jtfiore, I thank you for the review and for taking the time to post some details of your experience.... jeesh.. tough crowd.

Also, it sounds like when lipcrkr said:
"You don't know where that particular Panny was in the food chain."
I think that is a little different than your response of:
"Bottom line is though, given the same exact signal, the Panasonic's processing can't keep up."

I think, but not sure, lipcrkr is implying that possibly the pio had a cleaner signal due to its proximity on the run to the source... vs. the 50PZ700u being at the end of a run. I am not sure if this argument holds merit or not (seems like they all might be in parallel to me but I don't know the way these things are wired up at BB). Any inputs on this?
I'm not sure if everyone caught this, but jtfiore and VFR are looking at and reviewing the exact same sets with the same setup in Fair Lakes, VA. VFR describes the setup:
"Situated in its own little display it was in torch mode,as usual and fed exclusively from a Samsung Blu-Ray at 1080i with what looked like a monster HDMI cable.It could not be fed the store loop that the other panels where running so no way to directly compare it to the Pioneers."

jtfiore's statement about "given the same exact signal" was apparently not in reference to this setup but a hypothetical.

So this debate about the Panny and Pio being in different spots on the same feed and how that might affect the comparison are misplaced as they were being fed different things so the comparison at this store was of limited value, although I appreciate the effort. My point in my post above was that the Panny was getting a dedicated feed from a Blu Ray so any problems are not due to weak in-store feed being split many ways.

not too sure about that. not an expert but for what it's worth even fibre optic transmissions need a signal boosts over distances. and from what i've seen in my local bb the connections are in series.
transmission of telephony or digital cable over fiber is much different....we are talking about a considerable amount of bandwidth over very long distances ( you can multiply 8VSB or MPEG4 bitrates * number of HD channels, over several blocks or even miles...for example). In this case, boosting is needed to insure the data arrives; has nothing to do with the "quality" of it.

in your typical store, the only concern you have is the number of nodes you have to split.....however, your signal is still all digital, buncha 1s and 0s. Display #1 closest to the source split, vs Display # n at the other side of the wall is getting the same digital stream...trust me. It either got enough 1s and 0s to decode the signal or it didn't. there is no middle ground.

your example is apples and oranges I'm afraid.

It will either get signal or it won't. There is no degradation in the manner you are describing. There is no middle ground. Yes, the boosters you speak of may be necessary, but loss of signal will indicate the need rather than loss of picture quality.
exactly! ;)

Thanks for the detailed review.

1. Are you an LCD fan?

2. In the most non-offensive way possible, there are plenty of great t.v.s out there, it sounds like you may never be satisfied.
1. Not really. Statically they are beautiful but on fast moving sports I have a hard time overlooking the image lag. I bought one of the first 1080p Westinghouse 37" displays for my wife to watch in our sitting room and I sold it in less than a year. It was OK and way ahead of the curve but it was too small and had all of the known LCD problems.

I bought my son the Samsung LNS3251D for his room for Christmas and I think it is a great display for the money ($1134) He uses it with a DirecTv HD Tivo and an Xbox360.

In my study, I use an Acer AL2223Wd 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor (1680 x 1050) with my PC. It’s very nice. I bought it in January for $299.

2. When you get up over $3K for a display there is a lot of competition. And at 50” this Panasonic is already at a huge disadvantage (reverse pun) to a 65-70” display. The plasmas and LCDs are analogous to turbochargers for performance cars i.e. “There is no substitute for cubic inches” and “No replacement for displacement.” So if the plasmas overall performance is only equal to a good rear projection then why buy it? Because to experience a truly immersive video experience, you need to either sit a little over five feet away from a 50” or move up to a bigger display. Most people don’t have the room configuration to sit that close and furthermore, if you have more than two people viewing, you would have to sit shoulder to shoulder huddled around that display. Now if that plasma was capable of really amazing performance. If it really just disappeared and was a clear window back to the source then it might be worth it to move closer to look through that smaller window.

Since I do most of my critical viewing in a dedicated theater, my yard stick is a front projector. And out of the box, without tweaking anything, fed a standard DirecTv HD signal, my projectors crush any of the plasmas. The colors are close. The whites are close. The blacks are blacker and Tony Soprano is life size.

I'm not sure if everyone caught this, but jtfiore and VFR are looking at and reviewing the exact same sets with the same setup in Fair Lakes, VA. ......

No, I did not pick up on that... thanks.

I reread jtfiore's post and I see what you mean now...

BTW, unrelated... but the 58px600u is currently off the panny purchase program site at the deal in the low 2's. Frustrating b/c I was hoping to see the 50pz700u in person and get some professional reviews in and still be able to choose b/w the two (or consider holding for the 58pz700u)..... damn, thought it might work out.

Now I am hanging on to some sliver of hope that there will be a 58 768p in the US for 2007 (I know the 58px75u was announced at CES but then not in the recent announcement... but Canada is getting them and the 58px60/600 came out late summer last year so maybe they wanted to get rid of the older 58's and we'll hear something when they do.)

Since I do most of my critical viewing in a dedicated theater, my yard stick is a front projector. And out of the box, without tweaking anything, fed a standard DirecTv HD signal, my projectors crush any of the plasmas. The colors are close. The whites are close. The blacks are blacker and Tony Soprano is life size.

Which projector do you have?

It will either get signal or it won't. There is no degradation in the manner you are describing. There is no middle ground. Yes, the boosters you speak of may be necessary, but loss of signal will indicate the need rather than loss of picture quality.

Even with component ??


bob

No, I did not pick up on that... thanks.

I reread jtfiore's post and I see what you mean now...

BTW, unrelated... but the 58px600u is currently off the panny purchase program site at the deal in the low 2's. Frustrating b/c I was hoping to see the 50pz700u in person and get some professional reviews in and still be able to choose b/w the two (or consider holding for the 58pz700u)..... damn, thought it might work out.
LOL :p

just think about it this way: wait for the 700 and see how you like it...a month or so later the 750 will come out with flat IRE 0-100 for only a few hundred more....and month or so after that the new super plasmas from pio come out....and a few more months after that...............well, you get my point :D

LOL :p

just think about it this way: wait for the 700 and see how you like it...a month or so later the 750 will come out with flat IRE 0-100 for only a few hundred more....and month or so after that the new super plasmas from pio come out....and a few more months after that...............well, you get my point :Dwhat's "flat IRE 0-100" and how does it help?

I am no pro, but I went to the Fair Lakes store in VA and looked at the TH-50PZ700U. I saw that previous member had calibrated the TV. :D

It looks good, but it's hard to say because it is outside in one of those circular enclosed corral style showcase/showroom. There was a huge sodium light above and it was very bright. Then the TV is setup across the wall where all the LCDs and Plasmas mounted, so you get a nice reflection of like 6 TVs right behind you. Honestly it's a crappy setup. And there are no other TVs near it.

With this said, I tried to pay attention to the details. At 1080p, the picture is SHARP and VERY detailed. It's just like the Pioneer 1080p in terms of details, just excellent.

Black levels are just normal, nothing special, in the movie night at the museum I did notice that the black areas aren't as detailed, it looks more like LCDs just all black, but it may have to do with the environment and lights.

Brightness seems to be so so if you compare it to LCDs... I am not good with colors so I leave that to the more experienced members.

With the Panny EPP discount this TV is a no-brainer.

Even with component ??


bob


no not with component. I was referring to the digital realm (hdmi).

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but 42"/50" 77U and 50"/58" 700U models are listed on CC website. Marked "Not Currently Available" for now...

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but 42"/50" 77U and 50"/58" 700U models are listed on CC website. Marked "Not Currently Available" for now...
Yes we know.. The question is when they will be available..
In regards to that there appears to be some news. Vanns and Abt are listing the 77u as "IN STOCK" Amazon says they are in stock but they are selling by way of Vanns. Also I see Clevland Plasma lists them now in stock.
So it appears the onlines are starting to get them and the B&M's should see them soon. I intend to drop by CC and BB this weekend to see if there is news.

Yep the 77U are around now. I thought I heard they were not going to be around in the US. I'll tell ya guys the choices are getting harder and harder with each manufacturer having a few models of the same size. :confused: :confused: :confused:

so the 700 series is not currently instock to buy NOW anywhere?...what about forum stores

Air Freight!! Did you pay for express delivery? Man, I did not.. :(

Sorry, just saw this. No, I got the FREE delivery through the Panny EPP site. It was delivered the very next day from when it shipped, which was only 3 days after I ordered it. Pretty surprised at how fast it went. 58PX600U is still awesome BTW. :D

Yep the 77U are around now. I thought I heard they were not going to be around in the US. I'll tell ya guys the choices are getting harder and harder with each manufacturer having a few models of the same size. :confused: :confused: :confused:
Could we have a short review?

Sorry, just saw this. No, I got the FREE delivery through the Panny EPP site. It was delivered the very next day from when it shipped, which was only 3 days after I ordered it. Pretty surprised at how fast it went. 58PX600U is still awesome BTW. :D plus tax?

Hey guys, I wanted to let you all know I'm the newest member to the Plasma club. I pulled the trigger today and bought the TH-50PX77U. PannyDirect will ship it May 2, so I should have by May 11. I also have an Omnimount and the Oppo 981HD on the way as well. For now my 10 year old Klipsch system will do.

Are there any calibration tips - could you post some links if there are burried in this thread?

Well, I know I'm a new member but I did go by BB today (Mesa, AZ store) and they had just put up the pz700u not 2 hours ago. Lighting was great as the entire "plasma wall" they have doesn't have any bright lighting around it. It was next to a 52" Bravia and next to that was a pdp5071. I can tell you I'm no expert but from what I could see- the picture looked "dulled" compared to the Bravia- whites were not as bright and didn't have the same "pop". It looked very similar to the 5071 as far as color and brightness but it was a little "crisper" than the 5071 and about the same as the Bravia. If I had to take a pick just standing back and looking at all 3 I would probably say the Bravia looked the bext of the 3 at >10'- closer than that and the 700u was a nicer picture but not as bright. All three were fed from directv on discovery HD. I watched and compared almost all of the other displays they had as well and I was really hoping to be more impressed by the 700U than I was. I must say the 60" LG looked very nice as well even though it was hard to compare directly to the 700u since it was about 5 or 6 displays down the wall. I didn't check the settings and I probably wouldn't remeber them anyway so that could have had something to do with it since they did just put it up.

Needless to say I still can't decide what display to get- I was really hoping to be a little more impressed with the 700u. One other thing I did notice is while I like the piano black look much better than the Bravia or old panny silver it was a little distracting because of the high gloss finish (still much better than the silver in my opinion).

Anyway- for what it's worth that's my thoughts on it.

Oh- yeah- they did have 2 of them- one display and one for sale if any one wants it :)

RPS13, thanks.

valoidr, Yes, you pay the discounted price + local sales tax

I think I understand the EPP process now. Panasonic ships an order in 3-5 business days (increased from 1-3 days as of a week or so ago). They use Manna Air Freight indirectly (as RPS13 indicated) to air ship it to local destination. So it gets to the destination fast. (1-3 days after shipping) They they use local delivery companies for threshold delivery. In my case, they were booked solid so My TV was sitting in the warehouse for 6 days.. :(

Anyway, the tv was supposed to be delivered early next week. I got impatient and so went to the warehouse to try to get it myself. Noticed that they had the plasma lying flat on the ground. :( Got nervous and refused shipment.. Will take 10-15 days to get returned and for my credit card to be reimbursed.. So no TV at this point. :mad: Waiting to ensure that my credit card gets refunded. Anyone else in this situation?

Maybe it's all for the better.. :rolleyes: Hopefully the PX77s will appear at local B&Ms soon. I'm also considering the PX77 series now.. (That will also make sure Panasonic does not resend that returned 42PX75 back to me :) )

Well, I know I'm a new member but I did go by BB today (Mesa, AZ store) and they had just put up the pz700u not 2 hours ago. Lighting was great as the entire "plasma wall" they have doesn't have any bright lighting around it. It was next to a 52" Bravia and next to that was a pdp5071. I can tell you I'm no expert but from what I could see- the picture looked "dulled" compared to the Bravia- whites were not as bright and didn't have the same "pop". It looked very similar to the 5071 as far as color and brightness but it was a little "crisper" than the 5071 and about the same as the Bravia. If I had to take a pick just standing back and looking at all 3 I would probably say the Bravia looked the bext of the 3 at >10'- closer than that and the 700u was a nicer picture but not as bright. All three were fed from directv on discovery HD. I watched and compared almost all of the other displays they had as well and I was really hoping to be more impressed by the 700U than I was. I must say the 60" LG looked very nice as well even though it was hard to compare directly to the 700u since it was about 5 or 6 displays down the wall. I didn't check the settings and I probably wouldn't remeber them anyway so that could have had something to do with it since they did just put it up.

Needless to say I still can't decide what display to get- I was really hoping to be a little more impressed with the 700u. One other thing I did notice is while I like the piano black look much better than the Bravia or old panny silver it was a little distracting because of the high gloss finish (still much better than the silver in my opinion).

Anyway- for what it's worth that's my thoughts on it.

Oh- yeah- they did have 2 of them- one display and one for sale if any one wants it :)


You didn't check the settings on the panny? You can make any set dull by toning it down, Usually the are all set to torch mode but maybe the Panny was in cinema/warm mode?


bob

Well, I know I'm a new member but I did go by BB today (Mesa, AZ store) and they had just put up the pz700u not 2 hours ago. Lighting was great as the entire "plasma wall" they have doesn't have any bright lighting around it. It was next to a 52" Bravia and next to that was a pdp5071. I can tell you I'm no expert but from what I could see- the picture looked "dulled" compared to the Bravia- whites were not as bright and didn't have the same "pop". It looked very similar to the 5071 as far as color and brightness but it was a little "crisper" than the 5071 and about the same as the Bravia. If I had to take a pick just standing back and looking at all 3 I would probably say the Bravia looked the bext of the 3 at >10'- closer than that and the 700u was a nicer picture but not as bright. All three were fed from directv on discovery HD. I watched and compared almost all of the other displays they had as well and I was really hoping to be more impressed by the 700U than I was. I must say the 60" LG looked very nice as well even though it was hard to compare directly to the 700u since it was about 5 or 6 displays down the wall. I didn't check the settings and I probably wouldn't remeber them anyway so that could have had something to do with it since they did just put it up.

