Panasonic plasma tc-p55vt50 $1599!
 

First deal post... go easy please!

This is probably the 2nd cheapest I have ever seen this TV.

This is an AUTHORIZED DEALER!
Free shipping!
Price on web is $1999
use code: SAVE400
OR
Call it in. (888) 669-1030
$1599

Best TV of the year. (imo)

http://www.paulstv.com/Plasma-Tel...55VT50.asp

EDIT:
Don't forget to ask for the white glove service (free!)

EDIT:
This is now posted as a front page deal (THANKS for making my first post so good :) )
Also, it advertises Abe's of Maine. They are NOT an authorized dealer if that matters to you. the Front Page ad says $1630 at Abe's.
If you buy from them, use LOYALTY15 for another $15 off.
I don't like their reviews.
Also, powersellernyc.com has it for $1599. Then use SAVENOW and get it down to $1567. However, VERY poor reviews, and NOT an authorized dealer.
I would stick with Pauls TV in my opinion.

55" Panasonic VIERA TC-P55VT50 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV $1600 + Free Shipping
 

Update: Abe's of Maine's price is now $1618 with free shipping.


Abe's of Maine also has 55" Panasonic VIERA TC-P55VT50 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV for $1630 with free shipping.

The following is no longer available:Paul's TV has 55" Panasonic VIERA TC-P55VT50 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV for $2000 - $400 off promotional code SAVE400 = $1600 with free shipping. Thanks sidshock

Specs

• Resolution: 1920x1080
• Refresh Rate: 600Hz
• Contrast Ratio: 2000000:01
• Inputs
  • 4x HDMI
  • 1x Composite
  • 1x Component
  • 1x Ethernet
  • 3x USB
  • 1x PC Input

Price Research: Our research indicates that 55" Panasonic VIERA TC-P55VT50 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV is $400 lower (20% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices ranging from $2000 to $2499. - yuugotserved

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

Review of the 65" Version
http://hometheaterreview.com/pana...-reviewed/

can I PM this with Best Buy? I'd like to PM with any local brick and mortar but I don't know who else has it maybe walmart or target etc?

doesn't hurt to try.
But I don't know.

This tv won't be at target or Wal-Mart. You'll need a BB with a magnolia. BB will price match Paul's as I did it last week on the 60GT50 deal.

Good find, OP. Best price ever on this TV.

The only concern is, will they do it since a "code" is needed to bring the price down.
I dunno how best buy policy works.

This seems to be a good price with no tax to CA

How is it no tax in CA? When I go through the online process there's tax. Also, there's dozens of Pauls TV stores in CA, so they would be charging tax.

Don't bother w/ PM at BB. Just order from Paulstv.com. I am a VERY happy customer! The delivery company they use here is great. You don't have to lug it home or even open the big box! 100% THUMBS UP for paulstv!

BTW, I bought the 50ST50 from them. Wrapped the bundle with discounted Squaretrade warr for 4 yr coverage.

sorry for the misinformation

Ok, any input to my dilemma would be greatly appreciated.

This is a great price for this TV! I was originally looking at the TC-P60GT50 that Amazon has for $1699 with 2% credit to be used towards a future purchase.

The first dilemma is, do I go with the VT or the GT?

The second dilemma is, this will be my first Plasma purchase, and they aren't particularly known for their brightness levels. I am a gamer, and my wife and I like to watch our fair share of movies. The TV is going into a well-lit room. But we can always draw the shades, and the light isn't at our backs. Going from a 65" LCD CCFL backlight to the VT or GT Plasma, will we be disappointed?

The picture looked amazing to me in Best Buy on both units, but naturally a lot dimmer than the other LCD LED backlit TVs they had on display in the Magnolia room. My wife can't stand the soap opera effect that a lot of the new LCD/LED TVs are known to have. That was virtually non-existent on the Panny.

So, to sum up:
1.) Any gamers own Plasmas out there, and how are your experiences vs. LCD/LED sets?
2.) Would you go with the 55VT50 or pay essentially $66 more and get the 60GT50?

I know I could have put this on an AVS forum, but I wanted to ask here first. Besides, finding your specific issue on an AVS forum is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I will try to reward any positive feedback with reps! Thanks!

Does this code only apply to the VT? Can it be used on the ST?

I noticed that the TCP55ST50 is currently priced at 1199.99.

Go with the VT, it's a better TV, it adds the full pane of glass, Infinite Black panel, and some other features that the GT doesn't offer. The VT is the higher model, I think the GT just hasn't been discounted as much, so the pricing is out of whack.

When I shopped around for my TV (wound up with the VT, so I'm a bit biased ;) ) I noticed the soap opera look on LED too, so I stayed away from them. Plasmas generally have better blacks unless you're looking to spend 3-4x the amount on a high end LED. On this panel, you're going to get very minor image retention if you play a game with a map always up (like halo or NFS), it'll typically go away when you watch some TV, and I've never had permanent burn in on any of my plasmas, so you should be good.

Banner on the Paul's website says "We pay the tax."

Paul's website states "We pay the sales tax." FWIW.

I live in Natick, MA and Pauls TV is five mintues away from my house but we never got anything from them before as their prices were high in store. Finally pulled the trigger before Christmas for the GT and paid $1,249 , no sale tax, free white glove shipping and 2% Discover Card bonus.

What surprised me was I ordered before midnight on Sat. and the TV sat in my living room in the evening of Monday! The delivery company called our home at noon on Monday and left a message while we were not at home. My husband saw a truck outside my house when he came home early. Lucky that we caught them as we didn't receive any advance notice but this time it worked out great! Why go to Best Buy and bother to PM?

Not necessarily misinformation - Pauls recently had a promotion where they didn't charge sales tax - that was only a few weeks ago, may still be on.

I've had both... unless you have seriously bright rooms with reflection issues when looking directly at the tv... these tv's are far superior in pq to lcd/led. and in addition you get a much better viewing angle when needed. i game on ours as well... personally i'd get the 60" over the 55" (i have the vt55" ) - but if you do watch a lot of movies the vt may be worth it - but it will be subtle differences, at best.

i never had any image retention issues at all on my old panny plasma... when gaming i mean. just my personal experience on that set.

