Panasonic G10 VS Kuro 5020

[BLindsay]

friend of mine is trying to decide between the G10 and the kuro 5020, there seems to be a $500 ish difference, is it worth it?

[lojack1976]

The G10 gets great reviews and I've seen it. I must say that the THX mode disappointed me quite a bit. Over at AVSforum D-Nice gives info on how to calibrate the G10. To get it looking as good as possible you need to go into the service menu which doesn't exactly sit well with me since it could void your warranty. There's also the possibility of screwing something up in there if you're not careful. With all of that said, I think the G10 is a very good set, but it's not quite there yet. The Kuro 5020FD not only has much more accurate colors, but of course the blacks are still deeper. I went back and forth with these sets, and since I decided not to save up for the 60" Kuro I originally planned to get I ended up going a totally different route.

I'd advise anyone who is looking at the 5020FD to look at the 2008 Hitachi line that will also be going extinct this year. They have three 50" models, the P50S602, P50V702, and the P50X902, and all three have the same deep black level with their latest technology. On top of that Hitachi has way better color accuracy than Panasonic, and their sets are getting cleared out for a fraction of the original cost. I was lucky to jump on the P50V702 which originally retailed for $2500 for just $1200 shipped. TigerDirect is now sold out of them, but they are still offering the P50S602 for the same price shipped. Its still the same picture quality as the other two, but without the powered swivel stand and some of the menu adjustments.

If you've never seen one of these sets you can probably find the P50X902 set up in a Best Buy Magnolia Room which is where I found one. Surrounded by last year's Panny's and a Kuro Elite the Hitachi was easily better than the Panny 800u and the 850u, and even though I didn't see it beside the G10 I can comfortably say it was better than that set too which is why I went the Hitachi route myself. The black level was barely shy of the Elite and the color accuracy was nearly identical. It even had the shadow detail of the Panny's.

I saw the G10 and yeah the blacks are better than last year's models, but it obviously wasn't as close as the Hitachi was to the Kuro. Then there's still the issue with color accuracy or the lack of with the G10. I can sit here and tell you how close the Hitachi is to the Kuro, but seeing is believing so go check one out if you can. I would say get the Kuro if you are willing to spend the $2000 because there's nothing better, but look for an Hitachi that's getting cleared out for a good price if you can find it...that is if you are interested in saving some money and getting an excellent set that I would say comes closer to the Kuro than the G10. Oh yeah, and the Hitachi doesn't have the flicker problem with 24p like Panasonic set do either. Nor does the Kuro for that matter.

[sandman6662]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

friend of mine is trying to decide between the G10 and the kuro 5020, there seems to be a $500 ish difference, is it worth it?

The G10 is on sale at Best Buy for $1519.00 right now . I bought the S1 last Sat, and just took it back and exchanged it for the G10 and the difference in cost was $21.60.. man what a deal , and I was going to spend $300.00 yesterday to change it, Glad I waited,,,, this TV has a picture to die for , I in heaven right now,

[wafi]

Originally Posted by lojack1976

The G10 gets great reviews and I've seen it. I must say that the THX mode disappointed me quite a bit. Over at AVSforum D-Nice gives info on how to calibrate the G10. To get it looking as good as possible you need to go into the service menu which doesn't exactly sit well with me since it could void your warranty. There's also the possibility of screwing something up in there if you're not careful. With all of that said, I think the G10 is a very good set, but it's not quite there yet. The Kuro 5020FD not only has much more accurate colors, but of course the blacks are still deeper. I went back and forth with these sets, and since I decided not to save up for the 60" Kuro I originally planned to get I ended up going a totally different route.

I'd advise anyone who is looking at the 5020FD to look at the 2008 Hitachi line that will also be going extinct this year. They have three 50" models, the P50S602, P50V702, and the P50X902, and all three have the same deep black level with their latest technology. On top of that Hitachi has way better color accuracy than Panasonic, and their sets are getting cleared out for a fraction of the original cost. I was lucky to jump on the P50V702 which originally retailed for $2500 for just $1200 shipped. TigerDirect is now sold out of them, but they are still offering the P50S602 for the same price shipped. Its still the same picture quality as the other two, but without the powered swivel stand and some of the menu adjustments.

