(B&M) Panasonic Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54 (50-inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma) - $499 + 2 yr warranty @ COSTCO
 

Panasonic 50" Class 1080p PDP 600Hz Sub-field Drive VIERA® Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54


$549.99 after $150 OFF ($150 manufacturer’s discount is valid 11/18/12 - 11/26/12. While supplies last)
$549.99 - $50 Black Friday Ad = $499.99
Item # 950054

Resolution: 1080p
Wide Viewing Angle
600HZ Sub-field Drive
Power Saving Functions
Intelligent Auto Standby
Viera link

Link [costco.com]

Panasonic Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54 (50-inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma) - $499 + 2 yr warranty @ COSTCO
 

Deal is B&M only!

This TV is the Costco version of the TC-P50U50.

Panasonic Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54 (50-inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma) - $499 + 2 yr warranty @ COSTCO
Panasonic 50" Class 1080p PDP 600Hz Sub-field Drive VIERA® Plasma HDTV TC-50PU54


$549.99 after $150 OFF ($150 manufacturer’s discount is valid 11/18/12 - 11/26/12. While supplies last)
$549.99 - $50 Black Friday Ad = $499.99
Item # 950054

The math will be $700 x (tax rate = sales tax) then add that price to $500 + computed sales tax = Total price out the door

example of CA price: $61.25 (tax) + $10 (Monitor/LCD/LED TAX) + 500 (cost of tv) = $571.25 (approx) out the door price



Resolution: 1080p
Wide Viewing Angle
600HZ Sub-field Drive
Power Saving Functions
Intelligent Auto Standby
Viera link

http://www.costco.com/.product.950054.html

Store's tag.

Awesome Deal! I would buy this just for the warranty.
Been waiting for this. WOOT!

Good deal, too bad I am not a Costco member.

How do you select pick-up in store?

Does anyone know how bright this TV gets?

If you buy a TV with Discover, AE, and many credit cards, you will get the 2nd year warranty for free anyway. I am not sure if you can get the third year on this deal if you pay with AE.

What exactly is the Black Friday ad? I can't seem to find this.

what's the true refresh rate on this? only care for 3:3 or 5:5 24p playback.

Can you provide more information regarding in-store pickup and the Black Friday ad?

they have flyer in store and their black friday started on 11/18. I remember seeing the flyer when i was there last week. Try costco.com for info on tv proably their but price is different

Yeah I'll thumbs down this until the add is up or a code is given.

It is 499$ in store already. I saw it yesterday

Use AX if you have it and the card has the benefit. They will give you an additional year on top of the 2nd year. Master Card's extended warranty version requires you to get a written price quote on how much it would clost to fix it. Just try to find someone who will do that for a TV....

Fantastic deal. Here is CNET's review [cnet.com] of the non-Costco version.

Can you buy online if you are a non member? Any slick deals on Costco membership?

The BF ad is active in-store. As far as I know, BF isn't active on the website. Basically, if you want it for $499, go to the store (mine has it for that now. Saw it yesterday) or pay more on the website.

Good price

is the 499.99 price already valid? if it is we need a tv for thanksgiving...

Thanks op! we were able to pick up 2 sets in queens, NY.

Thank you! I tried online and they want $100 shipping anyways I will have to go to the store anyways.

You can walk in with a member, have them scan their membership card, and pay with your debit or Amex. Around the suburbs of Chicago, I bet 50% of the people I know are members. Otherwise, I am pretty sure Costco will cancel your membership no questions asked if you tell them you are not happy. Join, buy, cancel. Kind of crappy, but you can do it.

IN store price, Greater Boston, $500 now.

Bought one to try side by side with a dissapointing JVC we bought there last month for the same price.

Square warranty seemed like a no brainer as well.

Do the U54 Costco versions still leave off the anti-reflective coating on the glass?

AMEX will add on an extra year of warranty, making it three total years from Costco.

Plasma doesn't use the same refresh technique as LCD. A single plasma pixel can refresh in a single microsecond.
The 600Hz Sub drive is how fast panasonic's image processing looks at each frame of video. Technically... 25 frames for every 1/24 second would get processed by the sub drive. 600/24 = 25, So i guess it would be 25:25 if someone was counting. Luckily, most of that is marketing jargon.

The VT & GT line have a genuine 60 & 96 Hz panel mode to remove flicker on a 24 frame source. This would be known as 4:4. The rest of the lines have 60Hz & 48Hz listed. So the exact answer you're asking for is 2:2. The frame interpolation SHOULD take care of the rest. I have a VT25, and the 96/24Hz refresh looks amazing. The lower end 48Hz mode panels aren't quite so lucky. You would need to look into the ST, VT, or GT lines to get either 96Hz(VT or GT), or the new 48Hz(ST50) panel that fixes the flickering issues.

TLDR: This panel doesn't have a great 48Hz panel, you need to step up into the GT, VT, or ST50 Panel to get a good solid 2:2, or 4:4 mode. It would be fine for the average consumer, If you're extremely picky with your 24Hz sources, keep looking.


Hope that answers your question.

I am a noob. Why is this a good deal when you can get 50" 1080P LED for $300 on BF?

Nop, neither the costco version or non-costco version has anti-reflective coating. If you have a lot of light going into ur living room u better get another pana with anti-reflective coating, of get some blinds =D I have a old pana without anti-reflective, and next to it I have three huge sliding glass doors (I don't get direct sun light though) and it works fine.:D

link?...woot: sounds good to me "50 for $300. but brand and model can make a big different.

