Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
By: Panasonic Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 26
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 On: 2008-06-12
I jumped to get mine during a one day sale for a rediculously lower price than here.
No dead pixels. Very bright picture. Video reproduction on this plasma is SO much better than most LCDs Ive seen.
Using the HDMI ports from a BluRay player and a HD-DVD player I fine tuned mine to the following settings:
Picture Mode: Standard
Picture: -6
Bright: +15
Color: -6
Tint: -3
Sharp: +5
Color Temp: Normal
Color Management: Off
All Filters: Off
Those settings are for when 1080 is filling up the whole picture; but I have to lower the Picture and raise the Brightness for 4:3 or video with black bars at the top & bottom.
Blacks are better on Standard-Def tube monitors; but black on Plasmas are
much much better than the LCDs Ive seen. Ive attempted to help a few friends set up their LCDs for best black, but resolution deteriorates on most LCDs when blacks look good. On the other hand the Picture and Brightness tuning on this plasma behaves very similar to a Tube monitor. Blacks are still a bit too milky for my taste, but I guess Ill have to raise the room lighting to trick out my eyes. I like this plasma for the price I paid for it.
On: 2008-06-12
Ive had this for about two weeks now. I saw this in a one-day sale ad of a local electronics retailer for $1,399.00 and didnt really know anything about it except the gossip that Panasonic and Sony tend to make the best plasmas.
My main disappointment is with its inability to retain picture detail and hold black; which it cant do; therefore I suffer through milky blacks to see all the subtle detail. Im guessing this is a limitation on this set due to its lower contrast ratio. According to Amazon its 5000:1 however according to CNET its 10,000:1 In either case Id recommend a set at about 50,0000:1 although I hate pictures that are too bright. This is what we get for riding the bleeding edge of HD.
I understand detail-reproduction/black is a difficult relationship for most manufacturers, but to switch to a positive note, the anti-glare coating on this model is a huge plus because most plasmas are as reflective as tube sets; and since I own it I can say that this coating Really works! The picture now looks as good as it will because I bought the Joe Kane DVE (Digital Video Essentials) BluRay disc to align it. Im using a PS3s HDMI to the displays HDMI-1 input.
There are consumer reports listing this models half-life brightness at 100,000 hours; however Panasonic says to expect merely 60,000 hours of half-life out of their plasmas; 60,000 hours is 7 hours per day for 20 years. That may be an average based on the fact that most people set their contrast (picture) setting too high for the whole life of their display; so when we set it where it should be it will retain better picture reproduction over its whole life.
There are a few Picture Modes available in this model; Vivid, Cinema, Standard, and Custom. I use Standard since its supposed to be the most natural and normal decoder for video reproduction on this display. The other decoders are "flavored" with a subjective look.
Contrast and Bright levels change when video is 4:3 or 2:35:1. For both of these I turn the contrast down one increment and the brightness up one. The black bars for 4:3 & 2:35:1 are milky; and so Ive actually considered tacking on small hooks to the exterior of the display to easily mount black bezels for these non-16x9 ratios.
My image display settings on this set for full screen 16x9 1080p video are: Picture Mode is Standard, Picture is -6, Brightness is +7, Color is -10, Tint is -5, and Sharpness is at -4 (although with true 1080p video you cant really see much of a difference along most of the sharpness range). Color Temp is Normal, Color Management is Off, and all filters are Off too.
The fact that I set my contrast usually at -6 is good for me; because that means that as the Picture dims (over its life) I should have plenty of range left. Also the Vivid setting amps up the contrast; so there may be extra range left there in that picture mode too.
Im guessing that LCDs must really suck with the detail/black relationship since most reviews brag about plasmas reproduction of black being superior to LCD.
If us non-CRT people are obsessed with getting better black, then a set with a contrast ratio of 50,000:1 is probably a good sweet spot; or we need to look into lighting our viewing rooms with dim-soft lighting to achieve it; unfortunately that means being able to be more distracted by the stuff around our sets, as well as colors from wall paint and furniture possibly interfering with our perception of Tint.
Setting the Contrast (aka Picture) for full 16x9 on this display was not so easy for me with the Joe Kane alignment disc. For that I had to use a pool table scene from the movie Eyes Wide Shut where the luminance from the hanging lights on the ceiling will begin to eclipse detail if the contrast is set just one increment too high.
