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Date: 2008-11-26 Great TV except for the buzz I've had this TV since 9/25/08. [...]. PICTURE - I've only watched upscaled standard DVDs (via HDMI from a very fine Oppo player) on it and the picture has been outstanding. I am seeing details in movies that I've never seen though I've watched them several times. I use CNET's settings in THX mode, toned down while the screen is breaking in (the first 100-200 hours). AUDIO - Is good for TV speakers. INSTALL - Make sure that you don't set the TV down when you first open the box unless you're setting it on the stand. There were no directions on this so I was (unpleasantly) surprised when the 100 pound set wouldn't balance on the bottom edge and nearly crushed the lower "lip"! NOISE - There is a buzzing noise that comes from the circuit boards in back, below the fans. The noise varies depending on what's on screen, it's loudest when the screen is bright. I called Panasonic and a technician examined the set and said the noise was normal for a plasma. He said LCDs are quieter. I welcome any solutions anyone might have to this problem. I can only give this otherwise excellent TV three stars because such an expensive and high quality AV device should not emit a background noise that interferes with its normal use. If I had known about "plasma noise" I would have bought a high-end LCD but now I am stuck with this TV. Beware of plasma's dirty little secret. Date: 2008-11-25 What a great Television ! I spent alot of time researching this particular purchase. months, years in fact. The shortage of funds in the ship's entertainment chest meant a number of models of plasma TV came and went in the meantime and that, luckily for the crew, the prices came down. Alot. Reviews and general internet wisdom held that the King of the Hill of the 42-60" class in October 08 was the Pioneer Kuros - kudos for the Kuros if you will. However the hefty price tag precluded it from my shopping list. This Panasonic came second to the Pioneer in a number of reviews and represented a considerable saving on the manufacturer's advertised price at the Amazon store. If you haven't had a plasma TV before, let me warn you, this 50" model is ENORMOUS. You will need help putting it on its stand, but when you do and connect to a HD service or a Blu Ray player.... WOW! Totally worth the huge amount of money. Sharpness, great levels of black- yes it does make a difference. It's like watching TV for the first time. I have mounted mine on the wall via an expensive mount ($300) Don't buy a cheaper one and see your pride and joy fall to the floor. Date: 2008-10-31 no problems with shipping Cannot say anything about the TV yet, we just got it today. Wanted to let people know that my shipping experience with CEVA, about which many people complained, was excellent. I placed an order on Monday, the TV arrived on Friday, and the shippers even took it out of the box, assembled the base, and put it on my media center. Date: 2008-10-30 Best TV for the money! I'll keep it simple. Good price. Great Delivery. Outstanding TV. Beautiful picture. Impressive sound! This is the one you want. Date: 2008-10-29 Not terrible, but not great. Perhaps I purchased this monitor expecting too much, but I am disappointed with my selection. First of all, the Viera with the picture off looks very good. This bad boy has a sleek design and it's shiny frame looks very impressive. It's definitely a high end hdtv...until you turn it on. I don't know where to begin with my disappointment. I got a good deal on it, so the price is not what left me less then satisfied. The display itself is very overrated. It is difficult to get a crisp picture on this unit, and the THX mode that critics praise seems to leave a lot of pictures hazy and cloudy. I'm sure replicating "true blacks" is what a lot of video-philes loved about this set, but even the blacks seem more gray then truly black. I also read that the sound the set produces is above average. However, when I actually do use the sound that my Panasonic delivers, it sounds painful to my ears. I am not one that buys a television for it's audio qualities, but I am sending out a warning to those that might. Beyond the less-than-satisfactory qualities that I have mentioned above, my biggest qualm is with the reflective screen attached to the unit. My two biggest concerns while purchasing a plasma were burn-in (which to it's marketing department's credit, Panasonic has convinced me is not a big deal) and reflectivity. The reflection off the front of the tv does not seem to be a huge deal. It's a bit distracting, but overall it is not a deal breaker. HOWEVER, the reflection from INSIDE the tv is what I find incomprehensible for a modern-day television. From most angles (anything not directly in front of the tv), I notice a double image, or reflection, of the original picture. Maybe this is my fault because it's normal for plasma displays, but I find it utterly ridiculous that a modern day television that prides itself on viewing angles considers this to be par for the course. How can a tv actually deliver a "crisp" picture when everything it displays has a "ghost" behind it? Once again, I find this insulting to my intelligence. I'm sure my review will be ripped to shreds by all of those that consider this unit to be a work of art. I don't have any credentials to back up my opinions. I'm just an ordinary guy on his third hdtv, and I find it fairly disappointing for all the hype this Panny has received. It's not the worse set in the world, but it's far from delivering on the hype that it has received.
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