Image issues on the Panasonic TX-P50GT60B

[Oldboy]

Well that's that !

Panasonic conclude whilst screen uniformity issues are present , the picture quality is only degraded to a point which given age is within acceptable tolerance .

The screen retention issue is only lasting upto 15 minutes and within tolerance .

Panel is now traded in with Sony store against a W9 . I have taken a bit of a hit but at least I am still smiling

Bye bye Panasonic , sadly just not for me ! :hand:

sounds like the usual fob off to me! Panasonic should be rebranded to foboffonic

let us know what you think of the w9, it's a potential replacement for me should I ever get the chance to get my money back on my gt50

After hearing all these experiences I'm so glad I steered clear of Panasonic plasmas this year...I seriously considered a GT60 or VT65 but I'm so glad I didn't get sucked in by all the reviews. I really hope your W9 serves you better than the GT60 and I'm sure it will be more reliable, don't worry about the financial hit as I'm of the opinion you are better off with the W9 no matter what the cost.

My Samsung 55F8000 has been great from the moment I got it and despite a problem caused by the Viera Link on my bluray player it's been faultless and after a THX engineer calibration it produces one hell of an image, here's hoping your W9 proves equally satisfactory ray:

 

[rocketrazor]

Well that's that !

Panasonic conclude whilst screen uniformity issues are present , the picture quality is only degraded to a point which given age is within acceptable tolerance .

The screen retention issue is only lasting upto 15 minutes and within tolerance .

Panel is now traded in with Sony store against a W9 . I have taken a bit of a hit but at least I am still smiling

Bye bye Panasonic , sadly just not for me ! :hand:

sounds like the usual fob off to me! Panasonic should be rebranded to foboffonic

let us know what you think of the w9, it's a potential replacement for me should I ever get the chance to get my money back on my gt50

After hearing all these experiences I'm so glad I steered clear of Panasonic plasmas this year...I seriously considered a GT60 or VT65 but I'm so glad I didn't get sucked in by all the reviews. I really hope your W9 serves you better than the GT60 and I'm sure it will be more reliable, don't worry about the financial hit as I'm of the opinion you are better off with the W9 no matter what the cost.

My Samsung 55F8000 has been great from the moment I got it and despite a problem caused by the Viera Link on my bluray player it's been faultless and after a THX engineer calibration it produces one hell of an image, here's hoping your W9 proves equally satisfactory ray:

I think you made the right choice oldboy. I know there are a few members here with Panasonic plasmas they love, but it seems to be a bit of a lottery at he moment and if your unfortunate and get one that isn't upto spec then its a devil trying to get panasonic to admit the tv isn't upto standard. I'm staying clear of them in future, I think this experience will take a while to leave me. I considered a vt65 from John Lewis if I can get my money back but Im Just not sure i want to risk going through tvs until a decent one is delivered

 

[strapped for cash]

Its the Panasonic problematic 50" - just buy a 55" + and you will be fine.......

Hi EllisDJ,

Do you have evidence to this effect? I'd love to believe that going above 50" will bring me the perfectly uniform panel, but I've seen nothing to suggest I would gain anything from spending even more money, apart from a bigger screen, that is.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

Its the Panasonic problematic 50" - just buy a 55" + and you will be fine.......

Foofight had (maybe still has, if he's still negotiating!) a Panasonic 50GT60; the GT60 series isn't avalable here in Britain in a 55". Only the step-down ST60 and the step-up VT65 are available in the 55" size.

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I can't help noticing two very different responses by forumites to Foofight's plight with the Panasonic 50GT60 plasma. Ellisdj, who I think is the only owner of the Panasonic 65VT65 plasma that we know of, says

Could never buy another LCD for my main TV now, I just couldnt do it....

But Oldboy says

After hearing all these experiences I'm so glad I steered clear of Panasonic plasmas this year...I seriously considered a GT60 or VT65 but I'm so glad I didn't get sucked in by all the reviews. I really hope your W9 serves you better than the GT60 and I'm sure it will be more reliable, don't worry about the financial hit as I'm of the opinion you are better off with the W9 no matter what the cost.

