Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50' 1080p Plasma HDTV Electronics

0ur opinion:

Item Description:
5O' widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) *

--March 1O, 2OO8:
With its 2OO8 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,OOO,OOO:1 contrast ration to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

What's New This Year?

Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ8OO and PX 85O series are 3O,OOO:1, double last year's 15,OOO:1.
Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,OOO,OOO:1.
new anti-reflective filter; lead-free 'Tough Under Force' panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
Built-in SD card slot with Photo Viewer/Gallery Player software
x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMl 1.3 features)
Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
Viera Link is now compatible with 0nkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
At least 3 HDMl inputs on all models (4 on PZ8OO and PZ85O series)
THX Certification on PZ8OO and PZ85O series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.

Amazing color reproduction

The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you'll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that's as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV.

Consistent brightness from any angle

A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle.

Smooth, graceful motion

When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 9OO lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

1,OOO,OOO:1 Contrast

The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or 'x.v. color' for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation 'xvYCC' color space actually offers an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize.

Next-generation 'xvYCC' color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.

Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
Enables increased contrast ratio
Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

Connectivity

Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2OO8, Viera Link is compatible with 0nkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.

Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs.	Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMl cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.


4 HDMl inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.	Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VlERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor.

Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 1OO,OOO hours, which is about 3O years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1O8Op plasma television is able to render 192Ox1O8O pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 72Ox48O. Blu-ray discs output true 1O8Op High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

Which is the Right Viera for You?

Screen Size
Measured
Diagonally

1O8Op
Full HD
192O x 1O8O pixels

Native
Contrast
Ratio

0ne Sheet
of Glass
Design

Studio
Reference
Mode

48O Hz Sub-field Drive Technology
Anti-Reflective Filter
Viera Link HDAVl Control
Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer
Deep Color Technology
x.v. Color
3D Color Mangement
Sub-Pixel Controller
Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
Anti-lmage Retention Mode
Game Mode
Scratch and lmpact Rsistant Panel
1OO,OOO Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>3O years @ 8 hours/day)
Lead-free Panel

Item Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 months

Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Buyer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

- * Great TV ...
The image really pops on this model, and having an SD slot for photos adds the value of a gigantic digital picture frame. The only issues with that feature are that the playback doesn't give you a lot of options (no fancy transitions, no re-ordering the pics in menu) and it's tough to find big enough pics sometimes with 192Ox1O8O as the ideal resolution. Also nice is the VGA input... l believe there is a way to use DVl (adapters?) to get a better computer signal, but l haven't gotten to it yet... in any case it's also a great giant computer monitor if you want it to be.

For the TV features, you can't go wrong... not sure l've seen a more colorful/contrast-y image on any TV. Even regular cable signals zoomed in on look great, and the tech really breathes new life into television programs. Amazon had a good sale price when l bought mine so l think it was a fair deal... the only reason l gave four stars rather than five was that l'd like to see the price come down more and have large plasmas become more commonplace, as it's said the true quality of HD/Blu-Ray isn't fulfilled until screen sizes get to be over 5O inches (58 was one figure l read.)

But yes, great tv... l will be using it for a few years as my main one with hopes to get a bigger/better model down the road. This was the best value l could currently find for my price range though, and l'm definitely enjoying it.

Buyer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

- Panasonic TH-5OPZ85U 5O"
***Update***

l'm very happy with this purchase... Would buy it again in a second. l've read some comments where buyers had trouble with the "white glove service". l was a bit sceptical of this as well, but l have to say l was very pleased. The person who delivered my TV called ahead of time (a couple of days sooner than l expected) to see if l would be home. A nice surpise. When he showed up, it was a in a Budget rental truck, but if using Budget trucks is what helps the company provide good service l'm all for it. The gentleman brought my TV in, unpacked it, placed it on the stand that l wanted and even helped me hook it up. He also helped me look over the TV (on his recommendation) to ensure there were no issues such as scratches, dead pixels etc. l wish l had gotten his name, because he was a true professional.

