Seen this set in CC today. Not bad, not bad at all :)
Whats your impressions? Should be similar to the PZ700U,

Chris

Whats your impressions? Should be similar to the PZ700U,

Chris

As they are the same price pretty much I would get the 700U. You just get more with it. There is less glare on the PZ77 tho. But as far as PQ they are the same. This was the 42" I looked at.

I waited to long and wife got smart and told me no new TV. If I would not have waited for these new sets I would have a 700u here and now. But I waited for not.

Stuck with my 32" 32HDL51

Oh I did not get to fiddle with settings my brother set it up as he works there and said it was factory settings on both. The PZ77 seemed a bit brighter.

I sure wish Panasonic would confirm its specs for these PZ77U models. The press release did say 10000:1 contrast ratio, but the specifications on their website say 5000:1.

On August 9, Panasonic announced new TV's for Japan with PZ750SK model numbers.
Hopefully, these are the next ones we'll see in the USA. A few highlights:

- 10,000:1 contrast ratio
- phosphors rated at 100,000 hours
- moving picture resolution of over 900 lines (which I think puts it in the Pioneer ballpark)
- six 3-way speakers

Maybe only these future USA models will have 10,000:1 contrast ratio. It sure would be nice if we could confirm whether the PZ77U's are 10,000:1 or 5000:1.

We may never see these same models in the USA, but hopefully the next USA models will incorporate these features together with other upgrades.

As they are the same price pretty much I would get the 700U.
No dought about that, I agree. The screen in the PZ700U, PZ750U, and the PZ77U will all be the same. There may be a coating difference for anti-glare features, but the screens are the same.

No dought about that, I agree. The screen in the PZ700U, PZ750U, and the PZ77U will all be the same. There may be a coating difference for anti-glare features, but the screens are the same.

One difference with the PZ750U, is that it has three HDMI, correct? Do the 700U and 750U have the same coating and the 77U has a different one?

One difference with the PZ750U, is that it has three HDMI, correct? Do the 700U and 750U have the same coating and the 77U has a different one?

Yep thats one, which is minor, but the biggest difference of the 750U is Pro-Setting & Studio Reference Modes for better picture control.

Chris

Do the 700U and 750U have the same coating and the 77U has a different one?

Yes, the 700u has anti-reflective and the 77u has anti-glare.

I am sitting at home impatiently waiting for my 50pz77u to be delivered, I have already boxed up the 50px77u. GET HERE AREADY :D

Yep thats one, which is minor, but the biggest difference of the 750U is Pro-Setting & Studio Reference Modes for better picture control.

Chris

You dont feel the fact of getting a third HDMI is much of a deciding factor for people? I am just curious, not trying to stir the pot....:)

You dont feel the fact of getting a third HDMI is much of a deciding factor for people? I am just curious, not trying to stir the pot....:)
In most cases, most people would have an HD/Blu-ray player and their cable box . If you have the need of connecting your computer to HDMI then thats when the 3rd and 4th HDMI comes in handy. Maybe Panny and Pio should take notes from the Vizio 60" as far as HDMI in's....

Chris

Well I am thinking more in terms of cable box, DVD player, Xbox 360..but I see what your saying.

One difference with the PZ750U, is that it has three HDMI, correct? Do the 700U and 750U have the same coating and the 77U has a different one?
There are alot of differences between PZ77U, PZ700u, and PZ750u. I was just noting that they all use the same basic screen, just different coating. Now as far as options, speakers, inputs, ect, ect........everything else is way different.
You dont feel the fact of getting a third HDMI is much of a deciding factor for people? I am just curious, not trying to stir the pot....:)

You bet, there is always a need to expand. Who know what a person may add to there setup.

OK I have the TV set up (on the wall and plugged in atleast) First impression this TV is just as bright as the PX it replaces but the blacks seem richer, the screen seems slightly more reflective but not bad could be because the backs are better (to my eyes), the PQ is way smoother (I sit about 7' away and am using a Blu-Ray), the TV has a no over scan mode that I like.

Only down side so far is that it does NOT display or accept 24p or 48p as the PX did and yes I notice the difference.

I will be doing a full calibration later, I have only do the basics so far (brightness, contrast, color and tint)

Yes, the 700u has anti-reflective and the 77u has anti-glare.

I am sitting at home impatiently waiting for my 50pz77u to be delivered, I have already boxed up the 50px77u. GET HERE AREADY :D
tower101: let us know how the PZ77U looks, and if it's noticeably better than the PX77U, same anti-glare quality etc...I'm definitely getting one or the other - thanks!

oops, you already did, thanks again.

Does the PZ77U have the same coating as the PZ750U? It is the 700U that has a different coating right?

no, it's not a coating with the 77U's - it's beads in the glass that diffuse the light. Completely different.

Ok so do the 77U and 750U both have the beads in the glass then? And the 700U is completely different from these two sets?

Ok so do the 77U and 750U both have the beads in the glass then? And the 700U is completely different from these two sets?


The 700u and 750u are the same the 77u is different

The 700u and 750u are the same the 77u is different

Thank you for clearing it up for me....

I am really liking this TV

Go Soxs
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/1.jpg

In this one you can see reflections in the frame but not the image
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/2-1.jpg

Not bad color out of the box
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/3.jpg

This is letter box can you see the image frame line? Not bad shadow detail.
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/4.jpg

OK I have the TV set up (on the wall and plugged in atleast) First impression this TV is just as bright as the PX it replaces but the blacks seem richer, the screen seems slightly more reflective but not bad could be because the backs are better (to my eyes), the PQ is way smoother (I sit about 7' away and am using a Blu-Ray), the TV has a no over scan mode that I like.

Only down side so far is that it does NOT display or accept 24p or 48p as the PX did and yes I notice the difference.

I will be doing a full calibration later, I have only do the basics so far (brightness, contrast, color and tint)
Tower101,

Congrats on the new panel! A few questions for you:

1. Are you familiar enough with the PQ on the 700U to comment on the differences between the two?

2. How does SD look on the panel? Is that Red Sox pic from an SD broadcast?

3. How do the speakers sound?

4. Can you comment on the PQ differences (if any) between the HDMI & component inputs?

Thanks! I know you haven't had the panel very long, but I'm dieing to hear an opinion on these things!

Thanks again.
Rob

I had the 50pz750u, and I just setup my 50pz77u...and yes the blacks do actually look richer! I'm quite happy with this set, the styling is much better than the 750u as well. Problem is that I have a dead pixel :(

Joel,

Can you comment on my questions posted above for Tower101?

Thanks,
Rob

Tower101,

Congrats on the new panel! A few questions for you:

1. Are you familiar enough with the PQ on the 700U to comment on the differences between the two?

2. How does SD look on the panel? Is that Red Sox pic from an SD broadcast?

3. How do the speakers sound?

4. Can you comment on the PQ differences (if any) between the HDMI & component inputs?

Thanks! I know you haven't had the panel very long, but I'm dieing to hear an opinion on these things!

Thanks again.
Rob

Lets see

1 I never had a 700 so no, I had a px75u and a px77u, it is just as bright as the px but seems to have better blacks so as of now I am going with the 10000:1cr but I will test it to find out. I also have a few LCDs (2 samungs and 1 LG) and the PQ is way better then any TV I have had or do have.

2 SD looks great I am watching the Departed over the clear QAM turner (someone else ordered it :)) it looks great. No the Sox's game was in HD just a bad pic (I am not good with a camera LOL)

3 The speakers sound OK I am using them with the QAM they are not as good as my sound system but good for a TV.

4 I have only used HDMI and QAM so I don't know I doubt I will be using component but I will test it.

I will be doing a calibration after I get a few hrs on the TV. I will be using a spyder2 and a display1 with HCRF software. I also am using a Vision HDP external VP (not for the QAM though) I will be using that as a pattern generator. I will post results (I will be going into the SM)

Hope this helps.

That's great..thanks for the reply. Look forward to the "full" review!

tower101 great to hear! You will have the Pro Pio owners breathing down your neck stating that the PZ77U can't hold a torch to the 80 or 10 series...

Chris

I had the 50pz750u, and I just setup my 50pz77u...and yes the blacks do actually look richer! I'm quite happy with this set, the styling is much better than the 750u as well. Problem is that I have a dead pixel :(

That's odd, i mean many felt that the anti-glare would cause it too look less rich or somesuch than the glossier 700u, but no one ever said it would cause it to look "richer".

Although as you noted maybe that COULD have something to do with a higher contrast ratio after all, who knows i guess.

And i dont really know what a QAM is, i see it on all tv specs pretty much, you said you "ordered" it? I mean, whats the difference if i just hook my HDMI Cable box up to it?

.

And i dont really know what a QAM is, i see it on all tv specs pretty much, you said you "ordered" it? I mean, whats the difference if i just hook my HDMI Cable box up to it?

QAM is a clear digital tuner so if the cable channel is not scrambled you can watch it, no cable box needed. I can get all my local HD station and a few others, I do have an HD box as well but get some "extra" programing with the QAM, like when some one else orders a move I can pick it up.

Interesting the concerns with the current Panny 1080p's were contrast/brightness/blacks panels appeared somewhat dull or dim, if that's been addressed it's a major step forward for Panasonic. Looking forward to the contrast test to see if it does line up with the existing Panny 720p models which really arent bad (good value frankly) but lack the lower black levels of the Kuros.

42 inch pz77u was delivered this afternoon. Doing a break in so have not really calibrated it yet. The anti-glare screen works great. I have 2 walls of windows in my living room and the reflections are not an issue. Hard to say for certain since not calibrated, but I do not think the anti-glare screen has had a negative effect on picture quality.

all of these reviews are making my decision between this and the 700u more difficult. can someone comment some more on the sound? how does it compare to the 700u? i don't have a surround sound system so i will be listening to the audio from the tv speakers. also this tv comes with a remote becuase on the panny website it says remote n/a. also does this have PIP?

Yes on the remote, no on the PIP

i have no complaints on the sound. the speakers are mounted on the side and disperse the sound well. i don't have a surround sound system either and think the built in speakers will be fine. On another note, the standard def channels look much better than on my sony lcd.

thank you for all the info. i have a question regarding hdmi cables...not sure if this is the place. i am looking at a forum sponsor's website and trying to figure out which cables to order as there are many different versions. i am not mounting the tv so here are the options...which one would work to hook up a cable box?

HDMI to HDMI CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (24AWG) w/ net jacket- 3ft (Gold Plated)

or

HDMI Cable male to male 28AWG - 3ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated)

or

HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable (24AWG) - 6ft (Gold Plated)

I just returned from BB and the manager told me the 700 series will be phased out.

I just returned from BB and the manager told me the 700 series will be phased out.
Andy,

Is it correct to assume that he meant Panasonic was phasing out the 700 series as opposed to Best Buy phasing out carrying the series?

Thanks,
Rob

i still have not been able to see one of the new pz77us yet in any stores here in raleigh nc :(

all of these reviews are making my decision between this and the 700u more difficult. can someone comment some more on the sound? how does it compare to the 700u? i don't have a surround sound system so i will be listening to the audio from the tv speakers. also this tv comes with a remote becuase on the panny website it says remote n/a. also does this have PIP?
Phil,

Would you agree with some other postings that state that the 77U appears to be brighter than the 700U....assuming you have experience with the 700U?

Thanks,
Rob

42 inch pz77u was delivered this afternoon. Doing a break in so have not really calibrated it yet. The anti-glare screen works great. I have 2 walls of windows in my living room and the reflections are not an issue. Hard to say for certain since not calibrated, but I do not think the anti-glare screen has had a negative effect on picture quality.
Oops, this was the posting I meant to reference.

