Best Price Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT30 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV
Buy Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT30 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV
- Full HD with 3D ready
- It has flush design
- It has Infinite Black 2 panel
- It has VIERA Connect Wi-Fi Ready
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT30 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV 3D Technology Checklist This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires: A Display
First, you’ll need a 3D-ready display–whether it’s a 3D HDTV, 3D projector, or 3D computer monitor. These displays have more processing power than standard 2D models for displaying 3D images in rapid succession. A Source
Your display may be ready for 3D playback, but you’ll still need a device to read 3D content. This can be a cable box with a subscription to a 3D channel, a 3D Blu-ray Disc player, or a PlayStation 3 system. 3D Content
3D content–the actual entertainment, in o Read more >>>
Related Plasma Tv Products
Best 50″ picture quality in the U.S.,
With SONY and JVC no longer manufacturing their phenomenal high-end CRT HDTVs, and Pioneer out of the Plasma business, the pursuit of picture quality is not as simple as it once was. Rest assured, however, that there are still a handful of manufacturers (i.e. Panasonic, Samsung, LG, …) still investing in Plasma technology, because LCD is a giant leap backwards in terms of picture quality. When Pioneer – the previous undisputed leader in picture quality – left the industry, they sold their Plasma technology to Panasonic. While the amount of Pioneer technology (if any) present in Panasonic’s current line-up is a matter of debate, most critics will agree that Panasonic currently holds the crown for picture quality.
Viera Size Segmentation (VT30 vs. GT30 vs. ST30)
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I was in the market for a VT30 this year… however, in the United States, Panasonic’s size options are quite restrictive. In Europe, all lines of plasma from the X up to VT are available in 42″, which is the perfect size for me.
In the United States, each of the 3D model lines has a different starting size:
VT30: 55″ – 65″ (Industry leading black level, less buzzing, better speakers, 96 Hz mode for 24p, ISF calibration, …)
GT30: 50″ – 65″ (Better black level, +1 HDMI port and VGA input, THX certified)
ST30: 42″ – 65″ (Entry-level 3D TV)
S30: 42″ – 60″ (1080p 2D plasma, worse motion clarity than ST30 and no 3D support)
X3: 42″ – 50″ (720p 2D plasma)
Unfortunately, I can barely fit a 50″ TV where I have my GT30. I made the conscious choice of buying a TV slightly larger than I would have liked, because the GT30 buys you THX mode (which does a _really_ good job with skintones), an extra HDMI port, and a slightly lower black level than the ST30.
Picture Quality
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Getting back to picture quality, I have a SONY Super Fine Pitch FD Trinitron (CRT) set in my bedroom that I use as a benchmark for image quality.
The GT30 does not have the pure black level or white performance of the CRT (or even many local dimming LCDs). However, color accuracy and black gradiation (i.e. being able to see fine details in shadowed scenes) are actually better than my calibrated CRT.
Unenhanced motion clarity is indistinguishable between the two sets, and the GT30 earns a lot in this respect when it comes to displaying 24 fps material (48 Hz mode causes flickering, but even with simple 3:2 pull-down, the TV displays 24p video well).
Panasonic has added a more advanced Motion Smoother this year, with two levels – it creates artificial motion enhancement similar to LCD 120/240 Hz, and therefore has limited appeal.
Physical Appearance
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Typically I do not care about the physical appearance of a television (which is why I still prefer high-end CRTs to flat panels), but the design of this TV is definitely worth mentioning… compared to last year’s GT25 model, this TV is lightyears ahead.
The bezel has been shrunken on all sides of the panel, and the depth is equally impressive. Were it not for the speakers, and clunky stand, this TV would be about an inch deep. As a result, the television requires “break out” cables to attach analog audio/video devices, and the total number of analog inputs has been reduced to 3 (Component, Composite and VGA D-Sub). This does not bother me at all, since the only analog device I have connected to any of my TVs is a Nintendo Wii. The extra HDMI port more than makes up for it.
I would also like to give kudos to Panasonic for putting the power button on the FRONT of the TV this year (it was on the side last year).
Long-term Value (Viera Connect)
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Viera Connect is a promising new feature for 2011, that is essentially an evolution of Viera Cast.
Consumers can look forward to a growing software base in the future (as Software Engineers like myself develop software for the new open platform). The beauty of this new platform is that it operates independantly of official firmware release schedules. This is important, because firmware updates for aging products are few and far between – 2010 and older Viera models will likely NEVER receive support for Hulu, etc…
With this TV, two or three years from now, consumers can still download new or updated Viera Connect applications from the Viera Connect marketplace. Another thing I found nice about Viera Connect’s marketplace, is that you can buy TV accessories (such as 3D glasses, SD cards, etc…) directly from software built-in to the TV, and rest assured that the product is compatible with your particular model.
Sound
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Sound…
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|Unbelievable Picture,
The picture quality this TV puts out is crazy good. Colors are bright and vibrant without being over saturated and unrealistic. Blacks are inky black, and shadow detail is great as well. One of the reasons I bought the GT30 over the ST30 is the THX mode which gives really good out of the box picture without any aftermarket calibration. If you’re into tweaking the picture though, there are two professional picture modes that allow very in depth picture controls.
