Archive for October, 2009

Sharp Aquos LC46D85U 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

Amazon.com Price: View Sale Price (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:38 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Sharp Aquos LC46D85U 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
 
Manufacturer: Sharp
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $1,499.99
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Product Description

The AQUOS LC46D85U sets a new standard for large-screen flat panel TVs. With Full HD 1080p resolution and an elegant new design, it produces a breathtaking picture quality that is second to none. The LC46D85U utilizes Sharp's proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with Spectral Contrast Engine, providing high Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 4ms response time and wide viewing angles (176H x 176V). In addition, The LC46D85U includes 120HZ Fine Motion Enhanced for the ultimate in fast-motion image processing. The LC46D85U has built-in ATSC / QAM / NTSC tuner and includes 5 HDMI inputs, compatible with 1080p signals, and 2 HD 1080p component video inputs. The LC46D85U features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle recessed bottom-mounted speakers. The included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

Product Details

  • 46-Inch Full HD 1080p HDTV LCD-TV with 120Hz Fine Motion Enhanced
  • 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
  • 5 HDMI inputs (v1.3 with Deep Color), PC Input
  • RS-232C Input for control

Video Reviews

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Customer Reviews

FORGET THE CNET REVIEW, GREAT SET!!! NOT SO ON WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY
 
Review Date: January 8, 2009
Reviewer: D. MOTLEY, san antonio, texas USA
Like a previous poster I was very concerned about the not too good CNET review, but bought anyway based upon my son's recommendation. I am very satisfied with what I've seen so far. It compares very favorably with my Sony Bravia that I paid considerably more for than the Aqous.

Set has excellent sound and provides very good audio output for surround system. The picture, onced adjusted away from the factory settings, is very vivid with great colors.

One caution to anyone ordering who might not be physcically able to lift a 51 pound tv set, the stand for the set must be assembled and attached to the set.

The "White Glove" delivery guys will not do it for you. They also will not connect any equipment (cable box, dvd, sat box, etc.) to the set. So, be prepared to have else available to do those things on delivery day.

All things considered, I'd do it again.
10 months now
 
Review Date: January 5, 2009
Reviewer: Gerald D. Barwikowski, Detroit MI
It's a great set and I would compare it favorably to any Sony that my peers have. No problems thus far.
Sharp Aquos LCD TV 1080P 120Hz Review
 
Review Date: January 25, 2009
Reviewer: Glenn, Rochester, NY
I'm completely satisfied with the Sharp Aquos LCD TV. I looked at many brands, including both the Sony and Samsung. Both are considered top of the line TV's. The only problem is you're going to spend several hundred dollars more. I think you're paying for the name and to me it wasn't worth the extra money. The Sharp picture in my opinion is excellent. The 10 watt sound system is a bit weak, but if you're going to hook it up to a home theater system, it doesn't really matter. Sharp has a 1 yr warranty that they'll extend to 15 months just for enrolling in the Aquos Advantage program. They also have a dedicated toll free number for the Aquos line. I called a couple times to ask questions on setting the TV up. The calls were answered promptly, i.e. no answering machines, and my questions were answered. I would buy this TV again.
Exactly what I've been waiting for !!
 
Review Date: March 4, 2009
Reviewer: Dane Shepherd, Gulf Coast, Florida
I have been using this set intensely for about five days now hooked up to a SONY PS3 via HDMI and I am completely in love with it! I cross-shopped this Aquos against the SONY Bravia and Samsungs for a LONG time and concluded this to be equal, or superior, in picture quality.

Pros:
- The picture is incredible!
- 1080p + 120Hz for a great price!
- Lots of inputs (5x HDMI+ others (Component, A/V, S-VHS))
- The remote has some back-lit buttons (channel, volume, menu, input-select, etc.) and can control devices by other brands (quite common these days).
- Some other reviews have complained about the speakers. I am quite a snob myself when it comes to watching movies, and like to have the BOSE up LOUD, but I watched X-Men III, LoTR RoTK, and Cars with no extra speakers hooked up and I never felt like I was missing out. There is no significant bass, of course, but vocals and music were very crisp and clear, and the "Surround" feature works quite well to expand the sound field and fill a small room. It was loud enough that my daughter asked me to turn it down, but was not breaking-up or cracking at all.

