55vt50 or 60GT50 for the same price...which would you choose?

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IDK ,,i mean are you a super videophile freak or like most of us (including me) who just want to sit back and enjoy some decent TV from time to time...
I have the 65GT50 and LOVE it !!Came from a TC-P54S2 and it is a decent step up..I doubt the step from the GT to VT is that steep and would want the biggest i could get,,JMO
Edited by feedthemachine - 1/19/13 at 7:49am

@ 12ft go for the 60gt50

Only YOU can decide which way to go. We don't know anything about you or your sources or content or environment or preferences to make the decision for you. Have you compared the feature set of both TVs and noted the specific differences? The VT50 adds only three extra PQ features that the GT50 does not have (darker filter, 24p, and ISFccc), so all you have to do is decide if one or more of those three extra features are important enough to you to give up 5 inches of screen size. Those extra features are absolutely useless to me personally and i have zero interest in them, but they might be very important to you.

And also take into account that the GT50 is brighter than the VT50 and that can be important if you watch sports in the daytime. If i had a choice between a 55" GT50 or 55" VT50 even at the same price, i'd actually choose the GT50 (slightly brighter panel, and i like the GT50's smaller bezel design more).


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Edited by RandyWalters - 1/19/13 at 9:09am

Go with the 60" you will get 95% of the performance of the VT imo

Hmm,,well we have movie nights here too,and i am quite happy with the PQ of the GT..Tonight will be Journey 2 3D...I never seen a vt in person though,but an in store comparison like you said .is almost pointless..If you have a guy that you trust though an he says vt then go for it,,you may kick yourself though for not going bigger,,especially if your into 3D..
just a comparison chart
http://www.displaywars.com/55-inch-16x9-vs-60-inch-16x9

I discussed pros/cons between ST,GT, and VT models with a Paul's TV salesman I've known for a few years and trust quite a bit. What he and I noticed with the models in the store (in torch mode of course) was that the GT in all screen sizes was running considerably warmer than the ST and VT models after only an hour of use in the store--neither of us could say why the GT was running that much warmer I think the sensible home user would watch in THX mode (GT/VT only) or some calibrated custom mode which would help alleviate this issue. I've had my 55VT50 on for about 90 minutes this morning (Despicable Me in THX Bright) and it's warm, but not hot, to the touch.

You don't say what TV you're currently watching, so it's tough to say whether the GT or VT would better suit you, but I think either will serve you well. I just switched from a Sony 34XBR970 CRT (720p/1080i) to the VT50, so the ST50 (no THX mode) would probably have been a big enough difference as far as picture quality goes for me. But I have waited for a true 1080p display for many years and didn't want to settle for anything less than the VT50 and I couldn't pass it up at 1/3 off list price.

My dad bought the 55ST50 and is perfectly happy with it. I am going to watch Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 tonight (on the VT50) and see just how much better the blacks are. That movie was tough to watch on the old Sony because everything was black--there was no differentiation in the shades of black.

Now, we're watching from 13 to14 feet. But we were watching a 34" TV from the same distance for a while. A 65" would certainly work in our living room, but the 55" is doing quite nicely.

I am sure others will chime in here with some great points. Best of luck with your choice!

Todd
Edited by Todd G. - 1/19/13 at 8:24am

In your opinion, for your viewing habits, what do you think makes the VT better?

Don't get me wrong, I can think of several reasons why a person might pick the VT over the GT. I'm just not sure how many apply to the average TV viewer. I don't know what your viewing habits are. But if I were wagering, I'd say that a year from now that either one is going to still look so good that if you have any regrets at all, it will be that it's not bigger.

I'd go for the 60".

I'm not really a videophile, so I'd go with size over the better picture, more calibration option stuff that I probably wouldn't use/notice anyway.

I have the 55" UT50 and I'm very happy with the picture on that model, and it's the lowest level one other than the non-3D U50 one. So if you're a videophile then you may be better off with the VT50.

