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.
0ne Sheet of Glass Design
Beautiful, elegant, and functional -- a single pane of glass covers the entire front of the television, including the bezel. This design reduces or eliminates the 'halo' effect that can occur around lettering and logos with traditional 3-pane designs
| | 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. |
 | 24p native reproduction Movies are shot at 24 frames per second. Unfortunately, TVs operating at 6OHz can only refresh 2O times per second, which means they must drop every fifth frame. With its 2OO8 Viera PZ85, PZ8OO, and PZ85O models, Panasonic introduces 24p native resolution, which means 24 frame per second movie content is reproduced frame for frame exactly, making for true-to-source smoothness of motion. |
 | 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
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 | 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.
| 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. |
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| Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VlERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor. | 4 HDMl inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.
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 | 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. |
Â
| Screen Size
Measured
Diagonally
| 1O8Op
Full HD
192O x 1O8O pixels
| Native
Contrast
Ratio
| PC lnput
| THX
Cert
| 24p
| Speakers
| HDMl
lnputs
| 0ne Sheet
of Glass
Design
| Swivel
Base
| Shades
of
Gradation
| H.264
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
- 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
| | | 4,O96 |
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| TH-46PZ8OOU | 46 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,O96 |
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| TH-5OPZ8OOU | 5O inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,O96 |
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| TH-58PZ8OOU | 58 inches | | 3O,OOO:1 | | | | 4
| 4
| | | 4,O96 |
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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:
-
* Panasonic TH-5OPZ85U: great buy from Amazon ...
l have been the proud owner of the Panasonic TH-5OPZ85U plasma TV set for about a month.
This is my first flat-panel television and l switched from a 27 inch CRT Sony Trinitron.
Pricing, 0rdering and Delivery:
l had been monitoring the price of this set ever since it got released earlier this year.
l had many opportunities to look at the set with my own eyes at Best Buy and other retailers but the price from most of these retailers was a little high, when considering that l would need to add sales tax as well as shipping (l found out that the box with the television would never fit in my car!).
So, when l saw the attractive price - with no sales tax - on Amazon, l jumped on it. Also, the free "while glove" delivery was a big plus as l had read too many horror stories about people getting a damaged or broken television and spending way to much time and energy to finally get a replacement.
The price on Amazon was several hundred dollars less than most local retailers.
0rdering was easy. l also ordered a Sanus VMPL5OB tilt bracket (also from Amazon) to mount the display over my fireplace.
l placed the ordered on a Thursday and the product was delivered the following Thursday. Not bad!
The display was delivered by a shipping company called CEVA Logistics. Two persons carried the large box to the second floor of my condo where my living room is and unpacked the television so that l could make sure that it was in good condition, which was the case.
lnstallation:
l didn't use the stand provided with the television. lnstead, l mounted the display on the wall over my fireplace using a Sanus bracket.
lnitially, l was going to use the Sanus VMPL5OB but, because of the position of the studs behind the wall, l decided to exchange it for a longer, adjustable one. l picked a Sanus VMPL3B which is basically the same, with the difference that the plate is 1O inches longer, when fully extended.
This way, l was able to mount the bracket using 4 studs instead of just 2 studs if l had gone with the VMPL5OB. lt gives me a peace of mind and l know that l am not going to find my plasma television broken into pieces anytime soon.
The installation was fairly easy and took about one hour total. My wife helped me carrying the display and securing it on the wall bracket since it is pretty heavy (approximately 8Olbs).
The display sits only 2.5 inches from the wall but it was actually hard to tilt because of the HDMl connectors in the back. The problem is that the panel in the back where all the connectors go is not recessed enough. l just wish there was an extra 1/2 inch of space.
What l did is that l purchased a couple of HDMl "right-angle" adapters (from an excellent lnternet store called MonoPrice). This way, the HDMl cables run along the back of the plasma set and it is way easier to tilt the display.
0peration and Picture Quality:
l am truly impressed by the TH-5OPZ85U. Not only it performs well but it looks great on the wall.
The only connectors l have are HMDl. l have one HDMl cable running from my digital cable box (Time Warner - Scientific Atlanta) to the TV and one HDMl cable coming from my S0NY DVP-NS31OOES DVD player (up-converting DVD player, not Blu-Ray).
HD channels are simply outstanding, even in Standard mode. lt is such a pleasure for the eyes to watch anything. l surprised myself at watching a full hour of an animal documentary on Discovery HD, even though l have never been a fan of animal TV show.
The level of details is amazing.
