Panasonic 50" VIERA S1 Series Plasma Flat Panel HDTV (Model #TC-P50S1) Review

Very nice plasma

"This TV was rated highly by a leading consumer magazine. Reviews on this site were favorable. I am very picky so I'll break down the likes and dislikes:



A brief history: I had a Sony 36" XBR. The set was great, however the tube went out after a brief 8 year run. When looking for new TVs I was very interested in the LED technology, but the cost and value at this time was not condusive.



LIKES: Terrific picture. Sports look amazing (Baseball, tennis and golf thus far. Can't wait till football!) Great detail, image and clarity. Very, very sharp picture. Movies are also amazing, especially with Blue Ray technology. Highly recommend rolling your favorite sci-fi movie on this. Very impressive. Satellite TV looks great. Sound on TV is fine. The volume is consistant when watching programs or during commercials (A feature I've had on other TVs, but was missing on my last TV). Size of TV is great for the room. I was debating on a larger set, but am very happy with the dimensions of the TV. The weight of the TV was also a nice change. The old TV was almost 400 lbs.! This set is just under 100 lbs. with the stand. There are alot of features on this set that I have not yet checked out such as: (Some web/cpu applications). For my purposes, this TV is the real deal. Price, quality, value and a great Television.



DISLIKES: The TV temperature is pretty warm. When entering the room from another, you can tell a noticable difference in the room with the TV on. Should be great during the winter months, but summer is hot enough in the desert.



In THX mode, when watching satellite TV, there is a small line (appx. 1/2") on the top of the screen that is visible. This line is not present when watching a movie in THX mode. I am planning on getting the TV calibrated after appx. 100 hours of viewing, so maybe that will take care of it.



Some previous reviews I have read on this site have noted concerns about the lack of picture control and the sound of the TV. Like others, I have the TV hooked up to a home theatre set up and it sounds amazing. Even when running just the TV speakers, I have found the sound to be more than acceptable. Once again, I like the fact that the volume is consistant during commercials and the TV programming. Let's be clear here. The old TV had great sound, this TV has decent sound. As others have stated, that's why you have a home theatre. As far as picture controls, I have found them to be more than adequate. I customized the picture and it looks great (although these settings have increased the TV temperature even more!). There are some pre-sets pictures available (THX, Game, Standard). I have used all of these and found them to be helpful.



All in all, a great TV for picture, quality and value.

I'd definately recommend this TV."