Needless to say I still can't decide what display to get- I was really hoping to be a little more impressed with the 700u. One other thing I did notice is while I like the piano black look much better than the Bravia or old panny silver it was a little distracting because of the high gloss finish (still much better than the silver in my opinion).

Anyway- for what it's worth that's my thoughts on it.

Oh- yeah- they did have 2 of them- one display and one for sale if any one wants it :)


Well, brighter is better! :rolleyes:

For those of you in Los Angeles, the BestBuy in Hawthorne, across from Circuit City, has the 50Z700 set up with surround sound system, two seats, and a Samsung blu-ray player hooked up. It was playing Fifth Element when I was there earlier.

Looked good, but then I'm not too critical of a person. But the glossy bezel is very reflective, and was reflecting the displays behind it.

For those of you in Los Angeles, the BestBuy in Hawthorne, across from Circuit City, has the 50Z700 set up with surround sound system, two seats, and a Samsung blu-ray player hooked up. It was playing Fifth Element when I was there earlier.

Looked good, but then I'm not too critical of a person. But the glossy bezel is very reflective, and was reflecting the displays behind it.I may have to swing by there this afternoon - i have to go to the Home Depot across the street from there :D

Sidewinder, when I was HDTV shopping, I got pretty much the same impression as you, at least about the Pioneers as compared to LCDs. They all looked dull. The Panasonics varied. Sometimes they looked bright enough, sometimes dull, depending on the store I was in and the unit I was looking at. I might be wrong, but I'd be willing to bet the Pioneer and Panasonic TVs you saw were set on a picture mode like "Movie" or "Cinema". If you want to make a fair comparison in terms of brightness, try to get the salesperson to at least set them to standard mode, and the on Pioneer in particular, make sure it's not in powersave.

In case you missed it:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=840923
HDGURU's "Exclusive- First Review of the Amazing Panasonic TH-50PZ750U Plasma" (yes... the 750!)

I may have to swing by there this afternoon - i have to go to the Home Depot across the street from there :D

I'll have to check it out Friday, i'm on my way to Vegas. Will Magnolia sell the 50PZ750u?

In case you missed it:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=840923
HDGURU's "Exclusive- First Review of the Amazing Panasonic TH-50PZ750U Plasma" (yes... the 750!)Wow.

It looks like the plasma market has a new performance leader. Move over, Pioneer!

When can we expect to see the 58PZ750U?

When can we expect to see the 58PZ750U?According to the first post in this thread, June.

wow, that sounds quite exceptional...better than the fhd-1...1080p best contrast ratio ON ANY DISPLAY...and the pz700 series carries basically the same thing except for the amazing ref. mode for the MOST ACCURATE COLORS. Hopefully the 50pz700u will be reviewed soon.

Well thats strange. Other wrote here that they did not liked the 700U so much because it was a little dull and the processing was well not perfect. So maybe the 750U has more tweaks then the reference mode or Huru just reviewed only HD while processing SD is still a problem for Panny .. or I don't know.
I'm confused but the GURU review reads nice I hope that others (cnet for example) will come to the same result then I would consider it.

Yeah, I also hope HDGURU reviews the 700u so we get the same set of eyes and review methodology to compare the 750 and 700. I suspect we should start seeing some 700u professional reviews this week.

Went to the Best Buy in SF where they have the TH-50PZ700U set up. They had it plugged into a SD upsampling DVD player which I thought was a pretty dumb idea.

At any rate, I coaxed them to hook up a LG BH100 playing Batman Begins. All in all, I was pretty impressed. Batman really stresses the black levels and I thought this set really delivered. The details at ~7 foot viewing distance was really impressive. Super realistic skin tones, really subtle textures (e.g. the shadows cast by the folds of a dark suit in an already dark room), etc. It handled scenes with lots of smoke and steam very well.

I did not pick up ANY of the processor issues that were referred to earlier. I repeatedly jumped to tracks with lots of motion and detail and didn't catch any jaggies.

By the way, according to the LG's manual, when it's interfaced with a 1080p 60hz television like the Panasonic, it outputs at 1080i. So this means I got the above results while the set was deinterlacing the signal.

The player has that same "filmic" style that you see with other Panasonics, so if you don't like that style, you're probably better off waiting for an affordable Pioneer 1080p, whenever that's coming.

The screen was positioned opposite a whole wall of TV's, so the reflections were extremely annoying. I don't know how other plasmas would have fared under comparable conditions. I also can't speak to how the colors look relative to other plasmas because of the lack of a side by side comparison.

I viewed this almost entirely on the "normal" setting. The store had cranked up the "picture" and the "sharpness" setting to max. Everything else was neutral. The tv really didn't need the sharpness, but it definitely needed the "picture" setting upped above neutral. Not sure exactly what "picture" is supposed to do, but if it was set to neutral or low, the contrast got too flat for my tastes.

I've been "on backorder" with the Panny EPP with the option to cancel, but having seen this TV now, I'm going to keep my order in the queue.

Went to the Best Buy in SF where they have the TH-50PZ700U set up. They had it plugged into a SD upsampling DVD player which I thought was a pretty dumb idea.

At any rate, I coaxed them to hook up a LG BH100 playing Batman Begins. All in all, I was pretty impressed. Batman really stresses the black levels and I thought this set really delivered. The details at ~7 foot viewing distance was really impressive. Super realistic skin tones, really subtle textures (e.g. the shadows cast by the folds of a dark suit in an already dark room), etc. It handled scenes with lots of smoke and steam very well.

I did not pick up ANY of the processor issues that were referred to earlier. I repeatedly jumped to tracks with lots of motion and detail and didn't catch any jaggies.

By the way, according to the LG's manual, when it's interfaced with a 1080p 60hz television like the Panasonic, it outputs at 1080i. So this means I got the above results while the set was deinterlacing the signal.

The player has that same "filmic" style that you see with other Panasonics, so if you don't like that style, you're probably better off waiting for an affordable Pioneer 1080p, whenever that's coming.

The screen was positioned opposite a whole wall of TV's, so the reflections were extremely annoying. I don't know how other plasmas would have fared under comparable conditions. I also can't speak to how the colors look relative to other plasmas because of the lack of a side by side comparison.

I viewed this almost entirely on the "normal" setting. The store had cranked up the "picture" and the "sharpness" setting to max. Everything else was neutral. The tv really didn't need the sharpness, but it definitely needed the "picture" setting upped above neutral. Not sure exactly what "picture" is supposed to do, but if it was set to neutral or low, the contrast got too flat for my tastes.

I've been "on backorder" with the Panny EPP with the option to cancel, but having seen this TV now, I'm going to keep my order in the queue.Hey, I'm thinking of getting it through EPP. Do they charge your card even with it backordered or does it get charged when it ships? I'd like the option to cancel if the 750U becomes available at the same time.

I'm confused but the GURU review reads nice I hope that others (cnet for example) will come to the same result then I would consider it.

"Reads nice" is a bit of an understatement. He is saying it clearly is superior to pioneer's FD1, which is supposedly the best TV on the market.

The 750 could not have gotten a better review.

Hmm, I'm looking to get a flat panel this year. The 58PZ750U sounds perfect and is the right size I want to get. Thing is I have also been considering the Toshiba 57LX177 1080p LCD flat panel. What is the major advantage of a Plasma over the LCD?

They have 700u's in stock about an hour from my house in philly. I'll pick one up tomorrow and post a review.

They have 700u's in stock about an hour from my house in philly. I'll pick one up tomorrow and post a review.
Will also view one in Hawthorne tomorrow. Trying to decide this set vs. 5070 with the ~ $400 difference is price plus will require an additional ~ $200+ outlay for a HD/BR DVD player. Anyfeedback of this scenario?

bbiggs32,

keep us updated!

thanks!

Hey, I'm thinking of getting it through EPP. Do they charge your card even with it backordered or does it get charged when it ships? I'd like the option to cancel if the 750U becomes available at the same time.

trublu,

I placed an order a couple of weeks ago for the 700U through EPP and they haven't charged me yet, so I believe they wont until the plasma ships. They notified me last week they expext the unit to ship on May 22.

I hope the 700 gets good reviews. I have been waiting for this tv to come out for 3 months. I picked one up yesterday and a BB in Denver. Got a good deal on it as well. I can't wait for someone to do a review. It is killing me! I can only hope it is close to the 750!

trublu,

I placed an order a couple of weeks ago for the 700U through EPP and they haven't charged me yet, so I believe they wont until the plasma ships. They notified me last week they expext the unit to ship on May 22.
Thanks for the info. I think I'll go ahead and order one. when available if the epp price of the 750U isnt too far off I'll cancel and get it.

I hope the 700 gets good reviews. I have been waiting for this tv to come out for 3 months. I picked one up yesterday and a BB in Denver. Got a good deal on it as well. I can't wait for someone to do a review. It is killing me! I can only hope it is close to the 750!


Why do you care about a review now that you've already bought the TV? How about you give us a review?

Why do you care about a review now that you've already bought the TV? How about you give us a review?
Yeah what he said :eek:

When can we expect to see the 50PZ750U?
I read the review, but I don't think it is here yet.
Will Cleveland Plasma or other forum sponsors carry this TV?

Hey, I'm thinking of getting it through EPP. Do they charge your card even with it backordered or does it get charged when it ships? I'd like the option to cancel if the 750U becomes available at the same time.

They only charge you when it ships, so from my point of view putting an order in to get in the queue is a no-regret move.

I would say yes. I did not think I was going to have acess to the 77U and lone behold they came in the other day......

When can we expect to see the 50PZ750U?
I read the review, but I don't think it is here yet.
Will Cleveland Plasma or other forum sponsors carry this TV?

June is all we know right now and Chris at Cleveland Plasma told me "Good luck, they wont be sold in the US". So I think he is a tad out of the loop on this series and not sure if he will carry but I'm sure many in the US will. I just hope it is early June as I want the 58PZ750U so bad! Plus with that great review out, makes my desire even stronger...

My distibuters new nothing about the 77U or the 750U. I got information on the 77u from here (AVS, Somewhere) that those would not be sold in US. I took this information and applied to the 750U. I am sorry, I was wrong for doing this :( My one networked called Thursaday and said the 77U are in, they did not even know they were getting them till they showed up. Somtimes this is the way things work.........not often but sometimes.

It is looking like I will be able to get them. Just anothe option out there for everyone to make the choice harder :confused:

I can give a review when it gets in my door but it is always nice to read something good about a TV that you paid good money for before you get it. Especially if it isn't even in the door yet. If someone wrote a review right this second that said this is the worst tv they had ever seen I would tell BB not to deliver it and get my money back. So that is the reason I want a review.

I can give a review when it gets in my door but it is always nice to read something good about a TV that you paid good money for before you get it. Especially if it isn't even in the door yet. If someone wrote a review right this second that said this is the worst tv they had ever seen I would tell BB not to deliver it and get my money back. So that is the reason I want a review.Ah, so you ordered it yesterday. In your post you said that you "picked one up yesterday at BB in Denver" so we assumed you brought it home with you.

Please do give your impressions when you get it all set up and adjusted, and make sure you let us know what your sources and content are, and how close you can get to the screen before seeing SDE ;)

Hey pixels what day did you order yours from epp? and when did you call and they told you the 22nd? I ordered mine on 19th and am wondering where i am in the que. Thanks

OK I picked up the 700u at bb today.

Quick initial impressions are in line with HD guru. Kind of. Some initial items of interest:

1. While colors are more accurate, you don't necessarily get the pioneer pop.

2. HDMI 1.3

3. I think I can notice the lower contrast in the whites, but the blacks are really good. May just be my current settings.

4. Looks actually good in torch mode.

5. Is NOT washed out looking at all, and the way they had it set up at the store, the picture was virtually indistinguishable from the 1140.

6. Lack of contrast is visible in in text when seen next to the 1140.

7. Blacks are just as good or better.

8. As I said about the colors, while not as deep as the pioneer, they are probably more accurate from my initial impressions. The red does look really, really red.

9. Warm is too warm. Normal seems right.

10. Brightness actually has to be cranked up a touch. When it is, the shadow details are amazing, and the screen does not get hazy.

11. Xbox 360 ELITE is REALLY saturated. The maps on graw at dusk or sunrise look absolutely orange.

Will also view one in Hawthorne tomorrow. Trying to decide this set vs. 5070 with the ~ $400 difference is price plus will require an additional ~ $200+ outlay for a HD/BR DVD player. Anyfeedback of this scenario?

Well I traded my 5071 in for it, so I'll let you know after I view some movies, play more games, etc.

I sent you a pm.

You got what??

This thread isn't about one model !!!!


bob

OK I got it.

Quick initial impressions are in line with HD guru. Kind of. Some initial items of interest:

1. While colors are more accurate, you don't necessarily get the pioneer pop.

2. HDMI 1.3

3. I think I can notice the lower contrast in the whites, but the blacks are really good. May just be my current settings.

4. Looks actually good in torch mode.

5. Is NOT washed out looking at all, and the way they had it set up at the store, the picture was virtually indistinguishable from the 1140.

6. Lack of contrast is visible in in text when seen next to the 1140.

7. Blacks are just as good or better.

8. As I said about the colors, while not as deep as the pioneer, they are probably more accurate from my initial impressions. The red does look really, really red.

9. Warm is too warm. Normal seems right.

10. Brightness actually has to be cranked up a touch. When it is, the shadow details are amazing, and the screen does not get hazy.

11. Xbox 360 ELITE is REALLY saturated. The maps on graw at dusk or sunrise look absolutely orange.

You got what??

This thread isn't about one model !!!!


bob

Sorry! 700u.

so...better than the 5070 based on initial viewing? better than px600 series?

so...better than the 5070 based on initial viewing? better than px600 series?

I'll be honest with you, at the moment, I'm finding it lacking in contrast if it's not at a 25 picture setting. Xbox 360 looks great, but I don't get that "sun too bright to look at feeling" in reflections or on the dirt. Hard to explain it, but it seems to be lacking brights. Not brightness, but the opposite of deep blacks. The blacks are outstanding. Better than 5070 in my opinion.

The colors can get extremely saturated. They have plenty of pop.