The Joe Kane disc works perfectly for setting the Brightness. Color isnt as simple and I noticed that it must be tuned down from what the disc says it should be; because even with all the auto color management turned off the color will still oversaturate if you leave it where the disc says. (BTW, Color Temp being set to Cool seems to amp overall Blue). So I set the color down quite a few units (I think it matched Joes disc at Zero) Tint also does not work properly on this display according to the alignment disc; even though by the discs standards its right at Zero, I still had to slide it redder by 5 units. There is a gray piece of paper that comes with the disc to match a displays grayscale.
Overall, I am bummed out, but not so disappointed with Panasonic, since this is 2008; we just arent far enough in the future yet to get black and full detail.
 On: 2008-05-21
I was going to get an LCD.
They were the new thing. Plasma had burn-in, dead pixels, etc.
After doing a bit of digging, it turns out that most of the Plasma problems were 1st and 2nd generation issues. And according to Consumer Reports (plug!), this was one of the best. This was reinforced by talking to friends who had bought LCD and Plasma displays.
The display has deep, rich colors, very good viewing angles, and detail in the blacks that an LCD cant touch. All in all, if youre going to spend nearly $2,000 for a TV, this is hard to beat.
On: 2008-05-12
A little disappointed a newer model came out at the same price a couple weeks after I bought it, but I guess this is the way things go in the electronics world. I love the picture when I have HD signal. SD channels are blah...they looked better on my old tube tv. I was a little surprised by the heat the plasma puts off, but I guess its normal for plasmas. The remote that comes with the tv is great. Had to push one button and it syncs all my other players to it (dvd, cable box, vcr, etc).
On: 2008-05-05
I lobbied long and hard for a new flat-panel TV and this was the choice in the end. This set balances value, performance, and asthetics. This television has the most beautiful picture Ive ever seen first hand in a home. It got the full one hundred hours brea-in and then I used settings found at tweaktv.com. Trust me, broadcast HD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD look absolutely stunning and I could not be happier. Amazons white gloves delivery was as expected and I could not be happier with the overall experience. If you are willing to do the online and on-foot research, Amazon is the best place to buy a television.
 On: 2008-05-01
Within a month of purchase screen would get very light after about 10 minutes of the TV being on. After about 5 more minutes the unit would power off entirely and the power LED would just blink seven times. Would have to unplug the TV from the wall to get it to power back on. After doing some google searching for power issues this appears to be an issue with many Panasonic TVs (didnt see this while researching the product pre-purchase). The Panasonic help line was friendly and helpful and tech was out within 4 business days to repair so I give them some credit for that. Tech has to replace one of the system boards to fix. Talking to the repair guy he confirmed this to be a common issue he has seen with Panasonic brand plasmas (appears to not just be this particular model). Luckily mine was under warranty. Beware this product.
On: 2008-04-29
The TV so far is performing as I expected. The delivery service , however, left much to be desired. It was delivered by one man who told me I would have to assemble the stand and setup the TV. When I objected, he asked me to help him and did I have a screwdriver, he had no tools! He did not screw the TV to the stand properly, stripping the screw as it hung up on another. It is now be impossible to remove the stand. He knew little or nothing about setting up the TV for HD. I had to call the cable company to get it functioning properly. After this bad start however, the TV has been good.
On: 2008-04-28
I admit, Im very picky about what I buy, but I have to say, I am more than pleased with this television! I shopped around for an affordable 1080p HDTV but I didnt want to give up quality and I found both in this unit. The picture is very clear, the sound is great, and it is very easy to set up and use. I find no problems with the screen reflection, unlike my other big screen TV. I have zero regrets about choosing this one (I wish I could say the same thing about my first wife)!
On: 2008-04-26
I bought this TV for several reasons:
1) LCD was about the same price for this size (50 inch)
2) Plasma TVs have a blacker black (which this one does)
3) I did not need a fancy speaker system since I am connecting it to a surround sound system.
4) Panasonic has the top rated Plasma televisions for quality in comsumer reports.
I love the TV. Its huge! The digital picture quality when I watch Nova on PBS is absolutely stunning.
I only have two small complaints:
1) The TV will not tell me what resolution the current channel is that I am watching. Something like a "Info" button on the remote would be nice.
2) In order to turn the TV speakers off (in lieu of external speakers) you have to go several menus deep. There should be a single "Speakers On/Off" button on the remote.