I need one for Thanksgiving gathering...

Also, this $300 1080P Led for $300 on BF... I am interested in this and will definitely buy at least 1 if I don't need to wait in line, it is a decent brand like a panasonic or samsung. please give details thanks.

Repped, thanks man!

96Hz playback of 24p material would be 4:4, no? but thanks for answering my question. i'm going to be comparing this to the LG 50" at dell...

If I remember it right the 50 for $300 was in Sears black friday Ad. It was Toshiba if I remember correctly.

Yes, 4:4 is 96Hz.

Edit. I'm not sure which LG you're talking about? The only BF deal i see is a 5 series Samsung.

A $300 TV has absolutely terrible color, poor/milky blacks, awful backlight uniformity, and it'll probably shoot craps in 18 months. IMHO People often mistake a cheap price with a good value. A $300 dollar TV is cheap,but not nessecarily a good value. I, for one am willing to spend a little bit more on a quality TV, knowing I am enjoying a crisper, more accurate, less distracting image. Not to mention, it has a far better chance of lasting a long, long time.

Short example: I spent $2000 on a closeout Pioneer Elite Plasma in 2006.
My buddy bought a 42" Olivia LCD the same year for 600 bucks. It died in 2007. He then purchased a 50 inch Akai Plasma for $1000, that lasted almost 2 years. He finally ponied up the cash for a closeout Sony 52XBR6 in 2009 for $1800. That TV has been flawless for over 3 years. His running total: $3200. Cheap =\= Value.

add about $50 in tax making it $550, not so good deal.

While I might agree with you in general, the Toshiba 50L2200U actually does pretty decent, so I wouldn't rag on it too much. Consumer reports gave it a better than average score on picture quality.

TelevisionInfo review was favorable also.
http://www.televisioninfo.com/con...Review.htm

While they dont' state the exact panel refresh like Panasonic does, i'm guessing it 72Hz.

24p Real Cinema (3:3 Pulldown)

It's pretty hard to find good solid information with so much marketing crap thrown at you. The only way to be sure is probably call LG directly, and ask what the panel refresh is.

I absolutely agree. If you're lucky enough to get one, a brand name TV is better than the no name garbage floating around.

Man I can't believe this tv keeps dropping. To think I was moments away from buying it for 600 just last week.

AVS forums confirms the 3:3 pulldown. tough call between this and that LG. i was in the market for a 46" LED/LCD, but now i'm thinking 50" 1080p plasma.

BB wouldnt pricematch my TC-P50U50 for this price even though they are the same TV just different #s for Warehouse vs. Retail. BB said has to be same #. Unfortunately I already bought mine for $599 last week. Please post if u see the TC-P50U50 for less than $599.

gloss or matte finish on the screen? anyone know?

Threaten to return it. Speak with a manager. From all my years in retail, i never walked a deal over 100 bucks. Ask about in store credit instead, you might get more traction that way. Worst case, try a different store, different managers will handle your issue differently.

Thanks a lot OP, going to try and get this afterwork. My costco cash card from DirecTV has been buring a whole in my wallet. lol

Void!

It's about halfway. It IS glass, but not fully reflective. If you're dealing with a large amount of ambient light, you will still see reflections. This set is also not particularly bright. Nighttime viewing, or indirect sunlight is preferred.

Agreed, though, if you plan on wanting full 24p Sources with no 3:2, the LG is really your only choice. You could wait and see if the Panasonic GT50/ST50 drops at all in the next couple weeks, with the upgraded Pro panels, the image is amazing.

My $1299 on sale Sony died just weeks after the American Express third year warranty expired. LCD panel failure - not uncommon for the 46"

So price doesn't necessarily mean quality!

Is this [blackfriday.com] the 50" for $300 everyone is talking about? Note this is a "doorbuster" item so grabbing one is far from guaranteed.

Electronics are electronics. They break, even the good stuff. Just less often.

Yep, it's a good deal, for sure.

If the image in the Wiki is correct and the deal is through a $200 manufacturer's rebate, you'll be paying sales tax on the full $700, even though you'll pay $500 at checkout. This is the way manufacturer rebates at Costco work here in Washington state anyway.

The math will be $700 x tax rate = sales tax. Then $500 + computed sales tax = Total price out the door.

So how do you order with in-store pickup and get the 500 price?

I don't think you have to be a member to order it online. Although you might have to pay $549. Still a deal considering you get a 2 yr warranty as compared to Sam's club.

You can't. In-store only for this price.

Confirmed, if you zoom into the image you can see the text "Sales Tax on the pre-rebate price" at the bottom right. I also noticed this in-store.

For those who care, note that this only has 2 HDMI inputs. I run everything through my stereo recevier, so to me this does not matter.

From the Order Information page [costco.com]:

"Why was I charged a Non-Member Surcharge at checkout?

Costco members need to enter their membership number during the registration process in the My Account section. Non-members will be charged a 5% surcharge over the member's posted product prices (except for prescription drugs). If you are not a member, we encourage you to join: Membership information.

If you are a member, please click on My Account to enter your membership number and update your account information prior to completing your purchase. The 5% surcharge will be removed if your account is updated prior to order completion.

