just called my local BB here in Miami and they do carry the 600U.

Just thought some of you might be interested in that.

Thanks optivity for your response. I had no idea that there was this key combination to get access to the signal strength window. I would assume the 600Us have the same key combi too. Will try it this evening and update.

OK I tried the key combination and after a lot of unsuccessful attempts, it finally worked and I saw the same screen as above. All the data was unlocked and N/A
May be this does not work with the HDMI input. I called up Panny tech support and the bozo had no idea what was talking about. The guy said if analog channels are poor, you will need to live with it till 2009 till the time all the analog channels are phased out...what a jerk.

Sorry, you may not be able to display the status menu when the incoming signal is from a STB. You could try connecting the coax cable directly to the TVs antenna input and do a auto channel/program scan (page 14 of your manual) to see what if any analog and unencrypted digital channels your TV picks up. Then try and launch the status screen.

Here's a question. Is upconversion only possible through HDMI? If so, then that's the reason I'm having phenomenal PQ with all channels, not just HD. If not, then I'm still trying to find the way to help everyone.

Here's a question. Is upconversion only possible through HDMI? If so, then that's the reason I'm having phenomenal PQ with all channels, not just HD. If not, then I'm still trying to find the way to help everyone.Up conversion is possible with component, DVI and HDMI connections. It depends on the capabilities of a particular device (e.g. STB, DVD player). Most likely you may attribute your "phenomenal PQ" to many factors: good quality signal from your CATV provider, good quality components, cables, properly adjusted settings, etc.

Hi Folks,
I think thats it for me with the TH-50PX600U. The picture quality is grainy and botched even with a progressive scan DVD going to the TV via the component video cables. Usually a person's face is what would get pixelly/tiled. I was playing the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" DVD in 16:9 mode. The character's faces easily show the pixelly images. It is as if a 1 mega pixel photo is printed on 8x11 paper. The analog/digital channels are aweful. The cable guy today came in and expressed complete helplessness. The signal strength was a very strong +14dB. He said, there is no need for a booster and there is nothing more they could do about it. I am now strongly inclined to return this set as I am much more happier with the 32" Sony that I have. What does Panasonic do to make such a bad TV? I feel like it is $4K simply down the drain!!!!!

Hi Folks,
I think thats it for me with the TH-50PX600U. The picture quality is grainy and botched even with a progressive scan DVD going to the TV via the component video cables. Usually a person's face is what would get pixelly/tiled. I was playing the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" DVD in 16:9 mode. The character's faces easily show the pixelly images. It is as if a 1 mega pixel photo is printed on 8x11 paper. The analog/digital channels are aweful. The cable guy today came in and expressed complete helplessness. The signal strength was a very strong +14dB. He said, there is no need for a booster and there is nothing more they could do about it. I am now strongly inclined to return this set as I am much more happier with the 32" Sony that I have. What does Panasonic do to make such a bad TV? I feel like it is $4K simply down the drain!!!!!


What are your picture settings?

What are your picture settings?
The Picture Mode is set to "Normal"
All the other parameters are set to 0
In the other options menu, the NR is set to ON

Why should the settings matter? THe TV should so a good job is displaying a DVD picture as crisp and sharp. Even DVD PQ is grainy and smudged.

What are your picture settings?
Read this review. Try their picture settings. If this doesn't work, you have a defective set, bad cable feed or problem with another component in your system. Seriously, my set delivers an incredible picture. However, I can easily make it suck by changing picture settings to the wrong values. Hope this helps. ;)

http://www.*******************.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th50px60u-review.html

Oh, and BTW, turn off all noise reduction options to start with.

What does Panasonic do to make such a bad TV? I feel like it is $4K simply down the drain!!!!!
Strange. I think you got a lemon. I have the same model (delivered on June 17th) and the picture quality is phenomenal. Regular channels are not as good as HD, but they're still quite good. And they were that good before I passed 100 hours and all the settings were Standard/zeros. The HD channels are so realistic it appears as if I can reach out and touch whatever is on the screen. Unbelievably good PQ!

Hi Folks,
Thanks for all your responses. Let us examine this in more detail.
First let me take the views expressed in http://www.*******************.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th50px60u-review.html.
This is BS. No point in testing the TV with a HD-DVD or Blue Ray DVD.
How many HD-DVDs do we have released? None.
Also, Blue Ray DVDs are just being released. So the point that the PQ is excellent is not applicable to 100% of us normal users.
The review itself has said that the PQ is fuzzy while viewing the news in the normal non-HD channels.

Lets consider this - Most of us watch analog/digital channels all the time. There are like 5 or 6 HD channels and they too broadcast in true HD only during very limited programs during the day. So I did an experiment last night. I compared the "Tonight's show with Jay Leno" on NBC HD (channel 703) and NBC analog (channel 3). Forget the fact that NBC HD is awesome. The downside is the analog channel is NOT VIEWABLE at all. My eyes started watering because of the blurr in the picture. It was horrible. I went into my other room and started watching it on my good old Sony 32" TV. Same issue with TBS channel 41. Try and watch it and your eyes will water because of the bad picture. Same issue with the digital channels 503/504, HBO etc. Some of these channels might be better than others.

So then I decided, lets ignore the cable box and use a DVD. I have a Sony Progressive scan 5 DVD changer. As I said before in my earlier post, I used the component video out from DVD->TV and optical out from DVD->Receiver. When watching "My Big Fat Grek Wedding" in 16:9 mode, the grainy picture is clearly seen. When some scenes change, small amount of pixelization/tiling will be visible on the character's faces. Then I changed the DVD and put "My Cousin Vinny". This was worse than the one before. The character's faces looked like they were composed of little dots all over.

I have some questions and requests for the folks who have said their PQ is awesome.
1. Can someone post a picture of how channels 3(NBC) and 41(TBS) look on their sets?
2. When playing DVDs, are you guys using non-HD DVDs?
3. Pause the picture when the DVD is playing and see how the picture looks. Does it look pixelly or grainy or does it appear the same when it was playing?
4. Look at the character's face carefully. Does it appear that it is grainy or like hundreds of dots are moving all over the face? How close is the DVD PQ as compared to HD reception PQ? Is it the same/worse/better?

