Request to What Hi-Fi Staff.

[strapped for cash]

Could I politely ask staff to contact Panasonic about issues several forum members have experienced with the company's plasma televisions?

There are countless accounts on this forum (and others) of Panasonic plasma televisions with poor screen uniformity. These problems manifest as blobs, bands, and/or tints affecting different areas of the screen.

Owners are commonly advised that such issues are "within specification" or "within tolerance." This means nothing is done to address the problems and owners face a long fight to get anything approaching a resolution.

It would be great if Panasonic could issue a statement on these issues, perhaps explaining the cause and suggesting what owners of Panasonic plasma televisions with poor screen uniformity should do.

While there were issues with green blobs on 30 series Panasonic plasmas, at least some 50 and 60 series models seem to suffer in the same or similar ways.

If other forum members experiencing such issues would also appreciate a response from Panasonic, please post below.

Many thanks.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I agree.

 

[Roundhead 5000]

Yes please.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

In two/three year will be buying a new TV, always had Samsung LCDs and before that Sony Trinitons. But for my new TV this time was considering a Panasonic, but reading all this problems will run aways from them!

Samsung will be on top of my list again, this is the thrird one, and all still work 100% my first 32" is in my room and my second is a 40" is in my son room.

 

[rocketrazor]

+1 from me

 

[Andy Clough]

We have brought these threads/issues to the attention of Panasonic on several occasions, but if I'm honest the response has been muted. We raised the 'green blob' issue repeatedly, but the company was reluctant to make a statement on that subject. We can keep asking, but I suspect the response will be much the same.

 

[MrW]

One of those occassions where Panasonic's silence speaks volumes I think...

 

[spiny norman]

In two/three year will be buying a new TV, always had Samsung LCDs and before that Sony Trinitons. But for my new TV this time was considering a Panasonic, but reading all this problems will run aways from them!

But then the problems discussed here pertain to Panasonic plasma TVs, and of course Panasonic is getting out of the plasma business, so these problems may not be relevant in two/three years – if Panasonic is even still making TVs by then.

We have brought these threads/issues to the attention of Panasonic on several occasions, but if I'm honest the response has been muted. We raised the 'green blob' issue repeatedly, but the company was reluctant to make a statement on that subject. We can keep asking, but I suspect the response will be much the same.

Just an idea, but since the magazine bangs on about having ISF- and THX-trained people on the staff, and calibrating every TV tested, would it not be possible for one or more of your trained engineers to check over some of the TVs forum members have been complaining about, and give those members an independent report to give them more leverage against Panasonic?

Might also make a better case for you to put to Panasonic to get them to do something about all these complaints, which seem to be something of a disgrace: would be a good feather in the cap of the magazine as a independent consumer champion, not to mention making a good feature for the pages of the magazine.

In the face of such solid, scientifc and independent evidence, surely then Panasonic would have to do something to help these readers, rather than shrugging off these faults as 'within tolerances'?

As I said, just an idea.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

In two/three year will be buying a new TV, always had Samsung LCDs and before that Sony Trinitons. But for my new TV this time was considering a Panasonic, but reading all this problems will run aways from them!

But then the problems discussed here pertain to Panasonic plasma TVs, and of course Panasonic is getting out of the plasma business, so these problems may not be relevant in two/three years – if Panasonic is even still making TVs by then.

I don't care about screen tecnology, the reason of my coment is just regarding the way Panasonic is not adressing this problems!

This could be happening with LCDs, LEDs, OLED i realy don't care, a brand as Panasonis should be replacing this malfunction units.

 

[spiny norman]

I don't care about screen tecnology, the reason of my coment is just regarding the way Panasonic is not adressing this problems!

This could be happening with LCDs, LEDs, OLED i realy don't care, a brand as Panasonis should be replacing this malfunction units.

Couldn't agree more that they should be doing more, as I made clear in the second part of my post, but was just making the point that the majr problem seems to be with plasmas, and of course there won't be any more of those from Panasonic.

Perhaps now Panasonic seems to be buying in most of its display panels from much larger manufacturers, the quality control problems will go away, though that doesn't address the current hassles owners of these highly-reccommended and well-reviewed sets are experiencing.

Mind you, as I said, I'd be quite surprised if Panasonic wasn't out of the TV business relatively soon: it can't be making the company any money.

 

[rocketrazor]

how about as part of the annual awards as well as voting for best products we can vote for best and worst customer service? That way people know which manufactures care about the customers and which don't!

 

[strapped for cash]

We have brought these threads/issues to the attention of Panasonic on several occasions, but if I'm honest the response has been muted. We raised the 'green blob' issue repeatedly, but the company was reluctant to make a statement on that subject. We can keep asking, but I suspect the response will be much the same.

Hi Andy,

Thanks for replying.

I recall discussion of the green blob issue on this forum, and Panasonic's muted response.

As an owner of a Panasonic plasma television with screen uniformity problems, I've been forced to jump through a series of hoops, each of which functions only to delay a "within tolerance" response. My experiences are far from atypical.

I appreciate that Panasonic may be less than forthcoming. We can only try. Perhaps this time a well respected magazine's enquiries will elicit more than a shrug.

 

[bigboss]

I am reluctant to buy a Panasonic TV, regardless of whether it's a plasma or LED lit LCD or OLED, given their poor after sales support. I won't be surprised if it exits TV business completely.

Maybe the star ratings for its plasma TVs needs revisiting, similar to Sony few years ago.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

how about as part of the annual awards as well as voting for best products we can vote for best and worst customer service? That way people know which manufactures care about the customers and which don't!

AMEN to that idea! :clap:

 

[Alantiggger]

WHY is it then that Panasonic TV's win so many awards ? .... (nout to do with me, I have a Sammy )

 

[rocketrazor]

WHY is it then that Panasonic TV's win so many awards ? .... (nout to do with me, I have a Sammy )

i would think it's the difference between a review time and the time what hifi (and others) spend with the sets and the time a consumer actually spends watching it. My first set developed faults after 5 months, what hifi don't test sets for that period of time so wouldn't pick up on so e of these

 

[D3CYPH3R]

WHY is it then that Panasonic TV's win so many awards ? .... (nout to do with me, I have a Sammy )

i would think it's the difference between a review time and the time what hifi (and others) spend with the sets and the time a consumer actually spends watching it. My first set developed faults after 5 months, what hifi don't test sets for that period of time so wouldn't pick up on so e of these

That may be the case but the TV's have been out for long enough when it comes to the end of year awards which they still won despite all the known issues that Panasonic won't admit to.