I ordered this from Amazon for $694 and I got $10 off with a coupon I had plus the shipping was free and they brought it right up into my apartment so all I had to do was install it. The install is very simple just screw it into the stand, plug in all the wires and then there is an automated setup process so you just pick your options along the way.
The stand feels very secure, it's a big black platform about 2'x1.5' with steal rods that go up inside the TV and screw in, there are 3 screws in each rod that connect it to the platform and 2 in each that connect it to the TV. I was able to do all that by myself but just barely and I'm a pretty big guy so considering the size and weight of the TV it should be at least a 2 man job.
If you get the version with the built in Ethernet adapter you can connect to your Netflix, Pandora, Napster and a number of other sites to watch or listen to whatever you want.
Then of course the inputs, 2 HDMI, an SD Card reader, 1xRCA and 1xRCAHD, of course read the specs carefully because there are different versions of this same TV (i.e. one version with an Ethernet adapter and 1 without and there might be one that is also 3D ready but it might be more expensive then the one I'm reviewing)
The color and picture are beautiful, I play a lot of video games so picture quality was important to me, if you're a gamer this TV is for you. I play halo on Xbox 360 and one of my biggest issues was ghosting (when you look around too quickly and everything blurs) with this TV that issue is almost completely taken care of, there is still some blur but it's extremely mild.
As for the picture quality being 720p...well there a lot of people who will say a lot of stuff when it comes to the differences between 720p, 1080p, 720i and 1080i and I can only speak from experience but I do have a 23" computer monitor that is 1080p and I tried to play the same things on there that I did on the TV (and I have a very good computer with a high end graphics card) and yes I know it isn't a perfect test but it's the best I could do and from what I could tell there was very little difference. So in my opinion for the size, quality and price it's a very good deal.
The only real problem with it that I've noticed so far is that if you get too close things look...grainy almost like you can see black spots everywhere on it however if you are even 1ft away you can't see them at all and considering it's 50" I hope you're sitting at least 1ft away lol.
Panasonic VIERA TC-P50X3 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTVThis is my 2nd Panasonic plasma display and the quality of the picture is absolutely great. This TV gets 4 stars because the display has a glossy finish and not a matte finish. This matters in any room that has windows or lamps. You'll see the reflection of these light sources on the TV screen. Honestly I have no idea why anyone would want a glossy screen over a matte screen.
This is a 720p resolution TV, which is why the price seems low for a 50 inch TV. 1080p sounds great but in reality most folks are not watching _true_ 1080p content. Even with a lot of bluray content, the original content was a lower resolution (often DVD 480p) and it was simply rescanned into 1080p for the bluray disk. If you really want a 1080p TV, go for it of course. There is some true 1080p content out there and it looks great if you have a 1080p TV.
I purchased the P50X3 over a month ago so now I can give a fair review. Overall, for the price of the TV and size (50'), you can't get much better then this. I own another Panasonic Plasma (400U) and to compare picture quality, pretty much on par. The fact its 720p really makes no difference IMO. I play Blu Ray movies and unless you are completely picky about minute subtle differences, you really can't tell a difference. I have not yet had a chance to hook up this TV to my network for use with Netflix, but I have used my laptop with Netflix via HDMI and the quality of video is decent. My only "issues" with the TV is there is a slight glare I can notice at times. However, this is somewhat dependent on the location of my TV in the room with light and windows. My other "knock" is the sound quality compared to my other older Panasonic. My 400U Panasonic had amazing sound and I was hoping for similar sound with this TV. Now, I'm not saying the sound is bad, but it doesn't compare to my older model. It is still good (7 out of 10) versus (10 out of 10) of the other. In conclusion, if you are looking for a large HDTV for under $800, I would recommend this TV.
Thanks Amazon, for doing such a great job with my most recent purchase. I had never bought anything so large and costly by mail before, but now I'm a believer! Fast free delivery and outstanding price. The TV works fantastic and all my friends were quite impressed with how flawless this order was filled and delivered. The picture quality is very good and the TV looks well built. Lots of features that are on more expensive models are on this model as well. I'm a very satisfied customer and I wont hesitate next time I'm looking for a large item and I want the best deal in town.
TV was as described. Original one came with a broken screen however delivery crew repackaged and shipped back to amazon at no charge. Received a refund and reordered. Second TV came and works great!
My toddler loves >and I mean LOVES< watching all his HD pre-school shows on this big screen. The colors are very bright, the image sharp and the sound is superb. It has a media menu that I found to be very useful considering that I enjoy listening to Pandora radio, watching movies on Netflix and so forth I dont even need my computer to access all these pages I can sign up directly from my TV without the need of extra cables whatsoever :) Very nice!
I purchased my set in June, 2011 it's the beginning of September now and my set has worked for maybe three weeks altogether.
I had a TIVO HD connected to HDMI 1 and my computer to HDMI 2. These were the same connections that I used successfully on a Sony TV for three years. I worked fine for two weeks and then it stopped. I called Panasonic Service and they sent out a repair crew (from Tampa..a 200 mile round trip instead of using a local repair firm) and they told me that the main board had burned out. They said that Panasonic would send the replacement board to me and when I got it to call them and they would come back to install it...which they did.
One week later the main board burned out again. Now Panasonic has the nerve to tell me that it is my TIVO unit that is burning out the boards. They say that it is very common for any cable box or satellite receiver to burn out HDMI sockets. They said that they would replace the board this time but my warranty would be void after that. I was told to call a local repair company for service. The new company came and picked up my set to repair. They called me a week later and told me that Panasonic had changed their mind and would not pay for the repair and if I wanted it done it would cost me almost $400. I told them not to do the repair and they said that I still owed them $60. I will pay them the $60 just for the satisfaction on taking a hammer to that piece of junk.
In the mean time I had hooked up a 32" Sanyo that I moved from our kitchen with the same connections and again they worked fine. They are still working fine today. The problem is NOT with my TIVO unit. The problem is with the Panasonic set...and with Panasonic employees.
My advice....stay away from Panasonic products. Their customer service sucks!!! - Plasma - 720p - Hdtv - Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma'
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