You guys have been really patient to listen to me bitch all the time :-)

Thanks for all this.

Folks,
one more thing - don't go by what is posted on this site http://www.*******************.com/...60u-review.html.
It is a site that is owned and operated by this private online dealer DTVCity based in Atlanta. DTVCity/Plasma Depot, probably more are all the same dealer. See how they promote themselves in the "Where to buy". If it were legit, then I would expect them to simply review the TV and nothing else like give links to dealer's websites etc.

Bayarea: When you watch an analog channel, hit the "Info" channel on the TV remote and see what mode your TV is displaying those low channels in ie...480i etc....

Do the same on your HD channels (should be 720p).

hxxp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7860272&&#post7860272

That is the link for my post of pictures that I took of my unit....Channel 2 (The Weather Channel) and HDNET. I'll take some pictures of TBS and NBC when I get home from work.

Folks,
one more thing - don't go by what is posted on this site http://www.*******************.com/...60u-review.html.
It is a site that is owned and operated by this private online dealer DTVCity based in Atlanta. DTVCity/Plasma Depot, probably more are all the same dealer. See how they promote themselves in the "Where to buy". If it were legit, then I would expect them to simply review the TV and nothing else like give links to dealer's websites etc.
PlasmaTV Buying Guide is ~not~ consumer reports. However, the review was not worthless. They did a credible job with the ISF calibration with real equipment and not an SD DVD like AVIA or VE. If these reviews were sloppy, there would be no credibility that would help them make sales. They review all sorts of brands and give all levels of ratings which fall in with what most of us have experienced.

I was impressed they used HD DVD in their evaluation. At the moment, that's about the best input you can get. It all goes downhill from there and they admit it. I think your expectations are perhaps too high. Your DVD player is average (and who know's how that's set up) and you are on Comcast Cable. Try the review settings. If this doesn't do it, its probably not the set's fault. The 600U is excellent if working properly. Look at other forum threads about the OPPO 970HD DVD player if you want to get the most out of standard definition DVD. My results are great considering DVD is only 480. I'm on DISH network so I can't comment too much on Comcast. When I did have Comcast, I wasn't a happy camper about their PQ. I imagine or hope they've gotten better.

Good luck with your set-up. Let us know how you make out.

I have had my 50PX600U for about a week now and I am extremely pleased with the picture quality. I don't have an HD-DVD (I'm waiting for the chaff to settle!), but I have a new Denon 2910 that I will be installing Friday or Saturday. As others have suggested, perhaps some settings need adjusting or you just got a bad unit.

I originally purchased a Samsung 5072 - now THAT was bad picture quality!! Had it for a little over a week and went back to tell them I was unhappy - they had JUST gotten the 600U's (2 of them) so I studied one for about an hour and was sold!

Hi Folks,
OK here are the answers to all the questions

DVR Box - Motorola DCT3412(Dual Tuner) provided by Comcast
DVR Box connected to TH-50PX600U via 3-ft HDMI cable and RF out from DVR box goes to RF input of TV

DVR Box settings
============
TV Mode: 16:9
HDMI/YPbPr Output: 720p
4:3 Override: 480I
Additional HDMI Settings
HDMI/DVI Mode: HDMI
Color Space: YCC 4:4:4
Audio Output: Auto

TV Picture Settings
=============
Normal: No Pic Mode:Standard
Picture: +22 Brightness: +8
Color: -7 Tint: -4
Sharpness: -14 Color Temp: Warm
Color Mng: Off CATS: Off
Video NR: Off 3D Y/C Filter: off (Greyed Out)
Color Matrix: SD (Greyed Out) MPEG NR: Off Black Level: LIGHT

Info Output for various channels
=======================
Channel 41 (TBS)
HDMI1 480I STANDARD FULL

Channel 2 (Fox Analog)
HDMI1 480I STANDARD FULL

Channel 3 (NBC Analog)
HDMI1 480I STANDARD FULL

Channel 550 (HBO)
HDMI1 480I STANDARD FULL

Channel 703(NBC HD)
HDMI1 720p STANDARD FULL

Channel 738(ESPN HD)
HDMI1 720p STANDARD FULL

DVD Player -> Sony DVP-C670D (5 DVD Changer)
Connected to TV via Component Video and Optical Audio to A/V Receiver

Here are my questions to the gurus:

1. I found out last night that this DVD player only does 480I. It is not a progressive scan DVD player. Could this be the reason for the average picture quality using DVD? How big will be the difference between a 480I DVD player and a 480p/720p DVD player?
2. I noticed that by using the TV mode (RF input of TV) for viewing all the analog/digital non-HD channels, the picture is a little better than the HDMI output. The picture is grainy but it does not get pixelized/tiled.
3. Also, I noticed that the best analog picture is when the DVR is set to 720p mode with the 480I override mode set to 480I.

Any comments?

1. I found out last night that this DVD player only does 480I. It is not a progressive scan DVD player. Could this be the reason for the average picture quality using DVD? How big will be the difference between a 480I DVD player and a 480p/720p DVD player?Try using the S-Video connection instead, I believe you will be pleased with the results. Better yet, buy an up converting OPPO OPDV971H or DV-970HD (http://www.oppodigital.com) DVD player.
2. I noticed that by using the TV mode (RF input of TV) for viewing all the analog/digital non-HD channels, the picture is a little better than the HDMI output. The picture is grainy but it does not get pixelized/tiled.Try using the component connection instead, STBs do a notoriously poor job with HDMI. Better yet, get a CableCARD.
3. Also, I noticed that the best analog picture is when the DVR is set to 720p mode with the 480I override mode set to 480I.Personally, I prefer 1080i & 480p.

optivity - thanks for your response

Try using the S-Video connection instead, I believe you will be pleased with the results. Better yet, buy an up converting OPPO OPDV971H or DV-970HD (http://www.oppodigital.com) DVD player.
Try using the component connection instead, STBs do a notoriously poor job with HDMI. Better yet, get a CableCARD.
Personally, I prefer 1080i & 480p.

