I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one. I want one.

You really want one?

gross...
exageration!

;-)

Spring for the vt50!

kitty don't care!

I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one. I still want one.

so the real question is, do you want one bad enough to actually type every letter, or did you take the easy way out and copy/paste?

Thank God for copy and paste.

I went to avsforum to find a professional calibrator that comes to the Kansas City area, that can do plasma calibrations. I was in commune with one, but he seems to prefer the Samsung D7000, and he doesn't do 3D calibrations because it requires expensive specialist equipment that he doesn't want to buy. He still thinks 3D is a fad.

I didn't realize that 3D required a special calibration until I read that.

I'd spring for the Samsung E7000, if there would be any advantage over the Panasonic GT50.

I really doubt that the E8000, or the VT50 would be worth the extra cost. If someone knows why they would be, I'd like to know what it is and if it is even visible.

I have the VT30 and love it. Still waiting to get a calibration. TBH, the biggest issue is that my room doesn't have window coverings because I mostly watch this set at night. I don't think calibrators want to start work at 10 PM...

I chose the VT over the GT because I wanted the Black Pro 2. Is it necessarily better vs the GT? I probably wouldn't be able to tell.

I have yet to watch a 3D movie, though I did buy an extra set of 3rd party glasses. 3D makes me dizzy and I still prefer 2D done well.

I have light colored curtains. Most of my watching is evening with no light. When there is light, I throw a blanket over the window. One of my next steps will be to replace the curtains with something that blocks light.

Here's a thought for you. When the daytime calibrator arrives, have the 2 of you move the TV into a darkened room. When he's done, move the TV back to where it was.

The VT also adds 96hz at 24p playback.

Anyone know what this means?

No. Thank Larry Tesler.

Waiting for the new tv's to hit the stores is painful.

Here's a pdf file that contains some interesting information on the new Panasonic Plasma TV's.

It looks like one of the biggest differences between the VT50 and the GT50 is the VT50 has more options for calibration. It's also 4.6 inches wider than the GT50. I can barely make the GT50 fit.

I've been watching this thread for new Panasonic Plasma TV's. I'm still unsure whether to get a Panasonic GT50, a Samsung E7000, or even a non-edge lit LED-LCD. I've read a lot of the pros/cons of Plasma vs LED, etc. Someone at work has both a 50 inch Plasma and a 50 inch LED on his living room walls at home, and he much prefers the LED.

I made the big switch from LCD to Plasma. My Sony LCD was approaching 5 years old however it is still working fine. G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrom) took over and I purchased a 65 inch Panasonic. Moved the Sony downstairs to the games room. I was considering an LED however the Plasma won over in the end. I don't think you can go wrong with either LED or Plasma.

I've read through the thread on Panasonic GT30. It took a firmware luminance fix called 2.1 to brighten it up enough to make it better looking in THX mode. Before this fix, THX was too dim. Most people seem to think it has superior Picture Quality to LCD/LED TV's.

There's still debate as to whether or not you need to give it a burn-in period by rotating through some slides that help the phosphors to burn in evenly for the first 100 hours of use.

and the debate will not end soon either.
i've read corresponcence from Pioneer that said they have nothing against someone doing a burn-in on a TV.
they were talking about plasma tv's.

i've seen myself on my Kuro that the phosphors are more prone to image retention during the first hundred hours; but there is not much difference.

also, image retention does no damage, contrary to image burn-in; there's also the fact that most TV's that have image burn-in have been used in stores as demos and some of them display the same fixed image 8 hours a day... the same can happen at home if one leaves a video game on pause for the night.
CRT's had the same problem too.

Here's a message I left on avsforum, at this location.

I'm looking to upgrade my 2 year old Samsung LCD 37 inch TV (of cheaper quality) to a 50 inch of better quality. My only limitations are it can't be any wider than 47 inches, and it can't cost more than $2,500. I want one capable of excellent 3D with as few artifacts and visual problems as possible. I will be using a Panasonic 310 blu-ray player that has 2 HDMI outputs. 1.4 to go directly to the TV, and a 1.3 to go to the receiver. Sound output from TV from antenna to receiver via optical connection. The room is fairly bright in the daytime, but I'll be working on the ability to darken it by installing blinds on a skylight that sits above the TV and installing black-out curtains. I have an excellent sound system, so I won't be using the TV's speakers. I want the best PQ that these restraints will allow. Probably be looking at Panasonic TC-P50GT50 (TC-P55VT50 too wide), Samsung PN51E7000, or an LED. Whichever one it is, I plan on a professional calibration. I wish more info was available. I get tired of playing this waiting game. If any calibrators have their opinion as to which would be best, I'd like to hear from you, either publicly in this forum or PM.