If you are not yet a member, you will have the opportunity to add a membership to your shopping cart at the checkout page. The 5% surcharge will be removed if a membership is added prior to order completion."

This looks like a great deal. Going to Costco tonight! Thanks OP

U Series has a great picture. I've seen this one in Costco, and I think it actually looks better then TV's they have it next to at 2x the price

From a review on the Panasonic site: "Once I learned about disabling C.A.T.S. I breathed a bit easier...could not figure out why the picture kept dimming....Great TV!"

What's CATS, and what are the optimal settings?

CNET's settings [cnet.com]

Just found what it takes to answer my own question:


C.A.T.S. [Contrast Automatic Tracking System]
This detects the brightness of the room and automatically adjusts screen brightness accordingly. When the room darkens, it lowers the screen brightness and adjusts the image quality for easier viewing while suppressing power consumption


Delving deeper, I see this on Costco's site ( http://www.costco.com/Panasonic-5...59191.html )

Networking:

• Takes You to a New World - VIERA Connect: VIERA Connect is an internet service for TVs based on the use of cloud servers. It brings you video-on-demand (VOD), catch-up TV, games, educational content, and lots more, through a wide range of apps. It's a great way to relax in your living room with family and friends.

Is this set internet friendly?

Does anyone know if it is possible to view Netflix on this via a WiFi connection?

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1294057...s-override

It's a dynamic contrast power saving setting panasonic uses to reduce energy consumption on some of their sets. Bright scenes get more juice, dark scenes get less. Scenes with mixed brighness tend to flicker, or "float" due the set's indecision on how much power to give. Turning the setting off basically locks the contrast setting in one place. This is rumored to have been fixed in 2012 sets. I can't confirm either way.

Edit. Not a Smart TV. No netflix, no apps. Had to dig to find that.

CAn you explain how that works? I don't see it shown anywhere. Thx.

You walked in the store :)

Yes it is. Get one of the 100 blu ray wifi players or roku players for $40 :)

You will need to search AVS forum to get to the service menu for that model (or close). I will also say, poking around in a service menu is messy. If you don't follow the exact directions, you can really screw your settings up. I have a VT set, so i never had to adjust those settings, Asking the AVS forum people is probably a better idea.

Step 1 First you click the Link as OP had in his post. There you see the item.
Step 2 Go to Costco and you will see the item also where you can buy it.
Step 3 Buy the item normally with a credit card or a GC or even cash!
Step 4 Go to my house and open the box and test it out.
Step 5 Don't quit your day job :)

Just saw this in-store. Better than BF deals? I'm not in a huge hurry but my crappy Vizio crapped out.

Do any Panny Plasmas have matte/non-glossy screens?

I will only hope you never log in to SD again. Until after Christmas, Unless given feedback that you were helpful in anyway via code or Facebook.

If you're used to having an LED on VIVID setting, this TV will seem extremely dim. Especially if you see them directly next to each other.

In a home setting with it all by itself, it will be fine. However, I still prefer the picture of my LCD better for regular TV watching.

Just make sure you can control the lighting in your room if you get a plasma. The glare will probably annoy you if it's in a bright living room.

I don't think any plasma has a matte screen. The way plasmas works if that their screens are made of glass.

With that said, yes, Panny does make a non-glossy screen. It starts with the ST series, which is $1100 for the same size in a retail store.

You guys ask for too much in a name brand, bottom dollar TV, with a huge screen.

Built-in wireless? Are you serious?

I bought this set last week, previous TV is a 2 year old LG LED. The Panasonic has a fantastic picture in darker scenes, but everything that has lots of bright colors in it (e.g., commercials that end with a white background, cartoons, etc.) look very washed out. I'm returning it and already ordered the Panasonic 55" LED on the BestBuy early access event.

Hope this answers your question.

How does this compare to the lg pa5500 from the dell thread?

OP please add "B&M" to the title to avoid confusion. Also remove the "Free In-store pickup" text from the OP as Costco does not have an "order online and pick up in-store" option.

B&M only. The OP isn't clear.

Exactly, that's all I was saying the OP wasn't clear. Wyndhamscams hope you have a great day.

The OP hasn't responded so I added the info to the Wiki.

Are you referring to the GT/ST as the "pro panels"? Or, are you referring to pro/commercial panels not previously discussed here in this thread (i.e., usually with no tuner nor speakers built in)? I just checked AVS and also one of their sponsors which used to sell a bunch of commercial panels and I couldn't find any.

Man, I remember a few years back when that was all the rage on AVS. Buying commercial plasmas. A few of their sponsors always had the best deals by far (PlasmaConcepts, VisualApex, Cleveland Plasma, etc). There was little point in shopping anywhere else, such as B&M stores and even most other more familiar online sellers. Now that commercial/industrial panel well has seemed to run dry and the only deals left are for standard consumer grade plasma displays. I miss the super sleek and minimalist styling of those commercial/industrial plasma panels. :( I can especially do without the gaudy shiny black plastic bezels of most consumer models.

if you want the squaretrade warranty for this do you buy the "less than $500"

60"??

Nah, just the Infinite Black Pro panel. It's marketing junk, but it's Kuro Based. It's the next best thing we can get aside from the ole Elites. I also used to buy the pro panels. My god, they were so much better than the old cheapie panny panels.