I use the component video from DVD->TV. The component video is supposed to be much better in quality to the S-Video right? Anyway, I tried S-Video from DVD->TV too and visibly I could not make out any difference. My guess is since the DVD is producing 480I anyway, it would not make a huge difference between S-Video and component video.

About your other suggestion of trying component video to go from the STB->TV, I will try that this evening and update. Anything that gives me a clear/sharp analog/digital non-HD reception is what I am targeting for right now :-)
Else, it is hard to answer the Q - "Why spend 4K on a TV when the PQ is the same/worse that before?"

Try using the component connection instead, STBs do a notoriously poor job with HDMI. Better yet, get a CableCARD.
Personally, I prefer 1080i & 480p.

Is it possible to use a Cable Card and still use a DVR? I was told by Cox Cable that to get the DVR I had to get a STB.

optivity - thanks for your response



I use the component video from DVD->TV. The component video is supposed to be much better in quality to the S-Video right? Anyway, I tried S-Video from DVD->TV too and visibly I could not make out any difference. My guess is since the DVD is producing 480I anyway, it would not make a huge difference between S-Video and component video.

About your other suggestion of trying component video to go from the STB->TV, I will try that this evening and update. Anything that gives me a clear/sharp analog/digital non-HD reception is what I am targeting for right now :-)
Else, it is hard to answer the Q - "Why spend 4K on a TV when the PQ is the same/worse that before?"

OK I tried these combinations with the STB
HDMI->TV = PQ is aweful - grainy, fuzzy and blurred in all analog/digital channels
Component Video->TV = PQ marginally better than HDMI though not tolerable
RF->TV = PQ marginally better than Component video

So in all the experiments, the best possible scenario was to use RF out from STB to TV. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give that PQ a 3. HDMI PQ will be 1 and component video will be 2.
HD PQ will probably be 8 or 9

I simply can't understand what else to do here to get the cable PQ as viewable.

OK I tried these combinations with the STB
HDMI->TV = PQ is aweful - grainy, fuzzy and blurred in all analog/digital channels
Component Video->TV = PQ marginally better than HDMI though not tolerable
RF->TV = PQ marginally better than Component video

So in all the experiments, the best possible scenario was to use RF out from STB to TV. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give that PQ a 3. HDMI PQ will be 1 and component video will be 2.
HD PQ will probably be 8 or 9

I simply can't understand what else to do here to get the cable PQ as viewable.
Dump Comcast. Go DISH. Get a decent DVD player like the Toshiba HD-A1. Pour yourself a highball and enjoy. :cool:

optivity - thanks for your response



I use the component video from DVD->TV. The component video is supposed to be much better in quality to the S-Video right? Anyway, I tried S-Video from DVD->TV too and visibly I could not make out any difference. My guess is since the DVD is producing 480I anyway, it would not make a huge difference between S-Video and component video.

About your other suggestion of trying component video to go from the STB->TV, I will try that this evening and update. Anything that gives me a clear/sharp analog/digital non-HD reception is what I am targeting for right now :-)
Else, it is hard to answer the Q - "Why spend 4K on a TV when the PQ is the same/worse that before?"If your DVD player does not support progressive scan there is no need to use a component connection, but since your TV supports multiple component connections use the interface (component/S-Video) you prefer.Is it possible to use a Cable Card and still use a DVR? I was told by Cox Cable that to get the DVR I had to get a STB.Some STBs support DVR (e.g. SA8300HD-DVR). To support both devices (STB-DVR & CableCARD) split the incoming coax cable and connect one leg to the DVR & the other leg to your TVs antenna input.OK I tried these combinations with the STB
HDMI->TV = PQ is aweful - grainy, fuzzy and blurred in all analog/digital channels
Component Video->TV = PQ marginally better than HDMI though not tolerable
RF->TV = PQ marginally better than Component video

So in all the experiments, the best possible scenario was to use RF out from STB to TV. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give that PQ a 3. HDMI PQ will be 1 and component video will be 2.
HD PQ will probably be 8 or 9

I simply can't understand what else to do here to get the cable PQ as viewable.
Yesterday 11:09 PMThere are many things that affect picture quality. Again, for DTV you must use all RG-6 coax cable. Minimize the number of times you split the cable. Perhaps there is a problem with the STB, try swapping it for another. Presumably when connected to the TVs antenna input you are receiving only analog channels... which should look decent but don't compare favorably to HD. Check your TVs settings and make sure your using Standard or Cinema with the Picture, Brightness & Sharpness turned down a few notches.

wow! I guess my phenomenal PQ through HDMI is crap compared to what it would be through component....not quite sure how since HDMI is pure digital and component is analog.

go to google.com, type in:

+hdmi +stb +problem

select the search button and you will see what I mean... ;)

better yet, get a CableCARD :p

Here are my questions to the gurus:

1. I found out last night that this DVD player only does 480I. It is not a progressive scan DVD player. Could this be the reason for the average picture quality using DVD? How big will be the difference between a 480I DVD player and a 480p/720p DVD player?
2. I noticed that by using the TV mode (RF input of TV) for viewing all the analog/digital non-HD channels, the picture is a little better than the HDMI output. The picture is grainy but it does not get pixelized/tiled.
3. Also, I noticed that the best analog picture is when the DVR is set to 720p mode with the 480I override mode set to 480I.

Any comments?

I have a fairly similar setup but with a 42" ED Panny and a RP-56 DVD player. A good progressive DVD player usging component connection will make a significant difference in DVD PQ. My brother has a 50" Panny using a similar setup but with a lesser progressive Panasonic DVD player. You may also get good results with an upscaling DVD player over HDMI if it does not use the Faroudja chip that aggravates MB in plasmas. The new Oppo 970HD would probably be a good choice, or the Toshiba A1 HD-DVD player if you can afford it would be even better.

