Official Panasonic VT50 owners thread - Page 58

I have a fireplace behind the TV and would have to mount it way too high. We obviously never use the fireplace, but dismantling it is a lot of work right now. Eventually, I plan on building in an entire false wall and mounting the TV with some in-wall speakers and some nice shelving on either side of it. Just don't tell my wife I plan on doing this.

I'd lift the new TV except that I want to keep the weight consistent with the old one. The furniture is fine Swedish craftsmanship (read: Ikea) and I can't contemplate adding 20-30 lbs. right now.

Thank you! It's ordered! (didn't need much of a push)

Hi are the 65vt50 panels made in Japan or......?

Has anyone calibrated the 55" yet? I'm wondering if the larger panels have a lower minimum light level, do the smaller panels have a higher peak output?

So far the max light output (with panel brightness = medium) for the 65" models seems to be 40-45 ftL.

That banding you see in the sky is a product of the camera capturing the image. There is no such banding on the set itself when viewing that scene - FYI

Similar thing happens on the pioneer in some shots. It is significantly worse when I used my old P&S camera.

Do the dlna on the tv support 96hz i seem only to be able to get 60 hz to work. what is the best software for dlna?

Thanks

I'm bumping this cause I need to know if this set is defective or not and I have a scheduled calibration coming up.

Is anyone getting a dark gray screen with distortion when the set is changing screens? Not during a movie but say when there is a blank screen after you hit the play button from the movies menu screen. Don't know if it's a settings related problem or not. I also witnessed the blank (top and bottom) area of the screen changing from black to dark gray and repeating during a movie.

Update: I was watching a movie and as the credits rolled, I got close to the screen and it is not even a solid black background. It's like I described it above.

6Speed, Wow what a really nice review! Thanks for the comparison, I think I am about to go ahead and get the vt50.

D-Nice said 0.0026 for the 55", 0.002 (or 0.0018 in 96Hz) for the 65". Dunno about peak output. The larger panels should have no problems reaching adequate brightness in a bright room though.

I just got my 65VT50 yesterday and I am very happy with it,in the process of breaking it in then will have it calibrated by Kevin Miller

Nice I am planning on picking up the 65 inch as well next week, but I may have a hard time finding someone to calibrate it.

I ordered the 55VT50 from Best Buy on Sunday. I was debating between this and the GT50 but the VT was marked down by $300 so I went for it. It was funny talking to the sales rep after reading this thread. The guy kept trying to tell me that the GT50 was the same panel as last year's VT. I didn't even try to argue with him, but I was definitely laughing to myself.

It will be delivered this coming Sunday. Can't wait! I'm replacing a 32" Samsung LCD, the LN32A550, so this will be a sweet upgrade.

I saw someone asking about furniture recommendations. Mine's going on a console that I just got from Standout Designs. It is all wood, has hidden wheels, vented equipment compartments with temperature-controlled fans, room for a big center channel and a drawer. Made in Pennsylvania too.

Thanks for sharing all this info so I could finally make a decision and pull the trigger!

I've never noticed anything like this. I think I'd set the TV back to all defaults and see if this fixes it. Not sure how to do that, should be in the manual somewhere, I'd think.

So what would be recommended then for a viewing area of 7 - 8 feet? Currently I have over 10 feet, but am moving. Will I regret going from the 65 down to the 55? The only reason why I am thinking of dropping down to the 55 is the offer I have on my current VT30 will pay for the 55 completely. The 65 up here will cost an additional $1500 over the 55. Which should I buy?

Will the 3d be any different on the 55 over the 65? For example, will "pop" out effects jump out further on the bigger screen or would they be the same?

I currently own the 65vt50 and sit at exactly 7.5' from the screen. I originally had a 55" Sammy that set in the exact same space and with the 65" set it is literally like being in a movie theatre. I was a little worried about it prior to purchasing but cannot see how I ever got along without the larger screen to begin with. The immersion in my opinion is substantially better. As for the 3d...I definately notice more pop with the larger screen as the viewing area is much improved. Again it only makes it that much more immersive. I truly feel you will be happy either way you go. The vt is definately top notch! Hope this helps.

But is it worth spending an extra $1500 for 10" more? Not sure what the pricing is like in the States, but here I can get the 55" for just over $2900 after tax and the 65" would be $4400 after tax.

