Reviews for Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV

Total reviews: 5 of 72
Average Rating:

• Not what I had expected, but I am happy with it. | Rating: | Date: 2008-10-04

  This was my first HD TV. When I bought the TV I thought I will have free access to HD programs on TV, I was wrong, Buying HD TV does not mean you can now view TV in HD free of charge, Comcast is charging me additional $10 a month, in return they will send you a new HD cable box, The Quality of the picture is very good for HD programs, but for regular programs you may loose some resolution and the picture may look worse than standard TUBE style TV

• Excellent choice for the price, outstanding image!!! | Rating: | Date: 2008-10-03

  I got this TV from Amazon.com after several weeks of research, I finally decided for this model, the price was OK, at least $300 less than local stores here in Miami, I got white glove delivery for free, which is pretty good considering the price I paid for the unit, When the TV arrived the delivery guy unpacked and tested the unit for me, I already had another 42" Panasonic Plasma (TH-42PWD7UX)on my Living Room Wall, so Installation was a breeze, I used the Stand oh the TH-50PZ85U on my old TH-42PWD7UX and moved it to my bedroom, so I got an extra there... I was amazed when turn the TV on, the image was so crispy and clear even with the standard settings, the blacks are awesome, I plugged and indoor HD antenna to it and the images coming out the TV were just stunning, I couldn't be more happy with my purchase. The sound is not that great, but I also got a PANASONIC SC-PT660 home theater which does a good job and the VIERA LINK works marvelous. I'm waiting for the prices to come down a little bit to get the DMP-BD30k blue ray player to have my Media Room ready to go. I'm very pleased with this TV, it is very good quality for the price, Amazon was great and the delivery was. Can't go wrong with this TV.

• HDTV review | Rating: | Date: 2008-09-30

  Excellent picture -- which is why I purchased this particular set. I read in the October issue of PC World that there is a way to "tune" a plasma TV to improve the picture even more.

• Awesome TV | Rating: | Date: 2008-09-22

  This is my first Plasma TV.... I did extensive research before buying this one. In one word this TV is GREAT. I have it hooked up with a receiver, DVD player, Nintendo Wii and a PC. Picture quality is super. I am not impresses with sound - only has 2 speakers.. But I use it with my surround system - so it's not a big deal. My favorite feature is that you can change the format of the picture... it is so cool. It was great to buy it form Amazon, free shipping so can't complain. My experience with people who did the delivery was not so good. They unpack the TV but refused to put it on the stand that it came with it.. w/o the stand the TV will sit on its speakers and a wall to hold it from falling down. Then they ask you to fill out a document saying that everything was perfect.. When I refused to sign it...then they had to audacity to threat me to take the TV back. My rating reflects the product not the service. If I had to rate the Service, I will give it negative 5...

• Almost a home run | Rating: | Date: 2008-09-15

  I've had the 50PZ85U for about a month and now feel comfortable writing a review.
  
  First off, I bought this TV from a different vendor than Amazon because they had 24 month no interest finance as an open box item for $1700. Amazon now has it NEW for that price with the 24 month no interest and the step up model (which is what I really wanted anyways), the 800u for $1900. I should've waited.
  
  So, on to the review. This is my second HDTV. I had a 37" Viewsonic that had respectable PQ but horrible blacks. This is why I wanted to go with a plasma, as I had heard plasmas are best when it comes to deep blacks. I was not dissapointed. The PZ85u has Kuro like blacks which makes the overall PQ outstanding. It is almost 3D it is so good. I had heard that these sets had inaccurate colors, but to my untrained eye, they seemed great (greens were green, reds were red, etc.)
  
  Another gripe about these sets is the glare. I have a big picture window (12'W by 4'H) where the set is placed on a perpendicular wall that is about 6' away. The set is similar to my LG Shine cell in that it is like a mirror when off but the image displayed is fine when on. One can still see themselves reflected in dark scenes during day time, however. Once the daylight subsides, the reflection is almost completely gone. The room is lit with a flourescent light that we had set up before that does not shine directly at the TV. Using that causes no reflection whatsoever. PQ is vastly improved during night viewing as well. This is really when this set (pardon the pun) "shines".
  
  The worst thing about this set is the "noise" that is seen. Just to be clear, this is not audio noise that is heard but "specks" that are seen especially with white backgrounds but can be seen throughout if you look hard enough. I have yet to see it while watching HD discs. I do see it in a lot of cable programming, though. Again, this is not a deal breaker for me but it is annoying sometimes and can be too distracting for some sensitive viewers.
  
  All in all, I'd give this set 31/2 stars but apparantly is not an option with Amazon. I would have liked to wait and get the 800u.