Panasonic Prices 2013 Lineup, Crushes Dreams, Kills Puppies
OK, they didn’t really kill any puppies (that I know of), but it certianly feels that way because they won’t be building better plasma display panels than the 2013 crop. It’s unclear what this means exactly – hopefully we’ll still be able to buy them until OLED’s production issues are sorted.
Update:
According to the HDGuru (who asked Panasonic), they aren’t stopping PDP research. I’m confused.
The bad news? While Panasonic’s plasma manufacturing will continue, The Verge reports VP Kiyoshi Okamoto confirmed at the event that development has ceased on its plasma models, although some engineers have been shifted to work on OLED displays. We’ll see if its recovery efforts and technological developments lead to new large-size OLEDs anytime soon, but for now it appears we’re seeing the last of its efforts to push plasma technology forward.
Ya I saw that on
Ya I saw that on engadget….Hopefully it’s right on a bright note the 2103 models seem killer even the lower end PST got a great review on cnet.http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-9150_7-10016440.html. the 3d issue sucks but seing as how i don’t use mine now the price on the model is very attactive. I know the VT will be the bees knees but still.
Oppinions needed.
Based on
Oppinions needed.
Based on some of the statements in that review, I will be purchasing a 65″ plasma later this year after the game room remodling project has completed. I am not interested in extra APPS. or having a browser or facebook on my TV, it will primarily be used as a monitor for the HTPC and a BR player. I want the best possible picture I can get, but I am still on a budget and $10G is not in it. What series what you recommend??
Thanks to all in advance.
That’s a hard one. I expect
That’s a hard one. I expect that the ST will be the best value in the line-up, and likely even against other competing PDPs. That said, it does not properly support 24p, have the deep blacks of the VT (better)/ZT (best), redder reds, or extended color support in the higher end models.
I’m going to be buying a new set this year, and as much as I want the ZT, I’m not sure that it’s going to be worth the extra $ (expected to be $500) versus the VT (what I’m currently leaning towards). I also fear that given this news the ZT won’t see the discounting that it otherwise would. If it does play out that way, the VT will likely be more than $500 cheaper on the street.
Im in the same boat as you
Im in the same boat as you guys. I’m looking to buy in the next couple of months. If you can wait, Value Electronics’ shoutout is May 10th. There are lots of pros there and there will be a lot of reviews/infos on the three Panasonic’s, the Samsung and LED tv’s. That being said, I am looking at the VT this year. As for apps, there are no really good consumer TV’s w/o apps anymore. It’s just a fact of life. Good luck with your search!
Andrew,
Should the VT and ZT
Andrew,
Should the VT and ZT be on par in-so-far-as Black levels and color accuracy and overall picture quality? I currently have a 46″ Sharp LED/LCD and a 36″ LG LCD. Both calibrated and look great, but for the ManCave I want to get the best Image quality I can afford, which is going to be about $2k~$3k. $3k is prolly pushing it but that is the general range.
According to Panasonic the ZT
According to Panasonic the ZT will have better blacks than the VT. Otherwise the panel features are pretty similar, but the VT will have more [useless] extras. If you’re looking for the best non-OLED (read affordable) panel this year, the ZT will probably it it. That said, I’m not sure it will be worth the difference in cost v. the VT, we’ll have to see what the street price is when it shows up.
BB is showing the TC-P65VT60
BB is showing the TC-P65VT60 = 3,599.99 and the TC-P65ZT60 = 4,099.99 and “COMING SOON” for availabillity.
Give Cleveland Plasma a call
Give Cleveland Plasma a call after the ZT starts shipping. If the street prices stay ~$500 difference the ZT is very tempting (assuming that the reviews validate its prowess).
How much better are their
How much better are their prices from the street price??
That depends on how you
That depends on how you define “street price” :). It will be better than what you see on Best Buy or Amazon’s website.
A lot of online AV retailers list a price on their website which is consistent with the OEM’s MSRP discounting rules. If you call or email, usually you’ll get a much better price.
The box store price is what I
The box store price is what I was refering to.
I believe the ZT is superior
I believe the ZT is superior in black performance…now $500 worth IDK