Panasonic Th42/50px80a Owners Thread

[diesel]

I am thinking of using their 500 days interest free offer and try to pay it all before the 500 days. Would anyone recommend/discourage this idea?

Using IF terms usually means you end up paying more for the item (by account setup/keeping fees) than paying for it outright, but other than that, you get what you want sooner. Just make sure you pay it all off before the IF period runs out.

And anyone keen to recommend a good DVD player +/- speaker system to go with this telly? I've already made the decision to get a Tivo HD.

The TiVo is a good PVR. You should be happy with this choice.

As for a DVD player, you can get good upscaling DVD players from Pioneer (DV410), Panasonic and Sony for <$180. However, there is also the choice of picking up a bluray player like the Panasonic BD35 for ~$350 that will upscale DVDs as well as play BDs

[diggler2002]

yeah but its 32" so it's less likely to show imperfections of VGA. a 50" will look worse. most people might find it acceptable. but you are much more likely to receive image problems with it. playback of video at 60hz and no correct 3:2 handling etc, image noise, weaker signal so screen flickers more.

if anyone has seen dual screens set up on an older card that had a dvi and vga port, side by side you clearly see vgas limitations, an that can be on 2 17" monitors.

So I need a new computer with HDMI or DVI?

[dlpnut1503560389]

Great, thanks for that. As the user above said, the Harvey Norman ticket price is $1595 and I'd be happy to pay that if I like it in the store. I'll try and bargain down a bit but I've never tried to do that before, so who knows how I'll go haha.

I am thinking of using their 500 days interest free offer and try to pay it all before the 500 days. Would anyone recommend/discourage this idea?

And anyone keen to recommend a good DVD player +/- speaker system to go with this telly? I've already made the decision to get a Tivo HD.

If you have a HN and verious others around, you know the basic price, so just go to a few and try to do a deal, let them know you are ready to purchase there and then for your price. Make sure they have one in stock for you, pay a little deposit and the rest when you pick up.

Dont get sucked in buying HDMI cables from them, they are dear, if you are seeking extra warranty , they should be able to do better on their normal warranty prices. Negotiate.

As far as DVDs, go Pio 410 I just bought the shelf unit from myer for about $120, they had none in stock. Depends how much you want to spend, I gathered you have been saving so maybe dont have heaps of money to splash.

With sound systems, I would recommend the Canton cinema series, saw few sets at Klapp electronics in Melb, Dandenong and I have a set, they are brilliant for the money and are on the small side, you can hide them, they were going for about $500 (5+1) setup. You probably need a decent receiver to go with that, any good name for about 500 to 600 bucks, from Onkyo, Rotel, Denon, etc should do the job, go for Warmer sounding receiver.

All up you can end up with a good system, say 1500, plasma + 500 speakers, +600 receiver, 150 for cables, 150 dvd, looking at less then 3k.

Edited January 6, 2009 by dlpnut

[Owen]

yeah but its 32" so it's less likely to show imperfections of VGA. a 50" will look worse. most people might find it acceptable. but you are much more likely to receive image problems with it. playback of video at 60hz and no correct 3:2 handling etc, image noise, weaker signal so screen flickers more.

if anyone has seen dual screens set up on an older card that had a dvi and vga port, side by side you clearly see vgas limitations, an that can be on 2 17" monitors.

VGA is analogue and needs to be properly implemented at both ends for good results, when it is done properly it works VERY well and has been used with great success on $70,000 projectors running 120” screens, even cheap digital projectors work fine with VGA.

If you see an obvious difference on a 17 PC monitor the VGA implementation on that display is obviously not good or there is some other problem. My 19” wide screen DELL is connected to two PCs, one via VGA and the other DVI and I can’t see any significant difference.

Component is also a good connection when done right, I ran 1080i over Component and 1080p over HDMI from my PC to my 70” 1080p display simultaneously and the difference was minimal at 3 meters. I also compared a crappy $2 set of Component cables with a HDMI cable for the connection between my Sony HD set top box and 70” 1080p TV and again the difference was minimal after calibration.

