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Official Panasonic 2012 Lineup and Information Thread [No Price Talk]

post #1 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:16pm
Thread Starter 
Since the new Panasonics are being revealed, time to start an official 2012 Panasonic thread.
http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us/index.html

I really like the designs of the new models, especially the GT50

C'mon 46G10, die die die already
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #2 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 

UT50: (Entry Level 3D 1080p model)

 

Active Shutter Progressive 3D
2,500 Focused Field Drive
Vivid Color Creation
Web Smoother
2D-3D Conversion
3D 24p Cinema Smoother
3D Real Sound
VIERA Connect
WiFi Ready (Requires Adapter)
DLNA
Game Mode
Media Player
VIERA Link™
2 HDMI inputs
2 USB inputs
Note - Does Not Have an Anti-Reflective Filter like the ST50/GT50/VT50 does

 

 

 

 

ST50: (adds NeoPlasma Panel, Infinite Black Pro, Anti-Reflective Louver Filter, 8-Train Speakers, WiFi)

Progressive Full HD 3D™
NeoPlasma Panel

Pro Settings Menu in Custom mode (with Gamma and W/B settings)
2,500 Focused Field Drive

Anti-Reflective Louver Filter
Infinite Black Pro Filter

12,288 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
24p Cinematic Playback 48 Hz
Vivid Color Creation
Web Smoother
2D-3D Conversion
3D 24p Cinema Smoother
3D Real Sound with 8-Train Speakers

WiFi Built In

Web Browser
3 HDMI inputs
 

 



GT50: (adds 24,576 Equivalent Steps of Gradation, 1,080p Pure Direct, THX® 3D Certified Display, Dual Core Processor, one more HDMI input, narrower bezel)

Progressive Full HD 3D™
NeoPlasma Panel

Pro Settings Menu in Custom mode (with Gamma and W/B settings)
2,500 Focused Field Drive

Anti-Reflective Louver Filter
Infinite Black Pro Filter
24,576 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
24p Cinematic Playback 48 Hz
1,080p Pure Direct
Pure Image Creation
Vivid Color Creation
Web Smoother
2D-3D Conversion
3D 24p Cinema Smoother
THX® 3D Certified Display

THX Bright Room picture mode

THX Cinema (night time) picture mode
4 HDMI inputs
PC Input (but limited to 768p)
Dual Core Processor (for the internet apps)

WiFi Built In

Web Browser
3D Real Sound with 8-Train Speakers
 

 


VT50: (adds Infinite Black Ultra, One Sheet of Glass Bezel design, 24p Cinematic Playback 96 Hz/48 Hz, and ISFccc Calibration Mode/Advanced Calibration, Viera Touchpad Controller)

Progressive Full HD 3D™
NeoPlasma Panel

Pro Settings Menu in Custom mode (with Gamma and W/B settings)
2,500 Focused Field Drive

Anti-Reflective Louver Filter
Infinite Black Ultra Filter (slightly darker than ST50/GT50's Pro Filter)
24,576 Equivalent Steps of Gradation
1,080p Pure Direct
Pure Image Creation
Vivid Color Creation
Web Smoother
2D-3D Conversion
3D 24p Cinema Smoother
THX® 3D Certified Display

THX Bright Room picture mode

THX Cinema (night time) picture mode
24p Cinematic Playback 96 Hz/48 Hz
ISFccc Calibration Mode with Advanced Calibration
3D Real Sound with 8-Train Speakers

Viera Touchpad Controller
4 HDMI inputs

PC Input (but limited to 768p)

WiFi Built In

Web Browser
Dual Core Processor  (for the internet apps)
One Sheet of Glass Bezel design (Outer "infinity" glass extends to edges of TV)


D-Nice's 2012 Panasonic Settings/Issues Thread with his 2012 Reference Settings:
They are not posted on AVS. To find them, you have to go to High Def Junkies dot com since they're only posted over there.
You need to be registered at HDJ before you can access the DISPLAY SETTINGS, CALIBRATIONS, & REVIEWS Forum where the thread resides.


Official VT50 Thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1408338
Official GT50 Thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1403635
Official ST50 Thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1397245
Official UT50 Thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1406618


Product page for VT50: http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us/vt_plasma.html
Product page for GT50: http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us/gt_plasma.html
Product page for ST50: http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us/st_plasma.html
Product page for UT50: http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us/ut_plasma.html


Link to VT50 Quick Start Guide (contains dimensions and schematics):
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER.../TCP55VT50.PDF

Link to VT50 E-Help Operating Manual:
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER...-HELP_VT50.PDF



Link to GT50 Quick Start Guide (Schematic drawings with dimensions are all the way down at the bottom):
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER.../TCP50GT50.PDF

Link to GT50 E-Help Operating Manual (presumably the one that's built into the TV):
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER...-HELP_GT50.PDF



Link to ST50 Quick Start Guide (Schematic drawings with dimensions are all the way down at the bottom):
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER.../TCP50ST50.PDF

Link to ST50 E-Help Operating Manual:
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER...HELP_ST50X.PDF



