Update 12-3-13: Updated the Color Space values below to improve the color gamut even further
To be fair, here is a list of the pros and cons that has been gathered regarding this set:
Pros:
Cons:
So in summary, if you are looking for a no frills set that has a very accurate picture, at a low price, this set should be at the top of your short list.
You can pick up this 51” 1080P plasma for about $530 at many big box stores right now, and it’s a steal IMO. (edit: At this points it's back closer to $650, but still very price competitive)
This set sure performs, and has an amazing capability for calibration. The ability to adjust not only white balance, but the entire color gamut is awesome for the price. Throw in the gamma adjustment and you can really make this set shine.
The set looks fantastic, with excellent motion handling, dead on color, and plenty of brightness for my needs. I have this set in a living room with 9’ by 7’ window, but the TV faces away from the windows, so the impact of the screen’s reflectivity is minimized.
Please see the attachments for the grey scale, gamma, and color space results.
Here are my calibration results. Nothing short of superb in my opinion. The light output with these settings, based on my i1Pro, is 36 ftL for what it’s worth.
Here are my settings, based on calibrations with my i1Pro:
Picture Mode = Standard
Color Tone: Standard
All filters or digital "aids" are turned off
Cell Light = 20
Contrast = 100
Brightness = 49
Sharpness = 0
Color = 50
Tint = 50
Advanced Settings all off or zero
Gamma = -2
White Balance:
Red Offset = 23
Green Offset = 25
Blue Offset = 8
Red Gain = 23
Green Gain = 29
Blue Gain = 13
Color Space = Custom
Red:
R=35
G=14
B=11
Green:
R=32
G=38
B=18
Blue:
R=15
G=11
B=39
Yellow:
R=43
G=43
B=16
Cyan:
R=30
G=46
B=46
Magenta:
R=40
G=13
B=42
PN51F5300GreyScale.jpg 49k .jpg file
PN51F5300Gamma.jpg 43k .jpg file
PN51F5300ColorSpace.jpg 36k .jpg file
To be fair, here is a list of the pros and cons that has been gathered regarding this set:
Pros:
- Extremely accurate picture for the price. I'm very impressed with the accuracy, to the point that it is easy to see problems in source material because you know how well the set can display good, accurate source material.
- Amazing capability for dialing in the calibration of the set
- Good Black level (again, not top of the line, but good.)
- Very little noise in the picture. Very clean.
Cons:
- Reflective Screen (may or may not be an issue for you)
- Not as bright as some other plasma's (although I have found it to be plenty bright in my very bright great room) 36 ftL is nothing to sneeze at.
- No 3D
- No built-in wifi for Netflix and such (you'll need a separate device like a PS3, or Roku, etc...)
- Some brightness issues when playing games or watching sports with all white backgrounds. IMO, this is a very limited problem, as in normal viewing content I haven't seen any indication of this.
- Two HDMI inputs
So in summary, if you are looking for a no frills set that has a very accurate picture, at a low price, this set should be at the top of your short list.
You can pick up this 51” 1080P plasma for about $530 at many big box stores right now, and it’s a steal IMO. (edit: At this points it's back closer to $650, but still very price competitive)
This set sure performs, and has an amazing capability for calibration. The ability to adjust not only white balance, but the entire color gamut is awesome for the price. Throw in the gamma adjustment and you can really make this set shine.
The set looks fantastic, with excellent motion handling, dead on color, and plenty of brightness for my needs. I have this set in a living room with 9’ by 7’ window, but the TV faces away from the windows, so the impact of the screen’s reflectivity is minimized.
Please see the attachments for the grey scale, gamma, and color space results.
Here are my calibration results. Nothing short of superb in my opinion. The light output with these settings, based on my i1Pro, is 36 ftL for what it’s worth.
Here are my settings, based on calibrations with my i1Pro:
Picture Mode = Standard
Color Tone: Standard
All filters or digital "aids" are turned off
Cell Light = 20
Contrast = 100
Brightness = 49
Sharpness = 0
Color = 50
Tint = 50
Advanced Settings all off or zero
Gamma = -2
White Balance:
Red Offset = 23
Green Offset = 25
Blue Offset = 8
Red Gain = 23
Green Gain = 29
Blue Gain = 13
Color Space = Custom
Red:
R=35
G=14
B=11
Green:
R=32
G=38
B=18
Blue:
R=15
G=11
B=39
Yellow:
R=43
G=43
B=16
Cyan:
R=30
G=46
B=46
Magenta:
R=40
G=13
B=42
PN51F5300GreyScale.jpg 49k .jpg file
PN51F5300Gamma.jpg 43k .jpg file
PN51F5300ColorSpace.jpg 36k .jpg file