Which Television has the best picture quality?

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by repete66211

As a rule of thumb sharpness is usually best when it's not cranked up. Of course this can vary by make and manufacturer. The "best" setting isn't necessarily 0-5, it's whatever yields the best results when employing the test pattern(s). This is usually low on the sharpness scale, but not always.

I'm sure there is a variation between makes and models. I have a Sony KDS60A2000 set and I usually keep my sharpness around 38. It's certainly not cranked way way up but I did try it at zero and to me it just lost too much detail.

Also, I personally don't get too caught up test patterns. I care more about how a picture looks to my eyes, regardless of what the test patterns measure. I just like a vivid, sharp picture that pops. I don't care if the colors aren't "accurate" or if the grey scale doesn't fall within the measurments of what is considered "the standard." I just care if it looks good to me. To this day I still value the old "eye test" over anything else.

[pentatonic]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess because, at least on my TV, I can definitely tell a difference when I put sharpness down that low, even on HD content. The picture looks soft and for my personal taste I do NOT like a soft picture! I like a razor sharp picture and if that runs the risk of introducing artifacts in the picture well then so be it! I'd rather deal with the artifacts than with a soft picture.

Originally Posted by repete66211

As a rule of thumb sharpness is usually best when it's not cranked up. Of course this can vary by make and manufacturer. The "best" setting isn't necessarily 0-5, it's whatever yields the best results when employing the test pattern(s). This is usually low on the sharpness scale, but not always.

Yes it does vary and like Steel (if you're talking about your sxrd) the sharpness on these sets needs to be in the 50 region for a "calibrated" level.

[DC UNIVERSE.]

Go with The Samsung PNE8000 series. I have both Panasonic and Samsung Plasma Tvs, and it has a better 3D performance than Panasonic with a slightly better PQ

[Falconer]

Originally Posted by repete66211

As a rule of thumb sharpness is usually best when it's not cranked up. Of course this can vary by make and manufacturer. The "best" setting isn't necessarily 0-5, it's whatever yields the best results when employing the test pattern(s). This is usually low on the sharpness scale, but not always.

Putting the sharpness to 0 on my VT50 definitely produces a softer image with noticeable loss to fine detail. To get the best image, I have to set it well above 5.

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by DC UNIVERSE.

Go with The Samsung PNE8000 series. I have both Panasonic and Samsung Plasma Tvs, and it has a better 3D performance than Panasonic with a slightly better PQ

Wow! You really DO prefer the Samsung over the Panasonic? Seems like the Panasonic VT is overwhelmingly considered the best plasma of 2012. Aside from 3D, why do you think the Samsung looks better? From what I've read it has worse blacks than the Panasonic and it doesn't get as bright.

Love your avatar btw!

[DC UNIVERSE.]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

Wow! You really DO prefer the Samsung over the Panasonic? Seems like the Panasonic VT is overwhelmingly considered the best plasma of 2012. Aside from 3D, why do you think the Samsung looks better? From what I've read it has worse blacks than the Panasonic and it doesn't get as bright.

Love your avatar btw!

I was talking about the 3D PQ... I do agree with you that Panasonic does have better 2D performance, but not by much though. I'll give Panasonic 10/10 and Samsung 9 1/2 for the 2D PQ. Panasonic struggles when 3D kicks in, it has alot more crosstalk and flickering than the Samsung. I'll give Panasonic 7/10 and Samsung 10/10 for the 3D performance

[Steelmaker]

Originally Posted by DC UNIVERSE.

I was talking about the 3D PQ... I do agree with you that Panasonic does have better 2D performance, but not by much though. I'll give Panasonic 10/10 and Samsung 9 1/2 for the 2D PQ. Panasonic struggles when 3D kicks in, it has alot more crosstalk and flickering than the Samsung. I'll give Panasonic 7/10 and Samsung 10/10 for the 3D performance

Did you see the quote from the CNET review on the VT50 in regards to 3D?

3D: Updated June 5, 2012: When I first tested the VT50's 3D picture quality I called out its mediocre showing in what I consider the most important performance characteristic for an active 3D TV: reduction of crosstalk. But after the review was published I was alerted by readers that changing the TV's 24p setting (under the Advanced Picture submenu) from the THX 3D Cinema default of 60Hz to 48Hz would help. I got the chance to test that change today and can confirm that, yes, it works, turning the VT50 into a very good 3D performer.

