First Review: 2012 Panasonic VIERA TC-P50ST50 Plasma HDTV - Discussion Thread

97559 Views 142 Replies 39 Participants Last post by Robert Zohn, Apr 16, 2013

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · Mar 2, 2012

5

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/images/Panasonic_ST50.jpg[/img]

2012 Panasonic VIERA TC-P50ST50 Review - Discussion Thread

For the full review: Click Here!

Summary: I've been viewing our ST50 for the past few days I have not noticed any green blobs or fluctuating brightness. I've enjoyed watching this TV with quite a bit of varied content, DIRECTV, BD, and lots of streaming. Today I invited my very good friend Ed Johnson to do the calibration and take all of the measurements.

Download File: View attachment ST50_Calibration_Day_Mode_40fL.pdf

Regardless of the reliability of this review I'm anxious to do our Shoot-out so we can compare all of the panels next to each-other and determine who truly makes the best display. Mid April we're doing a mini pdp 2012 Shoot-out event with Samsung's E8000 series, Panasonic's GT50 and LG's PM9700. Let the games begin!

Hope you enjoyed my review. Any questions or comments?

-Robert

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1 - 20 of 143 Posts

TypeA

· #2 · Mar 2, 2012

Re: The first 2012 Panasonic 2012 in-depth review

Any evidence of motion artifacts and FB that was so common in the st30?

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 3, 2012

In my experience of viewing our 50" ST50 none of the previous generations inherent anomalies exist in the 2012 pdp. Very nicely redesigned and re-engineered display.

It calibrated beautifully in the Custom mode, and even in the factory set Cinema model I must say after a few minor adjustments without even a meter attached to the display the Cinema mode was well in-line with most pq specs. And not only the pre-calibration charts, the actual image quality was excellent.

The ST50 delivers a very big dynamic range with depth and definition.

-Robert

mechman

· #4 · Mar 3, 2012

Looks like a nice display Robert. :T

Jon Liu

· #5 · Mar 3, 2012

Re: First Review: 2012 Panasonic VIERA TC-P50ST50 50-Inch 1080p Full HD 3D Plasma TV

Great review, Robert! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

natsume

· #6 · Mar 4, 2012

hi, nice review,
would you post please some HQ pictures of the set to better appreciate black level.
and just one more question, is there any green blobs issue with this model.

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 5, 2012

natsume, welcome to HTS! The photos were taken with my iPhone 4S, I'll work on getting some hi-resolution photos, but nothing substitutes seeing the TV in person.

No green blobs and no fluctuating brightness on the 11 (6 50" and 5 55") ST50s we have set-up for break-in and calibration.

-Robert

markrogo

· #8 · Mar 5, 2012

So I hate to be alarmist, but at least one guy tried to watch hockey and basketball and found the ST50's reactions to the strobes to be intolerable. I don't want to call this "fluctuating brightness" but apparently it was a bad interaction of something.

Try to watch part of a game and let us know what happens.

aggybong

· #9 · Mar 5, 2012

How about the color decoding issues from the previous generation? Is that still an issue? How about false contouring\banding in faces in darker scenes?

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 5, 2012

markrogo said:
So I hate to be alarmist, but at least one guy tried to watch hockey and basketball and found the ST50's reactions to the strobes to be intolerable. I don't want to call this "fluctuating brightness" but apparently it was a bad interaction of something.

Try to watch part of a game and let us know what happens.

I will do that, but I am 99.99% sure these 2012 VIERA displays do not suffer from fluctuating brightness. What I believe he is seeing is the ABL circuit kicking in and or that these new displays are much brighter than previous years so when the scene goes to a bright content it gets very bright, almost LCD bright.

I'll double check with content on my shoot-out wall to compare the ST50 along side the best LCD/LEDs and pdps and then report back.

-Robert

aggybong said:
How about the color decoding issues from the previous generation? Is that still an issue? How about false contouring\banding in faces in darker scenes?

You can see from the calibration reports all colors are on target to rec. 709. The color decoding works fine and the color accuracy and color saturation are very good.

-Robert

typ44q

· #11 · Mar 5, 2012

Thanks for the review, I am happy to see this get good reviews and I hope that the GT and VT lines have as big of an improvement as I hope to be purchasing one later this year.
Any idea when you will be reviewing the VT50?

fschris

· #12 · Mar 5, 2012

I have had my TC-P50ST30 for about a year.
I wonder if there is a software update that will bring it up to the TC-P50ST50 .... I can't imagine the panel has changed at all ?

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 5, 2012

VT50's are due by the end of May. And our full fledged Shoot-out event is scheduled for August.

I'm planning a GT50, LG 60PM9700 and Samsung PN60E8000 mini-Shoot-out evaluation at the very end of this month.

-Robert

typ44q

· #14 · Mar 5, 2012

That's great, I look forward to the reviews as I try to resist the urge to buy a discounted VT30

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #15 · Mar 5, 2012

Mike, I love the VT30, but waiting a few weeks is very wise.

Every year video technology leap frogs, this year's advancements are like bull frogs on steroids. I'm anxious to see how Samsung and LG does this year.

-Robert

typ44q

· #16 · Mar 5, 2012

Thanks Robert, after reading the initial impressions of the new Panasonic plasma TV's from CES I had a feeling that they would be worth waiting for. Even just from an asthetics point of view the GT and VT series are a huge improvement.

Will the ST50 be available in 42" size? (thinking possible bedroom TV)

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #17 · Mar 5, 2012

Sorry to say no 42" St50 this year, the ST50 comes in 50", 55", 60" and 65".

One model down in the VIERA Smart 3D TV line up, the TC-P42UT50 is the best 42" pdp and cost $799. The UT50 series lacks the louver filter and has less steps of gradation than the ST50 series.

-Robert

dsskid

· #18 · Mar 5, 2012

Robert Zohn said:
Mike, I love the VT30, but waiting a few weeks is very wise.

Every year video technology leap frogs, this year's advancements are like bull frogs on steroids. I'm anxious to see how Samsung and LG does this year.

-Robert

Brings back memories of the Kuro days. :sn:
I think I may have to upgrade my living room display this year.

Robert Zohn

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 5, 2012

Hi John, Kuro's we're giant monster bull frogs on steroids!

-Robert

dsskid

· #20 · Mar 6, 2012

Robert, the cal report on the ST50 was pretty impressive and I'm anxious to see how well the VT50 does. It should be a winner.

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