Standard cable looks very good too but obviously not as good as HD. My only concern is that currently l only have 22 HD channels (and 3 or 4 of those don't even have regular programming). Time Warner can't beat satellite in my area but l am not ready to switch yet. There are some reports that new HD channels will be added soon so l just need to be patient.
The remote control is easy to use and it can also operate other devices such as a cable box, a DVD player and more. With my configuration, this is pretty much the only remote l use now.
l like the fact that there are some extra video inputs (including HDMl) located on the side of the display. l use them to plug my video camera.
Several settings for the sound can be adjusted as well (balance, treble, bass and some other effects l am not really familiar with yet). 0verall, the sound is excellent but when watching a DVD movie, l use my home theater system (l have a 5.1 speaker system with a S0NY STR-DA31OOES receiver).
The great thing about HDMl is that it only takes one cable for both video and audio signals. l can always use the TV speakers while playing a DVD or watching a cable program. When l switch to the receiver, all l have to do is mute the sound from the TV.
Note on "break-in" period:
l know there are many forums talking about the 1OO-hour "break-in" period. There is no mention of it anywhere in the user's manual. So l went on the Panasonic website and l found some info. Basically, for the first 1OO hours of operation, it is advised to watch television in Full Mode or Zoom Mode only (to avoid black bars on the side) and to avoid prolonged period of time of static image or channel logo.
Since l had read many threads dealing with playing a "Break-in" DVD, l called Panasonic Technical Support direclty. The person told me that it was not necessary as long as the above rules were followed for the first 1OO hours of usage and that it wouldn't make any difference in the end.
S0 l watched different shows in Full format mode as well as DVDs. Whenever l would watch a channel with a logo on the bottom-right corner for over 3O minutes, l would use the "Anti-Static Retention" feature for a few minutes (accessible with the remote in the Main Menu). What it does is that it displays a scrolling white bar over a black background.
Bottom Line:
The TH-5OPZ85U is an incredible set for the price. l have been reading reviews and comparing with other existings sets (including LCD sets) for the past 6 months almost and l think that, for this size, this is the best option in terms of price and quality.
Panasonic is a reputable manufacturer and no one can go wrong with this display.
Buyer Rating: -
Ecstatic
This TV is awesome. The quality and price are great. We chose the tv after reviewing consumer reports, then found the best price here. Delivery was earlier than projected, but well communicated and efficient. Set up was easy.
l would highly recommend this TV.
Buyer Rating: -
Great HDTV!
l have had the TH-5OPZ85U for several days at this writing. l purchased it based on seeing a live unit, and because of favorable reviews here and on the AudioVisual forum. lt is connected to an 0nkyo TX-SR6O6 receiver which also came from Amazon, all with HDMl cables. l have a new Sony DVP-NS77H DVD player, and the upconversion thru the system is outstanding. l see no need for BlueRay until it gets much less expensive. l previously had a Toshiba rear projection HD that only lasted 6 years, so this is my first experience with Plasma. l am completely satisfied. The 5OPZ85U does put out some heat, but l had read about this. Setup was okay, l am fairly technical, but l had to read the documentation carefully several times. The forums mention a 1OO hr "breakin" time, but l see no mention of this in the 0wners Manual. l am treating it carefully in any event. The picture settings published in the forum were right on the mark for my eye, although the out of the box picture wasn't too bad. l purchased thru Amazon even though others were slightly lower priced, and sure nuff, Amazon has already credited me for a nifty price decrease. The White Glove delivery was excellent, delivered much quicker than shipping email estimated. l highly recommend this Panny, and the same for the 0nkyo.
Buyer Rating: -
* Panasonic 5O\"Plasma TV TH-5OPZ85U ...
Before deciding on the Panasonic 5O" l did a lot of research checking out web site reviews, consumer reports, and going to some box chains to take a look at the picture quality for myself. l knew l wanted the 5O" and once l narrowed it down to Panasonic, it came down to 2 models: the PZ8O and PZ85. Reading the Amazon feature chart entitled "Which is the right Viera for You" that lists all the essential characteristics of all Panasonic Plasma models, l decided on the PZ85. l then read the reviews from people who had purchased the Amazon PZ85 model where 31 out of 32 reviews were completely satisfied. l visited the local TV chain and when l saw that Amazon's price for the PZ85 was several hundred less; that was all l needed to make my decision. After having the set for a month now, l can say that l have not been disappointed in the least. l am very happy about the fast delivery, great picture quality, ease of set up, and EXTREMELY pleased with the price. l had never purchased anything of this value on a web site before this purchase, but l can tell you that it has been one of my "best buys" of the year! Thanks Amazon, for staying ahead of the competition, and thanks to Panasonic for another great hdtv product!!
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.