As a new owner of the vt50 this is a great price and highly recommend it.

there's a deal here for the 65" VT series... but it checks out at close to $2200 after discounts. It is also sold out.
I think this is the TV to buy unless you have another $600 for 10". If I did, I would DEF go for the 65"!

Adorama had some TVs as low as $1,200. Isn't this lowest?

I logged into my Paul's account from their pc and entered the code last week for $200 off and they matched the net price.

How do you get it for $2200?!?

didnt Magnolia(Best Buy) have this Tv for $1599.00 as well?

I know sales tax is an issue with them....but if you wanted to buy at a B&M or needed their 24 month financing etc

After the terrible CS I'm dealing with getting my 55"Led fixed, I would never trust panasonic with a purchase this big again. Panasonic does not stand behind their products. I'm on a month an still waiting.

Sad, but true [customerservicescoreboard.com].

Unfortunately, customer service ratings for most (all?) of the big name electronics manufacturers are horrendous, overall.

Best Buy has the VT50 for in-store only price of $1699 - that's an unadvertised price. I bought a VT50 from BB yesterday and had them price match the Paul's TV price of $1599 after the promo $400 discount. The only caveat was, they actually called Paul's first to see if they had the tv in stock. Otherwise I got the same price plus the ability to return for 30 days if I am not satisfied. Amazing deal!

Thanks to Chris2 and Woodygg for your information and suggestions. Repped you both! Anyone else willing to make any suggestions, I'm listening. Thanks!

Go for the 55VT50 Plasma. See this thread over on the other popular deal site:
Panasonic TCP55VT50 55-inch 600Hz 1080p Plasma HDTV $1,699.99 After Coupon & Free Shipping at PaulsTV.
It won TV of the year by Sound and Vision. Also check it out on CNET. I have a 50 inch Panny Plasma from a couple of years earlier and as I said on the other site, I would be all over this if my Panny Plasma wasn't still operating perfectly. Plasma is the only way to go! IMHO.:bounce:

at this price, definitely the VT.

i have an old 42" 720p panny plasma. i don't know what your current tv looks like, but i have my brightness settings turned down and i have no problems watching tv with my windows open on a sunny day. reflections off the glossy glass can sometimes be a problem, although it doesn't happen to me very often. also the viewing angles are just amazing compared to my other tv, an equally old sony dlp rear projection tv.

i'll bet a dollar that what you were seeing was the effect of the insane settings they use on some tv's to make them appear more vivid. sony was notorious for this. with the viewing angles and the fact that plasmas can duplicate that "film" quality for movies, i really don't understand why people buy lcd tvs.

the panny has several presets for different applications. i think if you're going to use the tv for gaming as well as watching tv and movies, you could play with the presets to your advantage. this article [plasmatvbuyingguide.com] has a good breakdown of the different presets and what they do.

amen.

amazon price matched on this after an hour talk with Rep. Best deal on Best panny plasma..love it. Repped!

CNET review [cnet.com]

How did they price matched the coupon which is not on paul's website

tc-p55vt50
 

i bought a vt today i got best buy to price match adaroma superbowl add in witch i found on slickdeals then i went on dealcatcher and applied for AE CARD $150 CASH BACK
then i went and picked up in deaware tax free bought the tv for 1350.

coupons listed in paulstv site. http://www.paulstv.com/coupons_12-28-12.asp

Thanks

yeah, my TV died 2 years ago on a Monday morning. I called Pauls TV(in Natick), when i got home from work at 10pm, the NEW tv was set up, on the table I bought AND my old TV was gone. Very happy with Pauls!

Thanks floridafuzz and etherised! All the responses are helping! Reps to both of you!

Etherised, lol @ the last part! You feel my pain too.

Anyone else have any suggestions they would like to share against my post, please feel free. I'm repping those who give any positive feedback to aid in my decision.

3d glasses seems expensive..http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-T...TY-ER3D4MU

On (2), I am planning to go with the 60GT50 myself. I looked at the additional features that the VT50 provides over GT50 on Amazon and I am not sure if they appeal to me as much as the 5-additional inches on the GT50. The only reason I haven't pulled the trigger yet is because of the price drop on the VT50 :-D. I am hoping the P60GT50 has a price drop in the near future.

You could potentially use your mobile phone in place of the smart pad by using the Viera app. As for how much ISFccc and 96Hz playback mean, I asked the same question on this forum in another thread and another SDer pointed me to a thread on avsforum posted by an enthusiast where he couldn't observe a huge difference. http://slickdeals.net/f/5792058-P...00-shipped : check VarmintCong's response to my post (http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...stcount=14).

Hope this helps.

You're right... sorry for the bonehead comment. I guess they take out the tax when you're in the final screen... first screen is estimate.

i like to watch my "Honey BOO BOO SHOW" on big screen.

IR issues are reported more in 2012 panasonic models (ST/GT/VT60). Read up on the web.

got Best Buy to match but had to pay the $80 bucks in taxes here in VA BUT with the rewards zone points that gets me about $30. So $50 mores to go with a local shop just in case of issues. Not bad. I just couldn't pull the trigger on Paul's with all the bad delivery reviews.

the $19.99 Samsung ones at Best Buy work great with the 2012 Panasonics

I have the ST50.....as well as a couple of Samsung plasmas...C8000 and E8000

The IR is not an issue on the Panasonic ...and it is in line with the Samsung TV's I have

price matched with amazon took less than 15 mins on the phone, need to burn $300 in GC's I have with me

Image retention should not be a problem for a TV that has been broken in.

People who unbox the TV, crank the brightness to 100%, and then leave a static game screen running will have issues. Even LCDs with LED backlighting can have IR. My 2008 Macbook Pro's screen is lighter, even when it's turned off, where the menu bar is displayed at the top of the screen and has been for years.