I have the Comcast 6412 set to 1080i output andyou can try it with both HDMI/DVI and component - I prefer component for better black levels.

go to google.com, type in:

+hdmi +stb +problem

select the search button and you will see what I mean... ;)

better yet, get a CableCARD :p


I do have CableCard. When I switched inputs yesterday to test out picture quality of CableCard I noticed that it was not as good as STB via HDMI. I don't know why my HDMI is better than everybody else's....if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Is it possible to use a Cable Card and still use a DVR? I was told by Cox Cable that to get the DVR I had to get a STB.

Kinda sorta, but probably not the way you want to do it.

Get both a DVR and a cable card. Hook the DVR up via component (or HDMI) and then use the appropriate input to view through either the DVR or the cable card. This is possible and I suppose many do it, but on many setups the PQ just isn't that much better with cable card so IMHO its not really worth the setup effort. Then again, once setup the only hassle you got is juggling inputs.

Kindest regards...

OK I tried these combinations with the STB
HDMI->TV = PQ is aweful - grainy, fuzzy and blurred in all analog/digital channels
Component Video->TV = PQ marginally better than HDMI though not tolerable
RF->TV = PQ marginally better than Component video

So in all the experiments, the best possible scenario was to use RF out from STB to TV. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give that PQ a 3. HDMI PQ will be 1 and component video will be 2.
HD PQ will probably be 8 or 9

I simply can't understand what else to do here to get the cable PQ as viewable.In no-way should the RF output passing through the STB to the TV produce the best picture. There's still two things I would try.... Some people claim they get the best SD by using the S-Video input, have you tried that yet? The other thing I would try is disconnecting the STB completely and running the cable directly to the TV. While this is not a permanent solution, it will eliminate one product or the other as the cause of the problem. You can probably get some HD channels as well as SD without using the STB (although you may have to run the TV's auto program scan again as the HD stations will be on odd channels like 102.2). If the picture still looks unacceptable, either your cable stinks or this is just not the TV for you. If SD now looks good you can split the signal before it gets to the STB and run the RF cable to both inputs (not the same as passing through the STB), then switch to the TV tuner when watching SD. If SD improved without the STB but you don't want to give up the DVR on SD try to get a later version of the STB/DVR from the cable company. I know Motorola has a Release III of their DCT6412 DVR that does a much better job on SD than the release II of the same model (I've had them both). To touch on a few other points, your TV settings look fine. As for the DVD player output I have a progressive scan player that outputs 480P but the resolution was better using 480i and letting the TV's scaler do the work. This was easily seen using the DVE calibration DVD. However, my friend has a 50PX60U and with their player there was no decernable difference between 480i and 480p; both looked fine. In other words it depends, don't assume that one setting will be better than another, try them all. Good luck.

go to google.com, type in:

+hdmi +stb +problem

select the search button and you will see what I mean... ;)

better yet, get a CableCARD :p


Did that search and the only thing I see people complaining about is the HDCP requirements of the newer STB with DVI and HDMI. I don't know what HDCP is, but as long as my PQ is great then I have no reason to "revert" to Component.

I have Insight cable....not ComCast...as some other people thought I had.

wow! I guess my phenomenal PQ through HDMI is crap compared to what it would be through component....not quite sure how since HDMI is pure digital and component is analog.
All this got me thinking so I connected my DISH 922 STB by both component and HDMI so I could instantly compare. Both look the same which to say great on HD and watchable on SD. If I was to make a call, SD is a hair better in component and HDMI a hair better in HD. Its so close, though, eyeballing.

My 50PX600 will be arriving in a few days and I'd like to have my wall mount up and ready for it. I would be very grateful to anyone who could provide me with the distance from the center of the upper bracket mounting points to the upper edge of the panel and/or the distance from the center of the lower bracket mounting points to the lower edge of the panel. Pictures I've seen of the panel back, show that mounting points are not centered vertically. BTW I'll be using a Chief Fusion Pull-N-Tilt PLP2053 - Impressive build quality.

Cheers

For the 50PX600U, the measurements I got are as follows:

Distance from the center of the upper bracket mounting hole to the upper edge of the panel = 9"

Distance from the center of the lower bracket mounting points to the lower edge of the panel = 10 1/2"

Also keep in mind that the lower rear bottom edge of the panel has a bulge that may or may not figure in your mounting decision.

wow! I guess my phenomenal PQ through HDMI is crap compared to what it would be through component....not quite sure how since HDMI is pure digital and component is analog.

You're confusing HDMI/Component with analog/digital TV stations. Different animal.

Just setup my 600U today. My overall impressions are that HD and DVD were all I had hoped for- outstanding!!! And that SD was fairly average but so were my expectations. Even with the toned down break-in settings everything looks pretty awesome and I can't wait to crank them up a bit!!

My daughter (12 years old) is a Lost junky and she is just thrilled with how the Season 1 DVDs look on this baby!!

A little assistance needed from some of the gurus:

I am running HDMI from my HD/DVR STB (Motorola DCT 6416 III) from Cox to my 600U and I need to know what other connections that I need to get the PIP to work. The STB is supposed to have two tuners so can I just run Composite from the STB to the TV along with HDMI- will this work?

Also, I have heard people say to set the STB for all HDTV inputs but mine seems to only allow one. Should I be setting it for 1080i or 720p?? I've tried both and I'm not sure that I see a difference. Also, should SD be set for 480i or 480p??

I had a great experience with Tweeter in purchasing and installing the 600U and am very happy at this time!!!

Just setup my 600U today. My overall impressions are that HD and DVD were all I had hoped for- outstanding!!! And that SD was fairly average but so were my expectations. Even with the toned down break-in settings everything looks pretty awesome and I can't wait to crank them up a bit!!

My daughter (12 years old) is a Lost junky and she is just thrilled with how the Season 1 DVDs look on this baby!!

A little assistance needed from some of the gurus:

I am running HDMI from my HD/DVR STB (Motorola DCT 6416 III) from Cox to my 600U and I need to know what other connections that I need to get the PIP to work. The STB is supposed to have two tuners so can I just run Composite from the STB to the TV along with HDMI- will this work?

