Official Panasonic 2011 TC-PxxST30 Thread [No Price Talk] - Page 103

Ive been hearing great comments on the picture quality of the ST30. In the forum for the Vizio E3D420VX its also been said the Vizio has great picture quality. I also like the idea of passive 3d and how simple it is. I am no videophile I am just looking for a great picture. I am at a crossroads here.

The ST30 will blow the Vizio out of the water when it comes to 3d picture quality. Passive 3d isn't even full HD in the current gen.

Just got my 60ST30 today and it's very impressive. I've basically checked every feature I could and I'm having trouble with video playback via the usb ports. I was under the impression that this would play DIVX and other file formats straight from the usb drive. Am I wrong? It's not the end of the world if it can't but it sure is convenient on my other TV.

I actually prefer passive 3d. While you do only get 540p per eye, it combines to form a 1080p image in your head. I think it looks great and that is one of the reasons Im leaning toward the vizio. You say 3d quality is better on the St30? How do you think the 2d will stack up. I am a not a videophile by any means

^Almost every owner that has responded in this thread has stated that both this set provides a great 2D and 3D picture. If you prefer passive 3D, then buy the Vizio. If you have a set amount of money to spend and want the largest TV without considering picture quality, buy the Vizio. If you don't want to think about image retention, buy a Vizio. If you like how LCD looks over plasma, buy a Vizio. If you want the better picture/TV, buy the Panasonic.

You need to decide what factors are most important to you. For example, in 2008 I was trying to decide between a 42" and 46" 1080p vs. a 50" 768p set. The smaller models were better, but size mattered to me and I purchased the 50" 768p set and have been happy ever since; I definitely would have regretted purchasing the smaller sets. I have wanted a large set for quite some time now and almost bought a 73" DLP for a super low price even though the picture quality is nowhere near plasma, but the price was so low that it was a great value. Ultimately it didn't work out. I can still get a large DLP for half the price of the 65ST30 I ordered, but in this case the Panasonic is a better value because it provides my favorite technology (plasma), far better picture/viewing angles, and in this particular case comes with the free Avatar 3D Kit.

It's all about what YOU want. Almost every owner you talk to will tell you that they are happy with their particular set, but they can't tell you if you will be happy.

I appreciate the reply but my intention was too see if anybody had experience with this particular 3d vizio panel and if they did how far ahead in terms of picture quality is the ST30 when compared to the vizio. I plan on mostly gaming with slight blu-ray and tv. I am nervous about burn in and image retention but I heard it was fixed. I get alot of conflicting opinions. Some say LCD for gaming some say plasma. Some say LCD is better others say plasma. I would like to know from someone who has experience with both what the definitive solution is. I do enjoy passive 3d as it provides more benefits to me than active but if the panny is that far ahead in terms of picture quality than I will spring for that panel. Thanks for any help. It is appreciated.

Also the vizio I am looking at is the Vizio E3D470VX

Just look at all the review rankings from the professionals. It is Panny and Samsung plasmas at the top, and the occasional Sony or Samsung LCD is up there. IMO despite not seeing the Vizeo, I doubt it would stack up to the Panny. Only LCD I would consider instead of a Panny or Sammy plasma, is a top of the line Sony, which is obviously way out of your price range.

Also surprised you prefer the Passive 3D. Despite the cheaper cost, shutter tech is way better in my experiences, and I think most would agree.

Maybe you should buy both from a store(maybe different stores) that has a good return policy and return the one you don't like, you should have 30 days to decide, then you will get a full refund no harm done. Not sure if you can do this but worth a thought.

So just converted a file to MPEG4 and I can see it in the media player. When I try to view the file it says, cannot read file. What type of video file can this read? I'm not able to find an answer anywhere. Do I need to resort to the DLNA server or my Apple TV? I used to use my PS3 until all the worthless updates.

what do you mean the worthless updates? the PS3 will play almost anything, including that.

I think the Panasonic has issue with any mpeg4 that has more audio options than stereo included.

I've been having issues ever since the Cinavia stuff was installed and the work-arounds never really worked for me, maybe I'll revisit.

I'll try a different compression, I guess. Thanks for the info.

