Jan 14 Podcast #461: Panasonic TC-P58VT25 3D Plasma
Ara has been watching his Panasonic TC-P58VT25 58-inch 3D 1080p VIERA Plasma HDTV (Street Price $2500) for about a month and thought it would be a good time for a review. When Ara purchased the TV it was going for about $2700, now you can buy it for about $2500.
Listen to the show
Today's Show:
News:
- Analog sunset begins, all the new Blu-ray players will only output HD via HDMI
- HDTV Sales Down: Most People Have The TVs They Want
- Speaker manufacturer in Indy (Klipsch) sold to N.Y. company (Audiovox)
- Vudu Now Streaming 3D Movies
- 20% of Viewers Opt for Recorded TV
Other:
- StoCaddy.com - A great way to keep your golf clubs out of the way! Use coupon code HTGUYS and save 10%
- SCI Total Fitness is designed to promote health and wellness for people with spinal cord injuries.
- Panasonic and Verizon Demo 1080p 3D Video Streaming Over FiOS
- Sony Plans IPTV Hookup With Time Warner Cable
Panasonic TC-P58VT25 Review
Ara has been watching his Panasonic TC-P58VT25 58-inch 3D 1080p VIERA Plasma HDTV (Street Price $2500) for about a month and thought it would be a good time for a review. When Ara purchased the TV it was going for about $2700, now you can buy it for about $2500. Key features include:
- Full HD 3D
- Infinite Black Panel Pro
- THX Certified
- VIERA Cast™ WiFi w/ VideoPhone
- Support for Skype (additional camera not included)
- ENERGY STAR Qualified
Setup:
Setup was very quick. Assembling the stand took about five minutes and was very straight forward. Once powered up, you are greeted by several settings screens. The only picture adjustment that was made was to put it into THX mode. The TV has not been calibrated beyond that. It really looks quite good in that mode.
If you want network features you must connect an Ethernet cable since the wireless adapter is NOT included. To get the Vieracast to work you have to upgrade the firmware. That process took about five minutes as well. The Vieracast provides access to Weather, Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Video, Picassa, Skype (optional camera not included either), Twitter, Bloomberg, Pandora, and Fox Sports. Panasonic promises more services in the future.
Performance:
This is the best TV we have ever seen! The screen looks beautiful and the glare from lights in the room are barely noticeable at night. However, if you put it in a room with windows directly opposite be sure you can block out the incoming daylight. There is a significant amount of reflection that comes off the screen. In Ara’s room the blinds can be closed but you can still see the light between the slats. If this bothers you, either use black out shades/curtains or do not buy this TV.
As stated earlier the picture looks fantastic in THX mode. Watching football is an absolute pleasure. There are no motion artifacts and the picture is smooth. Moving over to Blu Ray is where the TV really shines! The color was accurate regardless of content. We especially noticed natural skin tones and the detail in darker scenes was the best we’ve seen on any TV. Speaking of Black! One month after the TV has been in the house, Ara still marvels at the black levels! Starting to be on par with the Pioneer Elites from a few years ago. In a darker room you can’t see where the TV ends and the bevel begins!
Since the panel supports 96Hz refresh rate 24 fps Blu Ray performance is is quite good. If you are bothered by film judder that results from taking 24 fps content and converting to 60 fps this panel is for you.
For 3D we watched DirecTV’s ESPN 3D. The VT25 produces a high quality 3D picture. We have compared 3D on various TVs using different panel technologies and we have found Plasma produces the best 3D experience so we were not surprised by the results. The TV comes with one pair of 3D glasses so if a family of four wants to enjoy 3D together you’ll need to shell out an additional $300 (Panasonic TY-EW3D10U 3D Glasses)
Viewing angle is another area where this TV excels. Ara invited a few people over to watch football on New Years Day and he gave up his normal seat so that his guests could have a prime viewing experience. Sitting off angle did not diminish the picture quality what so ever! We found similar performance while viewing 3D off angle as well.
As far as calibration goes, you can have the TV professionally calibrated and you will see an improvement. Budget at least $300 for that. Or, for most of our listeners, you can leave it in THX mode and watch the best picture you have ever seen. There really is no need for a calibration disc. Either go pro or just leave it in THX mode. But do at least one of these!
We saw at this year’s CES its all about Smart TVs and Panasonic’s Vieracast is a capable service. As stated earlier, there is a wide variety of content available and Panasonic promises to add more over time. Picture quality of streaming services are no better or worse than any other services we’ve seen. Its nice to have it built into a TV so you don’t have to add an additional box. With that said, aside from Netflix, Ara has not really used any of the services in Vieracast. It was fun at first but once the novelty wore off Netflix was the only service with staying power.