The VT has the infinite black pro 2, and the GT and ST use the Infinite Black 2 panel (as i can recall). Either way, they're a major step up from the standard 15th Plasma panel from panasonic.

im not sure weather to get this Panasonic 50 inch plasma deal or get the Samsung PN51E530 51-inch 1080p Plasma for $569...anyone have any recommendations?

Panasonic does blacks and color better, but it doesn't go incredibly bright. If you have good control over the light in your room, i'd go with the Panasonic. If you have a lot of ambient light, the Samsung will get quite a bit brigher to overcome that light.

Purchased the TV at Costco and the Squartrade 3-year warranty, for "under $500" was $29.99. Good deal if you have a habit of keeping TVs for longer than a few years. :D

First impression is that glare's gonna be a big problem.

Bought the $500 Costco 47" JVC a few weeks ago and the sound on that set wins, hands down.

The Panny's picture is softer, and lacks the fine details seen on the JVC. By itself, the subdued Panny picture is darned nice, but side by side with the JVC it's a hard call. The JVC can be harsh with the bright whites but it's nice to have the fine details, both are lacking on the Panny.

The mask on the small format pictures on the JVC is solid black, on the Panny it's gray on the sides which is distracting.

Tough call. It's all Costco's fault for having such a liberal return policy! I didn't like the dark darks, but it's the same on both sets. Interestingly, a small old CRT shows picture detail in what's a dark spot on the newer sets.

Will do.

thanks i'm leaning towards the Samsung.. $69 for 1 more inch and more brightness and i kinda personally like the trim a little better when comparing the two at Costco. im gunna sleep on it and think about it tonight...but ill be picking up one of them tomorrow morning.

Really a nice deal. Thanks OP!

If you're missing very fine details, it's most likely incorrectly calibrated. Sharpness, and Contrast are probably set through the roof, or the set is on vivid mode. If flesh tones look inaccurate (think realistic, not eye popping), the settings are out of whack. LCDs are pretty notorious for being eye popping. That's how they sell them. Those showroom modes have a nasty tendancy to eat up all texture detail in the image. LCD just doesn't suffer as bad on nuke mode. The Gray bars on the edge of the panasonic are also a dead giveaway it's set wrong. Plasma is far more capable of deep black than most LCD sets on the market. Properly set up of course.

Edit: LCD and Plasma have very different picture characteristics. Neither is correct, or incorrect. The trained eye usually gravitates to plasma's richer, more accurate color & black levels. Once again, neither is right, or wrong. A properly set up Plasma, or LCD set will look strikingly similar, most people just never take the time, or money to set one up correctly. If you take this 500 dollar panasonic plasma, spend 200 bucks to get it calibrated, it'll come damned clsoe to the GT or VT series out of the box.

I saw the price $499 in costco. I didn't see any mention of this price being the final price for BF. Can we expect the price to drop on BF weekend? I am hoping :)

Good question, was also wondering about this.

Update: Answered here.

CNET's review [cnet.com] of a similar model Samsung. Note the subtle differences here [cnet.com]. The main point is:

"Based on our reviews of both the PNE550 and the PNE450, we expect the picture quality of the PNE530 to be basically the same as the PNE550."

Thanks, though the "Free In-store pickup" is still in the OP.

It's important to remind people that the TVs Costco sells come with a 2 Year manufacturer warranty (they're usually 1 year everywhere else), that's an added bonus just for buying it at Costco. When you buy one of those Squaretrade 3 year warranties (which run $30-$100 depending on the cost of the TV), it actually extends your warranty protection to 5 YEARS TOTAL (2 plus 3 more, this is often misunderstood). I'm normally not a big fan of extended warranties but Costco's prices are actually reasonable for what you get in return.

thanks its making me lean towards getting the Samsung at costco for the extra $69 @ $569

1 inch bigger, slightly better coloring in lighted room and i like the skinnier outter trim better on the Samsung heres the link those interested i posted it

Good info, thanks. I am also generally not a fan of warranties but this is definitely an exception.

Thank you. Appreciate your help, bud. Have a good thanksgiving.

Np, thanks, you too!!

I can agree with this. You get what you pay for. I'd stick to brands like Panasonic, Sony, lg, Samsung and sharp. There's a good chance these TVA will last years longer while having a better picture quality. I too got burnt from buying a no name brand fhat died on me after only 4 years.

I've experienced a few Panasonic plasma TVs develop problems in that time span so nothing is guaranteed.

This tv looked horrible in person at the store.The glare was really bad compared to the LED LCD's. I decided not to get it based on that.The TV was going to be an Xmas gift but I couldn't in good conscience get a TV that would look bad in someones house.

You really need to take into consideration the room the set is going to be viewed in. Is glare actually an issue in THAT room? Also, I can't harp on it enough. LCD Based sets (LED and CCFL) always look insanely bright in the showroom. I don't want to get skin cancer watching TV, and always recommend buyers adjust the set back down to humane levels. Unless your dealer takes the time to adjust the sets, buying a TV based on what you see in the showroom is no different than viewing it sight-unseen on the interwebz.

I stated it before, Electronics are electronics. Good stuff breaks too. Just less often. Personally, i'd roll the dice with better odds from the start.

FWIW... Panasonic's comparison between the stock and club models: Panasonic.com [panasonic.com]

So the only difference I can see is game mode.

