- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 16 reviews
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Product summary
Specifications: Product type: Plasma TV; Diagonal size: 50 in; Image contrast ratio: 10000:1; See full specs
Price range: $1,248.06 - $1,399.99
CNET editors' take
- Published on: 06/05/2007
Updated 06-26-2007: Of Panasonic's 2007 plasma lineup, we've reviewed three models so far this year: the TH-42PX77U, the TH-50PX77U and the TH-42PX700U. If those model numbers don't mean much to you, relax. We'll take you through the company's 2007 plasma lineup from least- to most-expensive, and when we can't give actual reviews we'll provide our take on step-up features and how the models relate to one another.
Panasonic TH-42PX75U
(Credit: Panasonic)This is Panasonic's entry-level plasma series. We haven't reviewed any of these sets, but they should offer similar picture quality to the step-up TH-PX77U series--which we have reviewed. The big omission is the lack of antiglare screen coating, but if you don't consider glare a big deal, or your room has good light control, you might be able to save yourself about $100 by going with this series.
Models (all prices are retail prices)
- Panasonic TH-42PX75U ($1,600)
- Panasonic TH-50PX75U ($2,300)
Entry-level features
- 1,024x768 native resolution on the 42-inch model
- 1,366x768 native resolution on the 50-inch model
- Two HDMI inputs
- SD card slot
- Bottom-mounted speakers
Panasonic TH-42PX77U
(Credit: CNET)We've got the TH-PX77U series covered, with full reviews of both the 42-inch TH-42PX77U and the 50-inch TH-50PX77U. In terms of design and features, the only differences between these and the entry-level TH-PX75U series are the side-mounted speakers, which add about two inches of width, and the antiglare screen coating. The antiglare coating might not sound like much, but we found it did a great job of reducing reflections in rooms with ambient light, without reducing image quality. Otherwise the feature set is nearly identical to the TH-PX75U series.
Models
- Panasonic TH-42PX77U review ($1,700)
- Panasonic TH-50PX77U review ($2,400)
Step-up features
- Antiglare screen coating
- Side-mounted speakers
Panasonic TH-50PZ700U
(Credit: Panasonic)This is Panasonic's second-most-expensive line of plasma displays. What do you get for about $1,000 extra bucks? More resolution. There aren't any significant feature upgrades in this line, except all three models feature a native resolution of 1,920x1,080, also known as 1080p. We really liked the picture quality of the 42-inch model we reviewed and felt it produced a cleaner picture than the lower-resolution 77U series, but for the 42- and 50-inch displays you'll need to sit quite close to the screen to appreciate the difference of the extra resolution. When we reviewed the 1080p TH-50PF9UK directly against the 1,366x768 TH-50PH9UK, for example, we found it nearly impossible to see any additional detail at a normal viewing distance. It's a harder call on the 58-inch set, so we'll hold off until we get that in for review.
Models
- Panasonic TH-42PZ700U review ($2,500)
- Panasonic TH-50PZ700U ($3,500)
- Panasonic TH-58PZ700U ($4,800)
Step-up features
- 1,920x1,080 native resolution on all three models
Panasonic TH-50PZ750U
(Credit: Panasonic)We haven't reviewed any models in Panasonic's flagship TH-PZ750U series, but there's only a couple differences, according to the spec sheet, between this and the PZ700U series, which costs about $500 less. That extra cash buys you a third HDMI input, located on the front panel, along with Studio Reference and Pro-Setting picture modes, which are designed to provide improved picture quality for movies and extra picture adjustments, respectively. We didn't find the picture adjustments on the 700U series quite as extensive as we'd like, so we're looking forward to reviewing a 750U model to test the new controls. On the other hand, we believe viewers with budgets would be best served by saving some cash and going with a step-down model.
Models
- Panasonic TH-50PZ750U ($4,000)
- Panasonic TH-58PZ750U ($5,300)
Step-up features
- Third HDMI input on front panel
- Studio Reference mode
- Pro-Setting mode
"Professional" displays
In addition to these models, Panasonic also offers its popular line of "professional" plasma displays. The displays lack some consumer-friendly features like speakers, but offer better picture adjustment options, which ultimately lead to better picture quality. We've reviewed two models in Panasonic's 2006 "professional" plasma line: the TH-50PF9UK and TH-50PH9UK. Panasonic's 2007 line of "professional" plasmas likely will be announced in September.
CNET editors' buying advice
We have not reviewed this product but here is CNET's buying advice on Flat-panel TVs. This content was chosen based on the features included with this model of flat-panel tv.
Recommended Viewing Distances
Wide-screen televisions showing high-resolution content and HDTV look better than regular sets, allowing you to sit closer and experience a more immersive, theaterlike picture.
With wide-screen sets showing DVD, Blu-ray or HDTV, you can sit as close as 1.5 times the screen's diagonal measurement and still not notice much of a loss in quality, while sitting farther away than three times the screen size means you're likely to miss out on the immersive feel. Here's a rundown of minimum and maximum recommended viewing distances for wide-screen sets.
16:9 TV diagonal screen size |
Min. viewing distance (in feet) |
Max. viewing distance (in feet) |
||||
50 |
6.3 |
12.5 |
||||
55 |
6.9 |
12.8 |
||||
Size and your room
Generally, 32-inch and smaller sets are great for bedrooms or guest rooms but too small for the main living room. Sets with bigger screens are large enough for the whole family to enjoy and will probably be too much for most small bedrooms.