QAM is a clear digital tuner so if the cable channel is not scrambled you can watch it, no cable box needed. I can get all my local HD station and a few others, I do have an HD box as well but get some "extra" programing with the QAM, like when some one else orders a move I can pick it up.

so in other words, if i do use a cable box anyway i dont need to care about QAM or the quality of its usage, and my SD and whatnot will look just as good?

also, QAM usually is listed as supported, but it;s an extra piece you have to buy i presume?

so in other words, if i do use a cable box anyway i dont need to care about QAM or the quality of its usage, and my SD and whatnot will look just as good?

also, QAM usually is listed as supported, but it;s an extra piece you have to buy i presume?

I am not sure about a QAM tuner, but I know my Panasonic 42PA25U analog (NTSC cable ready) tuner does a better job than the Comcast HD DVR tuner on non-digital channels (<100) - I suppose the reason is becauses it avoids an extra digital conversion step. I split my cable feed so I can use the TV tuner just for that reason - plus I sometimes want to watch something live while the Comcast recorder is busy.

Just placed an order for a panasonic pz700 Friday. Read about the 77u this weekend. Spoke to panasonic this am who informed me that the contrast ratio of both units is 5000:1 and that the picture quality should be identical. Major difference appears to be anti-reflective vs anti-glare, less inputs, and 2 few speakers.

Would people wait to buy the 77u instead? I am confused.

thank you for all the info. i have a question regarding hdmi cables...not sure if this is the place. i am looking at a forum sponsor's website and trying to figure out which cables to order as there are many different versions. i am not mounting the tv so here are the options...which one would work to hook up a cable box?

HDMI to HDMI CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (24AWG) w/ net jacket- 3ft (Gold Plated)

or

HDMI Cable male to male 28AWG - 3ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated)

or

HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable (24AWG) - 6ft (Gold Plated)

bump

Unless I can eyeball a real difference in PQ between the 77 and the 700 the deciding factor will depend on if you will use the internal speakers. The Best Buy guy said that Panasonic will discontinue the $200 higher MSRP 700 series. If you wait you may be able to get a killer deal on the ill fated 700 series.

Would people wait to buy the 77u instead? I am confused.I would wait for the 77u because I have a lot of sunlight to deal with and the anti-glare is considered to be a much better solution.

There has also been some confusion over the whether contrast ratio of the 77u is 5000:1 or 10,000:1.

If you plan on using a Media PC or in my case a Mac Mini, VGA is very important. Unless this TV is very different to all others, DVI to HDMI won't produce results that are nearly as good as VGA. HMDI window boxes the picture and it isn't as clear as the VGA signal (when dealing with PC's only). Has anyone found the opposite to be true?

Its been said that the 77 won't accept a 1080 24p signal, does the 700u?

Its interesting that certain sites are listing the 77 for higher than the 700u right now. I'm sure that will change as stock comes in.

at circuit city in sugarland, tx, we have the 50pz77u and the 50pz700u hooked up side by side to a directv feed. I set both tvs to the same exact picture settings, with theblack level on high on both, and the 700u seems to display the blacks richer. But the anti-glare screen on the 77u makes it finally a nice option for all those lcd lovers that don't want plasma because of the glare. Brightness on both seem to be about the same when seen side by

Another thing i noticed in the picture settings on the 700u it and the option of using the C.A.T.S.; which the 77u didn't have

42 inch pz77u was delivered this afternoon. Doing a break in so have not really calibrated it yet. The anti-glare screen works great. I have 2 walls of windows in my living room and the reflections are not an issue. Hard to say for certain since not calibrated, but I do not think the anti-glare screen has had a negative effect on picture quality.
Does the unit has coolling fans ?

Thanks.

Yeah, of course. But the Problem is that Panasonic's own press release said 10000:1, provided in the first couple of posts in this thread. So obviously Panny made a mistake in either the press release or the website. I have seen errors in both from Panny in the past so an error does not surprise me in either place.

It is seeming more and more like these are 5000:1 sets so the major item toPanasonic has indeed made mistakes on their previous press releases - they had like two or three incorrect specs on the new PX7/PZ7 lineup earlier this year, and in their correction memo they failed to correct one of the errors so even the correction had a mistake. It caused a lot of confusion in the new Panny threads. However their consumer website and the owners manuals had the correct specs and information.

I don't believe any of the commercial Panasonic's accept a "True" 1080/24fps signal, as the 1080P sets only do 1080/60 fps....they only perform a 3:2 pulldown. Unlike the Pionner 5010 for example,(50" 1080P set) which accept a "True" 1080/ 24fps signal since it is handles 72Hz with a 3:3 pulldown. Very important with BD & HD DVD. This is the reason I am looking at the Pioneers. Don't get me wrong I have always liked Panasonic, but I feel that in the last two years they have focussed more on price (affordability) than quality ( better blacks, processing, colours).......I love my 42" Panny plasma (Th-42PX50U- 720P) but, I feel that Panasonic should have made better advancements over the last little while.


Paul

The Panasonic web site now shows the 50pz77u as having a contrast ratio of up to 10,000:1.

Looks like Frys.com/outpost.com is blowing out the older models, maybe they are being replaced.

The Panasonic web site now shows the 50pz77u as having a contrast ratio of up to 10,000:1.

great...add more to the confusion. i am going after work to check these out at the local store. hopefully that will help me make up my mind

Looks like the PZ77U is not available via Panasonic EPP for anyone :(

Looks like the PZ77U is not available via Panasonic EPP for anyone :(

I have been watching this closely....let's hope this changes soon...:rolleyes:

I am kind of pissed off actually, I purchased the 700u about 20 days ago. Have been pretty displeased with the amount of glare I get on the screen. I called Panasonic to see if it was possible to swap out my set for the PZ77u but since I purchased it via EPP, I am out of luck. Ugh.

I don't believe any of the commercial Panasonic's accept a "True" 1080/24fps signal, as the 1080P sets only do 1080/60 fps....they only perform a 3:2 pulldown. Unlike the Pionner 5010 for example,(50" 1080P set) which accept a "True" 1080/ 24fps signal since it is handles 72Hz with a 3:3 pulldown. Very important with BD & HD DVD.

I'm sort of a newbie with this HD technology, and am so far planning to buy the 50PZ77. Can someone explain to me 1080/24fps and 1080/60fps?

Thanks!

:confused:

I have been watching this closely....let's hope this changes soon...:rolleyes:


can someone PM me on how much the 50PZ77U cost on EPP?

this thread has been awesome ... on the cusp of deciding whether to go for the 700 or 77 ... glare is not a huge issue for me because i can turn the lights off... my take is the 77 has 10,000 CR vs. 5K for the 700 but i have no idea if that stat really translates or if it's just one of those pumped up numbers that manufacturers do ... also sorely tempted to go up a notch for the Pioneer 42" 4280HD ... it's a huge price leap but you get real 24p performance, cable card and better picture. but it's only 720p and I would really like to get the max resolution ... i will go down to BB and try to get the attention of the salesguy long enough to help me.

Overall my heart is in the 700u because the BB had a viewing station set up with a 50" 700u showing a nature documentary on Blu-Ray and it looked utterly perfect - no artifacts, just a delicious amazing picture you could fall into ... of course no skin tones were present and there was comparatively little movement so it was not the most representative source material ... but it was *GORGEOUS* ... by comparison I was watching the pio 4280HD next to a bunch of 1080LCDs on the wall, all showing the same material, a pretty crappy PBS 1080 broadcast... you could *REALLY* notice the difference with the pio downscaling to 720 and that worried me. The best looking screen on that wall was a Philips 1080 LCD of all things, didn't note the model but the skin tones were the truest on that model.

What happened to the good old days when there was just one type of TV, CRT :)
That made things a bit simpler ehh....

What happened to the good old days when there was just one type of TV, CRT :)
That made things a bit simpler ehh....

Aint that the truth :D

I agree the BB demo of the 50" Panny unit really sold me as well. They had the unit calibrated and running some Blu-ray movies and it literally was 3-D like. Blew away the rest of the competition pretty much. The Pio 4280 was selling for $600 more as well.

Many people have commented that the PZ700/750 series looked "dim" compared to say the Pioneer 5080 or the Samsung 5054.

Does the new PZ77 series display this same "dim" property as the PZ700/750 series?

The lady I spoke with at Panasonic direct sales stated the following

1.) The PZ700u is supposed to have a brighter screen than the PZ77u. It was actually one of the things she pointed out as a main difference between the two models. Not sure how that translates into the higher contrast with the 77u.
2.) The PZ77u is only going to be available at retailers such as Magnolia and Circuit City and will not be available for sale via Panasonic direct or EPP.

Not sure how accurate this info is, she wasnt the friendliest either.......

The lady I spoke with at Panasonic direct sales stated the following

1.) The PZ700u is supposed to have a brighter screen than the PZ77u. It was actually one of the things she pointed out as a main difference between the two models. Not sure how that translates into the higher contrast with the 77u.
2.) The PZ77u is only going to be available at retailers such as Magnolia and Circuit City and will not be available for sale via Panasonic direct or EPP.

Not sure how accurate this info is, she wasnt the friendliest either.......

I am not doubting what information was provided to you, nor am I trying to stir the pot...but I find it odd that they have a price listed on the EPP web site for this particular set, but yet you were told it would not be available.. :confused:

this is a great thread, but its causing me to damn near lose my mind. lol. I currently am returning my 50pz700u because of MAJOR glare issues for a 46xbr4 lcd. i watch sports, hd content, and ps3 some. now im wondering if i should hold out for the 50pz77u. the xbr will still be somewhat better on glare, better for ps3, and have 1080/24 with 3 hdmi. BUT, Something is pulling me to the 77u. Any thoughts, 46XBR4 OR 50PZ77U? im going crazy over this. thanks!

It's a shame about the gloss black bezel. I was really considering the 42" until seeing that. To me it's as bad as or worse than a reflective screen; I find it horribly distracting trying to watch a set with a glossy bezel. Looks like it's back to Sony and LCD for me.

I have been told that LCD do not do as good with motion blur like plasmas do...this was the first thing I was told. The reason for me getting a set is 1) sports 2) gaming 3) movies.. I am going to get the PZ77U, but waiting to see how the EPP works out...I think for MY budget the Panny PZ77U fits nicely.

I am not doubting what information was provided to you, nor am I trying to stir the pot...but I find it it odd that they have a price listed on the EPP web site for this particular set, but yet you were told it would not be available.. :confused:

I asked her the same question, why if it is not to be available via EPP does it show the price on there.
She stated that even though the 77u is available on the Panasonic website and shows the price, specs. etc. it is there specifically to show MSRP and specs for comparative purposes only. Notice there is no add to cart button on this site or the epp site.
She states that a price is on the epp site because it is based upon the Panasonic site and the discount percentage (whatever it may be) is applied across the board to all televisions for sale.
Sort of makes sense to me though she may have just been trying to get me off the phone !

I asked her the same question, why if it is not to be available via EPP does it show the price on there.
She stated that even though the 77u is available on the Panasonic website and shows the price, specs. etc. it is there specifically to show MSRP and specs for comparative purposes only. Notice there is no add to cart button on this site or the epp site.
She states that a price is on the epp site because it is based upon the Panasonic site and the discount percentage (whatever it may be) is applied across the board to all televisions for sale.
Sort of makes sense to me though she may have just been trying to get me off the phone !

The discount percentage actually differs per model.

The discount percentage actually differs per model.

I have noticed that as well so I do not understand the logic of what the person I spoke with was trying to explain to me.

