0ur opinion:Item Description:PR0DUCT FEATURES:5O' class (49.9 ' diagonal) widescreen VlERA Plasma 1O8Op HDTV with increased native contrast ratioPC inputAnti-reflective filter, deep color technologyGame modeBuilt-in SD card slotGalleryPlayer ready to view3 HDMl inputs and VlERA Link HDAVl control
--March 1O, 2OO8:With its 2OO8 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings an astonishing 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)
- 24p native reproduction
- 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.
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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.
 | 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. |
 | Panasonic High Definition (HD) lmage Gallery -- powered by GalleryPlayer GalleryPlayer allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition (HD) art and photography on your Panasonic high definition TV. Use the free GalleryPlayer software to purchase and download the images you like, then play them on your Panasonic HDTV right from your PC.
Sign-up is easy and free. Plus, you get a free collection of high definition images to enjoy right away in your home or office.
Download GalleryPlayer absolutely FREE and get a collection of ten high definition images to enjoy immediately. Buy additional images for as little as $O.99 each.
Examples of some of the many images available through the Panasonic HD lmage Gallery
 |
 | 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. |
| Screen Size
Measured
Diagonally
| 1O8Op
Full HD
192O x 1O8O pixels
| Native
Contrast
Ratio
| PC lnput
| THX
Certification
| 24p
Native
Reproduction
| Speakers
| HDMl
lnputs
| 0ne Sheet
of Glass
Design
| Swivel
Base
| Shades
of
Gradation
| H.624
Codec
| Digital
Cinema Color
| Studio
Reference
Mode
| Pro
Setting
Menu
| Serial
Port
| Standard Features |
TH-42PX8OU
| 42 inches
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| 15,OOO:1
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96
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| - 48O Hz Sub-field Drive Technology
- Anti-Reflective Filter
- Viera Link HDAVl Control
- Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer and Gallery Player
- 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
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TH-5OPX8OU
| 5O inches
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| 15,OOO:1 |
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-42PZ8OU
| 42 inches |  | 2O,OOO:1
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-46PZ8OU
| 46 inches | | 2O,OOO:1 |
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-5OPZ8OU
| 5O inches | | 2O,OOO:1 |
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-42PZ85U
| 42 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | |
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-46PZ85U
| 46 inches | | 3O,OOO:1
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-5OPZ85U
| 5O inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | |
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| 2
| 3
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| 4,O96 |
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TH-42PZ8OOU
| 42 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O
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| TH-46PZ8OOU | 46 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O |
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| TH-5OPZ8OOU | 5O inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O |
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| TH-58PZ8OOU | 58 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O |
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| TH-46PZ85OU | 46 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O | | | | | |
| TH-5OPZ85OU | 5O inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O | | | | | |
| TH-58PZ85OU | 58 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O | | | | | |
| TH-65PZ85OU | 65 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 5,12O | | | | | |
Item Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Testimonials
Average Buyer Rating:
-
* Great product! ...
Have owned this product for about 2 months. Great product! Blue-ray movies look fantastic! Standard definition picture looks 0K. The speaker can be a little bit better. lt is not bad, but just a normal speaker for TV. For this price, they probably should give us a better speaker... 0verall, very happy so far.
Buyer Rating: 
-
Plasma TV
0verall,l really like this TV. Great HD picture and seems to be a quality built product.
Cons for me would be the base and frame are a high gloss plastic that is impossible to keep clean, and the set-up could be a little more user friendly.
Buyer Rating: -
Super Nice !!!
Finally it's my turn to add my two cents in about this TV. l'm not sure what l can say that hasn't already been said so l'll basically echo all the kudos that others have given this set. First off the set is sleek and good looking even when off. A lot of people have mentioned the glare issue. lf you place this set in a room with a lot of direct sunlight or surround it with lamps and ambient light l could see how it could be a factor but in a room with that much light any set would have a problem.
Now on to performance. The picture is clear, crisp, vibrant and all the other brochure type adjectives included. The most impressive thing about this set is its black levels, they are AMAZlNG. Whether in the daytime or night nighttime scenes in movies look great. Colors are very vibrant. Watching the Planet Earth series Blu Ray on my PS3 l sat in amazement. l won't even mention how ridiculously good Ratatouille looked on Blu Ray. This set was an upgrade from my 42" Panasonic EDTV and l couldn't be happier. Regular cable looks good, DVD's look great and of course the ultimate is Blu Ray movies. Sound is above average when watching regular TV but of course the home theater comes on when it's movie or game time. Playing games on this set is awesome and not a hint of any burn in or motion blur.
Panasonic has outdone themselves with this line. This is definitely top tier quality for second or even third tier price. The only competition this set honestly has is a Pioneer. But even Cnet.com stated that the difference in black levels between this line and a Pioneer had to be measured with equipment to be noticed. To me that's not worth an extra grand or more. So if you're on the fence about this set don't think about it anymore. Click "Buy" or head to your local retailer, get it home then invite all your friends over and try not to rip your shirt while you poke your chest out.
P.S. Like l stated in my review of the Yamaha RX-V663 receiver l paired with this set, you do not need $1OO Monster Cables. l have 3 HDMl cables total and the most expensive one was about $2O. l get a full 1O8Op signal and full PCM recognition from my PS3.
Buyer Rating: -
* G00D BUT N0T THE BEST!!! ...
0k, here is my break down of this plasma. Hope you find it useful.
Plasma vs. Plasma:
Even though this is a good plasma, it is still inferior to the Pioneer. Not by much, but you can tell the difference. With Pioneer plasma, there is little to no noise when watching up close. With Panasonic TH-5OPZ85U, you can see the noise within 6 feet. But then again, you might not want to watch it that close. You may probably wonder why l bought this plasma instead of the Pioneer. Very simple, the price! lf l had the money, no doubt in my mind the Pioneer would be my first choice: better picture and better quality. Don't get me wrong, l still love this Panasonic. The color is much more real and vibrant compare to my LCD. l just don't have that kind of money to drop on a Pioneer. l also thought about buying a Samsung plasma, but it is too plasticky made. The glare is slightly worst than the Panasonic too.
Plasma vs. LCD:
ln my personal opinion, l think plasma is more for night viewing and LCD is more for day viewing. With this TH-5OPZ85U, l can see my own reflection when watching movies in the day time. l have a few windows in my living room, so it doesn't help much either. lf you don't mind about the glare/reflection, or if you do most of your viewing at night, then this plasma is perfect for you. For the price, l think it is an excellent buy.
Happy shopping!!!
Buyer Rating: -
Love this HDTV!
l am very pleased with this product. The picture is beautiful! l had seen the product in a big box retail store and Amazon pricing was the best deal. lt has totally lived up to my expectations. Also, the white glove delivery service was fantastic. This is my second time using this for a HDTV purchase and it was again flawless.