If you've never seen one of these sets you can probably find the P50X902 set up in a Best Buy Magnolia Room which is where I found one. Surrounded by last year's Panny's and a Kuro Elite the Hitachi was easily better than the Panny 800u and the 850u, and even though I didn't see it beside the G10 I can comfortably say it was better than that set too which is why I went the Hitachi route myself. The black level was barely shy of the Elite and the color accuracy was nearly identical. It even had the shadow detail of the Panny's.

I saw the G10 and yeah the blacks are better than last year's models, but it obviously wasn't as close as the Hitachi was to the Kuro. Then there's still the issue with color accuracy or the lack of with the G10. I can sit here and tell you how close the Hitachi is to the Kuro, but seeing is believing so go check one out if you can. I would say get the Kuro if you are willing to spend the $2000 because there's nothing better, but look for an Hitachi that's getting cleared out for a good price if you can find it...that is if you are interested in saving some money and getting an excellent set that I would say comes closer to the Kuro than the G10. Oh yeah, and the Hitachi doesn't have the flicker problem with 24p like Panasonic set do either. Nor does the Kuro for that matter.

Not in the market for another panel but I really wanna see the Hita at work from what you have said, to refer it to some of my friends. Its really that good huh?

[HDTV1080P]

Pioneer is the best but the Hitachi is an excellent display for the money like lojack1976 mentioned. Here is a review of the top of the line Hitachi P50X902 if anyone is interested. The Hitachi P50X902,P50V702, and P50S602 also displays 1080p/24 signals correctly at 48HZ. It's too bad both Pioneer and Hitachi are no longer making plasmas.


Quotes from Sound and Vision review.
"The Hitachi’s Cinema 48 film mode — which performs 2:2 pulldown on 1080p/24-frame signals coming from a Blu-ray player and displays them at a 48-Hz refresh rate — did a great job of smoothing judder in a difficult pan-and-zoom sequence from Fool’s Gold."

"BOTTOM LINE
While its $3,695 list price is a little high, Hitachi’s P50X902 represents a new level of performance and engineering prowess for the company. It can’t beat Pioneer’s plasmas (especially the ’08 models) at reproducing deep-black shadows, but most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Throw in the Hitachi’s superior, user-friendly menu system and remote control, plus the set’s cool aesthetics and swivel base, and you’ve got a TV worth taking a good look at."

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hdtvs/3019/hitachi-p50x902-50-inch-plasma-hdtv-performance-page2.html.


Click links below for more details

Hitachi P50X902 (48HZ Plasma)

Hitachi P50V702 (48HZ Plasma)

Hitachi P50S602 (48HZ Plasma)

[Sonny]

It's a shame Hitachi is also jumping ship... I had a really nice 55" Hitachi back in late 2007, I believe.

Between the g10 & 5020, I'd get the 5020 any day of the week & its worth every penny of the $2,000 price tag.

[Musashi]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

friend of mine is trying to decide between the G10 and the kuro 5020, there seems to be a $500 ish difference, is it worth it?

What will this new plasma be used for? Movies, games, TV?

[Mike7300]

what are the main differences between the Hitachi models?

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by wafi

Not in the market for another panel but I really wanna see the Hita at work from what you have said, to refer it to some of my friends. Its really that good huh?

Yes, these models are really that good. Remember how out of nowhere Pioneer dropped the 8Gens? It was a huge leap in technology for Pioneer. Well, Hitachi has done the same with their sets. For years they were weak on blacks, but offered great color accuracy and video processing. The new line of sets have what they call a black stripe filter and all of sudden they have excellent blacks. When I saw the set at Best Buy I was just shocked, because every Hitachi I've seen in the past was pretty weak with black levels. To see this set easily beat out last year's Panny's and be barely behind the 9Gen Pioneer in regards to black was just a total surprise to me. Like I said, if you can get one at the prices they've been going for online you should jump on it if you're in the market for a 50". If you can find a Best Buy Magnolia that has one check it out and I guarantee you'll come out just as surprised as I was.

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by Mike7300

what are the main differences between the Hitachi models?

