Panasonic's 2012 Viera Plasma HDTV line-up (CES 2012)

[slick1ru2]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

You can keep the native aspect ratio but still fill the screen by going into your aspect adjustments and setting it to "1" which is 5% overscan.

By going to "JUST" you're ruining the aspect ratio. If you want to watch a 1.85 flick then set SIZE 1.

Sometimes you'll go to SIZE 1 anyway watching 16:9 broadcasts when you can see metadata flashing across the top line of pixels on the screen.

JUST = bad.

I use "Just" for 1:33 material. I have a Roku player and they have lots of old movies that are in public domain. Lots of old Sci-fi and even series like In Search Of... They also have old shows on NetFlix like Kolchak or the remastered original Star Trek episodes. They just look better, to me, on that setting and I don't have to worry about eventual IR.

[trombone dixie]

Don't know where to look for this but any insight on a PowerCenter I should buy?

[slick1ru2]

I'd like to know what remote works the IR and Bluetooth devices I have and doesn't cost $200.

TV - IR
Dish (set to RF, not IR)
PS3 - Bluetooth
Xbox - I guess Bluetooth
Roku - you can use IR but I have the top of the line and I think its Bluetooth

[Retroj23]

I received my 55VT50 last night. All I can say is WOW! The picture is beautiful. Black levels are very deep and inky. THX Cinema mode is great right out of the box too. I plan on eventually calibrating it.

I was going to settle for an ST50 (by the way the ST50 is a very good TV for the price point) but I was able to get the VT for $1,599 at BBY! There was no way I was going to pass that deal up. I also used $500 I got from selling my old 54 inch plasma towards the purchase.

[Falconer]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

It's fine to watch some letter boxed movies even while breaking in the plasma. Just don't only, or mostly watch them. As long as most of your viewing is full screen stuff you're good to go.

I'm sure it is, but I'm very particular about certain things. I'd prefer to age everything evenly during the break-in period just because that seems like the smart thing to do.

Plus, it's getting me to finally watch some disks that have been sitting on my shelf for too long.

[Show spoiler]

[Pondosinatra]

Ok, can someone explain why the VT50 is better than the GT50?

[slick1ru2]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Ok, can someone explain why the VT50 is better than the GT50?

Go to CNET, the VT is the top of the line with more and in some cases better features than the GT50. It also has a remote that looks like a smart phone.

There are many websites outlining the differences. http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panas...1201101608.htm

You can compare them on the Panasonic website.

http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/viera...wviera-connect

[ImStylinOnYaBro]

Originally Posted by Falconer

I'm sure it is, but I'm very particular about certain things. I'd prefer to age everything evenly during the break-in period just because that seems like the smart thing to do.

Plus, it's getting me to finally watch some disks that have been sitting on my shelf for too long.

[Show spoiler]

i gotta gt some accent lighting like that at some point, that is real nice

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

I use "Just" for 1:33 material. I have a Roku player and they have lots of old movies that are in public domain. Lots of old Sci-fi and even series like In Search Of... They also have old shows on NetFlix like Kolchak or the remastered original Star Trek episodes. They just look better, to me, on that setting and I don't have to worry about eventual IR.

I usually just go to zoom so the aspect ratio stays the same, if I'm concerned. Like, my daughter loves watching Cinderella on Blu-ray but she's only 2.5 years old so she's not going to care about missing some of the info on the screen that's not super important to the story.

I am in the middle of watching "The Prisoner" on Blu which is 1.33 and I watch roughly 1/2 of it in 1.33 and 1/2 in ZOOM for each episode, it actually crops to 1.78:1 very nicely.

Stretch-o-vision bugs the living snot out of me, but of course everyone is different and others aren't as sensitive. We only have standard def satellite in our lunch room at the office here hooked up with a yellow composite cable, the worst possible picture we could get! Seems like every time I go in there someone has it on FULL or JUST, instead of 4:3 or ZOOM depending on whether it's 4:3 or 16:9 they're watching. It's brighter than heck in there so IR isn't really a concern, given that we're never going to have an HD box anyway.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Ok, can someone explain why the VT50 is better than the GT50?

The VT50 is a unique panel and has substantially more features including 96Hz instead of 48Hz for example.

As far as I know the UT, ST and GT have the same panel with the UT not having the same coating as the ST/GT, but the VT is in a league of its own.

[slick1ru2]

Originally Posted by Falconer

I'm sure it is, but I'm very particular about certain things. I'd prefer to age everything evenly during the break-in period just because that seems like the smart thing to do.

Plus, it's getting me to finally watch some disks that have been sitting on my shelf for too long.

[Show spoiler]

That's like saying you want to break your car in on just the Interstate. Makes no difference at all the material you watch. All that matters is that the pixels are not static. I look at 200 hours of slides as 200 hours I could have watched movies on one of the best looking TVs made.

