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Panasonic 65 inch VT50 release date and price? - Page 2

post #31 of 312
4/10/12 at 9:21am
My earlier post was indeed regarding the US. May 20th release.

As for the inability to discount certain models, the guy did say including Panasonic for the first time ever. I hope it's not true for the sake of us consumers, but those words came down the chain. Time will tell...
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post #32 of 312
4/10/12 at 9:28am
No update, the representative had sent an ETA request in to see if Panasonic would tell them an approximate date but nothing yet. I will phone them again. I agree, I am sick of waiting here for the VT to come out.
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post #33 of 312
4/11/12 at 4:54pm
HDTV Review from April 10:

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panas...1204101757.htm
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post #34 of 312
4/11/12 at 7:26pm
Best buy tried to say they had some 65VT50's in stock but sold out. I don't think they did or know what they are talking about. They couldn't give me an ETA on them either. I cancelled my order with Best buy and am waiting for Visions Electronics to get stock on them as they have the money back extended warranty program which is kind of nice. I didn't have to use my extended warranty for service on my Pioneer 4360 so I got a credit towards next purchase which is nice.
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post #35 of 312
4/11/12 at 8:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by panadogg View Post

My earlier post was indeed regarding the US. May 20th release.

As for the inability to discount certain models, the guy did say including Panasonic for the first time ever. I hope it's not true for the sake of us consumers, but those words came down the chain. Time will tell...

The VT series has always had strict restrictions regarding sales.
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post #36 of 312
4/15/12 at 6:32pm
how many sets of 3-D glasses come with this set? How much will additional pairs cost?
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post #37 of 312
4/15/12 at 6:54pm
by the way, this talk of a possible 70" set... doesn't really excite me. I would like to go larger than 65" , but a 5 inch difference isn't that much of a difference. Now 75"...THAT would have my attention (and probably really empty out my bank account)
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post #38 of 312
4/16/12 at 3:53am
None of the 50 series come with glasses, there currently is a promotion for 2 pairs with the ST/GT at certain dealers including Amazon. There will NOT be anything larger than 65" from Panasonic this year.
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post #39 of 312
4/16/12 at 4:38am
I was told the vt50 comes with two pairs, but st gt come with none.
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post #40 of 312
4/16/12 at 5:34am
The 65" VT30 can be had so stupidly cheap right now you (well many, anyway) have to consider if the extra $1000+ is really worth it for the 50.

James
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post #41 of 312
4/17/12 at 6:18am
If you are going to spend the kind of money that the VT demands then wait for the VT50. IMO, one buys the VT50 for something more than just getting a great deal. If it's a deal you want, then don't buy the VT and, instead look to the ST or GT models and get it professionally calibrated.
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post #42 of 312
4/17/12 at 6:56am
Thread Starter 
I'm still waiting for the VT.......

My GT is great, but I really need a 65 for my TV room.
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post #43 of 312
4/23/12 at 10:22am
I'm really hoping the TV50 comes out soon! I made a huge mistake and got the new ES series Samsung and the panel is terrible! Its a UN60ES8000 and around the edges of the screen there is significant flashlighting (adding a photo for everyone to see). First I had a UN65D8000 and it had some light spots as well so Samsung agreed to send me the smaller version of this years model claiming it had none of the old issues. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and now I am in the process of getting a refund from them

If you're considering buying a high end Samsung at least wait and see what else is offered in the next couple months! The last 3 Samsung panels I have received have had issues with "hot spots." For over 3k there should be no issues with a top of the line flagship model!

The photo attached is of the UN60ES8000 and was taken in the daytime, its much much worse at night...

I for one will be waiting for the Panasonic! Samsung has lost my TV business...
LL
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post #44 of 312
4/23/12 at 10:42am
Best Buy canada is now showing pre-orders for the 65VT50 to be released on May 21. It shows a quantity of one for the West but not sure if that means there is one available now for the West or they are allocating for when they are released? Not sure.
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post #45 of 312
4/27/12 at 6:30am
some pics of an european VT50 :

the bezel




the stand


reflections


a movie
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post #46 of 312
4/27/12 at 8:26am
While I can't wait for the VT50, it has to be said: that silver bezel is ugly and unnecessary. I know that every electronics manufacturer wants to make everything look like an iPad and iPhone 4S with a silver border around the edge, but why do they have to slap it on our TVs ? It looks OK now, but I guarantee you it'll look ridiculous and dated in 5-10 years.
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post #47 of 312
4/27/12 at 12:02pm
I hate to re-open the can of worms on this, but if Panasonic had had the common sense to use a finish like on the iPhone 4S or iPad, you wouldn't here many complaints about the bezel. Apple uses a silver/aluminum-type material, but the finish is absolutely matte and not glossy. I can hold either my iPhone or iPad right under a light source and it never hot spots like the stand and frame in that picture.