The first online experience was great even though it could be a disaster if timing wasn't right. We just came back from their store to check out other TVs and found no one to acknowledge us when we walked in. That's why I prefer online shopping.

The first online experience was great even though it could be a disaster if timing wasn't right. We just came back from their store to check out other TVs and found no one to acknowledge us when we walked in. That's why I prefer online shopping.:bounce:

For those interested in Panny 3D glasses for your 2012 Panasonic xT50 series 3D plasma HDTVs, check out this previous SD post and see if you can get a pricematch at BB for $30, seemed to have worked like a charm for many:

http://slickdeals.net/f/5737472-P...9-99-Sears

They are much better in terms of quality and functionality for your new Panny 3D VT50s...block side light better, rechargeable using micro USB cable supplied in the package, pretty comfortable for watching a couple of movies at a time and they seem to fit decently over prescription glasses.

No cases, though, in case that's a dealbreaker for some of you.

Cheers!

And they look more attractive than the Samsungs...if cosmetics mean anything to you.

I would advise you to purchase the larger GT set instead of the smaller VT. Especially given the fact that you are already dropping down from a 65". Downsizing all the way to a 55" VT would be a significant negative vs any relatively subtle improvements a VT might provide over the GT with emphasis on the word "might". The GT is darn close enough in quality and at least not too huge a drop from your present 65" LCD.

If you were a hardcore videophile**, it might be a different story. But even then, I strongly suspect the size difference of 55" vs 60" would still trump every other consideration.

**those who typically upgrade their panel every 1-3 years, those who consider it an absolute must to have a reputable calibrator come in to calibrate their panels and are gladly willing to pay the typical going rate of about $500 for the services of reputable calibrator, etc.

As far as brightness, yea, either one can be plenty bright if you need it to be (though still dimmer than LED/LCD at full blast, but that kind of insane brightness is only useful for direct daylight room brightness scenarios).

Pulled from AVS, a nice quick synopsis of Panasonic 2012 model year differences:

The ST50 is $1150 at Paul's with save50 coupon. I'd probably still buy that unless money grows on trees or you're the type to measure your black level daily.

There've been a lot of reports that the GT50/VT50 have more gaming lag than ST50 too.

Not bad advice either. Many consider the ST50 models to be the best value play model within the 2012 Panasonic lineup.

Can anyone please tell me where you see these coupon codes on the website at paulstv? I am trying to get Amazon to price match the one I ordered a few days ago but they wont do it unless they can find the coupon code.

Not discounting your bad experience, but repair facilities and dealers still site Panasonic as the best to deal with in terms of getting cooperation for issues and for access to replacement parts, etc. At least better than having to deal with LG or Samsung. Now, that's not to suggest that Panasonic is great either. Just comparatively better than most of them.

Varmint, where have you heard this? Do you have any links that may be of help?

Wow I'm surprised because my local store has like one salesperson for about every 5 TV's I would have loved to just had a few minutes alone lol. Although it is in an Art Van and it's impossible to get past there salesforce just to get to Pauls!

I have the 55GT50 no ir and zero buzzing. Super picture and the 3D is much better than I would have imagined I did believe it was gimmicky until I got this TV and now it's WOW! (the $20 Samsung glasses work perfect)

Thanks! Now if I can get a good csr at amazon I can save $400.00!

He speaks wisely... i'd go for the gt in your situation.

sorry - but for some the difference in pq is worth the price. just because it's not for you isn't the point.

a 60" is the minimum size I would get.

a 55 just seems small after getting used to my 59" Sammy that I picked up for $600 a little over a year ago. And just got an open box 60" Sammy for $550. like new though.

PLASMA ALL THE WAY!

I've just heard it mentioned on AVS forum. I'm not really inclined to believe it but it's a reason to buy from Amazon or some place with a good return policy just in case.

As a main TV 60" is the smallest I would get as well. Have a 60" now and will get a 65" next time.

Of course, but say, previous years, I'd have picked the VT over ST, but in 2012, the difference in PQ is really small, and according to a professional calibrator on AVS, 96Hz mode is all but indistinguishable from 60Hz mode. So like I said, if money is no object, of course you'd get the VT, otherwise the ST or GT (if you want THX) is probably a better deal.

I went with the GT over the ST because the price was only $50 different so that was a no brainer I looked at the 60" GT50 but it was $550 more at the time (1199 ST vs 1249 Gt versus $1800 60" GT) and I couldn't justify the difference but now after have the GT in 55" I can wait to upgrade to a 60" panny. I didn't realize the picture was going to be so much better coming from a 60" led-lcd that couldn't even compare although it did cost less than any of these.

People who had the ST and than the GT said the GT was noticeable better so I can only imagine the VT brings that much more...

would have to disagree

IF you can afford it the VT is worth the difference in money...especially if it going to be your main TV

The fact that you might change TVs in 1-3 years might dictate that you buy the lesser model...due to the fact that you wont be keeping it long anyway and wont have to live long with its deficiencies
Added to that fact that the higher end models feature set and design would keep it more relevant , longer,than a lower end model

That $500 calibration figure is about 2x what the MSRP is for it in the midwest and southern US
The MSRP is heavily discounted( or free) typically if you do business with the AV store

Absolutely amazing TV, I got it when Best Buy had it on sale for the same price 2(?) weeks ago. Glad I got it local because the first screen was cracked even though I transported it straight up on a pickup and only a 2 mile distance. Best Buy didn't have any in stock to replace it with, but they ordered a replacement and it came in within 2 days. I RARE i'm glad i shopped at best buy moment.

Mounted this TV up in my master bedroom, it's bar none the greatest set I've ever laid my eyes on. Heavy bastard though.

I know you don't buy this set for the built in apps, but they are surprisingly smooth running!! I had a samsung smart tv which ran horribly slowly, I used a Roku instead of the built in apps. Not needed here, Netflix runs great.

Not sure BB price matches out of stock items. Will give a try later. Anyone tried PM out of stock items with BB?

The ST was (and is) $1150, there's a save50 coupon. And I've never heard that the GT is noticeably better on AVS forum, the consensus is they look the same, although out of the box the GT is better thanks to THX mode.