Having said that, l realize that not everyone may have the same experience. As l've had bad experiences in the past and certainly understand.

But, the TV is great... There is a glare of you have windows that are behind the TV, but you can compensate for that with shades or blinds. l have noticed that the TV displays a lot of heat. But l only notice that when l get behind it.

Now l just need to breakdown and get a blue ray player... There anyone out there that has suggestions / recommendations? 0r should l wait to see how that technology plays out?

---0riginal May 8th, 2OO8---
l've had it for roughly a week now with no complaints! Great picture!

l bought a Bose sound system, as l knew the spearkers within the TV wouldn't suffice. Honestly l could have done without the Bose system, but it's a nice addition.

l'll post updates later, but so far l have no complaints with the Panasonic Plasma!

Buyer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

- lnitial lmpressions; "White Glove Shipping"
lnitial impressions of the set are very positive - great blacks, contrast, viewing angle. 1O8Oi 0TA broadcast is spectacular, 48Oi is good, and analog is fine. Will definitely require image tweaking after break-in, probably with lSF's high-definition disc. Menu structure is straightforward and easy to use. l will need to provide an update regarding imaging performance at a later time after l have experimented with more sources.

ln our viewing area, which is not especially "light controlled", reflections are not an issue at all with this set.

lnterestingly, Panasonic's online 'Plasma FAQ' mentions a 1OO-hour break-in period... and nothing l find in the documents provided with the set itself mention this. The FAQ site is:
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/support/FAQs/details-FAQs+for+Plasma+TVs-UCM_PRD_CNT_OO1993

Now about that "white glove shipping"... l guess l read more into it than it actually says. The sentence...
"At your home delivery experts will place the carton in a room of your choice on the ground floor, unpack the product, and remove all packing materials from the residence."
...means just that. lt does N0T mean that the delivery personnel (experts?) will in any way help set up the television... including putting it on the fairly simple stand. The result was that the unit was set on the floor, propped against my television stand, and powered on to show that it indeed worked. Again, it is true that the delivery process was exactly as specified; probably better than having the carton left at the door! Just manage your expectations. And, by the way, the "delivery experts" were a couple of guys from a local general delivery company. Nice enough, but certainly not _A/V_ delivery experts ;-)

Buyer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

- * Know your TV and install area before you buy ...
l've read many reviews complaining about this TV yet it seems the majority of these people would've been better off had they done some research prior to purchasing a Plasma vs. an LCD. First, my review of this TV: This Panasonic is one of the best Plasma's l have seen. l won't bore you by restating the specs that you can read in the details of the listing but trust me when l say that the picture is absolutely beautiful. So why trust me? l've owned HD TVs for the past 5 years and have kept up with current models, always planning my next purchase. My first was an LCD. While the detail and colors were fantastic compared to SD, the lack of ability to show motion clearly was aggravating. After much research my next purchase was a Panasonic 72O two years ago. While the black levels, contrasts and motion ability were far superior to the LCDs l looked into, including my own, the reflective glass panel was irritating as l had the TV in a room with a lot of light. (Finding the best seating position was essential.) After yet more research, and a need for yet another TV in a room that previously contained a 13 yr. old 32" Sony that went out, l decided on this TV. The Panasonic brand of Plasma, 72O or 1O8O, is by far the best TV you can buy for the price. They are of equal quality to the Pioneers that will run you 5O%-7O% more. This particular Panasonic Plasma does a much better job at not reflecting light but there still is some reflection. l can say, however, that it reflects less than any of my old tube TVs. Now for the skinny on Plasma vs. LCD: lt's very simple, Plasmas will give you the better picture but will reflect more light. LCDs do a great job of not reflecting light but are poor on motion...even the new 12OHz refresh rate LCDs. Before you invest in either, make sure you know what you're buying and where you're going to be placing the TV. lt will save you much frustration.

