Panasonic PT-56LCX70 and PT-61LCZ70 LiFi HDTV - Page 2 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

hugh · 2007-08-29, 07:47 AM

Panasonic confirmed prices with me yesterday:

PT-56LCX70 - $1,799.99
PT-61LCZ70 - $2,499.99.

That's $100 and $300 respectively over the U.S. MSRP.

mrhooie · 2007-08-29, 11:15 AM

just saw the 56 at our local Audiotronic. All I have to say is , WOW.

Can't wait to see the 61" and compare it to the 60"sxrd we have.

Is projection dead? maybe, but it looks more impressive than the Samsung LED backlit

JohnnyG · 2007-08-29, 12:44 PM

But it still runs hot and requires a colour wheel. I'd take the Samsung which, in my opinion, has a wonderfully natural looking image.

01 Boxer · 2007-08-29, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Panasonic confirmed prices with me yesterday:

PT-56LCX70 - $1,799.99
PT-61LCZ70 - $2,499.99.

That's $100 and $300 respectively over the U.S. MSRP.

They really should update their website...

Quote:

But it still runs hot and requires a colour wheel.

Correct on the first one but wrong on the second one. It's a 3 chip LCD and only single chip DLPs have colour wheels.

JohnnyG · 2007-08-29, 04:16 PM

Duh! Of course there is no colour wheel...I can't believe I made that mistake! Label me embarrassed!

mrhooie · 2007-08-30, 10:28 AM

The samsung has a nice picture, but on the showroom floor is dark compared to the Panasonic.

as for being embarrassed? in the days of the "e-thugs", Its nice to see someone appologise when they're wrong. Which is something I try to do when I am. Nince to see JohnnyG - much respect

Oh yeah, and how can you beat a 5 year warrantee on the bulb?

JohnnyG · 2007-08-30, 11:35 AM

Thanks...to err is human, afterall!

The Samsung is not as bright as most DLP and LCD sets when compared on the showroom floor, but it's plenty bright enough at home. Some of these TVs are just blinding at full tilt. Many "crush" whites too so they'll be as bright as possible, at the expense of accurate image reproduction.

01 Boxer · 2007-09-02, 12:39 PM

I saw the 61" at my local Brault & Martineau. In a fortunate coincidence, it was right next to a 60" Sony A2020 and the Samsung 56" LED. All the TVs were being fed a signal from TSN HD. While looking at them from a 7 feet distance, i couldn't tell which one looked better. The Sony had more saturated colors than the Panasonic but it's probably just a different setting. They all looked great in person.

The only downside was that the Panasonic's price was still at the old MSRP. The Canadian Panasonic website has the new updated 2499$ MSRP and i wonder if that would be enough to negociate the price? The 500$ difference would pay for the HD PVR.

01 Boxer · 2007-09-23, 08:01 PM

I finally bought the 61" model and received it today. The HD signal comes from a SA8300HD outputting in 1080i through a HDMI cable. I haven't really adjusted the tv settings yet. My opinion in one word: WOW!

The first thing i watched was King Kong on The Movie Network HD. I watched the fight scene between King Kong and the dinosaurs and the quality was amazing. No blur or tearing during the action and the level of details was incredible. Then i watched the end of the Nascar race on ABC HD. Again, outstanding picture quality.

The biggest con of this set is the limited viewing angle in bright lighting. 140 degrees seems a little narrow. But when i turned off the lights, i could see the image from a much greater angle.

I'll give more details later after i tried a few more things.

dadsnave · 2007-09-24, 10:50 AM

Bought from C_stc_ Saturday.

Until new DirecTv HD DVR gets set up, only available hi-def source is local stations Over-The-Air (OTA). (Local Detroit stations.) Some pix looked incredible (in-studio shots of football game analysis), others look crummy (e.g., fuzzy, macro-blocked, trails, graining/noise in variegated backgrounds, etc.). Comparing 720p to 1080i broadcasts did NOT seem to make a difference.

Tried multiple stations and shows and result is that I'm concerned that pix is not up to snuff. For comparison, in "man cave" I have a 18 month old Panasonic 1080i lcd front projector that I project to 120" (yes, 10'!) image and the same stuff looks incredible. Note: I sit at same distance from both pix -- about 12 feet.

To try and decide, I went out yesterday afternoon and bought 1080p upscaling Samsung DVD player (HD-DVD/Blu-ray still too expensive). After tweaking TV's "standard" lamp/pix settings from +30/+20 to +15/+10 respectively, DVD (via HDMI) looked better than OTA but NOT knock-your-socks-off.

Anyone using this model with DirecTv HD receiver/DVR? How do you think it looks? How about compared to OTA tuner?

chriscross · 2007-10-03, 01:16 AM

I bought the 56" set at Sears. I have not set it up yet so I am not sure what the image will be like. However, I bought it because my friend has one connected to a Samsung BluRay using HDMI cables. That combination works great for image quality. That is what I plan to do.