I saw the 700 @ BB today and was very impressed. They had SD & BD Fifth Element DVD's in different inputs. I concentrated on the SD feed, toned it down from torch and put color in warm mode and it looked fantastic.

bob

Is there a downside in the long term to keep in torch mode?

Is there a downside in the long term to keep in torch mode?


Only blindness :)


bob

Attached are some photos.

1. The lame set-up. Elite, lower right. Moto 6214 STB middle. Some games and DVDs above. Soundmatters Mainstage HD (and subwoofer behind couch) on top middle.

2. The blacks.

3. The blues.

Well thats strange. Other wrote here that they did not liked the 700U so much because it was a little dull and the processing was well not perfect. So maybe the 750U has more tweaks then the reference mode or Huru just reviewed only HD while processing SD is still a problem for Panny .. or I don't know.
I'm confused but the GURU review reads nice I hope that others (cnet for example) will come to the same result then I would consider it.

Gary adjusted the display where most people stopping into a BB don't.

More..

1. Abra--Romeo and Juliet, Xbox 360 Elite, upscaled.

2. The Jesus--Big Lebowski, Xbox 360 Elite, upscaled.

3. Die Harder Trailer, 720p, Xbox marketplace.

1. Ari "MF'ing" Gold, 720p, blurry, sorry. Nice details in his shirt.

2. Orange, 1080p, 360 dashboard, blurry, sorry.

3. Some country chicks singing with John Bon Jovi, 720p, comcast STB, blurry sorry. Nice saturation, deep black.

More..

1. Abra--Romeo and Juliet, Xbox 360 Elite, upscaled.

2. The Jesus--Big Lebowski, Xbox 360 Elite, upscaled.

3. Die Harder Trailer, 720p, Xbox marketplace.


Are there fans in the 1080p models? Do you hear the usual Plasma Buzz coming from it?

Some tidbits I found interesting are as follows:

1. the remote blows the pioneer remote away. big buttons, big labels. heavy. tough.

2. UNDERSCAN...wtf. In addition to aspect ratio, there is another option. It basically gives you the whole picture, but you have to adjust for the underscan. Very helpful.

3. The blacks are unbelievable. They float, but barely noticeable.

4. The 700u has about 5/8 of the contrast ratio of the 5070. That said, it goes higher than I typically watch anything at, so it's not too relevant.

5. The reds and blues are amazing. The greens are good plasma greens, but still a bit neon.

6. I have gotten some black crush. It may have been the show.

7. SDE/macroblocking is minimal. I sit 6-7 feet away and can't see it. I could a bit closer watching the NBA finals, but TBS HD sucks anyways.

8. Colors are amazing, but a different kind of amazing in relation to the 5071/1140. Lots of saturation, but different. Hard to explain. It's on a color by color basis. Red, green and blue look better on the 700u, but shades of blue and red, such as purple, seemed purpler on the pioneer.

9. I hate AR coating, and I prefer the gloss as it adds 3d effect. I have a very light controlled room, so I'd rather have the depth. If you have any glare issues, this t.v. is almost as good as some lcds in terms of minimizing glare.

I don't find the bezel distracting. I do find it awesome that the blacks are almost as black as the bezel.

Are there fans in the 1080p models? Do you hear the usual Plasma Buzz coming from it?

You're asking the wrong guy, as I've never heard plasma buzz. If you put your ear to the top of it, you can here a fan or some type of ventilation system, but 6-7 feet away I can't hear a thing.

Are there fans in the 1080p models? Do you hear the usual Plasma Buzz coming from it?


I thought I saw 3 across the top? Couldn't tell in noisy store.

bob

biggs are you sure it is hdmi 1.3?

Hey pixels what day did you order yours from epp? and when did you call and they told you the 22nd? I ordered mine on 19th and am wondering where i am in the que. Thanks

eclipsetrb,

I placed the order April 13th. Tuesday last week I called them to check the order status and they told me it's currently scheduled to ship May 22nd.

RE: 700U

Some tidbits I found interesting are as follows:

1. the remote blows the pioneer remote away. big buttons, big labels. heavy. tough.

2. UNDERSCAN...wtf. In addition to aspect ratio, there is another option. It basically gives you the whole picture, but you have to adjust for the underscan. Very helpful.

3. The blacks are unbelievable. They float, but barely noticeable.

4. The 700u has about 5/8 of the contrast ratio of the 5070. That said, it goes higher than I typically watch anything at, so it's not too relevant.

5. The reds and blues are amazing. The greens are good plasma greens, but still a bit neon.

6. I have gotten some black crush. It may have been the show.

7. SDE/macroblocking is minimal. I sit 6-7 feet away and can't see it. I could a bit closer watching the NBA finals, but TBS HD sucks anyways.

8. Colors are amazing, but a different kind of amazing in relation to the 5071/1140. Lots of saturation, but different. Hard to explain. It's on a color by color basis. Red, green and blue look better on the 700u, but shades of blue and red, such as purple, seemed purpler on the pioneer.

9. I hate AR coating, and I prefer the gloss as it adds 3d effect. I have a very light controlled room, so I'd rather have the depth. If you have any glare issues, this t.v. is almost as good as some lcds in terms of minimizing glare.

I don't find the bezel distracting. I do find it awesome that the blacks are almost as black as the bezel.-keep us posted. At this time are you happy about the trade from 5070 to the pz700u? Sound? black crush- very interested is this, again let us know on other programming sources. hope my response to the PM answered your question.

biggs are you sure it is hdmi 1.3?

The guy in Magnolia made me wait 20 minutes to track down an answer, and after he came back he assured me that it was. Considering that Microsoft is really cheap, however, it's of little consequence to me right now as my elite is only hdmi 1.2.

You're asking the wrong guy, as I've never heard plasma buzz. If you put your ear to the top of it, you can here a fan or some type of ventilation system, but 6-7 feet away I can't hear a thing.

All plasmas buzz. It's just a matter of how loudly. My experience so far is that Pioneers are the worst in this regard.

-keep us posted. At this time are you happy about the trade from 5070 to the pz700u? Sound? black crush- very interested is this, again let us know on other programming sources. hope my response to the PM answered your question.

I think overall, it's a better buy, provided you are using a lot of high quality sources. It's honestly too early to make any real judgment, but they are both great sets.

The following is a list of my pros and cons so far (you may view them differently):

Pros

--Blacks are the blackest I have seen. I can't stress how black this thing can get.

--shadow details are probably better than on the 75u and the 5070.

--Colors are accurate and saturated.

--Flesh tones are great, and there is no clay face, even when torched.

--no noticeable false contouring.

--the manual 3:2 pulldown option is a nice touch.

--very sharp with high quality sources such as Discovery HD and games in 1080p.

--the AR coating REALLY reduces glare.

--awesome remote.

--input memory works flawlessly.

--Really easy to connect peripherals to the back of the set, as the connections are spaced apart, especially the HDMI connections.


Cons

--should have 3 HDMI ports.

--noticably lower CR (but will still torch, and is more than sufficient imho).

--the AR coating reduces the "3d" effect of plasmas; still like the pioneer glass much better.

--with certain content it has some black crush and floats blacks if settings are slightly torched.

--takes a while to get settings to produce a good greyscale and bring our shadow details (i.e. hit the sweet spot between brightness and contrast, with crushing blacks on the one hand, and haziness on the other).

--needs more picture settings.

All plasmas buzz. It's just a matter of how loudly. My experience so far is that Pioneers are the worst in this regard.

Well the only buzz that has bothered me is my 32" vizio lcd in my bedroom. I am usually listening to the t.v., which I imagine is louder than the fan noise. Since I'm going to sleep and the sound is turned down, maybe I hear the vizio and not my downstairs tv. Besides, xbox 360 is louder than anything a tv could produce. I never heard the 5070 buzz. Maybe you've had bad sets.

Assuming it has hdmi 1.3, does that mean it can display "deep color" or whatever the video advantages of 1.3 content are, assuming you have 1.3 source material and player, etc.? Since nobody has seen this content displayed I guess it's hard to tell how much of a difference it will make but I was wondering if it meant that the set had greater display capabilities due to the 1.3 compatibility.

Does the pz700u have two tuners and PIP? I thought the manual listed this spec, but the BB web site doesn't mention it. Let me know if you've tried it.

I also thought I read somewhere that the stand may be an option with these sets. Was your's included?

How is the sound using the sets speakers?

Does the pz700u have two tuners and PIP? I thought the manual listed this spec, but the BB web site doesn't mention it. Let me know if you've tried it.

I also thought I read somewhere that the stand may be an option with these sets. Was your's included?

How is the sound using the sets speakers?


The stand is included.

eclipsetrb,

I placed the order April 13th. Tuesday last week I called them to check the order status and they told me it's currently scheduled to ship May 22nd.


What model?

bob

I think overall, it's a better buy, provided you are using a lot of high quality sources. It's honestly too early to make any real judgment, but they are both great sets.

The following is a list of my pros and cons so far (you may view them differently):

Pros

--Blacks are the blackest I have seen. I can't stress how black this thing can get.

--shadow details are probably better than on the 75u and the 5070.

--Colors are accurate and saturated.

--Flesh tones are great, and there is no clay face, even when torched.

--no noticeable false contouring.

--the manual 3:2 pulldown option is a nice touch.

--very sharp with high quality sources such as Discovery HD and games in 1080p.

--the AR coating REALLY reduces glare.

--awesome remote.

--input memory works flawlessly.

--Really easy to connect peripherals to the back of the set, as the connections are spaced apart, especially the HDMI connections.


Cons

--should have 3 HDMI ports.

--noticably lower CR (but will still torch, and is more than sufficient imho).

--the AR coating reduces the "3d" effect of plasmas; still like the pioneer glass much better.

--with certain content it has some black crush and floats blacks if settings are slightly torched.

--takes a while to get settings to produce a good greyscale and bring our shadow details (i.e. hit the sweet spot between brightness and contrast, with crushing blacks on the one hand, and haziness on the other).

--needs more picture settings.

Great writeup. This is all very consistent with my experience. Your comment on the CR is perfectly fair although I think part of this is a function of coming off of using a 5070 which IMO has the most cranked CR I've seen to the point where I question the accuracy a bit.

what kind of stand comes with this TV?

Great writeup. This is all very consistent with my experience. Your comment on the CR is perfectly fair although I think part of this is a function of coming off of using a 5070 which IMO has the most cranked CR I've seen to the point where I question the accuracy a bit.

Good point.

Can anyone see if the TH 58PX600U is up for sale today on the Panasonic employee purchase program web site? I have made up my mind to buy this baby. My thoughts are that other than AR coating, there is nothing drawing me to buy the 700u. Now that I understand on the 700u spottings that the AR coating is not so amazing and the CR is suspect, my choice is easy to save a bundle of $$.

what kind of stand comes with this TV?

A metal pedestal stand. Pretty big.

Can anyone see if the TH 58PX600U is up for sale today on the Panasonic employee purchase program web site? I have made up my mind to buy this baby. My thoughts are that other than AR coating, there is nothing drawing me to buy the 700u. Now that I understand on the 700u spottings that the AR coating is not so amazing and the CR is suspect, my choice is easy to save a bundle of $$.


I think you've misinterpreted a lot of what I wrote.

Gone...either way.


no more 600u

Gone...either way.


no more 600u
yup, not there since about the 26th....

strange enough, the 600u is still listed on the regular panasonic direct purchase website for all consumers...wonder if my friend at panasonic can still buy one at a discount. If not, then maybe costco would be a good bet?

Yeah, I noticed it on the regular panasonic purchase site too but the "add to cart" button is not there for it.

Maybe have your buddy call for the Purchase Program deal and see if he can still get the 58px600u.

thanks. almost postive I can get the 60u from epp. that said, other than PIP, PC input and minor cosmetics, any other difference to care about between the 60u and 600u? I like that the 60u is 2 inches narrower and about 1 inch less deep than the 600u.

thanks. almost postive I can get the 60u from epp. that said, other than PIP, PC input and minor cosmetics, any other difference to care about between the 60u and 600u? I like that the 60u is 2 inches narrower and about 1 inch less deep than the 600u.Make sure your SO, if there is one, is OK with the silver on the 60u.

Can anyone see if the TH 58PX600U is up for sale today on the Panasonic employee purchase program web site? I have made up my mind to buy this baby. My thoughts are that other than AR coating, there is nothing drawing me to buy the 700u. Now that I understand on the 700u spottings that the AR coating is not so amazing and the CR is suspect, my choice is easy to save a bundle of $$.

New to this site but wouldn't the main attraction of the 700u be that it is a 1080p plasma. If you didn't care about that then you can get the 600u pretty cheap right now?

is the silver on the 60u that much worse than the silver on the 600u? As to the last poster, I have decided that I am not intersted in 1080p at this time (at least not enough to spend the significant extra $$ for it).

the 600 has alot less silver, much better looking in my opinion.
I prefer an all black cabinet so I'm waiting for the 58pz700.

Just got my 50 700U, and I am really digging it.

Most reviews are spot on. I thought the Anti Reflective did not live up to the hype, but then again, I have more than a wee bit of light coming in.

CR is not the nightmare people thought it was going to be. Bump up the brights a bit, your ok.

I went back to BB and got the salesman to mess with the settings a bit and it looked a lot better than on my previous visit (I still didn't write down what the settings were of course). I said "what the heck" and placed my order on the epp site since the free shipping offer ended today. It said "ships within 3 weeks" so that is pretty consistent with what others are saying about the 3rd week in May.

Now I just have to wait and if something better come up before then I can always cancel.

I hate waiting :(:(:(...

My LCD is screaming to be returned. Cant wait for these bad boys to be released!! :D :D :D

So does it look less 3-d, through the window like, as someone posted earlier?

Just got my 50 700U, and I am really digging it.

Most reviews are spot on. I thought the Anti Reflective did not live up to the hype, but then again, I have more than a wee bit of light coming in.

CR is not the nightmare people thought it was going to be. Bump up the brights a bit, your ok.

.....I said "what the heck" and placed my order on the epp site since the free shipping offer ended today. ...