I have just gotten off the phone with Panasonic directly and have asked about this unit and if it will be on the EPP. They told me YES, it will be offered. The reason why the "add to cart" isn't there now is because they are out of stock. They told me to check back in a couple of weeks. But....supposedly....this unit WILL be eligible for EPP. Round and round it goes....ha

OK I ran some test on my 50pz77u. I was very pleased and some what surprised by the results.

As to the CR on the TV I got any where from 9700:1 to 10025:1 on/off I ran the test over 10 times and got about the same numbers every time. I also got between 8500:1 to 9500:1 Ansi

The numbers are much better then the 50px77u I had but the TV had some problems that might explain it.

The gamma was/is off with an average of 1.2 :eek: it has a big hump from 30 IRE to 70 IRE might explain some of the false contouring I have seen (really very minor)

The color was good with red and blue right on, green alittle blown out again not bad. Better then the PX that had all the colors alittle off.

As far as the numbers for darkness and brightness I got .009 0IRE (black) almost every time with a 89.xx-93.xx 100IRE (white) For reference my LN-S (LCD) get .085-.255 0IRE and 80-315 100IRE (depending on back-light setting) As I understand it (please feel free to correct me) black 0IRE should be 0 (no plasma or LCD gets that) and white 100IRE should be 100 the numbers in the middle change to give you a curve (gamma) so 50IRE does not = 50.

I found normal to be about 8000kish (alittle cool) and warm 5700kish (alittle warm) with warm being closer to 6500k but until I calibrated it I will be using normal as I prefere alittle cool over, alittle warm.

So my test show that the panel is indeed 10000:1 with white only being slightly off (I doubt anyone would notice) Is it as bright as the Samsung 54 I had nope as that had white around 150 or so but its black was also higher .05x, but like some other PDPs all LCDs it just raised the whites to make up for poorer blacks and give it more "pop".

My test where done with a spyder2, HCFR software and a Vision HDP as a generator.

I will calabrate it later this week as I would like at-least 100hrs on it first.

OK I ran some test on my 50pz77u. I was very pleased and some what surprised by the results.

As to the CR on the TV I got any where from 9700:1 to 10025:1 on/off I ran the test over 10 times and got about the same numbers every time. I also got between 8500:1 to 9500:1 Ansi

The numbers are much better then the 50px77u I had but the TV had some problems that might explain it.

The gamma was/is off with an average of 1.2 :eek: it has a big hump from 30 IRE to 70 IRE might explain some of the false contouring I have seen (really very minor)

The color was good with red and blue right on, green alittle blown out again not bad. Better then the PX that had all the colors alittle off.

As far as the numbers for darkness and brightness I got .009 0IRE (black) almost every time with a 89.xx-93.xx 100IRE (white) For reference my LN-S (LCD) get .085-.255 0IRE and 80-315 100IRE (depending on back-light setting) As I understand it (please feel free to correct me) black 0IRE should be 0 (no plasma or LCD gets that) and white 100IRE should be 100 the numbers in the middle change to give you a curve (gamma) so 50IRE does not = 50.

I found normal to be about 8000kish (alittle cool) and warm 5700kish (alittle warm) with warm being closer to 6500k but until I calibrated it I will be using normal as I prefere alittle cool over, alittle warm.

So my test show that the panel is indeed 10000:1 with white only being slightly off (I doubt anyone would notice) Is it as bright as the Samsung 54 I had nope as that had white around 150 or so but its black was also higher .05x, but like some other PDPs all LCDs it just raised the whites to make up for poorer blacks and give it more "pop".

My test where done with a spyder2, HCFR software and a Vision HDP as a generator.

I will calabrate it later this week as I would like at-least 100hrs on it first.


so how do those contrast and black numbers comapre to the 700u? or did you say that you hadnt ever tested that one?

this kind of sucks for me though, because lighter and less sound stuff i dont use anyway and all that would have been great, but only if the PQ was definetly a step up, now i'm just stumped.

If you plan on using a Media PC or in my case a Mac Mini, VGA is very important. Unless this TV is very different to all others, DVI to HDMI won't produce results that are nearly as good as VGA. HMDI window boxes the picture and it isn't as clear as the VGA signal (when dealing with PC's only). Has anyone found the opposite to be true?

Its been said that the 77 won't accept a 1080 24p signal, does the 700u?

Its interesting that certain sites are listing the 77 for higher than the 700u right now. I'm sure that will change as stock comes in.

In the 700u thread a user reported he was able to get full 1920x1080 with no overscan using the HDMI input (with some setting I don't remember). The VGA input is limited to 1360x768 so it's kind of useless anyway.

Hopefully these new pz77u panels can do the same as the 700u with the HDMI input. This is absolutely necessary for me.

I'm sort of a newbie with this HD technology, and am so far planning to buy the 50PZ77. Can someone explain to me 1080/24fps and 1080/60fps?

Thanks!

:confused:

I will try :)

Film is recorded at 24fps and when you go to the movies it is normally double flashed (2:2) giving you 48fps. Now TVs have always been 60 and 24 does not go into 60 so they do a 3:2 (telecine) where the frames are not repeated evenly and some can see judder you can see this mostly on slow panning scenes. Now if the TV can do a multiple of 24 then it can do 2:2 (48) 3:3 (72)...so on then you get a smoother image.

While this is nice it is not a deal breaker for me as I have been watching TV for many years and do not really notice it.

Hope this helps :)

so how do those contrast and black numbers comapre to the 700u? or did you say that you hadnt ever tested that one?

this kind of sucks for me though, because lighter and less sound stuff i dont use anyway and all that would have been great, but only if the PQ was definetly a step up, now i'm just stumped.

Never had one Sorry

In the 700u thread a user reported he was able to get full 1920x1080 with no overscan using the HDMI input (with some setting I don't remember). The VGA input is limited to 1360x768 so it's kind of useless anyway.

Hopefully these new pz77u panels can do the same as the 700u with the HDMI input. This is absolutely necessary for me.

It does do 1:1 over HDMI (HD size 2)

Never had one Sorry

but it does sound like maybe the 10:000 contrast ratio could be true after all maybe?

Also, someone said they called and panasonic said that the 700u is BRIGHTER than the PZ77?? that really is odd, considering that people claim the 700u to be dim, as well as saying the 77 could actually be the brighter one.

but it does sound like maybe the 10:000 contrast ratio could be true after all maybe?

Also, someone said they called and panasonic said that the 700u is BRIGHTER than the PZ77?? that really is odd, considering that people claim the 700u to be dim, as well as saying the 77 could actually be the brighter one.

By the tests I did it is indeed 10,000:1 and I did have a PX77 and it is just as bright as that (if not brighter)

It does do 1:1 over HDMI (HD size 2)

Nice! Thanks tower for coming with all the breaking info. It's nice when a first user is so informed.

Spoke with Panasonic tech support, 10,000-1 contrast it is for the 77u

Not sure if any of this matters to me - I am going to get the one I can get a deal on.

I am a little anal LOL I have spent many hrs learning how to calibrate a TV and have bought a few $100 dollars of "stuff" to help. This is by far the best TV I have had (this is my 7th HDTV)

well i just got back from CC and they didn't have this tv and they weren't sure when they were going to get it in. i ended up getting the 700u and at a good price. the loss of speakers bothered me a bit and i thought the 700 was bright enough. i have 30 days. i will keep an eye on this thread though.

Thanks for your posts tower. I was going to buy a 700, but now I think I'll get a 77 instead. I don't care about the built-in speakers since I have real sound, and VGA input doesn't matter to me.

Here's an idea. Calibrate the PZ77U with Digital Video Essentials or THX Optimizer. I calibrated a PZ700u in the Custom setting and had to have the brightness set at +21 as compared to +5 for a PX75u.

Here's an idea. Calibrate the PZ77U with Digital Video Essentials or THX Optimizer. I calibrated a PZ700u in the Custom setting and had to have the brightness set at +21 as compared to +5 for a PX75u.

DVE +4 Custom was about the same for the PX

The TH-50PZ77U is available from EPP. Even though it doesn't show the 'Add to Cart' button on the listing of all Plasma TVs, the button shows up when you go to the TH-50PZ77U page. It says 'ships in 3-5 business days'.

PS they also have the customer care plans again. These somehow disappeared when they did the website update a couple weeks ago, they are back now.

The TH-50PZ77U is available from EPP. Even though it doesn't show the 'Add to Cart' button on the listing of all Plasma TVs, the button shows up when you go to the TH-50PZ77U page. It says 'ships in 3-5 business days'.

PS they also have the customer care plans again. These somehow disappeared when they did the website update a couple weeks ago, they are back now.

What are/is the "customer care plans"?

With Tower's test a very informative thread. Data - facts - measurements hard to argue that there is not an improvement here. Confirms the higher contrast ratio and appears to address the dim light levels that affect the 700 series. Also the black levels Tower recorded are impressive, getting dare I say close to Kuro territory (well closer anyway). Now can they bring a 65PZ77U to market or a 58 then we'd really be talking ! Tower thanks for the test measurements and post, addresses the main issue.

Does anyone know if the pz77's will be available in Canada. I called a few retailers and they had no clue what I was talking about. I just e-mailed Panasonic Canada today. Thank you.

Are we sure that the 10,000:1 is for both 42 and 50, I know that it should be but I wish we could see some test results for the 42 as well.

Good to know that the VGA can only support a lower resolution and HDMI 1:1 does in fact work on the panel. That takes the need for VGA out of the equation.

So it seems as if the z77 panel has a higher contrast ratio (confirmed at 50 inches, probably the same at 42), subjectively higher brightness and can handle a pc input at full resolution. Neither can display 24P but from a ton of reports I've read, judder is barely noticeable as it is.

All signs are pointing to the 77 over the 700u!

Only problem is...when does the price fall below the 700u!!!

Must be patient...must be patient!!!:cool:

What are/is the "customer care plans"?

They are basically the extended warranty from Panasonic.

The 77 already retails for $200 cheaper than the 700. So I guess you won't have to be patient at all.:)

Key word retails. I could of got the 700u cheaper.

Thanks for all of the great info everyone. I'm sold.

:D

Key word retails. I could of got the 700u cheaper.

Exactly, I've seen the 700u for $600-$700 below retail. The cheapest retail prices ive seen for the 77 are about $200 below and still more expensive than 700u street prices.

Are we sure that the 10,000:1 is for both 42 and 50, I know that it should be but I wish we could see some test results for the 42 as well.



This is by no means definitive evidence but at the same time that Panny updated (or corrected?) their consumer website for the 50pz77u (from 5000:1 to 10000:1) they made the same change for the 42pz77u.

This is by no means definitive evidence but at the same time that Panny updated (or corrected?) their consumer website for the 50pz77u (from 5000:1 to 10000:1) they made the same change for the 42pz77u.

Good catch and great news!

Looks like there is finally an add to cart button on the EPP site for the PZ77u.

Displayable colors has gone back up to 68.7 billion vs. the earlier 29 billion number.

With Tower's test a very informative thread. Data - facts - measurements hard to argue that there is not an improvement here. Confirms the higher contrast ratio and appears to address the dim light levels that affect the 700 series. Also the black levels Tower recorded are impressive, getting dare I say close to Kuro territory (well closer anyway). Now can they bring a 65PZ77U to market or a 58 then we'd really be talking ! Tower thanks for the test measurements and post, addresses the main issue.


Who is Tower? Is he/she someone on the forum....Could you please provide a link to the thread or post? ....Please:)

Thanks

Paul

He posted the info on the previous page of this thread

Is the PZ77 HDMI 1.3?
I could not find this info on the Panny site.