So, yes, I agree with your sentiment. Panasonic blew it here in two different ways:

1) They followed the latest "fashion".
2) They executed poorly on that finish. If you look at their top-end LCD, you'll see that the same company can do a better job with the same fashion trends.

We should link to these photos forever because they are the kind of proof positive that everyone who says the VT bezel is "not a problem" must simply exist in a space where no light will ever be incident to the TV. You can clearly see what happens the moment light is, in fact, incident to the TV.

On an unrelated aside, it's interested to look at the Euro energy sticker and see it quotes 195 watts. The new U.S. standard -- which Panasonic only meets on smaller displays this year because, honestly, plasmas are not energy efficient enough to meet the latest Energy Star -- is 108 watts. Europe must measure this stuff differently (which is fine); and in the case of TVs, more realistically.
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post #48 of 312
4/27/12 at 12:59pm
The VT30 industrial design was much better in my opinion. The trim was a matte finish and aligned so you saw the thinnest part of it from the front (same on the GT series), unlike the new VT50. I bought a 65GT30 and I still think it's the best looking set (along with the VT30) that Panasonic makes. They were wise to not mess with it much for the new GT50 design. The new ST50 is a blatant and not-very successful copy of Samsung's styling design, and now the VT50 has taken a step backward. I know picture quality is the first priority but the design of the TV has to count for something. In my opinion the GT series was and still is the best looking Panny.
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post #49 of 312
4/27/12 at 1:12pm
I've seen the VT50 first hand at the Engadget .com/ Panasonic event in new York.
The bezel look better in person than in pics..
That being said . I'm not a fan of the silver bezel. It's alittle to thick for me.
I did like the GT50 design better.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the two fans that the VT50 has on the back.
When both fans are spinning .. I can see the pannie fanboys complaining about the sounds and buzzing ..
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post #50 of 312
4/27/12 at 1:28pm
Hopefully, it is the bright showroom lights making the VT50 bezel look reflectingly unpleasant. We need somebody in US to take a better pic when the VT gets released here. For now, I would have to say that the GT50 appears to be more aesthetically pleasing.
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post #51 of 312
4/27/12 at 2:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gostan View Post

Hopefully, it is the bright showroom lights making the VT50 bezel look reflectingly unpleasant. We need somebody in US to take a better pic when the VT gets released here. For now, I would have to say that the GT50 appears to be more aesthetically pleasing.

I've seen the VT bezel dating back to January. Honestly, you don't need a "better pic", the ones you see tell the story really well.

When the light in the room isn't hitting the strip itself, it's just kind of there. I have to tell you I am scanning around my family room and I have nothing else that is shiny silver in the entire living room at all. But I do have, for example, a glass clock (kind of ugly btw), that is largely ignorable when the light doesn't hit it and reflective and annoying when it does... Which brings us to....

... what happens when the light does hit the Panasonic's silver strip. You will see it hotspot. This happens on the Samsung LCDs with the shiny silver edge too. There is no avoiding it. It's pretty much impossible not to see it when it's happening. I mean, I suppose some people are so deep in denial they can not see it. My late great aunt used to live one block from the NYC subway in a section where it ran above ground pretty much through her backyard (this is a true story). When the trains past, the house shook. She didn't seem to notice. "How do you live with the train noise?" "What train noise?"

So, yeah, some of you will never have this problem because either you have no lights in the room that ever are incident with the TV (unlikely to be honest in normal rooms and really any room that the sun ever enters) or because you're masters of cognitive dissonance. The rest of us will find an accommodation either by masking the bezel or just minimizing the effect through lighting adjustments.