Nice. BTW, as far as I've seen (and when I spoke with someone at the Panny EPP last year) the "free shipping" deal just keeps renewing so it is basically always free shipping... I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Nice. BTW, as far as I've seen (and when I spoke with someone at the Panny EPP last year) the "free shipping" deal just keeps renewing so it is basically always free shipping... I guess we'll see tomorrow.panny epp has always had free shipping for as long as i can remember. tax is the only additional charge and the rebate practically covers it.

panny epp has always had free shipping for as long as i can remember. tax is the only additional charge and the rebate practically covers it.
what's panny epp.

what's panny epp.panasonic employee purchase program

what's panny epp.
employee purchase program. where employees of many companies that have connection/ties to panasonic can order products at discounts. it works with other companies as well just depends on which companies are connected or participate.

The guy in Magnolia made me wait 20 minutes to track down an answer, and after he came back he assured me that it was. Considering that Microsoft is really cheap, however, it's of little consequence to me right now as my elite is only hdmi 1.2.
i agree 1.3 doesn't matter much.
i don't think the panny pz700 models have hdmi 1.3.
the bb/magnolia sales associate just told you something he thought you wanted to hear after running around for 20 minutes not being able to get a true answer.
You should spoof on him and tell him you wouldn't have bought it or paid that much since it doesn't have it, lol..

So does it look less 3-d, through the window like, as someone posted earlier?

Thats not my take, looks very nice to me. Tried blue ray, HDDVD,PS3, all kinds of stuff.

Actually, when watching high quality HD programing, it is probably the best picture I've ever seen.
Discovery HD looks like 1080p.

So does it look less 3-d, through the window like, as someone posted earlier?

I found a local Bestbuy that had the 700 and stared at it next to a Pio 5070 for a good 20 minutes. The Panny looked better than any other Panny I've seen and was a terrific picture, but in all honesty, I preferred the Pioneer. Looked more realistic and popped more.

Maybe they didn't have it configured as well as it could have been, but I'm trying to decide between these two TVs for my first plasma and I really didn't see any compelling visual reasons to buy the Panny over the Pio. I also noticed that the Panasonic got a little pixel blocky (very slight) on some of the faster scenes on the feed that the Pioneer did not exhibit.

This is at the Commack store if anyone in NY is looking to see one in person.

The guy in Magnolia made me wait 20 minutes to track down an answer, and after he came back he assured me that it was. Considering that Microsoft is really cheap, however, it's of little consequence to me right now as my elite is only hdmi 1.2.


Yeah Microsoft is gonna have to release another console. I't will be their 4th lol. They only think of the present not the future when it comes to technology.

PS3 should have a new download next month for GTHD with Hdmi 1.3.


When you go to menu > then to picture, does it mention XYvcc (not sure if those are the correct letters)?

joebar (or anyone else comparing the Pioneer with the Panasonic), are you saying that you prefer the 1080i Pioneer 5070HD over the new 1080p Panasonic 50PZ700U ? Sorry if you already answered this, but did you compare them both when viewing 1080p content from a Blu-ray DVD? Or were you just comparing 1080i content? Thanks a lot.

joebar (or anyone else comparing the Pioneer with the Panasonic), are you saying that you prefer the 1080i Pioneer 5070HD over the new 1080p Panasonic 50PZ700U ? Sorry if you already answered this, but did you compare them both when viewing 1080p content from a Blu-ray DVD? Or were you just comparing 1080i content? Thanks a lot.

I was watching Bestbuy's loop (the same one I've seen at 3 different BBs). I'm thinking it's only 1080i but have no idea. I asked the chick there if she could put on some HDDVD and/or SD so I could compare those but she couldn't/wouldn't help.

joebar (or anyone else comparing the Pioneer with the Panasonic), are you saying that you prefer the 1080i Pioneer 5070HD over the new 1080p Panasonic 50PZ700U ? Sorry if you already answered this, but did you compare them both when viewing 1080p content from a Blu-ray DVD? Or were you just comparing 1080i content? Thanks a lot.

It's an amazing picture, but the Pioneer isn't 1080i, it's 768. It can't match the 700u blacks. Thats why the Panny has the edge. Quality HD channels are clearly better on the Panny.

It's a close race for those who don't play games. If you play games, the panasonic, hands down. The xbox 360 looks better upscaled to 1080p, but I haven't tried NBA homecourt or Virtua tennis, the only 1080p native games.

panny epp has always had free shipping for as long as i can remember. tax is the only additional charge and the rebate practically covers it. what rebate?

panasonic has a current rebate offer of up to $200 to cover wall mount installations on their consumer line models.
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vRebateDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13151&collateralId=489020

panasonic has a current rebate offer of up to $200 to cover wall mount installations on their consumer line models.
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vRebateDetail?storeId=15001&catalogId=13151&collateralId=489020this rebate expires on may 13, however the 58pz700u is nowhere to be found, if it becomes available after may 13 then what no rebate?

i agree 1.3 doesn't matter much.
i don't think the panny pz700 models have hdmi 1.3.
the bb/magnolia sales associate just told you something he thought you wanted to hear after running around for 20 minutes not being able to get a true answer.
You should spoof on him and tell him you wouldn't have bought it or paid that much since it doesn't have it, lol..


I emailed Panasonic with this very question...they replied with confirmation the pz700 models do have HDMI 1.3

It's an amazing picture, but the Pioneer isn't 1080i, it's 768. It can't match the 700u blacks. Thats why the Panny has the edge. Quality HD channels are clearly better on the Panny.

It's a close race for those who don't play games. If you play games, the panasonic, hands down. The xbox 360 looks better upscaled to 1080p, but I haven't tried NBA homecourt or Virtua tennis, the only 1080p native games.

I don't play games, but I want a tv that is "future proof" and has the best resolution (for the price). I think it's a No Brainer to get the 1080p Panasonic vs 768p Pioneer. Unless people with firsthand opinions think otherwise. I have had a 768p Panasonic 37" for almost 3 years now and LOVE it - I just want a larger one and I don't think it makes sense to pay >$6,000 for the 1080p Pioneer.

I don't play games, but I want a tv that is "future proof" and has the best resolution (for the price). I think it's a No Brainer to get the 1080p Panasonic vs 768p Pioneer. Unless people with firsthand opinions think otherwise. I have had a 768p Panasonic 37" for almost 3 years now and LOVE it - I just want a larger one and I don't think it makes sense to pay >$6,000 for the 1080p Pioneer.

Resolution: The more time I get to spend with this TV, the more I like it. I am one of those people who can see higher resolution from 7 feet on a 50" screen, no matter how many charts people toss out to say 1080p/i doesn't matter. When you watch Discovery HD or any other HD programming actually broadcast in 1080i, it's much more 3d-like than 720p; clothes look textured, foliage looks much better and things like hair on people and animals really stand out.

Contrast: The contrast is not necessarily that much lower. It is, but it still goes way higher than anyone would ever watch it at. It's a non-issue. It's like complaining that you got less of too much.

Blacks: This set shows the true absence of space--the screen often lliterally matches the bezel. A word of caution--this set will crush blacks. You have to adjust the brightness accordingly, but it won't turn them grey.

AR Coating: It does a great job with handling glare.

Vs. the 5070/1140: Having owned this set for a few days now, I would say that the 700u is the way to go. I think the sets are comperable colorwise, with the pioneer sometimes producing deeper colors, but the 700u's are more accurate and vibrant. I hate to say it, but the 700u reminds me of an LCD in a lot ways. It has reduced glare and has the LCD color vibrancy--Most plasmas, even in torch mode, cannot touch the new Samsung 4665 in terms of vibrancy. Sure, they are more accurate, and have less picture noise, but I have to admit the 4665 has some pop. However, the 700u can match it, with less picture noise, better blacks, and the 3-d like plasma picture.

This set is a keeper.

Yeah Microsoft is gonna have to release another console. I't will be their 4th lol. They only think of the present not the future when it comes to technology.

PS3 should have a new download next month for GTHD with Hdmi 1.3.


When you go to menu > then to picture, does it mention XYvcc (not sure if those are the correct letters)?


I don't see one. It has a y/c 3d option, which is always greyed out, but that's the comb filter, and I don't know how to enable/disable it.

this rebate expires on may 13, however the 58pz700u is nowhere to be found, if it becomes available after may 13 then what no rebate?
well most rebates don't last forever. just have to see what panasonic comes up with for sales/marketing.

I don't see one. It has a y/c 3d option, which is always greyed out, but that's the comb filter, and I don't know how to enable/disable it.
How does the SD look on these?

Really appreciate the info on this model - saw one yesterday and was most concerned with the black crush. BB in hawthorne was showing a BR movie and the sci-fi womans hair and tights were black and crushed in most scenes unless there was some sort of light that increased the definition of her black attire.

Sound on AV was muted and at first I thought it was not - decent sound from a set!

It's an amazing picture, but the Pioneer isn't 1080i, it's 768. It can't match the 700u blacks. Thats why the Panny has the edge. Quality HD channels are clearly better on the Panny.


Hey whatever u think.. I'm just saying what I saw and what picture I preferred -- to me the Pio had the edge.

Hey whatever u think.. I'm just saying what I saw and what picture I preferred -- to me the Pio had the edge.bbiggs was just expressing his opinion. if you prefer the pio by all means get the pio. that's the beauty of choice.

Resolution: The more time I get to spend with this TV, the more I like it. I am one of those people who can see higher resolution from 7 feet on a 50" screen, no matter how many charts people toss out to say 1080p/i doesn't matter. When you watch Discovery HD or any other HD programming actually broadcast in 1080i, it's much more 3d-like than 720p; clothes look textured, foliage looks much better and things like hair on people and animals really stand out.

Contrast: The contrast is not necessarily that much lower. It is, but it still goes way higher than anyone would ever watch it at. It's a non-issue. It's like complaining that you got less of too much.

Blacks: This set shows the true absence of space--the screen often lliterally matches the bezel. A word of caution--this set will crush blacks. You have to adjust the brightness accordingly, but it won't turn them grey.

AR Coating: It does a great job with handling glare.

Vs. the 5070/1140: Having owned this set for a few days now, I would say that the 700u is the way to go. I think the sets are comperable colorwise, with the pioneer sometimes producing deeper colors, but the 700u's are more accurate and vibrant. I hate to say it, but the 700u reminds me of an LCD in a lot ways. It has reduced glare and has the LCD color vibrancy--Most plasmas, even in torch mode, cannot touch the new Samsung 4665 in terms of vibrancy. Sure, they are more accurate, and have less picture noise, but I have to admit the 4665 has some pop. However, the 700u can match it, with less picture noise, better blacks, and the 3-d like plasma picture.

This set is a keeper.

I'm in the boat of returning a 4665 and I'm watching this thread. To me, 1080p is the future of HD and I do agree with you, for games, I see a difference between 1080p and 720p at my sitting distance, so going up from 46 to 50 would add to the point I want a 1080p.

Have you ever had the 4665 in hands? I'm returning mine due to the light pillar on both side. I was a great sets, HD (planet earth) is so beautiful on it, LCD color just pop a lot! But I does crush black. When you are saying that this Panny crush black, to what level compared to the Samsung 4665?

I do hope that you had in hand the 4665 and you could give me why you went with plasma. I do game alot and I was pulled in LCD with the burn-in thing...

Thanks

I'm in the boat of returning a 4665 and I'm watching this thread. To me, 1080p is the future of HD and I do agree with you, for games, I see a difference between 1080p and 720p at my sitting distance, so going up from 46 to 50 would add to the point I want a 1080p.

Have you ever had the 4665 in hands? I'm returning mine due to the light pillar on both side. I was a great sets, HD (planet earth) is so beautiful on it, LCD color just pop a lot! But I does crush black. When you are saying that this Panny crush black, to what level compared to the Samsung 4665?

I do hope that you had in hand the 4665 and you could give me why you went with plasma. I do game alot and I was pulled in LCD with the burn-in thing...

Thanks

I returned the 4665f after 2 weeks. I have posted a lot about it in the owner's thread (Thread I).

The panny does a better job at blacks than the 4665f. They are deeper, and you can get rid of the crush. They just had some bad greyscale settings out of the box. I think that it's a better set than the 4665f, which is the best lcd available.

The extra 4" is also nice.

Don't worry about burn in.

I play 50%-60% games, and I haven't even noticed temporary image retention, which I did on the pioneer. For example, the pioneer would hold the cross-com in GRAW2 and I could see it when I switched inputs--but it would go away after 5 mins of watching tv. That's fairly normal.

But with this tv, I haven't even noticed that.

How is the SD quality on the 50" 700u compared to 5070, I am going to sitting 7 feet from the TV and still trying to figure if I should get Panasonic or Pioneer.

How is the SD quality on the 50" 700u compared to 5070, I am going to sitting 7 feet from the TV and still trying to figure if I should get Panasonic or Pioneer.

Pioneer is better for SD. The panny is average.

Perhaps a dumb question...

For SD, if my satellite receiver is outputting everything at 1080i, then there's no concern for SD quality except the 1080i to 1080p conversion right?

Has anyone tried out the PZ700 PC input? Is it really limited to 1280x1024 like the user guide says?

bbiggs was just expressing his opinion. if you prefer the pio by all means get the pio. that's the beauty of choice.

Thanks for stepping in, but that's what I was doing, giving my opinion -- which bbiggs rejected and basically told me my "opinion" was wrong and that the Panasonic was clearly the better choice.. lol

Thanks for stepping in, but that's what I was doing, giving my opinion -- which bbiggs rejected and basically told me my "opinion" was wrong and that the Panasonic was clearly the better choice.. lolmy point was that conflicting opinions doesnt mean one is trampling/rejecting the others opinion. I thought you might have been getting too sensitive. If that wasnt the case forgive my reaction. I just didn't want another pio vs panny thing getting started again like it was a few pages down. A lot of folks are trying to make a choice between the 700U and 5071. a war of attrition by those for and against doesnt help anyone.

Thanks for stepping in, but that's what I was doing, giving my opinion -- which bbiggs rejected and basically told me my "opinion" was wrong and that the Panasonic was clearly the better choice.. lol

Settle down Tiger. I never even addressed your opinions or referred to you in any of my posts. You're acting like the online version of my girlfriend. ;)

Resolution: The more time I get to spend with this TV, the more I like it. I am one of those people who can see higher resolution from 7 feet on a 50" screen, no matter how many charts people toss out to say 1080p/i doesn't matter. When you watch Discovery HD or any other HD programming actually broadcast in 1080i, it's much more 3d-like than 720p; clothes look textured, foliage looks much better and things like hair on people and animals really stand out.