It would be to me but that's a decision for you and your budget.

http://displaywars.com/55-inch-16x9-vs-65-inch-16x9

Well I found a buyer for my Pioneer Kuro so I am thinking about making the jump. I work with a guy who wants a Kuro pretty badly and I am tempted. He offered me a pretty good price considering how old it is. I would still have to shell out over a grand to upgrade to the 65" VT50 so I am weighing my options (didn't really want to fork out that kind of money with other obligations coming up and I just upgraded my speakers). It would be nice to do though because I have had the Kuro for a couple of years and wanted to upgrade before the extended warranty ran out. Decisions, decisions .

The other option I have is to just keep the VT30. What would people do on here? Keep the VT30 or go to the VT50, possibly smaller?

My main issue with the VT30 is I am starting to not be impressed with the picture quality on anything, besides Bluray. The rest looks soft, colors are starting to look bad, and there is tons of noise.

I think it is well worth it for 10" more but the person to my left may not. And the person to my right may prefer LCD. And the person in front of me may be Cody Lundin and he has no TV or shoes for that matter.

My opinion is to never ever go down in size. It will lead to the ultimate buyers remorse.

I also think you are playing Jedi mind tricks on yourself with the VT30. Its def not a bad picture but your brain is now downgrading everything about it because the VT50 is out there lurking. I am very grateful that I was not married to my VT30 yet because I would surely be doing the same thing to myself. Personally I would take a small hit just for the smaller bezel. It makes the TV look bigger and better on the wall IMO. Sorry, didnt mean to add to your frustration.

From what I have seen, the VT50 is a pretty big upgrade over the VT30. Regarding size, I would spend the extra money and go for the 65". I know $1500 is a lot but I have been down this road before. Bottom line is you will always wonder if you should have gone bigger. I did that one time when I thought the 50" was big enough instead of the 60". Long story short, I sold the 50" months later, took a loss, and bought the 60". It's your decision but if you are going to have this tv for a few years or more, I would just go with the 65". Less chance of buyer's remorse.

I have a brother that won't watch TV, nor movies. He claims it's the devils playground.

I would pay that grand for the VT50 for the extra 5"'s of screen, piece of mind, and aesthetics in heart beat. That is assuming you have the 60" Kuro. If it is a 50" then there is no debate at all in my mind.

If anyone has a Kuro, I strongly suggest selling it now. The VT50 is knocking on its door in terms of PQ and if the next VT## surpasses the Kuro next year.....well good luck selling that Kuro. I am glad I sold mine when I did. Demand is already falling off a cliff for these compared to this time a year ago.

Yes I have the 60". Yes I agree. I had a few buyers over the last year that wanted my Kuro. I was offered $500 more than what my friend is going to give me just 6 months ago. I figure I better jump now if I am going to do it. I will just cut back on starbucks and bring my lunch more over the next few months.

It honestly isn't an upgraditis thing for me either (usually was in the past). My gut has always told me in the past to just keep the Kuro because nothing out there was even close. Now my gut is actually telling me it's time. I think I can even use the same peerless wall mount that I have for my Kuro which saves me the hassle of installing another one.

The question then is, would you rather have a 55" VT50 or a 60" GT50? Both are about the same price which makes the decision difficult. If only the VT was offered in 60"...

Our guts are on the same page

Kuro is still king, but the king is on his death bed listening to the Panadragon crushing the castle gates.

IMO, when looking at the VT50, it's not about price. It's about quality. Either buy the quality, or get 2nd best (or lower) if you're concerned about the money.

Would probably do the 60" if it existed. What is the difference between the GT and VT? I've heard there is a major improvement going to the VT. I may have to have a look one of these nights to see what the 55" looks like. When it comes down to it, selling the 65" and buying the 55" and having to pay next to nothing does seem better to me and I even find the 65" a bit too big right now. Plus I have to move the thing. It's difficult to move. The store had to hire a massive moving truck to bring it over as it didn't fit in theirs and moving it into a condo building will be difficult in the elevator (likely won't fit there either). I may have to go with the 55" just for the conveinance. The other tv in the house right now is a 46" and it is perfect for the room it is in, which is bigger then what the 65" is in right now, so the 55" should be good.

I'm all about quality, the price is in the size, 55 or 65. $1500 difference between the two is a bit hard to justify for 10" especially when I find the 65" a bit too big in the room it is in now, I can only imagine what it would be like in a smaller room.