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VT50 vs. GT50

post #1 of 8
12/4/12 at 6:55am
Thread Starter 
So my 52" Sammy LCD thats only 3.5 years old, and on its second panel is dieing.
I am going plasma as pq is priority 1 for me.
I've narrowed it down to a 55" either a VT50, or GT50.
As of today the GT50 is nearly $1,000.00 LESS than the VT50. It seems the GT50 is being marked down right now by major retailers, VT is not.

I do not necessarily want to start a price discussion, but rather a discussion regarding relative values of these two great sets.
I am fully aware of the spec differences between the two. (Is the VT50the only one of the two that supports 24p Cinematic Playback 96 Hz/48 Hz?)

So here are my questions;

1.) Right now, is the VT50 really worth $900.00+ more than the GT50?

2.) Is there a chance the VT50 could be marked down like the GT50?

3.) If I wait till the Super Bowl sale season instead, do I run a chance of either of these sets not being in stock?

Thanks for your input.
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post #2 of 8
12/4/12 at 7:14am
See http://www.avsforum.com/t/1386141/official-panasonic-2012-lineup-and-information-thread-no-price-talk#post_21467390

The VT50's MSRP has already dropped $300. Well it drop more? Probably when the 2013 models come out next year. The GT50 is a better value, the VT50 is a better TV. Whether the "better TV" is worth $900 is something you have to answer for yourself. High-end products don't tend to get put on sale as much. My local Paul's TV keeps running promotions where you get "free things" ($500 Visa gift card, Android tablet, etc.) when you buy one of these TVs. Not the same as a sale price.
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post #3 of 8
12/4/12 at 7:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveHas View Post

So my 52" Sammy LCD thats only 3.5 years old, and on its second panel is dieing.
I am going plasma as pq is priority 1 for me.
I've narrowed it down to a 55" either a VT50, or GT50.
As of today the GT50 is nearly $1,000.00 LESS than the VT50. It seems the GT50 is being marked down right now by major retailers, VT is not.
I do not necessarily want to start a price discussion, but rather a discussion regarding relative values of these two great sets.
I am fully aware of the spec differences between the two. (Is the VT50the only one of the two that supports 24p Cinematic Playback 96 Hz/48 Hz?)
So here are my questions;
1.) Right now, is the VT50 really worth $900.00+ more than the GT50?

How important is that $900 to you? That's a huge premium for the VT50's few extra features/abilities. The big question is: do YOU think they're worth the extra cost? Most of us would probably say no (me included).


Quote:
2.) Is there a chance the VT50 could be marked down like the GT50?

There's always a chance, but i wouldn't expect deep discounts

Quote:
3.) If I wait till the Super Bowl sale season instead, do I run a chance of either of these sets not being in stock?
Thanks for your input.

Panasonic is more tightly controlling their production and their inventory this year so there is a high likelyhood that the supply will dry up early compared to last year.
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post #4 of 8
12/4/12 at 8:35am
I'm very tempted to give my 6yo 58" Panasonic plasma to my in-laws and get a new 65" Panasonic plasma. In my personal opinion, I don't think the VT is worth the difference in price right now. That said, I'm not in a major rush to do it so I'm watching to see if the VT price drops closer to the GT. I don't think you can really go wrong with either set.
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post #5 of 8
12/4/12 at 9:09am
I had a few 65VT50's that had uniformity issues so were returned. I was going to wait for the 2013 models but decided to try a 65ST50. I am not an expert but I think that even the ST50 image looks pretty similar to the VT50, I can't really see a difference at all. Doesn't have some of the tweaks but for the money savings the ST50 is a great bargain. I don't mind the bezel either. The ST50 I just got is more uniform than the VT50's I tried too.
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post #6 of 8
12/4/12 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters View Post

How important is that $900 to you? That's a huge premium for the VT50's few extra features/abilities. The big question is: do YOU think they're worth the extra cost? Most of us would probably say no (me included).
There's always a chance, but i wouldn't expect deep discounts
Panasonic is more tightly controlling their production and their inventory this year so there is a high likelyhood that the supply will dry up early compared to last year.

thanks Randy,
A well worded response, and the kind I was looking for.
You are right, ultimately it is up to me to decide.

The only features that I fear I may miss are;
24p Cinematic Playback 96 Hz/48 Hz,
and ISFccc Calibration Mode/Advanced Calibration

never having had these features before I don't know if I would miss/use them

especially the ISFccc Calibration Mode/Advanced Calibration
I doubt I would get the funds approved by "the boss" to have that done
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post #7 of 8
12/4/12 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TommmyJ View Post

I had a few 65VT50's that had uniformity issues so were returned. I was going to wait for the 2013 models but decided to try a 65ST50. I am not an expert but I think that even the ST50 image looks pretty similar to the VT50, I can't really see a difference at all. Doesn't have some of the tweaks but for the money savings the ST50 is a great bargain. I don't mind the bezel either. The ST50 I just got is more uniform than the VT50's I tried too.

May I ask, what are "uniformity issues" and how did you know of the problem. Has anyone else noticed this (these) issue(s) and whether they have been fixed?
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post #8 of 8
12/4/12 at 12:31pm
Ah, the one had the dark band on the right side and had some kind of vertical thin bands as well. That one was actually replaced by Panasonic(I was given a store credit). Then the next one had a bright spot on the screen maybe an inch to 2 inches in diameter and vertical banding(but not as bad). Might have lived with the second but the brighter dot wasn't going away. The new one has a hint of the right hand side band but nothing major. With the extra money I bought an Onkyo 5010 and sold my Anthem MRX-700. I like the ST50 though and don't really see it as a downgrade really(image wise).
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