Will Sam's Club pricematch this TV?

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/50-p...ic%20viera

Just picked up this TV from Costco. love the size of this thing.

I did notice a slight issue, maybe someone could help me determine if it s problem or a setting issue. I see three horizontal "fuzzy" lines across the top half of the screen its not noticeable until you get a little closer. Is this one a dud ?

Just bit on this one for $548 out the door. Figured it was better than waiting in line plus it was the last one.

Costco warranty makes it worth the price alone.

This is NOT true. SQ warranties start the day of purchase.

SQ warranty terms:
http://squaretrade.force.com/supp...s-warranty

Panny plasmas have 3% breakdowns in the first 3 years and probably well over half of those are in the warranty period since most problems are in the first 90 days or so. It doesn't make much sense to buy an extended warranty on something that reliable.

That's what I thought but it's actually stated pretty clearly on the product page that you will get 5 years of warranty which is pretty cool.

Does it occur with every source (Blu-ray, DVD, cable, etc.)?

I have not tried any other sources yet ( no time, w/ the kids, etc).

Only have tried a component video source. Going to hook up my Tivo via HDMI tommorow and see if that changes things. Oddly enough, I noticed this right off the bat on the setup menu when I first turned it on.

Trying to decide between this and the LG 50PA6500. I think the LG will come out about $30 cheaper. Anything that makes one stand out or are they both basically the same quality?

Panasonic plasmas are much better than LG plasmas. At only $30 difference the LG shouldn't even be an option.

this was my issue too... i'm deciding on whether to purchase the panny or the LG... what are the defining factors in which the panny > LG plasmas? Or is it just reliability?

not trued any more as of the 2012 models. THe downside to the 2011 and before LG's is that the black levels used to be greyish. But now as of 2012 LG is without a doubt a good option. Let me educate u a lil... LG acquired patents on the legendary Pioneer Kuro plasmas (the absolute best plasmas ever made as far as colors and black levels) from 4-5 years ago when pioneer decided to drop out of the plasma biz. Because of this as of 2012 models and after they all have the technology with deep rich blacks and they are able to upconvert very well with smooth frames and they even do 1080/24p (true theartre output available thru blueray although some newer DirecTV boxes) which most TVs wont do 1080/24p unless u spend over $1000...so for $550 the LG is a steal...no to mention LG does true 4:4 and the dynamic contrast ratio is way better than the samsung... if you dont beleive me check out audioholdis and AVS forums.

SO here is the break down for 2012 sets (although some may argue as we are talking eye sight here witch varies by person) im just point out each TV's strong points

Samsung...good coloring and Bright vibrant colors..almost too bright throwing off some of the natural colors (excellent in bright well lit rooms ...looks better in brighter rooms over the Panny & LG)

Panasonic..deep black levels and good coloring..great overall but doesnt 1080/24p (SUB $1000 MODELS dont 1080/24p)

LG..great overall and good coloring and and their black levels are as good as samsungs but not as good as panasonics..HOWEVER they have awesome motion and hz conversion does 1080/24p aslo doing 24p @72hz for true cinema effect just like at the movies without any altering of the frames by playing just like bluray was meant to be played....(most tvs upconvert to 60 and throw frames between making a blur effect that some control with a technology called motion blur)

SONY GTFOH

considering all these blackfriday LED/Plasma/LCD sales for the $450-$550 price range for 50 inch i would personally get a plasma hands down...model wise i would consider the following three sets in no particular order although i would personally get the LG or Panasonic.

LG 50PA5500
Panasonic TC-P50U50
Samsung PN51E535

Would you guys rather get the Toshiba 50 inch for $400 or this panny for $500?

I watch sports and game a lot on my TV, so plasma should be better right?

Out of those two i would say the panny...but me personally im thinking of going LG cause of the 1080/24p being the "next big thing after 3D...if u notice only high end models normally do the 1080/24p"

Try HDMI, im sure the problem are those components. My old panny's hdmi connections are fried, therefore im using components and sometime i get those lines depend on the channel.

Sam's Club is supposed to have these for $499 in store just like Costco however I went to my local Sam's earlier today and they had none in sight and the TV sales guy I spoke with didn't know anything about the TV at all.

:confused::confused::confused:

In that case never mind. I was just trying to rule out the source as the problem and not the actual TV.

I wonder if it's some interference. These pages may help you out:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1697789
http://www.hifivision.com/televis...lasma.html

Which Toshiba 50"? Need more details.

It's already up to $550 now

Nah, the site has been, and probably wil lremain, at $550. This is purely an instore deal.

Buying online sucks anyway. They charge a $100 delivery fee.

How's Costco policy on return these days?

90 days from the time u bought it

Just picked one up for $499 from my local Sam's.

LOL! Panasonic acquired the Kuro tech from Pioneer, not LG. Thanks for the laugh. :lmao:

Panasonic has the best plasmas of 2012 by far.

I take it you're not near Tampa, FL

sorry bud to pop your bubble...its a well know thing LG has some of the patents AS WELL ..go read up at avs forums and catch up on the times

ill give u a head start
http://www.trademarkia.com/24p-re...56290.html

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/h...asmas.html

btw: whos laughing now :bounce:

Ocala fl actually about 1 1/2 hrs from tampa. They have them in stock in ocala and Lady Lake.

Looks like it OOS at Ocala now. Lady Lake has low stock but mann that is a drive...

