Help picking a 50" Plasma

smusac

After whats seemed like months of trying to decide what TV to get i have narrowed it down to two sets.
1)Panasonic TC-P50ST50
&
2)Panasonic TC-P50UT50
The first one is better lets be honest, it also has a $300 more price tag...
The only differences i can find are:
Panel:
G15 Progressive FullHD NeoPlasma / G15 Progressive FullHD Plasma
Shades of Gradation:
12,288 equivalent / 6,144 equivalent
Filter:
Infinite Black Pro / none
Wireless LAN Adapter:
yes (built-in) / WiFi Ready

Those are the only real differences i could care about. the ones i bold are unknown to me and could make a HUGE difference.

With my particular situation i will only be using the TV for Movies, Sports, and gaming via 360. I do not need to have all of the apps or the ability to surf the web. (My xbox can do that) also i have no need for 3D.

I guess my question breaks down to "is it worth the extra $300?"

Also i know this opens a whole other can of worms but what are other TV's similar to this??

Thanks again!!!

jkkyler

IIRC there is a difference also in the anti-glare coatings the ST50 being better (I could be mistaken but I think not). IMO considering the expected life span of newer flat panels to be 7-10+ years the cost averaged over that time is negligible, I would spend the extra 300 and get a much better tv.

__________________
HT- Panasonic TH-50PZ800U 1080p plasma, Panasonic PT-AX200u LCD projector, Elite Vmax Electric 100' screen, Onkyo TX-NR905 AVR, Paradigm Titan Monitor v5 fronts, Paradigm CC-190 v6 center, Paradigm Atom Monitors v5 surrounds(x4), HSU research VTF-2 sub, xbox360+hd-dvd player ,Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray, D*tv H21 HD-DVR

Bedroom: Insignia NS-lcd26, Samsung BDP-1400 blu-ray
Den - Vizio 20" 1080p LCD + Samsung BD-p1600

Don't believe everything you read on the internet - Albert Einstein

ughazi93

I read the CNET review for the UT50 and they said the black levels are just as good as the ST50 but only in the dark. They said the UT50 looks muddy when the room is lit. So if you're only planning on watching it in a dark room, then go with the UT50, otherwise just dish out the extra money for the ST50 because as jkkyler mentioned, it's worth it.

I'm looking for a 51" plasma too, and there are 2 other TVs that are similar: the Sasmsung PN51E550 and the LG LG 50PM6700. Based on everything I've researched and read, the samsung is by far the best deal of the 3. And it's the same price as the UT50.

WashedOut

Samsung beats Panasonic everyday of the week. Samsung picture is sharper, brighter, and no dithering.!

smusac

Awesome. thank you for the info. and yes you are right about the extra 300. its not much at all if i break it down into years of use.
also thank you for the info about the other 2 TV's i will look into those as well.

IBobi

I have no expert knowledge but did research and looked mainly at the Panasonic and the Samsung. I just bought the Sasmsung PN51E550 on Amazon after they dropped the price from $800 to $700 the day after I started price comparisons, and am very happy with it. The Smart content (HBOGO built in!) won the day.

rfresh187

Get the ST50!!!!!! You will be more then pleased!!!

rfresh187

I think that model looks better then the E7000 series. I had both set's, the E550 is a beautiful picture. I think it looks better then its big brother. The E700 has a lot of glitches...

rfresh187

Thats a bold statement. Trust me. Samsung has nada compared to my VT50 55. just my opinion. I returned 4 Samsung sets, flickering, dead pixels, piss poor blacks, like I aid just my opinion.

IBobi

I guess we can all just report our personal experiences; that's what makes these forums so cool - the more you read, the more people's points of view you see.

This is my first HDTV, and so far the Samsung PN51E550 has great black levels (part of why I went Plasma -- I watch lots of movies mainly), zero defects, none of the flickers or dead pixels that some reported. Hopefully it keeps up with this level of performance over time. We'll see. The built-in wifi setup was super simple. I don't have cable, so Netflix/HBOGO, Amazon Instant/Hulu/MLBTV are paramount to me.

rfresh187

That particular model has good black's. My only reason for return was the dead pixels which was just bad luck on my end. If it weren't for the dead pixels that Tv would be in my living room as we speak. When I returned the E5500, the E7000 was only 148.00 dollars more expensive. My humble opinion Your set is better then the flagship models. The E5500 had good blacks. If you got this set for 699. then you made a very wise purchase. It seems that with Samsung its either a hit or miss?? Ive read over 2oo reviews in regards to Samsung, this seems to be the general consensus about QC being an issue.

IBobi

My fingers are crossed

Yeah it's Amazon $697 + tax (California, ugh) but free shipping. The white glove guys were great & actually early. They even offered to unbox it. I also set a Citi price alert, so if it drops again in 30 days I'll get refunded the difference. I heard this was the best time of year to buy a TV, and so far that seems true. Thanks for your advice!

It came with 2 pairs of 3d glasses which i may never use. I do wish ti came with a keyboard, as the web browser seems pretty useless without it. Doubt i'll spring for the $100 to get one.

rfresh187

Is your heat set with amazon, if so why???

Best Buy will match anything on Amazon, plus you have up to 6 returns in a 9 month period. I buy little things from Amazon, but if you prefer Amazon, Im sure you have your reason's. I would def purchase the 4 year protection plan. On a set that cheap, the 4 extra years will be well worth it, snd probably only about 150 bucks, maybe 200. Remember, you have 30 days to purchase it. My parents have an old Panny, they purchased the 4 yr warranty. They had a bad fan, and panel. BB replaced it for free. The cost would have bee close to 900 without it. I saved 1100 dollars on my 60 inch Lg, 2 years ago by purchasing the warranty. Just some more food for thought.

Jammers

I got the Panasonic TC-P50ST50 last year from Amazon. It's the best TV i have ever had. You can't go wrong if you buy that TV. Only thing i regret is i should have gone bigger and went for the 55" but i didn't because i thought it might be to big. Funny thing i was at the electronic store the other night and the 55" didn't look that big. My guess is i've gotten used to the 50"and a 55-inch TV just doesn't look much bigger. Guess if i ever buy another TV it's 60-inch. LOL

IBobi

That's how they get you! You'll probably go 70" by then

The P50ST50 looked great, but out of my price range still $300 more which is like +40%. Glad we're both happy!