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Panasonic 58" plasma question/advice...

post #1 of 25
1/31/08 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
Greetings, programs!

I've waded thru the many threads to try and find the definitive answers I'm looking for with mixed results. Hopefully I'll get the direct info I need via this post, and I apologize if this is a redundant issue.

Basically, I'm looking for a good plasma around the $2500 to $3000 mark. Originally I was looking into the Pio KUROs but they're a bit out of my price range, so I then turned to the reliable old Pannys. Here's my situational specs:

*Viewing distance: 10 feet. Lighting is predominantly subdued (heavy blinds, viewing in the evening, etc).

*Home theater surround sound system (no need for speakers on the display).

*Satellite TV receiver (no need for on board tuner) but it's standard def, not HD. This is important, since I'd like to find a display that will give me good resolution of standard satellite broadcast.

*Gaming: PS3 with various connection options (HDMI, component, etc).

My concerns include the size of the display (I could probably get by with a 50", though a 58" would be awful nice too, so long as all my concerns are met), the old 720p vs 1080p conundrum and the "pro" vs "industrial" display issue by way of connection options, SD card readers, etc. This is marginally important, since I like the idea of plugging my laptop into the display and or a card to view pictures, but it's not necessarily a deal breaker. I know that the industrial models have pretty limited options and you have to purchase various blades to increase connectivity to various other devices, and I know nothing at all about scalers and the like. *dizzy*

If there is a thread I may have missed that has the relevant info/advice I'm looking for, please post a link for me! And/or of course feel free to chime in here as well. I'm looking to commit to a purchase by the end of February, so the more valuable insight I can get the better.

Thanx all!
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post #2 of 25
1/31/08 at 11:31am
Hi gridbug,

No offense, but is there a question? You say you are looking for "definitive answers", yet you didn't actually ask any questions in your post! What info do you need?

If you just want to know which TV is best, there is no such thing as a "definitive answer". It's very much a matter of opinion, and there are many many threads comparing the Panny models to Pios and Samsungs.

If you are curious about Panny pro vs. consumer, there are many many threads comparing them.

In terms of advice: if you are sitting 12' away, definitely go with a 58" if you truly can afford the $2500-3000 budget. 12' is probably a good distance for a 58" 768p model, these models get great reviews (again, there are many threads on this already).

Forum sponsor Visual Apex has the industrial model 58PH10UKA for well under your budget, and the UKA models come with the dual-HDMI blade installed, so no need to purchase a bunch of extra input boards. This TV will have a PC input (VGA), a component input, and two HDMI inputs. This will allow you to hook up the cable box with component, PS3 with HDMI, and a PC through VGA, with an HDMI input left to spare. If your home theatre system can switch component video sources, then you have even more room to spare.

Hope that helps, again, if you actually ask a specific question you will probably get some good responses. However, all of your issues (1080p v. 768p, pro vs. consumer, etc) have already been covered thoroughly in many other threads.
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post #3 of 25
1/31/08 at 12:19pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks batpig! Sorry if my initial post was a little vague... but you did actually address my major issues which helps me immensely!

I'll be doing a fair bit of Blu-ray movie watching... at the 10' viewing distance, will a 58" 768p display be just as good as 1080p? I've never been one for "up close and personal" viewing, so I can't see me rearranging the living room just to scootch closer to the TV.

I'll definitely check out Visual Apex per your suggestion... and thanx again!
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post #4 of 25
1/31/08 at 12:24pm
Is there a reason you're sticking with regular DirecTV and not upgrading to HD?

jeff
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post #5 of 25
1/31/08 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenjp View Post

Is there a reason you're sticking with regular DirecTV and not upgrading to HD?

jeff

For the moment, it's purely financial. I've got a great deal on the satellite system I'm currently using and as I don't watch *that much* TV anyway, I can't justify spending the extra money on HD satellite programming. That's not to say that I won't be making the jump, I just don't think it'll be any time soon.

I do more movie watching and gaming than anything else (hence the PS3 pulling double duty as game console and Blu-ray player) but I still don't want to get short-changed on the standard broadcast TV stuff.
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post #6 of 25
1/31/08 at 1:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

For the moment, it's purely financial. I've got a great deal on the satellite system I'm currently using and as I don't watch *that much* TV anyway, I can't justify spending the extra money on HD satellite programming. That's not to say that I won't be making the jump, I just don't think it'll be any time soon.

Got it. I'll merely point out that adding the HD package should be free for the equipment and only $10/month for the channels, so in comparison to the TV price it's essentially negligible. Seriously just call 'em and ask - the HD stuff is great. I'd go so far as to recommend the 720p and put the savings in escrow to pay the extra satellite fees.