Is there a stock checker somewhere?

I don' t think so. But if you are looking at an item on the website it will show if that item is in stock at the club you have set as your home club. Just change your home club to check stock at other stores. A bit clunky but it seems to work.

I tried finding this but couldn't. I know SAMs club is like that but unless I'm missing something I don't see it for Costco.

Anyone care to check? Spokane wa. 99208.

24p has nothing to do with the patents on Kuros amazing black levels which Panasonic bought years ago. Most of Pioneers former engineers work for Panasonic now as well. Panasonic does 24p@96hz (not this model). LG doesn't come close to Panasonic in black levels/contrast which is the most important picture quality trait.

You're right, I was speaking of Sam's Club. Kinda dumb for Costco not to have something like that as well. :O

Yea they should. I guess my best bet is to either call or just head into Costco and check for myself. I think when I was there on Sunday they had 3 left so my chances are pretty low I think.

haha...learn to carefully read too bud

#1 ... i never said 24p had anything to do with black levels.
#2 .... i know Panasonic does 24p@96hz but if u read properly u would have seen i said NO SUB $1000 model does it @ 50 inches or greater
#3 i clearly stated Panasonic had better black levels


i guess u just had to vent...its OK i understand that you looked like a fool
thanks for the double laugh :bounce::bounce:

I personally think this was one of the biggest scores of BF that somehow flew under the radar.

Well it's out of stock online. I hope when I go tomorrow morning they have 1. Some reason I highly doubt it now.

Panasonic plasmas are much better than LG plasmas. At only $30 difference the LG shouldn't even be an option.

How does this TV compare with this Samsung?
http://www.hhgregg.com/samsung-51...m/PN51E530

The Samsung is in stock close to me. The Panasonic is in stock about 75 miles away. Is it worth the drive to get the Panny over the Samsung?

Real important.
I purchased it already (sitting in my living room right now), but contemplating returning it because I will be hooking up a PC to it.

Should I do it? I heard plasmas do poorly with PC connections. How much does it matter with Panasonics?

The Costco near me had that Samsung in stock for that price. I went with the Panasonic because I didn't feel like the PQ on the Samsung was an better and I didn't want to creep to $600 after tax.

Yea Pananic owns it in the Plasma Category. That Tv sells all day for $600 on Amazon (cheapest I could find) So for $500 its a decent Deal, I picked one up from Costco since they offer 2yr Warranty which no other place did so that sold it to me.

Also got the Samsung LED 40in Un40EH5050F for $429.99. That was the best Samsung 40in I could find out there. Plus its 120hz not like the 60hz that everone else had for the same price everywhere else.

Wowww, 600Hz!!!

^ Thats Why I got it, for my PS3 Gaming! And 50inch is good enough for a Split Screen!

Went today right at 10am. They had 3 left!!!! I grabbed one. Nice little upgrade from my 42 inch panasonic plasma I got from Costco back in 2009. So far I'm very impressed. The speakers seem a little weak compared to my last one. Very much recommended.

I haven't been able to set mine up yet, but with those with the Costco set, is there a GAME MODE? I know the costco website says there is but im hearing conflicting reports.

Also, anyone know the ideal settings for this?

Congrats on nabbing the plasma you will be very happy!

The 5000 series models from Samsung are 60hz panels, not 120hz. Their marketing is very misleading and I can see why you would think its 120hz. Clear motion rate is a completely different thing.

"Clear Motion Rate" Is a figure based on 3 factors. Framerate, processor speed, and backlight management. It's very shady IMO and more and more manufacturers are marketing like this.

Typically Samsung models follow suit as
400/4000 720p/60hz
500/5000 1080p/60hz
600/6000 1080p/120hz
700/7000 1080p/240hz
800/8000 1080p/240hz
900/9000 1080p/240hz

Yes, there is a game mode, and also there were about 10-15 left at the Costco I went to. I'm still trying to get this thing calibrated by hand/eye. :]

u can get a better head start over at AVS forums there is a whole thread on this TV's calibration

Got this on Wednesday night....opened it on Friday. I started setting it up and....noticed the screen was cracked. Aaaarrrrgh! Now I have to return it and not be able to get a replacement because there are no local Costco's that have it in stock. Guess I'll have to look for a different one. :(

Finally snagged one but I had to drive 150 miles round trip to a Sam's Club out of town.
Just got home with it and I am beat. If I open this and it's broke I am going to be PISSSED.

Maybe if you call Panasonic directly they can drop ship you one and pick up your broke one?

Anyone finding not having a anti-reflective coating annoying? That's my only gripe. My last panny I got in 2009 had it and I can really tell the difference.

OOS norcal, only one left in Tracy at 5.40PST

did anyone else find this statement in CNET's review to be valid:

" I tried the 48Hz mode but as usual it flickered too much for me to tolerate, albeit a bit less than the UT50's 48Hz mode, for some reason."

we're going to mostly be watching blu rays and TV shows, so its important to us....

Great shopping! Drive 150 miles RT and NOT check the TV before you head home! Brilliant!

If you use your friend's membership and you use your debit card or AMEX to pay for it. They will force you to become a member. Sadly, Costco doesn't have a 1 day FREE pass. I know Sam's Club does once in awhile.

