Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)This is just a heads up about pricing.
I placed my order for this television on 9/2/2008.

THE PRICE from AMAZON with FREE SHIPPING was $2,835.21.
Delivery time quoted, when I placed the order, was 1 to 2 months. UPDATE: Amazon delivered my TV on 9/30/2008 (in about a month) in perfect condition at the price I've quoted ($2,835.21).
Prices are changing day by day. In fact, the day after I placed my order, Amazon raised their price by $500.00. That is quite a price increase in one day! Over the course of the next TWO weeks the price went up to match the list price of $3700. So, in just two weeks time, there was a $900 increase in price! Finally prices are drifting lower again. Early in November, the price has dropped back down to the $2800 range.
THE BEST DEAL YET (11/18/2008). Not only has Amazon lowered its price to an all time low of $2689.00 BUT Amazon says that if you add the Panasonic BDK-35 Blu-ray player (CNET - top rated!) to your cart you will get an additional $300.00 off the combined purchase. Since this player costs $239.00 you will not only receive the player for free but also save an additional $61.00 off of the price of the TV. This deal is a no-brainer, while it lasts. This player is top-rated and, of course, plays standard DVDs too. UPDATE: Unfortunately Amazon withdrew this offer after only a week.
There were no reviews published when I purchased this set but its 50" sister - the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U - had received top reviews. In fact, the 50" version of this set is widely considered either the best HDTV ever made or second only to the much more expensive Pioneer Kuros. UPDATE: This HDTV was Awarded "Editors Choice" by CNET on 10/3/2008 (now only the 50" Pioneer Kuro Elite is rated higher). CNET even rated this Panasonic 58" a tiny bit better than Panasonic's 50" version due to slightly deeper blacks.
Don't pay too much for this set. This set is just starting to trickle into stores and only, late in September, did Amazon have this TV in stock. I can't see why any consumer would pay any more than I have ($2835.21) and I hope they will pay less.
As a general guideline: I've found that a good discount for a Panasonic Plasma will be at least 25% off of the list price.
What is interesting is how carefully the other merchants listed on Amazon.com follow Amazon's lead on price. On the day I purchased this HDTV there were other merchants that were VERY close to Amazon's total price even after including any shipping charges (one was actually a few dollars less including shipping). Once Amazon raised its price, within 24 hours, all these other merchants raised their prices to match Amazon's new price. That trend has continued with these other sellers closely following Amazon's lead.
Amazon's white glove delivery service works extremely well. I was concerned about this and wondered how Amazon's delivery service would stack up against buying this set in person? Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The TV was delivered on time, it was unpacked, the stand was installed, and the TV was placed where I wanted it (the packaging was also removed). I knew how to connect the TV to all my other components but you certainly shouldn't expect the truckers to know how to do this for you! Still they waited 5 minutes for me to make all my connections and confirm the set was in perfect condition. Even if you don't know how to connect the set (prior to studying the manual) - just plugging it into a wall outlet (no other connections required) and turning it on displays a menu on the screen which confirms it was not damaged in transit.
KUDOS to AMAZON on its White Glove Service! Well Done and hassle free!!!
The picture quality exceeds my wildest expectations, assuming a few important changes are made to the set's default settings. With good high definition content the picture is absolutely stunning, better than what I recall was shown at my local movie theatre. High definition movies on HBO really do look better than when I saw them in the theatre. If there is a criticism to be found it is that the default settings are either too dim (THX mode) or too garish (custom mode). However it is easy to adjust the settings to produce a much better picture. I'd encourage everyone to use the settings listed in Greg Lavery's Amazon review (these were first published by CNET and then discussed/updated in the AVS forum). These settings are extremely important if you want the best possible picture and the improvements they yield are NOT subtle! However, having said that, this still may NOT be the best TV for a brightly lit room because it is not the brightest set available and the screen is somewhat reflective. For everyone else, you are purchasing one of the finest HDTVs ever made. The quality and naturalness of the picture is often jaw-dropping. It is hard to explain in words, exactly how good this set is --- even to those of you who have already purchased another HDTV. For example, I purchased a 26" Toshiba HDTV (2008 model) for my office. That HDTV looks pretty poor when compared to this Panasonic. It is almost impossible to overstate the quality of the picture that this set can produce.
Keep in mind this is one, very large, HDTV and it can easily dwarf everything else in a room.
One Final Comment: Know who you are buying from at Amazon. Just below the price if it says "ships from and sold by XXX company" you are NOT buying from Amazon but another company who pays a fee to Amazon to sell products on Amazon's website. While these other companies may be fine - I choose to purchase this HDTV directly from Amazon and NOT from one of these other merchants whose track record I could not as easily evaluate. The shipping policies of these other companies may also vary from Amazon's white glove delivery service.

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Panasonic TH58PZ800 Viera TV delivers breathtaking picture quality is in true sense a HD entertainment with an enhanced contrast ratio of 30000:1 which will provide you outstanding whites and deepest blacks. Additionally it also has an inbuilt digital tuner which will receive digital cable content. Apart it also has 4 HDMI connections for transferring high definition video as well as audio via a single cable, no more extra cables or connections are required.