I had originally considered this problem a dealbreaker on the VT series. I have reconsidered for a number of reasons:

1) I believe this will be the best display of 2012.
2) I believe the price for this display is eminently fair, especially given the opinion I expressed in #1.
3) There is a dearth of displays of 65" and larger available and I don't believe that's going to change much for the next couple of years. The fact is, it's been true for a half decade and while Sharp has made a bunch of displays available, I only consider one of those videophile worthy.
4) Upgrading one's TV is a pain. It's a large item, requires resetting a bunch of remote-related items, furniture logistics, etc. For this reason, I have moved it to a long-ish upgrade cycle. I estimate 5 years between this purchase and the next one. My sense is the VT50 will prove a satisfactory 5-year TV.
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post #52 of 312
4/27/12 at 2:01pm
I wouldn't have minded a silver trim around the edges as long as I couldn't actually see it when sitting directly in front of the TV... looks like this will be very visible from the front (unfortunately).

I'm still very excitied about the VT50's supposed performance but it would have been better just copying the old Kuro design (They were smart enough not to use any silver trims).
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post #53 of 312
4/27/12 at 2:59pm
Maybe this entire discussions akin to when Apple dumped it's matte displays on its laptops for the newer glossy displays. I still wish I had a matte display, but I just got used to the glossy display on my MacBook Air becauseof it's size and speed and ease of use.
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post #54 of 312
4/27/12 at 3:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogo View Post

I've seen the VT bezel dating back to January. Honestly, you don't need a "better pic", the ones you see tell the story really well.

When the light in the room isn't hitting the strip itself, it's just kind of there. I have to tell you I am scanning around my family room and I have nothing else that is shiny silver in the entire living room at all. But I do have, for example, a glass clock (kind of ugly btw), that is largely ignorable when the light doesn't hit it and reflective and annoying when it does... Which brings us to....

... what happens when the light does hit the Panasonic's silver strip. You will see it hotspot. This happens on the Samsung LCDs with the shiny silver edge too. There is no avoiding it. It's pretty much impossible not to see it when it's happening. I mean, I suppose some people are so deep in denial they can not see it. My late great aunt used to live one block from the NYC subway in a section where it ran above ground pretty much through her backyard (this is a true story). When the trains past, the house shook. She didn't seem to notice. "How do you live with the train noise?" "What train noise?"

So, yeah, some of you will never have this problem because either you have no lights in the room that ever are incident with the TV (unlikely to be honest in normal rooms and really any room that the sun ever enters) or because you're masters of cognitive dissonance. The rest of us will find an accommodation either by masking the bezel or just minimizing the effect through lighting adjustments.

I had originally considered this problem a dealbreaker on the VT series. I have reconsidered for a number of reasons:

1) I believe this will be the best display of 2012.
2) I believe the price for this display is eminently fair, especially given the opinion I expressed in #1.
3) There is a dearth of displays of 65" and larger available and I don't believe that's going to change much for the next couple of years. The fact is, it's been true for a half decade and while Sharp has made a bunch of displays available, I only consider one of those videophile worthy.
4) Upgrading one's TV is a pain. It's a large item, requires resetting a bunch of remote-related items, furniture logistics, etc. For this reason, I have moved it to a long-ish upgrade cycle. I estimate 5 years between this purchase and the next one. My sense is the VT50 will prove a satisfactory 5-year TV.

Your four-step thought process is exactly what led me to purchase my 65GT30, especially at year-end close out sub $2K prices.
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post #55 of 312
4/27/12 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by realzven View Post

some pics of an european VT50 :

the bezel

When I first saw this pic I thought it was woodgrain,hehe.
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post #56 of 312
4/27/12 at 7:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by panadogg View Post

My earlier post was indeed regarding the US. May 20th release.

As for the inability to discount certain models, the guy did say including Panasonic for the first time ever. I hope it's not true for the sake of us consumers, but those words came down the chain. Time will tell...

Did you here this from VE? I believe May 20 is the shootout date and I would think the VT50 will be included.
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post #57 of 312
4/27/12 at 8:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by airgon74 View Post

I've seen the VT50 first hand at the Engadget .com/ Panasonic event in new York.
The bezel look better in person than in pics..
That being said . I'm not a fan of the silver bezel. It's alittle to thick for me.
I did like the GT50 design better.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the two fans that the VT50 has on the back.
When both fans are spinning .. I can see the pannie fanboys complaining about the sounds and buzzing ..

