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Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Batteries Included: 1
Batteries: 2
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Panasonic
Color: Black
Display Size: 50
EAN: 0037988241811
Feature: 1920 x 1080 Resolution
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Panasonic
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Model: TH-50PZ85U
Publisher: Panasonic
Studio: Panasonic
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Features
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1920 x 1080 Resolution
1000000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio for the Brightest whites and darkest blacks
4096 Shades of Gradation for spectacular Color Reproduction
Viera LinK™ HDAVI Control lets you operate all of your home theater components by pressing a single button on your TV's remote control
GalleryPlayer® allows you to enjoy the world's finest high definition art and photography on your Panasonic HD plasma TV
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Editorial Reviews:
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PRODUCT FEATURES:50" class (49.9 " diagonal) widescreen VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV with increased native contrast ratioPC inputAnti-reflective filter, deep color technologyGame modeBuilt-in SD card slotGalleryPlayer ready to view3 HDMI inputs and VIERA Link HDAVI control
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Amazing service from Amazon.com
Comment: I purchased this TV after reading the reviews and comparing several in the same price range at a local store. I purchased it through Amazon.com with their free shipping and white glove treatment. I was told that it would be a couple of weeks before delivery yet I was contacted within a few days by the shipping company and the TV was delivered less than a week after I ordered it. The white glove treatment was fantastic. They brought the TV into the house, unboxed it, and hooked it up to make sure everything was working. They also offered to take all the packing materials with them. When I ordered the TV, I thought I had got an incredible deal and ordered when the price was the lowest I had seen in a month. Immediately after I ordered, the price went up slightly and then started dropping. I would check the price daily and whenever I saw it was less than I paid, I would contact Amazon customer support and they would refund me the difference under their 30-day post purchase price guarantee. I have now had the TV for a month and the picture still blows me away. With the 30-day post purchase price guarantee, I have been refunded $111. So not only have I been able to enjoy an amazing TV for the past month, I have been making money while doing so. Overall, I would give both the TV and Amazon.com's white-glove treatment, free shipping and prompt delivery, and 30-day post purchase price guarantee 5-stars!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Panasonic TH-50PZ85U: great buy from Amazon
Comment: I have been the proud owner of the Panasonic TH-50PZ85U plasma TV set for about a month.
This is my first flat-panel television and I switched from a 27 inch CRT Sony Trinitron.
Pricing, Ordering and Delivery:
I had been monitoring the price of this set ever since it got released earlier this year.
I 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 I would need to add sales tax as well as shipping (I found out that the box with the television would never fit in my car!).
So, when I saw the attractive price - with no sales tax - on Amazon, I jumped on it. Also, the free "while glove" delivery was a big plus as I 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.
Ordering was easy. I also ordered a Sanus VMPL50B tilt bracket (also from Amazon) to mount the display over my fireplace.
I 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 I could make sure that it was in good condition, which was the case.
Installation:
I didn't use the stand provided with the television. Instead, I mounted the display on the wall over my fireplace using a Sanus bracket.
Initially, I was going to use the Sanus VMPL50B but, because of the position of the studs behind the wall, I decided to exchange it for a longer, adjustable one. I picked a Sanus VMPL3B which is basically the same, with the difference that the plate is 10 inches longer, when fully extended.
This way, I was able to mount the bracket using 4 studs instead of just 2 studs if I had gone with the VMPL50B. It gives me a peace of mind and I know that I 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 80lbs).
The display sits only 2.5 inches from the wall but it was actually hard to tilt because of the HDMI connectors in the back. The problem is that the panel in the back where all the connectors go is not recessed enough. I just wish there was an extra 1/2 inch of space.
What I did is that I purchased a couple of HDMI "right-angle" adapters (from an excellent Internet store called MonoPrice). This way, the HDMI cables run along the back of the plasma set and it is way easier to tilt the display.
Operation and Picture Quality:
I am truly impressed by the TH-50PZ85U. Not only it performs well but it looks great on the wall.
The only connectors I have are HMDI. I have one HDMI cable running from my digital cable box (Time Warner - Scientific Atlanta) to the TV and one HDMI cable coming from my SONY DVP-NS3100ES DVD player (up-converting DVD player, not Blu-Ray).
HD channels are simply outstanding, even in Standard mode. It is such a pleasure for the eyes to watch anything. I surprised myself at watching a full hour of an animal documentary on Discovery HD, even though I 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 I 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 I am not ready to switch yet. There are some reports that new HD channels will be added soon so I 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 I use now.
I like the fact that there are some extra video inputs (including HDMI) located on the side of the display. I use them to plug my video camera.
Several settings for the sound can be adjusted as well (balance, treble, bass and some other effects I am not really familiar with yet). Overall, the sound is excellent but when watching a DVD movie, I use my home theater system (I have a 5.1 speaker system with a SONY STR-DA3100ES receiver).
The great thing about HDMI is that it only takes one cable for both video and audio signals. I can always use the TV speakers while playing a DVD or watching a cable program. When I switch to the receiver, all I have to do is mute the sound from the TV.
Note on "break-in" period:
I know there are many forums talking about the 100-hour "break-in" period. There is no mention of it anywhere in the user's manual. So I went on the Panasonic website and I found some info. Basically, for the first 100 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 I had read many threads dealing with playing a "Break-in" DVD, I 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 100 hours of usage and that it wouldn't make any difference in the end.
SO I watched different shows in Full format mode as well as DVDs. Whenever I would watch a channel with a logo on the bottom-right corner for over 30 minutes, I 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-50PZ85U is an incredible set for the price. I have been reading reviews and comparing with other existings sets (including LCD sets) for the past 6 months almost and I 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ecstatic
Comment: 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.
I would highly recommend this TV.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great HDTV!
Comment: I have had the TH-50PZ85U for several days at this writing. I purchased it based on seeing a live unit, and because of favorable reviews here and on the AudioVisual forum. It is connected to an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver which also came from Amazon, all with HDMI cables. I have a new Sony DVP-NS77H DVD player, and the upconversion thru the system is outstanding. I see no need for BlueRay until it gets much less expensive. I previously had a Toshiba rear projection HD that only lasted 6 years, so this is my first experience with Plasma. I am completely satisfied. The 50PZ85U does put out some heat, but I had read about this. Setup was okay, I am fairly technical, but I had to read the documentation carefully several times. The forums mention a 100 hr "breakin" time, but I see no mention of this in the Owners Manual. I 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. I 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. I highly recommend this Panny, and the same for the Onkyo.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Panasonic 50"Plasma TV TH-50PZ85U
Comment: Before deciding on the Panasonic 50" I 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. I knew I wanted the 50" and once I narrowed it down to Panasonic, it came down to 2 models: the PZ80 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, I decided on the PZ85. I then read the reviews from people who had purchased the Amazon PZ85 model where 31 out of 32 reviews were completely satisfied. I visited the local TV chain and when I saw that Amazon's price for the PZ85 was several hundred less; that was all I needed to make my decision. After having the set for a month now, I can say that I have not been disappointed in the least. I am very happy about the fast delivery, great picture quality, ease of set up, and EXTREMELY pleased with the price. I had never purchased anything of this value on a web site before this purchase, but I 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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