Issues:
There are a few things that we didn’t like however. The biggest issue we have with the panel is the price. Panasonic has other panels in the same size that cost less. Some models are not 3D but they have similar performance in 2D. The other area of concern is that Panasonic had issues with 2009 Plasmas and black level performance as the panel aged. Panasonic assures us that this won’t happen with 2010 models but we’ll have to check back with you after 150 hours. Last issue is power consumption. Although the TV is Energy Star compliant it can suck down the juice. But that is dependent on what you are watching.
See the table below and remember that this is a 58 inch TV!.
Power usage in Watts (measurements taken with Kill-A-Watt energy monitor):
| ABC World News | ESPN Sportcenter | Harry Potter Movie | |
| Peak |
495 |
505 |
400 |
| Low |
250 |
325 |
75 |
| Typical |
350 |
375 |
225 |
So while plasma manufacturers state power usage as the maximum (full bright) power draw, its clear that typical usage will be much less.
Conclusion:
Simply put the Panasonic TC-P58VT25 is the best TV we have seen to date!
Reader Comments (11)
Jeez just saw the brief summary of this podcast. Hmm I thought Pioneer Elite was still the king of the hill of 2D images (even after more than 2 years!)
East Coast TVs still has it for less than $2200. The return policy is not so generous (unlike Amazon), but the guys there are very nice and are very well reviewed in general. Just make sure you want it before you order!
I've wanted to ask:
Ara, are you able to hear any audible buzz from your VT25? As in, with the TV/movie sound muted, do you hear a buzz from the TV panel itself that gets louder/quieter/higher pitch/lower pitch as the image on screen changes?
My ONE complaint about my Pioneer Kuro KRP Monitor (essentially the same as a Kuro "Elite") is that it produces a very noticeable, audible buzz. The main problem with the Kuro is that it has a single glass front design. Many plasmas actually have two layers of glass on the front. As a result, all plasmas produce a buzzing sound, but most can really only be heard from the back or the top. With my Kuro, due to it only having one layer of glass, the buzz comes right out the front! Which, naturally, makes it much more audible from the seating area :(
The VT25 series was supposed to also have only a single layer of glass, so I was wondering if you also get this audible buzz problem. I'm a stickler - I HATE an audible noise floor. I've slammed subwoofers for having a barely audible buzz from their amplifier panel; I've slammed self-powered speakers for having a faint hiss while idle; I've slammed receivers and amps for producing a hiss or buzz that can barely be heard. So it pains me to have to slam my Kuro plasma for its audible buzz because, in every other facet, it's simply fantastic!
The new VT30 series looks to be a slightly different design with the smooth, single sheet of glass that covers the entire front screen AND bezel with one pane of glass. I'm not sure if that means a return to the two layers of glass or not. But audible buzz is basically my one big remaining knock against plasmas. You need a dim or dark room, and videogame HUDs are still a concern, but other than those two caveats, plasma is the obvious way to go - IF, the audible buzz is under control ;)
Saw East Coast's price. Negotiated with Best Buy manager to reduce my cost to $ 2489.00 to match Amizon.com and include "3-D" packadge, Blue Ray player, glasses and Avitar DVD plus delivery and set-up.
Will be delivered Sat. 1/22/11........ I thought Best Buy only matched "local" stores.....Don B
Hi Rob,
I put my ear against all sides of the TV. Front, back, left, right, and top. Only the faintest sound from the top behind the glass. Can hear absolutely nothing from any seating area in the family room.
Ara
We got the 65" version at best buy on a price match for 3500 with the 3d bonus stuff including the blu-ray player. Awesome TV. Very heavy. Had to get a 60-108" mount that spanned three studs to hang it. Haven't tried the 3d yet. We got "Despicable Me" 3D for xmas for the little dude so it shouldn't be long before we fire that up.
Re: Audible Buzz
Hi, Ara! Thanks so much for checking! I've put my ear up to the VT25 series in store and heard nothing, but I couldn't be sure - stores are always WAY noisier than my home ;)
Good to know that Panasonic has (or at least, had) the plasma panel buzz under control!
Hello,
I know its not the same TV exactly, but I own a Panasonic 50VT20 since April 2010 and I have begun to experience floating blacks. I have called Panasonic and was able to get a technician to come out on Friday to take a look at the problem. Will there be anything he can do to fix it? What can I do about this? I dont want to be stuck with a tv that has floating blacks when you say that Panasonic claimed this would not happen in 2010 models. Help please.
Angel
Listening to the podcast and one of the listeners was asking about an RF remote that would still control his tv. Amulet Devices voice remote. http://www.amuletdevices.com/index.php/products.html
While it might be on the expensive side, it will fully control your media center pc along with controlling your TV via IR.
-Josh
Don B, could you let me know which best buy you got your bundle at? I tried 3 locations in the LA area with no luck.
thanks.
I just bought the samsung Pn63C8000 for $2600 at PC Richards in NJ with free bluray player, 2 glasses and 4 Shrek movies in 3D, this tv is amazing and much better looking tv with a great price compare to the vt25.
P.S. it doesn't have floating blacks and no rising on black level over time.