Also, I have heard people say to set the STB for all HDTV inputs but mine seems to only allow one. Should I be setting it for 1080i or 720p?? I've tried both and I'm not sure that I see a difference. Also, should SD be set for 480i or 480p??

I had a great experience with Tweeter in purchasing and installing the 600U and am very happy at this time!!!

You can't use HDMI as a source for PIP. They had the same problem with the 500U series and I've already complained to Panny about it. Get a CableCard and run Component from the STB...that will work. You can't utilize the "2nd" tuner in the STB...it's only for DVR purposes so that you can watch a different channel while you're recording something else.

You can't use HDMI as a source for PIP. They had the same problem with the 500U series and I've already complained to Panny about it. Get a CableCard and run Component from the STB...that will work. You can't utilize the "2nd" tuner in the STB...it's only for DVR purposes so that you can watch a different channel while you're recording something else.If you get a CableCARD you'll actually have (3) working tuners... which enables you to record two different programs on the DVR at the same time while watching a 3rd channel with the CableCARD. ;)

There is no "true" PIP/POP/PAP/Split Screen capabilities until Panasonic comes out with a TV that includes dual ATSC tuners. I'm no fan of Dell... but even they have been doing this for years... :rolleyes: (e.g. W5001C (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=221-9495))

If you get a CableCARD you'll actually have (3) working tuners... which enables you to record two different programs on the DVR at the same time while watching a 3rd channel with the CableCARD. ;)

There is no "true" PIP/POP/PAP/Split Screen capabilities until Panasonic comes out with a TV that includes dual ATSC tuners. I'm no fan of Dell... but even they have been doing this for years... :rolleyes: (e.g. W5001C (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=221-9495))


Cable guy told me that with a dual tuner DVR STB that you can actually record 2 shows at the same time while watching a different channel. The CableCard would not be necessary to be able to watch TV while recording 2 programs, as the STB would allow you to do that. Haven't personally had to record 2 programs at the same time to test this.

Cable guy told me that with a dual tuner DVR STB that you can actually record 2 shows at the same time while watching a different channel. The CableCard would not be necessary to be able to watch TV while recording 2 programs, as the STB would allow you to do that. Haven't personally had to record 2 programs at the same time to test this.

Only way you can do this with a DVR is to watch an already recorded program at the same time as recording 2 others.

I record 2 channels simultaneously all the time on my directivo, but as Holydoc says if I'm using the 2 tuners for recording, I can only watch pre-recorded content (or one of the shows I'm recording).

Only way you can do this with a DVR is to watch an already recorded program at the same time as recording 2 others.

You can record 2 channels while watching a 'live' program using your TV's antenna/cable input...

I.e.

Coax cable -> splitter -> TV
splitter -> DVR

DVR goes to component/DVI/HDMI input of TV, Cable goes to RF input

Using the TV's built in tuner, you can watch 'live' tv, while the DVR records 2 shows

You can't use HDMI as a source for PIP. They had the same problem with the 500U series and I've already complained to Panny about it. Get a CableCard and run Component from the STB...that will work. You can't utilize the "2nd" tuner in the STB...it's only for DVR purposes so that you can watch a different channel while you're recording something else.

So, you're saying I should have a Cable Card and an STB? Run the STB to the 600U via Component cables instead of HDMI? Then the two signals for the PIP come from the Cable Card and the STB?

Would I be losing any PQ with the Component cables instead of the HDMI cable? Would this impact the DVR functionality at all?

Any comments on my other questions (repeated below)?

I have heard people say to set the STB for all HDTV inputs but mine seems to only allow one. Should I be setting it for 1080i or 720p?? I've tried both and I'm not sure that I see a difference. Also, should SD be set for 480i or 480p??

So, you're saying I should have a Cable Card and an STB? Run the STB to the 600U via Component cables instead of HDMI? Then the two signals for the PIP come from the Cable Card and the STB?

Would I be losing any PQ with the Component cables instead of the HDMI cable? Would this impact the DVR functionality at all?


Correct....that will allow you to have PIP.

I haven't used component cables yet, it's wall mounted and I don't feel like screwing up the current setup, which is doing fine the way it is.

Would appreciate any comments on the difference in Picture Quality between last years 500u and this years 600u model!

Thanks.

more colors/higher contrast ratio.

more colors/higher contrast ratio.

Thanks,

I was just curious because a very prominent consumer magazine suggested that the PQ was better on last years model even though they still gave good reviews on the newer models.

Having not seen the older model it's tough for me to judge.

Hi

There is a separate surge thread, but I would like to know what other Panasonic users use.

Can ppl please post what surge protector they use, if any.

Also if you may, between Belkin PF 40, PF 60 and Monster 3500, which surge protector would you recommend for Plasma (Panasonic 600U)? I know there is quite a range in there but I am viewing it as a one time buy. Also how concerned should I be that none of these regulate voltage. I believe they cut off voltage when the voltage is dangerously high or low.

Thanks!

you might as well just not have a surge because the TV is gonna have IR or burn in, so why not let your insurance company get you a new model in a few years.

nice. :rolleyes:

more colors/higher contrast ratio.

Why would this Consumer Magazine say that you might want to try and search for last years model? is the picture truly better on last years model?

I don't know if I am allowed to post from this article, but here goes:

PROS

Overall picture quality. Last year, we singled out the 50U sets for superb picture quality. The 2006 models, dubbed 60U, appear to be superb performers as well, though our preliminary tests found a few minor image flaws (see Cons below). We were impressed with the sharp detail on the 42-inch TV, which has native resolution of 1024x768. The 50-inch model has 1366x768 native resolution, as is necessary to produce high-quality HD images on a larger screen. (In both cases, we judged the pictures from the recommended viewing distances for the set.)