Thanks.

Is the PZ77 HDMI 1.3?
I could not find this info on the Panny site.

Thanks.

yes, all 07 Panny's are 1.3, so I'm sure the pz line is as well.

yes, all 07 Panny's are 1.3, so I'm sure the pz line is as well.

I have seen this said several times, but I can find no solid information verifying this. Can anyone point me to any? I would think that if all Panasonics were 1.3, they would advertise that fact since all of the major competitors who have it do.

I have seen this said several times, but I can find no solid information verifying this. Can anyone point me to any? I would think that if all Panasonics were 1.3, they would advertise that fact since all of the major competitors who have it do.There is no solid concrete verification on paper anywhere, but it's been verifed to several AVS members by Panasonic CSRs and it has been stated in a number of reviews. That's about the best answer you're going to get unless Panasonic decides to put it in print somewhere and makes it concrete, but we all know how accurate their printed specs are right? :D

So Panasonic went out of their way to say the 10:000 pres release completely incorrect, and then went back and changed it again? Dude, their marketing department is almost more inanely frustrating than Samsungs....

So Panasonic went out of their way to say the 10:000 pres release completely incorrect, and then went back and changed it again? Dude, their marketing department is almost more inanely frustrating than Samsungs....

And on that side note the Philips 63" marketing team as well.

Chris

Sorry, I'm a bit lost with all the talk of different models here. I have now ruled out the pz77u because it has been reported here to have the gloss black bezel. Does the z700u have a gloss black bezel also? If so that's a real disappointment as the only Panasonic with the flat black then is a 720p model. I really wanted to consider a plasma and the Pansonics with flat black bezel and anti-glare screens were the only hope of finding these two "features".

So Panasonic went out of their way to say the 10:000 pres release completely incorrect, and then went back and changed it again? Dude, their marketing department is almost more inanely frustrating than Samsungs....

The press release was most likely right but then when someone put the info in the system they made a mistake. The tech people only repeat what is in the system as I doubt they know every detail of every product off the top of there heads. They have now gone back and fixed it. The TV has only been out a week or less, so really did not take them long to fix it.

Can't be as bad as Samsungs nothing that's bad :D

The press release was most likely right but then when someone put the info in the system they made a mistake. The tech people only repeat what is in the system as I doubt they know every detail of every product off the top of there heads. They have now gone back and fixed it. The TV has only been out a week or less, so really did not take them long to fix it.

Can't be as bad as Samsungs nothing that's bad :D

yeah i had pondered the idea that they were just saying what their system read out but the multiple reports made it sound like they were a little more aware than that (plus everyone was saying that they were the same panels, and if anything the gloss would provide a higher contrast anyway).

So basically i'm not plenty confused, i couldnt give two craps about VGA and tv speakers, i just want to get the best PQ damnit!

yeah i had pondered the idea that they were just saying what their system read out but the multiple reports made it sound like they were a little more aware than that (plus everyone was saying that they were the same panels, and if anything the gloss would provide a higher contrast anyway).

So basically i'm not plenty confused, i couldnt give two craps about VGA and tv speakers, i just want to get the best PQ damnit!


but won't the anti-glare screen make the picture darker even with the higher contrast ratio?

Sorry, I'm a bit lost with all the talk of different models here. I have now ruled out the pz77u because it has been reported here to have the gloss black bezel. Does the z700u have a gloss black bezel also? If so that's a real disappointment as the only Panasonic with the flat black then is a 720p model. I really wanted to consider a plasma and the Pansonics with flat black bezel and anti-glare screens were the only hope of finding these two "features".

The 700 does have a glossy bezel, but you should check out the costco (Sam's Club, etc.) versions of the Pannys. They have a "PE" or "PC" model number, and are otherwise identical except for the stand and the flat black bezel.

Sorry, I'm a bit lost with all the talk of different models here. I have now ruled out the pz77u because it has been reported here to have the gloss black bezel. Does the z700u have a gloss black bezel also?I have not seen any posts saying the bezel on the new PZ77U is glossy - on the contrary i seem to remember one or two posts saying it's matte black. But the PZ700U bezel is definitely glossy and mine really bugs me.

If so that's a real disappointment as the only Panasonic with the flat black then is a 720p model. I really wanted to consider a plasma and the Pansonics with flat black bezel and anti-glare screens were the only hope of finding these two "features".The Costco TH-50PE700U is 1080p and has a matte bezel. And it's likely that the new PZ77U has a matte bezel so you have to have an actual owner verify it for you, or just go to a store and see for yourself :D

but won't the anti-glare screen make the picture darker even with the higher contrast ratio?

I really dont know anymore, someone who bought it said it was brighter than the 700u (it better be, since the 700u is said to be kind of dim), and other said the opposite, some said the Glossy screen helps make it look more contrasty, and then some say the opposite.

I do know though that most attest that glossy screens in general do make for a deeper look, that is like, their one supposed plus. the more mat a screen gets the more of a hazed look it gets in comparison.

Its glossy, you can see it in one of the pics I posted. I hate reflections but around the edge of the image I do not notice it. Maybe because I am use to it coming from a Samsung.

but won't the anti-glare screen make the picture darker even with the higher contrast ratio?

Not to my eyes the image is nice and bright. I had a 42px75u and it is just as bright if not brighter. If you are used to LCDs then all PDPs will look darker, my LCDs are way brighter (with the back light turned up) but there is no comparison in PQ.

sorry for the late reply. have been out of town. i was not able to see both units side by side so hard for me to say but i will say that the pz77u has a good brightness level.

Its glossy, you can see it in one of the pics I posted. I hate reflections but around the edge of the image I do not notice it. Maybe because I am use to it coming from a Samsung.
Tower,

Any chance you'd consider posting a few more pics, though this time without the screen on? Your last series were fantastic, but due to the screen being on it was difficult to get a sense of the look of the bezel and the "cut away" design underneath the screen.

Speaking of, is the design of the bezel and "cabinet" pretty much identical as the PX77, with the exception being the "cut away" under the screen is gloss black as opposed to the PX's silver accenting?

Thanks again!
Rob

Tower,

Any chance you'd consider posting a few more pics, though this time without the screen on? Your last series were fantastic, but due to the screen being on it was difficult to get a sense of the look of the bezel and the "cut away" design underneath the screen.

Speaking of, is the design of the bezel and "cabinet" pretty much identical as the PX77, with the exception being the "cut away" under the screen is gloss black as opposed to the PX's silver accenting?

Thanks again!
Rob

OK

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/8.jpg

You can see the speakers in this one

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/7.jpg

And two of the Pats

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/6.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/5.jpg

By the way cabinet is the same as the 50PX77U I had neither has silver. If fact the wife does not know I upgraded the PX was having problems and had to go back and the PZ came out so I got that instead (don't tell her LOL)

By the way cabinet is the same as the 50PX77U I had neither has silver. If fact the wife does not know I upgraded the PX was having problems and had to go back and the PZ came out so I got that instead (don't tell her LOL)
Tower,

You are da man! Thanks so much for going the extra distance here. You really are a great member of this forum.

One last question: It would appear that the "cut away arc" under the screen is matte black instead of the glossy look the bezel has..am I correct in this assumption..or is it also glossy? I've tried my local Circuit City, but they have none on display..just in stock in the back.

BTW, nicely done on the ol' switcheroo..that sir was handled most deftly!

Thanks again.

Rob

No problem you need info when spending your money and yes the cut away is matte.

Thanks for posting the pics!
I called Panasonic today and they agreed to let me exchange my PZ700u for the new PZ77u due to the terrible glare issues I was experiencing in my living room. The screen was like a mirror.
So far, how do you feel about the new coating on the screen? Does it perform well at reducing glare in your opinion?

Thanks for posting the pics!
I called Panasonic today and they agreed to let me exchange my PZ700u for the new PZ77u due to the terrible glare issues I was experiencing in my living room. The screen was like a mirror.
So far, how do you feel about the new coating on the screen? Does it perform well at reducing glare in your opinion?

It does a good job some where between a normal plasma and a LCD.

Here is a pic of my LCD next to a plasma I tried (I gave the Plasma to my mom) The Panny is more reflective then one on the left but no where as bad as the one on the right. I think it is a good compromise.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h98/tower101/2.jpg

just wanted to say thanks for all the commentary. My head was racked with all this info and I got one of the 50 incher today. It rocks so far, but i haven't really touched it as the break in dvd is going now.
It's funny, just the base of this TV is as big as the entire 30" crt i used to have. Now i'll have to think about mounting and such...

Thanks for posting the pics!
I called Panasonic today and they agreed to let me exchange my PZ700u for the new PZ77u due to the terrible glare issues I was experiencing in my living room. The screen was like a mirror.
So far, how do you feel about the new coating on the screen? Does it perform well at reducing glare in your opinion?

Wow, who at Panasonic did you contact?

Hey tower101...great pictures and thanks for participating in this thread.

I'm a current 6th Gen ED Panasonic owner and I am looking to upgrade to a 50" 1080P. To date, I've been dissatisfied with the 700/750 series units which has caused me to look at the Pioneer Kuro line. If the black levels are more in line (not the same) with Kuro's, I may be sold at the current prices Pansonic is offering. Can you post any pictures in complete darkness to show off what this new panel can do with black levels and shadow detail?

Thanks

Wow, who at Panasonic did you contact?

I contacted the return department since I had only had my TV for like 20 days I was within the return timeframe fortunately.

I contacted the return department since I had only had my TV for like 20 days I was within the return timeframe fortunately.

You called panny directly because you purchased from the EPP or panasonicdirect.com, right?

You called panny directly because you purchased from the EPP or panasonicdirect.com, right?

That is correct, I purchased it via the EPP. I have to pay for return shipping, I am scared to see what that will cost me!!

That is correct, I purchased it via the EPP. I have to pay for return shipping, I am scared to see what that will cost me!!

Did you go with the "White Glove Delivery" if so...did you think it was worth it? I am leaning towards it to be honest.

Anyone else go with White Glove Delivery?

-Rob

Did you go with the "White Glove Delivery" if so...did you think it was worth it? I am leaning towards it to be honest.

Anyone else go with White Glove Delivery?

-Rob

You might want to do a search on white glove on the 700/750 owners thread. There was a time where EPP had the 750 units available with free white glove delivery and some members took advantage of this.

You might want to do a search on white glove on the 700/750 owners thread. There was a time where EPP had the 750 units available with free white glove delivery and some members took advantage of this.

Thanks for the heads up...I found the thread...he got his back in July, let's hope I can still try to get it! It says free shipping on the site...:D

Hi all - I'm a little confused about Costco's 42" Panasonic Plasma - Model # TH42PC77U. Costco's description indicates its a 1080P, 10,000:1 contrast ratio with an ANTI-GLARE coated screen. Is this the same as the TH-42PZ77?

Here is the link to Costco:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11227104&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|79|2341&N=4001381%204294967278&Mo=1&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC3-Cat79&topnav=

Thanks in advance for your help,
Greg

Nope. See description.

Resolution: 1024 x 768

Talking about being confused, it seems that the 700 and the 77 are street pricing the same right now.

Talking about being confused, it seems that the 700 and the 77 are street pricing the same right now.
When you say the 77 are you referring o the PZ77 or the PX77. If you are referring to the PZ, where are you getting street prices? I only see retail prices on CC and B&H.

Thanks.

Talking about being confused, it seems that the 700 and the 77 are street pricing the same right now.
No surprise there. While there is demand for the 77s, the supply isn't there yet, hence higher prices. In fact, as tridentnyc alluded, the 77s are actually higher priced than the 700s most places. In a month or two Panasonic will have the supply chain filled and the new 77s will have a $100-150 advantage on the 700s at the street price level.

