• About

LIVEdigitally

TH-50PZ77U: should it stay or should it go?

Posted on March 5, 2008 by Jeremy Toeman

The good news: My new Panasonic plasma arrived. It’s really freaking sweet. I think that’s about the only proper description of it, as it’s not exactly “beautiful” since it’s electronics and it’s not artlike in a Macbook Air kind of way. I’d actually say that a nice plasma is the modern equivalent of a “bitchin Camaro”…

The bad news: Despite all my readings, somehow I missed the fact that the next-generation of Panasonic plasmas started shipping oh, say, 3 days after mine did. Augh! How did I miss it? Well, the 50″ units won’t ship until April, and I had stopped looking at 42″ displays already. My bad.

Good: I can return the 77U in the next 28 days for no fee.

Bad: I don’t really know if the 80U or 85U are really worth it. Here is my summary of the differences (or you can see the official comparison at Panasonic’s web site, which is much more impressive than I thought it would be when I first visited!):

P77U P80U P85U
List price $2800 $2500 $2700
Current street price $1600-$2000 $2300+ $2500+
Contrast ratio 10000:1 20000:1 30000:1
Panel tech G10 G11 G11
Moving Picture Resolution (??) N/A 900 lines or more 900 lines or more
480 Hz Sub-field Drive (??) N/A Yes Yes
24p Playback(2:3) (??) N/A Yes Yes
Deep Color (??) N/A Yes Yes
x.v.Color (??) N/A Yes Yes
HDMI inputs 2 rear 3 (1 front) 3 (1 side)
Screen Coating Anti-Glare Coating New Anti-Reflective Filter New Anti-Reflective Filte

Of the above, the biggest factors I can identify are:

  • New units have better contrast ratios. This is something which seems undetectable to us mortals, but is supposed to be “better”. Don’t know if I care.
  • Next generation panel technology. From some of the discussions I’ve read on AVSforum, there’s a belief that the new tech has more vivid whites and blacks.
  • Anti-reflective filter vs anti-glare coating. Panasonic added the anti-glare to the current generation for the first time, then dropped it for the next generation. This implies they either weren’t satisfied with it’s performance or have improved upon it with the new filters.

Am I missing anything obvious? Are these “non-issues” and I should put the topic to bed? I

Good: I feel like this is a no-lose situation. I got a great deal on my unit, and it looks awesome. So I either have a great unit, or a possibly slightly more greater unit.

Ultimately, here’s how I look at it: if I had purchased this unit and the new one wasn’t shipping until this Summer or later, there’d be no debate. But it’s already on display at Best Buy apparently, which is at least a little bit frustrating. Again, had I *known* about both models and made this decision based on price, then there’s no debate. But I can’t help already think I have something out of date on the day it arrived (as opposed to waiting the typical 30 days to feel that way).

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Reddit

Related

Posted in General | 15 Comments
« Do Sony Vaios really suck, or is it just me?
Web 6.4 on display at Under the Radar next week »

15 thoughts on “TH-50PZ77U: should it stay or should it go?”

  1. Jimbo says:
    March 5, 2008 at 10:05 am

    JT, JT, JT. Come on now, you have been a tech aficionado for long enough to get past the “I ordered it, and the new model was available the next day” scenario.

    Just to ease your mind, my parents have your TV (same make, model) – it’s brilliant. You won’t regret it, and any time lost trying to upgrade (and the money spent) won’t be worth it.

    Move past the new models (think of them as something to buy in the future for the nursery or something), they are just there to distract.

    Enjoy the TV, it’s a beautiful set.

    Reply
  2. Jeremy Toeman says:
    March 5, 2008 at 10:14 am

    The NEXT DAY? No sir, that’s a new one for me…

    Reply
  3. Erik Kalviainen says:
    March 5, 2008 at 10:32 am

    Sucks about the missing the new Pannies :), but you’ve done a good comparative analysis so others won’t make the same mistake.

    It’s seems like it would be a logical choice to return your 77U and upgrade to either 85U or 80U considering the exact differences in features, spec, and price you’ve outlined here.

    Good luck!

    Reply
  4. Ben Drawbaugh says:
    March 5, 2008 at 10:57 am

    For starters, contrast ratio is the single easiest thing to see, even my mother can see it.
    Anyone who’s watched a movie or scripted TV and hasn’t been able to see what is going on in the darkness knows how big of a deal contrast is. If you only watch sports, then you won’t notice though.