Watching "Hugo," my current favorite 3D torture test, the ghostly double image of crosstalk was clearly visible at 60Hz in many scenes, especially with objects in difficult sequences, like Hugo's hand as it reaches for the mouse (5:01), the tuning pegs on the guitar (7:49), and the face of the dog as it watches the inspector slide by (9:24). When I changed to 48Hz, however, the crosstalk became much dimmer and less noticeable.

Comparing the VT50 in 48Hz mode and the Samsung PNE8000, I saw about the same amount of crosstalk in these scenes. The VT50 still showed more crosstalk than the Elite or the Samsung UN55D8000, and more than any passive 3D TV I've tested. It's also worth noting that 48Hz mode is also available on the GT50 and ST50 in 3D, and provided the same substantial improvements on those TVs as well. I also tried Samsung's SSG-4100BG glasses on the Panasonic TVs and they showed the same improvement in 48Hz.

The 48Hz mode did introduce very minor flicker in the brightest sections of the image, but in my opinion that's a small price to pay for greatly reduced crosstalk. That flicker was quite a bit more subtle than what I saw in 2D using the 96Hz and 48Hz modes, and in 3D it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film much at all.

The THX mode's 3D picture quality in other areas was also very good. Black levels appeared deeper than on the ST50 and color looked more accurate and well-saturated. I chalk this advantage up to the settings, not necessarily any inherent difference in the TVs, mainly because the GT50's image in THX Cinema looked almost identical, albeit slightly brighter, than the VT50's (I'm guessing if the two were of equal size that the light output difference would be even less noticeable).

Color and shadow detail were superior to what you get in the default Movie mode of the Samsung E8000. The Samsung also seemed to be doing some edge enhancement. I assume all of these issues can be improved by calibration, however, and even if they can't I still liked the Samsung's 3D image, with its much-less-obvious crosstalk, better than the VT50's.

Panasonic's standard 3D glasses for my review fit better than the Samsungs and provided marginally better performance since they enclosed my eyes better. Check out my comparison and reviews for more.

[kuatolives]

In 2012 Panasonic was the definite winner across their entire range. If you read reviews and reports from calibrators it's a general consensus that Samsung's 2012 range (E Series) was not as good as their 2011 line (D series). From my casual observation it appears to me that that's true. 2012 Samsungs had worse color accuracy than their 2011 counterparts while 2012 Panasonics made a leap forward in that department. Samsungs do excel in video processing but it's widely known that's partly due to them using non-defeatable edge enhancement that can add artifacts of its own. In all other areas, Panasonic has them beat - Black level, motion resolution, AR filter, contrast, etc. IMO Samsung made good sets in 2012 but they didn't really do anything to improve upon their predecessors.

That all looks like it's up for debate in 2013 - Samsung has pared down their range down to just one high-end plasma - the F8500 - that has received extremely favorable preliminary reports and looks like it'll give Panasonic a good run for its money. At the same time Panasonic is re-introducing their utra-high end Z-series in the form of the ZT60, which has a new "Studio master" panel that no other 2013 Panasonics use.

[AnitaG]

Panasonic 65 inch Plasma TH P65VT20 TV is a premium television set for those who are looking for latest equipped technology with stylish outlook. This has got supersized 65 inch plasma display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels for a superior viewing experience. Panasonic 65" Full HD 3D Plasma TH-P65VT20 TV has got superior audio and sound stuff with 3 dynamic inbuilt speakers with virtual surround sound with the total output of 30 W. It has got many superb features including rich internet support and other connectivity features like VIERA Image Viewer for sharing all your photo stuff with your smart networking feature.

[seabterry]

Just bought a 55" UT50 yesterday before the Super Bowl. I already had a 42" Panasonic that was almost exactly 4 years old yesterday. I really can't buy any other plasma other than Panasonic. They are reliable and the picture is always stunning. Hooked it up and then put the Tangled Blu-ray in for my daughter and was more than impressed. They always manage to F-up PQ on the display models in the store. 4 years ago I shopped around and ended up buying my 42" at Costco. This past weekend I shopped around and again ended up at Costco to buy the new 55" for $749.99. No regrets. In case you are wondering, the 42" is still working just fine and is going to the bedroom.

[tele1962]

Unfortunately Panasonic's 2012 range was not full HD in 3D as they claimed so in that respect the Samsung's comes out on top.

The Sharpness on most TVs in HD should be set to off or zero, and maybe a couple of clicks up for Broadcast material, anything else will introduce ringing and other artefact's to the picture. Using some sort of test patterns to set up your PQ really is a must and doesn't have to cost anything.