The advantage of GT is THX mode, PC input, different frame etc.

Thanks just saved me a $100 off my order from two weeks ago. Thumbs Up!

Argh! So many conflicting opinions running amuck on this forum. But definitely helpful as well.

That was another big concern of mine...a drop in screen size from 65" to possibly 55". I know what the viewing distance recommendations are. At the furthest, we are looking at 12' from the couch to the TV. With a 10" drop in real estate, won't that be a noticeable difference? Or is the quality of the picture on the VT justifiably better than that of the GT at 60"?

Damn you Panasonic! Why couldn't you have made a 60" VT series! Then all of my problems would have been solved. I would go 65", but I would like to be able to put my entertainment center back together, instead of keeping it apart. Grrrr!

I do appreciate the feedback. And after all, I can't complain because I essentially started it anyway. Bleh.

Right it's not noticeably better to a professionally calibrated ST for the rest of us who probably are not going to pay for that it is just like this deal on the VT it's just that much better yet with easy to find settings on the web and THX mode really doesn't apply to any of those..

Picked this up at the Irvine, CA Paul's TV. Got it for $1605 out the door (they reduced the price to offset the sales tax). Also got a voucher for a free 6' Subway sandwich :) We are in the process of mounting it on the wall right now. We probably would have just gotten the GT series but my husband was impatient and wanted to watch the Patriots game on it tomorrow

has anyone tried PM on Amazon ?

The ultimate black levels should really bring out Flacco's unibrow.

there are a number of other differences besides the 96hz... i will say though that the differences aren't what they used to be.

at 12' 65 all day long.

Yep works! check page 2 & 3 for more info on how.

at 12' 65 all day long.[/QUOTE]

I know woody, but unfortunately, the idea for me is to get the entertainment center back together. My wife would appreciate that. I justified getting our 65" by telling her that we could remove the bridge, and it would give it a stepping effect. She didn't like it at first, but she got used to it real quick. :D

Now that we have a one year old, he is starting to pull up on the furniture, and the center channel speaker is sitting on the center console, for him to freely pull down on himself. And that center channel is no lightweight. I want to get the entertainment center back together, and the center channel on top of the bridge, angled down at us, temporarily of course.

search other big giant, all bad review. that site looks like a complaint site

I disagree with this. The various touring professional calibration on AVS typically charge in this range.

& I would much rather deal with some1 with a positive reputation on AVS than some1 local with no following.

Every time I go to a store and look at a plasma the whites look gray compared to the lcd/led backlight tvs. And the blacks are hard to tell apart in the store, but the white just looks like crap.

Agreed, Paul's TV is a mch better place to purchase from than Best Buy. Why Price Match? There giving ou th better price, plus you'll get better service from them. warranty if you want it is a better deal from Paul's also.

dannng idk why but i just ordered one.

I think you will be very very happy so I wouldn't worry.

best buy has much better return policy, reward and customer service. pauls tv is the last place to shop

Get a plasma instead of any kind of LCD. You won't regret it.

I have a 2009 Panasonic P58V10 plasma. I'm not sure how well it compares to this current model, but I think I can comment on plasma TVs in general. I originally had an Samsung LED-LCD (edge-lit) for a month before I returned it and got the plasma instead.

Brightness is not an issue, I don't even have the brightness turned up. I have my plasma in a room where it is facing a very large window and various windows on the side where tons of light comes in, and it's not a problem. I have blinds, but I don't even close them most of the time when watching TV. However, you don't want sunlight directly hitting the screen, as that will make it unwatchable. We also have the lights on a lot of the time at night. If I really want to get into something, I might dim the lights, but it's not a problem if I don't.

When I went from an LED-LCD to a plasma, I went from constantly noticing weird artifacts and strangeness (like "judder" -- the soap opera effect you described) with the LED-LCD, to not noticing any problems with the plasma and I could just pay attention to the actual content on the screen. I think plasma is an appropriate for watching TV and is a successor to the CRT, whereas LCD is good for computers for various reason (low power, high pixel density, no burn in issues). I don't think I'll ever buy an LCD TV, unless I really need something smaller than 42". OLED will probably be the next display technology that is good for a TV.

I did do a good amount of console gaming with the plasma. Plasma is the best for gaming -- it just looks so much better. If I were into PC gaming I might even use a plasma TV for that purpose -- I'd even sacrifice a hire resolution of an LCD (I have a 30" 2560x1600) for the colors and smoothness of a plasma (and being only 1920x1080, the graphics card wouldn't have to work very hard to achieve high FPS, adding to the smoothness).

I do get a lot of ghosting on my plasma (if a menu or something displays for a little while). That may be a unique to my model, I don't know. It doesn't bother me. I only see it when the screen is completely black, and I can get it to go away easily if I wanted to (either use the white bar tool, or just watch something for a while that takes up the whole screen).

Can you elaborate on pauls tv being last place to shop? I had just thrown my money down when I read that. Thanks.

pauls 'tv charge 15% restocking fees if return

if you can get best buy PM (the tough part is the tax), why not best buy?

I agree brightness is not an issue with these sets, I have the 55st50, and the only times I see reflections is in a dark scene when I have the window open. Watching football with the lights on and window shades open is no problem. And if i need to get it dark I just close the black out shades I got.

Just wanted to correct one thing that I keep seeing mentioned and that's the soap opera effect on LCD TVs. That is a function of the anti judder setting and not inherent to lcds, you can turn it off on most. These plasmas have it too, don't know why but its an option. I know the LG plasmas have it too and probably Samsung plasmas as well. For the Panasonic its motion smoother, its on by default on some of the presets so turn it off if you don't like it.

Walmart and Target won't have this model, maybe Frys and Best Buy with Magnolia centers

really cheap price... wonder does thsi mean newer models gonna come out soon

Panasonic is slowly phasing out the 50 series in favor of the 60 series coming out late Spring to Early summer. Amazing price for an amazing TV!