1080P Source Material with a high bitrate (such as blurays or Vudu HDX) look incredibly sharp and stunning, while not looking sharp to the point of unrealism as some LCD’s look. 720P sources look very good as well if a bit softer. 480i/p sources look alright. I only spent a few minutes watching SD and the experience was unexpectedly unimpressive. Motion on the GT30 looks very smooth and realistic without displaying the terrible “soap opera effect” that 120/240Hz LCD’s seem to suffer from.
I tried using the Viera Cast software that Panasonic builds into these Tv’s and I found to be pretty laggy. It wasn’t very responsive and I found the design to be a little on the ugly side. Vizio and Samsung have much more polished media platforms built into their Tvs. It’s possible Panasonic will improve performance with firmware updates in the future. If I was planning on using Viera Cast I would mark my score down but I have a Media Center PC and PS3 that replace all the functionality Viera Cast offers.
3D performance is very good. So far I’ve watched Tron Legacy on 3D bluray and played some 3D PS3 games; the 3D picture is very immersive and THX color accuracy remains very good in 3D mode. I’ve had bad experiences with 3D crosstalk on a friend’s Samsung C7000 LCD and it can get very annoying and distracting. Thankfully I haven’t experienced any of that on the GT30 in a dark or light viewing environments.
I’ve heard some early reports of the GT30 exhibiting floating blacks when viewing material that changes from a darker to a lighter scene suddenly. I haven’t experienced any of this. I watched Black Swan on bluray to test this and black levels remained dark and consistent throughout with no slight jumps in brightness.
I’m also very impressed with the design of the GT30. It’s about as thin as my Motorola Droid and it looks stunning mounted on my wall. Panasonic has traditionally lagged behind the likes of Sony and Samsung when it comes to the design of their Tv’s but they really stepped up their game with the GT30. Having a TV that looks almost as stunning when turned off as it does when turned on is an unexpected plus.
Overall the GT30 is an incredible TV that makes no compromises when it comes to picture quality. If you want to spend more money, the VT30 it will probably improve upon the GT30 in some way when it’s released but I’m having a hard time coming up with things they could improve outside of their Viera Cast platform.
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|Beautiful picture that’s spoiled by fluctuating brightness,
There is a lot to like about this TV. It has nice aesthetics. There are plenty of inputs and connectivity. Unfortunately there are some things that are not so great and one that is a deal breaker for me.
The over-all design and build is solid. Some TVs have a weak and even flimsy feel to them, but not this Panasonic.
The screen is very nice and coated in such a way that it is not too reflective.
The colors are rich and blacks are impressive, too.
There are plenty of display modes to switch between depending on your viewing habits and the content you are viewing. These settings are remembered per input, so, for example, you can have different settings for the Blu-ray player on HDMI 1, and the Wii game console on component input. The TV will change the settings to your preferences based on the input selected.
The menus are fairly straight-forward and easy to navigate. I like the fact that the menus are responsive and quick. I hate the Sony menus that take a second or two to respond.
The remote is not my favorite. This is really a gripe about the design of two Panasonic product remotes and not specifically a gripe about the TV. The remote for the Panasonic Blu-ray has very similar buttons. I can use the Blu-ray remote for on/off volume and channel for the TV and I can use the TV remote to control playback of the Blu-ray. The problem is that the buttons are in totally different locations which makes it confusing if you need to switch between them. Why aren’t the functions laid out similarly for a same-branded product? Since the two products go together, you would think that the design of the remotes would echo each other in similar areas. Oh well.
It is a power hungry TV. From what I understand, plasmas are power hungry due to the nature of their display technology. They also give off noticeable heat. I believe manufacturers are being forced by regulations to build more energy efficient (Energy Star compliant) TVs. It is also my understanding that this TV is more compliant than previous years’ models.
The big problem with this TV set and the deal breaker for me is automatic fluctuating brightness that CANNOT be controlled by ANY user settings. During scenes that transition from light to dark or dark to light the brightness will make distinct, noticeable, abrupt jumps. It is distracting and even annoying in scenes that make these transitions from light and dark often.
Most current flat panel TVs have dynamic picture settings. The fluctuations are not from a dynamic display setting that has an on/off switch, nor is it a room lighting sensor. It appears that this is the way these TVs are (poorly, in my opinion) designed.
I watched the Blu-ray disc of Mike Judges’s “Extract” with Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, and Ben Affleck recently. In one scene, the point of view switches between Jason’s character and Ben’s character while they sit and talk at a table in a bar. There were many of these fluctuations and it got quite annoying.
It does not seem to matter which input is used: HDMI, component, or composite for the fluctuation to occur. From my observation it does not matter which display mode is used either, including game mode. I connected my trusty old PS2 and played some classic SOCOM Navy Seals. There are many situations where the scenes changed from light to dark and vice versa. There were lots of the brightness fluctuations.
The sad part is that this is an otherwise great TV and I really do like the picture, but it is spoiled by the brightness fluctuations.
I’m waiting to hear back from Panasonic after I called tech support and they walked me through a few settings changes that did not resolve the fluctuation issue. They said they are researching it. The TV’s firmware can be updated. I can’t say whether or not this issue will be fixable through a firmware update.
I will probably be returning this TV as I have had it for less than 30 days. In my opinion, this fluctuation is unacceptable for a $2000+ TV.
I’ve researched some online on this fluctuation issue. Take a look at forums like AVforums.com, AVSforum.com, and HighDefJunkies.com. Search with keywords like: Panasonic 2011, fluctuating brightness. Decide for yourself.
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