Now on to your actual question. I've got a 50" Panasonic, and the SD stations look ok. They're not nasty and pixelated like I've seen on some TVs. The picture does not look as good as my old 32" tube Toshiba, but then we're talking about the same resolution on what sorta an equivalent to a 40" screen.

jeff
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post #7 of 25
1/31/08 at 1:45pm
Here's a link to a post I made a while back in answer to someone asking about what SD looks like on this TV. Don't pay much attention to the overly bright colors, I hadn't yet figured out how to set my camera to get a better picture. The set is a Panasonic 58PZ700u.
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post #8 of 25
1/31/08 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

I'll be doing a fair bit of Blu-ray movie watching... at the 10' viewing distance, will a 58" 768p display be just as good as 1080p? I've never been one for "up close and personal" viewing, so I can't see me rearranging the living room just to scootch closer to the TV.

I'll definitely check out Visual Apex per your suggestion... and thanx again!

At 10' for a 58" screen, you are officially in the gray-area zone where you MAY see the difference depending on your eyesight. You'd have to go to a store and check out some big screens for yourself.

Chances are, however, you will never notice the difference unless you had the 1080p and the 768p screen right next to each other. Especially with good source material like blu ray and games from PS3.

Go check out the official 58" 10UK thread, I'm sure many folks there will comment that these sets look amazing at 10', even without 1080p.

There is a good chance, however, that SD television at 10' on a 58" will be a little scary. You should probably kick it back to the original 12' for that
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post #9 of 25
1/31/08 at 2:21pm
Thread Starter 
Awesome, thanks for the helpful info!
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post #10 of 25
2/1/08 at 12:42pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by batpig View Post

At 10' for a 58" screen, you are officially in the gray-area zone where you MAY see the difference depending on your eyesight. You'd have to go to a store and check out some big screens for yourself.

There is a good chance, however, that SD television at 10' on a 58" will be a little scary. You should probably kick it back to the original 12' for that

I rechecked the measurement last night, turns out it'll be almost exactly 12' from display to sofa. No redecorating required.

If I wanted to add an S-video card to the 58PH10UKA, how big a pain in the ass it that? The satellite receiver I have has S-video output and standard RCA outs for the video but no component or HDMI. Any good suggestions aside from upgrading the receiver itself?
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post #11 of 25
2/1/08 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

I rechecked the measurement last night, turns out it'll be almost exactly 12' from display to sofa. No redecorating required.

If I wanted to add an S-video card to the 58PH10UKA, how big a pain in the ass it that? The satellite receiver I have has S-video output and standard RCA outs for the video but no component or HDMI. Any good suggestions aside from upgrading the receiver itself?


Upgrade your receiver, you'll be glad you did !
(Sorry I couldn't help myself)
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post #12 of 25
2/1/08 at 2:26pm
What kind of home theatre setup do you have? Many A/V receivers will allow S-video input and convert it to component video output. If you have an ever newer receiver some will convert all video to a single HDMI output, which is the most elegant solution, but more expensive of course.

If you don't have a home-theater-in-a-box or whatever, and are using an older A/V receiver, you can just get a used Denon 1705, 1905 or even a 2105 for under $200 which will convert all video inputs to a single component video output. If you want the whole shebang and just a single HDMI output, a used Onkyo 674 or Denon 2307ci will do the trick for about $400 off eBay.
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post #13 of 25
2/1/08 at 2:54pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I've been looking into upgrading my A/V receiver as well. I've had mixed results with running video through it though, so it may be a good excuse to ditch the old and bring in the new. I'm all about the "one HDMI cable to rule them all" deal! *lol*

As always, great advice from everyone, thanx a million!
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post #14 of 25
2/1/08 at 3:30pm
You should be able to get an HDMI-switching receiver with upconversion so you only have to connect one cable to the TV (i.e. an Onkyo 674 or Denon 2307/887) plus the 58ph10uk together for under or right at your $3000 budget. This will dramatically simplify the installation as well because you only have to put 1 cable through the wall (a single HDMI) plus of course getting a power outlet back there.
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post #15 of 25
2/1/08 at 3:37pm
Good choice. I am upgrading from a 50" Panny commercial model and an old Denon AVR3300 that does not have HDMI.

I decided on the 58PH10UKA (our seating is 13' away). I couldn't see a difference at all. I love the clean, thin bezel of the pro models. I also went with the Denon 3808 after spending time on the Receiver forum. I can't wait to hook it all up!

Oh and you really should reconsider DirecTV's HD offerings. Once you start watching it, you will never be able to watch SD again. And as greenjp mentioned, it's really not that expensive. Give them a call and see what they offer.
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post #16 of 25
2/5/08 at 8:34pm
Thread Starter 
Since the most recent posts were lost when the AVS server went down, here's my upcoming "in development" stats again in case there's any late breaking developments:

Panasonic 58PH10UKA (was going to go with a table stand but decided to just wall mount it to save some extra $$$ and also increase my viewing distance... every little bit counts!).
PS3 (technically, it's an "already got" - ) to handle Blu-ray/DVD/gaming.
Onkyo TX-SR605 (utilizing my existing 5.1 speaker setup from my current system).