PC text and graphics is FAR more demanding then video so differences that can be seen on PC text and graphics are not significant for video which is very blurred at the single pixel level.

If you see noise or flicker with VGA there is a real problem. Noise can be the result of poor shielding or ground loops and flicker is a timing issue, the video card is sending a signal with parameters that the display does not like. These timing parameters are adjustable in the drivers of most video cards.

[diggler2002]

VGA is analogue and needs to be properly implemented at both ends for good results, when it is done properly it works VERY well and has been used with great success on $70,000 projectors running 120” screens, even cheap digital projectors work fine with VGA.

If you see an obvious difference on a 17 PC monitor the VGA implementation on that display is obviously not good or there is some other problem. My 19” wide screen DELL is connected to two PCs, one via VGA and the other DVI and I can’t see any significant difference.

Component is also a good connection when done right, I ran 1080i over Component and 1080p over HDMI from my PC to my 70” 1080p display simultaneously and the difference was minimal at 3 meters. I also compared a crappy $2 set of Component cables with a HDMI cable for the connection between my Sony HD set top box and 70” 1080p TV and again the difference was minimal after calibration.

PC text and graphics is FAR more demanding then video so differences that can be seen on PC text and graphics are not significant for video which is very blurred at the single pixel level.

If you see noise or flicker with VGA there is a real problem. Noise can be the result of poor shielding or ground loops and flicker is a timing issue, the video card is sending a signal with parameters that the display does not like. These timing parameters are adjustable in the drivers of most video cards.

Thanks. I have contacted Panasonic support but I think they are still on holidays.

[smokenz]

If you see an obvious difference on a 17 PC monitor the VGA implementation on that display is obviously not good or there is some other problem. My 19” wide screen DELL is connected to two PCs, one via VGA and the other DVI and I can’t see any significant difference.

but have you dual screened 2 of the same monitors to 1 PC ? i'm pretty sure you will the difference.

[dodgierogie]

Great, thanks for that. As the user above said, the Harvey Norman ticket price is $1595 and I'd be happy to pay that if I like it in the store. I'll try and bargain down a bit but I've never tried to do that before, so who knows how I'll go haha.

I am thinking of using their 500 days interest free offer and try to pay it all before the 500 days. Would anyone recommend/discourage this idea?

And anyone keen to recommend a good DVD player +/- speaker system to go with this telly? I've already made the decision to get a Tivo HD.

i would recomend the panasonic bluray home theater system i got one for my dad for xmas with a 50 inch PX80 and it is fantastic with very good sound and picture for $1340 i paid at retravision

[Owen]

but have you dual screened 2 of the same monitors to 1 PC ? i'm pretty sure you will the difference.

The monitor has two input, a VGA and a DVI, I have connected both to the same video card and switched between the inputs on the monitor, is there a difference yes, is that difference significant no, not in my book its not, I am perfectly happy with either.

For video its irrelevant provided VGA is working as it should, the differences between displays is much more significant.

I have had several LCD’s monitors over the years and some do work better then others with VGA, the good ones work just fine.

[Hayden2102]

If you have a HN and verious others around, you know the basic price, so just go to a few and try to do a deal, let them know you are ready to purchase there and then for your price. Make sure they have one in stock for you, pay a little deposit and the rest when you pick up.

Dont get sucked in buying HDMI cables from them, they are dear, if you are seeking extra warranty , they should be able to do better on their normal warranty prices. Negotiate.

As far as DVDs, go Pio 410 I just bought the shelf unit from myer for about $120, they had none in stock. Depends how much you want to spend, I gathered you have been saving so maybe dont have heaps of money to splash.

With sound systems, I would recommend the Canton cinema series, saw few sets at Klapp electronics in Melb, Dandenong and I have a set, they are brilliant for the money and are on the small side, you can hide them, they were going for about $500 (5+1) setup. You probably need a decent receiver to go with that, any good name for about 500 to 600 bucks, from Onkyo, Rotel, Denon, etc should do the job, go for Warmer sounding receiver.

All up you can end up with a good system, say 1500, plasma + 500 speakers, +600 receiver, 150 for cables, 150 dvd, looking at less then 3k.