More ways to connect. These new Panasonics have four HD-capable inputs: two component-video inputs and two HDMI inputs, one more than last year. The second HDMI input should be a plus as more devices--including high-definition DVD players--adopt this digital connection over the next few years. Also, the front panel now has audio/video inputs for easily connecting a digital camcorder and a slot for an SD memory card, which allows you to play videos or display photos by using the TV’s on-screen menus and remote control.

Easy-to-use controls. A redesigned universal remote control has sizable buttons and large print, enhancing usability. A new EZ-Sync control feature allows simplified control of other Panasonic components connected to the TV. The control buttons on the front of the set itself are bigger and easier to use.

Slimmed-down design. The speakers are mounted below the screen rather than on the side, trimming 5 or so inches off the width of the TV, compared with the Panasonics that have side-mounted speakers.



CONS

Minor display flaws. In our initial viewing tests, we detected a slight boost in image enhancement that we couldn’t correct by adjusting the settings. In plain English, images looked a little hyper-realistic to our experts, with hard edges and some exaggerated detail. But the effect is slight and might not be obvious to the typical viewer.

No CableCard slot--for the few people who really need one. Panasonic has eliminated the CableCard slot that was a feature on the 50U models, a step other manufacturers are taking as well. While that means you’ll need a cable box to get HD and premium channels, it’s no great loss. Since CableCards currently work in only one direction, you can’t use them anyway if you want interactive features such as a full-featured onscreen program guide and video on demand. If you do want CableCard capability, it is available on two higher-priced models in Panasonic’s new line, the TH-42PX600U, $3,200, and TH-50PX600U, $4,200; those models also have the TV Guide electronic program guide.

A few quibbles with controls. While the remote gets kudos for overall design, it’s not backlit, so it’s still hard to use in dim rooms. The onscreen menu makes you wade through more levels than we’d like, and the hard-to-read labeling on the rear-panel inputs makes connections challenging.



THE BOTTOM LINE

Based on preliminary testing, the Panasonic TH-42PX60U and TH-50PX60U look like strong performers. They have outstanding picture quality and more useful features than the 50U models they replace--and, with the continuing decline in flat-panel TV prices, they even cost less. But if you can still find the 2005 models, they’re worth considering, at the right price

Is it true that the bars on the side of this TV are Gray when viewing 4 : 3 format. Is that how it's always been? I thought it was supposed to be black!

A reviewer from a popular electroncs website mentioned this.

Please help.


Was it the same on last years model?

gray

Is it true that the bars on the side of this TV are Gray when viewing 4 : 3 format. Is that how it's always been? I thought it was supposed to be black!

A reviewer from a popular electroncs website mentioned this.

Please help.


Was it the same on last years model?

You can adjust the color of the side bars from gray to black.

There is an option in the settings menu called Side Bar:
Increases the brightness of the side bar (Off/Dark/Mid/Bright) (4:3 mode only)
The recommended setting is Bright to prevent panel “after image”.

You can adjust the color of the side bars from gray to black.

There is an option in the settings menu called Side Bar:
Increases the brightness of the side bar (Off/Dark/Mid/Bright) (4:3 mode only)
The recommended setting is Bright to prevent panel “after image”.

Thank-you.

I wonder if it should be kept gray until after the initial burn in period?

Or is the initial burn in period just a myth? In other words is the potential for burn in always there!

Panasonic recommends gray (Bright) bars all the time. I think the gray bars look awful. Black is much nicer but then you risk the panel not wearing evenly.
Burn-in will always be a problem with plasmas and I think that is crazy to spend a lot of cash on something that degrades the more you watch it.

These two questions you asked are some of the reasons I am not going to buy a plasma but will be getting an lcd tv. No burn-in, nice black bars and no annoying screen glare.

why not just use the H-Fill aspect....

Panasonic recommends gray (Bright) bars all the time. I think the gray bars look awful. Black is much nicer but then you risk the panel not wearing evenly.
Burn-in will always be a problem with plasmas and I think that is crazy to spend a lot of cash on something that degrades the more you watch it.

These two questions you asked are some of the reasons I am not going to buy a plasma but will be getting an lcd tv. No burn-in, nice black bars and no annoying screen glare.
Lcds degrade as you watch them too. The backlight gets dimmer and due to the dimming colors shift over time. There really isn't a tv you can buy that doesn't degrade over time. It's just that things with replaceable bulbs are renewable in a way.

I read somewhere that you could not use PIP with an HDMI connection. Does it not work if both pictures are coming form an HDMI input, or will it not work also if only one of the pictures is from HDMI?

I read somewhere that you could not use PIP with an HDMI connection. Does it not work if both pictures are coming form an HDMI input, or will it not work also if only one of the pictures is from HDMI?

In the 600U the PIP feature will not display a HDMI connection. I use my component from my digital cable box and regular cable.

FYI The Panny Direct site is showing "Ships within 10 days" for the 50PX600.

Cheers

I just ordered the 50PX600U yesterday and it said within 10 business day. But when I went to check on my order today, it states "Item backordered or pre-ordered. Estimated ship date: 30 days. Check back for updates." I hope I get it before then. Also, if you join the Club Panasonic you get 10% off any first order. Also if your company is in their EPP plan which my company is, I got 22% off this TV. The % is different for each item. :D

I just ordered the 50PX600U yesterday and it said within 10 business day. But when I went to check on my order today, it states "Item backordered or pre-ordered. Estimated ship date: 30 days. Check back for updates." I hope I get it before then. Also, if you join the Club Panasonic you get 10% off any first order. Also if your company is in their EPP plan which my company is, I got 22% off this TV. The % is different for each item. :D

What you could do is print out your order "invoice" and take it to a Magnolia and they may offer to beat that price and you could have it by the weekend probably. Worked for me! :cool:

I ordered a 50px600u on June 19th. A few weeks ago the status was changed to backordered. I got an email from them saying it wouldn't be delivered till late July or August. They suggested the 60u was available for quick delivery. I told them that I haved waited this long....I can wait a few more weeks.

So, if you are just ordering from p-direct.....don't expect delivery of a 600u any time soon.