Since Jan last year I owned a Panasonic GT30 till about a month ago when I went for the 55VT50 and was surprised at how much the difference in the picture was. That being said Im by no means a videophile but do like what the VT has to offer. I also did notice too how hot the GT runs over the VT not that would be to much of an issue for me. Over all watching Blurays and other content I'm blown away from the black levels and also doing the 24p at 96hz is nice.

Like others said here it comes down to what you are looking to do with it and feel has a better pictures. That being said here in Canada, the 55VT50 retails for 2499.00 so if your saying at your price you can get a 55VT50 I'm jealous lol But also got the extended warranty for free from Panasonic.

Let us know what you picked and think.

For Saturday night movie viewing, the extra 5" DOES make difference (scale, depth, overall movie watching experience). From someone who's "been there, done that", go BIG. The GT will provide a great picture, and you'll never look back.

Whether you are a videophile or not you should decide based on what you prefer.
If you like and will use the extra features of the VT, then go with that one. If you want the largest picture for that big screen visual, then go with the 60.

Panasonic plasma's are very good in regards to picture quality, and once you get either set in your home you will love either one.
That's the main thing to remember, either TV will look great, so don't sweat it so much.

I bought my dad a more basic Panasonic 60" TC-P60S30 last spring and the picture is great. Compared to my 8yr old Sony projection LCD that basic plasma has better black, which translates to richer colors and better contrast.
The main thing I don't like about that plasma TV is the semi gloss screen. There is too much reflection when watching during the day. My LCD has a matte screen and I don't have as much daylight so nearly zero reflections.

I don't know if Panasonic has fixed the "buzzing" issue that is much too common on their plasma sets, but that would be my biggest concern. When I bought the S30 for my dad there was no buzzing. It's now nearly a year old and in the past few days the dreaded buzzing has started and it's quite loud.
I'm hoping I'm within the warranty so we can get this fixed. But, I'm concerned that it will come back unless Panasonic has really corrected the flaw.
I just sent them an email and frankly even if I'm only a month or so out of warranty I'm going to insist they fix it under warranty given how extensive and pervasive the problem is. Judging from internet sites the buzzing problem is quite common. It may not affect all sets, but it does seem to affect a LOT of their sets, so much so that there really needs/needed to be a voluntary recall to get these sets fixed.

Back to your decision, again, pick the size that best fits your viewing area. Either TV will look great once you get it home and start watching, so much so that you will quickly forget the tech specs you are now sweating.
Just make sure you go through all of the settings to get it looking good for your environment.
And please, turn off all the silly circuitry that makes movies look like video. I absolutely HATE the removal of blurring that is actually part of the natural way we see things in real life. Wave your hand in front of your eyes, notice how there is a natural blur to motion. To me that looks much more natural than the blur removing circuitry and algorithms that cost extra. I have NO use for that.
Happy viewing.

The extra size the 60" offers trumps the performance advantages the VT offers, at least in my opinion. You can throw the GT into Cinema or THX, do some simple user menu adjustments, and have a display that's not far off from reference. I bet if you put a professionally calibrated 55VT50 side-by-side with a 60GT50 using the right presets and user menu settings you'd walk away with the GT based on the experience the extra 5" offers.

Then again, maybe you're a hardcore film buff and 24p stickler, in which case the GT can't compete.

Now I'm leaving before the VT owners eat me alive.

Get the 65" VT50 and be totally happy. 65" would be perfect from 12 ft. It will last you 10 years..worth the xtra $900.

Awesome ,,enjoy !
The source input plays a huge role in how the TV will perform,,glad you got to see a pure 1080p signal ..
Honestly though ,i don't think the GT will blow the ST you just watched away ,,the same way a VT won't blow a GT away,,all panny's are great choices...Anyway ,,your gonna LOVE it ,,enjoy the 60" of beauty ,,See ,doesn't that just sound better than 55"