If you're mounting the set inside an entertainment center, be sure it fits in every dimension; also, leave an inch or two on all sides so that the TV has enough ventilation. If you're getting a bigger set, you may want to consider a dedicated stand; many TV makers sell matching stands that increase the aesthetic appeal of their hefty boxes.
For additional information on screen sizes, please see CNET's Ultimate Buying Guide
See more 50' - 55' TVs products
Going "Green" with HDTV
In addition to considering screen size, TV type, and available features also consider ways to conserve energy. Below are a few energy consumption tips for your HDTV:
Turn the TV off when not in use.
Turn on the power-saver mode Many TVs these days come with a power-saver mode that's designed to cut down the power consumption. Performance of this mode varies from model to model, with the effect sometimes being drastic and other times providing only a slight savings. The only downside is that the power-saver mode usually makes the TV less bright, but we've found that sometimes this has a beneficial effect on the image quality, especially with the room lights turned off, in which case it's a win-win situation.
Turn down the LCD's backlight Many LCDs give you the ability to control the intensity of the backlight in the TV. By turning down the backlight, you'll lower power consumption, but also make the TV less bright. While retail stores love to turn the backlights up all the way for their displays, we find that we get the best image quality when we turn down the backlight significantly.
Control room lighting Reduction in the intensity of the backlight is going to make the TV less bright, but that can be compensated by controlling the light in your home theater room. While this may be a little overboard just for power consumption, limiting the light in your home theater also goes a long way toward creating the "theater" experience, as well as getting the most out of your TV.
And beyond TV concerns, good-quality blackout shades offer thermal benefits that keep other energy costs low; they keep heat in during the winter and keep it out during the summer.
Watch TV together Having multiple TVs in a house is more of a norm than a luxury these days, but that also means your power consumption is going to increase as well. You can cut that power consumption by watching with your family or housemates. You might need to make a few compromises on what you watch, but sometimes it's more fun to watch with friends and family.
Don't forget to properly recycle your old model If donating or repurposing your old TV is not a viable option, CNET encourages households to recycle their electronics. Please explore the following websites to find a recycling center in your area Electronics Take Back Coalition or Earth 911.
HDTV source resolutions
There are two main HD resolutions in use today by HD broadcasters and other sources: 1080i and 720p. One is not necessarily better than the other; 1080i has more lines and pixels, but 720p is a progressive-scan format that should deliver a smoother image that stays sharper during motion. Another format is also becoming better known: 1080p, which combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is extremely scarce, however, and none of the major networks have announced 1080p broadcasts. The term 1080p today appears mostly in reference to the displays' native resolution, not the source.
| Source resolution name | Resolution in pixels |
HDTV | Progressive scan | Widescreen | Networks/sources |
| 1080p | 1,920x1,080 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Blu-ray and future HD-DVD players; PlayStation 3 |
| 1080i | 1,920x1,080 | Yes | No | Yes | Includes CBS, NBC, PBS, DiscoveryHD/ Xbox 360 |
| 720p | 1,280x720 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ABC, Fox, ESPNHD |
| 480p | 852x480 | No | Yes | Yes | Fox wide-screen; progressive-scan DVD players |
| Regular TV | Up to 480 lines | No | No | No | All |
Despite the obvious difference in pixel count, 720p and 1080i both look great. In fact, unless you have a very large television and excellent source material, you'll have a hard time telling the difference between any of the HDTV resolutions. It's especially difficult to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p sources. The difference between DVD and HDTV should be visible on most HDTVs, but especially on smaller sets, it's not nearly as drastic as the difference between standard TV and HDTV.
For more information on resolution, please read HDTV Resolution Explained
Understanding HDMI
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and that's a pretty good description of what it is. In layman's terms, HDMI is a type of digital connection that's capable of transmitting high-definition video and high-resolution audio over a single cable. To do the same thing with analog cables, you'd need to connect three component-video cables plus six analog audio cables--that's a whole lot of cable clutter.
HDMI can deliver the best image quality of any of the cable types available today. It can handle high-definition video of up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, which is the most bandwidth-intensive video format currently available. The older PC-based DVI connection offers equivalent quality, but it is rarely available on HDTVs or video components these days. Component video is found on nearly all electronics that output high-def video, and its image quality is slightly lower than HDMI, but it's really difficult for most people to tell the difference. Many viewers are probably familiar with the quality associated with the various standard-definition video cables--namely S-Video, composite (the yellow video cable), and RF--and HDMI provides a potentially huge improvement over all of them. As always, however, the biggest factor in video quality is the source; a low-quality source delivered over HDMI will still look worse than a high-quality source over S-Video.
For audio, HDMI is the reigning king of quality as well. It supports the ability to carry eight channels of 24-bit audio at 192kHz--enough to handle even the highest resolution audio soundtracks such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The only other connection type that can deliver the same quality are multichannel analog audio cables, but you'd need to run as many as eight separate cables to get the same quality. Digital audio cables--both optical and coaxial--can deliver multichannel audio, but are limited to lower-resolution audio signals.
For more information on HDMI, please read HDMI Quick Guide
See more HDMI (High-Definition) products products
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Where to buy
Panasonic TH-50PX75U:
$1,248.06 - $1,399.99
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Amazon.com
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$1,319.95 | Yes |
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123BuyDirect.Com
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$1,269.00 | Yes |
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$1,248.06 | Yes |
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