Hi all - I'm a little confused about Costco's 42" Panasonic Plasma - Model # TH42PC77U. Costco's description indicates its a 1080P, 10,000:1 contrast ratio with an ANTI-GLARE coated screen. Is this the same as the TH-42PZ77?

From its specs looks like the Costco equivalent of the Panasonic 42PX77U, its a 768p (1024x768) resolution model, not the higher priced 1080p model. The pricing is similar to the 42PX77U from other sources.

Hi all - I'm a little confused about Costco's 42" Panasonic Plasma - Model # TH42PC77U. Costco's description indicates its a 1080P, 10,000:1 contrast ratio with an ANTI-GLARE coated screen. Is this the same as the TH-42PZ77?

Here is the link to Costco:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11227104&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|79|2341&N=4001381%204294967278&Mo=1&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC3-Cat79&topnav=

Thanks in advance for your help,
Greg

Costco's PC77U line is equivalent to the PX77U line. Both have the anti-glare coating (which is more effective than the "anti-reflective" coating of the PX75 and 700 series). I believe the only difference is the Costco model comes with a different stand.

Thanks for the numerous clarifications to my post. I've only recently started looking into the Panny plasmas, and the number of 42" models available made it difficult for me to determine the differences among them.

Greg

well finally made the decision + ordered a pz77u, delivery tomorrow. basically comes down to brightness. the pz700 at BB just looked too dim for me & I am hoping that the pz77 will have a brightness on par with the px75 which looked good in the store ... my prediction is the pz700 will be discontinued soon, i still don't get why it's still in the lineup!

but the reasoning behind the 700u being less bright was due to its higher resolution, and no one has really verified yet if one was brighter (with people saying each one was brighter than the other).

so you're saying you just "hope" this, but got it sight unseen?

but the reasoning behind the 700u being less bright was due to its higher resolution, and no one has really verified yet if one was brighter (with people saying each one was brighter than the other).

so you're saying you just "hope" this, but got it sight unseen?

Well according to the readings I did with a spyder2 it was as bright (tad brighter) then the PX I had and the blacks where a tad darker then the PX.

Who has said the 700 was brighter?

Panasonic increased the contrast to "up to 10,000:1" from "up to 5000:1" you have to make it brighter and/or darker to do that unless you know some other way.

With some playing around with the TV have have gotten IRE100 readings in the 120's and that is bright in any ones book.

I can't seem to find this TV available for purchase anywhere. To those who have purchased this TV, where did you get it from?

Anyone have any idea when we can expect this TV to make it to the store shelves of our local Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.? I really want to go see this thing in action.

I can't seem to find this TV available for purchase anywhere. To those who have purchased this TV, where did you get it from?

Anyone have any idea when we can expect this TV to make it to the store shelves of our local Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.? I really want to go see this thing in action.


Well CC already has it listed on their website and according to the website the three nearest stores to me all have it.

Didn't see it listed on Sears.com

Best Buy doesn't have it listed on their website either, but it should be on there this Sunday (September 23). Best Buy is advertising the 50PZ77U on Page 1 of this coming Sunday's Newspaper ad (With a price mistake that would be out of this world if honored or able to be price matched elsewhere.)

Best Buy doesn't have it listed on their website either, but it should be on there this Sunday (September 23). Best Buy is advertising the 50PZ77U on Page 1 of this coming Sunday's Newspaper ad (With a price mistake that would be out of this world if honored or able to be price matched elsewhere.)

Link or any other info? ;)

Link or any other info? ;)

I think it is against the rules to go into any more info on that subject in this thread but you could PM me I believe.

Link or any other info? ;)

I found it... Needless to say if this holds true, I will buying a 50pz77u this weekend! :)

my prediction is the pz700 will be discontinued soon, i still don't get why it's still in the lineup!I don't think they'll discontinue the PZ700 just because they're releasing the PZ77U. They didn't discontinue the PX75 when they later released the PX77U, and Panasonic is on a mission to expand their full plasma lineup, not reduce it. The Anti-Glare versions are there to compliment the regular lineup and to steal sales away from LCD shoppers who do have a problem with light in their room. I've scrutinized the PX77U against the PX75U and i do feel that the Anti-Glare screen loses some of the depth and has much less of that "looking through a window" effect that a regular plasma has. I assume i'd get the same feeling from the 1080p version.

i bought my 50" locally at best buy, applied a 10% coupon and got it cheaper than buying it online. Plus I can return it easily and I got it immediately. They also had 42" available too. I was surprised they had it in stock.

Ok guys, I'm here with an answer, albeit not a very detailed one (I'm not permitted to give out too much info just yet.)

The PZ77s are definitely 10000:1 contrast ratio.

The contrast ratio is software driven, the panel is the same as the PZ700.

From what I can tell so far, the PZ77 and PX77 are identical except that the PZ77 is 1080p.

I had a chance to view the PZ700 and the PZ77 side-by-side on Tuesday. The film displayed was for motion comparison (to compare to an LCD, irrelevant to this discussion). I saw a slight difference in brightness on the PZ77 compared to the PZ700, but only in certain scenes (say whites/grays/etc) but my picture was also constantly moving. You guys tend to be much pickier than I am as well. (Har har har!) In my living room, I'd never know the difference between the two models aside from the anti-glare, sound system, and a few additional features available on the PZ700 which most of you know about.

Hope this information is somewhat helpful. I'll be back sometime next week which more answers to "how, why, what" etc!

I...The Anti-Glare versions are there to compliment the regular lineup and to steal sales away from LCD shoppers who do have a problem with light in their room. I've scrutinized the PX77U against the PX75U and i do feel that the Anti-Glare screen loses some of the depth and has much less of that "looking through a window" effect that a regular plasma has...

Even in a completely dark room, glass screens will reflect their own light as it reflects off other surfaces in the room. I find this very distracting and off putting. PLus, the "looking through a window" effect is exactly what I don't want. I want a more cinematic feel and never have I felt like I was looking through a window at a theater.

On the cusp...

OK, so the PZ77u appears to be the best plasma option for my price/viewing considerations. I live in a loft with lots of ambient light, but no direct sunlight to the screen. Even with the screens closed, the loft does not get very dark on summer evenings (upper floor, NW facing).

I can get the TV today for 10% off retail. The store I'm looking at also has an 46" LCD Mits LT-46131 (new - in box) for $50 less. The TV's are almost the identical width.

Is the Mits LCD a viable option or is this a no-brainer on the 42PZ77? I had a 52" Mits 1080P DLP in the room, but it's too large (deep) and the light really impacted the picture.

Where do "those in the know" here expect prices on the PZ77 to go in a month or two? Am I doing OK with the 10% off?

Thanks!

Question for 42 inch. PZ77U owner, is there any coolling fan ?

Thanks.

I found it... Needless to say if this holds true, I will buying a 50pz77u this weekend! :)
ajs800 or bywaytm,

Would either of you mind PMing me a link for the BB price for this weekend? Thanks very much!

Rob

Hope this information is somewhat helpful. I'll be back sometime next week which more answers to "how, why, what" etc!

Thanks for the information, very helpful. Can't wait till you're able to share more with us.

Ok guys, I'm here with an answer, albeit not a very detailed one (I'm not permitted to give out too much info just yet.)

The PZ77s are definitely 10000:1 contrast ratio.

The contrast ratio is software driven, the panel is the same as the PZ700.

From what I can tell so far, the PZ77 and PX77 are identical except that the PZ77 is 1080p.

I had a chance to view the PZ700 and the PZ77 side-by-side on Tuesday. The film displayed was for motion comparison (to compare to an LCD, irrelevant to this discussion). I saw a slight difference in brightness on the PZ77 compared to the PZ700, but only in certain scenes (say whites/grays/etc) but my picture was also constantly moving. You guys tend to be much pickier than I am as well. (Har har har!) In my living room, I'd never know the difference between the two models aside from the anti-glare, sound system, and a few additional features available on the PZ700 which most of you know about.

Hope this information is somewhat helpful. I'll be back sometime next week which more answers to "how, why, what" etc!
Thanks Panagurl! Can't wait for more. Any comment yet on the difference between the anti-glare on the 77 and the anti-reflection on the 700?

Thanks.

Rob

Anti-Glare versions are there to compliment the regular lineup and to steal sales away from LCD shoppers who do have a problem with light in their room.


Well that worked in my case :)

Well according to the readings I did with a spyder2 it was as bright (tad brighter) then the PX I had and the blacks where a tad darker then the PX.

Who has said the 700 was brighter?

Panasonic increased the contrast to "up to 10,000:1" from "up to 5000:1" you have to make it brighter and/or darker to do that unless you know some other way.

With some playing around with the TV have have gotten IRE100 readings in the 120's and that is bright in any ones book.

Someone i recall had said that they felt it was a little less bright than the 700, either that or maybe panasonic themselves told someone thats how it was supposed to be (not really acknowledging though that the 700u realitically is a little dim).

Also, i still dont understand though how it explains how they would make it brighter, if the whole reasoning behind the 700u being dim was due to its pixels being closer together, i mean the PZ77 also has 1080p now so naturally i would think it would suffer from that same issue.

So the consesus is, even if i dont have a glare problem and dont need or care about anti-glare, that the PZ77 is still a better choice over the 700u if i want the better picture?

So the consesus is, even if i dont have a glare problem and dont need or care about anti-glare, that the PZ77 is still a better choice over the 700u if i want the better picture?

I don't think we have enough info/ members who have seen the 77U to make a consensus yet.

All of my reading indicated that the pz77 was the "budget" 1080p model compared to the 700's. Less adjustments, less connectivity, no speakers, lower retail price, etc, etc, but what I don't understand is how two pretty important specs are higher on the 77's vs. the 700...that being CR and color reproduction.

Seems to me they should be putting out a display with the improved specs of the 77s while still keeping the options of the 700s. We'll probably see an anouncement soon and start a new thread just like this one all over again in November.

The whole thing is mute for me unless they come out with a 58pz77u, in which case I will probably still stick with the 700 anyway. No matter which display I buy, when I calibrate the set I wouldn't have the as brightness set as high as the 700 is capable of anyway. I don't need to be looking at the serface of the sun. Many mistake "brighter" for "better". Higher CRs only matter to me if the blacks get darker, not when the whites get brighter.

Also, i still dont understand though how it explains how they would make it brighter, if the whole reasoning behind the 700u being dim was due to its pixels being closer together, i mean the PZ77 also has 1080p now so naturally i would think it would suffer from that same issue.



Think the hole it has to be dimmer because its 1080p pixels closer thing is bunk. Either that or Samsung found some secret technology that they aren't sharing as there 5084 is very bright and 1080p.

Think the hole it has to be dimmer because its 1080p pixels closer thing is bunk. Either that or Samsung found some secret technology that they aren't sharing as there 5084 is very bright and 1080p.

Agreed, especially since the 77 and 700 are supposed to share the same panel.

Ok guys, I'm here with an answer, albeit not a very detailed one (I'm not permitted to give out too much info just yet.)

The PZ77s are definitely 10000:1 contrast ratio.

The contrast ratio is software driven, the panel is the same as the PZ700.

From what I can tell so far, the PZ77 and PX77 are identical except that the PZ77 is 1080p.

I had a chance to view the PZ700 and the PZ77 side-by-side on Tuesday. The film displayed was for motion comparison (to compare to an LCD, irrelevant to this discussion). I saw a slight difference in brightness on the PZ77 compared to the PZ700, but only in certain scenes (say whites/grays/etc) but my picture was also constantly moving. You guys tend to be much pickier than I am as well. (Har har har!) In my living room, I'd never know the difference between the two models aside from the anti-glare, sound system, and a few additional features available on the PZ700 which most of you know about.

