Panasonic TH-50PH9UK 50″ Plasma Display
- 16-bit processing to produce 3,072 steps of gradation
- Up to 10,000:1 contrast level with new Real Black Creation technology
- Outstanding 60,000-hour service life
- 1366 x 768 resolution
- Fully customizable panel with Panasonic’s wide array of optional boards
Panasonic combines the very best in image quality, customization and size selection in its new Professional Series plasma family. With an up to 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 3,072 shades of gradation and industry-leading 16-bit color processing, the TH-50PH9UK delivers significant image quality improvements to produce an unforgettable visual experience. Panasonic’s multi-function input slot system offers seamless integration in virtually any AV, PC or interactive environment, so it can be used in the widest range of vertical or horizontal display applications. This 50″ panel is more lighter and more energy efficient than the previous generation, and its ultra-stylish design looks ultra sleek even when the panel is turned off. Taken as a whole, the TH-50PH9UK is a stunning 50″ high definition professional plasma display that delivers the elegance and superb image quality for any installation, while providing full integration in an automated environment, making it equally at home in the broad
List Price: $ 1,649.99
Price: $ 1,649.99
Comments
One comment
Byron Kim
May 21, 2011
Fantastic plasma…but it’s not for everyone,
I am really happy with this purchase. Here are the reasons:
PROS:
– Reasonable price for a 50″ plasma. Great value.
– Great picture quality/color/detail (see caveat below)
– Appealing enclosure. Simple, clean. (This was big for me. I find that plasma case designs tend to draw too much attention to themselves. This TV has a slim dark grey, almost black frame. I like it since the plasma is dominated by the image and not by the unit itself. Also, a 50″ TV is not a small appliance by any means and this allows it to not overpower a room.)
– DVI or HDMI inputs sold separately, as easily installed module. (This can be viewed as a ‘con’ but I like the idea of not paying for bell-and-whistles that I don’t need. I only needed the DVI input)
CONS:
– Stand sold seprately.
Now having espoused how great this plasma is, it must be said that this TV is not for everyone. Internal processing (upscaling or rendering of standard definition and DVD content) is not as good as say the Pioneer 5070. In my research I found that the quality of video processing varies with each different model. This was an issue for me since a lot of what I will be watching will be standard def DVD’s. So a lot of the TV’s out there may display HD content fine, but SD content is all over the map.
So my solution was to treat the TV plasma as if it were a monitor and do the scaling/upscaling thorough a separate external video processor. The external video processor can render better quality SD content than most plasmas out there (even high end). What this allowed me to do was to invest less in ‘built-in’ processing and put that money towards a better video processing solution (I chose the DVDO iScan VP30). You end up paying more money in the end, but keep in mind that when I upgrade plasmas in a couple of years, I keep the video processor for the new monitor. I liken it to the choice between getting an all-in-one computer, like the iMac, vs a CPU/monitor set-up. You get the flexibility to upgrades the ‘wheels’ and not have by a whole new ‘wagon.’
Ultimately, for me it comes down to picture quality (especially for SD content) and value, and this combination has it in spades!
(Also, the plasma/ext VP combination also allows for displaying video at the native resultion of the TV, which for this model sits somewhere between 720P and 1080i. The results make a big difference.)
Was this review helpful to you?
|Write a Reply or Comment: