- Joined
- Feb 7, 2002
- Posts
- 8,220
Before anyone asks why this is in General, just scroll down to the bottom pictures in the second post and you will see why. Plus there has been a lot of talk over the last month on TV suggestions for video games.
I was recently shopping for a new TV and I stopped in a local store (Big Sandy) and browsed around a bit. I was really kind of leaning towards replacing my Toshiba 36" Flat tube Cinema Set with a newer HD version of the same size. Or maybe going with the 34" wide screen HD model. Lo' and behold I ran across the Panasonic. It was running a HD Satellite signal and it looked fantastic! I was blown away by the color and clarity of the picture. I talked one of the salesmen into letting me drag my XBox in and hooking it up. Needless to say, I bought it.
So, onto my mini-review (split into 2 parts due to amount of images):
The Panasonic PT-50LC13 is a 50 inch Widescreen LCD Projection Display in a large tabletop format. It is capable of HD display of 480P (progressive, non interlaced), 720p and 1080i. It can also display standard definition material such as 480i and regular tv broadcast.
Basic Specs:
Dimensions (H x W x D): 35.3'' x 55.8'' x 15.3''
Weight: 82.9 lbs (This fucker is feather weight)
Native Resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels (720p)
Typical street price: Around $2900
You can find more info HERE and HERE
This display has inputs galore.
On the back we have a regular coaxial cable input (not pictured), 2 S-video and composite inputs, 1 s-video and composite output, 4 HD capable component inputs (wow!), 1 VGA input (labeled RGB) and 1 DVI (Digital Visual Interface). Each of these inputs have audio inputs as well. You can easily attach a computer or something like the XRGB-2 device to the VGA and have a crystal clear quality picture. You can attach a computer, newer dvd player or HD set-top box to the DVI interface for the very best quality picture.
On the right hand side of the set we have more inputs. 1 s-video and composite and another VGA connection plus audio inputs for them all. All total this set has tons of connectivity options for now and the future.
From the side you can see just how shallow the tv is. At only a tad over 15 inchs deep, it would be very easy to get close to the wall. Currently I have it sitting on a trunk, but I am going to be building a stand for it next week. Most likely about 16 to 20 inchs tall.
The front of the TV has a power switch, channel and volume buttons and a little sliding door that covers up a SD slot and PC card slot. If you own a digital camera you can slide your cards into the front of the tv and display them on the screen.
Black bars, video games and burn in
Its widely thought that video games = instant burn-in for projection tvs. This is largely false. Most modern projection systems are designed to minimize burn in. Plus, its very easy to prevent burn-in by doing one very important thing when buying a new set: Turn down the Brightness and Contrast. By default almost all televisions are shipped set far too bright since thats the way they grab your attention on a bright lit showflow amongst dozens of other tvs. I would suggest picking up something like Avia: Guide to Home Theater to ensure your TV is calibrated correctly. It includes a DVD that will assist you in setting up both the picture and audio of your home theater correctly. I will be doing this shortly once I borrow it from a friend of my fathers.
Another issue that will crop up is displaying 4:3 material on this set. I has several aspect ratio adjustments so you can either stretch the picture to fill the screen or leave it in 4:3 mode. Again, if the tv is setup correctly, you shouldn't need to worry about any kind of burn-in.
The Remote and other notes
It comes with a nice backlit remote control thats capable of controlling several other devices such as Cable box, VCR, dvd player and etc.
Each of the inputs on the TV can be setup differently. That way you can optimize each input for whatever is plugged into it.
When your power the set on for the first time you will notice something right away: it makes a purring sound. This is due to the fact that it has a cooling fan in it that runs when the set is powered on. Make sure that the vents in the back of the set are kept clear of anything that might block them. You might also notice over time that the set puts out a good amount of heat. This is most likely due to the lamp in it. The lamp is rated for a maximum of 10,000 hours. When the lamp is starting to go out, a message will pop up on the screen letting you know that its time to change it. The current replacement cost for the lamp is about $300. I would highly suggest checking on any option for extended warranty as repairs of any kind would be very expensive. Plus many stores may cover the cost of the lamp during that warranty period (will have to check this depending on where you buy it from). Panasonic provides a one year warranty on the set that covers both parts and labor.