2012 Models MSRP and Release Dates:

TC-P42UT50 $799 (42" size has since been discontinued)
TC-P50UT50 $1,099 Available 2/24/12
TC-P55UT50 $1,399 Available 3/17/12
TC-P60UT50 $1,799 Available 4/14/12

TC-P50ST50 $1,399 Available 2/20/12
TC-P55ST50 $1,699 Available 2/27/12
TC-P60ST50 $2,099 Available 4/14/12
TC-P65ST50 $2,999 Available 4/23/12

TC-P50GT50 $1,799 Available 3/12/12
TC-P55GT50 $2,099 Available 3/19/12
TC-P60GT50 $2,599 Available 4/14/12
TC-P65GT50 $3,299 Available 4/23/12 (recently adjusted down from the original $3,499)

TC-P55VT50 $2,499 Available 5/07/12
TC-P65VT50 $3,699 Available 5/14/12 (recently adjusted down from the original $3,999)

2011 MSRP vs 2012 MSRP Comparison on pg 6: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...&postcount=174


Edited by RandyWalters - 12/20/12 at 6:51am
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post #3 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:34pm
While I'm sure there is a lot of marketing gimmick, it really looks like Panasonic made quite some leaps and bounds for the 2012 Plasma's! Any info on the "24,576 Super Fine Pitch Technology?" Is this as good as it sounds? And while the GT is a very nice looking TV, I think it was the ST series that is going to benefit most from the new design.
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post #4 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:39pm
Did they skip the G40 series?
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post #5 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by .peace. View Post

Did they skip the G40 series?

The number four is bad luck in Japanese culture and sounds like the word for death, so they skipped to 5.
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post #6 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by .peace. View Post

Did they skip the G40 series?

I think the word "forty" means Hiroshima in Japanese..
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post #7 of 1641
1/9/12 at 6:48pm
Really, really wish the VT series still came in a 50" size.
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post #8 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:03pm
Isn't this your mandatory upgrade year, Randy?
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post #9 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:06pm
The VT50 sounds great. I Am extremely happy with my 1 month old VT30 but the VT50 sounds exciting! No Tvs in my near future though, and I couldn't think about waiting12 months until the VT50 comes down to the steal of a price I got the VT30 for. If the new sets are relatively problem free then there will surely be some happy 2012 Panasonic owners.
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post #10 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:17pm
no 75" model, same thick design
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post #11 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:25pm
There was never going to be a 75. There might be a 70 later in the year according to expert dude man over at HDJ but he said it wouldn't be at CES.
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post #12 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:35pm
jesus christ you think it would kill them to offer one high end model in the 42"-46" size.
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post #13 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nervx View Post

jesus christ you think it would kill them to offer one high end model in the 42"-46" size.

I know what you mean. A 46" model is the size I'm looking for. Anyway, I'm kind of hoping that Panasonic has somehow reduced phosphor lag in these new panels. Does anyone have any info on this?
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post #14 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:44pm
is this more or less the same design as the VT30...I have a hard time telling from those official "renders"
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post #15 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nervx View Post

jesus christ you think it would kill them to offer one high end model in the 42"-46" size.

What, do you need one for your bathroom?
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post #16 of 1641
1/9/12 at 7:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LowellG View Post

What, do you need one for your bathroom?

bedroom. dont need a 50" tv when you're watching from 4-5 feet away.
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post #17 of 1641
1/9/12 at 8:21pm
The problem with the CES Panny announcements every year is it takes 6 months to determine whether the reality meets the promise which is suggested by the new display technology.

Most of the other 'features' announced involve bells and whistles in the form of social networking, more internet connectivity, etc, and that gave me (and hopefully most of you videophiles) a big yawn. Most people out there just want to plop themselves in front of the set. And if they don't then they aren't really watching TV, but trying to do many things at once, which we know is impossible as humans cannot multi-task well at all. (Reminds me of the annoyance of people in movie theatres that are texting and talking on the phone while attempting to watch a movie). If anyone wants to network while watching TV that can already easily be done by grabbing an iPad, laptop, iPhone, smartphone and twittering, tweeting, facebooking and chirping to one's heart's content.

This part Steve Jobs got right. He realized that the TV will always remain a relatively passive experience and people want it that way. They want to tune in and turn off and immerse themselves in what is showing on the TV. That is why he was totally focused on making the experience of operating the TV simple, ie changing channels, finding content, having content, etc. In this respect, Apple TV is a big step in the right direction. Coupled with a great TV and Netflix it is where TV is going. I think most of the social networking bells and whistles Panasonic has introduced will be hardly used. And, I think they are best kept outside of the TV and accessed in a manner like Apple TV has implemented (small tiny simple inexpensive box which can be connected to any TV).