Hope this information is somewhat helpful. I'll be back sometime next week which more answers to "how, why, what" etc!


Interesting... 700 and 77 are the same panel and CR increase is only software driven...

So I would take it that the 77 is just driving brightness harder?
I can imagine how this is needed with the anti glare filter on it.
Can 700 owners expect a "software / firmware" upgrade to drive phosphors harder?
(Not that the 700's really need it)
Tell us more how they do this via software when you can :D
How do measurable blacks compare between the two panels?

Cant wait for additional info next week :D

Interesting... 700 and 77 are the same panel and CR increase is only software driven...

So I would take it that the 77 is just driving brightness harder?
I can imagine how this is needed with the anti glare filter on it.
Can 700 owners expect a "software / firmware" upgrade to drive phosphors harder?
(Not that the 700's really need it)
Tell us more how they do this via software when you can :D
How do measurable blacks compare between the two panels?

Cant wait for additional info next week :D

I was thinking it was a matter of being driven harder too, but the 77 actually uses slightly less power than the 700. It is only a couple of watts, but it is just enough to be explained by the smaller speakers. If it was just being driven harder, you would expect the wattage to go up.

Would'nt driving the panel harder negatively impact the half-life yet the half-life stated in the press release states 100K hours. :confused:

I was thinking it was a matter of being driven harder too, but the 77 actually uses slightly less power than the 700. It is only a couple of watts, but it is just enough to be explained by the smaller speakers. If it was just being driven harder, you would expect the wattage to go up.

Panagurl was very clear that they are physically the same panels and that its done through software, so how else would you increase CR? You have an anti glare screen, which I would think would require the phosphors to be driven harder anyhow.

Would'nt driving the panel harder negatively impact the half-life yet the half-life stated in the press release states 100K hours. :confused:

We dont know how resiliant the phosphors are... yes they state 100k hours, but maybe there is enough headroom in real world life expectancy that they can bump up intensity and still pull off the 100K hours. We dont know yet, but I can tell ya this, Im looking forward to more info :D

... Neither can display 24P but from a ton of reports I've read, judder is barely noticeable as it is. ...


I just ordered the 42PZ77U, when it arrives I will check if the HDMI interface accepts 1080p24. What the TV then does with that signal is another story...

The manufacturers should really put a list of all EDID-supported resolutions into their product description, that would make the model selection a lot easier.

I just ordered the 42PZ77U, when it arrives I will check if the HDMI interface accepts 1080p24. What the TV then does with that signal is another story...

The manufacturers should really put a list of all EDID-supported resolutions into their product description, that would make the model selection a lot easier.

I think panagurl was already clear that there will be no 1080p24 on any 2007 panel, that its coming in 2008.

Oh boy, hopefully the "driven harder" part doesnt make it more susceptible to burn in. I occasionally get a little bit of image retention on my 700u but only for a min or so. I know its normal for plasmas to have slight image retention, I just hope that Panasonic isnt stretching the limitations of the panel to the point of making burn-in an issue. My pz77u will be arriving next week.
Hopefully I will be able to do a side by side comparison for everyone.

Can someone tell me where the vents are located in the 50PZ77? I am going to build a recess in to my wall (so that the TV will be even with wall) but want to make sure I accommodate for the cooling vents.

Thanks!

For those of you who saw the link to this Sunday's ad for a certain big box electronics retailer that had the 50PZ77U listed for over $1000 below retail, I can confirm that it was a typo, and the stores will not be honoring it. In response to the error, I was told the retailer will be offering $100 off all plasmas beginning Sunday.

Needless to say, that's a pretty big error. Of course, I wasn't assuming that the price listed was accurate, but it's a pretty blatant mistake for a Page 1 item. Also, to add insult to injury, I was told that since it is a brand new model, there were only about a dozen or so units in the distribution center, and that local stores wouldn't likely be getting more than a single unit apiece this week (if that). So not only is the chain advertising a price they won't honor for a brand new item plastered on on the front page of their ad, there won't even be enough stock to sell to those that are actually willing to pay MSRP for it. I would think some heads must be rolling within that company's marketing department this week.

I just ordered the 42PZ77U, when it arrives I will check if the HDMI interface accepts 1080p24. What the TV then does with that signal is another story...

The manufacturers should really put a list of all EDID-supported resolutions into their product description, that would make the model selection a lot easier.


The 50PZ77U does NOT accept 24p, 48p or any refresh rat other then 60 (59.94) believe me I tried them all LOL kind of a bummer as the 50px77u I had did (I know its not supposed to but it did work)

Oh boy, hopefully the "driven harder" part doesnt make it more susceptible to burn in. I occasionally get a little bit of image retention on my 700u but only for a min or so. I know its normal for plasmas to have slight image retention, I just hope that Panasonic isnt stretching the limitations of the panel to the point of making burn-in an issue. My pz77u will be arriving next week.
Hopefully I will be able to do a side by side comparison for everyone.

I have had NO IR at all and I am NOT being carfull to say the least :D

Can someone tell me where the vents are located in the 50PZ77? I am going to build a recess in to my wall (so that the TV will be even with wall) but want to make sure I accommodate for the cooling vents.

Thanks!

Across the bottom, lower back and across top back at an angle.

For those of you who saw the link to this Sunday's ad for a certain big box electronics retailer that had the 50PZ77U listed for over $1000 below retail, I can confirm that it was a typo, and the stores will not be honoring it. In response to the error, I was told the retailer will be offering $100 off all plasmas beginning Sunday.

Needless to say, that's a pretty big error. Of course, I wasn't assuming that the price listed was accurate, but it's a pretty blatant mistake for a Page 1 item. Also, to add insult to injury, I was told that since it is a brand new model, there were only about a dozen or so units in the distribution center, and that local stores wouldn't likely be getting more than a single unit apiece this week (if that). So not only is the chain advertising a price they won't honor for a brand new item plastered on on the front page of their ad, there won't even be enough stock to sell to those that are actually willing to pay MSRP for it. I would think some heads must be rolling within that company's marketing department this week.

:mad: I hope some one puts it on sale before my 30 days are up.

For those of you who saw the link to this Sunday's ad for a certain big box electronics retailer that had the 50PZ77U listed for over $1000 below retail, I can confirm that it was a typo, and the stores will not be honoring it. In response to the error, I was told the retailer will be offering $100 off all plasmas beginning Sunday.

Needless to say, that's a pretty big error. Of course, I wasn't assuming that the price listed was accurate, but it's a pretty blatant mistake for a Page 1 item. Also, to add insult to injury, I was told that since it is a brand new model, there were only about a dozen or so units in the distribution center, and that local stores wouldn't likely be getting more than a single unit apiece this week (if that). So not only is the chain advertising a price they won't honor for a brand new item plastered on on the front page of their ad, there won't even be enough stock to sell to those that are actually willing to pay MSRP for it. I would think some heads must be rolling within that company's marketing department this week.

But will another competing big box electronics store price match for those bringing in the add? Nah... I'm sure competing B&M's all have told their stores not to price match that one...

I think panagurl was already clear that there will be no 1080p24 on any 2007 panel, that its coming in 2008.

That's what I had thought to... but I just tried 1080p24 from the PS3 on my new 50PX75U and it worked. A few other people with PX75/77U sets are reporting that it works for them as well.

What does it actually mean if it does not accept 1080p24? That it will not accept a signal from a blue-ray/ HD-DVD or it wont accept certain types of other signal?

Sorry if this is a super basic question.

What does it actually mean if it does not accept 1080p24? That it will not accept a signal from a blue-ray/ HD-DVD or it wont accept certain types of other signal?

Sorry if this is a super basic question.


Not a basic question at all.

Film based material is recorded at 24fps if you have a TV that only displays 60 then 24 does not go into that so it does telecine (3:2 pulldown) where not every frame is repeated the same this causes judder. If you have a TV that can display a rate that is a multiple of 24 (48,72 so on) then the TV will do a 2:2, 3:3, 4:4 so on and you get a smoother image.

Just got home with my brand new 42" PZ77!!! I feel like a little kid! Did a quick calibration and am watching Star Wars III. The picture is very impressive! I can't stop grinning! Got a great deal. Was surprised they gave me the price I asked for since it was their 1st one and they have nothing on the wall yet.

If you're reading this thread to make a decision on the PZ77 series, don't hesitate at all. I am EXTREMELY particular and the picture via a Denon upscaling DVD is EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!!!

Yipee!!!!!

Congrats :D

Sorry if I missed it in this thread but are there larger ones from Panasonic coming out any time soon?

Thanks

Is the PZ77 really 52" wide ?

The specs list the 50" PZ77 has being 52" wide without the optional speakers. That sounds unusually wide. I'm hoping it's an error or something as I need as little width as possible and similar speakerless sets such as the PX75U are 48" wide. The only other info was on Panasonic's site.

Is the PZ77 really 52" wide ?

The specs list the 50" PZ77 has being 52" wide without the optional speakers. That sounds unusually wide. I'm hoping it's an error or something as I need as little width as possible and similar speakerless sets such as the PX75U are 48" wide. The only other info was on Panasonic's site.

I doesn't have optional speakers. It has built in speakers on the sides, and that's why it's so wide. The speakers on the 75 series are on the bottom making it thinner. And the 700 series has thin strips on the sides, and bulges on the back for the subwoofers.

Is the PZ77 really 52" wide ?

The specs list the 50" PZ77 has being 52" wide without the optional speakers. That sounds unusually wide. I'm hoping it's an error or something as I need as little width as possible and similar speakerless sets such as the PX75U are 48" wide. The only other info was on Panasonic's site.

Yup 52" right on the money. The speakers are not removable.

Just got home with my brand new 42" PZ77!!! I feel like a little kid! Did a quick calibration and am watching Star Wars III. The picture is very impressive! I can't stop grinning! Got a great deal. Was surprised they gave me the price I asked for since it was their 1st one and they have nothing on the wall yet.

If you're reading this thread to make a decision on the PZ77 series, don't hesitate at all. I am EXTREMELY particular and the picture via a Denon upscaling DVD is EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!!!

Yipee!!!!!

Congrats! Now get some REAL HD movies!

Yup 52" right on the money. The speakers are not removable.

They are. With a saw. :D

But will another competing big box electronics store price match for those bringing in the add? Nah... I'm sure competing B&M's all have told their stores not to price match that one...

The didn't tell the competing big box store I just went to. I just got the 50" for the 42" price.

Are you serious?

Panasonic sometimes acts brain dead. CNET criticized the 700 for only having 2 HDMI inputs...So they take off the VGA input and do not increase the number of HDMI inputs.... If this was to be a PIO 4280 killer it need to get close to the 4 inputs thta the 4280 has....

All the pio 4280 gushing??? Is this actually a proven fact that people can tell the difference...Where is the data?

Panasonic sometimes acts brain dead. CNET criticized the 700 for only having 2 HDMI inputs...So they take off the VGA input and do not increase the number of HDMI inputs.... If this was to be a PIO 4280 killer it need to get close to the 4 inputs thta the 4280 has....

All the pio 4280 gushing??? Is this actually a proven fact that people can tell the difference...Where is the data?

Panasonic is trying to compete with LCDs that can be had for under 2K with 1080P.

I think the evidence is in early reviews and peoples lying eyes:p

- Rich

Are you serious?

Yes, I'm serious.

Since I'm not talking about prices here, I guess it's okay to drop names.