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Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL-32XBR9 32-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great HDTV. Hands down is one of the most beautiful displays in this size. You can buy a fancier ultra-thin 32" TV from Samsung right now but it's almost twice the price!
Pros: The blacks are black! When you start it up, the Bravia logo appears on a black background and it's as black as when the TV is off! People say that edge LED lighting will make the blacks truer with less backlight bleeding but this TV is already great in this aspect. The colors and settings are very good out of the box for a few of the styles but need adjustment like any TV. The nice thing is that when you change your input, the TV remembers all the settings for that input! So it's like you never have to re-adjust your settings unless you plug your stuff in differently.
The motionflow frame interpolation technology is astounding! 120HZ with the motionflow is worth every penny for bluray and other high-def sources. That's why I waited for this over the XBR6. I however prefer the lifelike "soap-opera" look, but that's me (I have to say PE or the Pirates movies look stunning with it on!). You can turn it off or have this appear more more subtle (the default). The motionflow is basically a side-effect of the necessity to combat blurriness and the staggering "judder" effect inherent to LCDs. It adds one or more frames in between each frame of your source by interpolating entirely NEW frames that were never there by the TV's processor. technology is amazing, isn't it? You have to see it in person to get exactly what this looks like. Other companies are following suit but I find others like the 32 TOC Samsung have more motion artifacts (basically errors ie grabbing parts of the audience behind a fast-moving player in a sports event and dragging them along for the ride). Sony's Bravia processor is second to none. For upconverted sources not originally in 1080 and compressed 1080 cable, the motion technology is less noticeable. So the overall effectiveness depends on how clear the material is.
This is important--with the game mode on, which turns off most processing, there is almost NO LAG. I am one of those demanding gamers who is very sensitive and complains about miniscule things like how much play there is in a joystick. So I can tell you that there is still a little lag but the game mode makes fast games like Smash Bros and shooters play like my CRT. So losing the motionflow in the game mode might seem bad, but it's only a small difference especially on something like the 480p Wii. And Wii games with anti-aliasing like Metroid Prime 3 still look AWESOME in contrast to what most say. The PS3 does look AMAZING either with or without motionflow anyway!
Cons: Not many but the sound is tinny. What do you expect from such small speakers? If you spent this much on a 32 TV and don't have speakers then you should not complain.
There is no headphone jack. I use a mixer with a control-room out to get around this and it works fine.
The autodim is annoying but mainly happens for me when the room is VERY dark. In normal light I do not see it. And you cannot turn it off but with as many people as are complaining about it, all Sony has to do is release a firmware update to allow the switching on and off of it (Sony, are you reading this?)...
CLARIFICATIONS-----
Here are some points that I thought were incorrect in some other reviews so I felt compelled to make this clear to potential buyers.
Okay some people just don't do their research in TVs. Sony's top line of HDTVs is the XBR line. The XBRs are split into the standard and then two higher end levels. Last year we had the XBR6s (standard XBR), XBR7s (larger fancier models) and XBR8 (larger still fancier models). This XBR9 IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR XBR8!! It replaces the XBR6 and the XBR8 was WAY more money and there was not even a 32" one available! The reviewer who complained about there being no LED backlighting is wrong in getting upset because the XBR6 never had LED lighting and the XBR8 is a higher end unit which is different that the XBR9s. Sony will undoubtedly release an XBR10 and XBR11 or something to replace those two higher lines. Maybe in the next few years Sony will add edge LED lighting to the standard XBR line unless something like OLED takes off...
Next the TV takes about as long to start up as my over 10-year-old Sony Trinitron 32" XBR CRT does. Some models take longer some don't but it certainly is not 30 seconds! That reviewer must have gotten a problem unit or need a firmware update or something. Also, to change input, all you have to do is push "Input" then push that arrows up or down and that's it. Wow if that is too much for you, then technology is not your thing. Maybe you should hire someone to push the buttons for you so you don't have to. Come on.
The thing has many inputs and, yes, some are on the side. On bigger TVs this would probably get covered up so on this one you can see some cabling if you have a thick cable that cannot bend easily. If you are clever you can use the cord-management strap to clean this up but my thick Monstercable does not bend that easily so I do see it. Oh well. So with thinner types of cables that bend back easily you should be fine. It's common knowledge that you get the same quality in a $5 HDMI cable as a $200 one because it is digital; getting a cheap thin one should solve the side cable-view problem. I wanted a more durable cable though.
This is a relatively high-end HDTV that means it's designed to be used primarily to view HD content over a HDMI cables. That's why over half it's inputs are HDMI. So if you have a ton of stuff in composite or component, sorry, but Sony is trying to cater to the people who utilize the TV primarily for what it was designed for. Get a splitter/switcher or upgrade your cables to HDMI because, again, no matter how crappy your HDMI cables are, there is NO signal loss. There's an advantage to update anyway.
Also contrary to popular belief numbers across different manufacturers ARE NOT EQUIVALENT. So comparing Lg to Sony to Samsung is not at all accurate. Think of comparing HP numbers in cars--measuring at the flywheel or tire gets you VERY different results and this often misleads consumers. Trust your eyes on a calibrated set with the same source. I can tell you this TV has more than enough contrast and is improved over last years model.
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So far I have not had any problems with the TV and it looks amazing. I would recommend this to anyone and if you are internet savvy and find a good company to work with, you can find it for only slightly more than the closeout or last-year's KDL32XBR6 model--about $850 (or less, as in my case) :D
EDIT: Thanks to other posters for mentioning this--Sony has released a firmware update that apparently makes the menus easier to navigate (faster?) and FIXES THE AUTODIM PROBLEM! I am trying to figure out how to install it now...

