Panasonic ZT60 (now ZT65)

[mr malarky]

So the word is Panasonic will continue to produce plasmas for the next few years, but the screen itself will not get any better, just the features each year. No rush to buy one then. 8). Should be able to pick one up very cheap.

The ZT65 is down as being limited edition..don'yt all rush at once though.

I know, I just meant Panasonic are going to continue to produce plasmas in general, whether there will be another one in that range we will have to wait and see, but if there is it would not surprise me. It will just have extra features though not a better quality screen.

joking aside it will be interesting to see whether next years VT (or equivalent) model incorporates the ZT panel - official stance from Panasonic to date is that the manufacturing process for the panel is too costly to support variable screen sizes and mass production, but good sales figures could easily change that equation.

Either way suspect your right in that the only which will change now is prices, as in going lower. With no more R&D, and with the VT and ZT apparently being about as good as it gets for plasma tech, hard to see how picture quality will improve from here.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

So the word is Panasonic will continue to produce plasmas for the next few years, but the screen itself will not get any better, just the features each year. No rush to buy one then. 8). Should be able to pick one up very cheap.

The ZT65 is down as being limited edition..don'yt all rush at once though.

I know, I just meant Panasonic are going to continue to produce plasmas in general, whether there will be another one in that range we will have to wait and see, but if there is it would not surprise me. It will just have extra features though not a better quality screen.

joking aside it will be interesting to see whether next years VT (or equivalent) model incorporates the ZT panel - official stance from Panasonic to date is that the manufacturing process for the panel is too costly to support variable screen sizes and mass production, but good sales figures could easily change that equation.

Either way suspect your right in that the only which will change now is prices, as in going lower. With no more R&D, and with the VT and ZT apparently being about as good as it gets for plasma tech, hard to see how picture quality will improve from here.

The guy I spoke to today made a good point and that is Panasonic has gone as far as it can go with plasma, they are now concentrating their research and development on OLED but the shop I was in said the plasma will continue for the next 3 years or so until OLED is here.

 

[bigboss]

Makes sense. OLED is about 3-4 years away until it's reasonably priced, & Panasonic cannot shut shop until then.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Some awesome pictures of the VT65:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasma-tvs/1770516-panasonic-vt65-owners-thread-part-2-a-5.html

 

[mr malarky]

The mistake they might make with OLED (not just panasonic but the other major manufacturers as well) is that they try and recoup their R&D costs early by charging a premium for '4K' capability, when the likelihood is that even 3 years from now content will be very thin on the ground - same mistake they made with 3D basically. How much appetite is there for everyone to upgrade their BluRay players again, and what are the chances of the UK broadband network being able to support 4K streaming by then? Even the Japanese are struggling to figure out how to support the data demands of the technology, and they're typically a few years ahead of us in terms of data infrastructure capacity.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Some awesome pictures of the VT65:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasma-tvs/1770516-panasonic-vt65-owners-thread-part-2-a-5.html

Some more and oh boy they are really good:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/plasma-tvs/1770516-panasonic-vt65-owners-thread-part-2-a-6.html

 

[mr malarky]

Bloody good colours on that 'monsters inc' picture!

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Bloody good colours on that 'monsters inc' picture!

Where's my wallet!

 

[mr malarky]

Bloody good colours on that 'monsters inc' picture!

Where's my wallet!

believe me, look hard enough & you'll find it,

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Bloody good colours on that 'monsters inc' picture!

Where's my wallet!

believe me, look hard enough & you'll find it,

I thought I might go for the GT60 but on the back of them I might have to go one more to the VT65. I will wait for my demo, I have a call coming as soon as my local shop get them. I am going to have to take quite a few Blu-rays with me to pick them apart, and to have some fun!

That VT65 looks really great!

 

[ellisdj]

is green push big time on the Monsters Inc Picture - way too green and balance looks wrong

check this out from my calibrated Kuro

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/2574/dsc02453ir.jpg

Just as much detail - lighter colours - but they are bang on colours according to the calibration

The image is crushing detail big time in the Panny pictures as well, look at the chest of drawers under the clock radio - completely crushed detail compared to my Pioneer pic - hold on before you pull the trigger on the new set. Dont base of those pics - that is setup well off !! Noddy set it up lol Calibaretd Kuro still goign strong - putting that Panny to shame

 

[bigboss]

Why don't you come to the Walsall demo, ellisdj? Kuro, Panny & Samsung (fully calibrated sets) being compared.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

is green push big time on the Monsters Inc Picture - way too green and balance looks wrong

check this out from my calibrated Kuro

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/2574/dsc02453ir.jpg

Just as much detail - lighter colours - but they are bang on colours according to the calibration

The image is crushing detail big time in the Panny pictures as well, look at the chest of drawers under the clock radio - completely crushed detail compared to my Pioneer pic - hold on before you pull the trigger on the new set. Dont base of those pics - that is setup well off !! Noddy set it up lol Calibaretd Kuro still goign strong - putting that Panny to shame

Does look good - cheers. It is a pity I don't have Monsters Inc otherwise I would put one on too. Then we could look at all three.

 

[bigboss]

is green push big time on the Monsters Inc Picture - way too green and balance looks wrong

check this out from my calibrated Kuro

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/2574/dsc02453ir.jpg

Just as much detail - lighter colours - but they are bang on colours according to the calibration

The image is crushing detail big time in the Panny pictures as well, look at the chest of drawers under the clock radio - completely crushed detail compared to my Pioneer pic - hold on before you pull the trigger on the new set. Dont base of those pics - that is setup well off !! Noddy set it up lol Calibaretd Kuro still goign strong - putting that Panny to shame

I'm still trying to understand the relevance of the comparison. Would you normally recommend calibrating before running the TV in?

 

[strapped for cash]

is green push big time on the Monsters Inc Picture - way too green and balance looks wrong

check this out from my calibrated Kuro

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/2574/dsc02453ir.jpg

Just as much detail - lighter colours - but they are bang on colours according to the calibration

The image is crushing detail big time in the Panny pictures as well, look at the chest of drawers under the clock radio - completely crushed detail compared to my Pioneer pic - hold on before you pull the trigger on the new set. Dont base of those pics - that is setup well off !! Noddy set it up lol Calibaretd Kuro still goign strong - putting that Panny to shame

I agree, blacks look heavily crushed on the VT65 picture. (Of course comparing pictures is very far from an exact science; there are far too many variables.) I don't think this is because the VT65 automatically crushes blacks; rather, it's down to calibration.

The user may have replicated Mark's settings over at AV, which crush blacks a great deal on my set, as confirmed by running AVS HD 709 test patterns.To be fair to Mark, he set the TV up according to his preferences, for use in a near pitch black room.

In other words, I wouldn't regard those pictures as representative of the VT65's native contrast and ability to render shadow detail under normal lighting.

 

[ellisdj]

Sets are recommended to be run in before a calibration - probably becuase they are expected to change in that time so its wasted money for the owner.

I rememeber the blacks were at the time great, looking back horrid on my Pioneer when it was new - they were so dark and the set needed
+1 on brightness. Some time later when its all settled in I find 0 brightness (which is level) is perfect. From a calibration point of view that will make a change to greyscale etc hence why its receommended to wait. That will be the same on the new Pannys and that will deinatelty change over time, I would put money on it

I only did that photo compariosn as I was the same as the other readers - I looked at the images and thought wow they look good so I thought lets go compare. When you do compare and actually look you can see what I mean and the Panny sets are reviewed to be hot in the green out of the box.

I dont think for a second thats the panels fault its only the setting up of it - but my comment was that a Calibrated Kuro will still perform more accurately than a non calibrated Brand New and Shiny all bells and whitsles new Panny. Thats why they are still bloody good as they Can give you a reference image over very dark blacks and bright accurate 0DE whites. If anyone is considering buying one second hand (mine if I sell it) they should bear that in mind

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Sets are recommended to be run in before a calibration - probably becuase they are expected to change in that time so its wasted money for the owner.

I rememeber the blacks were at the time great, looking back horrid on my Pioneer when it was new - they were so dark and the set needed
+1 on brightness. Some time later when its all settled in I find 0 brightness (which is level) is perfect. From a calibration point of view that will make a change to greyscale etc hence why its receommended to wait. That will be the same on the new Pannys and that will deinatelty change over time, I would put money on it

I only did that photo compariosn as I was the same as the other readers - I looked at the images and thought wow they look good so I thought lets go compare. When you do compare and actually look you can see what I mean and the Panny sets are reviewed to be hot in the green out of the box.

I dont think for a second thats the panels fault its only the setting up of it - but my comment was that a Calibrated Kuro will still perform more accurately than a non calibrated Brand New and Shiny all bells and whitsles new Panny. Thats why they are still bloody good as they Can give you a reference image over very dark blacks and bright accurate 0DE whites. If anyone is considering buying one second hand (mine if I sell it) they should bear that in mind

So which one would you buy if you sell it? Just found some photos of my Pioneer 5090 - it was a great TV, I would recommend buying a new Panasonic TV now though. Buying a second hand TV can be a lot of grief! And most of them are now are out of warranty or are about to be.