Cons:
- It seems to take a little while to change channels. This may be the nature of these TVs, I don't know, it just seems a lot slower than my old CRT.
- There is no Picture-In-Picture on this model. I liked being able to kill time on a game while keeping an eye on a show in the corner of my screen so I knew when it was back from commercial.
- The only audio outs are RCA L&R or an Optical (TOSLink) jack. My old BOSE LS-50 only has a Coax Digital in, so I needed to grab an Optical-to-Coax converter for $22 bucks.

No biggies, all-in-all. This is pretty much considered to be a "Value Panel" (by industry standards). If they have to skimp on something I would rather that it be seldom-used features, rather than quality or reliability.

I waited for the industry to settle on "1080p" and was ready to buy, then the 120Hz refresh rate came out and I was wowed. I know that LED backlit panels are on the way, and OLED (if they can get the prices down and the blues to last longer) are shortly after that, but I do not know of any other technologies "around the corner" which will make this TV obsolete anytime soon. I feel badly for the people who bought 720p sets and cannot appreciate the full experience of Blu-Ray or HD Games, it is quite breathtaking! ~Daneshep
Great TV - Fast delivery - Easy setup and great connectivity
 
Review Date: January 24, 2009
Reviewer: Jill Wheeler, Downers Grove, IL
I have a theory that a product should NOT try to be the do all and end all wiz-bang thingie of the year. This is exemplified for the LC46D85U from Sharp. It is sold as a great TV with all of the right specs... 1080P, 120hz, 4ms response time. Many of the other features that some mfg's are adding to their sets are this year's fads and will be useless or gone as quickly as they arrived.

Anyway... the TV arrived 5 days after ordering it from Amazon - CEVA (delivery company) was great. The only thing I did not want them to do is power the set on. It was -10F on the delivery day so powering anything on that cold is not a good idea.

Setup was "easy" - although every TV's menu system has its own quirks. I have it attached to a Cable set top box (Comcast - HDMI), QAM through the RF connection (clear QAM on Comcast on some channels is better than through the set top box) and audio back through our aging stereo. All in time to watch the inauguration in fabulous HD.

Today I added one more feature - connected my 3 year old Mac Mini and am using it as a DVD player - not blu-ray but a commendable job. The Mac also delivers as a media center with Front Row - the TV acts as a perfect monitor. Connection from the Mac is via DVI-HDMI cable from Belkin (Apple Store - $20) - do not connect via VGA. On the first boot, the monitor came up in glorious 1080P - the only adjustment I had to make was change the TV to "dot-to-dot" out of zoom" mode. Perfect.

All in all, avoid being persuaded by certain reviews... it is in the eye of the beholder. Great TV!!

Sony BRAVIA Z Series KDL-40Z5100 40-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV

Amazon.com Price: $1,299.00 (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:41 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Sony BRAVIA Z Series KDL-40Z5100 40-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV
 
Manufacturer: Sony
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $1,799.99
Sale Price: $1,299.00
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description

Enjoy the latest in HDTV performance with the Sony BRAVIA Z-Series, featuring Motionflow 240Hz technology for maximum motion detail and clarity, plus broadband internet connectivity with built-in BRAVIA Internet Video capabilities, that let you view select on-demand movies and TV shows and listen to music and more, and even lets you personalize your entertainment experience by selecting and positioning widgets containing the latest news, weather, sports and more directly on your TV screen.

Product Details

  • 16:9 Full HD 1080p Resolution Panel (1920x1080)
  • BRAVIA Engine 3 fully digital video processor
  • Motionflow 240Hz
  • BRAVIA Internet Video/Widgets
  • XMB w/ enhanced 3D Favorites Menu

Video Reviews

No video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews

Samsung LN46B630 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Amazon.com Price: $827.19 (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:44 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Samsung LN46B630 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color
 
Manufacturer: Samsung
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $1,599.00
Sale Price: $827.19
Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours
Free Shipping Available
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Product Description