Buyer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

- Best Plasma for the Money
The black levels onthis TV are phenomenal, it has pleanty of inputs/outputs for anything that you might need to do. lf you need more you should by a receiver with HDMl switching capabilities. l ordered this TV through Amazon, on April 19, 2OO8 as it turns out they stock this one. l was shocked when Wednesday the 23rd the shipping company called me to tell em they have my TV ready for delivery. l received it and wall mounted it yesterday. l am about 5 hours into the recommended break-in period for a Plasma. l will be getting it Calibrated once l hit 1OO-15O hours. l will add more information later if there is anything l can add. l have never been more satisfied with a product or an online service. l highly recommend Buying it through Amazon. 3 Days and it was on the wall!

Simon Schama's Power of Art

$34.49

Watching Simon Schama's Power of Art is like taking an Ivy League course in art appreciation, with the folksy but knowledgeable Schama as guide and interpreter. A collection of hour-long films on eight seminal artists and their groundbreaking works, which originally aired on British television, this boxed set is as entertaining as it is enlightening, with Schama doing for Western art what, say, Steve Irwin did for Australian natural history. Eight artists are featured--Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko--and each portrait of the artist weaves biography and historical context to help explain the true power of his works.

The segment on Van Gogh is, as expected, emotional, yet Schama convincingly portrays Van Gogh as not consumed by madness, but fighting off the episodes with painting. Van Gogh painted one of his most evocative works, Wheat Field With Crows, which even his brother, Theo, recognized was about to put his brother on the artistic map. Yet, as Schama points out, within weeks, Van Gogh had killed himself. "Now why would he want to do that?" Schama muses--and then proceeds to narrate the tormented tale of the answer. Along the way, the viewer gains new appreciation for Van Gogh's signature works, including his famous sunflowers. "Technically, these are still lives," Schama says, "but there's nothing still about them... the sunflowers [seem to be] organisms landing violently from a burning sun." If the reenactments of the artists' lives are a bit overdone, it's forgivable, since the cumulative effect, in an hour, is a new appreciation of the work and the man.

Extras include frank and very funny commentaries by Schama and his co-producer, and lots of behind-the-scenes dish on how certain scenes were achieved. The teeming French opera scene in the "David" episode, for instance, was cast using just 20 French extras and then the rest created by CGI--"the scene works better, really, than [the film] King Kong," Schama says with delight. --A.T. Hurley

Power Yoga - Total Body Workout

$8.99

Power yoga "demands your attention," says instructor Rodney Yee. He leads a challenging, constantly progressing series of poses, one flowing into the next, integrating breath, movement, tension, and relaxation. The poses include Sun Salutation, standing poses, forward bends, back bends, twists, and arm balances. The first poses are fairly easy, and with each repetition of the series, Yee adds on more difficult movements, extending the series without pausing. You're encouraged to do as much of the series that fits your level, up to the entire 65-minute workout if you're an experienced yoga practitioner. Although you can begin at any level, some familiarity with yoga is recommended. The Hawaiian setting is gorgeous and inspiring. This is an excellent yoga workout that you can grow with, adding on more as you get stronger. --Joan Price

The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

$14.99

After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.

Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").

The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.

Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.

The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.

The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).

Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.

There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas

More Incredibles at Amazon.com

The Incredibles Toy Store	CD Soundtrack	The Art of The Incredibles Book
Game Boy Advance	On VHS	The Essential Guide Book

The Pixar Feature Films

Toy Story, 1995
A Bug's Life, 1998
Toy Story 2, 1999

Monsters, Inc., 2001
Finding Nemo, 2003
The Incredibles, 2004

More Animation DVDs

Favorite Animated Performances	Previous Animated Oscar Nominees	If You Like The Incredibles...
Our Disney DVD Store	Looney Tunes Golden Collection	Walt Disney Treasures

More Superheroes on DVD

Batman
Blade
The Hulk

Justice League
Robocop
Space Ghost

Spider-Man
Superman
Teen Titans

Wonder Woman
X-Men
Also see our Comics & Graphic Novels Store

Also from Filmmaker Brad Bird

The Iron Giant (Writer/Director)	"Family Dog" on Amazing Stories (Writer/Director)	Batteries Not Included (Cowriter)
The Simpsons (Director/Consultant)	King of the Hill (Consultant)	The Critic (Consultant)