[ImStylinOnYaBro]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

I usually just go to zoom so the aspect ratio stays the same, if I'm concerned. Like, my daughter loves watching Cinderella on Blu-ray but she's only 2.5 years old so she's not going to care about missing some of the info on the screen that's not super important to the story.

I am in the middle of watching "The Prisoner" on Blu which is 1.33 and I watch roughly 1/2 of it in 1.33 and 1/2 in ZOOM for each episode, it actually crops to 1.78:1 very nicely.

Stretch-o-vision bugs the living snot out of me, but of course everyone is different and others aren't as sensitive. We only have standard def satellite in our lunch room at the office here hooked up with a yellow composite cable, the worst possible picture we could get! Seems like every time I go in there someone has it on FULL or JUST, instead of 4:3 or ZOOM depending on whether it's 4:3 or 16:9 they're watching. It's brighter than heck in there so IR isn't really a concern, given that we're never going to have an HD box anyway.

i HATE when my gram is watching her 42" vizio and something in 4:3 comes on like an old episode of family feud or something and she is liek "gimme the remote!! i need to hit the aspect button, see there its on the full screen now, how its supposed to be" I just can't seem to explain it to them that when u see it stretched like that its far worse than its original aspect.

[Falconer]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

That's like saying you want to break your car in on just the Interstate.

If I wanted to break my car in evenly, I'd run it in all gears for roughly the same duration during that period of time. Pretty much the opposite of your simile.

[slick1ru2]

Originally Posted by Falconer

If I wanted to break my car in evenly, I'd run it in all gears for roughly the same duration during that period of time. Pretty much the opposite of your simile.

I am talking where, you are talking how. That is exactly the simile. You are going to spend 200 hours on slides when 200 hours of full screen programming would do the exact same job. Both do the job just as well. Put two TVs next to each other at 200 hours or 2 years, one broken in with slides and the other with programming, and there will no visible difference.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

That's like saying you want to break your car in on just the Interstate. Makes no difference at all the material you watch. All that matters is that the pixels are not static. I look at 200 hours of slides as 200 hours I could have watched movies on one of the best looking TVs made.

But the pixels WOULD be static while watching 2.39:1 content and 1.33:1 content, for hours at a time. That is what he is saying, he doesn't want to stretch content so he's going to watch just 1.78:1 material in the break-in period.

You're responding to a poster that already said they just watched Total Recall, not someone saying they're only watching slides. Did you mean to respond to someone else?

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

I am talking where, you are talking how. That is exactly the simile. You are going to spend 200 hours on slides when 200 hours of full screen programming would do the exact same job. Both do the job just as well. Put two TVs next to each other at 200 hours or 2 years, one broken in with slides and the other with programming, and there will no visible difference.

A lot of people just use the TV normally and run the slides while asleep or at work to help get through the 100 hours or whatever faster.

Though I do more or less agree with you. My opinion having tried plasma twice is people should just steer clear of them of them if they don't naturally vary content as the lack of peace of mind over IR isn't worth it for people who tend to watch one channel all the time or play games for hous on end IMO. And if you don't do that stuff there isn't much reason to run the slides unless you're getting it professionally calibrated and want to get that done ASAP after buying it.

But again I'm not a videophile and I think plasmas are really just for those who care about getting the best possible picture. For the average joe like me who doesn't care much about that a/v stuff I think led/led is the better option due to complete peace of mind over IR, better in bright rooms etc. I can't deal with those drawbacks when I don't care about the pq differences much. I can kick back and enjoy, movies, sports, TV and games on pretty much any halfway decent tv. Only things I've found that have taken away from that for me on any tvs I've had are buzzing and IR problems on two plasmas I bought and returned.

[Falconer]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

I am talking where, you are talking how. That is exactly the simile. You are going to spend 200 hours on slides when 200 hours of full screen programming would do the exact same job. Both do the job just as well. Put two TVs next to each other at 200 hours or 2 years, one broken in with slides and the other with programming, and there will no visible difference.

I'm not using slides at all. I'm using full-frame content.

I think you have me confused with someone else.

[trombone dixie]

Just landed a 55" VT50 for $1,603... Pretty stoked on the price point.

[dobyblue]

For anyone using the slides to use D-Nice's recommended calibration settings you should note that you need to follow the procedure exactly, ie - the panel prep settings for that specified amount of time using the slides with NO other content in between. The slides have nothing to do with burn-in, image retention or break-in, they are simply so that you get as close to the same picture as he is getting using the same settings.

[v_squared123]

Originally Posted by trombone dixie

Just landed a 55" VT50 for $1,603... Pretty stoked on the price point.

That,is an amazing price! Lucky you!