What I'm looking for now is a 42" bezel-less plasma TV for my bedroom to replace my Panny GT10

GlASSES
 

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SSG...B007K9P7H0


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/...:D:D:D:D:D

Little confused about going with this 55VT50 or one of the below.

Samsung 55" Class 1080p 240Hz 3D Smart LED HDTV Bundle UN55ES7150F - $1,449.99 After $1,100 OFF & Free Shipping
Includes: 4 Pairs of Active 3D Glasses and Wireless Keyboard
http://www.costco.com/Samsung-55%...64872.html

Samsung 60" Class 1080p 240Hz 3D Smart LED HDTV Bundle UN60ES7150F - $1,749.99 After $1,400 OFF & Free Shipping
Includes: 4 Pairs of Active 3D Glasses and Wireless Keyboard
http://www.costco.com/Samsung-60%...68063.html

Appreciate any inputs on which is a better deal for the money - samsung or panasonic? I am reading many conflicting reviews.

PLASMA ALL THE WAY!

LCD is good for a computer monitor, but for regular TV viewing the PLASMA is KING.

Look at it this way, to get anywhere near the picture quailty of the Panasonic in an led TV you need to spend around $5000 for the full array led-lcd with local dimming sharp elite or around 3k for something like the Sony 55hx950 which is also full array but not as good of picture quality. The sharp is actually better than the vt50 in black levels but second in overall picture quality according to cnet.

Have they figured out with LCD/LEDs how to eliminate motion blur without adding the soap opera look of motion smoothing? If not, get a plasma. Unless you like the soap opera look.

ummmm...YES :facepalm2:

So the cycle of the 2013 lineup release is looking more like May?

Thanks for all the responses. I found the below URL which has a good comparison.

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com...tout.shtml

For those interested in a serious in depth review: http://www.flatpanelshd.com/revie...1339052567

really... the biggest electronics retailer in the country..Best Buy who charges $249(MSRP) is a local with no following?......:D

Sorry, but it's not Pana's one.

Lol, you can't compare a geek squad service to the people the other guy is talking about. They charge $69 to remove crapware from computers, how much do you think you will get out if your $250 calibration? I have seen a lot of people say to stay away from them.

They work with the 2012 and future panny models as Samsung and Panasonic are now using the universal standard for active glasses. I have them and they sync instantly and work well.

same people that charge $500 instead of $250? :lmao:

LOL
actually..in Texas..Ohio or Indiana...the 3 states that I spend a significant time in during the year
I have seen the local shops match the Geeks squads price.....in fact they all say they will price match their competition
The high end stores...such as Genesis Audio( Columbus Ohio) who sells such brands as Krell...Anthem and many other $6K-15K audio pieces will match BB( Geek squad) or any service or same product

AND...typically this service is thrown in for free depending on the promotion, or what you are buying..OR if you flat ask for it

is it different in the state(s) you live/work in?

yes...those that pay $500 for a service that others charge $250 for...LOL

They probably paid 2x the $1599 price for the TV in this thread as well

Idk just was commenting on using geek squad as the example. I don't pay for calibration myself, but when I was a premier sliver member I got a free geek squad calibration and he barley did anything. I don't even think they used the equipment that I see mentioned on avs all the time. I had to adjust settings after he left because contrast was too high, peoples foreheads looked shiny and things like that. Would never pay for geek squad if I ever have it done again.

they recently did my Samsung E8000 plasma...free as well since I am a premier silver

He brought out the equipment...ran the colors against the standard and adjusted accordingly
They sent me an email with colors and settings on a curve...similar to what you would have with an Audessey pro license in the audio world

In regard to personal preference....many here and AVS forum like certain changes in their settings

The one that comes to mind is motion interpolation. Calibrators turn this off
Many like the look of it and in fact turn it on the highest settings

So...a lot of it comes down to personal preference

Another reason why I think that $500 figure is crazy since a lot of it comes down to personal preference

Any comments on the best place to buy from. I always thought amazon would do whatever it takes to satisfy customer, but I don't know see much written on tv policy. It says to check at time of delivery. So what happens if tv goes out 3 months after purchase? will amazon replace at no cost? paul's won't apparently? best best buy? panasonic- what is standard warranty on these plasmas? is squaretrade the place to get warranties and i assume they will cover this possibility?

assuming same price everywhere, what is the best company to buy from based on return options and customer service?

If you have a dilemma 55vt vs. 60gt.. Yes, the vt one glass design may look better. The pic quality MAY be somewhat better but still very subtle to your eyes. But ! You are coming from 65'' TV ! I think the size difference between 60 and 55 inch will be more noticeable to your eyes than any PQ difference between VT and GT. for the same money I'd go for 5'' size advantage. I had 50 inch tv that broke. I bought 55 GT then decided to replace it with 60GT and size difference is noticeable. Especially if you coming from 65''.

If you have a dilemma 55vt vs. 60gt.. Yes, the vt one glass design may look better. The pic quality MAY be somewhat better but still very subtle to your eyes. But ! You are coming from 65'' TV ! I think the size difference between 60 and 55 inch will be more noticeable to your eyes than any PQ difference between VT and GT. for the same money I'd go for 5'' size advantage. I had 50 inch tv that broke. I bought 55 GT then decided to replace it with 60GT and size difference is noticeable.

wow that is a huge subway, you can certainly feed the whole party.:lol: Just kidding.

Grats on your new TV.

ARGHHH!! Slickdeals lost my lengthy post...

Anyway, I have to agree with everyone saying that, for your application, screen size probably trumps the modest improvement in picture quality between a 55VT50 and 60GT50.

Panny GT and VT (and even ST) plasmas are regarded as having some of the best pictures available. I'm not sure what kind of LCD you're replacing, but it's very likely that you'll see a significant improvement in picture quality whether you go with the GT or VT. Less clear is whether or not your eyes are sensitive/discerning enough to notice, much less be bothered by the difference in picture quality between the VT and GT. But the difference in screen size between a 55" and 60" television screen is something you will DEFINITELY notice, particularly since you're coming down from a 65" screen.