Circuit City honored the ad, even though Best Buy retracted it.

I brought in the ad to CC, they looked at it, and gave me BB's price plus 18-months no-interest financing. I was trying so hard to remain calm, otherwise I'd blow the whole thing.

The TV will be delivered today. I saw them load it on the truck.

- N

Holy crap I'm going to have to give that a shot. Wish me luck!!

I just got home from Circuit City and they didn't honor it. They even had some e-mail print out about the error. Maybe I should try another one.

I just got home from Circuit City and they didn't honor it. They even had some e-mail print out about the error. Maybe I should try another one.

That might be a good idea. I went in at 10:30 central to buy it, hoping they hadn't received the word yet. I lucked out.

Just set this up and burning it in now. I been going thru the pages but just cannot read it all. How do you turn on the pixel shifting on this 42PZ77U? Or is it always on by default. Also if someone could link a setting post I would appreciate it.

Yea I might have been better off if I got there early. I actually went to Best Buy first but they had signs taped on the front door. Not sure if its worth going to another CC. I may just blow it off at this point.

I was able to see the TH-50PZ77 at BB last night. They had just hooked it up. It was on a wall just below a TH-42PZ700U. You can certainly see the difference in the anti-glare screen. I thought the 42PZ700 had a bit more 'pop' to the picture though. Wasn't sure which I preferred - both had their pros and cons.
But I did notice one thing. On the loop video that BB plays there is a segment that I believe is called 'The Sword' or something like that. I think it's a promo for Pioneer flat panels. There is one part in which the sword is being held upright and light is reflecting off of it. On the TH-50PZ77 I saw some obvious false contouring on the light glowing around the sword. I quickly looked up at the 42PZ700 and didn't see it. Looked back and forth continually between both. It was very evident on the 50PZ77 but not even detectable on the 42PZ700. I realize the 50PZ77 was just turned on and not adjusted in anyway and I have no idea if the 42PZ700 had any adjustments done to it. Just an observation and maybe something to watch for.

Panasonic is trying to compete with LCDs that can be had for under 2K with 1080P.

I think the evidence is in early reviews and peoples lying eyes:p

- Rich
so there actually is a legitimate independent review COMPARING the pio 4280 with the panny 700? The reason I am asking is that I went to a store which had the Panny 700 and pio 4280. I sat in front of these two sets for 30 minutes and I could not see any difference...In fact the bargain basement Panny PX75 and PX77 units looked almost as good. Perhaps my eyes are too old or do we have a repeat of the oxygenated (or is it unoygenated)cables arguments...

Here is a pic of my42PZ77 Stock setting on SD channel. I really like this TV. Even more than the returned Sammy 5084 :)

The pics do not do it justice.

so there actually is a legitimate independent review COMPARING the pio 4280 with the panny 700? The reason I am asking is that I went to a store which had the Panny 700 and pio 4280. I sat in front of these two sets for 30 minutes and I could not see any difference...In fact the bargain basement Panny PX75 and PX77 units looked almost as good. Perhaps my eyes are too old or do we have a repeat of the oxygenated (or is it unoygenated)cables arguments...

There are a number of reviews posted in the 8g thread and also nany trusted AVS reports. I have seen the 8 series and I can see the difference in my local Best Buy. I have bought 5 Panasonic Plasma for myself and family so I am well aware of their capability.

I do not think it is easy to make a black-level determination in a store setting. A good friend of mine is looking to a buying a Plasma for the first time. Personally, I would buy a Pioneer, but at about 1K less for the 50PZ, I think it is the best choice for him. The absolute black level is just not that big an issue for him.

So there are many reasons to choose a plasma display, but if you are are black-level obsessed person, I think there is only one choice.

- Rich

I agree with Rich. I've compared a PZ700 and a 5080 side by side with adjustments to both sets . . . The Pio is cleraly the superior set in all respects except sharpness, which is about a wash except lettering (advantage panny). The difference in black levels is significant.

My experience from two CC stores this morning is that they will not PM without calling BB to confirm the deal.

I think if I had gotten to CC about 30 minutes earlier they would have honored the PM. They had just received word about the price error.

The price error was known by all stores on friday. They locked the registers to flag this item. E-mails went out on Friday aswell. All CC and managers knew and would have been required to approve of this as it is a high PM and normal employees cannot authorize it.

I went to best by today to look at the 42PZ77. I am no expert. I basically just know what I have learned in the last few months by researching TV's in prep for a purchase. I also have no idea what the settings for the TV were set at.

I was very impressed. The anti glare is far better than any other plasma I saw, though not quite equivalent to the LCDs. I also thought the picture was the brightest of any plasma on that area of the wall.

They had it set up right next to a Pioneer 4280. After starring at the TVs for over 10 minutes, I was finally able to say that the Pioneer had better black levels. However, the difference was very small. I doubt I would have even able to tell the difference had the TV's not been side by side. On the flip side, the Panny had a brighter picture. Overall, I preferred the picture of the Panny to the Pioneer. I would buy the Panny even if they were the same price. Considering the price difference, the Panny is a no brainer for me.

The price error was known by all stores on friday. They locked the registers to flag this item. E-mails went out on Friday aswell. All CC and managers knew and would have been required to approve of this as it is a high PM and normal employees cannot authorize it.

I guess I must've really lucked out, then.

Anyways...

I'm going to try some of the PZ700U settings and report back with how well they've worked.

I managed to snag a TH-50PZ77U also. Pricematched at CC in central NJ and had no issues. I was there at ~10 minutes after open.

I'm not sure I can keep it, though. :( I bought it and brought it home, surprising the wife-to-be.

Here is a pic of my42PZ77 Stock setting on SD channel. I really like this TV. Even more than the returned Sammy 5084 :)

The pics do not do it justice.


Why did you return the Samsung?

LOL at the panasonic PM's :) Right.

The Samsung was way to hot and IR was bad.

LOL at the panasonic PM's :) Right.

The Samsung was way to hot and IR was bad.

PMs?

Way too hot? So the IR was bad as in worse than other plasmas?

No pricematch for me :mad: Maybe had had I gone up this morning but was at the Pats game :) I could have used the 1K refund.

I managed to snag a TH-50PZ77U also. Pricematched at CC in central NJ and had no issues. I was there at ~10 minutes after open.

I'm not sure I can keep it, though. :( I bought it and brought it home, surprising the wife-to-be.

Put on a really good movie she loves, keep the picture/brightness settings lowish, and turn down the lights. She should be okay with it after the experience.

PMs?

Way too hot? So the IR was bad as in worse than other plasmas?

Yes it really held the image even after short periods. The temp coming out of the TV was twice as hot as the panny and heat =bad for electronics.

The CC computers would not allow a PM as they new of this BB mistake on Thursday and emailed all branches on Friday and entered flags. So if you tried to get one it would not let you.

I guess I must've really lucked out, then.

Anyways...

I'm going to try some of the PZ700U settings and report back with how well they've worked.The Price was for a PZ77U not a PZ700U...

The Price was for a PZ77U not a PZ700U...

I needed somewhere to start.

Best Buy in my area has run what appears to be a substantial misprint in the advertisement this week. They've got the 50pz77u for substantially cheaper than the 50px75u in the same ad :lol:

Best Buy in my area has run what appears to be a substantial misprint in the advertisement this week. They've got the 50pz77u for substantially cheaper than the 50px75u in the same ad :lol:

Yes I saw that! What a big issue and a big loss that will be if they honor the price. If not they will have upset customers.

Chris

Here is a pic of my42PZ77 Stock setting on SD channel. I really like this TV. Even more than the returned Sammy 5084 :)

The pics do not do it justice.

How about you switch the source to that lil guy below the TV and take some glorious HD shots...:)

It's a misprint. Best Buy will not be honoring the price. All plasma TV's will have a $100 instant rebate.

So far no problems in my store....

Yes I saw that! What a big issue and a big loss that will be if they honor the price. If not they will have upset customers.

ChrisThey sent out an email to all their customers days ago saying that it would be a misprint and they would be honoring the price.

As a valued Best Buy customer, we want to inform you of an error that will appear in the September 23, 2007 Best BuyTM ad. On the front cover we mistakenly listed the price of the 50" Panasonic Plasma TV (TH_50PZ77U- 8501711) at $1799, before $90 savings. We intended to advertise the 42" Panasonic Plasma TV (TH-42PZ77U-8501757) at $1799, before $90 savings.
Best Buy will not be honoring this price on the aforementioned 50" Panasonic Plasma TV.

We apologize for any inconvenience, and we will offer a $100 Instant Rebate on all Plasma Televisions from Sunday, September 23, 2007 through Saturday, September 29, 2007. This Instant Rebate will be deducted from the price you see in the store, including our regular sale prices.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to seeing you in our store soon.

(c) 2007 Best BuyI couldn't find anyone to Price Match or honor the ad.

I will be buying the 42 inch model. 1080p or 720p? I do not own a PS3 or XBOX 360. I still own an old XBOX. I do not yet have an upconverting DVD, but may buy one. My wife and I mostly watch regualr TV because we have an old Toshiba tube TV, no HD programming because we didn't have a TV to support it. We sit 7.5 feet away from our current TV. Probably 8ft from this new display because of the profile. We also use a tivo box, which needs to be upgraded to a HD tivo box to display HD programming. This adds to the cost another $300.

My main questions is is 1080p worth the extra $300-$400. Everything I read says if you are not within 5ft of a 1080p set you can't tell the difference, or if the display is less than 50" you can't either. Lets here some bottom lines. I've got a quote for $1500 on a 700u or PZ77U and $1,199 on a PX77U.

Not sure if this has been reported or if anyone cares but the pz77 models have hit the parts website and it seems the plasma panels in both the 42" model and 50" models are different than the 700/750 models .It looks like the pz77 models are shipping with the 10th gen. panels recently announced in Japan.

That makes sense. The contrast ratio has gone from 5000:1 on the 700u to 10,000:1 on the 77U models.

Hopefully newer means better :)

Not sure if this has been reported or if anyone cares but the pz77 models have hit the parts website and it seems the plasma panels in both the 42" model and 50" models are different than the 700/750 models .It looks like the pz77 models are shipping with the 10th gen. panels recently announced in Japan.:confused:

Are you sure? Panasonic's website lists the px75, px77, pz700 and pz77 as all being G10 panels. Check out the "Panel Type" category in the link below. Is that something different?

Model Comparison (http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelComparisonResults?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=75003&surfCategory=Plasma%20TVs&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702&items=126557|177931|112105|112106|)


Btw, what is the "parts website". Thanks.

Ok... Here's a PZ77U question...

What does the 2:3 pulldown setting do?

I know what 2:3 pulldown is, but I thought that was always done to convert 24Hz signals to 60Hz signals. If I turn it off, what cadence is it going to use?

Not sure if this has been reported or if anyone cares but the pz77 models have hit the parts website and it seems the plasma panels in both the 42" model and 50" models are different than the 700/750 models .It looks like the pz77 models are shipping with the 10th gen. panels recently announced in Japan.

Panagurl made it very clear that the pz77 and the pz700s share the exact same panel. They differ in terms of anti glare vs anti reflection, and the pz77's have an increased contrast ratio thats done in software (ie, sounds like phosphors are driven harder) They are all 10G panels.

Ok... Here's a PZ77U question...

What does the 2:3 pulldown setting do?

I know what 2:3 pulldown is, but I thought that was always done to convert 24Hz signals to 60Hz signals. If I turn it off, what cadence is it going to use?

It is to deinterlace film based material. You will notice it is grayed out when you feed it a progressive signal.