Since I've never had a plasma, I'd hate to buy one only to discover I thought it was too dim. But I don't want an LED if the plasma would work for me.

Hi Cat, I have 2 Panasonic plasma TVs and really like them both. A plasma should work fine in your situation as long as window reflections aren't a big issue. From my comparisons, it seems as though the LED screens were abnormally bright as opposed to the plasmas being too dim. Plus, I can't stand the 120hz/240hz look of the LCD/LED screens. Reminds me of the Littlest Hobo or a british documentary rather than staying true to the original video source.

For overall picture quality, black levels which leads to better colours and off-axis viewing, even today, plasmas are still superior. The smallest plasma you can buy, however, is 42 inches. I would recommend though, that if you decide to go the LED route, choose the back lit design not the edge lit. The edge lit has too much variation in picture brightness, especially showing up during a dark scene in any movie or video that you are watching. In any instance, if you are intending on getting a professional calibration, it will be worth it.

Some of the higher end models of any design, nowadays, have more extensive grayscale and some limited colour management systems built right in so the user, if they were keen, could go out and buy a meter and some software and after a little learning curve do it themselves. The only drawback to this is a professional calibrator would have the advantage of having access to the service menu to be able to make more precise adjustments.

Cat, why not wait for the Oled tv's? That is what i am doing... Right now i have a 60" DLP TV... if i move, i will use my projector again until i get an Oled.... Did you watch the Leo Laporte video from CES this year?


Fast forward to 32 minutes for the Oled portion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDsqjh2LFio

@1sweetspot, that's kinda what I'm hoping for, that the picture would be more accurate that I won't miss the extra brightness, but the 3D glasses might interfere too much and make it darker, thereby making the LED more enjoyable.

@casey01, I'm tired of my LCD only having a single sweet spot, that I can never seem to stay in, so blacks are always too light. Seems only Vizio has better LCD panels. If I was to get another LCD, I'd probably go Vizio or maybe Sharp. Also, I'm not fond of edge lit with it's problems either, so I'd get the full back lit one.

@dakkon, No, I haven't seen this video. OLED sure looks good, but I want something now. I'd rather let the OLED people work out the bugs and let the price drop for the next few years, then let it be my purchase after I'm tired of the one I've just bought.

I went with 65vt 30 because I preferred the one sheet of glass design, wanted the best light filter for daytime viewing, 96hz playback, and wanted the best blacks possible.


I wouldn't have bought it at release though with its $4000 price tag. I got my 65vt30 for about $2400

My lower model panasonic 46 x3 plasma has no anti glare filter and I have windows on the opposite wall. It is basically unwatchable during the day- but it's for nighttime bedroom 99% of the time so it works out. I have huge reflections of the windows behind me on this tv

I have large 7 foot windows to the left of my 65vt30, but no windows directly on opposite wall. The vt30 has an excellent light filter for the most part. I have zero issue watching this tv during the day, and it is plenty bright.

When you watch in 3D, it seems like the picture is brightened to compensate for the shade of the glasses. Not an issue. The picture is fantastic in 2D and 3D. I have the 58" VT25 BTW.

Also, the latest 3rd gen Panasonic glasses aren't very dark. I assume he glass for the 50 series will be similar

I bought the Panasonic DMP-BDT310P blu-ray player with 4 year warranty at BB yesterday for $293. I wanted one with the 2 HDMI output. One HDMI to TV and the other to receiver, since my legacy Pioneer receiver can't pass 3D through. Now, I'm going to install it and reprogram my harmony 1100 remote, then wait a month for the GT50's to come out and see what the reviewers have to say.

Cat, why not buy the Oppo BD93?

Leaving my distane for BB, out of this conversation... Oppo has long been reguarded as the best player for the money...


http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-93/blu-ray-BDP-93-Features.aspx


Just wondering why you chose the product that you did.

I didn't realize the OPPO had dual 1.4 hdmi until just now. I never read up on it before. I just assumed it was a single hdmi. Hmmm. I've got 45 days to change my mind and take it back for a refund. (45 days with silver BB card).

i have an Oppo BD-83 and Really like it a lot... the 83 is the dfirst oppo that i have bought, i never bought one of their dvd players... i bought the 83 because it had 7.1 analog out... in 09 the only other players with that option were the denon and sony ES, both of which retiled for around 2k$.... the Oppo was about 500$ and came with one heck of a good reputation.... i say buy the oppo and try them back to back, return the inferior one.....


p.s. any random typos are not my failt, im posting from my phone...