I'm trying to figure out how I can justify a TV upgrade, but since I already have a 58", I can't even see myself going with one of these 55" TVs. I really want to go with a 65" since that's the largest screen my entertainment center can accommodate without moving the cabinets, so I'm hesitant to even go with a modest upgrade to a 60" screen.

I'm not sure if 3D is something that is important to you, but if it is, every inch of screen size becomes even more important, assuming picture quality does not suffer significantly, which I'm not sure it does by stepping down to a GT.

I would suggest checking out both in a store. Even if you can't see them side by side (since it's not like you'll be viewing them side by side at home), if you aren't sufficiently wowed by the difference in picture quality between the VT and GT, go with the larger screen since that is something you'll notice at home.

Nice deal, but if you do purchase a Panasonic plasma, make sure you get an extended warranty (through retailer, SquareTrade, etc). Panasonic makes fantastic plasma TVs, no doubt about it, but there is a lingering issue of them not turning on after awhile (blinking red power button light). Here is a thread from AVSForum about it [avsforum.com] (dates back to 2008). I have a TC-P58S1 panel bought in 2010 that lasted about 13 months before suffering from this issue. Panasonic continues to ignore this issue and not FIX the problem or help customers who have affected sets. When I purchased in 2010, I thought I was safe as the problem seemed to only affect a certain model. Turns out, this issue affects multiple sizes across multiple product lines/series.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience. I don't think I'll be buying Panasonic again.

I just picked up the 65vt50 from Paul's tv in west la. $2,504 otd. They ate the sales tax too.

I'm going from a old 42" gateway edtv plasma to a 65" in my apartment. 10 feet viewing distance. Wondering if I went too big with 65 and should have gone 55" vt.

Not according to THX's recommendations: http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-...tv-set-up/

If anything, at your particular viewing distance, they say you can go bigger.=)

yea but they work just as good for $18 on amazon you cant go wrong
i have 4 pair and they work great!

BB just price matched mine that I bought about 3 weeks ago without issue. Bought for 1699...got 100 + tax back. Girl working there did say they only price match once.

I got the TC-P55VT50 price-matched at BestBuy....nice deal

Since Paul's TV says they pay the tax this weekend, isn't that really another discount that best buy should apply when matching/beating to equal the same deal?

On a side note, I called in and canceled my 55VT and ordered the 65VT from them!!!
$2499 all in white glove delivery to Niagara Falls NY.!

If you need that ..I would say get BB to price match
Their current price is only $100 more than this...so I cant imagine you wont be able to get them down to this price...granted you have to pay tax

But..in regard to ease of returns and talking to a local person...there you go

The "videophiles" who are choosing the known-reputation $500 calibrators are the type of people who want REFERENCE quality pictures, or as close to that as possible. THAT is their personal preference. Sure, they still might end up tweaking a setting or two to their personal preference but for the most part, they want reference. And it's too much of a crapshoot for them to count on a BB or even a supposedly higher end retail calibration service to get an ideal calibration from their panel.

that is an oxmoron

reference meets from a meter that says the color is at reference level...if they tweek a color from "reference"....it then becomes a preference and not a reference

if its a crapshoot to get a calibration from an expert....what are their choices?

thats like saying I dont want to do a "crapshoot" by hiring a mechanic to rebuild my car engine...so while I do something else for a living..I will rebuild my own engine because I dont want a crapshoot.....:cool:

*sigh* nevermind. One of us is hopeless. And I'm looking in your direction. :lol:

I love this TV, but the panny 55in IPS for $899 at fry's is an awesome TV for peanuts. I have one and it would be hard to beat that picture. I have it in the man cave where there is little sun light. I would love to have the 65" VT though. Can't go wrong with any panny tv IMO. I'm hoping to see a blow out deal for under 2 grand for a 65 though. hehe.

Cheapest I saw someone post they got it here was $1999 for the 65VT. It was at some local shop that doesn't ship and it was on clearance. I think Florida somewhere? I forget.

East Coast TV has the 65 for $2495 plus 2% savings code listed on there bringing it to the 2nd cheapest I have seen it.

Seems Pauls is permanently sold out of the 55inch, and waiting for restock on the 65.

jesus,, no glasses included?

How do these compare to the Sammy's on sale this week at BB? (7100)

Just wondering how the whole plasma vs led debate is going these days.

Same question, this vs the Es7100? Any1 had any luck PM to amazon the 65"?

I just want to say thanks to everyone who offered their information to my dilemma. The funny thing is, I was going to walk out of Best Buy with a new P55VT50 if they would have price matched Paul's TV. I didn't even get that far. As I checked both sets, the VT vs. the GT, there was no discernible difference in picture quality to me. The icing on the cake for me was, Best Buy happened to have an open box P60GT50 in stock. The manager price matched Paul's TV to $1699,99 on that particular set, and proceeded to take 20% off, plus an additional 10%, and applied the $50 off $100 Mastercard purchase. When all was said and done, I walked out with a P60GT50 for $1245.38! I am now the proud owner of a Panasonic Plasma! Thanks Slickdeals, and OP for getting the ball rolling on a fantastic deal IMO!

Congrats!
That sounds like an awesome deal.
If you went in early, you could have bought $1200 worth of giftcards for $600 bucks.
I wish I did. I am kicking myself for dismissing the $50 off $100 mc BB coupon assuming it would fail with giftcards in the morning, only to read here tonight, it worked like a charm t'll later in the day! I would have cleaned out Amazon GC's. Price matched Pauls $2499 for the VT65 and got it for $1250 essentially. Oh well.

Surprised to hear that, pannys led LCD TVs got horrable reviews on cnet. Although their biggest complaint was the high price compared to the picture quality so maybe at that price they would not have been so harsh.

LOL Don't you hate it when you think you got a killer deal only to realize there was a better deal .. I can't count how many times that's happen to me. :lmao:

Man, I didn't have time to read that far into the forum on the Mastercard deal. That's insane! How in the world were people able to do that without being told that they cannot keep purchasing over and over again like that. My store would have dismissed it from the start. And ultimately, whether or not the store gets taken advantage like that is up to the store manager. Mine would have put a stop to it after the third giftcard.

