Electronics

Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV The PZ800 series meets the THX Certified Display specifications, signifying the highest standards of performance and quality. The PZ800 Plasma televisions feature an improved native contrast ratio of 30,000:1; Game Mode; VIERA Link; a PC Input, four HDMI connections and an all new one sheet of glass design concept.
Customer Review: Excellent TV. Excellent buying experience
I could not be happier with my TV and the total buying experience from Amazon. It is rare when I get a chance to say, “Everything worked perfectly”! The TV arrived 3 days earlier than the original delivery date. I received a call from CEVA to schedule the delivery for the next day and they showed up right on time. The picture and colors on the TV are fantastic and the sound is great when run through a surround system
Customer Review: Amazon and Panasonic Deliver!
I was one of the folks who jumped on the “pre-order” sale back in early spring, before Panny was actually shipping product. I had narrowly missed the amazing Panasonic Plasma/Blu-Ray deal a few weeks earlier, so I was determined not to miss out. As soon as I saw the price I jumped.

First things first: as many others have reported it was not until late May before Amazon received units from Panasonic. Nonethless, I am happy to report that after “confirming” my order and agreeing to the slight delay, I was surprised in early June with a shipping notice. My unit arrived within a week - well ahead of estimated schedule.

The delivery itself was fantastic. A very pleasant young lady called me one evening to schedule delivery. I picked the day I wanted and she told me it would arrive between 10 and 2. They called me about 30 minutes out and arrived right in the middle of their delivery window at about noon. After a quick check for damage I was assembling the pedestal stand. I can’t recommend the delivery and service enough.

Oh yeah - the TV! What can I say, the Panny delivers the goods and far exceeds expectations. You know the specs, so I won’t bother repeating them here. I do want to mention how nice it is to look on the back and see 3 HDMI ports (the 4th is up front). It also has a digital out for sound, which is both convenient and necessary IMO. My one disappointment is with the built in speakers. Not enough oomph for me, but I may just be spoiled by my own surround setup.

I have seen this very unit in the store and I was blown away when I hooked it up to DirecTV and began sampling. I have at this point seen all the HD channels that D*TV provides and the only way I can describe it is breathtaking. Literally. I found myself watching some of the programming with my mouth wide open. The colors are amazing. I was slightly concerned that even a latest generation plasma would lack the punch that I had seen from some of the nicer LCDs in stores. No need to worry - the improvements in this year’s model will blow you away. I was lucky enough to watch the Stanley Cup (game 7), the NBA Finals, and The U.S. Open all in HD, and I can attest to the superb quality for live sports. Movies and other programming will never be the same after watching them on this TV. I caught a repeat of SNL the other night and it was almost creepy how crisp and realistic the picture was.

The unit itself is gorgeous. I might have to get a new house to match my TV. I started with a pedestal and have since moved on to wall mounting. Both were a breeze, although the unit is heavy enough to require two people to lift.

SD programming is good, although I have developed a very strong bias for HD content, so I find myself watching a lot less of that. I also hooked up my 480p DVD player and I am pleasantly surprised with the performance. I can’t wait to get my hands on a Blu-Ray to see what 1080P and 24p playback will look like.

I have to get back to my TV now…

Tags: hdtv review, lcd, cheap lcd, lcd review, hdtv

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