-Goto Part 2-
I was recently shopping for a new TV and I stopped in a local store (Big Sandy) and browsed around a bit. I was really kind of leaning towards replacing my Toshiba 36" Flat tube Cinema Set with a newer HD version of the same size. Or maybe going with the 34" wide screen HD model. Lo' and behold I ran across the Panasonic. It was running a HD Satellite signal and it looked fantastic! I was blown away by the color and clarity of the picture. I talked one of the salesmen into letting me drag my XBox in and hooking it up. Needless to say, I bought it.
So, onto my mini-review (split into 2 parts due to amount of images):
The Panasonic PT-50LC13 is a 50 inch Widescreen LCD Projection Display in a large tabletop format. It is capable of HD display of 480P (progressive, non interlaced), 720p and 1080i. It can also display standard definition material such as 480i and regular tv broadcast.
Basic Specs:
Dimensions (H x W x D): 35.3'' x 55.8'' x 15.3''
Weight: 82.9 lbs (This fucker is feather weight)
Native Resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels (720p)
Typical street price: Around $2900
You can find more info HERE and HERE
This display has inputs galore.
On the back we have a regular coaxial cable input (not pictured), 2 S-video and composite inputs, 1 s-video and composite output, 4 HD capable component inputs (wow!), 1 VGA input (labeled RGB) and 1 DVI (Digital Visual Interface). Each of these inputs have audio inputs as well. You can easily attach a computer or something like the XRGB-2 device to the VGA and have a crystal clear quality picture. You can attach a computer, newer dvd player or HD set-top box to the DVI interface for the very best quality picture.
On the right hand side of the set we have more inputs. 1 s-video and composite and another VGA connection plus audio inputs for them all. All total this set has tons of connectivity options for now and the future.
From the side you can see just how shallow the tv is. At only a tad over 15 inchs deep, it would be very easy to get close to the wall. Currently I have it sitting on a trunk, but I am going to be building a stand for it next week. Most likely about 16 to 20 inchs tall.
The front of the TV has a power switch, channel and volume buttons and a little sliding door that covers up a SD slot and PC card slot. If you own a digital camera you can slide your cards into the front of the tv and display them on the screen.
Black bars, video games and burn in
Its widely thought that video games = instant burn-in for projection tvs. This is largely false. Most modern projection systems are designed to minimize burn in. Plus, its very easy to prevent burn-in by doing one very important thing when buying a new set: Turn down the Brightness and Contrast. By default almost all televisions are shipped set far too bright since thats the way they grab your attention on a bright lit showflow amongst dozens of other tvs. I would suggest picking up something like Avia: Guide to Home Theater to ensure your TV is calibrated correctly. It includes a DVD that will assist you in setting up both the picture and audio of your home theater correctly. I will be doing this shortly once I borrow it from a friend of my fathers.
Another issue that will crop up is displaying 4:3 material on this set. I has several aspect ratio adjustments so you can either stretch the picture to fill the screen or leave it in 4:3 mode. Again, if the tv is setup correctly, you shouldn't need to worry about any kind of burn-in.
The Remote and other notes
It comes with a nice backlit remote control thats capable of controlling several other devices such as Cable box, VCR, dvd player and etc.
Each of the inputs on the TV can be setup differently. That way you can optimize each input for whatever is plugged into it.
When your power the set on for the first time you will notice something right away: it makes a purring sound. This is due to the fact that it has a cooling fan in it that runs when the set is powered on. Make sure that the vents in the back of the set are kept clear of anything that might block them. You might also notice over time that the set puts out a good amount of heat. This is most likely due to the lamp in it. The lamp is rated for a maximum of 10,000 hours. When the lamp is starting to go out, a message will pop up on the screen letting you know that its time to change it. The current replacement cost for the lamp is about $300. I would highly suggest checking on any option for extended warranty as repairs of any kind would be very expensive. Plus many stores may cover the cost of the lamp during that warranty period (will have to check this depending on where you buy it from). Panasonic provides a one year warranty on the set that covers both parts and labor.
-Goto Part 2-
hooked a PC and killer instinct EMU 
