July 14 , 2005 - Podcast #16

Our email address is hdtvpodcast@mac.com

Thank You for staying subscribed!

 

This weeks show

This week we bring you the news (Podcast Only), talk subwoofer, and review the Panasonic 50" Plasma HDTV (TH-50PX50U)
 
Subwoofers
 
People ask all the time about subwoofers: what they are, how they work, why we need them, etc. When you get down to it, a subwoofer is just a big speaker handles all the really low tones in your music, movies or HDTV so that your speakers don't have to. In this week's podcast we talk all about the main issues related to subwoofers, such as:
  • Active vs. passive
  • Ported vs. non-ported
  • Passive Radiators
  • Crossover Frequency
  • Subwoofer cables
The subwoofer is the most important speaker in your home theater for giving you a true movie theater experience while you're on your couch. Some great subwoofer companies are:
 

Panasonic 50" Plasma HDTV (TH-50PX50U) - MSRP $5,000 Online Price $3800 - $4750

Features:

  • Widescreen (16:9)
  • CableCARD compatible
  • Built-in HD tuner - built-in ATSC and QAM tuners
  • HDMI input
  • 1366 x 768 resolution

What we liked:

  • Fantastic HD Picture (DVDs looked like they were HD)
  • Very accurate color representation
  • Deep Blacks!
  • Great fit and finish
  • Looks very professional, even for a consumer model.

What we disliked:

  • Overall minimal features (no photo reader, no SD/PC card slot, no PIP or split screen, no PC input)
  • Connections on back of unit so the TV can't be mounted flush against the wall
  • Speakers and sound very poor (why buy this TV if you aren't going to connect it to a Home Theater System?)

Overall, this plasma TV is one of the best we have seen. We come across a lot of people that say they never watch TV so what's the point of buying such an expensive TV. After they see one of these beauties they will be singing a different tune. High Definition content is so vivid it appears to be real. DVDs, which aren't HD yet look like they are. The high contrast ratio (3000:1) makes all material look great even in moderately lit rooms.

Large format TVs usually do not do a good job with standard definition source material. Garbage in equals garbage out. The Panasonic does a great job with SD material. Panasonic has one of the best stretch modes in the business. You want to watch SD programming in this mode to minimize any chance of burn-in. While watching regular TV in this mode we really didn't notice too much distortion on the sides.

The TV has the typical inputs and outputs. It would be nice if a TV manufactured today would include more than one HDMI connection. The remote is OK, nothing great. We recommend a good universal remote to replace this one.

We highly recommend this TV!

If you are going to buy this TV from Amazon.com, following this link (Panasonic 50" Plasma HDTV TH-50PX50U) will help support this show!

 

This Week's Podcast

XML FEED

Please Vote for our Podcast at Podcast Alley

The Archive