Contrast: The contrast is not necessarily that much lower. It is, but it still goes way higher than anyone would ever watch it at. It's a non-issue. It's like complaining that you got less of too much.

Blacks: This set shows the true absence of space--the screen often lliterally matches the bezel. A word of caution--this set will crush blacks. You have to adjust the brightness accordingly, but it won't turn them grey.

AR Coating: It does a great job with handling glare.

Vs. the 5070/1140: Having owned this set for a few days now, I would say that the 700u is the way to go. I think the sets are comperable colorwise, with the pioneer sometimes producing deeper colors, but the 700u's are more accurate and vibrant. I hate to say it, but the 700u reminds me of an LCD in a lot ways. It has reduced glare and has the LCD color vibrancy--Most plasmas, even in torch mode, cannot touch the new Samsung 4665 in terms of vibrancy. Sure, they are more accurate, and have less picture noise, but I have to admit the 4665 has some pop. However, the 700u can match it, with less picture noise, better blacks, and the 3-d like plasma picture.

This set is a keeper.

Thanks for the detailed response. Much appreciated. Interested to hear other people's firsthand opinions as well.

I can't wait to get one (1080p Panasonic 50PZ700U). I'm on the waiting list at Cleveland Plasma but haven't heard anything from them. I would rather not pay an addl $1000 to get from BB. Let me know if you recommend any other place that has it in stock for around $2700. Thank you.

here is my take:

today I went to both Best Buy and SoundAdvice (tweeter) to check out the panny 42" 75U for my wife's place, and had a chance to see the 700 (and 77u) in action.

First, a colleague and I went to Best Buy. We were able to see the Pio 1140 elite, the Panny 58" 600U, and the new Panny 50" 700 side by side. My first impression was, panasonic did a TREMENDOUS job in the overall PQ of this set. Black levels and color rendering were much better than the 600s, with skin tones and shadow detail much more accurate. There were several other plasmas on the wall (samsungs, hitachi's, sony's Bravia LCD, and several others), and by far the 700 and the 1140 had the best PQ.....they were very close. We weren't able to try different sources, but we changed the pic setting on the 700 from Vivid to standard to custom, and played with the color/brightness etc to make sure all was well.

My overall feeling on this particular trip was that the Pioneer had just a tad bit (and I'm talking very small, almost null) better PQ in terms of black level and color rendering, but the 700 really surprised me on how close it narrowed the gap, and arguably could surpass it in other demos. As a bonus, it is a 1080p set, it has the black bezel just like the Elite, and with the EPP prices, it will be hard to beat.


Next, I stopped by Soundadvice to ask about the 42" 75U again, and in the process, I got to see the 1140, the 700, and the 77 side by side again. First thing I looked at was the AR of the 77....it works! :) It really does take most of the glare out. Behind me (shining into the displays) was a blue neon sign that said AUDIO COMPONENTS, and when looking at it on both the 700 and 1140, it was visibly present and you could clearly read it.....on the 77, it was just a light blue blurb, like a light cloud almost! pretty sweet!

The manager of the store is a friend, so spent some time messing with it, as they had just finished installing the new panny's on the wall this morning...there was a space in the bottom of the 1140 for another display, which he said would hopefully be the 750 very soon. Anyways, again, the 700 was outstanding and very close to the 1140........One thing I did do this time, was to change the input to SD (DVD feed) and that's were the Pioneer started to get better performance. The other thing I never really thought of in that way, which both the manager and the two other guys said, was that it took a 1080p and new glass display for panasonic to match the 1140. :o

I personally feel like with the newer glass and full 1080p resolution, still cheaper pricing via EPP, and extremely close PQ, the 700 would be the smarter buy at this point. They had the 1140 on "sale" for $2999, and the price on the panny was more than that (but less with the EPP).

so to put it in bbiggs32 format, here are my impressions:

Resolution: You can't defy the laws of physics I'm afraid. I have 20/15 vision (knock on wood), care most about PQ more than anything in a set, done codecs and video processing algorithms myself (H.264 AVC main profile extensions), and I will have to wholeheartedly disagree...there is simply no humanly way possible to tell the difference once you go beyond 10" or so between the sets which one is 1080p and which one is 768p, none! Anyone willing to take a challenge, and live in south florida, is welcome to come with us to a store, put them side by side with the same source, and sit 10" and tell me which one is what....I'll give you $100 if you can get it right 3 out of 4 times.

The charts dont lie....physics doesn't lie. Go see for yourself.

Contrast: The contrast on the 1140 was better, but again, I think panasonic did a superb job on these new glasses. Compared to the old 600s, they are truly much better contrast ratios, and it shows. The gap that I've seen between the Pioneers and panasonics in this particular issue in the past, has been reduced and narrowed by panasonic.

Blacks: Both 700 and 1140 were superb in this arena, with the 1140 doing a better job in blacks with SD, and slightly- VERY slightly- better in HD. But again, I'm anal retentive, and I would be safe to say that to the average viewer, they are both about a wash. And both were definitely better than the old 600Us.

AR Coating: It does a great job with handling glare (the 77s)...no doubt. the 700s did a slight better job than the 1140s too, but not by much. The real killer was the 77...that thing really works.



What does this all mean, mano a mano, 1140 vs 700? Well, I'm not gonna declare a victor here, as I think they are both excellent displays. In another demo in another environment, the "sllight" edge of the 1140 in the contrast and black levels could have been reversed just as well....it's that close.

For the EPP price, and the fact that it is full 1080p, the 700 is a very VERY attractive offering. At the same time, it just shows how superb a set the Elite 1140 is, that it can still produce almost unparalleled PQ. In reality, both were excellent, so I dont know what else to say really.

What will be interesting to me is to wait and see what the 750's studio reference mode will look like against the 1140s and 700s.....what i saw at CES was superb in terms of being to really reproduce an IRE spectrum to match a profesional Sony $40K CRT! Would love to see this studio mode side by side with the other models, and see how the black levels and contrast match up, as I'm pretty sure the skin tones and coloring will probably be more natural on the 750.


all I can say is this: it's a GREAT time to be a consumer! :D

Ssabripo, what did you think about the 1080p benefit vs the 58" models? I realize they are different size units, but what was your experience?

Resolution: You can't defy the laws of physics I'm afraid. I have 20/15 vision (knock on wood), care most about PQ more than anything in a set, done codecs and video processing algorithms myself (H.264 AVC main profile extensions), and I will have to wholeheartedly disagree...there is simply no humanly way possible to tell the difference once you go beyond 10" or so between the sets which one is 1080p and which one is 768p, none! Anyone willing to take a challenge, and live in south florida, is welcome to come with us to a store, put them side by side with the same source, and sit 10" and tell me which one is what....I'll give you $100 if you can get it right 3 out of 4 times.

The charts dont lie....physics doesn't lie. Go see for yourself.Assuming you really meant 10' there instead of 10"? Because if you really meant 10" that's just messed up :p. If you actually meant 10' then I would agree with you.


ron

*snip* :D

Great comments! I just wanted to clarify that I sit 7 feet away, and I can tell 1080p from at least 8 feet. I won't say 10, at least not with a 50".

I think your comments are spot on, and the only disagreements I would have is that I do think the blacks are clearly better on the 700u (at least "blacker"), and I think that, while pioneer's colors may be a touch deeper, they aren't as accurate. I do definitely agree the pioneer is better for SD.

You sound very informed, so if you have a second, I would appreciate your thoughts on:

1. whether you felt the 700u crushed or floated blacks;

2. whether you also felt that the 700u could not handle text as well as the pioneer; and

3. whether the source material was 1080i; and

4. how you think the 700u compares to the 5070/1, which I'm much more familiar with.



Thanks!

Assuming you really meant 10' there instead of 10"? Because if you really meant 10" that's just messed up :p. If you actually meant 10' then I would agree with you.


ron

If 10", I'll totally take that bet!

Could someone please explain why the 750U's studio reference mode is such a big deal if both the 750U and 700U have the same glass?

Could someone please explain why the 750U's studio reference mode is such a big deal if both the 750U and 700U have the same glass?

I'm not sure we will really know until we see them side by side, but I think it allows more picture adjustments.

If 10", I'll totally take that bet!Me too! Talk about your immersive video experience :D. Eye fatigue might be an issue though...


ron

I'm not sure we will really know until we see them side by side, but I think it allows more picture adjustments.

Bbiggs32, do you think HD Guru's glowing review of the 750U applies equally to the 700U?

TH-50PZ750U
can we buy above model already
where can I find one?

AR Coating: It does a great job with handling glare (the 77s)...no doubt. the 700s did a slight better job than the 1140s too, but not by much. The real killer was the 77...that thing really works.


So the 77 and 700 have very different AR? How did the 77 pq compare to the 700?


At the same time, it just shows how superb a set the Elite 1140 is, that it can still produce almost unparalleled PQ.

What mode was the 1140 in?



What will be interesting to me is to wait and see what the 750's studio reference mode will look like against the 1140s and 700s.....what i saw at CES was superb in terms of being to really reproduce an IRE spectrum to match a profesional Sony $40K CRT! Would love to see this studio mode side by side with the other models, and see how the black levels and contrast match up, as I'm pretty sure the skin tones and coloring will probably be more natural on the 750.

I'm chomping at the bit. Any real world delivery dates?


all I can say is this: it's a GREAT time to be a consumer! :D

Hallelujah :)

bob

Will Panasonic 750U versus 80% better blacks Pioneer this fall be the greatest fight since Ali-Frazier?

Is it possible that mighty Fujitsu will have to be viewed through the rearview mirror of Pioneer and Panasonic?

Ssabripo, what did you think about the 1080p benefit vs the 58" models? I realize they are different size units, but what was your experience?
Since I didn't view a 58" equivalent in the new glasses (700/750, etc), the benefit will depend on viewing distance; the 58" was obviously considerably bigger, and thus, has a higher visual reach. But that's were the benefit of the 58" stops unfortunately in the 600 vs the 50" 700.

The 700" had much deeper, more accurate blacks, huge improvement in color rendering and skin tones (I would say this was more noticeable than the blacks, believe it or not), and above all, a better more fluid picture.

Assuming you really meant 10' there instead of 10"? Because if you really meant 10" that's just messed up :p. If you actually meant 10' then I would agree with you.
ron
doh! yes, 10 feet!!! :p if it was 10 inches, I would have roach vision! LOL
Great comments! I just wanted to clarify that I sit 7 feet away, and I can tell 1080p from at least 8 feet. I won't say 10, at least not with a 50".

I think your comments are spot on, and the only disagreements I would have is that I do think the blacks are clearly better on the 700u (at least "blacker"), and I think that, while pioneer's colors may be a touch deeper, they aren't as accurate. I do definitely agree the pioneer is better for SD.

You sound very informed, so if you have a second, I would appreciate your thoughts on:

1. whether you felt the 700u crushed or floated blacks;

2. whether you also felt that the 700u could not handle text as well as the pioneer; and

3. whether the source material was 1080i; and

4. how you think the 700u compares to the 5070/1, which I'm much more familiar with.
Thanks!
Yes, they were close enough were I have no problems seeing how someone could take the 700 slightly over the 1140 in terms of PQ. Niether has been properly calibrated I'm sure, so which one has the edge in which store would be a crap shoot.

1. there was some crushing of the blacks in the 700, yes. However, it was not very accute as I would have expected in these deep/rich levels of black, specially not calibrated, so it was a good surprise. This will be a non-issue in the 750s though, as the studio mode will supposedly have flat IRE levels from 0-7.5 thus eliminating black crush.

2. Both handled text superbly! However, the DCDi processing in the Elite eliminated some of the small jaggies on slanted text when you are up close....but who gets right up to the screen to watch text in real life anyways? ;)

3. in BB, the source was 1080i I believe at all times. At tweeter, I tried both 1080i and SD (480i).....in niether location did I see them side by side on 1080p via blu-ray/HD-DVD

4. There is a huge debate on whether the 5070 is as good as the 1140 or not...same glass, same processor, etc. However, I've never seen a 5060/1130 or 5070/1140 side by side where they looked equal....the elites always had that better PQ, albeit slightly. So personally, I do feel the elite's give a slight better and more accurate picture overall, but just the same, the 5070 should be a good measuring stick in all honesty.

Will Panasonic 750U versus 80% better blacks Pioneer this fall be the greatest fight since Ali-Frazier?

Is it possible that mighty Fujitsu will have to be viewed through the rearview mirror of Pioneer and Panasonic?
Having seen both up and close and personal at CES, and unless the 750 has a completely new glass/black levels, etc, than the current 700 (by factors better), or unless Pioneer really drops the ball from what they showed back then, this fight will be more like Florida - Ohio State at the Fiesta bowl :o

The new Super plasma from Pioneer is just in a whole new level...it will set the new standard by miles, I'm afraid.....it was just incredible. It had a more WOW factor than even SED from 2006.

I have heard that the new Aviamo from fujistsu will give the new Pio's a good fight and perhaps beat it....new aviamo super processor, deep super blacks like pioneer, and of course, price to match these features! (I believe $10-$15k for a 60" is what i've heard) :eek:

So the 77 and 700 have very different AR? How did the 77 pq compare to the 700?
yes. The 77 has some Anti-glare reflective coat (dont recall the exact panny terminology) which wont be on the 750/700/75. The PQ was close, but with good 1080i material, the advantages of the 1080p panel on the 700 started to show, specially at close range.

What mode was the 1140 in?
dont know in BB.....at Tweeter, it was set to Standard

I'm chomping at the bit. Any real world delivery dates?

I've heard July, but I'm sure there are better Panny insiders here than me on dates and such.

Like many others here, I swung by a local BB to check out the 700U ... my real goal was just to make sure that the set didn't suck :) Since I've waited this long after all, and with the EPP price, it seemed like a no-brainer...

I finally found the set put up in a corner by all the DLPs and smaller LCDs, seemed like they didn't have a real good place to set it up yet. That was fine since I had a chance to check it out all on my own with little distraction. I turned off torch mode and the display looked very good, though I wasn't blown away ... then I looked around back and noticed it was hooked up via RF cable - WTF? Looked down the line and all the other sets were on RF as well.