I am to lazy to type out how deinterlaceing works (I have in the past) so here is a copy past from wikipedia on deinterlacing.

"Both field combination and frame extension lend themselves to a method called motion compensation. Deinterlacers that use this technique are often superior because they can use information from many fields, as opposed to just one or two. For example, if two fields had a person's head moving to the left, then if weaving was applied, mice teeth would appear. If blending was applied, ghosting would appear. Selective blending would also create ghosting. Both of the frame extension methods would have no artifacts, but the level of detail on the face would be half. Motion compensation (ideally) would see that the face in both frames is the same, just transposed, and would combine the face (through weaving or some other more advanced method) to get full detail in both output frames. This needs to be combined with a scene change detection algorithm, otherwise it will attempt to find motion between two completely different scenes.

The best deinterlacers combine all of the methods mentioned above. The fields are bobbed, so the framerate is then kept. Motion compensation is done. In the areas that it cannot find a motion match, it falls back on selective blending. The best deinterlacers also determine whether video material contain a 3:2 pulldown sequence in the case of film material, and automatically do a reverse telecine instead of the above deinterlacing techniques. This operation is made automatic in modern deinterlacers, depending on whether the video is currently film-source or not, by automatically detecting for the presence of a 3:2 pulldown sequence."

Not sure if this has been reported or if anyone cares but the pz77 models have hit the parts website and it seems the plasma panels in both the 42" model and 50" models are different than the 700/750 models .It looks like the pz77 models are shipping with the 10th gen. panels recently announced in Japan.The part numbers could be different simply due to an upgraded connector or different mounting tabs due to the different cabinet etc, while the basic panel itself could be exactly the same.

Ok everybody, so here is the 700/750 vs z77 debate in a nutshell:
Sounds like we've got the same panel with the z77u having an anti-glare screen which most say does not distort picture quality to any measurable extent and is the best of its kind without moving into the LCD arena.

It also has a higher contrast ratio (10k to 1 as opposed to 5k to 1). This is being done via software and some are saying it is improving the black level as well as the brightness.

It has lower-quality speakers, is a little wider, and has less inputs (VGA, HDMI).

My dilemna: I purchase a 50" 700u 32 days ago, and I spoke with BB who said that I could exchange for the z77u for two weeks (manager approved it). I have a price match I could use ($e@rs has the set for <<< less). To me and probably others the DECIDING FACTOR here is how much better are the blacks and anti-glare screen everything else being equal? BB and CC in my area don't have the z77u on display yet.
I am looking for more opinions on the difference in black level specifically and any other input you can provide is gravy.

Panagurl made it very clear that the pz77 and the pz700s share the exact same panel. They differ in terms of anti glare vs anti reflection, and the pz77's have an increased contrast ratio thats done in software (ie, sounds like phosphors are driven harder) They are all 10G panels

They are both right, kind of. Per D-Nice at the thread's beginning: "They are using a new driver to drive a revised 9G glass (new phosphors). The new driver is capable of boosting the picture brightness and slightly reducing the minimum luminance. You can expect a minimum luminance level measurements around the 0.013-0.015ftl range"

So, it is neither 10th gen glass nor the exact same 9th gen glass.
Let's call it 9.5. :cool:

Has anyone attempted to calibrate a 50" set yet? I'm curious what you guys come up with. I don't have any of the color tools, but I played around with the standard black test pattern to start and I can only see about half of the grey bars using only the basic TV picture settings and that's with high brightness and max "picture".

So you know, I'm a noob at this...I tried going up and down on both the brightness and "picture" (which i'm assuming is contrast[?]) in both directions (ie B up C up, B up C down, B down C down, B down C up). I attempted to go into the service menu, but that didn't get anywhere cause it looks like I need hex codes or something. This is going obviously going to take some research...This TV is definitely more complicated than the old one...

Panagurl made it very clear that the pz77 and the pz700s share the exact same panel. They differ in terms of anti glare vs anti reflection, and the pz77's have an increased contrast ratio thats done in software (ie, sounds like phosphors are driven harder) They are all 10G panels


They are not.Or at least they were not.It was established that the 700/750 50" and the 58" began shipping with the same 9th gen. plasma panels that were introduced with the pf9uk last fall.Only the 42pz700 had a tenth gen. part number.Its panel did not exist last year.As far as the filter,thats part of the front glass and has nothing to do with the pdp.

The part numbers could be different simply due to an upgraded connector or different mounting tabs due to the different cabinet etc, while the basic panel itself could be exactly the same.

This could be possible Randy but they have not done it in the past.In fact they have now removed the 700/750 pdp listings from the parts site.Why?They have done this in the past to I believe mask the relative little difference in cost between the 768p panels and the 1080p panels.Perhaps they changed them mid stream which would piss off alot of owners who bought TVs with 9 series panels.

Ok everybody, so here is the 700/750 vs z77 debate in a nutshell:
Sounds like we've got the same panel with the z77u having an anti-glare screen which most say does not distort picture quality to any measurable extent and is the best of its kind without moving into the LCD arena.

It also has a higher contrast ratio (10k to 1 as opposed to 5k to 1). This is being done via software and some are saying it is improving the black level as well as the brightness.

It has lower-quality speakers, is a little wider, and has less inputs (VGA, HDMI).

My dilemna: I purchase a 50" 700u 32 days ago, and I spoke with BB who said that I could exchange for the z77u for two weeks (manager approved it). I have a price match I could use ($e@rs has the set for <<< less). To me and probably others the DECIDING FACTOR here is how much better are the blacks and anti-glare screen everything else being equal? BB and CC in my area don't have the z77u on display yet.
I am looking for more opinions on the difference in black level specifically and any other input you can provide is gravy.

FYI: Both sets only have 2 HDMI ports. The only port that was missing was the VGA port.

I'll post a photograph of the AG coating for you tonight.

FYI: Both sets only have 2 HDMI ports.

700 has only 2 HDMI, but 750 adds a third.

I just pulled the trigger on the 42PX77U. I didn't go with the 42PZ77U because of the screen size, my lack of 1080p hardware like a PS3 and distance from the TV. I got the TV from Amazon for $1,199 no tax and no shipping. Circuit City would not match and said they don't price match Amazon.com.

In addition to the TV I had to upgrade to the HD Tivo box, which I also got a great deal on at $249, way less than BB, CC or even Tivo's own website.

Does anyone have a link to ideal custom picture setting for this TV? If you do it would be greatly appreciated.

They are both right, kind of. Per D-Nice at the thread's beginning: "They are using a new driver to drive a revised 9G glass (new phosphors). The new driver is capable of boosting the picture brightness and slightly reducing the minimum luminance. You can expect a minimum luminance level measurements around the 0.013-0.015ftl range"

So, it is neither 10th gen glass nor the exact same 9th gen glass.
Let's call it 9.5. :cool:

Actually anytime that you change something about the panel, whether it be the ribs, the glass, or the phosphors, etc, it becomes a new generation. When you change the software to drive the panel, then it could be considered a revised panel. All of the 2007 Panasonic plasmas are 10th generation panels.

They are not.Or at least they were not.It was established that the 700/750 50" and the 58" began shipping with the same 9th gen. plasma panels that were introduced with the pf9uk last fall.Only the 42pz700 had a tenth gen. part number.Its panel did not exist last year.As far as the filter,thats part of the front glass and has nothing to do with the pdp.

Perhaps, but the PF9 last year was a 1080p panel and didn't fit the 9th gen line of consumer or industrial plasmas. Even when it came out last year I said "shouldn't this be a 10th gen??". I really can't guess why they kept it as a 9th gen number (maybe because it was still released in 2006), as obviously it had to be a new panel as it was our first 1080p line. Even current models in the industrial line include PH10s and PF9s.. confusing yes. My speculation is that the PF9 was technically a 10th gen to begin with.

Newbie here... Had been deciding on 50" PZ700U vs 77U and had decided on 77U since we have a huge picture window behind the couch, but now I am more confused than ever. I think I now need to decide between the PX77U vs PZ77U. Will be getting DTV HD DVR service, have no PSP or gaming setup, no BluRay or HD DVD player, will be sitting 9-11 feet from TV. Do I need 1080 or is 768 enough? I am so confused!

i just bought this tv yesterday.
its a sexy beast~ i love it

Actually anytime that you change something about the panel, whether it be the ribs, the glass, or the phosphors, etc, it becomes a new generation. When you change the software to drive the panel, then it could be considered a revised panel. All of the 2007 Panasonic plasmas are 10th generation panels.



Perhaps, but the PF9 last year was a 1080p panel and didn't fit the 9th gen line of consumer or industrial plasmas. Even when it came out last year I said "shouldn't this be a 10th gen??". I really can't guess why they kept it as a 9th gen number (maybe because it was still released in 2006), as obviously it had to be a new panel as it was our first 1080p line. Even current models in the industrial line include PH10s and PF9s.. confusing yes. My speculation is that the PF9 was technically a 10th gen to begin with.

I agree this is all very confusing but this is how I understand it.

The th50pf9 was introduced in the fall of 2006 as a 9th gen. model and was equipped with a 9th gen. pdp.This was the first N. American 1080p panel from Panasonic but Japan already had this and a 58" 1080p shipping with these
9th gen pdp's.

CES 2007 brought the intro. of the first Panasonic consumer level 1080p sets in the new 10th gen. models (the pz700/750 series)but they where equipped with the 9th gen. pdp that had already been seen last year in the Japanese 58" and the US pf9.This was confirmed with part numbers and they matched.

Panasonic has now removed the pdp listing from the 50" and 58"pz700/750 models on its parts website.They also recently changed the website and now state all the 1080p panels to be 10th generation.Perhaps they have now changed the panels across the entire line or they are masking the fact that they are now using two different generations in their 1080p sets.Either way it seems the pz77 has a different pdp than the ,earlier at least, pz700/750 models shipped with.Its clear the 42pz700 and 42pz77 do not have the same pdp as they both are still listed with their pdp part numbers on the parts website.

And to add one more piece of info, this is out in the open in Japan where the 42pz700 and new 42pz750 are known openly to have differing pdps.Check out the reviews at AV watch.

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20070921/dg87.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dav%2Bwatch%26hl%3Den

Copy and paste URL to get translation

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/53/10015161mf5.jpg (http://img217.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10015161mf5.jpg)

This picture demonstrates the AG coating on my 50PZ77U. I set it up to show how the AG diffused the light coming from my 5-bulb chandelier. You can clearly see one bulb on the bezel. To the right, you see that it has been transformed into a blurry blob. (It's bigger because the other 4 lamps are being reflected.)

Below the chandelier, you can see a black semicircle in the bezel. This is a wall decoration. The AG coating also blurs this too.

I went to CC tonight and looked at the PZ700U's. These DID NOT diffuse the light, and I could've swarn I was looking at a Samsung LCD. :P

Really nice! So it looks like it has the AG coating to deflect bright light. Very good news.
Great post IBNobody!

Chris

Really nice! So it looks like it has the AG coating to deflect bright light. Very good news.
Great post IBNobody!

Chris

N/P.

The diffusion also makes it so that I can sit on my couch in front of the TV and not see myself. It was a big improvement over my CRT's glare. The only downside to the TV's AG screen is that the bezel is NOT matte.

I just pulled the trigger on the 42PX77U. I didn't go with the 42PZ77U because of the screen size, .

But arent they both the same size, 42 inches?

anyhow, my head is simply asploding at all this different panel talk, i'd ask for an official answer but everyone is presuming their answer is officiall.

meanwhile i still dont know, i mean which one has the better PQ again???? I suppose if it's an updated panel and not just software changes then it definitevly is the PZ77......