Calling all ST50 and GT50 owners

[strapped for cash]

I'd like to upgrade my V20 for a larger ST or GT50. However, I've read several stories about vertical banding or "the dirty screen effect" that have given me some pause.

My V20 performs fantastically well. Now that it's a few years old I don't even get floating blacks (this was a small issue when I first got the TV). The 50Hz bug can be a minor annoyance, but that's really my only complaint. That said, the TV feels small to me now (I sit roughly 2.5m from the screen). I'd love a larger screen, but I don't want a set with problems. Nor do I want to spend my time going through a potentially endless cycle of replacements.

I'm keen to hear owners' experiences with their ST50 and GT50 televisions. Has vertical banding been an issue? Should I be concerned about this? If I got a set that was affected it would certainly annoy me, though I'd really like a larger screen.

 

[bigboss]

From what I've read so far, vertical banding hasn't been a major issue. You can always exchange it for a non-faulty set in case you've been unlucky with yours.

 

[toyota man]

Hi Strapped for cash I have a gt 42 and a vt50 I think they are the same panel / screen and they are realy fantastic tvs sharp pictures fantastic colour contrast I cannot find any faults with them in fact next year we will be upgrading the gt42 to a vt55/60 the inputs and outputs are a bit fidley when the tv is wall mounted and if you are going to d.i.y wall mounting get some one to help you as the 50 is a bit of a handfull:cheers:

 

[strapped for cash]

Thanks toyota man. The TV would sit on my BLOK stand (which would easily accomodate a 50 or 55 inch screen). The side facing HDMI inputs seem a bit of an annoyance, as I'd need to buy an adaptor to keep cabling out of view, but this is far from a deal breaker.

Just to confirm, you've seen no vertical stripes in the picture (usually visible with solid blocks of colour like football pitches during panning shots)? A few more positive reports and I'm likely to take the plunge.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I'd like to upgrade my V20 for a larger ST or GT50. However, I've read several stories about vertical banding or "the dirty screen effect" that have given me some pause.

My V20 performs fantastically well. Now that it's a few years old I don't even get floating blacks (this was a small issue when I first got the TV). The 50Hz bug can be a minor annoyance, but that's really my only complaint. That said, the TV feels small to me now (I sit roughly 2.5m from the screen). I'd love a larger screen, but I don't want a set with problems. Nor do I want to spend my time going through a potentially endless cycle of replacements.

I'm keen to hear owners' experiences with their ST50 and GT50 televisions. Has vertical banding been an issue? Should I be concerned about this? If I got a set that was affected it would certainly annoy me, though I'd really like a larger screen.

Hi Strapped

Nope, I don't even know what vertical banding issue is? And it certainly has not been a problem for me. Definitely not be concerned by this. I purchased my TV from John Lewis and this is where I recommend anyone purchase there TV from too. The first one I purchased did buzz a bit so I told John Lewis and they replaced it no problems, I think you have 30 days also in that John Lewis offer you the chance to send it back if you are not 100% happy. So purchasing a new TV from them you definietely don't have anything to worry about.

One area that is a little concern is image retention, but as long as you are careful with the settings and TV, the TV should be fine. Factory settings are brilliant too and the THX mode is the icing on the cake. This TV is seriously good. The black levels are superb, here is a picture of them:

The blacks are about as good as a TV gets. I have been running mine on a Sky HD box but watch normal SD TV too and the 50hz issue has never been a problem at all. The motion on this TV is very smooth. At £1200 with a five year warranty at John Lewis I can't recommned this TV highly enough. I would definitely buy it again, and is the best TV since the Pioneer days. Blu-ray looks fantastic too. I am not sure with Panasonic how much longer you will be able to buy a plasma this good and cheap with the way they are going at the moment. As they said in the days of Pioneer resistance is futile (think I have said that right lol). In other words definitely buy.

It is not too big on heavy for a 50inch plasma too. John Lewis will also price match with TotalDigitalbiz who were doing it for £1175 when I last looked. Need any more info or pictures just shout.

Cheers.

 

[strapped for cash]

Thanks BB. Agreed, though I've read stories of replacements having more problems than the sets that were returned. It's a shame we have to enage in a panel lottery when we buy a new television, which of course isn't manufacturer specific.

If I buy a larger TV it would probably be sensible to hang on to my V20, until I'm sure I'm happy with the new set. That way, if I'm forced to get a refund I know I've got a TV that works perfectly well, even if it seems a little dinky to me now. It's therefore important to buy from a reputable and understanding retailer.

I'm still keen to hear of owners' experiences, which might help me buy with confidence.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

No dirty screen effect either this screen is as clean as a whistle. The TV screen has a greenish tint to it like the Pioneers did, so you know the screen is good.

 

[strapped for cash]

Cheers Gel.

Glad you're happy with your GT50. I'm not worried about the 50GT50 being too big. Actually, I think the reverse might be true and a 55 inch screen would be perfect for my living room. Unfortunately there's no 55GT50, as I'd like an integrated Freesat tuner (Freeview reception is poor where I live). That said, I can get around this problem if I buy an external Freesat tuner, but it's more expense and another box to accommodate. Choices... :?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Cheers Gel.

