Official Panasonic 2012 Lineup and Information Thread [No Price Talk] - Page 54

Yep, you're right, I assumed most folks perusing the avsforums website looking at TVs are familiar with other brands and can easily Google model numbers.

The first 2 are Sony TVs, the latter 2 are Sony projectors. You can probably guess that no one else asked the same question because they all knew what those models are (or simply Googled them).


Max

But it doesnt have thx.
Edited by Brick3 - 6/26/12 at 2:41am

or simply don't care.

Or don't want to waste time Googling info on someone elses TV's.

Unless the cabinet/nook for the tv is too small consider getting the 50" and moving your seat back if possible. After all, not only the screen gets bigger but so do the elements it displays.

And don't forget the 96hz mode for progressive content. Some people actual find it useful as opposed the the pointless 48hz of the st/gt.

GT50 has 42 inch(and 50).
If there won't be any lower inch of vt50 then gt50 is the only choice for me.

I have choice to move my seat back and i usually do when i watch film but i can't do it while playing games especially on online games such as cod as i feel like i lose my concentration when playing from far.Thanks for advice.

Not pointless for 3D.

I'm not sure what 96Hz is supposed to look like when done properly, so I can't give my personal opinion as to whether the VT does it well, but from what I did experience I can say that I wouldn't use it.

Look, I don't work for Panasonic and I've never seen these 2 models side by side. But I have done a lot of research, and in answer to the question, is the VT50 better, the answer is yes, absolutely.

Anyone considering it versus the ST50 should check out Cnet's review (or any other). http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-tc-p55vt50/4505-6482_7-35118304.html

No one is saying that the VT50 isn't the best in the lineup (except one individual on this forum that I have put on ignore). All were saying is that the ST/GT perform fairly close to the VT50 once calibrated. The ST/GT calibrates very well with it's relatively limited calibration control set... the VT50 is just a little better thanks to the ISF modes and the more extensive calibration control set that comes along with it.

In regards to 96Hz, the lack of this option on the ST/GT shouldn't be a deal breaker... all models handle 24p content fine at 60Hz, and I'm very picky when it comes to this. I see no judder or dropped frames on my ST50 with 24p content playing at 60Hz.

I've also read that the improved louvre filter is good for viewing in a room with more light than the ST50. It's another selling point.

So besides the extra USB port, HDMI connection, THX modes, 96hz, improved web remote, ability to calibrate more accurately and improved louvre filter, I suppose yes, they are almost identical.

You're being too defensive. Your original argument was speaking in terms of PQ, and in that regard, they are fairly close. Of course there are other reasons to get the VT50, but it's certainly not for everyone.
Edited by rahzel - 6/26/12 at 1:10pm

false (partially):

I returned an ST for a GT due to daytime bright-room viewing. You can only calibrate the ST user the custom menu and you have to choose if you want to do so for daytime or nighttime settings. If you have a 24 hour light-controlled room which you can always keep dark, get the ST. If you don't, it's GT all the way.

Jason

Cinema can be calibrated in the service menu. The only downside to Cinema mode is the gamma is only ~2 - 2.10, which is a little on the low side and there's no gamma slider.

@jason370 - yes, you're right, I forget that the ST only has one really useful mode for calibration.

I wouldn't completely discount Cinema on the ST50... after it has been calibrated it would satisfy most people. Again, the only downside to Cinema is the slightly lower gamma, and even D-Nice said that he was able to get a satisfying gamma out of Cinema. Admittedly, it's not quite as good as THX/Custom though.

This thread was very helpful... I ended up going with the 65gt50 because when I purchased the set it was $300 more than the st version but $1000 less than the vt version on amazon.com ( prices still the same right now ). I buy a great deal from Amazon.com and trust them to return the set if I need them to.

It appears that a number of reviews believe the PQ of all three of these are not dramatically different. I do like the look of the gt a bit better than the st ( though I don't believe the st looks that cheap, etc. as some have indicated ). As I will not likely ever get the set calibrated the THX modes on the GT were a factor considered. I also like the dual processor for faster application interface, etc.

The set is scheduled for delivery for the morning of Tuesday, July 3rd. Can't wait for it to be delivered!

Just a thought, but can't you calibrate each HDMI input separately on the ST? Why not calibrate one for nighttime viewing and one for daytime? You would of course have to have an HDMI splitter with 2 or more outputs, but I believe Monoprice sells one pretty cheaply. I've been thinking about doing this for the 65ST50 I plan on purchasing in the near future (birthday present from my wife). At least that would take care of both my DVR and Oppo Blu-ray. Though I still haven't ruled out a GT depending on prices when I'm ready to buy.

Recall reading a couple of Professional Reviews of the ST50 which suggested using Cinema for 2D and Custom for 3D - and at least one of those stated that the default Gamma in Cinema mode looked better than any of the options under Custom. The comparison is dealing with USER CONTROLS, so all bets are off for those willing to enter the Service Menu - or to pony up the $$ for a Pro Calibration.

There could be any number of reasons for the difference of opinion as to whether Cinema or Custom is the preferred Picture Mode: Differences between panels of differing sizes; Panel vs Panel Variations (even when both are the same size); Personal Preferences of the Reviewer (or Owner); or Consideration for what Looks Good To Most People, as opposed to what is necessarily The Most Accurate picture.

Then there is also the Philosophical Question of whether to publish a review based upon Service Menu Calibrations - so as to show the Best Possible PQ for any given set - OR to strictly stay within whatever User Controls are available, under the argument that 90% (99%??) of the panels sold will NEVER see a Professional Calibration. (But then, also: What % of HDTVs sold ever have ANY Adjustments done, beyond PERHAPS switching from "Standard" to Some Other Picture Mode?)

Perhaps in an Ideal World, ALL of our HDTVs would be Professionally Calibrated, and EVERYONE would thoroughly enjoy the results - secure in the knowledge that their panels had been adjusted to be as accurate as was humanly possible.
But am guessing that even if we could Calibrate Every TV currently in use - in OUR world - that within a week's time MOST of them would be adjusted by their owners to "Look Better."

The reviews suggested using Cinema and even went on to say that the gamma is better than any other mode? Or it has a better gamma than any other mode EXCEPT Custom? If you meant the former, then that doesn't really make sense because Custom mode has a gamma slider and Cinema has no gamma adjustment, even in the service menu. Cinema mode has an avg gamma of around 2 but might be able to go a little higher after a grayscale calibration, however that's still considerably lower than the ideal 2.2 - 2.5 range. Custom mode can get to ~2.2 fairly flat and even over 2.3 on the 60/65" panels (my 60ST50 measured 2.34 avg with the slider at 2.6).
Every North American review I've read used Custom mode. Perhaps the reviews recommending Cinema mode were the EUR models, where "True Cinema" seems to be the ideal mode for the ST50? The EUR models =/= NA models.

I don't see why anyone would use Cinema mode over Custom mode when Custom mode actually has a gamma adjustment and the w/b in the USER menu whereas Cinema has no gamma adjustment and is lower than what is considered ideal, plus you would have to go into the service menu to adjust the w/b. I can't see many (if any) preferring a gamma around 2... it would just look too washed out (by comparison that is).
Edited by rahzel - 6/30/12 at 12:34pm

And doesn't Cinema have the typical Panasonic extended gamut? I'm not sure about the NA models, but on the UK/EU models, True Cinema is the only preset that falls into Rec709.

There's a lot of good information here for people who don't know what the differences and similarities are.

I'm wondering if the TC-P42X5 I recently bought for my girlfriend is defective.

While watching Boss, the picture settings suddenly did a fairly drastic change. It was as if someone had changed picture modes from a brighter mode to a darker one, but the set did this totally on its own. We never took the picture mode off Cinema. And it was in the middle of a scene, not during a scene change. I brought up the Panasonic menu, and the picture suddenly brightened back up even though I hadn't changed any settings yet... again in the middle of a scene, not during a scene change.

The next morning (today), my girlfriend told me the same thing happened again during the morning news. Picture suddenly got dark and murky for a while, then brightened up again by itself.

Anybody experience this with a Panasonic set before? I have two Panasonic plasmas (higher end models than this one) and neither has ever done this. And a Google of "TC-P42X5 picture problem" brought up nothing similar to this.

Thanks!

Is C.A.T.S. turned off?

Yes, C.A.T.S. is off.

Looked for this to happen again while watching a recent Blue Bloods episode, but it didn't. Played flawlessly.

I think I'm going to play that Boss episode here on my own TV and make sure the problem wasn't in the recording rather than the TV.

Just happened again tonight. Color went all wonky while watching Army Wives. C.A.T.S. was off. Guess the TV is going back to Walmart.