Aug 9 Listener Review: Panasonic TC-P60ST50
Mark Schwiderson in Detroit wanted to share a mini review of his new Panasonic TC-P60ST50 (Buy Now $1899). It was delivered on 7-26-12 and purchased through the HT Guys Link.
Features:
- 60-inch Plasma display
- Full HD 3D; Infinite Black Pro Panel
- Viera Connect Wi-Fi Built-In with Web Browser
- 3D Real Sound
- Refresh rate: 600 Hz
I bought an Amazon warehouse deal, which saved me $325 off the sticker price. Also it was delivery to my basement free of charge. You could tell the box had been opened but the TV was in fine shape, just as described by Amazon warehouse website. The delivery company sent email and asked you to pick a time that worked for your schedule for drop off. The delivery guys were right on time and were gone in 15 minutes. I was happy with the whole process.
I tried to get my Harmony remote to work with the ST50. I entered the model number in the setup software, but the system only comes up with the TC-P50ST50 (which is the exact same TV, just a smaller size). All of the commands work as expected EXCEPT for the IR command for switching the input directly to Cable/Ant. All of the other input IR commands work (switch to HDMI1, HDMI2, etc). This was causing me issues with switching inputs. What I did to fix it was put a delay in the Harmony software, it was 1 sec, I changed it to 3 sec. The issue went away. The remote now switches inputs smoothly.
There has been much written about the picture quality of the TC-P60ST50 line. All I can say is I could not agree with the reviewers more. The colors pop and the blacks are very inky black. The gray levels are good too. My Old TV was Toshiba 46 inch Table Top RPTV I bought it in 2004.One of the first things I saw was when I was playing Burn Out Paradise City on the PS3. It was night time, in the game. The best way I can describe it is it looked like late Dusk time frame. Old TV felt like it was midnight, you could not see the cars/poles in your way. You just hoped nothing was in your path. Text is much shaper and readable.
I debated the ST50 vs GT50 models. The biggest difference I could see was the calibration settings, THX picture mode. If you want to set up the ST50 picture quickly, use Movie Mode setting. If you want calibrated picture look on Plasmatvbuyingguide.com and CNet.com for the review of the Panasonic TC-P60ST50. In the articles they have the calibrated picture setting they both used. I just averaged the two and I think the picture looks FANASTIC.
Now obviously the built in sound is not going to replace your external audio system but I have to say the sound is far better than I expected. Sounds and speech are solid and clear at high and low volume levels and will probably bridge the gap for people not normally happy with built-in speakers but don't want to add on an external system.
For those with an external A/V system the TV has ARC, on input #2. My receiver did not have ARC. So I used the optical out from TV. I read, before I bought the TV, that the TV is only passing Dolby digital two channels signals. I am very happy to report that is False. I am getting the full 5.1 audio from TV broadcast and from Netflix. The audio is clean and clear from the optical out.
There is a noticeable buzzing sound when displaying large bright white or light scenes and there is no sound. When there is sound from the TV or other ambient sounds I don't notice this buzzing at all.
Some people mentioned the amount of heat the ST50 put out. All I can compare it to is our older Panasonic TH-42PX80U. The PX80U gets much warmer. That model is a 42 inch TV. The P60ST50 puts out, I am guessing, about less than half the heat I have felt from the PX80U. I would say the 60 inch TV is much more efficient than the TH-42PX80U. The P60ST50 runs relativity cool considering its size.
This is a side note. My receiver has only 2 optical in’s. One is for the DVD player and the other is for the TV. To get my Original Xbox with HD adapter working I had to buy an adapter from MonoPrice #5971. It takes in Component Video and optical audio and sends out a HDMI signal. It works great and for $40 you can not beat the quality. I was happy to discover the MonoPrice product.
Overall I would recommend the ST50 line to anyone who is half-way interested in a new TV. I have not yet found something I do not like about the TV. The only thing might be why I waited some long for a new one.
Reader Comments (1)
I’ve been looking to upgrade some of my older tube TV’s with HD sets when I get my new Hopper satellite receiver from DISH installed this weekend. I’m glad a co-worker of mine at DISH gave me the recommendation to go with this TV, and after seeing the specs here online, I think I made up my mind to get one. Once I get my new Hopper installed, I’ll be a much happier TV viewer because of a very cool feature called Primetime Anytime. With Primetime Anytime, I can record all my primetime networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX etc.) in HD and keep them stored on the hard drive for eight days at a time. I can’t wait to get my new Hopper and HDTV sets!