 

[ellisdj]

Mine is out of warranty - it ran out a few months ago - I have owned a lot of AV kit, not all of it has performed without flaw - my TV is one of the only exceptions to that. I didnt see the point in paying out £170 for a years additonal warranty on something I had 100% confidence in would be the same in 12 months time - I appreciate I am tempting fate now....

The ZT being so highly regarded and bigger (bigger enough to be a big impact) is of interest for defiinate - but the cost does seem extereme to me when I consider it at the same time, probs enough to stop me buying at least for now until I see one going

However I love my LX5090, I really love it - there is some dithering and there is the odd movement issue - mostly when its drawing dark over extreme white but apart from that I have been really happy with it, especially since I calibrated it recently and got the results I did - Calman 5 is a sensation to use. Some scenes in films are simply draw dropping stunning - the Dark Knight rises, the first chase scene at the end of it before you see that Bat for the first time - the rendering and colours of the police vehicle are something else. I have seen the same scene on a G20 Panny calibrated very very well and there is no comparison the Pioneer is a different class. I have also seen it on a Very top end projector at the Bristol Show - that was amazing and made me recalibrate but the Pioneer holds it own with it and that says a lot.

When people say that their new sets are better and they didnt see their Kuro calibrated - they are not in the position really to say that. The out of box LX5090 was average it is designed to be calibrated. I bet no owner ran the colour at +6 I bet most are at +1 or +2. and the difference that made on it own was hugely significant

 

[bigboss]

The reviews do suggest that calibrated Pannys this year are better than calibrated Kuros. The Walsall demo will be useful to directly compare that.

 

[ellisdj]

I think they said they were better last year as well - I dont doubt it for one second.

 

[bigboss]

is green push big time on the Monsters Inc Picture - way too green and balance looks wrong

check this out from my calibrated Kuro

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/2574/dsc02453ir.jpg

Just as much detail - lighter colours - but they are bang on colours according to the calibration

The image is crushing detail big time in the Panny pictures as well, look at the chest of drawers under the clock radio - completely crushed detail compared to my Pioneer pic - hold on before you pull the trigger on the new set. Dont base of those pics - that is setup well off !! Noddy set it up lol Calibaretd Kuro still goign strong - putting that Panny to shame

I agree, blacks look heavily crushed on the VT65 picture. (Of course comparing pictures is very far from an exact science; there are far too many variables.) I don't think this is because the VT65 automatically crushes blacks; rather, it's down to calibration.

The user may have replicated Mark's settings over at AV, which crush blacks a great deal on my set, as confirmed by running AVS HD 709 test patterns.To be fair to Mark, he set the TV up according to his preferences, for use in a near pitch black room.

In other words, I wouldn't regard those pictures as representative of the VT65's native contrast and ability to render shadow detail under normal lighting.

True. The quality of the digital camera is very important, & its ability to pick up details from dark scenes.

 

[ellisdj]

Thats a fair point but the quality of the images used are very high - taken with a good camera - the detail is being crushed it needs brightness turning up and greyscale calibrating by the looks of it - the fact the greyscale is not calibrated means the dark black is a crushed mess with no detail at all and that will be the same moving up the scale

The Wayne Building is a crushed blac mess of no detail at all - could be the camera obviously - more the settings

 

[ellisdj]

The KRP is a better set - its has full 10 point greyscale management - not that its needed, supposedly better blacks - not sure on the measurements.

An owner on AV Forums says its a cleaner image as well - less dither - he had a 5090 before his 600A. I hate the idea of a sepearte media box though - dont know why just do - silly me

 

[strapped for cash]

Though every review I've read compares new Panasonic plasmas with the 5090. Debate therefore continues to rage, since KRPs were technically the previous reference (taking black level as the singularly most important aspect of image quality).

I'll be interested to read how the KRP and ZT65 compare following the TPS meet.

EDIT: This was a response to post #2 on this page (should have quoted really). My reply made less sense out of direct context.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Thats a fair point but the quality of the images used are very high - taken with a good camera - the detail is being crushed it needs brightness turning up and greyscale calibrating by the looks of it - the fact the greyscale is not calibrated means the dark black is a crushed mess with no detail at all and that will be the same moving up the scale

The Wayne Building is a crushed blac mess of no detail at all - could be the camera obviously - more the settings

I don't like the picture of the Wayne building either - that is not good! Have you got any good photos of the Batmans then, so we can compare?