I thought about trying magnolia but figured even if they matched price they would make up the difference in higher delivery fees or accessories/warranties.
Maybe not?

I ordered a 50px600u on June 19th. A few weeks ago the status was changed to backordered. I got an email from them saying it wouldn't be delivered till late July or August. They suggested the 60u was available for quick delivery. I told them that I haved waited this long....I can wait a few more weeks.

So, if you are just ordering from p-direct.....don't expect delivery of a 600u any time soon.

I thought about trying magnolia but figured even if they matched price they would make up the difference in higher delivery fees or accessories/warranties.
Maybe not?

They charged $60 to deliver it inside my door, which is about what I saved by them beating PD's price....plus they were able to get it much faster than waiting on PD...4 days as opposed to 4 weeks.

Hi guys,

Not in my case - 50" 600U - I ordered it from PD on 06/26/2006 and it originally showed a ship date of 7/27. The site then showed it as backorder. However a week ago, I received a phone from the shipping company confirming the delivery date - all this time PD showed it as backordered. Sureenough, it showed up on my curbside yday.

The pq is mindblowing thus far.

So hang in there - also CCity has some nice pricing too - only if they carried 600U - they may soon.

Mine arrived from ABT oh like 3 weeks ago and to be honest has been sitting on my floor in my family room...but that will change, I plan on putting it up next week (already have the brackets up).

My question is about setup. Initially I was looking to get a HDMI reciever (with 2 HDMI in and 1 HDMI out) so I could run DirectTv HDMI IN, DVD HDMI IN and Receiver HDMI OUT to the Pana.

Any suggestions/issues with the HDMI vs. componant or my setup that I am thinking about using? Thanks

IIRC, there are some folks who have reported issues with HDCP operating correctly through an AV receiver - but I think that was with one of the cable STBs, not DirecTV.

Also, if you plan to have other non-HDMI devices in addition to the directv and dvd, you might want to check whether the receiver can upconvert from component/svideo/etc to hdmi.

Panasoniic has been criticised in the past for lack of operational features. Has the 600 and 60 series improved any of these? Such as:

Can you change aspect or zoom with digital connections? How much?

Can you adjust individual colors?

Can you adjust temperature?

Does it remember settings fo each connection? How?

How much better is the 600 sound system from the 60 series?

Is there any improvement in SD images?

My 600U is scheduled to be delivered early next week. I have a mount on the wall ready to go, but I'd like information on the mount points of the actual display.

The universal mount I'm using (Premier Mounts CTM-MS2) came with a wide selection of screws and nylon spacers for attaching mounting brackets to the display. Does anyone know what size screws match the threaded holes on the display? Are they M4, M5, M6, or M8? Do I need any spacers?

Been the owner of the 50px600 for two days. major move up from tosh. RPTV! Anyone have a source for the service manual? Gray scale is too warm even on "cool".

Panasoniic has been criticised in the past for lack of operational features. Has the 600 and 60 series improved any of these? Such as:

Can you change aspect or zoom with digital connections? How much?

Can you adjust individual colors?

Can you adjust temperature?

Does it remember settings fo each connection? How?

How much better is the 600 sound system from the 60 series?

Is there any improvement in SD images?
I've had my 50PX600U for over a month now. I remain amazed and pleased at the performance of this product. The sound system in this set is EXCELLENT. I only turn on the external surround system when seriously viewing a movie. Its uncanny how good the simulated surround is. I keep thinking my rear surround speakers are on. For all other audio, even music channels its great. Even a CD in my DVD player sounds decent for casual listening.

SD images are great for the most part. Low res satelitte SD does look sub-par but there's only so far you can go with a sow's ear. At least its watchable. SD coming from my Toshiba HD-A1 upscaling HD DVD player can be astounding. Last night I was watching the Edison box set with early films from the 1800's and most were as crisp and sharp as anything. Funny though how some DVD's mastered from material 100 years later can look slurpy if done cheaply. Bottom line: SD can widely range from pure muck to actually reasonable. Most SD was never meant to be watched on sets larger than 32" anyway.

The set will show the material fed into without making it worse. Again, it won't turn pot metal into gold. VHS, Beta and Laserdisc look no worse than they should. I was concerned that with a 50" panel all of this may be unwatchable but I was pleasantly surprised how much looked as good as it did with the increase in picture size.

50" represents, to me, a sweet spot in size vs. the current given availability of media. There's still a ton of SD out there in broadcasts and recorded formats but there's HD cable and sat plus the emeging HD DVD formats. For the next few years most people will be viewing a mix of all this. Eventually HD will be the norm a few years down the road. At this time, I see 50" being a solid choice to serve all formats, especially at the price point.

All that said, you will not know what your Panasonic is truly capable of until you get a HD DVD player. Its amazing the performance lurking under the hood if the pedal preses to the metal. In the case of HD material, bigger is better all the way up to 103" but I don't think I could handle watching poor SD above 50."

So, I plan to stay at 50" at the moment and enjoy it. In 3 years, I'll be ready for a new set. I'll then go to a larger display as HD will be eclipsing SD as a legacy format. Also, for an immersive theatrical experience, 50" is still too small. But at the price point of the Panasonic 50" it makes sense for me. Call it bang for the buck if you will.

[QUOTE=howe] The sound system in this set is EXCELLENT. I only turn on the external surround system when seriously viewing a movie. Its uncanny how good the simulated surround is. I keep thinking my rear surround speakers are on. For all other audio, even music channels its great. Even a CD in my DVD player sounds decent for casual listening.

While I do think it sounds pretty decent this is taking a little too far!!! I mean thinking your rear surround speakers are on!!! And listening to CD's with it. To each is own I guess...

Panasoniic has been criticised in the past for lack of operational features. Has the 600 and 60 series improved any of these? Such as:

Can you change aspect or zoom with digital connections? How much?

Can you adjust individual colors?

Can you adjust temperature?

Does it remember settings fo each connection? How?

How much better is the 600 sound system from the 60 series?

Is there any improvement in SD images?


I understand there are cuts and drives for all colors in the service menu, that's why i'm looking for a service manual.