Other than that, this TV is great. I especially like the straps that secure the TV base down to my wooden corner stand that it is setting on. The TV is a bit heavy and this prevents it from accidentally falling on my kids.
On: 2008-04-16
This unit has an amazing picture. My previous TV was a Mitsubishi Diamond Model HD unit and the Panasonics picture in HD and particularly SD is much better. Also, theres very little motion artifact compared to the Rear Projection Unit. Im running this through a home theater system, so the sound is fine. I wouldnt rate the built in speakers as being very good but if youre running the sound through youre own amp, it wont make any difference. If I was to buy it again, I would try to order directly from Amazon or the partnered vendor rather than using Amazon as the middleman. There were some communication problems - but eventually it all worked out. Overall, this is a remarkable TV considering that its true 1080p at less than $1800. I would definitely recommend it.
On: 2008-04-11
I spent a lot of time researching this product and finally made the purchase in March of 2008. I have been totally happy with the set. It is an outstanding picture and dollar for dollar the best buy out there!
Thanks Amazon!
Keith
On: 2008-04-11
It would be hard to be unhappy with this unit. The colors are excellent and the image is stunning. The only comment I can make is of the industry as a whole. I researched this TV on Consumer Report. I used the March 2008 issue. Buy the time I went to by the unit, the model in the review had been replace with a newer better one. Within 30 days of my purchase, my TV had been replaced with a NEWER, BETTER ONE.
On: 2008-04-06
This is my second Panasonic Plasma TV. I upgraded my 42" enhanced definition to this one and WOW what a difference. When I bought the 42" the 1080 was not out yet and the 720 was not worth the price for the upgrade, but the 1080 is. This picture is so clear and bright that at first I was dizzy when watching HD channels. Now...I cannot live with watching regular channels again. The sound is not the best, but I use the Panasonic home theater with it that is great. With the newer models coming out there are lots of great deals to be found and this one is a super deal.
On: 2008-04-02
Weve had our Panosonic Plasma for about a month and love it. We watch sports alot and have been impressed with the picture. We looked at LCDs but I was not sold on the picture when watching fast action. We live close enough to major tv station towers to pic up HD Local broadcasts with a cheap set of rabbit ears, and have Dish HD for the rest. We also hooked up a Playstation 3 for the Blue-Ray, our daughter talked us into getting Guitar Hero and we play more than her. I would also recommend the Planet Earth Blue-Ray Series, its absolutly breathtaking. To wrap it up I would highly recommend all of the above which we purchased from Amazon with no problems.
On: 2008-04-01
I thought the color and clarity of this Plasma unit looked very good in the store. Well it looks even better when you get it home. I know some people like the TH-50PZ700 better in bright rooms, but I have to say, that even with a big picture window that faces due west, this set looks just fine in a bright room. The "Vivid" setting is more than enough and you dont get the glare and reflections you get with the Z700 unit. Although I liked the 120HZ Flat Panel LCDs the color does not even come close to TH-50PZ700. For the price, this was one of the best investments I have made in quite a while. The only thing I would add is an additional HDMI input. This is my 2nd HDTV. My first was a LCD Rear projection. At least I dont have to worry about replacing bulbs anymore.
On: 2008-03-31
After researching and reading online, including Consumer Reports online, and shopping locally (i.e. Best Buy, Circuit City, etc) we decided on a plasma instead of an LCD HDTV. It didnt take us long after doing some internet shopping to decide on the Panasonic TH-50PZ77U offered on Amazon. The price was terrific, the service was prompt and efficient. Regular ground shipping was acceptable and the TV arrived just as described at our front door. We are very happy with our new 50" Plasma Panasonic and Amazon.com and would recommend that anyone shopping online should consider Amazon.com, we did and very glad we did.
On: 2008-03-29
i did a lot of research before purchasing a 50" hdtv in general. Once I decided on plasma vs. LCD, this Panasonic had the best review in any of the consumer reports I read. Not only is it elegant to look at, the quality of the picture is excellent and the basic speakers create a clear audible sound.
On: 2008-03-24
Excellent product --- beautiful color and definition. Some have commented about the speakers ... I think they are fine; perfect for a condominium. Amazon shipped the unit and it was received in excellent condition. The shipper uncrated the unit, put it on the pedestal, and started it up before leaving. Couldnt get better service.
