Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P50X1 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
50" Plasma, 720p, 3 HDMI, Native contrast ratio 30,000:1, Dynamic contrast infinite black 2,000,000:1, Game Mode, Anti Reflective Filter, 600 Hz Subfield Drive
Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P50X1 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Accessories
Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P50X1 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Reviews
We bought this TV at Christmas time and have been very happy with it. The picture and sound are great. It was easy to hook-up. The controls are easy to use. The only problem, and I knew this when we went with plasma, is there is a glare with bright light. The price we paid was very good compared to other places selling this product.
Let me preface this by telling you that I was a Broadcast Television Engineer for over 21 years and have been related electronic fields for over 40 years total. I know picky!
My first prerequisite was a Plasma Screen, the lag in even the finest LCD/LED TVs drive me mad. Many people can't see this phenomenon and I'm fine with that. A bonus with the plasma screen is the large off-axis viewing, meaning that the picture looks as good from seats to the side as it does in my direct view comfy chair.
A second prerequisite was 1080p, or so I thought. My preferred viewing position is 12 feet from screen to eyes. At 3 feet, real 1080p Blu-ray did look better on a Sony GXDL52H1 1080p screen than it did on the TC-P50X1 720p. But, at 10 feet the differences were not so apparent and at 12 feet, I could live with the difference. When you factor in that the Sony is $4200 vs. $700 for the Panasonic, the choice became a no brainer. It is only TV folks!
You will find that TV broadcast is 1080i, if not 720i. It will be a while before you can get the full benefit of 1080p. I figure when that time comes, I'll move this one to the den and buy into 1080p. Maybe by then the price will have come down, too.
A few reviews have complained of compressed blacks. The picture controls fix that problem handily. Early reviews found a moiré effect in the bright whites caused by the screen overlay glass interacting with the plasma screen. I did not find this to be so with the present production. I have found later reviews pointing out the same problem, but under closer scrutiny, I found them to be parroting the old reviews, to the point that errors were repeated.
The Good: A great picture at a bargain price. Sure, there are better TVs, but expect to pay at least twice as much for a discernable difference. The screen is non-glare, a real plus in our viewing environment. Standard TV does not have the weird artifacts that I have seen on other HDTVs.
The Bad: I miss PIP. Also, I hate having to go to menu choose the input. I would prefer direct access from the remote. The audio is on par with almost any other HDTV, which is to say, not great but bearable. I would have liked TV remote controllable RCA outputs so I could hook up my (cheap) little surround system. I don't really want to run regular TV through the `big' surround system all the time to get better audio.
I searched for hours looking at different sites and reviews for an HDTV. I quickly ruled out LCD's as you had to spend big bucks to get one that didn't blur in fast moving sequences. Bottom line, I've had this tv for 3 months. The picture and sound are incredible. I watch mainly HD content via Uverse and it is awesome. HD shows look just like DVD quality. Get this tv and you won't be sorry.
Due to a wall mounting incident with my old 42" Viewsonic LCD HDTV, I was forced to replace it. Long story...let's just say that if your kit comes with any thick plastic spacers, you should use them so you don't penetrate too deep and damage internal electronics of the TV.
I did all the research, and the reviews are fantastic on this TV. Plus with the recent price drop, it's a steal of a deal. For me, I am converting from LCD to Plasma. And I love the brilliance of the plasma compared to the LCD, and the blacks are really black. The picture quality is awe inspiring. And gaming on it is a dream, if you are into that. I seriously doubted the people that said a 720p set could look like 1080p. But there is truth in that statement. My old set was a 720p and looked no where near as good as this one. Currently I am running HD channels through my local cable provider (component since Motorola has no HDMI output) and DVD/game content through an Xbox 360 (HDMI). I suspect HD channels would look even better with HDMI feeds, but that is what I'm stuck with for now. I don't have a Bluray player yet, but drool at the thought of how good it will look.
By the way, I used the wall mount kit on this TV (being sure to use the spacers) and it looks even more beautiful hung on the wall.
Everything is easy to setup as far as menus, etc. The stock sound is sufficient. But honestly I have ran surround sound for so many years, anything less don't sound right. While connection inputs are very good (3 HDMI's, 1 component, 1 composite, etc), there is only a digital TOSLINK fiber optic audio output. I like to run my components directly to the TV and then use the audio out to my Yamaha receiver so I did have to purchase a new cable (was using analog red/white cables before). Wow, what a difference! It sounds like I am in the middle of the action now, way better than before. While quality is much, much better you do need to make sure your audio receiver will accept TOSLINK connections. Most newer units should, but double check so you aren't disappointed.
What seemed like a disaster at first, has turned into a dream come true in the end. Thanks Panasonic for making such a rockin' product!
Great product at a really great price -- I got it on sale for $699.99 from Best Buy about a month or so ago, Amazon.com seems to be around the same. We went from a 27" TV from the 80s to this one -- what a difference! TV is HUGE, it didn't fit in my '09 Honda Civic sedan laid down or standing up. Excellent picture while viewing HD, can be crappy with SD but that's most HDTVs. Can't tell the difference between 1080p and 720p -- I tried in the store with a 1080p 42" plasma. Quick start-up, no wait times like some TVs. Sound is from TV stock speakers is decent, but needs a good home theater added on. Plenty of inputs, fit everything in my system. VieraLink software is rather useless, doesn't seem like anyone sells or owns many Panasonic electronics, but SD card viewer is a bonus. Overall excellent price, great picture, decent sound, HUGE size!
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