Glad you're happy with your GT50. I'm not worried about the 50GT50 being too big. Actually, I think the reverse might be true and a 55 inch screen would be perfect for my living room. Unfortunately there's no 55GT50, as I'd like an integrated Freesat tuner (Freeview reception is poor where I live). That said, I can get around this problem if I buy an external Freesat tuner, but it's more expense and another box to accomodate. Choices... :?

Now £1139 at TotalDigital for a price match with John Lewis. Yeah my next TV will be a 55 inch, I would definitely recommend that as a size. The Panasonic 55vt30 was a nice screen at that size. Panasonic do the 55 inch in the ST model, not sure about spec though.

 

[strapped for cash]

Cheers Gel.

Glad you're happy with your GT50. I'm not worried about the 50GT50 being too big. Actually, I think the reverse might be true and a 55 inch screen would be perfect for my living room. Unfortunately there's no 55GT50, as I'd like an integrated Freesat tuner (Freeview reception is poor where I live). That said, I can get around this problem if I buy an external Freesat tuner, but it's more expense and another box to accomodate. Choices... :?

Now £1139 at TotalDigital for a price match with John Lewis. Yeah my next TV will be a 55 inch, I would definitely recommend that as a size. The Panasonic 55vt30 was a nice screen at that size. Panasonic do the 55 inch in the ST model, not sure about spec though.

That's a great price. The ST50 doesn't have an onboard Freesat tuner, but from what I've read the True Cinema preset is remarkably accurate (if a little too green, though it shouldn't be difficult to combat this with some fine tuning). In fact, I've read that the ST50's True Cinema preset is very accurate when set to "warm." It isn't THX certified, but that's not an issue if greyscale and colour balance are on the money anyway...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Panasonic North seem to do quite good prices too, here is the ST50:

http://www.panastore-north.co.uk/3d/392-txp42st50.html

Panasonic are also offering £100 off if you spend £1000 or more instore with some dealers.

 

[toyota man]

Hi I agree with Gel the whole package picture wise is fantastic for the money as I said I will be upgrading my gt42 next year and I have not had any lines or blocking of any type the last time we had any problems with a panosonic was on a crt set with a noisey surround system and after a while of panosonic trying to fix it they gave us a new one

 

[jlyt16]

Depending on your budget you could try the 55vt50 if you are looking a larger screen with built-in freesat. I have no banding issues with mine and there is a lot of football and golf watched on the set.

 

[strapped for cash]

Thanks for the suggestion. As much as I'd like a 55VT50, it's beyond my budget (or at least what I'm willing to spend). The 55ST50 looks a tremendous deal in principle, and a separate Freesat PVR (such as the current WHF award winner) would give me greater flexibility in terms of viewing and recording options.

I'm almost convinced that's the way to go. Now I have to find a local retailer with the ST in stock for a reasonable price and that's willing to accept returns should the dreaded vertical bands appear.

Glad you're enjoying your television (and I'm a little jealous)!

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Hello strapped for cash,

I might have missed it in the discussion, but have you told us how big your existing V20 is?

 

[strapped for cash]

Hi Son_of_SJ,

You didn't miss it. I neglected to include that information. My current television is a 42V20. It may seem a big step up to a 55ST50, but my room can accommodate a screen that size and it's the perfect width for my AV cabinet (the 65 would overhang the cabinet, but the 55 would leave me with 5cm to spare either end).

 

[Son_of_SJ]

It's definitely not too big a step to go from 42" to 55". Three years ago, when I replaced my 42" Pioneer (which until then had been in the parlour) with my 50" Pioneer, not one single person (out of about eight people) noticed the change. And in March this year, when I replaced my 50" Pioneer in the parlour with the 64" Samsung, the only reason why one person (eventually) noticed, was because the Samsung has a silver bezel, in contrast to the black bezel of the Pioneers. By the way, the Samsung overhangs my AV open shelf stand by eight inches (20 cm) on either side, but I'm quite happy with the overhang. It gets difficult (not impossible, though) to find AV stands that are about 150cm wide, which is the width of a 65" set. And in changing from a 42" set, the Panasonic 65ST50 really would have that "Wow!" factor. Overhang with pride!

 

[strapped for cash]

Much as that sounds great, I really can't afford the 65" model. I also think SD material would look ropey from my normal viewing distance on a 65" set. I'm off to Richer Sounds later today, so I'll see what I think of the ST50.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Much as that sounds great, I really can't afford the 65" model. I also think SD material would look ropey from my normal viewing distance on a 65" set. I'm off to Richer Sounds later today, so I'll see what I think of the ST50.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I really can't afford the 65" model. I also think SD material would look ropey from my normal viewing distance on a 65" set.