Go beyond television with advanced new connectivity: the LN46B630 with InfoLink(tm) feeds real-time stock quotes, weather updates, news articles and more straight to your TV screen. Auto Motion Plus(tm)120HZ technology keeps the brilliant full HD 1080p action running smoother than before, while the 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio keeps the blacks deep & rich. The innovative Touch of Color(tm) design complements any room dcor, and multiple inputs, including four HDMI connections, let you add such digital devices as a Blu-ray Disc(tm) player, camcorder and gaming system.
* Built-in digital tuner * Picture-in-Picture * Energy Star compliant * InfoLink (RSS feeds of customizablestock quotes, weather and brief newsarticles) * Wide Color Enhancer 3 * Game Mode * Crystal Neck Swivel Stand * 4 HDMI (3 rear/1 side) * Anynet + (HDMI-CEC) * USB 2.0 Movie (2 side) * PC input (rear) * SRS TruSurround HD * Watts per channel: 10W x 2 * Net Dimensions (w/o stand): 44.0" x 28.5" x 3.1" * Net Weights (w/o stand): 42.5lb * Net Dimensions (w/ stand): 44.0" x 30.7" x 10.9" * Net Weights (w/ stand): 53.6 lb * Design and specifications are subject to change without notice. Non-metric weights and measurements are approximate.

Product Details

  • 46-inch LCD HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution for the sharpest picture possible and red Touch of Color design
  • Auto Motion Plus 120Hz for amazingly fluid motion, 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4ms response time, Wide Color Enhancer 3 for more vivid colors
  • InfoLink RSS feeds of news, weather and sports via Ethernet; ; side-mounted USB port for displaying JPEG/MPEG files and listening to MP3 audio
  • Inputs: 4 HDMI-CEC, 2 component, 2 composite, 1 PC, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 optical digital audio output
  • Includes removable stand; measures 44 x 30.7 x 10.9 inches with stand

Video Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Amazon.com Price: View Sale Price (as of 2010-09-04 03:35:02 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
 
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $3,699.95
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Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description--August 05, 2008 With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV's natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

What's New This Year?

  • Super Contrast--native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year's 15,000:1.
  • Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
  • new anti-reflective filter; lead-free "Tough Under Force" panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
  • Built-in SD card slot with Photo Viewer/Gallery Player software
  • x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
  • 24p native reproduction
  • Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
  • Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
  • At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
  • THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.

One Sheet of Glass Design

Beautiful, elegant, and functional -- a single pane of glass covers the entire front of the television, including the bezel. This design reduces or eliminates the "halo" effect that can occur around lettering and logos with traditional 3-pane designs

Amazing color reproduction

The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you'll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that's as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV.

Consistent brightness from any angle

A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle.

Smooth, graceful motion

When you're watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you're watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you'll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

24p native reproduction

Movies are shot at 24 frames per second. Unfortunately, TVs operating at 60Hz can only refresh 20 times per second, which means they must drop every fifth frame. With its 2008 Viera PZ85, PZ800, and PZ850 models, Panasonic introduces 24p native resolution, which means 24 frame per second movie content is reproduced frame for frame exactly, making for true-to-source smoothness of motion.

1,000,000:1 Contrast

The Panasonic's Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize.
  • Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
  • Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
  • Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

deep color eliminates visible color banding

Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.
  • Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
  • Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
  • Enables increased contrast ratio
  • Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

Connectivity

Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2008, Viera Link is compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.
Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs. Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.
SD Cards Viera Link


Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VIERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor. 4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.
network with PCs Easy connectivity with HDMI ports

long life

Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

Blu-Ray disc player

Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920x1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720x480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

 

Which is the Right Viera for You?



Screen Size
Measured
Diagonally
1080p
Full HD
1920 x 1080 pixels
Native
Contrast
Ratio
PC Input
THX
Cert
24p
Speakers
HDMI
Inputs
One Sheet
of Glass
Design
Swivel
Base
Shades
of
Gradation
H.264
Codec
Digital
Cinema Color
Studio
Reference
Mode
Pro
Setting
Menu
Serial
Port
Standard Features
TH-42PX80U
42 inches

15,000:1



2
3


4,096





  • 480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology
  • Anti-Reflective Filter
  • Viera Link HDAVI Control
  • Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer
  • Deep Color Technology
  • x.v. Color
  • 3D Color Mangement
  • Sub-Pixel Controller
  • Motion Pattern Noise Reduction
  • Anti-Image Retention Mode
  • Game Mode
  • Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel
  • 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day)
  • Lead-free Panel
TH-50PX80U
50 inches