Thanks so much for the advice.

Apparently you guys hate it when people suggest home theatre in a box, but perhaps that's better for me? Because if I can keep the cost down that would be really sweet... like I was thinking perhaps the Pioneer 5.1 system here. And then just the DVD player on top of that. I should have the required cables included there shouldn't I?

[dlpnut1503560389]

Thanks so much for the advice.

Apparently you guys hate it when people suggest home theatre in a box, but perhaps that's better for me? Because if I can keep the cost down that would be really sweet... like I was thinking perhaps the Pioneer 5.1 system here. And then just the DVD player on top of that. I should have the required cables included there shouldn't I?

It is not my cup of tea, I dont believe these boxy units can provide good sound as to "say what I have recommended". I like to hear my sound and not so much see big boxes, but then some have completely different preferances. Just watch out with all in one units, if something plays up, you have to take the 1 unit to get fixed which sometimes is combined (dvd, receiver etc, all in one box), so you can miss out of utilising the others if they were a seperate units.

If you can get a chance to listen the setups it will give you the best indication.

[rass]

Have only used the DVD player to upscale at this stage, comparing this with the tv upscaler is on my list of things to do.

Hey there,

Has anyone checked this out yet?

I have an old dvd player and was thinking of buying the Pio DV410 as a replacement but would first love to hear from anyone who has this combo. I would like to know if there is any noticeable difference between the scalers of the dvd player and tv and also what people think of the tv's scaling compared with other dvd players.

I bought a 50PX80A last week and have been told it will arrive probably late Jan/early Feb, so have a little bit of time to gather some opinions before I get the tv and take a look at it myself.

BTW - BR is not an option for me at the moment.

Rass...

[CLLee]

I have this combo... Th-50PX80A + Pio DV410.

Compared to my old DVD player (SD), there's slight improvement in picture quality.

I scale it to 720p.

At 1080i, while watching Planet Earth (Mountains), there're some jittering when the camera sweeps across the mountain ranges.

[Guest T30SXH]

When my 50px80a is delivered I was wondering if I can hookup my PS3 to it with hdmi and then have an optical out of the TV into my amp, will the optical out on the tv pass through 5.1?

[rass]

When my 50px80a is delivered I was wondering if I can hookup my PS3 to it with hdmi and then have an optical out of the TV into my amp, will the optical out on the tv pass through 5.1?

My understanding is it only passes out 5.1 from the internal tuner. So anything coming in from the HDMI would be converted to 2-channel first...

Rass...

[rjay]

I have been looking at buying a Pana TH-50px80A plasma and a DVD recorder to go with it and cannot decide between the Pana DMR-XW300 or the BW-500 Blu Ray. Question is would i be wasting my money buying the Blu-Ray recorder for the non full HD 50px80A or would i still get better picture quality when playing DVD's than with the XW-300? Alternatively if i want the Blu Ray should i shell out the extra $700 (ouch) odd for the full HD Pana 50PZ800A for optimum viewing pleasure? I am pretty damned confused with the technical aspects of all this, i have read that Full HD is not really noticeably different from 720P at distances of more than 2 metres but does this apply to Blu Ray dvd viewing, just TV viewing or all viewing? I also read in the specs for the 50px80A that it accepts 1080P video input through HDMI, does that mean that there would be no down scaling of Blu Ray discs? Hope there is someone out there who can help, i'm going quite balmy with the technicality of it all.

If possible would appreciate some quick responses as i would like to buy this weekend.

Thanks in advance

[gardener1503561632]

I have been looking at buying a Pana TH-50px80A plasma and a DVD recorder to go with it and cannot decide between the Pana DMR-XW300 or the BW-500 Blu Ray. If possible would appreciate some quick responses as i would like to buy this weekend.

Thanks in advance

rjay why not post your above post in the Panasonic Dmr-xw300 & Dmr-bw500 Owners Thread:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=72820&st=20

[diesel]

My understanding is it only passes out 5.1 from the internal tuner. So anything coming in from the HDMI would be converted to 2-channel first...

This is correct.