    Believe me, you can see the difference.

    As for the anti-reflective. This is like anything else, it’s always possible to be less reflective, so with each generation they strive to reduce glare.

    The “moving picture resolution” pertains to the TV’s video processing and is important, but must won’t be able to tell the difference.

    24p Playback means the TV can display a 24p signal from a Blu-ray disc without any type of conversion. Most HDTVs are 60hz, so a 3:2 pull down is necessary. I wrote about this here.
    http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/21/can-your-hdtv-even-properly-display-1080p24/
    Most won’t notice.

    Deep Color and x.v Color are really gimmicks, because there are no sources as they weren’t built into the BDA or HD DVD specs.

    As for the main question.
    I think you should stick with what you have, as the new models will be out of your pre-determined budget.

    Personally, I’d buy the new one — a 60-inch — but I’m willing to spend more on TVs than most.

    Reply
  5. tivoboy says:
    March 5, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    So, you are definitely on Level 1 of the five levels of Tech buyers remorse and second guessing.

    But, as I emailed earlier, I would keep what you have. I don’t think the extra ca 800$ is worth it at the moment, and even with the 24p (which I think might be the most noticeable) you won’t see a tremendous amount without a blu-ray player.

    Put that 800$ into a nice tech fund and in three years, buy the best thing out there.

    As “buyers remorse” and “tech buyers paralysis” goes, this one is pretty mild. It’s not as if you bought the 720p version and the next day the 1080p was AVAILABLE. Or, you buy something one day, and the NEXT day a whole new generation of MBP comes out.

    Can’t you put this “display” at work for a few days and write it off anyway? 🙂

    p.s. Keep an eye on the pricing on the one you JUST bought for the next three weeks and then try to do a 30 day price guarantee with your vendor or with your CC. That’ll make you feel a LITTLE better

    p.p.s good thing you have this big LD community forum to post this type of question to, otherwise this could be costing you at least 150$ an hour to get through! 🙂

    Reply
  6. tivoboy says:
    March 5, 2008 at 12:28 pm

    another thing. Doesn’t your set have 3 HDMI? the panny website seems to think so.

    Reply
  7. George Seto says:
    March 5, 2008 at 1:00 pm

    My recommendation is if Best Buy already has the television on display, then simply check it out in person and do an in-store comparison. Looking at the provided spec comparisons it seems that the most noticeable difference should be the contrast ratios, so you should probably start there. However, seeing as how a comparison of the brightness of the whites can be irritating to the eyes and hard to judge, due to the blinding factor of bright lights, I advise you to simply compare the darkness of the blacks.

    Once you’ve actually compared the plasmas in person you must ask yourself two final questions: are the upgrades worth the difference in price and would it be worth the wait? IMHO, simply judging by the specs, they aren’t worth it. If you could somehow get a discount on the 85U or 80U so that it was only like a couple hundred outside of your budget, then I’d say go for it. However, seeing as how discounts around this time of year seem unlikely, I say enjoy what you have, especially if you got a good price on it.

    Reply
  8. George Seto says:
    March 5, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    I was just thinking about what tivoboy said about the HDMI inputs. That in itself would be the deal maker or breaker for me. If you need all three HDMI ports – HD cable/dish, Blu-ray player, and upscaling DVD player – and don’t care how funny looking it is to have a cable sticking out of the side of your set, then you should probably go with the 85U or 80U. But, on the other hand, a good receiver can remedy a lack HDMI ports.

    Reply
  9. George Seto says:
    March 5, 2008 at 4:04 pm

    I just stopped by the Best Buy on Geary in San Francisco and they didn’t have an 80U or 85U for viewing. However, I do see the online availability on their website. Also, I just received a Best Buy Reward Zone coupon in the mail for 12% off any single item, which should include the 85U. It’s good between 3/7 and 3/10. I’m assuming you’re a member, so look for that in the mail.

    Reply
  10. Avi Greengart says:
    March 5, 2008 at 6:57 pm

    I went to the Panasonic CES press conference with this exact scenario in mind — I had just purchased the 720p version of your set along with Panasonic’s PT-AE2000U (1080p) front projector (http://hometheaterview.typepad.com/hometheaterview/2007/12/ces-2008-do-i-r.html).