My Samsung 55F8000 has been great from the moment I got it and despite a problem caused by the Viera Link on my bluray player it's been faultless and after a THX engineer calibration it produces one hell of an image, here's hoping your W9 proves equally satisfactory ray:

It's enough to make one's head spin!

 

[Oldboy]

I think you made the right choice oldboy. I know there are a few members here with Panasonic plasmas they love, but it seems to be a bit of a lottery at he moment and if your unfortunate and get one that isn't upto spec then its a devil trying to get panasonic to admit the tv isn't upto standard. I'm staying clear of them in future, I think this experience will take a while to leave me. I considered a vt65 from John Lewis if I can get my money back but Im Just not sure i want to risk going through tvs until a decent one is delivered

Yes I remain 100% convinced that I did make the best choice rocketrazor and all these stories of Panny plasmas that just aren't reliable over time just reinforces that belief, all it does is remind me of the 3 GT30 TVs I went through and how the fourth went up the spout after 6 months and the fight I then had with Richer Sounds to get a resolution. After that experience I wasn't keen to go through it all again and despite seeing the GT60 and VT65 in action for myself when considering a bigger TV that experience was upper most in my mind and I just couldn't buy one in the end no matter how good the reviews as I knew if I got one and it developed a fault I would have to go through that fight again...no thanks.

As you rightly say it's a lottery when it comes to Panasonic plasmas and there is quite a split between those that are really happy and those that have had nothing but problems and fights with Panasonic and retailers and to me the risk was just too great to justify the purchase, that is just a personal opinion though and I'm not for one minute saying any potential buyer shouldn't buy one. What I would say is consider the risk and how Panasonic react to potential issues and make your choice but if you do go for one then buy from a good retailer to minimise the risk.

If I was to buy one I would simply buy from John Lewis or not at all as you are in the best hands possible with them, they will price match so you don't need to pay over the odds either. I understand exactly what you mean about your experience leaving you cold to the idea of another Panasonic plasma and for me I just couldn't do it but if you feel the need do as I say and protect yourself as best you can by buying from John Lewis.

Personally I just wouldn't go back to plasma for many reasons and they are far too many for me to ever go back to Panasonic in particular and I couldn't be happier with my 55F8000 and after the THX calibration it keeps making me grin every time I fire up a movie.

 

[Oldboy]

I can't help noticing two very different responses by forumites to Foofight's plight with the Panasonic 50GT60 plasma. Ellisdj, who I think is the only owner of the Panasonic 65VT65 plasma that we know of, says

Could never buy another LCD for my main TV now, I just couldnt do it....

But Oldboy says

After hearing all these experiences I'm so glad I steered clear of Panasonic plasmas this year...I seriously considered a GT60 or VT65 but I'm so glad I didn't get sucked in by all the reviews. I really hope your W9 serves you better than the GT60 and I'm sure it will be more reliable, don't worry about the financial hit as I'm of the opinion you are better off with the W9 no matter what the cost.

My Samsung 55F8000 has been great from the moment I got it and despite a problem caused by the Viera Link on my bluray player it's been faultless and after a THX engineer calibration it produces one hell of an image, here's hoping your W9 proves equally satisfactory ray:

It's enough to make one's head spin!

It's personal opinions though Son_of_SJ.

If you have bought a Panasonic plasma and had no issues then of course you will have a positive outlook and feel completely satisfied, to the point that you may wonder what all the fuss is about with some of the reported issues.

The other side is those of us that have had problems in the past or are going through them now. Panasonic don't react well to issues (to put it politely) that are reported and seem loathe to act in any meaningful way meaning that when you do get an issue you find yourself knee deep in a battle to get a satisfactory repair, replacement or refund which then leaves completely unsatisfied customers. I can't state strongly enough just what an effect such a battle has on a customer and the negative effect it has on a company when they react so poorly (I include retailers here too).

