Review of Panasonic's VX300 studio reference monitor

[Robert Zohn]

Here's our initial comments on the VX300 after Ed Johnson just spent many hours calibrating and evaluating with Wendy and myself. We compared the VX300 against the VT30, PN59D8000 and Elite 60"

First, I want everyone to know that everything was good, nothing bad to report at this time. Tomorrow Kevin Miller is stopping by and Saturday evening D-Nice is flying in to do his evaluation and I may have him calibrate and save his calibration in a separate memory. So stay tuned for more professional comments.

The monitor calibrated beautifully gamma set at 2.35 perfectly flat from 10 to 60 IRE with very small bumps above 70 IRE, but the Delta E was below 1.5 and the gray scale was also excellent with a Delta E of less than 1.5. Kelvin was easily set to 6520 K

The image quality was simply stunning and in comparison to the very best TVs on the shoot-out wall the VX300 looked the best. It has a more natural look, closer to reality, better color accuracy than even Samsung's PN59D8000, which BTW won for the best color accuracy in our recent shoot-out. Skin tones for black, Asian and Caucasians was dead on perfect. They have a pure life like accuracy.

The image is more finely detailed that makes the picture look life like and for lack of a better term it actually looks sharper, but with no noise whatsoever. Which brings me to the built-in processing, which must be one of the factors in delivering the exceptional reference quality picture.

The MLL is .004 with a 1% pattern. We could not measure the IRE with a zero IRE signal as the panel shuts off like the LED TVs do. With a zero signal feed the VX300 measures .000

This display has a lot of possibilities as you can see from our early evaluation, plus the endless special settings that only a studio reference monitor would have. For example in the "Advanced Setting" you can select the following color spaces:

1. Rec 709, (which of course, we calibrated to)

2. Digital Cinema, (I think Hollywood authors to Digital Cinema)

3. EBU, (European Broadcast Union)

4. SMPTE C, (For SD material Rec 601)

5. And finally Custom (so you can invent your own color space)

3D is awesome and we did not have time to calibrate the 3D mode tonight, but I did pop in Avatar. The depth, color, and what looked like zero cross talk made this epic stereoscopic experience fun to watch again.

All in all a beautiful display for the most discerning enthusiasts.

More to come over the next few days.

-Robert

[ManUtd]

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to more feedback from the pros. BTW, what is the MSRP for the 65"?

[Robert Zohn]

$6250, ISF Day/Night/3D calibrated in all HDMI inputs.

I'll post Kevin Miller's and D-Nice's comments this weekend.

-Robert

[exbagboy]

I assume the black levels are better than the 65VT30? I know you couldn't measure the 0 signal. How does the contrast compare to the KRP-500M or Sharp Elite?

[Gempulse]

The black levels, according to Roberts post, are about the same level as the VT30.

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

The MLL is .004 with a 1% pattern. We could not measure the IRE with a zero IRE signal as the panel shuts off like the LED TVs do. With a zero signal feed the VX300 measures .000

MLL = Minimum Luminance Level, which is the technical way of saying black level.

I believe D-Nice said that the lowest MLL that he measured on a VT30 is about .0036(more or less), but on average the VT30's MLL is closer to .004.

The Sharp Elite was measured at .0005 at the shoot-out if I remember correctly, which would put the Sharp Elite still in first place for 2011, but still in a tie with the 9g Kuros for "king of blacks".

[Sonny]

Very cool, can't wait to see more on this display.

[exbagboy]

I know the VT30 is around 0.004 ft/l. The VX300 measured 0.004 for 1% pattern not 0%. A black 0% pattern area with some content on screen will show the true blacks of this TV without the panel shutting off. We'll find out soon enough. Price is lower than expected, could be a good alternative to the Sharp Elite. I was looking for a bigger version to upgrade my KRP-500m, can't find any new KRP-600m.

Thanks for the input.

[scweb13]

Originally Posted by Gempulse

The black levels, according to Roberts post, are about the same level as the VT30.



MLL = Minimum Luminance Level, which is the technical way of saying black level.

I believe D-Nice said that the lowest MLL that he measured on a VT30 is about .0036(more or less), but on average the VT30's MLL is closer to .004.

The Sharp Elite was measured at .0005 at the shoot-out if I remember correctly, which would put the Sharp Elite still in first place for 2011, but still in a tie with the 9g Kuros for "king of blacks".

Not all 2g Kuros (9g Pioneers ), just the 101's and 500m's. The rest of the 2g Kuros where still at a very respectable .001fl.

[lghaze42]

If Samsung is so good why has it not produced a panel that has THX certification?

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by lghaze42

If Samsung is so good why has it not produced a panel that has THX certification?

Probably why the Pioneer Kuro panels sucked so bad.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by lghaze42

If Samsung is so good why has it not produced a panel that has THX certification?

Maybe because they refused to "pay" for this pretty-much useless endorsement?

[Gempulse]

Originally Posted by ricshoe

maybe because they refused to "pay" for this pretty-much useless endorsement?

+1

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by lghaze42

If Samsung is so good why has it not produced a panel that has THX certification?

What's the point, all it will do is raise the price.


Believe me the THX logo/certification does not "make" the display.


Pioneer Kuro....? (as mentioned by doby)