You know, the funniest part of the whole scenario is, my Mastercard was expired anyway. All I ever use is my Visa, with the Mastercard as backup. I was trying to do a split tender, $100 to MC, the rest to Visa. He scanned the coupon, then ran the MC, which naturally declined. I can't remember the last time I used it, so I never received a new one when it expired (that will tell you how long it's been since I used it). He just ran the whole charge to my Visa. In essence, I got an additional $50 off that I shouldn't have gotten. I'm definitely not complaining. The Magnolia manager played hell trying to get the store manager to do the discount that he offered to me as it was anyway.

I used the calibration provided by CNET for free to the public. I've tried a few others and didn't like them much. The one provided by CNET was the same they used before testing the performance of this machine. Very pleased because it was the only one I found that actually looked better then the Bright THX Cinema setting that was preset from factory. Which is a energy pig@ that setting... I'm glad I didn't pay any extra $$$ having to calibrate the TV.

I also wanted to note that the $1999.99 price for the 65vt50 was at Brandsmart USA. They decided to drop that model and put the last few on clearance for Christmas. For those of you who were slick and lucky enough to cash in on the Best buy/MasterCard promotion. If you were lucky enough to find a BB that allowed you to bring in more then 1 coupon and buy gift cards with it, you could have walked out with a 65vt50 for only $1250 plus tax!

After doing a little research it appears the Panasonic ST60 55" was announced for the exact same price. Does anybody have a guess as to which would look better, overall. The brand new model or the higher but one year older model?

This is a big purchase for me and I would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pulled the trigger on the 55VT50 at a local Best Buy/Magnolia store for 1599 (price-match from Paul's). I was hoping the store would match 1599 _including_ tax, but no luck. Had my eyes set on the 60GT50 since I read on a few forums that the picture on the GT was nearly as good as the VT and I'd prefer the additional 5 inches at the same price. The Missus loved the VT and wouldn't take her eyes off it and that was the end of that :-).

Where can I find the free CNET calibration? Can't find it on their website. Thanks!

I have a 60ES7100 sitting in my living room, got it for $1599 from Amazon when tehy had it down to 1800, and sent 10% off coupons out...long story short, its waiting to be picked up by CEVA to go back to amazon while I eagerly wait for my 65VT50 to ship from Pauls.

Why is it going back:
1. Bad screen uniformity, lots of clouding, and I have put 25 days, 12 hrs each on it. In dark scenes U wud see flaslights all over teh screen.
2. Skin tones and faces looks animated, too much processing, and I am using the best settings from AVS forums.
3. Smarthub is POS and completely useless.
4. Blacks were very good and mind blowing, UNTIL I saw the 65VT50 at BB :(

Overall, its thin, 1.2", very light, uses less power but PQ is too artificial, looks great during daytime, but night time viewing brings out all the clouding.
I have done tons of research coz did not wanted to spend 2500 on VT specially when I got such an awesome deal on 7100...I wud suggest go with Plasma over LED if u want true colors and gradient blacks.:woot:

This link is embedded towards the bottom of their review page -
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-19410...-settings/

Thanks for the heads up! I was afraid they won't match it, but they did =)
and it only took a 15 mins talk after I showed her the coupon page, not an hour for me =P

They have a VT and higher end yet ZT for 2013 along with the ST but no GT and from what I've read albeit mostly speculation on AVS but no one is even thinking about comparing last years VT to this years ST.

I'm interested in this years models myself been loving my GT50...

^^^^^

I'm SO pissed, I purposely stay out of the BB $50 thread!!!!
I had coupons printed. I went out. Did some shopping. Was done around 1pm. Was going to go to BB. Then I said, NAH! there's NO WAY they would let me buy GC's!
Got home late... Around 7pm.. started reading. Felt like I got kicked in the nuts, and they didn't drop back for the rest of the day!

Ya, it was an insane day for BB from what I read. People were using Visa, Giftcards, Debit, etc... Cashiers were ringing it through. Basically, people would point to the fine print. There was no limit imposed. There was no GC restriction. Tadda. And honestly, as a job, and not a career, if I was a regular worker, I would probably let it all go through unless the scan didn't work and needed authorization. Then it's up to the manager. I think, from what I read, early on, they were scanning in and working with gift cards, no issues, no overrides needed until later. The more I think about it, the more I regret missing it!! lol

BB always PM before the tax

I regret missing it too. It had to happen on a weekday when most people are working (well some had the day off due to MLK day). Also us West Coasters have the disadvantage of not getting to it sooner because the East Coasters already exploited the loopholes so much that BB corporate already got word of it so by the time the stores open here, some of them already got the notice and it was only a matter of time before they can stop people from abusing it. My friend said that he suspected the stores pulled out all the Amazon gift cards and told people that they've sold out so they don't have to deal with these customers bringing the coupons. I guess the moral of the story is that once you see a superslick deal like this, you just have to drop everything (including calling in sick or getting off work) and get to your nearest store as soon as possible before corporate receives a red flag from the abuse.

It was killing me reading those guys who were able to take advantage of the deal and I was stuck at work. I should have just taken off as soon as I saw mail from SD because I couldn't get anything done anyway thinking about the deal. I was at BB late until closing time, I walked out empty handed due to the new restrictions of the revised coupon:mad:

All my cards though are VISA except for 1 Amex and 1 Discover and my friends also don't have MC but then it didn't even matter so that was even slicker. My intention was to buy $400 worth of GC at different registers so that's like 4-16 Amazon GCs depending on denomination for a $200 profit but for someone buying dozens to hundreds of GCs on one regisiter, that should at least alert the manager (if it needed an override) and call corporate or at least pull out all the GCs until they can confirm with corporate. For those where the coupon worked without an override, then I don't know how BB can stop that, obviously, that was still early in the day when corporate had no idea of the feeding frenzy.