After a protracted battle it leaves a scar that is difficult to remove and for me it was the major factor in my decision to steer clear from another Panasonic plasma as that experience was upper most in my mind, it lost them a sale and I doubt i'm alone here. Of course other manufacturers have their fare share of issues regardless of the tech involved but the reliability of Panasonic plasmas has been an issue for some time now and certainly goes back to the GT30 or before with various issues affecting their TVs and all that will do is lose them customers.

In comparison both my Sony HX853 and current Samsung 55F8000 have been faultless, even my first F8000 wasn't actually at fault as it transpired that my Panasonic bluray player was the issue with Viera Link upsetting the TV and for me that says it all, since I refused to buy another Panasonic TV I've simply had TVs that work as they should.

 

[bigboss]

Hmmm.....looks like Samsung F8500 plasma is the one to go for then. :?

 

[strapped for cash]

Hmmm.....looks like Samsung F8500 plasma is the one to go for then. :?

Though it's also not problem free. The F8500 displays a horizontal band during vertical pans and has occasional motion hiccups.

Unfortunately all TV technologies have their drawbacks. I couldn't live with torching or uneven backlighting and therefore couldn't buy an LED TV.

 

[rocketrazor]

Hmmm.....looks like Samsung F8500 plasma is the one to go for then. :?

Though it's also not problem free. The F8500 displays a horizontal band during vertical pans and has occasional motion hiccups.

Unfortunately all TV technologies have their drawbacks. I couldn't live with torching or uneven backlighting and therefore couldn't buy an LED TV.

But the uneven backlighting isn't as bad as it once was is it? Oldboy seems perfectly happy with his led tv. I haven't owned one so can't comment.

 

[bigboss]

I'm thinking in terms of customer service rather than reported problems.

 

[jog3004]

Hmmm.....looks like Samsung F8500 plasma is the one to go for then. :?

Though it's also not problem free. The F8500 displays a horizontal band during vertical pans and has occasional motion hiccups.

Unfortunately all TV technologies have their drawbacks. I couldn't live with torching or uneven backlighting and therefore couldn't buy an LED TV.

as an owner of a f8500 for nearly a week now, I am extremely happy. I owned a Panasonic plasma before & was happy with this too, but the many Panasonic woes are read on forums appeared to be more abundant than those of the f8500. Currently, the Samsung black levels are awesome & sometimes blend with the black bars of films but with plenty of shadow detail, though daytime watching is much better, no having to pull curtains etc. as I had to with the Panasonic. I have noticed the claimed horizontal banding once but only just saw it, & have failed to see it since, no bright pops at all as suggeste & currently no screen burn. There is time yet i suppose for issues to arise, but currently enjoying this plasma & have no regrets buying this tv over panasonic, who I have religiously bought in the past & had planned to buy before auditioning.

 

[strapped for cash]

I'm thinking in terms of customer service rather than reported problems.

I'm not sure Samsung customer service is examplary, though Panasonic customer service is admittedly pretty atrocious.

 

[strapped for cash]

Hmmm.....looks like Samsung F8500 plasma is the one to go for then. :?

Though it's also not problem free. The F8500 displays a horizontal band during vertical pans and has occasional motion hiccups.

Unfortunately all TV technologies have their drawbacks. I couldn't live with torching or uneven backlighting and therefore couldn't buy an LED TV.

as an owner of a f8500 for nearly a week now, I am extremely happy. I owned a Panasonic plasma before & was happy with this too, but the many Panasonic woes are read on forums appeared to be more abundant than those of the f8500. Currently, the Samsung black levels are awesome & sometimes blend with the black bars of films but with plenty of shadow detail, though daytime watching is much better, no having to pull curtains etc. as I had to with the Panasonic. I have noticed the claimed horizontal banding once but only just saw it, & have failed to see it since, no bright pops at all as suggeste & currently no screen burn. There is time yet i suppose for issues to arise, but currently enjoying this plasma & have no regrets buying this tv over panasonic, who I have religiously bought in the past & had planned to buy before auditioning.