Even Consumer Reports did not find this to be true. It is just marketing hype.

Michael

I'll see if they work on mine. Are you running over ethernet or a USB drive?

I'm trying from a USB Drive. The convenience of the usb ports has always been a plus for me even though I end up networking everything. I just had an .mkv file work flawlessly so it will play something, I now would just prefer not to have to convert content.

I find that full MKV backups of blurays are too slow over the network for video being smooth, and HD audio sound doesn't work - just an FYI in general.

Cnet awarded the vizio xvt3sv series one of the best for 2010. I guess I may spring for the ST30 based on your evaluation. Its not that I prefer passive I just enjoy the benefits more. Lighter, cheaper, and a brighter picture, also more comfortable. I also don't like how the active picture is dimmer. Would you say the st30 blows away lcds in picture? I ask because I keep getting different opinions. In this st30 thread of course everybody says the panny is better, in LCD forums they say the LCD is better. Also how does the ST30 compare to top of the line tvs? I want the best picture for mostly gaming and slight movies and tv. I also get conflicting opinions on which is better for gaming. Thanks your help is appreciated

^You are recycling your questions and this is my last response. Please get the Vizio. Good luck.

Yeah Consumer Reports is a joke

agreed. jordan23237 you're asking the same questions over and over again.

get the Vizio. you're gaming, so you can go nuts with it, and not worry about break-in and burn-in and etc.

Got my P55St30 yesterday and am currently running slides. One issue I was having while I was setting it up was that I was unable to get the wifi to connect. It sees my network and I gave it the right password but it just refuses to connect. I am using a TRENDNET|TEW-432BRP 802.11 b/g router. Is there anything specific that I need to do to get it connected?

Thanks. The room has certainly become the focal point for my family and other groups, like my brother's church youth group. Many special screenings.

I havent tried this yet on my own ST30, but from what I've read on here, your router's PW needs to be all caps.

What about numbers? I have small letters and numbers currently.

I was in the same boat. I just ordered a 46" ST30. I considered a 50", but I really wanted to keep the price below 1k without sacrificing quality. I am upgrading from a 32" JVC tube (hahaha, don't laugh, it has been a great TV). So, even though the 46 is small compared to some of the screens these days, it was what I could afford.

Is it just me or are a lot of you guys not that impressed with the picture quality of the LCD & LED sets? I went to a big-box and looked at a lot of sets. It seemed like you had to get into 2k+ territory before they even looked acceptable. Some of them made people look like neon cartoon characters. Yeah I know they are all set at vivid, but you get my point. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have always liked the liquid smooth and deep picture of a plasma.

This is my first ever HDTV so I am pretty excited.

You can use lower case letters but by default, when you input your password on the ST30, it will use uppercase letters. You'll need to change the case (one of colored buttons on the remote) to make sure you're inputting the correct case since passwords are case sensitive.

My ST30 is here (a day early...yes!) and I wasn't going to do the slide thing...but, I think it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm doing the whole D-Nice routine, I got my 20 slides, input all the settings, and the slide-show is on. 30 minutes in...and I got another 99 hrs and 30 more minutes to go!!! Damn...!

So far so good...I got my Avatar 3D set as well. I can't wait till Saturday!!! This thread has been very very helpful...thank you everyone for making my decision easy. This is my first plasma, and I'm gettin' another plasma next week - 65St30!!!

I did notice that. I did change the case to input the lower case and numbers properly. Anyone else having issues with wifi connectivity. A friend of mine said that he had issues a couple of years ago on a LCD set I think but he switched a N router and it worked perfectly. I don't see why a G vs N router could be a issue but anybody else have any comments on the wifi connectivity?

congrats on the purchase! a 50" AND a 65"?!?

those with iPhones, don't forget to download the free Vierra app! let's you control your TV with your iPhone, and while most of us have Harmony remotes for stuff like that, the app let's you use your iPhone's keyboard, which the Harmony doesn't have. should be handy when you're in the YouTube app on your tv, searching for vids.

enjoy!

Are you sure you have C.A.T.S. and the other video processing stuff turned off? I think the CATS function also makes the image fluctuate badly. I'd check on all of that before returning the set.