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For consumers who want an HDTV that keeps pace with fast-action movies, sports, and game play in a great size comes the Sony® BRAVIA® 32XBR9 Flat Panel HDTV. This great TV combines Full HD 1080p performance and Motionflow™ 120Hz technology in a compact size, great for a dorm room, bedroom, or even a kitchen. Motionflow 120Hz takes both high-definition and standard programming a step further by increasing sharpness and detail in fast-moving images for more fluid, natural motion. In addition, BRAVIA® 32XBR9 HDTVs use proprietary Image Blur Reduction technology to further enhance the picture for even better performance. The HDTVs also feature BRAVIA Engine™ 2, which uses exclusive Sony algorithms to reduce visual noise and sharpen and enhance an already-striking dynamic contrast ratio. Additionally, they include seven versatile HD connections to ensure you get impressive image quality from all your HD components. Take advantage of four HDMI™ inputs, component and composite inputs, and a PC input, as well as a USB input that lets you play audio files from USB storage devices, or connect a compatible camera to your HDTV for a quick and easy slide show. Sony knows your home theater set-up doesn't stop with your HDTV, which is why the BRAVIA 32XBR9 HDTVs are compatible with BRAVIA Link Modules -- including the BRAVIA Wireless Link, BRAVIA DVD Link, and BRAVIA Input Link Modules. The HDTVs also support BRAVIA Sync, so you can control all of your compatible devices with a single remote. And all BRAVIA HDTVs exceed ENERGY STAR® 3.0 requirements for in-use and stand-by power consumption, meaning you don't need a lot of power to get a lot of performance.

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Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-46Z4100/B 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had a Westinghouse 1080p 42inch monitor for a few years and have really been pleased with it. However, with the new features on the market (120hz, 24p, etc) I was ready to upgrade. I initially ordered a Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV. The picture was actually really good on this set, but the glare on the case was VERY annoying. It also lacked the features I was looking for in a new set, but I tried it out because the price was so good. The glare was too much to put up with, so I sent it back and started to research Sony's since they are one of the few sets on the market that you can still get without a glossy case.
I sure am glad that I found Bravia Z series! WIthout going up to an XBR, the Z series is the way to go. If you look at the specs - most of the high end features offered by the XBR are already in the Z series, so it is a really good value when viewed that way. It makes sense why the Z is not offered in a 52 inch size - it would probably really impact sales of the XBR. What a great looking TV (both the picture and the case). I have been extremely impressed with both the blacks on this LCD as well as the vivid colors it produces. The amount of picture calibration offered on this setup is remarkable - especially compared to my old Westinghouse. I find the 24p mode on Blue Ray disk to be quite impressive - it really adds a whole new level of enjoyment to watching Blue Ray movies. The 120hz mode is also wonderful when watching football. I really cannot say enough good things about this TV - spend the extra money that the Sony brand demands, and you get what you pay for.
Although I did not have the issue with this TV, there is a lot of discussion around the Internet about a sparkle issue that this TV has. Be advised that this was an issue, but Sony has released a firmware update that resolves the problem. I have done the update and everything is running great.
If you are on the fence between this and the Samsung LN46A650 (which is in the same feature class as the Sony), be aware that the Samsung has a very glossy screen - not to mention a sure to be dated red outline on the case. This really kills one of the great features of LCD's! The only Samsung I would even consider against this Sony is the Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, but it lacks 120hz, 24p, and has that hideous glossy case. It seems to me that there is no viable competitor to the Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-46Z4100!
Another side note... When my TV was delivered they also picked up the Samsung for return. The delivery guys were telling me that they have to pickup Samsungs EVERY day because people are returning them. He said they have never had to pickup a Sony. This is proved if you look at the used/new link under the Samsung and Sony's - you will see tons of open box Amazon Warehouse Deals on the Samsungs - but none on the Sony's!

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LCD still not thin enough for you?Then look no further than the KDL-Z4100. With a striking slim bezel design, Motionflow™ 120Hz for the reproduction of smooth, lifelike images, BRAVIA Engine 2™ and ACE for a deeper blacks and better shadow detail, now your TV design matches the picture. Ready for the latest technology to go along with the design and picture— The KDL-Z4100 also include DLNA™ compatability so you can access your digital photo collection over your home network (additional DLNA™ components required; sold separately), and Sony's unique DMex and Digital Media Port technology.

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