Why should that be a problem? I doubt they will ever turn on unless somebody is watching the TV in a 100 degree room. My 151 fans have yet to spin.
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post #58 of 312
4/27/12 at 9:40pm
I completely understand what you're saying about the bezel. I couldn't do it. I do understand your rationale and it's one that I could easily adopt. However, there's one additional thing I would have to consider- how much better is it than the GT50? I'd have to know exactly how much better before I could commit to living with the distraction and disappointment of that bezel (5 years is a long time).


Quote:
Originally Posted by rogo View Post

I've seen the VT bezel dating back to January. Honestly, you don't need a "better pic", the ones you see tell the story really well.

When the light in the room isn't hitting the strip itself, it's just kind of there. I have to tell you I am scanning around my family room and I have nothing else that is shiny silver in the entire living room at all. But I do have, for example, a glass clock (kind of ugly btw), that is largely ignorable when the light doesn't hit it and reflective and annoying when it does... Which brings us to....

... what happens when the light does hit the Panasonic's silver strip. You will see it hotspot. This happens on the Samsung LCDs with the shiny silver edge too. There is no avoiding it. It's pretty much impossible not to see it when it's happening. I mean, I suppose some people are so deep in denial they can not see it. My late great aunt used to live one block from the NYC subway in a section where it ran above ground pretty much through her backyard (this is a true story). When the trains past, the house shook. She didn't seem to notice. "How do you live with the train noise?" "What train noise?"

So, yeah, some of you will never have this problem because either you have no lights in the room that ever are incident with the TV (unlikely to be honest in normal rooms and really any room that the sun ever enters) or because you're masters of cognitive dissonance. The rest of us will find an accommodation either by masking the bezel or just minimizing the effect through lighting adjustments.

I had originally considered this problem a dealbreaker on the VT series. I have reconsidered for a number of reasons:

1) I believe this will be the best display of 2012.
2) I believe the price for this display is eminently fair, especially given the opinion I expressed in #1.
3) There is a dearth of displays of 65" and larger available and I don't believe that's going to change much for the next couple of years. The fact is, it's been true for a half decade and while Sharp has made a bunch of displays available, I only consider one of those videophile worthy.
4) Upgrading one's TV is a pain. It's a large item, requires resetting a bunch of remote-related items, furniture logistics, etc. For this reason, I have moved it to a long-ish upgrade cycle. I estimate 5 years between this purchase and the next one. My sense is the VT50 will prove a satisfactory 5-year TV.
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post #59 of 312
4/27/12 at 11:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheshechic View Post

I completely understand what you're saying about the bezel. I couldn't do it. I do understand your rationale and it's one that I could easily adopt. However, there's one additional thing I would have to consider- how much better is it than the GT50? I'd have to know exactly how much better before I could commit to living with the distraction and disappointment of that bezel (5 years is a long time).

My opinion here -- and this is not intended to influence anyone -- is that if the bezel proves to be a dealbreaker on the VT, move all the way down to the ST50 and skip the GT. I personally find the design of the GT to be at least as questionable as the VT. It has a weird shiny strip on the bottom and I don't care much for the bezel. I also don't believe it offers enough picture-quality differentiation over the ST to justify a price bump. But that's me.

The ST has gotten pretty terrific reviews and will run about $1000 less than the VT. Maybe that's really the best play on some rational level anyway. I use this justification (for myself) that the $2500 gap to the Elite makes relatively little sense if I want to replace the TV in 5 years. If I carry that logic to the extreme and believe the ST50 is really quite good -- and by all accounts it is -- one can make the case that the additional $1000 is worth saving too.

Anyway, we're killing time in this thread for a few more weeks because the VT isn't out yet so this self-indulgent over analysis is perhaps a bit more tolerable than it would normally be -- and please ignore us if it isn't.

My bet is that I wind up with a VT50.
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post #60 of 312
4/29/12 at 4:53pm
My plan is to now wait for the VT50. I am on my third PN64E8000 with an intolerable directional buzzing. If I ultimately go that route, I just have to hope the buzzing on the Panasonic isn't as bad.
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