So...any thoughts on whether the ST60 or VT50 would look better?

Same price at 55"

I think post #143 tried to answer that question.

From what I've gathered so far, you're still a little better off with the VT50 as not much was changed, if anything, for the new ST60 compared to the previous year ST50. But the ST models are considered the best price-to-performance values in that lineup so unless you insist upon squeezing out every last ounce of feature and picture quality potential and have the spare change to splurge for it in the VT50, the ST60 should do you very nearly as well.

Update: Amazon now has the 55VT50 for $1599.99, with free shipping.

This is the big one I feel that separates the VT from the ST/GT. On the ST/GT, you are left with the flicker inducing 48Hz mode or standard 60Hz mode using the 3:2 pulldown. To get true 24p playback, you need the 96Hz mode of the VT. I have an LG 60PK550, which in almost every way is inferior to the ST50 except that my LG can display 24p content at 72Hz without flicker. (72Hz is what the Pioneer Kuro used as well)

Playing back 3D blurays with 96Hz mode will exhibit less crosstalk then using 60Hz mode on the ST/GT, providing a cleaner 3D image.

Having said that, I've viewed 2D Blu-rays on a friends 55ST50, and I think the 60Hz mode looked good without judder and minimal artifacts. Never tried 3D though.

But does that trump screen size? For most people, probably not. A 60" GT50 will be more impactful than a 55" VT50.

You're absolutely right. It's the anti-judder setting that creates the soap opera effect, not the judder itself. I wonder why they included it in a plasma. Maybe it's for when you have 24p source material, but the TV is receiving it at 60hz (because the Bluray player or whatever can't do 48hz or 24hz).

Screen size depends on how far away you want to have the set from your seating area. If everyone is going to be within 12', I would go with the 55" VT. If some people are going to be 18' from the set, then I would go with the 60"
GT.

I just picked up a 55" VT, but it is for a bedroom. I considered a 60" ST (from reading all the reviews I think the ST is a better value than the GT), but I thought that would be overkill for the size of the room.

It really depends what you're going for. If you want more of an immersive movie theater-like experience, you can't really go wrong with a huge screen, even at closer distances (see http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-...tv-set-up/ ). For example, for a 55" screen, THX recommends a seating distance of only 5' 5" (55" / .84 = 65"). That's probably a bit extreme though.

For a bedroom, I agree you probably don't need a "wall of screen."=)

Just bought this from Amazon.. Impulse buy ftw.

I think you meant that its not the refresh rate? But yeah, they have it on plasma to get rid of judder, LCD had it and higher refresh rates to get rid of judder and motion blur. Plasmas don't have motion blur so 60hz is fine. Anyway, my guess is they have it because some people like it or to maybe fight the misconceptions that leds are newer and therefore better tech by having the same bells and whistles. But most will say the benfit of less judder does not justify cheap video look, not to mention the added artifacts produced by all the video processing the TV does to the source. Does not have to do with 24p. But blu ray players do output in 24hz, if your TV accepts 24p it can take 24hz, its the same thing, that does not mean it displays it as such. For instance this TV can do 48, 60 or 96. 48 just doubles up each frame, 60 does 3:2 pull down and 96 is 4:4. Lg TVs for example do 3:3 at 72hz which I prefer but they seem to be the only ones that do that.

doesn't hurt to try.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a $400 surround sound setup for this? Speakers, receiver, sub....

Get that denon reciever for 199.99 shipped from fry's. And look for a 5.1 energy system for $200.

I got a marantz sr5007 for $599 and the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.1 system for around $250 by taking advantage of Bestbuy's MasterCard promotion buying a bunch of $100 giftcards for $50. I wish i didnt buy my tv from Pauls a few weeks earlier and instead had $1700 in my account. I would have been able to walk away with a 65" vt50 for $1250 and my system for $475, but i still got a great deal on a killer setup just intime for the big game. Also remember to buy your wires, cables, plugs, and mounts from monoprice. Theres a 10% off coupon floating around if you search for it. It will save you $$.

So I just noticed that this TV just went up at my local Best Buy as an open boxed item.

A few questions for you sd'ers

1) They are asking $1500, what do you all think a reasonable price is for that open box. I was going to try to talk them down to $1000

2) I read something about these TVs not being good for hockey. Has anyone had those problems?

If I can think of anything else i'll post. And if I do purchase it, i'll make sure to post everything so that others can attempt to get the same deal.

Thanks All!!

Reficul this tv has the fastest motion rate available at 600mhz. Its the most beautiful screen ihave ever seen. Try to talk it down to 1250.00 my friend saw one in daytona openbox for $1250.

The refresh rate is only 60Hz (92 Hz for 24p direct). The 600 number comes from 60Hz x 10 sub field. It is just a marketing ploy. Plasma TVs generally do not suffer from motion blurs like LCD TVs.

Code doesn't work anymore, is deal dead?

The codes were updated on 1/25. Check this thread: http://slickdeals.net/f/5816766-P...PDATE-1-25

Amazon has it now for $1599, with their free super saver shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-V...rds=55VT50

Shows $1,999

went back up...the magic of superbowl.





probably another discount soon closer to the bowl to make an artificially larger looking price drop.

Yup. When the 2013 VT60s hit the stores, my guess is the 55VT50 will drop down to $1400-1500 for final clearance.

I guess you'll have to wait after the Superbowl before the price come back down to $1599. Use Amazon Visa for 3% CB or buy Amazon GCs at Safeway using 5% CB on certain CCs (6% for Amex Blue Preferred). Too bad tax in CA doesn't make it as slick anymore. Amazon may probably pricematch PaulsTV's free white glove delivery.

okay, I'm ready for is to drop again

The PaulsTV deal is working again for $1600. I got Amazon to price match Pauls

The only way for Amazon not to charge you tax in CA is to PM other stores

I bought the 55GT50 and had the same dilemma. LCD brightness for a Plasma PQ? In short, I havent looked back or regretted my decision one bit. I'm an avid COD player and watch my share of Blu Rays as well. You will not be disappointed. This is promise you.