Planning to use HDMI with component cables backup/support to run the video (direct lines to display in case HDMI is wonky with the receiver).

Looking into the HD satellite situation as well.

With luck I can keep the cost under $3000.00 and have a pretty decent home theatre upgrade that's somewhat future-proof.

Then again, I'm still waiting for my flying car...

If anyone has any additional info and/or things I may want to consider/watch out for, please share!
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post #17 of 25
2/6/08 at 7:08am
I have the 58PE75U which is the consumer version of your setl. It's a great TV, except for a few small issues. I sit 10' away and I love it!
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post #18 of 25
3/18/08 at 10:05am
Thread Starter 
FOLLOW UP: Future Proof Resolution?

Hey all, had a thought. How soon will we see a jump up in rez from 1080p? That is to say, when the 1080p of tomorrow becomes the 768p of today? Or is this still not a major concern?

Thanx!
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post #19 of 25
3/18/08 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

FOLLOW UP: Future Proof Resolution?

Hey all, had a thought. How soon will we see a jump up in rez from 1080p? That is to say, when the 1080p of tomorrow becomes the 768p of today? Or is this still not a major concern?

Thanx!

I seem to recall reading that anything over 1080p would take up too much bandwith, so it is unlikely to change any time soon, if at all.
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post #20 of 25
3/18/08 at 11:07am
Thread Starter 
Interesting... been reading that 1440p may be "right around the corner" but don't know how big of an impact that may have on the "average" consumer. I'd be using my display primarily for (in order) Blu-ray, standard DVD, PS3 gaming, possible PC application and satellite TV. I'm fairly confident that a 58" 768p display at a viewing distance of about 11 feet would suffice, but if there's going to be a resolution jump in the "near" future, would getting a 1080p display enable better compatibility with 1440p?

Bear with me, just thinking out loud here...
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post #21 of 25
3/18/08 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

Interesting... been reading that 1440p may be "right around the corner" but don't know how big of an impact that may have on the "average" consumer. I'd be using my display primarily for (in order) Blu-ray, standard DVD, PS3 gaming, possible PC application and satellite TV. I'm fairly confident that a 58" 768p display at a viewing distance of about 11 feet would suffice, but if there's going to be a resolution jump in the "near" future, would getting a 1080p display enable better compatibility with 1440p?

Bear with me, just thinking out loud here...

At this time there are no 1080p broadcasts of any kind and zero plans for them by Broadcasters. In fact the only true 1080p sources out there are from Blue Ray or the now dead HD DVD palyers. As for 1440p???, the human eye is close to it's limit viewing 1080p content as it is, so 1440p would be even less impactfull on viewing. That being said, if the industry can convince some of the tech Fanboys here that 1440p is the next greatest thing, then I'm sure you'll see them emptying their pockets $$$ and telling people that 1440p is the only way to go.
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post #22 of 25
3/18/08 at 1:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug View Post

Interesting... been reading that 1440p may be "right around the corner" but don't know how big of an impact that may have on the "average" consumer. I'd be using my display primarily for (in order) Blu-ray, standard DVD, PS3 gaming, possible PC application and satellite TV. I'm fairly confident that a 58" 768p display at a viewing distance of about 11 feet would suffice, but if there's going to be a resolution jump in the "near" future, would getting a 1080p display enable better compatibility with 1440p?

Bear with me, just thinking out loud here...

Well, I had cable TV in mind when I mentioned about the bandwidth issue. But like you said perhaps components like Blu-ray will forge ahead with "the next thing".
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post #23 of 25
3/18/08 at 1:48pm
Thread Starter 
Good point. I watch very little TV as it is and don't really see that changing much in the immediate future, so my primary viewing would be from mediums that could benefit from higher than 1080p rez. Which then makes me wonder about next-gen plasma displays...
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post #24 of 25
5/18/08 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, change of plan re: my future display. I'm now looking at the Panny TH-50PH10UKA. Seems a safe bet for the viewing distance (10-11ft) and the hookups are right on (dual HDMI and single RGB component). Plus, the benefit of 1080p over the 768p model.

Am I on the right track here?
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post #25 of 25
5/18/08 at 3:24pm
It's a good set, but just to make things hard for you, I'd also take a look at the new Sammy PN58A550, you can find some REALLY good deals on it that should put it in your price-range. At that distance personally I would definitely go for a 58" set. the A550 was rated best gaming TV by cnet (whatever that is worth to you), and as long as it isn't in a really brightly lit room it's average anti-reflection shouldn't be an issue, plus it's 1080p aswell.

-Coggs
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