Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV

Posted on March 29th, 2009 by 1080p HDTV

Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ85U 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV

49.9″ screen (measured diagonally) * widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) *With its 2008 Panasonic Viera Plasmas, Panasonic brings anastonishing 1,000,000:1 contrast ration to the table. advanced pixel resolution and image-processing technology with the plasma TV’s natural ability to beautifully reproduce fast moving images, so every detail is rendered with amazing clarity, and all the action is delivered with a high degree of fluidity.

What’s New This Year?

Super Contrast–native contrast ratios on the PZ85, PZ800 and PX 850 series are 30,000:1, double last year’s 15,000:1.
Dynamic contrast ratios are up to 1,000,000:1.
new anti-reflective filter; lead-free “Tough Under Force” panel is resistant to impacts and scratches
Built-in SD card slot with Photo Viewer/Gallery Player software
x.v. Color and Deep Color (HDMI 1.3 features)
Game Mode auto-adjusts image quality suitable to games and includes anti-image retention
Viera Link is now compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems
At least 3 HDMI inputs on all models (4 on PZ800 and PZ850 series)
THX Certification on PZ800 and PZ850 series

Which Viera is Right For You?

Click here to see a comparison of step up features on each Viera series.

Amazing color reproduction

The incredible black reproduction of a Panasonic High-Definition Plasma TV results in impressive contrast and beautiful, natural colors. So you’ll get warm, accurate skin tones, gorgeous greens, breathtaking blues and vivid reds. For color that’s as rich and bold as life itself, look to a Panasonic Plasma TV.

Consistent brightness from any angle

A Panasonic Plasma combines anti-glare and anti-reflection technology with the natural light-emitting properties of plasma, to give you a super-wide viewing range with a crisp, beautiful image from almost any angle.

Smooth, graceful motion

When you’re watching sports or movies with fast-motion graphics, you want a TV that can keep up with the action. With over 900 lines of moving picture, self-illuminating plasma displays eliminate afterimages in fast-action scenes. So whether you’re watching a sporting event or an action-packed movie, you’ll always get the most impressive viewing experience possible.

1,000,000:1 Contrast

The Panasonic’s Real Black system (a pre-discharge suppression system) and improved panel production processes combine to reproduce outstanding blacks with superb contrast. Each image is richly expressive, from bright scense, like scorching desert landscapes, to dark cave scenes. Compare the image produced by conventional HDTV on the left to the Real Black image produced on the right

More Colors

Viera HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or “x.v. color” for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation “xvYCC” color space actually offers an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize.

Next-generation “xvYCC” color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals
Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately
Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors

Deep Color

Where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color.

Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors
Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors
Enables increased contrast ratio
Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

Connectivity

Viera flat panel HDTVs interact with an array of high-definition devices and services, making it easy for consumers to access and enjoy content as never before. As of 2008, Viera Link is compatible with Onkyo and Yamaha home theater systems.

Videos and stills recorded on SD cards can easily be viewed via the SD slots on Panasonic Blu-Ray Disc players and Viera HDTVs.	Viera Link means easy connectivity via HDMI cables. Finally, consumers can easily operate their Blu-Ray Disc players, DVD recorders and home theater systems with a single remote control device.


4 HDMI inputs to connect all of your devices directly to your television.	Equipped with an RGB input terminal, VIERA can connect with your PC and serve as a large-screen monitor.

Long Life

Panasonic plasma panels are rated to last 100,000 hours, which is about 30 years of regular or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display is halved.

Get Full HD with Blu-Ray Disc Players

A Panasonic 1080p plasma television is able to render 1920×1080 pixels, but standard DVDs have a resolution of just 720×480. Blu-ray discs output true 1080p High-Definition resolution and have a storage capacity ten times greater than standard DVDs, so no pixel gos to waste.

Which is the Right Viera for You?

	Screen Size Measured Diagonally	1080p Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels	Native Contrast Ratio	PC Input	THX Cert	24p	Speakers	HDMI Inputs	One Sheet of Glass Design	Swivel Base	Shades of Gradation	H.264 Codec	Digital Cinema Color	Studio Reference Mode	Pro Setting Menu	Serial Port	Standard Features
TH-42PX80U	42 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096						480 Hz Sub-field Drive Technology Anti-Reflective Filter Viera Link HDAVI Control Built-in SD Card Slot w/Photo Viewer Deep Color Technology x.v. Color 3D Color Mangement Sub-Pixel Controller Motion Pattern Noise Reduction Anti-Image Retention Mode Game Mode Scratch and Impact Rsistant Panel 100,000 Hours to Panel Half-Brightness (>30 years @ 8 hours/day) Lead-free Panel
TH-50PX80U	50 inches		15,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ80U	42 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ80U	46 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ80U	50 inches		20,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ85U	42 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-46PZ85U	46 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-50PZ85U	50 inches		30,000:1				2	3			4,096
TH-42PZ800U	42 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ800U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-50PZ800U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-58PZ800U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			4,096
TH-46PZ850U	46 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-50PZ850U	50 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-58PZ850U	58 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120
TH-65PZ850U	65 inches		30,000:1				4	4			5,120

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Best TV I ever had!
When I recieved this tv my jaw dropped at the size and picture. I previously had a 27″ tv that was over 12 years old. This was my first HDTV. Now I don’t think I can watch anything on a smaller screen ever again. I am on duty at work(I work where I live) almost 24/7 so this TV was a godsend to me. My next thing I have to get is a PS3 to watch Blu-Ray. I would recommend this TV to anyone who wants to live the good life. You also need to get HD service to fully appreciate the higher quality of picture. Look at the same channel between standard def & high def and you’ll wonder why you didn’t switch sooner.

5 Stars Panasonic TH-50PZ85U 50″
This Panasonic truly has an amazing picture. It is crystal clear and can be seen from any angle.

I would also like to comment on Amazon. This was the first time I ordered a large item. We were truly amazed by the service. The trucking company called and set up an apt., delivered and set up the TV. I highly reccomend Amazon.

5 Stars Great Plasma TV!
This TV is great! 3 HDMI inputs, lots of other inputs, Great picture, easy to use menus, Awesome HD picture. I haven’t gotten the chance to test the HDMI yet, but I am sure it will work great. Has SD card slot to view your digital pictures too. If your looking for a new HD TV, I highly recommend this one!

5 Stars Excellent right out of the box!!!
If you are looking for an affordable 50″ HDTV with high performance, look no further. Best Buy had this same flat screen but the “sale” price was about $250 more. On top of that, they were going to charge me for delivery. Amazon’s white glove service, unpacked the TV and set it up–all for free. I did not pay the $300 Best Buy charges to get it calibrated. For our first viewing, we showed a DVD movie and the whole family was inpressed with the colors.

This model is a great one since internal speakers and a HD tuner are included–its ready to go right out of the box. When we set up the full theater room, we will add external speakers to maximize the experience.

Great 50″ HDTV if you are on a budget.

5 Stars Fantastic plasma Viera TH-50PZ85U
What a great tv. My living room is very bright and we can see the screen where ever we sit. The picture is so clear it is amazing. I would highly recommend this television.

Buy/More Info

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