Panasonic Viera TC-P50S30 vs. TC-P50ST30

[CLHatch]

Originally Posted by jaydee77ca

Hi,

Has anyone noticed the fluctuating brightness issue on the ST30? I'm looking at either the S30 or the ST30 and am not sure if the ST30 is worth the extra $200. I have read CNET articles that say that there is a fluctuating brightness issue on some Panasonics. CNET says it's better in 2011 models but other users are saying that the 2011 models built before August 2011 still have issues. They claim that Panasonic US technicians have to replace boards in their units to fix the issue. I've also seen that Panasonic Canada is not doing anything about the issue as they claim it's a "feature".

I'm not sure what to believe? Thoughts?

Thanks!

According to a review I read on Amazon, the fluctuating brightness was fixed in August, 2011. If you have a TV made before then, it would need a firmware update. Apparently it did need a board replacement for some reason, they couldn't just flash the firmware from SD. I plan on buying the P50ST30 myself, and will be looking at the manufacture date to be sure it was made in August or later to avoid the issue.