Panasonic TC-P60S60 60-Inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV

Panasonic Plasma, need I say more?, April 20, 2013

Panasonic as far as I am concerned is the best producer of television sets in the world right now. Nothing compares to the picture clarity and quality of a Panasonic Plasma TV and this model is no different. I replaced a 42″ Plasma from 5 or 6 years ago with this model and a week later I’m not even slightly regretting the choice.

Plasma technology has come a long way, you’ll find that not only do you get the high refresh rate, deep blacks and crisp picture but you also get a longer lifetime now (~30 years of 8 hours a day viewing before the TV will begin to fade), much lower power consumption (CNET rates this model around $44 a year, Panasonic states $28, so figure it somewhere between $35-40 without using Eco-mode settings) and better picture control than in the past (multiple ratios, you can choose to cool/warm the picture in minute quantities and set different profiles for each input).

Still, if you’re sitting here trying to decide between a Plasma and an LED, you need to really only consider a few scenarios.

If it is going to be in a family room that has bright lighting and won’t be used for a lot of high action (sports) programming, you’re probably better off going with a newer LED model for the screen reflectivity and to avoid the color saturation you get on Plasmas. If you want a Plasma and to avoid any serious glare problems, try stepping up a model to the ST60 or the VT60, each step up will dramatically improve screen glare (and add a crisper picture, which isn’t terribly noticeable unless a side by side comparison is performed when in a scarcely lit room). Otherwise in a bedroom or somewhere you don’t mind closing the blinds, this is a great buy. Update: Recently read about the P50S64 which has the anti-reflection coating on the S60 model here, try looking online to find your nearest dealer if this interests you.

Trying to decide between the ST60 and the S60? Even I had a difficult time with that. The final decision really only came down to the fact that there isn’t a noticeable difference in picture quality in the setting I have my TV and I don’t need the Smart TV/3D ability.

This model has Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, Hulu and a few other Apps. All of which are updated applications so the interfaces are more modern, which is nice. The Wi-Fi set up was very easy, so despite not being Wifi certified I wouldn’t be concerned, it comes built-in and ready to go.

Another great feature some Techies might find useful is full DLNA support with no complications. All I had to do was connect the network, pull up my DLNA apps on my Surface or Lumia 920 and boom, streaming right to the TV in all of its glory.

Don’t be fooled for other knockoff brands like Samsungs which just copy market innovators or LG/Sharp whom don’t have the same technology built into their TVs like Panasonic does. The S60 is a great deal for the consumer, bringing affordable HD sets to the masses and backed by a brand that lasts, my TV still works from 6 years ago without ever needing a repair and I know of other people with Panasonics from 10+ years ago that never had problems.

Update: I’ve seen a lot of people trying to find a magic configuration for their picture quality, but it’s unlikely one settings configurations will match someone else’s. Your best bet is to setup the TV and begin tweaking the main settings for your common programming. For instance, I watch a ton of hockey and like for the ice to be vivid and cool, I leave on CATS to dynamically adjust brightness from day to night, the human eye is only so precise so I wouldn’t recommend obsessing over tweaks you can’t actually recognize. Some people claim to see enhanced reds, pro settings can drop that level when you’re in Cinema or Custom.

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Replacing Viera 50″ bought in 2006 for 1/3 of the cost, March 20, 2013

It replaces a 2006, 50″ Viera and seems to be the same quality product but a lighter and smaller set built around the same screen size. It was delivered to my living room and set up and checked. I was very happy with the delivery. The set has an improvement that lets you directly access internet movies from several vendors by using my wireless network in-house server. I am not much of a pay-per-view person but U-tube videos are free. The only drawback compared to my older set is the lack of a reflection free screen. The older model featured some type of coating that stopped the mirror effect of lighting on the screen. The new screen acts like a mirror and reflects lighting brightly. Not good. The preference and set up menus are more elaborate to walk through than the older system but offer more. Overall I feel the reliability will be good in this set as it has been in the past with no service needed for 6 years. I gave my old set to someone and it was working like the day it was delivered in 2006.

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Extremely good picture quality and performance, May 10, 2013

After exhaustive research and subsequent comparison shopping, I decided on this TV in its 65″ form factor. I am extremely pleased with the purchase (and subsequent Amazon delivery), and can recommend it heartily, especially considering its price point.

Another reviewer echoed an important sentiment in these reviews to note if you’re upgrading from an older TV: the performance of this set will almost undoubtedly trounce your older TV for a fraction of its original cost. In my case, a 2006 Panasonic 42″ plasma that cost about $2,300 at the time; its picture quality and black levels don’t hold a candle to this one.

Also, going from 42″ to 65″ is like having a hallelujah chorus sing every time you turn it on. It’s pretty glorious.

Since picture quality is highly subjective, I will leave you to the professionals for their specific opinions and testing results (CNet has an informative review up). As for my personal opinion, the picture is stunning with Blu-ray and HD streaming content (Netflix, Amazon, and Vudu via the PS3). Gaming, specifically related to input lag and fluid motion, is an absolute joy to behld. The ST60 series was on my short list, but after the definitive input lag tests on those sets, I passed them up in favor of what I found to be a better deal in this S60 series.

In terms of the visual aesthetic, this TV looks like a much more expensive model, with a particularly slim black bezel (it’s about an inch) and understated stand. To quote one of my more eloquent friends, her first reaction to seeing the set when turned off was, “Whoa…fancy.”

Prior to purchasing, I spent some time trying to figure out if this TV would be too big for the space I wanted to put it in, and ended up addressing that question with about $4 worth of poster board stapled to the measured dimensions of the TV (for each size in this series you can easily find its specific measurements). I simply took the measured, combined pieces of poster board and held them up over my existing stand, and judged accordingly. And then grinned for about five minutes. To those of you debating a larger vs. smaller model, I’ll relate one of the forum threads I found in which one of the early S60 owners simply said, “How often have you ever heard someone say they wish they’d bought a smaller TV?”

The one serious knock (and honestly, the only legitimate knock I’ve heard against this TV) is that it is highly reflective in well-lit conditions. That point cannot be over stressed; this TV is not for you if you can’t control your viewing room’s lighting conditions. I hung blackout curtains in my home theater room (which I’d recommend doing regardless of your TV choice), and in those low-light conditions, the picture really shines. This TV becomes a mirror (a good-looking one at that) in bright conditions, so keep that in mind.

All in all, I cannot recommend this TV enough, especially for the price point. I would suggest you go for a larger size if within your price range, and do what you can to control the lighting conditions in your viewing area. That’s one particularly minor stipulation for an otherwise outstanding TV.

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