    Bottom line: if you can swap them out for the same price, or if you really need the front HDMI input, go for it. Otherwise, keep what you have. I suspect you were looking for a good panel at a good price, not higher specs (if you were willing to pay more for better absolute black level, you should have bought Pioneer’s Kuro, which is still the one to beat). If it makes you feel any better, tell yourself that the reason you got such a good deal was becasue the new models were about to come out.

    -avi

    Reply
  11. Dave Zatz says:
    March 6, 2008 at 5:18 pm

    On paper (err, web) the contrast ratio is better… but that’s not the whole story. Who knows if the overall picture will be better or worse until someone looks at it? I say enjoy what you have and in 18 months make it the bedroom TV and get whatever the greatest is then. By the way, what’s up with Pioneer possibly giving up on plasmas??

    Reply
  12. Jonas says:
    March 7, 2008 at 8:02 am

    It’s not a good feeling to have something “outdated” arrive but just because something with better specs comes out, costing hundreds of dollars more, it doesn’t mean you need to trade up. For an $800 difference, I’d keep the first TV, although I’d want to see one of the newer sets in person to be sure.

    Also, keep in mind that manufacturer specs are often exaggerated so those contrast numbers may not be real. Could the contrast really improve by a factor of three in one generation of TV set?

    Reply
  13. David says:
    March 7, 2008 at 11:06 pm

    I say keep the current set. The difference is probably going to be negligible, and you got a great deal on an awesome TV. Enjoy it, and rest easy in the knowledge that you would have had the “new one came out” problem eventually, whether in 3 days or in 30.

    Reply
  14. Jones Johnson says:
    March 10, 2008 at 7:45 am

    I guess it all depends on how much you think you’ll need those extra features.

    24p – I don’t have this in my 1080p set, but I sure wish I did. Do I notice the 2-3 pulldown that occurs with my set? Not really. But if I look real hard at certain panning shots, then yes. Not a huge deal though, and I’ve learned to live with it. Can you?

    Deep color/x.v. color – Really? Do we need these? Yes, those new sets are capable. Yes, Blu-ray players are capable. But do we have any material that’s encoded in Deep color or x.v. color? Last time I checked, which admittedly was a few months ago, there aren’t any.

    480 Hz Sub-field Drive – I have no idea what this is, but I’m going to assume that it has to do with 480i/p material. With the advancements in the high-def world, is it really necessary to worry about SD anything???

    HDMI inputs – 3 vs 2. A pretty big deal unless you have a very capable A/V receiver with plenty of HDMI inputs.

    Contrast ratio – After seeing pictures of Pioneer’s KURO concept, I was blown away. And if there is a huge contrast ratio difference in real world testing, then I say this is a big deal. Even though plasma’s are famous for their inky blacks, improving upon that would make a better overall viewing experience.

    To be succinct, I have no idea what you should do. Sorry.

    Reply
  15. Ergozoom says:
    April 7, 2008 at 8:22 am

    Wow way off on the 480Hz speculation. 480Hz refers to the subfield drive most plasmas employ. Like the new panys, they run 60fps with 8 subfields per frame (60×8=480Hz). You can’t look at it loke LCD because it’s totally different. That’s why their response time is 4time faster than an LCD (lcd=4ms / plamsa=1ms)

    On their 800 and 850 series panels it’s the same eccept when in 24fps play back mode when the Tv runs 48fps and 10 subfiels at 480Hz.

    Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About

Jeremy Toeman is a seasoned Product leader with over 20 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, smart TV and consumer technology. Prior ventures and projects include CNET, Viggle/Dijit/Nextguide, Sling Media, VUDU, Clicker, DivX, Rovi, Mediabolic, Boxee, and many other consumer technology companies. This blog represents his personal opinion and outlook on things.

Recent Posts

  • Back on the wagon/horse?
  • 11 Tips for Startups Pitching Big Companies
  • CES 2016: A New Role
  • Everything I Learned (So Far) Working For a Huge Company
  • And I’m Back…

Archives

Pages

  • About

Archives

  • January 2019
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • June 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004

Categories

  • Convergence (81)
  • Gadgets (144)
  • Gaming (19)
  • General (999)
  • Guides (35)
  • LD Approved (72)
  • Marketing (23)
  • Mobile Technology (111)
  • Networking (22)
  • No/Low-tech (64)
  • Product Announcements (85)
  • Product Reviews (109)
  • That's Janky (93)
  • Travel (29)
  • Video/Music/Media (115)
  • Web/Internet (103)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© LIVEdigitally
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.