15,000:1


2
3


4,096




TH-42PZ80U
42 inches check 20,000:1



2
3


4,096




TH-46PZ80U
46 inches check 20,000:1


2
3


4,096




TH-50PZ80U
50 inches check 20,000:1


2
3


4,096




TH-42PZ85U
42 inches check 30,000:1 check

2
3


4,096




TH-46PZ85U
46 inches check 30,000:1
check

2
3


4,096




TH-50PZ85U
50 inches check 30,000:1 check

2
3


4,096




TH-42PZ800U
42 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 4,096




TH-46PZ800U 46 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 4,096




TH-50PZ800U 50 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 4,096




TH-58PZ800U 58 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 4,096




TH-46PZ850U 46 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 5,120 check check check check check
TH-50PZ850U 50 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 5,120 check check check check check
TH-58PZ850U 58 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 5,120 check check check check check
TH-65PZ850U 65 inches check 30,000:1 check check check 4
4
check check 5,120 check check check check check

Product Details

  • 1080p Full-HD Plasma panel
  • 4 HDMI inputs
  • Contrast ratio 1,000,000:1 Dynamic

Video Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Buyer Beware -- Prices fluctuating wildly on this HD television
 
Review Date: September 6, 2008
Reviewer: Opinunated, USA
This is just a heads up about pricing.

I placed my order for this television on 9/2/2008.

THE PRICE from AMAZON with FREE SHIPPING was $2,835.21.

Delivery time quoted, when I placed the order, was 1 to 2 months. UPDATE: Amazon delivered my TV on 9/30/2008 (in about a month) in perfect condition at the price I've quoted ($2,835.21).

Prices are changing day by day. In fact, the day after I placed my order, Amazon raised their price by $500.00. That is quite a price increase in one day! Over the course of the next TWO weeks the price went up to match the list price of $3700. So, in just two weeks time, there was a $900 increase in price! Finally prices are drifting lower again. Early in November, the price has dropped back down to the $2800 range.

THE BEST DEAL YET (11/18/2008). Not only has Amazon lowered its price to an all time low of $2689.00 BUT Amazon says that if you add the Panasonic BDK-35 Blu-ray player (CNET - top rated!) to your cart you will get an additional $300.00 off the combined purchase. Since this player costs $239.00 you will not only receive the player for free but also save an additional $61.00 off of the price of the TV. This deal is a no-brainer, while it lasts. This player is top-rated and, of course, plays standard DVDs too. UPDATE: Unfortunately Amazon withdrew this offer after only a week.

There were no reviews published when I purchased this set but its 50" sister - the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U - had received top reviews. In fact, the 50" version of this set is widely considered either the best HDTV ever made or second only to the much more expensive Pioneer Kuros. UPDATE: This HDTV was Awarded "Editors Choice" by CNET on 10/3/2008 (now only the 50" Pioneer Kuro Elite is rated higher). CNET even rated this Panasonic 58" a tiny bit better than Panasonic's 50" version due to slightly deeper blacks.

Don't pay too much for this set. This set is just starting to trickle into stores and only, late in September, did Amazon have this TV in stock. I can't see why any consumer would pay any more than I have ($2835.21) and I hope they will pay less.

As a general guideline: I've found that a good discount for a Panasonic Plasma will be at least 25% off of the list price.

What is interesting is how carefully the other merchants listed on Amazon.com follow Amazon's lead on price. On the day I purchased this HDTV there were other merchants that were VERY close to Amazon's total price even after including any shipping charges (one was actually a few dollars less including shipping). Once Amazon raised its price, within 24 hours, all these other merchants raised their prices to match Amazon's new price. That trend has continued with these other sellers closely following Amazon's lead.

Amazon's white glove delivery service works extremely well. I was concerned about this and wondered how Amazon's delivery service would stack up against buying this set in person? Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The TV was delivered on time, it was unpacked, the stand was installed, and the TV was placed where I wanted it (the packaging was also removed). I knew how to connect the TV to all my other components but you certainly shouldn't expect the truckers to know how to do this for you! Still they waited 5 minutes for me to make all my connections and confirm the set was in perfect condition. Even if you don't know how to connect the set (prior to studying the manual) - just plugging it into a wall outlet (no other connections required) and turning it on displays a menu on the screen which confirms it was not damaged in transit.

KUDOS to AMAZON on its White Glove Service! Well Done and hassle free!!!

The picture quality exceeds my wildest expectations, assuming a few important changes are made to the set's default settings. With good high definition content the picture is absolutely stunning, better than what I recall was shown at my local movie theatre. High definition movies on HBO really do look better than when I saw them in the theatre. If there is a criticism to be found it is that the default settings are either too dim (THX mode) or too garish (custom mode). However it is easy to adjust the settings to produce a much better picture. I'd encourage everyone to use the settings listed in Greg Lavery's Amazon review (these were first published by CNET and then discussed/updated in the AVS forum). These settings are extremely important if you want the best possible picture and the improvements they yield are NOT subtle! However, having said that, this still may NOT be the best TV for a brightly lit room because it is not the brightest set available and the screen is somewhat reflective. For everyone else, you are purchasing one of the finest HDTVs ever made. The quality and naturalness of the picture is often jaw-dropping. It is hard to explain in words, exactly how good this set is --- even to those of you who have already purchased another HDTV. For example, I purchased a 26" Toshiba HDTV (2008 model) for my office. That HDTV looks pretty poor when compared to this Panasonic. It is almost impossible to overstate the quality of the picture that this set can produce.

Keep in mind this is one, very large, HDTV and it can easily dwarf everything else in a room.

One Final Comment: Know who you are buying from at Amazon. Just below the price if it says "ships from and sold by XXX company" you are NOT buying from Amazon but another company who pays a fee to Amazon to sell products on Amazon's website. While these other companies may be fine - I choose to purchase this HDTV directly from Amazon and NOT from one of these other merchants whose track record I could not as easily evaluate. The shipping policies of these other companies may also vary from Amazon's white glove delivery service.
This TV is very crisp and beautiful
 
Review Date: October 26, 2008
Reviewer: G. Lavery,
I got this TV b/c cnet seemed to rave about it. I had a TH-50PX600U and that was a nice TV and I'm a big panasonic fan, but this TV I can definitely notice an improvement in quality from my cable HD channels, even though both are from the same 720p signal. In addition, watching Blu-Ray from this is beautiful (I'm using a PS3). I'm really happy with the purchase. One recommendation for anyone owning this TV is to use custom settings and not use the settings that are default.


The rest of the review is copy/pasted from "daarrid" over at avsforum.com
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1056962

However lets remember that the THX mode can be adjusted!!!! Panasonic's default settings for THX are just wrong. The CNET reviewer, using a completely dark room, adjusted the THX settings considerably upward from their default settings. Just for the sake of example - CNET increased the picture setting from 50 to 100 for their review.

I'd suggest that anyone owning this set start with CNET's THX settings:

CNET's THX settings (completely dark room):

Picture: 100
Brightness: 55
Color: 56
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Warm
Cats: Off
Color Man.: Off
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light


Or try My THX Settings (for a dimly lite room):

THX MODE:

Picture: 95
Brightness: 62
Color: 50
Tint: -8
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Normal
Cats: Off
Color Man.: On
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light

While I use my Custom settings occassionally - tweaking the THX settings are much more important for everyday use. I use THX 90% of the time. The Custom Mode I created, I generally use ONLY for broadcasts made for TV. Remember THX is a movie standard and does not technically apply to TV shows (although some of these TV shows may also look better in THX).

Here are my custom mode settings again (already posted). Use these settings for TV shows and/or movies shown in a bright room:

CUSTOM MODE:

Picture: 85
Brightness: 50
Color: 34
Tint: -7
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Normal
Cats: Off
Color Man.: On
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light
Don't assume anything, ask if you're not sure!!!
 
Review Date: September 16, 2008
Reviewer: James Ulchinsky,
Two months ago I bought a 52" LCD TV (not Panasonic) for my family room, so my grand kids could watch TV and play Xbox & Playstation 3 games. The TV was bought directly from Amazon and the shipping was free. When it got to my house over three weeks later, two men deliverd the TV and put it in my family room. They took it out of the box and set it up and pluged it in to make sure everything worked. (It did) They said the white glove service was on all TV's from Amazon. On 08/29/2008 I went to Amazon's web sight and bought my TH-58PZ800U ($2961.99) for my living room and the shipping was free too. My 58" Panasonic TV was actually bought from a partner company through Amazon, called Buy Now Inc., which still honored the free shipping. When the TV was delivered 09/11/2008 (in very good condition), it was only delivered by one man and it was a side walk delivery only. He saw I was disabled and was nice enough to bring it in through my front door and left it in my living room. I unpacked it and set it up two days later. The TV (140 lbs) comes with a stand and it's very easy to set up but you will need at least two healthy people and three is even better. I called Amazon and asked why the difference in my type of delivery? They said, All TV items bought directly from Amazon get the white glove type delivery treatment and from partner companies in most cases it will be a side walk delivery only. Both times the trucking company called a day or two ahead, to set up the delivery I strongly recommed you ask what type of delivery you're getting. I hope this helps?

Now about the TH-58PZ800U Panasonic Plasma TV which I researched for over a month before I bought it. I read all the personal and profesional reviews I could find. I was very lucky to have a major National Electronics store in my area that had a large selection of most of the major brands that made Plasma TV's. I want to be very honest in this review. Three or four other brands of Plasma TV's have come a long way and they looked great. I tried to compare apples to apples by comparing only Plasma TV's because that's what I wanted for my living room. It was very hard to see a major difference in picture and color in alot of todays Plasma TV's on display. I narrowed it down to two or three Plasma TV's in the 58" to 60" range. What made the decision for me was: My 58" Panasonic had a very good picture, colors were excellent, the non glare screen, all the HDMI (4) and other inputs, Panasonics Reputation, Quality and Repair history. I already own a 42" Panasonic Plasma TV that is 5 years old and it still has a great picture. Last but not least, the sound from the TV speakers is great if you don't have a home sound system, which I do, so I checked it out and then I hooked it up to my ow home sound system. The remote control is easy to use and the menu, doing the TV set up, is very easy and quick to do. Right now I have no negatives because I've only had the TV for 5 days and used it for 3 days. I hope this review has helped in some ways.
Stunning!
 
Review Date: September 13, 2008
Reviewer: F. Rose, No. California
When I first saw this unit on Amazon, it was $3499. After talking to my wife, I placed an order the next day and was surprised to find the price to be $2999. Two days after my order, the price went to $3699 and was no longer being shipped from Vann's. Mine was shipped from Vann's and arrived in perfect condition 4 days later.

Anyway, the TV is wonderful. I can't imagine getting a better picture from a TV. The colors are significantly richer and deeper than our other TV, a Samsung 42" LCD that's in our bedroom. The display and degree of color on the LCD, although vibrant, sometimes appear to be sightly unnatural and there doesn't seem to be a way (that I have found) to adjust it out.

The Panasonic color is very natural and there are several user friendly adjustments that make it easy to enhance picture clarity, hue and color.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the set-up was straight forward and actually simple. There are on screen prompts that take the user through the process to completion. The remote is uncluttered and easy to use with larger than usual buttons. Aesthetically, the set and the stand are very attractive.

I highly recommend plasma over LCD and the 2008 Panasonic Viera series over the competition we explored. (Vizio, Samsung, Sharp and 2007 Panasonic).
Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U is AMAZING!!!
 
Review Date: September 17, 2008
Reviewer: K. Lee, Pasadena CA
I recently purchased the panasonic th58pz800u from amazon for $3019, which I feel is very reasonable (The price has indeed fluctuated between $2899 and $3799 on amazon during the time I was shopping for it). Once ordered, the television was delivered in 3 business days (I'm in CA). Although the amazon website said it would be delivered "white glove", the delivery persons did not have that information. However, when we let them know that's what we were expecting, they willingly obliged by unpacking the t.v., placing it on it's stand, turned it on and left with all the packing materials. Pre

Philips 52PFL3704D/F7 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Amazon.com Price: $1,387.88 (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:47 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Philips 52PFL3704D/F7 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
 
Manufacturer: Philips
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $1,699.99
Sale Price: $1,387.88
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description

The Philips 52PFL3704D/F7 52 inch 1080p LCD HDTV is designed for ease of use. This flat TV features modern design, 4 HDMI connections with EasyLink, a powerful 1080p, and brilliant Pixel Plus HD engine. Pixel Plus HD is a picture processing technology and the result is superbly razor sharp pictures with incredible details and depth from any HD source. You can connect multiple HD sources such as an HD settop box, a Blu-ray player, and game console or digital camcorder. The new settings assistant personalization wizard guides you to personalized settings with unparalleled ease. Clearly the smart in total picture quality has never been easier.

