Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P50U1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Reviews

Review by C-Has for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P50U1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Have owned this Model in the 54″ variety for about one month now. The high gloss frame looks sharp. Despite some forgetful kids leaving DVD’s on pause, I’ve noticed ZERO Image Retention issue, as Plasma’s are known for. In case you do have any Image Retention, the TV has a nice feature that is designed to eliminate or reduce the effects with a scrolling pattern of alternating black/white bars running across the screen. Another issue Plasma’s are known for is reflection due to the shiny glass screen. There is an Anti-Reflection coating of some kind on this TV that is evident, as reflective images don’t show up clear, but rather hazed. That being said, there are few issues I’ve noticed with reflection or background light.

Setup was easy, plenty of inputs for A/V Components. I’ve paired this unit with Dish Network HD service and it provides a beautiful HD pic. Sports and high action are without a doubt superior to LCD’s I’ve compared (both in the store and on my own Panasonic Viera X1 LCD).

I will agree that the sound from the speakers on the unit is lacking, however, anyone that buys this or any other flat panel should be cognizant of the fact that you will not receive the best sound from the internal speakers. The manufacturers are packing quite a bit into a little space. Odds are if you’re buying this or a similar unit, you’re matching it with a Home Entertainment System or Home Theater Receiver and surround speakers, as I’ve done which should eliminate “Sound shortcomings.”

Through some minor haggling, I was also able to pick up a Panasonic Blu-Ray player for free from the retailer I used. Without a doubt, a wonderful move! What a SUPERB PICTURE!

I would definitely recommend this TV to anyone in the market for a Great Picture, without a lot of fluff and/or frills! Keep in mind; if you’re looking for widgets, you can buy a Blu-Ray (with widgets) cheaper than buying a TV like this with widgets added on!

Review by SmokeStack for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P50U1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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I actually bought the 42″ version of this TV and have had it only a few days so my initial impressions are in the inexperienced realm but, worthy of considertion if you’re thinking about buying this brand and type of TV. I went back and forth for days leading into weeks as to what TV out there offered the best value, starting with LCD vs Plasma? I already have two LCD smaller screen sets in my house along with a 6 year old Mitsubishi “Big Dog” rear projection 65″ beast that serves as my primary unit in the family room.

I wanted to add a plasma set to the stable but was a little shy because of the stories I’d heard in the past about them burning in images onto the screen if kept in pause for extended periods of time. Research on this topic uncovered some comforting data about that problem having been addressed by the industry and resolved. I’ll save you the technical jargon on the particulars and just say I was satisfied with the cure which was also confirmed by the knowledgable store salesman. It was he who helped allay my concerns on that issue because of his personal ownership of the same TV and not having any problems. Now, I know, these salespeople probably own every TV in the store depending on who they’re dealing with but that’s the cynical side of me coming out. Suffice to say, he seemed sincere and believable so, I’ll leave it at that.

I took the TV home in a box and set it up myself which wasn’t too daunting a task. I’m not mechanically gifted in the least but even I had little problems in attaching the base to the unit. Hooking it up to my Directv hardware was similarly an easy task, made more so by virtue that the Panasonic was replacing my old LCD 32″ TV (which I subsequently moved to another room in the house) so it was only a matter of plugging in the HDMI and power cords. When the Panasonic first powered up, I was disappointed by the picture which was okay but looked washed out and had this hazy appearance.

Compared to the sharp image out of the box from the LCD units, I had this sinking feeling that an error in judgment had been made. Then, I began to adjust the settings: Color, tint, sharpness, brightness etc, experimenting to see if I could bolden up the picture. It helped a little. What brought it home was my discovery of the various modes of picture wanted, ranging from standard (the default) to ‘Cinematic’ and several others toggled through before settling on the ‘Vivid’ selection. Wow! Now the picture, complete with sharp images jumped off the screen! It’s even a little superior to the LCD pictures so now I’m happy.

I’ve yet to try out the built in SDcard slot for viewing digital camera/video pictures but it was that feature that separated the Panosonic from the others up for consideration. Technology advancing as it always does, makes me feel good about spending the extra bucks for a 1080p resolution TV as opposed to the cheaper 720p units, already being rewarded with BluRay capability with the 1080p status. Buying a new TV is similar to getting a new computer: Do you spend extra for cutting edge current technology to see you safely into the next few years or spend less for aging technology that could be handicapped over the same period of time? I opted for the former and glad of it.

I’ll be back to update my experience with this Panosonic TV after I’ve had it for about a year. In the meantime, I give it a solid thumbs UP rating as it so far has met or exceeded my expectations for being the most TV for the least dollars.

Review by J. Cordero for Panasonic VIERA U1 Series TC-P50U1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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This is a beautiful piece of equipment. It matched and surpassed our family’s viewing needs. The image is crisp and clear. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the glossy screen. 50″ of glossy screen is very reflective. You really need a darkened room to enjoy the set and then it blows you away. Audio quality is improved through a DVD player’s features because the TV’s audio features are scant. There are plenty of inputs to connect all your peripherals. I just bought it, let’s see how it is a year from now when the warranty runs out.