That basically made my mind right there, if it looked that good on an RF signal (especially with no visible artifacts from movement, etc) then it will doubtlessly look even better once I get it home with a proper connection :)

I put in my order with EPP last night as was told it would ship by 5/22. Sweet. :cool:

700 should be arriving now at regular best buys...even ones w/out magnolia stores correct?

700 should be arriving now at regular best buys...even ones w/out magnolia stores correct?

I did a search on bb website, and it appears they are only available at one store in PA. That's the only way I know to check it out.

If 10", I'll totally take that bet!

Anything less than 10" calls for a minimum of 9680p, otherwise you're just throwing your money out the window!! ;)

700 should be arriving now at regular best buys...even ones w/out magnolia stores correct?
yes, panasonic and bb should be getting the th50pz700u out to all the bb stores soon for stores that haven't received stock/display inventory yet.

Not that there is anything wrong with the 700u, but I sure hope the 750u comes out before my 30-day return window expires!

I already returned the 5070 for the 700u, can I get blacklisted or something if I return another tv and they find me annoying (or expensive)?

Not that there is anything wrong with the 700u, but I sure hope the 750u comes out before my 30-day return window expires!

I already returned the 5070 for the 700u, can I get blacklisted or something if I return another tv and they find me annoying (or expensive)?


That's funny. I returned an 1140 to Mag/BB on Sunday and the Mag Supervisor gave me the third degree, complained how much money they were going to lose, and reminded me that I returned a $1000 receiver 2 years ago and that there was a "disturbing" pattern there! When I said I was going to wait for the 750, he said he had one in stock and would I like to exchange for it? I told him they weren't out yet and he said that they were and that he had them. I told him my wife would have to come in to approve the looks and he started hammering on me for an "appointment"

While they inspected the 1140, I went on the floor in search of the 750, didn't find it (of course) and came back and called him on it.

He said he was just jerking me around to see how serious I was !!

Can you believe that Shi*?????

I said to him why don't you just "blacklist" me after he kept mentioning my "pattern" and he said they can't do that, and that I'll probably return the next one!

I'm still furious at the humiliation and am going to contact corporate.

bob

That's funny. I returned an 1140 to Mag/BB on Sunday and the Mag Supervisor gave me the third degree, complained how much money they were going to lose, and reminded me that I returned a $1000 receiver 2 years ago and that there was a "disturbing" pattern there! When I said I was going to wait for the 750, he said he had one in stock and would I like to exchange for it? I told him they weren't out yet and he said that they were and that he had them. I told him my wife would have to come in to approve the looks and he started hammering on me for an "appointment"

While they inspected the 1140, I went on the floor in search of the 750, didn't find it (of course) and came back and called him on it.

He said he was just jerking me around to see how serious I was !!

Can you believe that Shi*?????

I said to him why don't you just "blacklist" me after he kept mentioning my "pattern" and he said they can't do that, and that I'll probably return the next one!

I'm still furious at the humiliation and am going to contact corporate.

bob


Funny! I would contact corporate as well.

I guess that they have to stick to their policies, but after a while I think the salespeople will start to recognize me. I have to go back tomorrow for a price adjustment! Hopefully the current sale doesn't end before I can get over there.

I'm still furious at the humiliation and am going to contact corporate.



Lots of luck with that......
Lets just say this about BB, they certainly have there own view of things when it comes to customers.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB109986994931767086-IVjgoNglad3oJutbHqGa62Jm4.html

Lots of luck with that......
Lets just say this about BB, they certainly have there own view of things when it comes to customers.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB109986994931767086-IVjgoNglad3oJutbHqGa62Jm4.html


Well that's f'd up. I guess I'm a devil.

Lots of luck with that......
Lets just say this about BB, they certainly have there own view of things when it comes to customers.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB109986994931767086-IVjgoNglad3oJutbHqGa62Jm4.html

Now that is a really forked up idea and a guaranteed recipe for bankruptcy imo. :(

Now that is a really forked up idea and a guaranteed recipe for bankruptcy imo. :(

They probably won't go bankrupt from that...


But.... BB does not stop there with their own way of doing things. It seems they like to be the devils themselves, when it can benefit them... They also have some fake in-store internet terminals that are really instead BB's own intranet terminals, and are not on the real internet. And that do NOT always show their real online web prices, and instead often show a higher price than their real online web-site does. Just so they can try to avoid having to do price matching with their own web-site which often times have some lower online sale prices.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-watchdog0209.artfeb09,0,3319466.column?coll=hc-utility-local

http://consumerist.com/consumer/best-buy/best-buys-secret-employee-only-instore-website-shows-different-prices-than-public-website-235379.php

That's funny. I returned an 1140 to Mag/BB on Sunday and the Mag Supervisor gave me the third degree, complained how much money they were going to lose, and reminded me that I returned a $1000 receiver 2 years ago and that there was a "disturbing" pattern there! When I said I was going to wait for the 750, he said he had one in stock and would I like to exchange for it? I told him they weren't out yet and he said that they were and that he had them. I told him my wife would have to come in to approve the looks and he started hammering on me for an "appointment"

While they inspected the 1140, I went on the floor in search of the 750, didn't find it (of course) and came back and called him on it.

He said he was just jerking me around to see how serious I was !!

Can you believe that Shi*?????

I said to him why don't you just "blacklist" me after he kept mentioning my "pattern" and he said they can't do that, and that I'll probably return the next one!

I'm still furious at the humiliation and am going to contact corporate.

bobNo one @ BB cares... the simple solution is to shop elsewhere.

Lots of luck with that......
Lets just say this about BB, they certainly have there own view of things when it comes to customers.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB109986994931767086-IVjgoNglad3oJutbHqGa62Jm4.html

Wow! Thanks

Call me "evil" bob :)

So come next Christmas will the story be

Cost no Object: Fujitsu 1080p

Infitessimally worse but also excellent: Pioneer 1080p

Best Value for normal human beings: Panasonic 750U 1080p

And for everyone else: Much cheaper 1080p that sucks?

Highly unlikely.
is that so? hmm...... :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: . Fujitsu is basically last year's rebadged Panasonic, Pioneer is smoke and mirrors and 1080p Panasonic is evolutionary improvement over last year's 720p Panasonic. In 1:1 mode P* should have the best picture quality among plasma displays, I don't know which P yet.
so let me see here....this is what, your 3rd username and ban in the past 10 months??? LOL! do you actually think people listen to you? do you actually think there is nobody here that has caught up to your childish games and agendas???

Factual link to next gen Fuji with the AVM3 chip being the same as last year's panny please??

factual link to where you have proven that the demo that EVERYONE saw at CES (myself included) is nothing but smoke and mirrors?

exactly! that's what I thought...nothing but a buncha mumbo jumbo, which got you banned twice already!

off you go now little troll.....you can go back to your little tricks to try and derail threads once again; just makes it faster and easier for your next ban ;)

So are we comparing video processors now? Realta HQV smokes that AVM3 chip. Here's wikipedia's definition for display device: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_device

btw:
so basically I challenged you to provide factual proof of your idiotic and ridiculous claims, and your response is:

a) to change the subject by talking about processors now instead of your original statement of "the fujitsu is nothing more than last year's panny" yet failing to provide further proof of your claim, and still adding an even more laughable link to a wikipedia page on display devices??? http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

b) using ONE man's view of his experience of the CES demo as you biblical proof, compared to the thousands and thousands of reviews of others saying the contrary, and still even more reviews from AV magazines, cnet, CES and CEDIA reps, industry insiders, etc, again saying the contrary???? http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif


nice try, but sorry, it didn't work....you still have yet to answer to your initial claims. ;)

Fujitsu uses Panasonic glass w/ few tweaks on panel driving system. Runco is Panasonic with external processor. Reviews state that Runco produces better picture.
http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/metallicblue.gif

again, dancing around your statements with idiotic rhetoric. You are digging yourself into a bigger hole to put you foot in.....

a) where is the factual links and proof the upcoming fujitsu being last year's panasonic?

b) where is factual proof that the CES demo was smokes and mirrors?

c) where is factual proof of your laughable statemenet above about the runco's, etc?


troll troll troll your boat......gently down the stream...http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/images/smilies/wave.gif

Stop the bickering please!

Please add each other to you Ignore List located in the user CP.

Thank you.

Thanks for the detailed response. Much appreciated. Interested to hear other people's firsthand opinions as well.

I can't wait to get one (1080p Panasonic 50PZ700U). I'm on the waiting list at Cleveland Plasma but haven't heard anything from them. I would rather not pay an addl $1000 to get from BB. Let me know if you recommend any other place that has it in stock for around $2700. Thank you.

I got my BB to Match Cleveland Plasma :D

I got my BB to Match Cleveland Plasma :D


Sweet!

Still no word on the 58 though....

I got my BB to Match Cleveland Plasma :D

How the hell did you do that? lol I tried pulling something like that off a few months back, the first thing the manager at the magnolia section told me was that they dont match internet prices :confused:

I got my BB to Match Cleveland Plasma :D

With or without shipping?

So come next Christmas will the story be

Cost no Object: Fujitsu 1080p

Infitessimally worse but also excellent: Pioneer 1080p

Best Value for normal human beings: Panasonic 750U 1080p

And for everyone else: Much cheaper 1080p that sucks?Highly unlikely.I'm willing to bet a few thousand posts from now... you'll think differently. ;)

Of course that's if you're willing to listen more than you talk. :D

How the hell did you do that? lol I tried pulling something like that off a few months back, the first thing the manager at the magnolia section told me was that they dont match internet prices :confused:
he might be in Cleveland?? lol.

no, bb is very wishy/washy on how they will or will not match prices. depends on which bb employee your dealing with and how that stores manager panties are bunched up that day.

I just picked up the 50PZ700U from bestbuy and took my Samsung 4665f LCD back after I couldn't take the HDMI dropouts and backlighting issues. LCD ended up just being too much of a pain in the a$$. I want something that is as close to a CRT as possible and I should've just bought a plasma to begin with. Long story short, the 700u blows it away, which, to me, came as a little bit of a shock given the prices of each. Usually you get what you pay for when it comes to most merchandise but in this case, one technology was simply better then another.

Color - much more natural even with every setting set to 0 for the "burn-in" process.

Motion - Dear god, couldn't even begin to tell you the difference, in total favor of the plasma.

Black level - Again, simply better on the plasma. The 4665f did a heck of a job considering it's an lcd. It wouldn't be considered to be bad at all, just not as good as the 700u.

Long story short, it takes the things I liked about the LCD (sharpness, vibrant image) and takes it to that next step by adding superior motion handling, perfect viewing angles and more natural color (not to mention 4" more screen area) :D

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. I'm new here and have been reading this board like crazy. To be honest, I think this board made me crazy when it came to buying a new TV. I wanted to scream everytime I went back to Bestbuy and just looked and said, this one has clouding, this one has bad pixel here, this one has this and that. Made me so critical, it at times felt like no fun at all, but now I see what it is all necessary for.

If you don't think that's worth it, you've lost your mind. :D Back to the playoffs.

yup, I just gave up on lcds due to the banding and other lighting issues I have had with them...anything larger than 40 inches on lcd seems to be a crapshoot......so glad these 1080p pannys came out at such a nice price.


Best buy has 10% off all tvs right now so the price is even better. Mines being delivered monday. woo hoo!


Any one hook a pc up to one of these yet and test 1:1 at 1920x1080 via vga and/or dvi-hdmi inputs?

Will the TH-58PZ700U do 120hz refresh rate and accept a 1080p/24hz input?

doesn't do 120hz refresh rate, or 48/72/96 either.
so if it does take 24hz it will be shown at 60hz not a multiple of 24.

Tiger,
How are the reflections on the 700u? I have got two family members that have large dens.......need something that doesn't reflect the lights and kitchen behind the couch.

there will always be the next "better" thing. Good lord cant you people ever just agree to that and enjoy what you have now?

This site is great for educating one self before purchasing a tv, but its not a site I will read once I decide on one. Too man nit pick things that will ruin my experience.

save yourself the headaches and buy a panny plasma. You cant go wrong.

You guys got me thinking with the whole "they honored the cleveland plasma prices" thing and I said what the heck- it's worth a try. I found a best buy that got there floor model in and had not opened it up yet so I took a chance. They said sure we'll sell it since it's not opened yet. I went there with the printout of my EPP invoice and they matched it- barely a flinch from the manager either!! Even took the 10% off the difference like the price match policy said. I couldn't belive they actually did it but it is now sitting in my living room and they are without a display model for a little while:) (they were planning on opening it up to put on display tonight). Lets just say the final price after tax was less than the cleveland price before shipping. They also had a deal where if you open a BB card you get 4% (which I guess is normally 2%) in BB points (which is basically just dollars to spend at BB) so I should see a gift certificate for over $100 in the mail :)

No more waiting for 3+ weeks to get my 700u shipped from Panasonic!! Now I just have to call and cancel my order before it does ship!

I also picked up a samsung BR player for 50% off since it was a display model but I may be taking that back. For 350 I thought it was a good deal (no box or instructions but who cares).

For all the new 700u owners. Did you perform a break-in? Read D-Nice's downloaded break-in DVD comments which seemed to make sense to perform a break-in. Any opinions on this subject?

congrats on the new 700u, way to go sidewinder. you are one of those devil customers BB hates now, lol :).

For all the new 700u owners. Did you perform a break-in? Read D-Nice's downloaded break-in DVD comments which seemed to make sense to perform a break-in. Any opinions on this subject?Would you leave a new automobile running to "break-in" its engine? Why not follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as specified in this white paper:

Plasma Facts and Myths Panasonic Presents Advice From the Video Purist Perspective (http://www.dynamicdigital.ca/documents/Plasma%20Facts%20and%20Myths.pdf)

Here is what I have- The 50 and 42 PX77 are now listed as available on the CC website. I will have to stop in this weekend to see if they have it. The 42inch 77 qualifies for 10% off but the 50 doesn't - go figure.
The Panny website is listing the PE77's again. The 50PE77 is still listed with a 1024x768 screen which must be a typo. No price showen this time
Best Buy still does not show them.
I really want to hear how the 77 and 700 compare as I am on the fence as to which to get. Specifically I want to know which shows SD signals better and has less glare.