Product Details

  • 1080p resolution; ATSC / QAM / NTSC
  • 33000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
  • 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
  • 5ms response time
  • Pixel Plus HD engine

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LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black

Amazon.com Price: Too low to display (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:51 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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LG 47LH30 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Gloss Black
 
Manufacturer: LG
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $1,199.95
Sale Price: Too low to display
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description

47" LCD TV FULL HD 1080p (1920 x 1080p) resolution, 50,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, ATSC/NTSC/Clearn QAM - 1 Tuner, XD Engine, 178 True Wide Viewing Angle, SRS TruSurround XT, Invisible Speakers, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder, 3 HDMI, USB 2.0, includes swivel stand

Product Details

  • LCD HDTV features a slim profile contoured edges with swivel stand
  • 1080p Full HD resolution 1920 x 1080p with 3x HDMI v 1.3 digital inputs and PC input
  • Invisible speaker system with Dolby Digital 5.1 & Clear voice for richer more balanced sound & a polished look
  • Super ISFccc caple of professional calibration for picture performance
  • 50,000:1 Dynamic contrast ratio

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Which Hdtv Should You Buy?

Which Hdtv Should You Buy?

What you should know about HDTV

If you read this then I suppose you are interested in either HDTV or plan to buy one. Do not think, make the changes now! You may ask why you want to change your old TV for HDTV? Well, the main reason is that a set of old TV does not have a numerical superiority and HDTV is beautiful to see!

With HDTV, the superiority is one of their many features. The difference is especially noticeable when viewing movies. The details are very clear and when it focuses on one element, this element seems to be magnified for you, as if it were really in front of you.

HDTV also have a progressive scan and digital audio. E ‘totally balanced. You can not really fully appreciate the experience of film viewing, where the sound is not very clear. Well, there’s no need to worry there. Thanks to digital technology, the sound makes you feel as if you were really there, in the heart of the action.

There is also no ghosting. For ghost images, we are talking about certain vagueness about what you watch on TV, which makes them appear as if they were ghosts. These can be very annoying, but they are a thing of the past with HDTV. You can also watch DVDs in a much better and with greater satisfaction, because HDTV has a better quality DVD playback.

Regular TV is based on the ratio of four to three (4:3). This report shows that television can be measured with a precision of the height of three meters and a width of four meters.

However, the aspect ratio of HDTV is, drum roll please, is nine to sixteen huge (16:9). This makes the image on an HDTV gives much, much larger! In fact, the size of the screen HDTV is thirty percent larger!

The width is increased indicates a significant improvement because it allows you to view TV sitcoms and movies that you like, as if watching the movie, just below the guy snoring behind you and the couple do not seem to gasp for air in their rush to embrace in front of you!

In case you do not know, when you look at what you watch on a 16:9 screen, you effectively use your peripheral vision. The usefulness of your peripheral vision will surely make you feel like you are part of the program you are watching.

Aspect ratio 16:9 makes a big difference over the last 4:3 aspect ratio, often very difficult to have covered all the action on a screen on an HDTV already in your image. You can actually get to see the play and also on the development of the piece.

Finally, HDTV is the future and is becoming increasingly popular and commonplace. This also poses a problem in the final. With the new technology is confusion about what exactly you need the system. With HDTV sets costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth reading to ensure that what you buy to make sure you get the right system for you and do not waste your hard earned money!

Amazon.com Price: $1,195.21 (as of 2010-09-04 04:03:54 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Toshiba REGZA Cinema Series 46SV670U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with LED Backlight and ClearScan 240, Black
 
Manufacturer: Toshiba
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $2,099.99
Sale Price: $1,195.21
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description

The New REGZA Cinema Series LED TV is the most advanced, most beautiful TV we've ever produced. Our advanced FocaLightTM LED Backlight System with Local Dimming, and stunning new Deep LagoonTM Design with Infinity Flush FrontTM, create the perfect combination of high quality and stylish appeal.

Product Details

  • 1080p Full HD CineSpeed™ Display with Built In ATSC/QAM Digital Tuner for Over-the-Air and Cable-in-the-Clear Digital Tuning
  • FocaLight™ LED Backlight with Local Dimming
  • 2,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
  • ClearScan 240™ with New Backlight Scanning Technology
  • 4 HDMI™ Digital Inputs (1 Side) with InstaPort™ and REGZA-LINK®2

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