On: 2008-03-02
After a lengthy research period, I finally settled on the 50" PZ77U. Im happy to report that after two weeks of use the experience has been fantastic. First off, the picture is just gorgeous. Of course I expected that with HD cable and a Blu-Ray (PS3) player -- its jaw-droppingly great -- but I was very impressed with the SD picture of this unit. Sure, it pales in comparison to HD, but the SD channels dont have that processed look that makes everything appear like its been through a photoshop watercolor filter. Ive seen that on a number of LCDs and plasmas before and it drives me nuts. Remember, they never will show a SD signal to you at most stores-- its always a sharp HD signal. The good SD clarity is even more impressive for a 50" model.
Im still in the break-in period-- trying to make sure the phosphors burn in easily; I downloaded a burn-in disc from eaprogramming.com, which has been helpful.
Lastly, a few nice words for the purchase experience via Amazon and 6ave: The unit was shipped to my home in Michigan within a week; upon delivery the unit was inspected as required; everything was great. Id certainly use 6ave again.
On: 2008-02-21
I highly recommend this TV... first of all, why buy LCD for the same size when you can buy plasma for $1000 less? if u are worried about light reflection on the plasma TVs this panasonic has anti-glare in it... and the colors are jaw dropping....
This panasonic in specific I highly recommend because Panasonic is the 2nd best in Plasma after Pioneer (which is way over priced)... the 50PZ700U has better speakers than this one (but who buys a 50 inch TV without seperate speakers anyways) and u can hook your laptop to the TV and use it with the TV, but you would have to pay $300-400 more for it... if u need a 3rd HDMI input then go with the PZ750U nd play $600 more for it (I am sure 2 HDMI is more than u need)... so if u dont need to hook ur laptop to the TV and dont need a side HDMI cable that u probably wont use, then save urself $300-600 by buying this awesome TV right here, because the technology is the same...
I have an LCD Samsung and I have this 50PZ77u and i love my panasonic more.. with w panasonic blue ray (which uses the same remote control and is way better than the sony blue ray or samsung blue ray) then you wont go wrong... add some nice surround sound system and u will be amazed ...
On: 2008-02-21
After much research and actaully seeing the 700U, 750U, and 77U in person I settled on the TH-50PZ77U. The anti-glare screen works excellent in my environment. I have a fair amount of indirect light during the day, with light colored walls and hardwood floors there is high possibility of glare. This TV handles it brilliantly and I no longer have any issues watching during the day.
I was able to view all 3 models at a local Best Buy Magnolia so I had pretty much decided on the 77U when CC dropped the price down on sale to 2k after the Super Bowl. It was a no brainer and I do not regret it one bit.
I have an Onkyo TX-SR705 so I did not need the additional HDMI input of the 750U. I ran a break in disc when I wasnt watching it for 150 hrs then had it calibrated and WOW does the picture pop on this thing! I cant believe how good the black levels are either. As good as it looked on the show room floor it looks even better now. Unless you have an extra couple grand to throw at a Pioneer you cant do any better than a Panny plasma in my opinion.
Connected devices: Onkyo TX-SR705, Panasonic DMP-BD30, Xbox 360 Elite, DirecTV HR-20
On: 2008-01-02
From lots of research and reading the reviews on this site, I was able to pick the best TV out of the crowd.This was by far a better price then the big box stores. I Purchased the item through Amazon from Vanns. Everything about the transaction was as advertised. I am very pleased with the unit to date(Arrived Dec. 12). We upgraded from a 19" tube! It was time.
On: 2008-01-01
From lots of research and reading the reviews on this site, I was able to pick the best TV out of the crowd.This was by far a better price then the big box stores. I Purchased the item through Amazon from Vanns. Everything about the transaction was as advertised. I am very pleased with the unit to date(Arrived Dec. 12). We upgraded from a 19" tube! It was time.
On: 2007-12-18
Hey folks, I bought this full hdtv as a christmas gift for my husband, who enjoys spending hours every night in front of tv. Even though we still dont know the potential this beauty offers, because we received it just a few days ago, I can assure you that this is the best tv we have had until now. Standard image is superb and its design is very classy and beautiful, it got slim and invisible speakers on the sides which make it look a little wider than other models, and more sober. Tv image definition is very clear, specially with directv, colors are vibrant and clean, and the most outstanding thing to notice is the depth of the blacks, which you will immediately notice when you turn the tv on, this makes a big difference in comparison with other tvs that arent full hd. Back connections are plenty, you can connect from component or composite, passing through coaxial, and even hdmi. There is an SD card reader on one of the sides to view digital pictures from your digital camera. The user guide is very precise, easy to understand and clear, and it comes in English and Spanish too. But please, connect this magnificent gem to a good home theatre system and, if you can, placed in a proper space, then you will get to yourself the nearest cinema experience you can have at home, you will feel like you were in the movies, I can guarantee. I highly recommend this tv, you can buy it with no doubt, it is definitely worth it and you wont regret it.