Will keep you posted

CC

01 Boxer · 2007-10-19, 11:37 AM

Cnet has a review:
http://reviews.cnet.com/projection-t...?tag=pdtl-list

I have to say i disagree with most of the review. The settings used by the reviewer created a terrible picture when i tried them on my tv. I use the settings recommended by another owner on AVS forums and the colours are beautiful. Link to the settings: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post11842687

I agree about the blacks, and as for the two lines the reviewer noticed, i saw them only once during an episode of The Unit where the sky filled most of the screen. I don't see the lines 99.999% of the time.

I won't claim the Panasonic LiFi is the best tv ever but it's far from being as bad as the review claims. Maybe test patters aren't the best way to review a tv. HD channels from my SA8300 look absolutely great on it and i'm very happy with my set. Or maybe i'm just not picky enough. It's very possible that if i had a Pioneer Kuro standing right next to the Panasonic, the comparison wouldn't be favourable. But i can't afford a 6000$ plasma and i really appreciate the bang for the buck ratio of the LiFi.

57 · 2007-10-19, 12:15 PM

Quote:

I use the settings recommended by another owner

This is not recommended. See the following:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...73&postcount=2

Rolando · 2008-02-04, 11:34 AM

anyone else bought these unit recently? any comments? Looking to get a low price big screen for the basement.

Cort · 2008-02-05, 11:01 AM

I picked up the PT-50LCX7 at Costco on Sunday after my 7 yr. old Toshiba 40" (40H80)died for the second time Saturday night. Out of the box I was horrified. The picture was grainy over bright and VERY over saturated. I went in to the settings and changed the picture from Vivid to Custom and thing look SO much better. I am going to run like this for a bit to let the TV settle in a bit then adjust the colour a little more precisely.

On the whole I am so far quite happy with the purchase. I didn't want to spend a lot as my 2 yr. old is still a little hard on things.

Costco in Ottawa have it with stand for $1300. And considering that I would have needed a stand in any case this I found was a great deal.

Here are my observations so far:

Pros:
Nice colours (once adjusted)
Nice clarity
Front HDMI input
Price

Cons:
Sound quality is not what I was expecting (but my HT fixes this problem quite well)
WAY over cooked out of box

Someone mentioned plain black looks earlier but it goes quite well with my plain black entertainment unit.

This is personal taste and thank god we all don't have the same tastes or this would would be boring.

I will add another replay later once I get some more time to play with the set.

2007-08-29, 07:47 AM	#16
hugh Member #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 47,492	Panasonic confirmed prices with me yesterday: PT-56LCX70 - $1,799.99 PT-61LCZ70 - $2,499.99. That's $100 and $300 respectively over the U.S. MSRP. __________________ As of January 2012, I am no longer the owner of the Digital Home website. If you have questions about the operation of the site, please contact VSAdmin. For personal inquiries contact me at the Hugh Thompson website.

2007-09-24, 10:50 AM	#25
dadsnave Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1	Crummy Pix w/Built-In Tuner? Bought from C_stc_ Saturday. Until new DirecTv HD DVR gets set up, only available hi-def source is local stations Over-The-Air (OTA). (Local Detroit stations.) Some pix looked incredible (in-studio shots of football game analysis), others look crummy (e.g., fuzzy, macro-blocked, trails, graining/noise in variegated backgrounds, etc.). Comparing 720p to 1080i broadcasts did NOT seem to make a difference. Tried multiple stations and shows and result is that I'm concerned that pix is not up to snuff. For comparison, in "man cave" I have a 18 month old Panasonic 1080i lcd front projector that I project to 120" (yes, 10'!) image and the same stuff looks incredible. Note: I sit at same distance from both pix -- about 12 feet. To try and decide, I went out yesterday afternoon and bought 1080p upscaling Samsung DVD player (HD-DVD/Blu-ray still too expensive). After tweaking TV's "standard" lamp/pix settings from +30/+20 to +15/+10 respectively, DVD (via HDMI) looked better than OTA but NOT knock-your-socks-off. Anyone using this model with DirecTv HD receiver/DVR? How do you think it looks? How about compared to OTA tuner?

2007-10-03, 01:16 AM	#26
chriscross Rookie Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2	Bought, but not connected yet I bought the 56" set at Sears. I have not set it up yet so I am not sure what the image will be like. However, I bought it because my friend has one connected to a Samsung BluRay using HDMI cables. That combination works great for image quality. That is what I plan to do. Will keep you posted CC

2008-02-04, 11:34 AM	#29
Rolando Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 602	anyone else bought these unit recently? any comments? Looking to get a low price big screen for the basement. __________________ Rolando Avendaño

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2007-08-29, 11:15 AM	#17
mrhooie Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Yellowknife, NT Posts: 706	just saw the 56 at our local Audiotronic. All I have to say is , WOW. Can't wait to see the 61" and compare it to the 60"sxrd we have. Is projection dead? maybe, but it looks more impressive than the Samsung LED backlit

2007-08-29, 12:44 PM	#18
JohnnyG Veteran Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North York, Ontario Posts: 10,405	But it still runs hot and requires a colour wheel. I'd take the Samsung which, in my opinion, has a wonderfully natural looking image.

