PY850
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By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
May 26, 2008 The Panasonic's latest G11 plasma TVs are finally shipping. These include the highly anticipated 2007 Editors' Choice successor, the TH-50PY800, slated for June earliest across Asia. Like most of its Japanese compatriots, the emphasis is still very much skewed toward picture quality--which is what really matters. That said, does this full-HD Viera have the dexterity to outshine the new 2008 entries? Here's our no-nonsense 5-minute quick take.
Upside: The most significant enhancement brought about by its
G11 plasma panels and associated V-real Pro 3 engines is the TV's contrast. We're talking about an impressive 100-fold leap from a factor of 10,000:1 to 1,000,000:1 dynamic performance. What's even better, the new Viera now boosts a brilliant 30,000:1 native contrast which theoretically puts it in a different league to the
Pioneer Kuros, renowned for their deep blacks and stunning color saturations. While the ultra-high spec is enticing, it's worth noting that this could be a norm for all new plasmas, including the Samsungs.
Coincidentally, the Vieras have also officially gone 1080p24-ready just like their Korean rivals. The 24 frame-per-second video signal corresponds to the native movie format,
enabling smooth judder-free playback from compatible Blu-ray players. Other motion-oriented tricks include the 480Hz Sub-field Drive and 24p Real Cinema video-processing. The latter is designed to generate unique intermittent picture frames to further minimize jerky images. According to Panasonic, they collectively restore HD motion from a low 300 to a near-original quality of 900-line details.
To reinforce color reproduction, there is also added x.v.Color support which exceeds the HDTV standard. Some of you may argue that the relevant movie software is almost non-existent, though there're already increased tractions in adoption with new HD camcorders carrying such capability. Lastly, we have a rather unique implementation of BBE's ViVA hi-def 3D software processing. Probably a first in Asia, this complements the onboard 160 x 42mm stereo speakers and promises to deliver musically accurate yet enveloping soundstage--a tall order according to our experience.
Downside: We are sure Panasonic's renewed drive for better visuals will strengthen its overall market share in the plasma TV category. Having said that, aesthetics is taking on an increasingly prominent role for the fashion-conscious urbanites. In this respect, the TH-50PY800 may not be the prettiest set available, especially if you pit it side-by-side with Samsung's "Crystal Design" Series 6 models. In addition, an extra HDMI would have been a lovely touch to differentiate the series from its lower-end PV80 counterpart, a void filled by the PY850 with four HDMIs and AVCHD video playback.
Outlook: From flagship to second-tier 1080p plasmas, the TH-50PY800 has been superseded by the PY850 which enables Panasonic to expand its full-HD lineup. Having said that, the differences between the two models are almost superficial, meaning you're not losing out much at all. Although we have yet to receive any pricing details, it may not be unrealistic to expect a good bargain. After all, nobody is going to pay a huge premium for a mid- to high-end product.
Best HDTVs overall1.
Panasonic TH-50PZ800U PLASMA
2. Pioneer PDP-5020FD PLASMA
3.
Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U PLASMA
4. Samsung HL61A750 RPTV
5. Samsung LN52A650 LCD
6. Sony KDL-46XBR4 LCD
7. Panasonic TH-58PZ700U PLASMA
8. Samsung LN-T4681F LCD
9. Samsung PN50A550 PLASMA
10. Samsung FP-T5084 PLASMA
11. Panasonic TH-46PZ85U PLASMA
12. Samsung LN46A750 LCD
13. LG 50PG60 PLASMA
14. Samsung LN-T4671F LCD
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-hdtvs-overall/