So, it'll be the summer when the reviews are out and one can determine whether the new TVs are worth buying from the improvement in display technology aspect, but then of course CES is just around the corner again and, um, why not wait, lol.....
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post #18 of 1641
1/9/12 at 8:34pm
eonibm,

well said....enjoyable post

I really can't tell much from this so far, but I'm sure that we'll get more info. This is just another evolution, but I guess that is what I expected. I wonder if there are any "revolutions" on the horizon for plasma? I suppose not. Anything like "LED backlighting"..."120Hz vs. 60Hz"...etc. that have come out for LCDs in the past several years (don't take this to mean that I expect these things on plasmas...i know they are irrelevant to plasma tech, but they were "advances" for LCDs)? Now, I'm not saying these things were great improvements (certainly LED has distractors), but at least they were something somewhat revolutionary. Anything on the horizon like that for plasmas? I suppose not, given that it seems more mature and stable.
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post #19 of 1641
1/9/12 at 8:45pm
well see a little more tomorrow at CES
Cleveland Plasma Insider
» Get the latest news and updates at the Cleveland Plasma sponsor page.
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Cleveland Plasma Insider
» Get the latest news and updates at the Cleveland Plasma sponsor page.
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post #20 of 1641
1/9/12 at 8:48pm
Panasonic's 2012 led lineup looks pretty good too.

But I bet none of them have full local dimming making plasma still the king.
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post #21 of 1641
1/9/12 at 8:53pm
very nice looking tvs i wonder if the st50 will be the best bang for the buck again.
i cant look any more at this tvs because i will want one lol
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post #22 of 1641
1/10/12 at 12:09am
It's not just Infinite Black, it's Infinite Black ULTRA!

Someone better tell Panasonic that OLED is breathing down their necks, incremental improvements are not going to save them now.

Samsung no longer gives a crap about plasma, so it's up to Panasonic to deliver TVs which don't buzz and have similar image quality to OLED today so people won't just wait a year or two for OLED to become affordable.
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post #23 of 1641
1/10/12 at 5:01am
Looks like Panasonic has put some information about the new 2012 features on their panasonic.net web page. (Sorry I am too new to the forum and cannot post a url link but just go to the .net site and go to consumer and viera tvs)

They refer to the panel as
- "A milestone has been reached in our search for optimal picture quality"
- "The materials and structure of the Plasma panel have been re-engineered from the ground up"
- "This new panel"
- "Redesigned panel structure"

They show a number of images offering a number of comparisons and advantages the 2012 panel has over the 2011 panel.

Then there is also the "NEW" cpu/engine/etc
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post #24 of 1641
1/10/12 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Faceless Rebel View Post

It's not just Infinite Black, it's Infinite Black ULTRA!

Someone better tell Panasonic that OLED is breathing down their necks, incremental improvements are not going to save them now.

Samsung no longer gives a crap about plasma, so it's up to Panasonic to deliver TVs which don't buzz and have similar image quality to OLED today so people won't just wait a year or two for OLED to become affordable.

Oh please. OLED is not even available yet, will only be available in a couple sizes, if that, later in the year and the price won't be price competitive for a few years. And you can also be sure Panasonic will remain in the game with OLED or another competitive technology themselves.
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post #25 of 1641
1/10/12 at 7:50am
You guys really think samsung and LG's OLED TV's are being released this year? I'll believe it when i see them in bestbuy for $9000.
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post #26 of 1641
1/10/12 at 8:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by saprano View Post

You guys really think samsung and LG's OLED TV's are being released this year? I'll believe it when i see them in bestbuy for $9000.

Exactly.
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post #27 of 1641
1/10/12 at 8:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowser33333 View Post

Looks like Panasonic has put some information about the new 2012 features on their panasonic.net web page. (Sorry I am too new to the forum and cannot post a url link but just go to the .net site and go to consumer and viera tvs)

They refer to the panel as
- "A milestone has been reached in our search for optimal picture quality"
- "The materials and structure of the Plasma panel have been re-engineered from the ground up"
- "This new panel"
- "Redesigned panel structure"

They show a number of images offering a number of comparisons and advantages the 2012 panel has over the 2011 panel.

Then there is also the "NEW" cpu/engine/etc

If they're using the new panel tech in the entire 2012 product line-up, and not just limiting it to the VT series like they did last year, then I question why they have so many different models when there are so few remaining differences between them. Seems to me they could do away with at least half of their seven different Plasma series. It's pretty bogus that companies are limiting things like half-decent out-of-the-box calibration (THX mode) and adequate ambient-light filtering to only the $1900+ models.
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post #28 of 1641
1/10/12 at 8:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nervx View Post

jesus christ you think it would kill them to offer one high end model in the 42"-46" size.

Well ya it would, since they wouldnt sell enough of them to cover the cost of manufacturing. They dont want to go the way of Pioneer in their TV division.
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post #29 of 1641
1/10/12 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eonibm View Post

Oh please. OLED is not even available yet, will only be available in a couple sizes, if that, later in the year and the price won't be price competitive for quite some time. And you can also be sure Panasonic will remain in the game with OLED or another competitive technology themselves.

Panasonic has an 8.5 Gen OLED plant in Himeji for R&D purposes. I believe 2013 is the target date for them IIRC.
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post #30 of 1641
1/10/12 at 8:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanbauer View Post

Really, really wish the VT series still came in a 50" size.

Seriously. Anything larger in my modest living room would look obnoxious.
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