I purchased this TV about a month ago and I was holding off on my review because I wanted to break in the set first (yes, you should still break in plasmas in spite of what the manufacturers say). I am at about 250 hours on the set, and I have to say that it is the most realistic looking picture that I have seen in a flat panel. I would even put it right up there with the Pioneer Kuros. Fleshtones are incredible and there is no oversaturation of colors. I simply used the THX mode and made basic adjustments using the DVE calibration disk on Blu Ray.
I had initially purchased a Samsung LN46A650 LCD. I liked the set but I just felt that it wasn’t quite as sharp as my Samsung 42 inch 720p plasma. Also the colors were a touch too oversaturated. Amazon returned the set with no hassle and delivered the Panasonic in its place.
Initially the Panasonic also did not look quite as sharp as my 42 inch Samsung although the picture was less noisy. However, right around 200 hours or so, the picture really sharpened up. Now that the set has some hours on it, the picture is just amazing! The only other set that I have seen with a better picture (and not by much)is a 60 inch Kuro. The only thing that the Kuros have over this Panasonic is that they are a touch sharper.
This Panasonic is a phenominal buy if color decoding and a realistic picture is most important to you. If you’re looking for a panel that has a bright, punchy picture with colors that are slightly cartoonish but that pop, go with the Samsung LN46A650 lcd.
PROS: Phenominal color decoding, incredibly realistic looking picture, fantastic price
CONS: Picture could be just a touch sharper, speakers are mediocre
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