The Panasonic TH-50PZ800U is several hundred more expensive than the
Hitachi P50H401 that I bought almost a year ago. Both are 50-inch plasma TVs with 1080p resolution support. Is price premium of Panasonic justified? Let's find out.
My point of comparison is the Hitachi 50-inch plasma TV that I bought for $1,150 (delivery and taxes included) a year ago. I was afraid that the newer and more expensive Panasonic would prove to be a better TV.
Features The Panasonic TH-50PZ800U is a 50-inch plasma HDTV with 1080p-compliant inputs. It features 4 HDMI inputs, 2 S-video, 2 component video and 2 composite video inputs as well as RGB input for connecting a computer/laptop. There is also an antenna jack and an SD card slot for viewing pictures.
The TV is THX certified and has a special "THX" preset mode. It also features 24 fps mode for natively showing film-based material. The HDMI inputs are v 1.3 compliant and TV features Deep Color and x.v.Color support.
The screen has a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, Motion Adaptive 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter, MPEG noise reduction and a built-in HD tuner. It also has a Game Mode, and features anti-reflective coating to reduce unwanted light reflections.
The TV weighs only 88 lbs without the stand or 99 lbs with it (included).
The TV features 4 built-in speakers with audio output of up to 31W qt 10% THD at 55-17,000 Hz.
The TV also features VIERA Link, which allows you operate other compatible Panasonic devices connected to it via HDMI using one remote.
Usage The TV comes with a stand that has a couple of bars that match the holes on the TV. The stand swivels, but alternatively you can mount the TV on a wall (mounting bracket needed).
The TV is very nice loking and will match seemingly any decor.
I tested this model with off the air programming, as well as with the
Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player and the
Pioneer DV-400V upconverting DVD player (in different resolutions up to its highest 1080p setting). The players were connected to the TV using its HDMI inputs.
I also tried the TV's component video connections (the image quality was almost as good, but slightly softer).
Unlike some other HDTVs (namely my Hitachi), the powering on and switching between channels (as well as menu operations) are rather fast. When switching channels, the sound appears within one second and image within two. The menus appear almost instantaneously.
The menus are intuitive and the setup was easy. In fact, the TV offered me to select the menu language and scan for channels. After channel scan, you can select/deselect channels that will be stored or skipped.
Another great feature of this TV, which my Hitachi lacks, is its automatic picture resizing. If you select "Just" zoom level, the TV will make sure that programming with any aspect ratio will fill the screen (this prevents burn-in).
The remote control is relatively intuitive with large buttons for primary functions. The buttons are not backlit, but the layout is intuitive and they have great tactile response.
Picture Quality Out of the box, the TV produced very good picture, but (as is always the case) has over-boosted color and sharpness. With other TVs, I use AVIA calibration DVD, but it was not necessary in case of this model, since it has a special "
THX" preset, which removes over-boosted color saturation, edge enhancement and contrast, making picture appear more natural and film-like.
In its THX mode, the TV excels. It features excellent contrast, life-like colors, shadow and highlight detail. The skin tones became normal, the images no longer looked cartoonish and the edges of objects stopped having white lines around them.
The off the air programming, especially 1080i sports broadcasts, looks stunning. The TV has a good tuner that can pull in about as many channels as my Hitachi's.
Thanks to the anti-reflective coating, the TV, unlike many plasmas, does not suffer from excessive glare and is even better in this aspect that a CRT TV. It is even slightly better than my Hitachi and unlike Hitachi it does not sacrifice black level. The black level of Panasonic TVs is excellent and is among the best in business (same as Pioneer Kuro without its steep piece tag).
In this aspect, as well as in natural colors Panasonic TVs are among the best plasma or LCD TVs and this TV is no exception. It also holds details perfectly in both shadows and highlights. No LCD TVs cannot compare to the color reproduction or smooth motion of this TV - the areas where LCD TVs are lagging plasma technology.
The viewing angle is also excellent. I can see the images on TV while watching it almost perpendicular to the normal angle of view, which is not something LCD TVs can offer either.
I evaluated image quality with the HD-DVDs of 300 and the Bourne Identity that shipped with the
Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player over 1080i HDMI connection. By the way, each input remembers its own settings, so make sure you adjust contrast, etc. for all of them or simply set all to THX.
The images have superb cinema-like appearance in 1080. The detail level is excellent. The images have three-dimensional quality to them that DVD or anything standard-def cannot approach. You truly feel like you are there and looking at what is happening on the screen through a piece of glass. Especially it is apparent in scenes with snow falling in Bourne or ashes flying in 300. And, unfortunately for me (the owner of the Hitachi P50), the glass seems to be clearer in case of this Panasonic in comparison to the Hitachi, primarily due to deeper black level and better color reproduction of Panasonic.
I see no issues with picture quality whatsoever. This TV's picture quality is nothing short of perfection. The standard-def programming is slightly fuzzy after watching high-def, but it is not something I would be concerned about.
The TV has quite a few zoom modes, including 4:3, 4:3 zoom, two 16:9 modes, 16:9 zoom, etc. The input source switching is slightly slow, but it is also not uncommon among HDTVs.
Resolutions: The TV can display material at resolutions of up to 1080p (inlcuding 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i). Standard-definition signal looks slightly soft comparing to high-definition signal, but resolution is great overall.
Sound The TV has 4 speakers, but I would suggest using dedicated 5.1 or 7.1 speaker setup with a good receiver. Still, built-in speakers are adequate for TV watching. They can provide more than adequate volume for TV watching. The sound itself is OK for watching talk shows and TV series.
Conclusion I can only find smallest issues with this TV, e.g. non-backlit remote and price. Aside for that, this TV is virtually perfect. Its image quality is breathtaking, especially with high-definition sources, where you feel like you are watching the three-dimensional action
through the clear glass and not
on the screen. The excellent resolution, detail level in both shadows and highlights, black level, natural colors and smooth color reproduction make me wish I got this TV instead of my Hitachi.
I highly recommend this TV and its THX mode.