You can select 3 c/t settings 'warm, normal, and cool".

Have not heard a 60, but the sound of the 600 is a pleasant surprise.

Going digital soon wiil let you know.

There is memory, I'm still learning my way around the inputs and settings.

As to your first question, I believe there have been improvement.

Probably the biggest reason would consider the 600U is the PC input. I am currently trancoding VGA (which is five wire RGB with vertical and Horizontal Sync, wrapped in a DB15) to Three Wire RGB (Component) and plugging this into my XBR-450 1080I tube.

Can anyone think of why the same setup would not work just as well with the Panny....An can you recommend some sync frequencies that will work well for the dispay's native resolution....I guess it is 1374 x 768. I am using powerstrip to manipulate the driver. Since I already have the Trascoder....why waste $500 for an additional RGB.

Last question....can input cards be added to the 60U???

Thanks
Keith

[QUOTE=howe] The sound system in this set is EXCELLENT. I only turn on the external surround system when seriously viewing a movie. Its uncanny how good the simulated surround is. I keep thinking my rear surround speakers are on. For all other audio, even music channels its great. Even a CD in my DVD player sounds decent for casual listening.

While I do think it sounds pretty decent this is taking a little too far!!! I mean thinking your rear surround speakers are on!!! And listening to CD's with it. To each is own I guess...
The simulated surround is engineered to fool the ears much like stereo slides or Viewmaster reels fool the eyes into thinking we are seeing true 3D. Don't think your ears can't be fooled as well as your eyes.

Hey Howe, what kind of setup (cables) are you using if you don't mind me asking and how is quality? My Pana is still sitting on the floor and I am ready to put up but am still questing my cable setup before running through the walls. If you didn't see my original post a couple above, here is what I am thinking...

My question is about setup. Initially I was looking to get a HDMI reciever (with 2 HDMI in and 1 HDMI out) so I could run STB(I think going with DriectTv) HDMI IN, DVD HDMI IN and Receiver HDMI OUT to the Pana.

Any suggestions/issues with the HDMI vs. componant or my setup that I am thinking about using? Thanks I didn't get the receiver becasue the Sony I was looking at that had the 3 hdmi imputs (2 in 1 out) got some bad reviews. So I still don't know what to go with for my surround sound speakers. My old Sony Receiver (5 years old)? No HDMI??? So many different setup senarios, just looking for thoughts from those who have it setup.

The kicker is, work with someone whos dad is in the business and got me 3 sets of HDMI cables for free. Nice guy. (12 ft, 6ft and 6ft).

My favorate thing about the 600U's is they look nothing like the 60U's ! I got my first look this week at these and wow!

My favorate thing about the 600U's is they look nothing like the 60U's ! I got my first look this week at these and wow!
I agree. I saw a 58PX600U yesterday at Magnolia. It looks identical to my 50" and the 42." The only difference is size. There is an elegance and grace about this design missing from the 60U series and even the 500U as nice as those were. Many people prefer an all black finish but for silver & black these approach art. :cool:

Hey Howe, what kind of setup (cables) are you using if you don't mind me asking and how is quality? My Pana is still sitting on the floor and I am ready to put up but am still questing my cable setup before running through the walls. If you didn't see my original post a couple above, here is what I am thinking...

I didn't get the receiver becasue the Sony I was looking at that had the 3 hdmi imputs (2 in 1 out) got some bad reviews. So I still don't know what to go with for my surround sound speakers. My old Sony Receiver (5 years old)? No HDMI??? So many different setup senarios, just looking for thoughts from those who have it setup.

The kicker is, work with someone whos dad is in the business and got me 3 sets of HDMI cables for free. Nice guy. (12 ft, 6ft and 6ft).
I let the Panasonic do the switching. My sat set top box uses one HDMI input and my HD-DVD uses the other. I go direct out 5.1 audio to my surround reciever but don't use its video switching capabilities. I also take the optical digital out from the Panasonic to the surround sound receiver for when I want the non DVD source to be amplified not by the TV. This works for net movies and I use the non-direct Dolby or other surround at times.

New price sheet came out for the Panasonics. Yes these will be 2 times as hard to get. With the pricing I have there is NO WAY Panasonic will be able to keep up. NO WAY

Who would have thought that Pioneer's product is actually less expensive than Panasonic's?

I guess the real question is ... Which TV is better ... 5070 or 600U?

you get what you pay for...

Seems like Panny knows their products will sell (like last year) and are maximizing profit.

you get what you pay for...

Seems like Panny knows their products will sell (like last year) and are maximizing profit.


The 5070's are selling like Hotcakes!!!

Does that make the Pioneer a better television ... Not necessarily.

But these things are selling pretty well!


TOP 5 50" PLASMA TVS
1 Panasonic TH-50PH9UK
2 Pioneer PDP-5070HD
3 Panasonic TH-50PX60U
4 Hitachi 55HDM71
5 Samsung HP-P5581
Last Update:
August 2006

Hi All,

Took delivery of my new 50PX600U on Friday 8/19.
Spent the weekend removing the former big screen TV, a Panasonic 37 in (37PD25UP) EDTV from it's perch on the living room wall and replaced it with the new 50 inch. The came the re-wiring...time consuming, but worth it.
Even in the break in mode, (all settings to 0) the picture looks awesome, with a Comcast cablecard. Can't wait to reach the 100 hour mark and take advantage of all it has to offer.
I bought my set at Best Buy Magnolia for $3400, after some haggling with the salesman. List price was $3999.
BTW...the Panasonic 37 in is now in my bedroom, still putting out a fantastic picture.

Hey, all. Can I get a recommendation on what would be an optimal DVD play to use with the 50PX60U? Specifically, I was looking at the OPPO OPDV971H and the OPPO DV-970HD because I've read a lot of feedback about how the OPPOs in terms of picture quality are competitive with the very high end DVD players. Can anyone recommend one of the OPPOs over the other. I'd also be intersted in any other DVD players out there that I'm not aware of. Thanks!