The P50X902 is the top of the line set. It has the motorized swivel base and an assortment of picture adjustments. It also has a crystal bezel instead of glass. The P50V702 has the same features of the P50X902 but without the crystal bezel. The P50S602 lacks the motorized swivel base and the pro picture adjustments. Either of the sets are good choices according to reviews because they are already very accurate out of the box and they all offer the same black level. TigerDirect is still offering the P50S602 for $1200 shipped, but they are not offering the P50V702 at this time since its on back order. You can still get these sets for between $1400-$1600 if you look around online. The P50X902 runs around $1600-$1800 from what I've seen.

[Mike7300]

the 602 still comes with a base though right, it just doesnt move?

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by Mike7300

the 602 still comes with a base though right, it just doesnt move?

Yes, it comes with a swivel base, but its not motorized.

[HDTV1080P]

There are several minor other differences between the 3 Hitachi models that one can find by comparing the spec sheets. The P50S602 only has a daily 24 hour free on screen TV guide. The Hitachi P50V702 and P50X902 has a 7 day weekly free on screen TV guide. If one is using a cablebox or satellite receiver this is a non issue since they already have a on screen guide. The old 8th generation Pioneer Kuro line from 2007 had free onscreen TV guides that was dropped in 9th generation in order to cut cost. The Hitachi P50S602 lacks features like no black strip filter, no SD card slot, no IR-Output ports, and few other things to save on cost. The P50X902 is like Hitachi's Elite line and it comes with a 2 year warranty instead of the standard 1 year warranty.

Edit: The above comment about having no black stripe filter on the P50S602 was wrong, I should have said, The P50S602 has the "Ultra Contrast Black Stripe Filter" but lacks the better quality "Deep-Black Stripe Filter" found on the P50XD902 and P50V702 . The "Deep-Black Stripe Filter" has deeper blacks.

[OCI]

Kuro 151FD @$5,000 (or less) beats almost any Pany on the market. It is a shame they're killing it...Once Pioneer admitted they're not making any money, I guess that proves they cost more then they can sell 'em for.

Unfortunately I had a wife that fell in love with the ultra-thin Samsung LED-LCD. Mine comes on Friday. Should be good and the price was $2,000 less but I can't stop thinking about the one that got away...

[wafi]

Originally Posted by OCI

Kuro 151FD @$5,000 (or less) beats almost any Pany on the market. It is a shame they're killing it...Once Pioneer admitted they're not making any money, I guess that proves they cost more then they can sell 'em for.

Unfortunately I had a wife that fell in love with the ultra-thin Samsung LED-LCD. Mine comes on Friday. Should be good and the price was $2,000 less but I can't stop thinking about the one that got away...

Oh dude how could you? You listened to the wife when it came to TVs?!?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by wafi

Oh dude how could you? You listened to the wife when it came to TVs?!?

No kidding........................................... ...............................................:wh ip:

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

There are several minor other differences between the 3 Hitachi models that one can find by comparing the spec sheets. The P50S602 only has a daily 24 hour free on screen TV guide. The Hitachi P50V702 and P50X902 has a 7 day weekly free on screen TV guide. If one is using a cablebox or satellite receiver this is a non issue since they already have a on screen guide. The old 8th generation Pioneer Kuro line from 2007 had free onscreen TV guides that was dropped in 9th generation in order to cut cost. The Hitachi P50S602 lacks features like no black strip filter, no SD card slot, no IR-Output ports, and few other things to save on cost. The P50X902 is like Hitachi's Elite line and it comes with a 2 year warranty instead of the standard 1 year warranty.

Actually the P50S602 does have the black stripe feature, but its not the same one that the other two models have. Complete specs are HERE.

[Mike7300]

cool, they said there was only one left at compusa/tigermart, so i took it

[lojack1976]

Originally Posted by Mike7300

cool, they said there was only one left at compusa/tigermart, so i took it

Congratulations! Post some pics when you get it all setup.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by lojack1976

Actually the P50S602 does have the black stripe feature, but its not the same one that the other two models have. Complete specs are HERE.

Your correct, the P50S602 has the "Ultra High Contrast Black Stripe filter" . The advantage of the P50V702 and P50XD902 is they have the better blacks since they use the "Deep-Black Stripe Filter". The remote is better on the P50X902. I still pefer the Pioneer Kuro line since they have a better picture but for the low clearance prices on the Hitachi plasmas they are a bargain.