This was the only one in stock anywhere in my area and it was worth the risk. Besides, I somehow doubt Sam's would be too keen on me opening the box, removing the packaging, plugging the TV in and finding a video source to test it with. *I'm* certainly not doing that in store in any case.

Fortunately, the TV turned out to be fine and I have been enjoying it all evening, but if it had been defective I would simply return it to the Sam's Club a few miles from my home.

In any case.. please f*ck off. :D

Well, you can buy anti-glare film for flatscreen TV's

Well, you can buy anti-glare film for flatscreen TV's[/QUOTE]


Well I'm sure putting those on would be extremely difficult seeing how hard it was to put on a screen protector on my iPad.:cool:

got the TV, sold out in my area, except the Danvers, MA Costco. already not digging it. i hear a humming with the computer connected, and can't figure out the 1:1 pixel mapping at 1080p... otherwise its not a bad TV. great quality and great bang for the buck, but those few features are critical. i'm not going to resize my desktop to lose 24 Hz playback. it is worth mentioning though, that i'm not getting the flicker problems that the CNET review mentioned at 24 Hz playback.

edit: nevermind, figured out the pixel mapping issue, set it to full and aspect 2. that's the best i could do, still seems a little bit off, but maybe only by a couple pixels. really digging the set, i'm having no issues with the 24Hz playback, seems to be fixed.

Having any problem with the reflective screen.

actually, i don't think its any worse than my samsung LN40A650 (LCD) from 2008. i'm a vampire anyways, watch all my TV and movies with lights off. don't like it any other way.

update: in advanced picture there is a 24Hz mode that you need to turn on to get "true" 24Hz. in the menu it'll say if you turn on 24 Hz there will be flickering. its hardly noticeable, and only in certain scenes. mostly the bright ones with patches of bright areas, those areas will flicker really badly.

Just set up the TV about 3-4 hours ago, and have been watching football on it for 2 hours and played xbox on it for 2 hours.

I AM SO FRIGGEN HAPPY.

I am moderately critical of TV's, But this really is a GREAT TV. I turned off CATS and went to Cinema mode and it looks great. It looks great with sports and xbox, which is what I bought it for. The only gripe I have about it is there is a slight buzzing sound that is produced by the tv which normally is drowned out by whatever sound is on the TV, but if you are sitting withing 4 feet of the unit, you can faintly hear it at all times, and when playing xbox, it will sometimes buzz a bit louder when displaying bright images. These two things combined are why a previous user said he didn't want to use this as a PC monitor. For PC's, there isn't any sound drowning out the buzz, and you generally sit close to monitors.

OTher than that, I am super happy.

yep, that's really my only gripe as well. the buzzing/humming is pretty audible without any sound, even from 7-9 ft away with sound coming from the TV and w/o sound. the buzz gets a little louder with brighter images on the screen.

i just finished watching total recall (2012). in a movie full of basically just dark scenes, this TV really shined. the few times there were bright scenes, there was definitely a little bit of flicker going on because i was in 24Hz mode. i'm going to have to check out some other movies w/o that much darkness to get a good feel for it. running through the settings, the brightest mode they had on there (can't remember what it was), was extremely appealing to my fiancee. i'm sure she'd prefer an LCD once she saw one side by side, but then again almost all consumers would prefer the "torch" mode.

also worth noting, that the flickering is horrible in 24Hz mode when you try to use your PC or have static images. other than that i think its fine.

Plasmas unfortunately buzz. Hell my Panasonic 480p plasma from years ago buzzed. Sad they haven't addressed that problem with 2012's plasmas.

If you are used to LCD like I am, it could be a problem. If you don't have any lights in the visible reflection of the TV, it's great. I fortunately don't have any such lights. I also dont have any lights in the ceiling of the apartment i live in, so take that into account.

Well my 3 year old panasonic plasma had a anti reflective coating on it. I sold it a few days ago and with the new panny I can really see reflections that I couldn't with my other panny.

Is this deal still valid for Cyber Monday?

I had been eyeing this TV at $599, and when it dropped another $100 I pulled the trigger on 11/20, before the crowds. Had to go to a second Costco I don't frequent that had "10 in stock", less when I arrived an hour or two later...maybe 7 plus the floor model (one I frequent was OOS since my last visitation with this set). I bought the extended warranty. I am so happy to get back into a plasma, as I've been watching a borrowed 40" Sony Bravio LCD. I miss the plasma blacks and colors. I have a break in dvd running as we speak on the Panny. No dead pixels out of the box thankfully (not the case w/ my last Samsung plasma which had to be exchanged, or accept further discounting). The sound of this TV running ("buzzing") is alot quieter than I remember my 42" Samsung plasma being. -To me it's very quiet. The borrowed dvd player (w/ HDMI) I'm running is what's howling loud! -I'm very happy so far and can't wait to get it broken-in, calibrated, and mounted on the wall soon! I just wish the set had one more HDMI input.

Can someone help out understanding the menu choices... I don't see this one explained anywhere.

We utilize over the air signals. Sometimes the picture resolution is cropped, with either gray, blue or black sidebars. How can I set it so that they are always black?

And should the screen format setting need to be changed? If so, what's ideal for which environment? All that seems to do is stretch or zoom in, shrink or be normal - why would one want one over the other?

this MAY be a dumb question BUT what does the "(B&M)"mean? i can't figure it out!

