CES: Panasonic Unveils 2013 TVs; New Smart TV Interface - Page 15

I wasn't getting into that at all. Just dispelling the statement that people are all spending $3-4K on plasmas. Plenty of ways to get them cheaper with lower end models and close out deals.

But really, it was beside the point as a lot of cable cutters don't do it for budget reasons. If you don't like sports (which is the only reason I have DirecTV still) there isn't much reason to have cable/satellite these days as you can just wait and grab or rent the blurays and watch all at once (rather than waiting weeks/months between episodes) with superior A/V quality.

So plenty of plasma owners who watch locals OTA, so I could see the channel info feature being a worthwhile investment.

Speaking of which..........I am new to HD Flat Panels and I opted to get the TC-P60GT50 before the holiday. I am very pleased with the unit and considering I paid under $1750 for the unit I am very happy. I have been gentle with it watching in Standard mode for the first 100 hours or so. After following this entire thread I am not sure if a break in period is necessary with the new Plasmas but I did it anyway. Which comes to the point of "Calibration". I definitely want to have the set professionally calibrated but will probably wait a couple of more months. I have seen reviews online for the DIY calibration programs/discs and was wondering what you guys think of them. The two (2) I am considering are "DVE HD Basics" and "Disney's WOW World of Wonder". Do you think these will make, or a better term, "help" my GT or should I just wait to have the pro calibration done.

Thanks for any advice or input!!!

Probably best to ask in the gt50 thread http://www.avsforum.com/t/1403635/official-panasonic-gt50-series-discussion-thread-no-street-price-talk/5460#post_22834445

I'd also love to hear more about the new S line. For instance, how much of a difference in PQ will exist between the S and ST lines. For a 60" set, I'm guessing there will be a substantial price gap, and I'm wondering if the lower end model might suffice for my bedroom set. Any thoughts from the experts on this forum?

I wish I could agree with your IR statement. From what I've seen the problem remains the single biggest reason folks are afraid of plasmas. I think BB is the only retailer that warrants for Burn-in.

The S series will reportedly not have the 2500 focused field drive, but the ST series will. Not sure if this is a major issue, but supposedly it affects motion blur, artifacts, and macroblocking.

While it is probably one of the biggest reasons people are afraid of plasma's, that doesn't mean that it is a big problem. It is still possible and having the coverage is nice, but I would not consider the risk incredibly high.

I don't think it *used* to be a problem until 3D plasmas came out. I've owned 4 Panasonic plasmas over the past 8 years and my VT30 is *much* worse with IR than the previous 3 models (all pre-3D era). I've had station logos stuck on my VT30 for several weeks/months at a time after watching that station all day long (i.e. TBS). Lots of others over at the HDJ forum have complained of similar issues as well. Kind of ridiculous.

I would pay $4500 for a 70zt60 or a 75zt60 but hard for me to justify paying more than $1000 more than last years model for a marginal improvement.

I will consider myself corrected. I was under the impression that this was not a huge issue any more.

It may not be $4500 for the 65. That said, it sounds like it will be more than a marginal improvement.

Its NOT marginal. This year is a new ballgame.

Temporary image retention is not burn in. The former may be an issue for some people (although I struggle to produce any on my VT50 and struggle further to ever see it even when I try to produce it; I have to walk up to the TV to find it and usually am "disappointed" to see none). Actual burn in is pretty nigh impossible to achieve.

I dunno. I've seen the ZT. It's nice, for sure. It's also pretty marginal. And it's going to be about $1000 per what about 8 people at Panasonic said to me.

For a videophile, it seems like a worthwhile choice. For most people, a VT is still clearly better bang for the buck. In fact, a closeout on a VT50 might be the best bang for the buck of all.

I've been considering the 55GT50 for a while now but now with no GT60 series in 2013 and only the ST60 series below the upper tier series, I'm wondering if I should just wait it out for the ST60 or try and get a discounted GT50. My main unit is a VT30 and this secondary television would replace an aging CRT. Here in Canada, a 55GT50 unit is still selling around $1800, which is still more expensive than the estimated price of 2013's 55ST60 unit.

I doubt you'll need "pro" calibration with the Panasonic..using a few calibrations from AVS will set you nicely. From gen 10 glass till now the panels 'pop beautifully with fairly neutral settings though I'm assuming the new panels are made in Japan?

A big screen and big quality is one thing those 2 million $ homes need.. 85 or 103's.
My thoughts are Panasonic marketing-wise is happy (along with the buyers) with the pricepoint/quality of the 60-65" 3D glass. The Sharps aren't in this class.

In what way?

Is it 4K now?
Is it a larger screen size?
Does it have HDMI 2.0?
Does it have better channel information/tv guide?
Does it have 802.11ac?
Did they remove the annoying reflective trim?
Have they completely removed the possibility of burn in?
Is it guaranteed never to buzz?

It may be a bigger evolution than I think but if someone tells me it is the finest cheese shop in the district, I'd like to know what makes them think so.
Edited by boe - 1/17/13 at 12:39pm

Picture quality is dramatic. Don't get me started on the stupid burn in everyone talks about. Its completely ridiculous... we are getting off topic with that though. Get an led if your so worried.

Thanks Netrat............I appreciate it. After more review here on the site I did come across a couple of settings and I will play around with the pro/custom settings. I will just wait a couple of weeks more before I go there. Have been running the GT50 for 3 weeks now with about 150 hours on the set with no issues. I was considering returning the set and waiting a couple of weeks to get the TC-P60ST60 but it sounds like it will not have all of the features that the 60GT50 has (???)..........so after weighing it, I don't really need the camera or the touch pen. I would though like swipe & share 2.0, & "My home screen". Maybe the 60GT50 will get a software upgrade for those!!!

Besides the price I paid was right!

If I had to guess, I'd say that glare was a bigger factor for "Joe consumer" than burn in. Would you have to go pretty far out of your way to ruin a plasma these days?

Back to 2013 and "the arrival".....it would be nice to get some pricing info on the ZT60s. Isn't it the case that they will come with 2 pairs of 3D glasses? And if so, I guess we don't know if it's a new 3D glasses design. Good grief, we need a mole at Panasonic!

Agreed...not much info yet...impatiently awaiting more.

The closest to a mole you'll get is that insider over at HDJ.

The insider recommended that buying an ST50 at a good price would be a better value than the ST60 if PQ is all you care about.

I'm trying to decide if I should wait on the vt60 or zt60, vs hopping on the discounted vt50.

Who here has personally seen the ZT60? If you've seen it, what did you think? How much better is the ZT60 than the VT50? Did they use the best settings on the VT50 set to show its own capabilities?

^A handful have, opinions vary but most say noticeably better than the VT50. However, settings verification was not permitted.