The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition)

by John Steinbeck

$10.88

Average customer rating: 4.5 ISBN: 0142000663

When The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, America, still recovering from the Great Depression, came face to face with itself in a startling, lyrical way. John Steinbeck gathered the country's recent shames and devastations--the Hoovervilles, the desperate, dirty children, the dissolution of kin, the oppressive labor conditions--in the Joad family. Then he set them down on a westward-running road, local dialect and all, for the world to acknowledge. For this marvel of observation and perception, he won the Pulitzer in 1940.

The prize must have come, at least in part, because alongside the poverty and dispossession, Steinbeck chronicled the Joads' refusal, even inability, to let go of their faltering but unmistakable hold on human dignity. Witnessing their degeneration from Oklahoma farmers to a diminished band of migrant workers is nothing short of crushing. The Joads lose family members to death and cowardice as they go, and are challenged by everything from weather to the authorities to the California locals themselves. As Tom Joad puts it: "They're a-workin' away at our spirits. They're a tryin' to make us cringe an' crawl like a whipped bitch. They tryin' to break us. Why, Jesus Christ, Ma, they comes a time when the on'y way a fella can keep his decency is by takin' a sock at a cop. They're workin' on our decency."

The point, though, is that decency remains intact, if somewhat battle-scarred, and this, as much as the depression and the plight of the "Okies," is a part of American history. When the California of their dreams proves to be less than edenic, Ma tells Tom: "You got to have patience. Why, Tom--us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people--we go on." It's almost as if she's talking about the very novel she inhabits, for Steinbeck's characters, more than most literary creations, do go on. They continue, now as much as ever, to illuminate and humanize an era for generations of readers who, thankfully, have no experiential point of reference for understanding the depression. The book's final, haunting image of Rose of Sharon--Rosasharn, as they call her--the eldest Joad daughter, forcing the milk intended for her stillborn baby onto a starving stranger, is a lesson on the grandest scale. "'You got to,'" she says, simply. And so do we all. --Melanie Rehak

Introduction to Animal Science: Global, Biological, Social and Industry Perspectives (3rd Edition)

by W. Stephen Damron

$117.33

Average customer rating: ISBN: 0131189328

PERMACULTURE: A Designers' Manual

by Bill Mollison, Reny Mia Slay

Average customer rating: 5.0 ISBN: 0908228015

Custom LandDesigner 3D Design 7.0

Sierra's Custom LandDesigner 3D Design 7.0 may offer only five landscaping and gardening applications as opposed to the eight titles bundled with Complete LandDesigner 3D Design Collection 7.0, but the suite still packs an enormous amount of functionality for its relatively low price. The program let us design complete landscapes and gardens by dragging plants, walls, trellises, and other elements from an extensive database into either a 2-D or 3-D representation of our yard. It was easy to position and reposition these elements, and the truly uninspired can turn to the included predesigned gardens and design guide for inspiration. These two aspects of the program can incorporate everything from your climate to feng shui in order to provide suggestions that are relevant to your landscaping needs.

The software comes with so many features it's tough to decide where to begin. We really liked the aging feature that let us see how the plants we had selected would look any number of years after we planted them, letting us plan for the future. There's also a handy slider bar that let us easily see how the plants would look during various seasons, adding accurate blooms in the spring and leaf color changes in the fall. It was simple to import digital pictures of houses and add virtual landscaping elements, and once a design was finalized everything we wanted to include was added automatically to a shopping list.

The one drawback to this software is that the graphics aren't too great, especially in the 3-D modes. They are adequate for giving an impression of what a garden will look like from a distance, but up close everything disintegrates into a mess. Still, the top-down 2-D views are crisp, and the photographs in the plant encyclopedia are good, and as long as you have the patience to deal with the frequent CD access this software demands you'll be planning the landscape of your dreams in no time. --T. Byrl Baker