But, shouldn't I buy the OPPO-93 since I'm getting a 3D Tv?

So far, the only advantage I can see for the OPPO over the Panasonic is the ability to play SACDs.

I just played Moneyball using the Panasonic 310 player, and the picture quality was very good.

yes, get the BD93.. they dont sell the 83 anymore.. i was just giving you my impression of the 83

Aside from the product itself, you can't beat Oppo's after market service. Even though they are more expensive, the shelf life of the Oppos will be considerably longer than any mainstream product. If you buy a new Panasonic, they are already thinking and have pre-production plans in place for the next generation model. Oppo continues to do firmware updates for anything to do with improved performance AND additional features along with handling any of the quirks that might occur with the playability of newly released BR discs. Oppo was still doing firmware updates even as of this week, on the more than two year old BDP83. As any mainstream player gets older, this especially, can be problematic.

I bought a BDP95(Oppos top line model) last May and in my opinion, there is nothing on the market that equals let alone betters it at any price. Incidentally, my two year old Panasonic is in the bedroom.

Well, before I read the last message, I placed my order for the OPPO-93 for $499 + Calibration disc for $24.99 + 2 day Fed-eX for $49.00, total $572.99. A bit more than my $293 for the Panasonic. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking the Panasonic back, because I've always wanted something to play SACDs on. I just didn't know the OPPO had 2 HDMI outs. (I didn't want to have to wait the 5-14 days for the regular shipping.)

I am pretty sure if you want to upgrade to the 95, you could send them an e-mail.. If the 95 is within your budget, i would say get that one.. I would do a bit of investigating, I would assume that netflix and block buster on demand would get processed though the video and audio circuitry and result in a much improved sound quality/picture quality.... however with that being said, it is VERY easy to spend someone else's money...

I thought the 95 was for the analog circuitry which I don't need, like the 85 was. Anyway, I'm not ready to pay $500 more for a blu-ray/sacd player.

not completely sure... i stopped following their products after i bought the 83, that coule be true.

After spending an hour looking for sacds I'd like, I'm not finding much to my liking. Diana Krall and Moody Blues are about all I can find. I'd really like some good non-classical piano solo music, but when I finally found one, it was $117. I don't care for the classical music sound. I like some orchestra but not the classical style. I didn't care for the one about the planets either, and I don't care to have Star Wars, Harry Potter concerto's either. Some Jazz would be nice, but I don't care for classical jazz. Forget the old stuff. Not my style.

Pink Floyd's dark side of the moon on SACD is pretty good.. I have that one, its about the only SACD that i own.

You are absolutely right, the 93($499.00) would more than suffice for any application and other than the "beefed-up" analog circuity and a little more exotic power supply, the 95 is pretty much the same in feature set as the 93. I only mentioned it specifically because I bought it for the whimsical idea that I liked the "look" of it and of course, along with the much more important reasons that I mentioned earlier with respect to Oppo's ongoing superior aftermarket product support.

Dire Straights - Brothers in Arms SACD

I'm thinking some Stevie Ray Vaughan on SACD might be good also.

Cat, do you have a netflix account? I would like to hear about the quality of netflix through the Oppo unit... I have googled it, but haven't really found anything.. I think i will call Oppo in the Am...

I have a netflix account, but I only use the 2 at a time mailer option. I tried the streaming option when it first came out, but was disappointed in streaming quality because of my slow connection speed. Also, I had a hard time finding a movie I wanted to watch. Not enough choices of quality material.

I did watch one movie using VUDO when they gave me credit for a free sample a while back. The audio quality was superior to Netflix, but the video was downgraded because of my connection speed.

You probably tried this but many people are unaware that you can manually change your video quality in Netflix and that it often runs just fine at a higher level than it defaults to. They seem to have chosen to be very cautious in their speed recommendations. Makes sense as most people would be less upset with lower quality verses broken picture or buffering.

That being said, I don't use Netflix either.

No. I didn't know you can change the video quality. But my average evening speed is usually around 1.5 to 2.00 whatevers.

Waiting for this new tv to arrive in stores is about as much fun as 1) Watching paint dry. 2) Watching grass grow. 3) Waiting for troops to come home. 4) Waking up at night and can't go back to sleep.

to help pass the time and making it real good, you could listen to:
Slim Whitman - Indian Love Call

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FhQxZnSqc0

That's just painful.

it is supposed to be painful; see what that song did in the movie "Mars Attacks!"...

every time i hear it, i can't stop laughing; it's the very best of the worst ones i've heard in my life.

i thought cats would love it...

Yeah. I can't stand when a mono signal only comes out of one channel.

Post deleted by me.