You guys got me thinking with the whole "they honored the cleveland plasma prices" thing and I said what the heck- it's worth a try. I found a best buy that got there floor model in and had not opened it up yet so I took a chance. They said sure we'll sell it since it's not opened yet. I went there with the printout of my EPP invoice and they matched it- barely a flinch from the manager either!! Even took the 10% off the difference like the price match policy said. I couldn't belive they actually did it but it is now sitting in my living room and they are without a display model for a little while:) (they were planning on opening it up to put on display tonight). Lets just say the final price after tax was less than the cleveland price before shipping. They also had a deal where if you open a BB card you get 4% (which I guess is normally 2%) in BB points (which is basically just dollars to spend at BB) so I should see a gift certificate for over $100 in the mail :)

No more waiting for 3+ weeks to get my 700u shipped from Panasonic!! Now I just have to call and cancel my order before it does ship!

I also picked up a samsung BR player for 50% off since it was a display model but I may be taking that back. For 350 I thought it was a good deal (no box or instructions but who cares).
NICE!

NICE!
+1, I guess I will print out my EPP sheet and sidewinder770's post and see if that works at BB... still want to see the 750 first I think.

<snip>I really want to hear how the 77 and 700 compare as I am on the fence as to which to get. Specifically I want to know which shows SD signals better and has less glare.

WLSINWI.... ssabripo commented a couple of pages back on his impression of the 77 vs the 700 wrt AG/AR coatings. They were both at SoundAdvice (tweeter) so maybe check one of those stores to decide. I was with him on the BB/Magnolia portion of the trip (I was equally impressed with the 700 in the dimmed Magnolia setting) but I did not go to the other store to see the 77.

congrats on the new 700u, way to go sidewinder. you are one of those devil customers BB hates now, lol :).

I like being a devil customer :). of course I didn't expect them to do it so the fact that they did was there choice- all I did was ask. While they probably lost money on it compared to other customers I'm sure they still made a few bucks on it so I'll never feel bad about it. The saleman was a very nice guy and so was the manager who approved the whole thing- guess I caught them on a good day. I didn't get much chnace to play around with it last night but I have directv coming today to swap out my dish and add a new HD/DVR reciever so I can have a little fun with it tonight. I was suprised that the manufacture date on the box said April 2007- they got these things to the stores quick!

sma- go for it and best of luck!

I like being a devil customer :). of course I didn't expect them to do it so the fact that they did was there choice- all I did was ask. While they probably lost money on it compared to other customers I'm sure they still made a few bucks on it so I'll never feel bad about it. The saleman was a very nice guy and so was the manager who approved the whole thing- guess I caught them on a good day. I didn't get much chnace to play around with it last night but I have directv coming today to swap out my dish and add a new HD/DVR reciever so I can have a little fun with it tonight. I was suprised that the manufacture date on the box said April 2007- they got these things to the stores quick!

sma- go for it and best of luck!


I did the same thing but didn't get them to do the non-shipping price. My BB made me show them 2 places with that price so I just found one more and ended up paying a little less then 3K for mine. I am impressed that Sidewinder got his for the even lower price.

I just picked up the 50PZ700U from bestbuy and took my Samsung 4665f LCD back after I couldn't take the HDMI dropouts and backlighting issues. LCD ended up just being too much of a pain in the a$$. I want something that is as close to a CRT as possible and I should've just bought a plasma to begin with. Long story short, the 700u blows it away, which, to me, came as a little bit of a shock given the prices of each. Usually you get what you pay for when it comes to most merchandise but in this case, one technology was simply better then another.

Color - much more natural even with every setting set to 0 for the "burn-in" process.

Motion - Dear god, couldn't even begin to tell you the difference, in total favor of the plasma.

Black level - Again, simply better on the plasma. The 4665f did a heck of a job considering it's an lcd. It wouldn't be considered to be bad at all, just not as good as the 700u.

Long story short, it takes the things I liked about the LCD (sharpness, vibrant image) and takes it to that next step by adding superior motion handling, perfect viewing angles and more natural color (not to mention 4" more screen area) :D

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. I'm new here and have been reading this board like crazy. To be honest, I think this board made me crazy when it came to buying a new TV. I wanted to scream everytime I went back to Bestbuy and just looked and said, this one has clouding, this one has bad pixel here, this one has this and that. Made me so critical, it at times felt like no fun at all, but now I see what it is all necessary for.

If you don't think that's worth it, you've lost your mind. :D Back to the playoffs.

Hey Tiger, same boat here... Got an Samsung 4665f which I can't stand with the light pillar issues. It seems to crush black alot on the setting I must use to reduce the pillars.

2 issues that kept me away from plasma is gaming and the viewing environnment. As for gaming, I'm pretty starting to accept the fact that burn-in should not be an issue (I heard the Pioneer are worst than the Panny).

For the environnement, I would you fell the reflection compared to the 4665. On one hand, we got and LCD with a reflective coating, while on the other hand, a plasma with a anti-glare coating.

Also, I would you rate the brightess? My room get pretty sunny at the evening, but I was able to view it even with Blacklight at 3. Do you think the Panny can reach or exceed this brightness?

If so, I guess I'll kiss my pillar goodbye and search for this...

Thanks

They all have Qam tuners confirmed directly with Panasonic and by the specs.

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?surfModel=TH-42PX75U&catalogId=13401&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&modelNo=TH-42PX75U&itemId=112106&catGroupId=24973&surfCategory=Plasma+TVs&cacheProgram=11002&storeId=15001&displayTab=S

The real question is... will they work? :D

got my 50PX77u a few days ago..

absolutely love it!

PQ is improved over my previous 2 panny plasmas, anti-glare coating works very well

using the OTA HD tuner and it works pretty good with my indoor antenna

Xuivo,

I think the reflection is less then the 4665f. It is different though, where the 4665 would just reflect like a picture, the 700u seems to absorb it, which gives the screen kind of a greyish appearance, but overall nicer. Glare never bothered me on any TV, since I do my watching in a basement, even when the sun is out with windows open, glare never was my concern. I'm one of those people who just want the best picture quality possible and could care less about any glare whatsoever. Long as it looks the best in a dark room I'm a happy guy.

Brightness wise, it equals the 4665f at backlight setting 3 for sure. I'm in the break-in period where I have zeroed out all of the picture settings for the first 100 hours but I watched a little bit of the basketball games last night in standard mode and it was plenty bright. Definitely nothing that I would even consider missing.

Question I have for everyone is the break-in period completely necessary on these new plasmas or can I just say run in vivid mode right out of the box and who cares? Not that I want vivid mode, but can I customize to a normal picture right out of the box or should I run it in a low brightness mode for a while first? Thanks for everyones help.

Waiting for the (CDN) 58/75U, will be viewing from 12 to 14 feet. FS shows it in their computers but no price or release date.

I will be hanging it on a wall that i'm currentlly building. I was thinking of resessing the wall for the mounting hardware so that the TV would sit flush against the wall, any ideas? All wires and other cables will go through the back of the false wall where i can get to.

Xuivo,

I think the reflection is less then the 4665f. It is different though, where the 4665 would just reflect like a picture, the 700u seems to absorb it, which gives the screen kind of a greyish appearance, but overall nicer. Glare never bothered me on any TV, since I do my watching in a basement, even when the sun is out with windows open, glare never was my concern. I'm one of those people who just want the best picture quality possible and could care less about any glare whatsoever. Long as it looks the best in a dark room I'm a happy guy.

Brightness wise, it equals the 4665f at backlight setting 3 for sure. I'm in the break-in period where I have zeroed out all of the picture settings for the first 100 hours but I watched a little bit of the basketball games last night in standard mode and it was plenty bright. Definitely nothing that I would even consider missing.

Question I have for everyone is the break-in period completely necessary on these new plasmas or can I just say run in vivid mode right out of the box and who cares? Not that I want vivid mode, but can I customize to a normal picture right out of the box or should I run it in a low brightness mode for a while first? Thanks for everyones help.

Ok,

so overall picture (color pop, contrast) is all together better? I know about black details, but what about white? It's alot of question, but you are in the same situation as me :D . Tired of returning TV (Sharp and this Samsung).

In a bright room, do you consider brightness would be weak?

And overall, what's are your positive/negative compared to the 4665?

Thx!

Yes the color is much better (more natural). The tv looks more like looking through a window, which to me is much more pleasing on the eye. Contrast seems improved as well. I just prefer the overall picture. Glare is an issue you'll have to figure out cause it isn't any issue with me. I prefer the overall picture much more then the 4665f. Only thing that makes me worry is if the 750u blows the 700u away. I guess we'll see soon enough but I'm not even remotely upset about this tv. Perfect uniformity with none of that light pillar garbage. I'll report back once I get more time with it. I only watched it for a few hours last night (just picked it up last night) so once I get more time I'll let you know more.

Question I have for everyone is the break-in period completely necessary on these new plasmas or can I just say run in vivid mode right out of the box and who cares? Not that I want vivid mode, but can I customize to a normal picture right out of the box or should I run it in a low brightness mode for a while first? Thanks for everyones help.

I wouldn't sweat it. I've been running it semi-torched since I bought it. Unless you are leaving static images on the screen for hours, it will be fine. I've never broken a plasma in, and never had any issues as a result. But jsut be semi-smart about it.

I wouldn't sweat it. I've been running it semi-torched since I bought it. Unless you are leaving static images on the screen for hours, it will be fine. I've never broken a plasma in, and never had any issues as a result. But jsut be semi-smart about it.

Will all owners post their settings?

I second valodir's request...

I got my 50PX77 :) :) today.. Set it up, Took it out of Vivid, dropped Picture & Contract to -5 (Other settings are at zero) and started viewing it.

I have a regular SD STB (dish 500) outputing 480i. Picture's alright.. Not as good as the old 27" Trinitron I'm used to. I'm still playing with it..

I don't know how to get the Panny to do it's thing.. Would appreciate suggestions, other peoples settings..

And oh yes.. I'll be ordering the Dish HD box..

Has anybody seen the 77U and 700U side by side? I know both are out and wondering if anyone has seen them both in a store to compare.

got my 50PX77u a few days ago..

absolutely love it!

PQ is improved over my previous 2 panny plasmas, anti-glare coating works very well

using the OTA HD tuner and it works pretty good with my indoor antenna

Dude tell me your tv is not sitting on top of 2 $10 ikea side tables, that is funny man i had the same setup for my 36 inch trinitron for a while hehehe.

Waiting for the (CDN) 58/75U, will be viewing from 12 to 14 feet. FS shows it in their computers but no price or release date.

I will be hanging it on a wall that i'm currentlly building. I was thinking of resessing the wall for the mounting hardware so that the TV would sit flush against the wall, any ideas? All wires and other cables will go through the back of the false wall where i can get to.

I would be concerned about ventilation if you mounted it that way.

Will all owners post their settings?

Please see the owner's thread i started.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10459886#post10459886

Please see the owner's thread i started.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10459886#post10459886That takes care of the 1080p models :)

Now someone who owns a PX75U or PX77U needs to start an Official Panasonic PX75U / PX77U Owners Thread :D

C'mon 720p owners! Anyway, I am still playing with the settings.

I like this as of now:
Picture Mode: Standard (Changed defaults)
Picture: +20
Sharpness +15
everything else 0
Color Temp: Normal
Color Management: Off
Video NR: Off
3D Y/C filter: On
MPEG NR: Off

looks much better now..

Heh! I'm sitting around 8' in front of the plasma. Was sitting around 10' in front of the 27" CRT.

I guess I'm noticing more "softness" due to the low resolution 480i STB Signal on the large screen from sitting closer..

I still need to run the Avia disc too..

C'mon 720p owners! Anyway, I am still playing with the settings.

I like this as of now:
Picture Mode: Standard (Changed defaults)
Picture: +20
Sharpness +15
everything else 0
Color Temp: Normal
Color Management: Off
Video NR: Off
3D Y/C filter: On
MPEG NR: Off

looks much better now..

Heh! I'm sitting around 8' in front of the plasma. Was sitting around 10' in front of the 27" CRT.

I guess I'm noticing more "softness" due to the low resolution 480i STB Signal on the large screen from sitting closer..

I still need to run the Avia disc too..Why Avia and not another - just curious.

That takes care of the 1080p models :)

Now someone who owns a PX75U or PX77U needs to start an Official Panasonic PX75U / PX77U Owners Thread :D

I second that notion. I posted my settings earlier in this thread. :-)

got my 50PX77u a few days ago..

absolutely love it!

PQ is improved over my previous 2 panny plasmas, anti-glare coating works very well

using the OTA HD tuner and it works pretty good with my indoor antenna


Good to hear this. I saw the PZ700U at the Commack (NY) Best Buy and would describe the glare reduction thusly: if Sharp and Sony LCDs are a 0...and a regular plasma is a 10 on the glare scale (which I just made up)...the 700u is about a 7.

The kicker was that I could not tell the difference between the glare reduction on the PX75U and the PZ700U. I have yet to see the 77U (why doesn't BB carry this model?) and I am hoping it is closer to 0 on my glare scale.

Why Avia and not another - just curious.

I mean this:
http://www.amazon.com/AVIA-Guide-Home-Theater/dp/630551982X

The Avia Guide to Home Theater (Calibration DVD).

What "other" one do you suggest? :)

RPS13, thanks.

valoidr, Yes, you pay the discounted price + local sales tax

I think I understand the EPP process now. Panasonic ships an order in 3-5 business days (increased from 1-3 days as of a week or so ago). They use Manna Air Freight indirectly (as RPS13 indicated) to air ship it to local destination. So it gets to the destination fast. (1-3 days after shipping) They they use local delivery companies for threshold delivery. In my case, they were booked solid so My TV was sitting in the warehouse for 6 days.. :(

Anyway, the tv was supposed to be delivered early next week. I got impatient and so went to the warehouse to try to get it myself. Noticed that they had the plasma lying flat on the ground. :( Got nervous and refused shipment.. Will take 10-15 days to get returned and for my credit card to be reimbursed.. So no TV at this point. :mad: Waiting to ensure that my credit card gets refunded. Anyone else in this situation?