On: 2007-12-10
I had this set for almost a month. The color rendition and black level contrast is awesome. I looked at LCD and DLP and decided to go with plasma because it looks more cinema than the other two format. The side angle viewing was "Perfect", the black level detail was "Perfect", the contrast ratio was "Perfect". Watching Blue-ray movies on this set was "SCARY Perfect". Happy customer. Plasma HDTV capture the cinema experience; "Like the movies".
Happy watching HD.
steve
On: 2007-12-09
I had this set for almost a month. The color rendition and black level contrast is awesome. I looked at LCD and DLP and decided to go with plasma because it looks more cinema than the other two format. The side angle viewing was "Perfect", the black level detail was "Perfect", the contrast ratio was "Perfect". Watching Blue-ray movies on this set was "SCARY Perfect". Happy customer. Plasma HDTV capture the cinema experience; "Like the movies".
Happy watching HD.
steve
On: 2007-11-17
I had been researching HDTVs for the past 6 months before finally, settling on this model. I decided to go with the Plasma over the LCD mainly, because plasma offers much better PQ and motion for the money and I didnt want to sacrifice size. The new Pioneers are very nice but way too expensive if you ask me. So it came down to the Samsung 5084 or one of the Panasonic 1080p models. For a long time the specs of the Samsung had me leaning that way. However, after seeing one in person I was not that impressed, it looked cheap. Panasonic also has a much better track record for reliability when it comes to Plasmas. No knock on Samsung they make great LCDs check out there 71 or 81 series.
The 3 current Panasonic models are the PZ77U, PZ700U, PZ750U. The 3 models can all be purchase within about $250 of each other (MSRP range from $2800 to $3500). The 77U and 700U are almost identical with the exception the PZ77U has an anti-glare screen and the PZ700U has a bit better speakers (who buys a 50" plasma for speakers anyway?). The 750U adds to the 700U a third HDMI input and more picture settings (I was going to go with this model but the HDMI input is right in the middle front of the TV?). Panasonic has a very highly rated anti-glare screen and I went with this model because it increases the contrast. So far I have had it for 2 weeks and been extremely happy with my purchase from 6ave.
On: 2007-11-13
This television was highly rated by a leading consumer magazine. With any 1080p resolution plasma television, the picture is awesome. This one from Panasonic is no exception. However, I was disappointed with the built in speakers. If youre going to be using separate speakers in a home theater installation, it wont matter. This unit is definitely worth $2,200. Plasma television prices are a lot lower than they were five years ago. Im glad I waited.
On: 2007-11-12
This television was highly rated by a leading consumer magazine. With any 1080p resolution plasma television, the picture is awesome. This one from Panasonic is no exception. However, I was disappointed with the built in speakers. If youre going to be using separate speakers in a home theater installation, it wont matter. This unit is definitely worth $2,200. Plasma television prices are a lot lower than they were five years ago. Im glad I waited.
On: 2007-11-09
This was on sale at Circuit City for $2k. I almost thought something was wrong, but that was indeed the sale. I picked it up and almost immediately was disappointed by the lack of pop in colors compared to my LCD 4665.
Turns out that I was just watching a bad source, in daylight. Once the night came, and HD channels were on...things got better - a lot better. I went to the store again to compare the picture on this to the 700 which has a glossy screen, and I honestly couldnt not tell a difference when looking at them from dead on. One looks like it has glass, and thats about it.
The whites are not pure white on this, or hardly any other plasma. But the darks are yummy and perfect. SD stinks, but HD sources really shine. If you can get a good deal on this - you cant go wrong!
I would like to see more control over the tweeking features, but the picture looks great, so Im not complaining too much.
I definitely prefer this to my old LCD...the motion on it is smoother - no blur when the camera pans. The darks are REALLY dark and uniform. At 50" its a movie experience!
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