2007-08-29, 04:16 PM	#20
JohnnyG Veteran Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North York, Ontario Posts: 10,405	Duh! Of course there is no colour wheel...I can't believe I made that mistake! Label me embarrassed!

2007-08-30, 10:28 AM	#21
mrhooie Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Yellowknife, NT Posts: 706	The samsung has a nice picture, but on the showroom floor is dark compared to the Panasonic. as for being embarrassed? in the days of the "e-thugs", Its nice to see someone appologise when they're wrong. Which is something I try to do when I am. Nince to see JohnnyG - much respect Oh yeah, and how can you beat a 5 year warrantee on the bulb?

2007-08-30, 11:35 AM	#22
JohnnyG Veteran Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: North York, Ontario Posts: 10,405	Thanks...to err is human, afterall! The Samsung is not as bright as most DLP and LCD sets when compared on the showroom floor, but it's plenty bright enough at home. Some of these TVs are just blinding at full tilt. Many "crush" whites too so they'll be as bright as possible, at the expense of accurate image reproduction.

2007-09-02, 12:39 PM	#23
01 Boxer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 262	I saw the 61" at my local Brault & Martineau. In a fortunate coincidence, it was right next to a 60" Sony A2020 and the Samsung 56" LED. All the TVs were being fed a signal from TSN HD. While looking at them from a 7 feet distance, i couldn't tell which one looked better. The Sony had more saturated colors than the Panasonic but it's probably just a different setting. They all looked great in person. The only downside was that the Panasonic's price was still at the old MSRP. The Canadian Panasonic website has the new updated 2499$ MSRP and i wonder if that would be enough to negociate the price? The 500$ difference would pay for the HD PVR.

2007-09-23, 08:01 PM	#24
01 Boxer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 262	I finally bought the 61" model and received it today. The HD signal comes from a SA8300HD outputting in 1080i through a HDMI cable. I haven't really adjusted the tv settings yet. My opinion in one word: WOW! The first thing i watched was King Kong on The Movie Network HD. I watched the fight scene between King Kong and the dinosaurs and the quality was amazing. No blur or tearing during the action and the level of details was incredible. Then i watched the end of the Nascar race on ABC HD. Again, outstanding picture quality. The biggest con of this set is the limited viewing angle in bright lighting. 140 degrees seems a little narrow. But when i turned off the lights, i could see the image from a much greater angle. I'll give more details later after i tried a few more things.

2007-10-19, 11:37 AM	#27
01 Boxer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 262	Cnet has a review: http://reviews.cnet.com/projection-t...?tag=pdtl-list I have to say i disagree with most of the review. The settings used by the reviewer created a terrible picture when i tried them on my tv. I use the settings recommended by another owner on AVS forums and the colours are beautiful. Link to the settings: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post11842687 I agree about the blacks, and as for the two lines the reviewer noticed, i saw them only once during an episode of The Unit where the sky filled most of the screen. I don't see the lines 99.999% of the time. I won't claim the Panasonic LiFi is the best tv ever but it's far from being as bad as the review claims. Maybe test patters aren't the best way to review a tv. HD channels from my SA8300 look absolutely great on it and i'm very happy with my set. Or maybe i'm just not picky enough. It's very possible that if i had a Pioneer Kuro standing right next to the Panasonic, the comparison wouldn't be favourable. But i can't afford a 6000$ plasma and i really appreciate the bang for the buck ratio of the LiFi.

2008-02-05, 11:01 AM	#30
Cort Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Greely, Ont. Posts: 5	I picked up the PT-50LCX7 at Costco on Sunday after my 7 yr. old Toshiba 40" (40H80)died for the second time Saturday night. Out of the box I was horrified. The picture was grainy over bright and VERY over saturated. I went in to the settings and changed the picture from Vivid to Custom and thing look SO much better. I am going to run like this for a bit to let the TV settle in a bit then adjust the colour a little more precisely. On the whole I am so far quite happy with the purchase. I didn't want to spend a lot as my 2 yr. old is still a little hard on things. Costco in Ottawa have it with stand for $1300. And considering that I would have needed a stand in any case this I found was a great deal. Here are my observations so far: Pros: Nice colours (once adjusted) Nice clarity Front HDMI input Price Cons: Sound quality is not what I was expecting (but my HT fixes this problem quite well) WAY over cooked out of box Someone mentioned plain black looks earlier but it goes quite well with my plain black entertainment unit. This is personal taste and thank god we all don't have the same tastes or this would would be boring. I will add another replay later once I get some more time to play with the set.