CNET's first ever 5 star plasma TV review (Panny ST60)

#1
Thrasher865

Thrasher865

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#1
I wasn't planning on buying a new TV... Thankfully I'm broke, because I'm a sucker for technology.

This is apparently the TV to own this year.

In the "bad" column, they can't even list anything specific to this TV rather than plasmas in general, other than below average 3D performance.

Panasonic TC-P55ST60 Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

I've written TV reviews for more than 10 years, but I'm pretty sure this one is the most important. I'll cut to the chase: If you value picture quality and don't have money to burn, you should buy the Panasonic TC-PST60.

Yes, it's a plasma. That's the main reason why its picture is so good. And despite what you may have heard, there's very little reason not to get a plasma TV. Once you decide to go plasma -- don't worry, you'll be fine -- the next question is which one. That's what makes the ST60 so important. It's Panasonic's least-expensive 2013 TV set to boast this extremely high level of picture quality, and Panasonic is the only TV manufacturer even trying to make premium-performing TVs affordable these days. Given the company's financial trouble, the future of its plasma TV business is far from certain.

Yes, I expect a few TVs to deliver even better pictures than the ST60 this year, but they'll all cost a lot more. And yes, a couple of cheaper 2013 TVs, in particular Panasonic's own S60 series, might perform well enough to earn an "excellent" picture quality score from us. But I'll be extremely surprised if any 2013 TV surpasses the ST60's combination of jaw-dropping performance and practical affordability.
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The good: Reasonable price; incredibly good picture quality with exceedingly deep black levels, great shadow detail, accurate colors, solid bright-room performance, and superb off-angle and uniformity characteristics; sleek styling with metal accents; plenty of Smart TV content; includes two pair of 3D glasses.

The bad: Worse 3D quality compared to many competing TVs; not as suited to extremely bright rooms as some LCD models; consumes more power than LCD TVs.

The bottom line: The midlevel price and outstanding quality of the Panasonic TC-PST60 series make it our strongest TV recommendation ever.
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Thought about putting this in an existing TV thread, but a quick search didn't turn up anything I thought it fit in. Also, "TV" is too short a search term.
 
#2
#2
My parents got the 55" model. It's awesome. They buy a new TV every 10 years or so. glad they picked a good one. Lol
 
#3
#3
The review model is the 55", but it says the specs are identical on all sizes. Sounds like they should be happy with their purchase. Katz knows his plasmas, and you can tell he's struggling to hold back from salivating over it in his review.
 
#4
#4
1,500 = Midlevel price??? Good lord! I got one of the 'display' TVs at WalMart last week for 50% off. 42" Vizio 120hz Smart TV 225 bucks, perfect condition. That's my idea of a midlevel price.
 
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#5
#5
Volunteer_Kirby said:
1,500 = Midlevel price??? Good lord! I got one of the 'display' TVs at WalMart last week for 50% off. 42" Vizio 120hz Smart TV 225 bucks, perfect condition. That's my idea of a midlevel price.
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That's bargain basement price. Also, you're talking about a Vizio. Great TVs, but hardly top-of-the-line. EVERY TV is a smart TV, nowadays, so that doesn't help your argument, and it's over a foot smaller. You're comparing apples and potatoes.

For a brand-new 55" 3D plasma, $1,350 - $1,500 is definitely midlevel price. I'm not gonna pay it to replace my TV that's only a couple years old, but that's close to what my Samsung was back in 2011. It will go on sale and the price will come down before long.
 
#6
#6
take away the smart features (some of which you can get from an $80 blu-ray player) and needless 3D feature, and this TV would fall below $700
 
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#7
#7
Smart features don't add to the price at this point. Every TV has them. I agree partially on the 3d aspect, but you're way off if you think this TV would be half-price as a 2D model. Panasonic TVs are very reasonably priced this year.
 
#8
#8
MG1968 said:
take away the smart features (some of which you can get from an $80 blu-ray player) and needless 3D feature, and this TV would fall below $700
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Exactly the way it worked with my Samsung. Essentially the same TV with Smart features, and 3D would have added about $400-$500 to the price.
 
#9
#9
I wish CNET would review the cheap stuff. They need to do a big round-up comparison of tv's under $700 for the larger sets and under $400 for the smaller sets. Something for the common person who just want's a TV or can't afford the $1500+ sets they salivate over.
 
#11
#11
Volunteer_Kirby said:
1,500 = Midlevel price??? Good lord! I got one of the 'display' TVs at WalMart last week for 50% off. 42" Vizio 120hz Smart TV 225 bucks, perfect condition. That's my idea of a midlevel price.
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That's dirt for a 42" TV... But the one you picked up has already probably seen 3,000-4,000 hours of screen time.

Thrasher is pretty accurate ITT, it's definitely a mid priced model. If you just want a TV that's going to display things, that's perfectly legit. But the panel in the OP is something different altogether... He's also correct that the smart features add almost nothing to the cost, and 3D does cost extra but wouldn't come anywhere near doubling the cost of the set.

It's been a bit saddening to see plasma cede ground to LCD/LED since plasma is superior in just about every way. Hopefully this set can turn that around.
 
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#12
#12
I have 2 Panasonic Plasmas and if if they are still making them in 5-8 years when I want/need a new TV I will more than likely look to Panasonic first. As it is though my TV probably averages less than 10 hours/week on-time so I don't plan on needing a replacement for a loooooong time.

I read a rumor last month that they might stop making Plasmas though. This might be the last hurrah if it doesn't sell.
 
#13
#13
I have a Panasonic 50" Plasma & I simply love it. I have it hooked up to receive HD programing & it will knock your socks off. Looks like one that's in Best Buy on display. The color is very good & life like. Watching sports is a thing of beauty. It has 3 HDMI hook ups. Bought it in the year 2011. Before that I had a 42" Panasonic Plasma that I got in 2008. Sold it to my neighbor & he has no problem with that plasma TV. LCDs & LEDs to me are just too bright. I have other TVs in the house that are LCD. I am a big supporter of Panasonic. Everything I have ever bought from Panasonic I've never had any problems with their brand.
 
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#14
#14
Would have considered it right until I saw the word Panny. Just type Panasonic, otherwise it sounds too close to tranny.
 
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