subject: Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Viera 50 Plasma HDTV Review [print this page] Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Viera 50 Plasma HDTV Review
Panasonic is touting itsTC-P50ST30 Viera 50 to "create an all new viewing experience by putting you inside the action and creating a new world of TV viewing realism". Is this entry level 3D Plasma HDTV really that good?
Overall Thoughts & Points From Misc. Customer Reviews:
In order to create its 3D effect, images are recorded in 19201080 pixels for both the right eye and left eye which flash at 120 frames per second (twice as fast as normal HDTVs). When you wear active-shutter glasses, each lens will open and close in sync with the images being shown, thus creating a realistic 3D effect. Combine this with Panasonic's 600hz Sub-field Drive (which breaks each of the 120 frames each second into 10 invidual Sub-fields in Cinema mode) and you have a presentation that is on the cutting edge of technology.
The TC-P50ST30 uses 1080 lines of resolution, and utilizes newly designed phosphors that allow for faster-moving images this means less in the way of afterimages and greater sharpness. The Infinite Black 2 screen brings about improved panels to keep blacks and other dark colors deep and rich even when viewed in brightly lit areas.
Viera 50 also brings about the use of a 3D image viewer (for pictures or movies shot on a 3D camera just plug your SD card into the slot directly on the TV), Game Mode to automatically optimze settings for games, Viera link to control other devices with your Viera remote (provided they're all connected via HDMI cable), and of course out of the box internet access to apps such as Facebook, Pandora, Skype, and more.
Most customer reviews on Panasonic's website, Amazon.com, and Best Buy.com were glowingly positive 4 out of 5 stars or higher. Most were radically impressed with the TV's picture quality, though, as with other Viera models, some thought the sound wasn't as comparable. However, most that would be using a TV of this nature would likely be connecting it to a surround sound or home theater unit, so that point becomes somewhat moot.
There were a couple instances in the customer reviews of problems with the TV (pixels being out or the TV itself not working), but that was usually due to a defective unit or a damage during shipping.
The Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Viera 50 3D Plasma HDTV comes with the TV itself, stand, remote (including batteries) and assorted paperwork/instructions.
Note that if you want to actually experience the 3D effects with this TV, that you'll need to buya pair of Panasonic's Active Shutter glasses specifically for use with these TVs. (You'll need a set of glasses for each person watching the TV.)
TC-P50S30 Details and Specifications*:
Misc. Details:
Full HD 3D
Infinite Black 2 Panel
VIERA Connect Wi-Fi Ready
VIERA Image Viewer H.264 with 3D Playback
Product Specific Specs:
Series: ST30
Screen size (diagonal): 49.9 inches
Native resolution: 1,920 x 1080 pixels
Shades of Gradation: 6,144 equivalent
600 Hz Sub-field Drive: Yes
HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p
EDTV display capability: 480p
Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power, Surround Sound Capable
Image viewer: Yes (AVCHD/MPEG2/JPEG/MP3 playback)
Aspect control:4:3, Zoom, Full, Just, H-Fill
Optional wall-mounting bracket: TY-WK4P1RW
Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French
Energy Star qualified: Yes
Connections:
HDMI: 3 (1 side)
Component (Y, PB, PR): RCA x 1
Composite A/V: RCA x 1
USB: 2
Wireless LAN Adaptor: WiFi Ready
Digital audio output: 1 (optical)
Dimensions:
TV with stand: 30.7 X 47.4 X 13.2 " (H x W x D); 66.2 pounds
TV without stand: 29.3 X 47.4 X 2.8 (H x W x D); 57.4 pounds