Brick and mortar , meaning instore only

Brick & Mortar aka a real store

I got in on the Amazon deal for $550. I mounted the TV up on the wall and it looks great. Will look even better when I run the wires in the wall. Bought a $200 PS3 for streaming/games and hooked it up. The games and blu-ray look really good. My only complaint is that the HDMI audio works only on the PS3 home screen. I had to hook up component audio and change the setting in my PS3 to allow two output sources at once and now it works. A lot of people complain about only having 2 HDMI's but for me it's one too many. Is it possibly to update the firmware on this TV?

I bought one on BF at Costco, but I was in my local Sam's today (Colorado Springs), and the deal is still alive! They had 4-5 in stock listed at $499. Also, purchasing with a Sam's with a business membership gives free 4-yr warranty. Love the TV! Has to be the best bang for the buck right now.

A guy on highdefjunkies recommends these settings:

Picture
Picture Mode: Custom
Contrast: 78
Brightness: 56
Color: 45
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm2
Photo Enhancement: Off
C.A.T.S: Off
Video NR: Off

Pro Settings
Colorspace: Normal

W/B High R: +1
W/B High G: 0
W/B High B: +2
W/B Low R: +12
W/B Low G: 0
W/B Low B: +4

Black Extension: 0
Gamma Adjustment: 2.6
Panel Brightness: Mid
Contour Emphasis: Off
AGC: 0

HDMI Settings
***Leave all settings in this menu at their default***

Advance Picture
Block NR: Off
Mosquito NR: Off
Motion Smoother: Off
Black Level: Light
3:2 PullDown: Auto

I can't say for sure but "EXP. 11/26/12" is on the price tag. These will go fast though so if they happen to have extended the deal I would act quickly.

Here [cnet.com] is David Katzmaier's (of CNET) recommended picture settings.

if you're even moderately critical about your PQ then this TV is not for you especially if you're moderately critical when you watch blu rays. imo, 24p is critical for blu ray playback, and this thing fails so hard at that its not even funny. funny how my $1000 40" samsung LCD from 2008 can do this perfectly while this plasma can't. i haven't even touched in since sunday, that's how much i dislike this TV.

Below is CNET's explanation [cnet.com]. Considering the price it doesn't seem to be a dealbreaking drawback for the average viewer.

"More mixed signals: 1080p/60 versus 1080p/24
1080p HDTVs are a dime a dozen, but not all 1080p HDTVs are created equal. First off, some older HDTVs with 1080p resolution couldn't accept 1080p sources at all. More recently, the advent of Blu-ray has delivered another video format variation to worry about: 1080p/24.

The numbers 24 and 60 refer to frame rate. Moving video is composed of a certain number of frames transmitted every second that combine in the viewer's mind to create the illusion of movement. The nominal rate for film is 24 frames per second, while the rate for video is 30 frames per second. In standard 1080p video, which is technically 1080p/60, each frame is repeated twice. Every 1080p HDTV sold today can accept and display 1080p/60 sources via its HDMI inputs.

Not every 1080p HDTV properly displays 1080p/24 sources, however. Most Blu-ray players, as well as the PlayStation 3, have a setting that lets the player transmit 1080p/24 video directly. Blu-ray Discs with movies that originate on film are encoded at 1080p/24 to preserve the proper cadence of film--that characteristic motion that's smooth but not too smooth. If your player is set to output 1080p/24 directly, and your TV can properly display it, you're seeing the image as close as possible to what the director intended--how it looks when displayed on a cinema screen from a film projector at your local movie theater.

Generally, for an HDTV to properly display 1080p/24 it needs to have a refresh rate at some multiple of 24. The standard refresh rate for HDTVs of all varieties is 60Hz, which is not a multiple of 24. There's no benefit to sending these displays 1080p/24 instead of 1080p/60. If the HDTV can actually show the signal (some cannot), the result usually looks the same regardless of the setting on your Blu-ray player.

On the other hand, increasing numbers of LCD TVs have refresh rates of 120Hz or 240Hz, for example, while a few plasmas refresh at 48Hz, 72Hz, or 96Hz. All are exact multiples of 24. Some of these HDTVs come closer to preserving the cadence of film than others, and some can introduce extra dejudder video processing (usually user defeatable) that also affects cadence. Unlike with resolution, there's no easy way to tell from the spec sheet if a display with a multiple of 24 as its refresh rate handles 1080p/24 correctly, although most such displays that we've tested do.

For most viewers the visible benefits of 1080p/24 are slight. Displays that cannot show it correctly can nonetheless produce a viable semblance of film's cadence, one that to experienced viewers appears to stutter slightly, especially in pans or camera movement, instead of move more smoothly like true film cadence. But for purists interested in seeing every last benefit of film, 1080p/24 signals mated to a 1080p/24-compatible display are worth the investment."

I take it you don't watch sports or game. If you are as snobbishly critical of the PQ for movies as you claim you are, then it is your fault for buying this TV since its pretty well established that this isn't the ideal TV for that.

I didn't realize these TVs don't come with dual tuners. Picture-in-Picture and Split-screen are features I've grown accustomed to for the past decade, and they will be sorely missed.
The funny part is that this is the largest TV I've ever owned, and would've been great for split-screen watching.

$449 now, tempted to bring mine back. The daytime glare takes all the fun out of watching it. Amazing at night, though. Tough to give it up.