Maybe it's all for the better.. :rolleyes: Hopefully the PX77s will appear at local B&Ms soon. I'm also considering the PX77 series now.. (That will also make sure Panasonic does not resend that returned 42PX75 back to me :) )

ausplasma, I read your other posts after this that showed that you received your PX77u. Did you end up sticking with the Panny EPP or did you buy elsewhere after the issue described above? If you stuck with the EPP, did everything go smoothly with the purchase after this? thanks

ausplasma, I read your other posts after this that showed that you received your PX77u. Did you end up sticking with the Panny EPP or did you buy elsewhere after the issue described above? If you stuck with the EPP, did everything go smoothly with the purchase after this? thanks


Yes, I did. The 50PX77 order came through a lot faster - the local delivery was scheduled before Panny shipped the tv. The Manna guys were pretty good too.

I'm still in limbo on the returned 42PX75 though.. Panny is saying Manna needs to send it back. Manna is saying Panny needs to recall the tv, blah.. blah.. Bottom line: I have a big charge on my credit card for a tv I don't have.. :(

I would definitely check with a local BB or some other store - especially if they have like a 110% price match, etc. If you get lucky, the deal will be better than what you get with the EPP..

Just got back from the SAME freaggin BestBuy that told me No way they would match price, blah blah blah.....I was there buying a router and decided to try again, and talked to the supervisor. Long story short, he checked a few things, checked with the store manager, and 10min later he matched the EPP price on the 42" 75U :D

it's sitting in my car as we speak

<snip>

it's sitting in my car as we speak

Where are you parked? :D

Where are you parked? :D

LOL

Where are you parked? :D
3 parking spots from you...under the palm tree :p

Just got back from the SAME freaggin BestBuy that told me No way they would match price, blah blah blah.....I was there buying a router and decided to try again, and talked to the supervisor. Long story short, he checked a few things, checked with the store manager, and 10min later he matched the EPP price on the 42" 75U :D

it's sitting in my car as we speak
Which Best Buy is this?...I will be buying a 58PZ 700U soon...Thanks

Can anyone list which companies have an EPP program through Panasonic? If I knew which ones do, I might be able to find someone I know who works there...

Which Best Buy is this?...I will be buying a 58PZ 700U soon...Thanks
by sawgrass, on sunrise blvd

by sawgrass, on sunrise blvd
Thanks dude

by sawgrass, on sunrise blvd


I saw the 50PZ700U at that Sawgrass BB with a tag on it saying it was professionally calibrated looked great. I have a 58PX60U I got at CC across the street less then 30days ago thats going back waiting to grab a 58PZ700U or maybe the 750

I got some info, I will post more when I get back. The 700 and 750 are beautiful 1080p sets, with the 77 and 75 being black 768 models.

the real winner here is the 750, as it has a flat 6500K measurement from 0 to 100 IRE...that's right folks, from 7.5 to 0 there is absolutely NO black crush, and from 75 to 100 there is no white crush....they had them side by side with the Sony $40K CRT pro display with same characteristics, and folks, it was VERY close.

I'll post more pics/info when I get back...have limited web access here:


750 in action:
http://upshizzle.com/gallery/albums/01.07/CES07_day1_001.jpg

panny's 103 baby....huge sucker and extremely nice PQ for a plasma that size:
http://upshizzle.com/gallery/albums/01.07/CES07_day1_002.jpg

58" 750 in action again:
http://upshizzle.com/gallery/albums/01.07/CES07_day1_003.jpg

Here is the proto Japanese version of the 750 (thus the silver frame) calibrated and engineered for the show, beside the sony CRT I mentioned. The pics are crappy because the room was sooo freaggin dark, but you get the idea (the sony is the smaller one on the side):
http://upshizzle.com/gallery/albums/01.07/CES07_day1_004.jpg

Another shot:
http://upshizzle.com/gallery/albums/01.07/CES07_day1_005.jpg



However, I have to say to be fair, the MOST impressive display at the show was the new Pioneer Technology (it doesn;t even have a name, or model assigned...they are keeping things pretty tight lipped). Same IRE 0-100 as the panny, but the absolute most stunning Black levels I've seen PERIOD!! yes, that includes CRT's. They showed a demo side by side with the current PDP-6070, and it was no comparo.....even when off, the new display's glass looked so black, as if it was colored as the frame. Very cool stuff!! and when the material came in, in 1080i on both displays, the stunning black levels and color reproduction was night and day.

Funny, because i was seating side by side with a Sony rep during the demo, and he just uttered "uh oh" when the demo started the black contrast materials.

Is there a good link to the photos?

thx

bob

Those photos were a blurry mess, nothing to see.

But still a lot better than anything you have provided.......

Is there a good link to the photos?

thx

bob
I will add them on monday again bob...they were put on a local uploader back in january, so they are long gone, but I have them in HD at work.

ignore that nimrod troll sampo* .... nothing blurry, wierd, satanic, blah blah blah about them. He's just mad because I've called him out on the troll that he is on numerous occassions.

send me a note on monday to remind me to upload them again.

I will add them on monday again bob...they were put on a local uploader back in january, so they are long gone, but I have them in HD at work.

ignore that nimrod troll sampo* .... nothing blurry, wierd, satanic, blah blah blah about them. He's just mad because I've called him out on the troll that he is on numerous occassions.

send me a note on monday to remind me to upload them again.


Thanks,

Real curious about the "silver" trim.

bob

Thanks,

Real curious about the "silver" trim.

bob
will do.

Can anyone list which companies have an EPP program through Panasonic? If I knew which ones do, I might be able to find someone I know who works there...


Or how to get your company signed up to offer this to employees.

I just purchased a 42px77u this weekend from Ultimate Electronics. Price was the same as circuit city right now, but after taxes got closer to MSRP.

So far it is set up in my room running off an antenna. I will put together a more complete review after I move back home this friday.

First impressions. WOW! this tv is great. I was able to get a couple HD channels OTA and they were stunning. The SD looked fine to me. BTW the tv I am pretty much comparing to is an edtv samsung 4235 that my parents bought a few years ago. The blacks are outstanding. Right now I have all the settings set to zero for the first 100 hours.

Basically, initial impressions are great. I don't have time right now to really look into the tv (it's finals week and I have 6), but expect a more detailed summary this weekend.

I saw the 50PZ700U at that Sawgrass BB with a tag on it saying it was professionally calibrated looked great. I have a 58PX60U I got at CC across the street less then 30days ago thats going back waiting to grab a 58PZ700U or maybe the 750

Just for completeness, the 50PZ700u that ssabripo and I saw at that same BB/Magnolia did not say that it was professionally calibrated (as far as I saw, and I looked it over well). At least it did not when we saw it. The one we saw was on Tuesday (5/1) and it was in the back left of the Magnolia section. BTW, when I went on Friday at lunchtime (the day of your post), the 50PZ700u we saw on 5/1 was gone, just an empty salamander stand. Where was the professionally calibrated 50PZ700u located in that BB/Magnolia?

Has anybody in the Seattle area seen the 700U on display yet? I've been looking around but haven't found a store with one on display yet.

Thanks.

yes! Best Buy at southcenter has one up and running. You might
also try Magnolia AV.

here you go bob...here are the pics from back in January that I had posted (some of them):

here is the 58" 750 they had on display...notice that it had the same glass/bezel/etc as the 700s that were on display, and had the same image quality. This unit did NOT have the actual Cinema mode (or studio reference mode, as it is called now) processing working on it, but they mention it as the differentiator between the 750 and 700:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f38/ssabripo/CES2007stuff/DIYinterconnectwires014.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f38/ssabripo/CES2007stuff/CES07_day1_003.jpg

The prototype 750 with the actual Studio reference mode working was just that: a prototype. They took a gray bezel from what appears to be the japanese version, and used the 700/750 glass, and panasonic engineers worked for weeks tweaking it and getting the mode calibrated in time for CES. Here is the shots of it beside the $40K Sony CRT:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f38/ssabripo/CES2007stuff/DIYinterconnectwires015cropped.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f38/ssabripo/CES2007stuff/CES07_day1_004.jpg

interesting to see the skin tones, as they are VERY accurate compared to the other 700s...it was very nice to see how close this mode was to the much more expensive Sony CRT.

Awesome!


thanks.


bob


here you go bob...here are the pics from back in January that I had posted (some of them):

here is the 58" 750 they had on display...notice that it had the same glass/bezel/etc as the 700s that were on display, and had the same image quality. This unit did NOT have the actual Cinema mode (or studio reference mode, as it is called now) processing working on it, but they mention it as the differentiator between the 750 and 700:

interesting to see the skin tones, as they are VERY accurate compared to the other 700s...it was very nice to see how close this mode was to the much more expensive Sony CRT.

yes! Best Buy at southcenter has one up and running. You might
also try Magnolia AV.
Southcenter...?Do you mean South Bay near Boston?

no! the southcenter best buy as in store # 447, 17364 southcenter
parkway, tukwilla, wa.

quad user found a 50PZ700u review by UltimateAV mag and posted in the "Disappointed..." thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10483820&&#post10483820

One interesting comment:
"and three HDMI connections. One HDMI input is in the front- although the "Specifications" say there are just two HDMI inputs, there are two in back and one in front."

Uhh...
"The set did properly de-interlace1080i sources (video- or film-based) to 1080p, but like most current displays it did not recognize 3/2 pulldown with 1080i film-based sources. "

Wow... some of the quality issues reported towards the end of that review were kind of alarming. Wonder if he got a bum set. Guess we'll find out when he puts out the full review.

For what it's worth, I just checked out the 58pz700 at Fry's and it only had the 2 HDMI connections in the rear, no third one in the front.

Nice looking unit, but WAY too much light to give it any kind of judgement in my opinion.

quad user found a 50PZ700u review by UltimateAV mag and posted in the "Disappointed..." thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10483820&&#post10483820

One interesting comment:
"and three HDMI connections. One HDMI input is in the front- although the "Specifications" say there are just two HDMI inputs, there are two in back and one in front."

Uhh...
"The set did properly de-interlace1080i sources (video- or film-based) to 1080p, but like most current displays it did not recognize 3/2 pulldown with 1080i film-based sources. "

Wow... some of the quality issues reported towards the end of that review were kind of alarming. Wonder if he got a bum set. Guess we'll find out when he puts out the full review.the 700U i saw didnt have any hdmi input in the front. that review is very suspect or they had an advance/prototype unit.

just had my 50pz700u delivered this morning....there are 2 hdmi in back. None in front. So 2 total.

quad user found a 50PZ700u review by UltimateAV mag and posted in the "Disappointed..." thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10483820&&#post10483820

One interesting comment:
"and three HDMI connections. One HDMI input is in the front- although the "Specifications" say there are just two HDMI inputs, there are two in back and one in front."

Uhh...
"The set did properly de-interlace1080i sources (video- or film-based) to 1080p, but like most current displays it did not recognize 3/2 pulldown with 1080i film-based sources. "

Wow... some of the quality issues reported towards the end of that review were kind of alarming. Wonder if he got a bum set. Guess we'll find out when he puts out the full review.

No quality control issues here.

This review is really suspect. 3 hdmi's?

Looks like he cut and paste from HDGURU.

Took delivery of the 50PX77U from Panny Direct today. I had it set up in less than an hour at noon EST in the living room with the new oppo 981HD running the burn-in break in DVD. So far so good, very easy to set up physically and the menu functions are a breeze. After reading various posts and what Panasonic recomends, I'm going to keep the setting low for another 100 hours after the 100 hour DVD break-in currently in progress - HDMI all the way here, 2 to choose from. It's sitting in the living room for break-in only, this weekend it should be in the family room on the Omini tilt mount.

The anti glare is incredible, the black level is...well, incredibly black.

I mean this:
http://www.amazon.com/AVIA-Guide-Home-Theater/dp/630551982X

The Avia Guide to Home Theater (Calibration DVD).

What "other" one do you suggest? :) Perhaps DVE HD

Took delivery of the 50PX77U from Panny Direct today. I had it set up in less than an hour at noon EST in the living room with the new oppo 981HD running the burn-in break in DVD. So far so good, very easy to set up physically and the menu functions are a breeze. After reading various posts and what Panasonic recomends, I'm going to keep the setting low for another 100 hours after the 100 hour DVD break-in currently in progress - HDMI all the way here, 2 to choose from. It's sitting in the living room for break-in only, this weekend it should be in the family room on the Omini tilt mount.

The anti glare is incredible, the black level is...well, incredibly black.

What is this burn-in break in DVD you're referring to? I've never heard of such a thing and am extremely interested. :D

For what it's worth, I just checked out the 58pz700 at Fry's and it only had the 2 HDMI connections in the rear, no third one in the front.

Nice looking unit, but WAY too much light to give it any kind of judgement in my opinion.

I saw the 58pz700 at the Fry's in San Diego today and I agree it is a very nice looking PDP. The loop they were playing looked terrible on all displays that were running it, so I can't comment on the PQ either. They also had a 71"LG Plasma for around 15K. I can't wait until that size PDP is affordable.

What is this burn-in break in DVD you're referring to? I've never heard of such a thing and am extremely interested. :D


Here is the thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6230381&&#post6230381

The thread has a link to the website that hosts the download so that you can burn your own "Master Burn In DVD" You can choose several formats - I choose the DVD format. The DVD is very simple, it cycles through the primary colors from lightest to full saturation (Blue, Green, Red) each color starting out as white - then every 30 seconds changes a shade as it goers to it's full saturated color.

I read the Panasonic White Page and have concluded that even though the phosphors are resilient to IR, you should burn in the plasma on low 'Picture' and brightness settings.

With so many channel logos on every freak'n show - not to mention the damn news reels under the screen - it's a safe bet to use the DVD.

Thanks for the info blding. I appreciate it.

Here is the thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6230381&&#post6230381

The thread has a link to the website that hosts the download so that you can burn your own "Master Burn In DVD" You can choose several formats - I choose the DVD format. The DVD is very simple, it cycles through the primary colors from lightest to full saturation (Blue, Green, Red) each color starting out as white - then every 30 seconds changes a shade as it goers to it's full saturated color.

I read the Panasonic White Page and have concluded that even though the phosphors are resilient to IR, you should burn in the plasma on low 'Picture' and brightness settings.

With so many channel logos on every freak'n show - not to mention the damn news reels under the screen - it's a safe bet to use the DVD.


so this could be done on any TV and does it have to be 1000hr or less?

So is this thread officially dead now that the TVs are out and there is an owners' thread for the non-1080p and 1080p lines? I kind of hope so to limit the places where useful info is posted.

I hope this thread never dies.

I hope this thread never dies.

Better start CPR (LOL)