Your better off connecting Optical from PS3 direct to AVR for 5.1 sound

[rjay]

rjay why not post your above post in the Panasonic Dmr-xw300 & Dmr-bw500 Owners Thread:

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=72820&st=20

Thanks gardener, i have now done that.

[gardener1503561632]

rjay,

I'd go with the 50PZ800A but the PX80 is very tempting at $1500. With a viewing distance of 3m I cannot say what the difference between them would be with Blu Ray.

Edited January 10, 2009 by gardener

[indulis]

Has anyone else measured their standby power draw? I used a power meter that reads other appliances accurately, and it is showing that my 42PX8A is drawing 40 W (yes 4 x 10W) in standby- it is supposed to draw under 1W!

I've tried switching off the TV's power switch on the front panel and nothing happens- the current draw is the same as if I switch it off with the remote.

I know the meter is working and can detect changes in power draw,as I can watch the power ocnsumption shoot up when I display a bright picture. A 20W bulb reads 22W so the TV is drawing more power than that. All I can figure is that the power factor is wrong, or that any "instant peaks" in current drain are being held as a peak sample over say 1 second.

Any ideas?

Edited January 12, 2009 by indulis

[ageha]

Has anyone else measured their standby power draw? I used a power meter that reads other appliances accurately, and it is showing that my 42PX8A is drawing 40 W (yes 4 x 10W) in standby- it is supposed to draw under 1W!

I've tried switching off the TV's power switch on the front panel and nothing happens- the current draw is the same as if I switch it off with the remote.

I know the meter is working and can detect changes in power draw,as I can watch the power ocnsumption shoot up when I display a bright picture. A 20W bulb reads 22W so the TV is drawing more power than that. All I can figure is that the power factor is wrong, or that any "instant peaks" in current drain are being held as a peak sample over say 1 second.

Any ideas?

I think you're not the first one who noticed that. I read complaints about that already in other forums.

[diesel]

Try leaving it in standby for an hour and then measure consumption. The panas don't turn completely off when you first turn them off...searching for OTA updates etc, but then should turn right down afetr about 30 mins

[indulis]

Thanks for that info, will try it out tonight!

[Owen]

I have been looking at buying a Pana TH-50px80A plasma and a DVD recorder to go with it and cannot decide between the Pana DMR-XW300 or the BW-500 Blu Ray. Question is would i be wasting my money buying the Blu-Ray recorder for the non full HD 50px80A or would i still get better picture quality when playing DVD's than with the XW-300? Alternatively if i want the Blu Ray should i shell out the extra $700 (ouch) odd for the full HD Pana 50PZ800A for optimum viewing pleasure? I am pretty damned confused with the technical aspects of all this, i have read that Full HD is not really noticeably different from 720P at distances of more than 2 metres but does this apply to Blu Ray dvd viewing, just TV viewing or all viewing? I also read in the specs for the 50px80A that it accepts 1080P video input through HDMI, does that mean that there would be no down scaling of Blu Ray discs? Hope there is someone out there who can help, i'm going quite balmy with the technicality of it all.

If possible would appreciate some quick responses as i would like to buy this weekend.

Thanks in advance

Bluray is a dramatic improvement over DVD and this should be readily visible on virtually any big screen TV, even a 5 year old 42” SD model.

All domestic video uses 4:2:2 color encoding to save on data rate so DVD has a chroma (colour) resolution of only 360x288 at best, and is afflicted with large visible compression macro blocks, not good on any large screen.

1920x1080 HD has a notional chroma resolution of 960x540 (5 times DVD) and a MUCH finer, less visible compression artifacts.

If you are viewing a 50” from 3 meters the notional 1920x1080 luma resolution of Bluray wont be visible no matter what TV you buy, but the above mentioned advantages of Bluray will be and you don’t need a “Full HD” TV to get full benefit from it.

Buy the TV that looks best to you at the viewing distance you will use at home, forget about specifications and resolution numbers.

Edited January 12, 2009 by Owen

[rass]

Sorry for the strange question, but does anyone know (or will someone please measure for me) the length of the power cord of the 50PX80A?

Just trying to figure out my mounting options.

Rass...