Money certainly is a factor, as I know better than most! However, if your lottery numbers come up in the next few days, be not too concerned about SD material on a big set. Some SD channels are better than others, but most are not too bad if you concentrate on the storyline rather than the technical quality. I've just spent the last three minutes watching the late John Thaw in "Home to Roost" on lowly ITV3 on my Samsung, and it's certainly not great, but it's not too bad. Over the last month I've been watching the Women's NBA games, at a resolution of only 1280 x 768 down a 15m SVGA line from my computer to my 60" LG plasma set in the kitchen and also sometimes to the Samsung, and while not High Definition, it's watchable, at least by me. So if you do go for the 55" Panasonic, I hope that SD material will look fine on it. I've seen various sizes of the Panasonic ST50, but only when they were showing Blu-rays, so I don't know how good they are with broadcast SD material. Ask Richer Sounds to show a SD television channel on the ST50, not only a HD channel or the Blu-ray stuff.

 

[strapped for cash]

Well, I didn't visit Richer Sounds (life got in the way, unfortunately).

However, while at the supermarket later this afternoon I had a look at a 51" Samsung plasma with a view to evaluating how much larger the screen felt from my normal viewing distance.

I concluded that 50" is probably too small for me and not enough of a step up from my current television. Taking all into account -- budget, feng shui, SD, HD, and even 3D viewing requirements -- I think a Pana 55ST50 and an external Freesat tuner makes the most sense. I wish we had the option of a 55GT50 in the UK...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Well, I didn't visit Richer Sounds (life got in the way, unfortunately).

However, while at the supermarket later this afternoon I had a look at a 51" Samsung plasma with a view to evaluating how much larger the screen felt from my normal viewing distance.

I concluded that 50" is probably too small for me and not enough of a step up from my current television. Taking all into account -- budget, feng shui, SD, HD, and even 3D viewing requirements -- I think a Pana 55ST50 and an external Freesat tuner makes the most sense. I wish we had the option of a 55GT50 in the UK...

Yeah if I had a choice I would go for the 55 inch one. You will definitely get the most from Blu-ray on it.

 

[strapped for cash]

The other option is to wait and hope the 55VT50 drops in price a little more. I could pounce just before next year's televisions are brought to market and grab a high end television with an integral Freesat tuner for a great price.

Might be a risky strategy, though. I've got lots to do in the next few weeks and, while I probably won't have time to audition and buy a television, I can consider my options further. My main concern is the vertical stripe (or dirty screen) issue, though some of the posts above helped reassure me.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions all...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

The other option is to wait and hope the 55VT50 drops in price a little more. I could pounce just before next year's televisions are brought to market and grab a high end television with an integral Freesat tuner for a great price.

Might be a risky strategy, though. I've got lots to do in the next few weeks and, while I probably won't have time to audition and buy a television, I can consider my options further. My main concern is the vertical stripe (or dirty screen) issue, though some of the posts above helped reassure me.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions all...

Cheapest I have seen the VT55 is £1915 at DigitalDirect. I agree it could be a risky strategy to wait. I have seen the 42ST50 and that looked okay and also the 50ST50 and that too looked okay. I haven't seen any of these issues mentioned in reviews, so that is good.

I have read about these issues too on AV with the ST50 model and also the GT50 but I have not come across it. I still have not seen the VT50 though. Keep us updated.

Cheers.

 

[FarNorth]

The other option is to wait and hope the 55VT50 drops in price a little more. I could pounce just before next year's televisions are brought to market and grab a high end television with an integral Freesat tuner for a great price.

Might be a risky strategy, though. I've got lots to do in the next few weeks and, while I probably won't have time to audition and buy a television, I can consider my options further. My main concern is the vertical stripe (or dirty screen) issue, though some of the posts above helped reassure me.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions all...

Hi Strapped for Cash. I've been around a while but not posted anything to speak of, however purchased the ST50 back in May so I'll add my three pennorth to the thread. I was originally hanging on hoping to get one of last years sets on the cheap but left it to late and missed the boat so, having read as many reviews as I could find, plumped for the ST50 as being the best I could afford. £1150 from Co-Op electrical on line at the time. I am not in position to audition AV kit where I live, its a 2 hour drive on a good day with a following wind to get to the nearest Currys/PC World let alone a decent HiFi retailer hence reliance on reviews. It has no built in freesat but that was a nice to rather than a must have from my perspective and I didn't bother with lashing out another £200+ on 3D specs; maybe later.

Right to cut the waffle am I happy with it, you bet, its brilliant, no green lines/blobs, no buzzing, excellent colour. Now bear in mind I was upgrading from a venerable 32" Panny CRT I may have come from a low starting point and my intial reaction was b***** hell that's big! However that reaction wore of remarkably quickly, admittedly we had to rearrange the lounge but it was definitely worth it. What surprised me was just how good the picture was with off air broadcasts something I had been slightly concerned about. SD is fine and HD is brilliant as are DVDs. I don't own a blu-ray player as yet, that's next on the list so I can't comment on its abilities in that field but I can only imagine it will be outstanding given it's other talents. I use the true cinema setting all the time and have not as yet felt the need to do any further tweeking. If you are after a plasma in my book you cannot go wrong with this one.