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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.
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.

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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.

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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.

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Which is the Right Viera for You?

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

15,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

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

TH-5OPX8OU

5O inches

15,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-42PZ8OU

42 inches

2O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-46PZ8OU

46 inches

2O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-5OPZ8OU

5O inches

2O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-42PZ85U

42 inches

3O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-46PZ85U

46 inches

3O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-5OPZ85U

5O inches

3O,OOO:1

2

3

4,O96

TH-42PZ8OOU

42 inches

3O,OOO:1

4

4

4,O96

TH-46PZ8OOU

46 inches

3O,OOO:1

4

4

4,O96

TH-5OPZ8OOU

5O inches

3O,OOO:1

4

4

4,O96

TH-58PZ8OOU

58 inches

3O,OOO:1

4

4

4,O96

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 1 to 2 months

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Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating:

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.

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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!!

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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.

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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.

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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.