Glad you're happy with the F8500. My point, really, was that TVs from all manufacturers have their issues, while different television technologies have different sets of flaws. It really comes down to which issues you're happiest to live with.

 

[strapped for cash]

But the uneven backlighting isn't as bad as it once was is it? Oldboy seems perfectly happy with his led tv. I haven't owned one so can't comment.

I've never seen an LED TV with an evenly lit screen. I wouldn't suggest that Oldboy made the wrong choice. I'm very familiar with his television history and I understand entirely why made certain decisions. I'm certain that he bought the right TV for him.

 

[Oldboy]

But the uneven backlighting isn't as bad as it once was is it? Oldboy seems perfectly happy with his led tv. I haven't owned one so can't comment.

I've never seen an LED TV with an evenly lit screen. I wouldn't suggest that Oldboy made the wrong choice. I'm very familiar with his television history and I understand entirely why made certain decisions. I'm certain that he bought the right TV for him.

As I stated in my review the 55F8000 does have a few issues like every TV, the screen is lit evenly until you get to the bottom of the screen where there is a curious 5mm 'crease' for want of a better word. But as I've stated before it simply doesn't bother me as you very rarely notice it and I would rather live with that than all the issues I've had with plasma TVs.

There is some mild torching in the bottom left of the screen when watching 3D content too which is a shame but very rarely do I notice it. You are right strapped it's all a question of what issues you are prepared to live with as I've yet to see a perfect screen or TV tech.

For my needs the 55F8000 represents the best purchase I could have made and I remain extremely happy with it and when all is said and done that's what matters most despite what any review says

 

[ellisdj]

I dont want to speak to soon, but my 65vt has been spot on so far in terms of problems.

The cost is double or more if that in the 50" - not bragging here.

My theory and it only is a theory is that the margin for Panasonic is tightest on the 50" models.

They sell silly cheap for the performance but there must be a trade off.

I have only read problem from 50" owners not seen any 55 or 65

i habe seen a couple 60zt but they have been broken glass and a **** up with a fan mod.

I think the components or manufacturing of the 50" sets reflect the sale price,

Just theory - certainly wouldn't suggest buying the 55 over the 50 if you have the 50. But if your backing a faulty 50 pay the extra and get the 55 not an led/lcd - that was my recommendation

 

[bjd2772]

Just a quick update. My mate called to say that Panasonic have arranged for an engineer from Martin Dawes to come out to check it tomorrow - fingers crossed! Doesn't sound like customer service have covered themselves in glory but this week they've been more forthcoming.

I won't bore you with the mistake he's found out with one of their blu-ray players. We'll leave that for another day -and on the appropriate forum page.

I'll let you know over the weekend how he gets on. But one thing that does seem to have been highlighted is that if you're unlucky enough to have an issue (& in fairness it may be the probability is less with Panasonic than other manufacturers?), the customer service quality is not what many people would expect.

Regards

 

[bigboss]

I don't believe for a minute that Panasonic would use different quality of components in different sized TVs within the same line up. The only difference would be the panel size. The reason why we don't hear many problems in bigger TVs is because of less number of customers. If VT65 has a 2% fault rate, the size selling 10000 units will have 5 times more complaints than the size selling 2000 units. It doesn't mean the smaller model is worse quality. Although I'm not sure if different sized panels are made in the same factory or not, which could be a factor as well.

 

[greysunday]

Well I've had my gt60 50" for 2 months now and yes the excellent reviews are spot on. Gone back to THX Cinema as I find it truer to natural source material. I also find warm is rather unnatural and find normal and even cool more pleasing to the eyes. The big problem is false contouring image on peoples faces I think it's called. On full 1080p and blu ray not so much but Sky 1080i and 579p including DVD it is very distracting. IFC max fixes most of these issues but results in an almost cartoon presentation with lip synch and additional judder problems. My 5 year old Sony does a better job. This is my only big issue with this excellent set but an issue which is irritating me to the point of trading it in. Going through the threads it seems it is something which is a trade off for an otherwise excellent set.

I really trust WHF but I'm surprised via their exhaustive tests this big issue never arose for them