Plasma TV Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Amazon’

Premier Mounts AM2 Swing Out Arms For 17 Inch to 40 Inch LCD Screens Silver

The AM2 Universal Swingout Arm fits 17″ to 40″ flat-panel TV displays and allows 360-degree screen rotation. Features include VESA 75/100/200×100mm compatibility. This revolutionary design features patented Radial Glide Technology which offers smooth tilt adjustment of +/-15 degrees. You can pull your LCD or Plasma panel up to 17″ from the wall and push it back to just under 3.5″ off the wall when collapsed. All of your cables can be hidden inside the AM2’s innovative cable management ports. Plus, it’s backed by Premier Mounts’ industry-leading Lifetime Guarantee for reliability and quality assurance.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Works well needed adaptor
Our TV needed to be mounted on a 200X200 plate. This mount comes 200X100. Ordered a adapter plate, and works great.

4 Stars good buy
this is a well built wall mount inst. a bit vague but its pretty straight forward works well holds up to the weigh of my 37″ flat screen

4 Stars Great mount, needs adapter for VESA 200×200
Very solid mount, works exactly as one would expect. The only disappointment is Amazon lists it as VESA 75, 100, and 200 compatible. That’s not completely accurate. It does include an adapter plate for VESA 200×100 mounting. It does NOT include VESA 200×200 mounting, however. That requires a separate adapter plate, e.g., UFP-280. I could have saved myself time and frustration had that been clearly shown.

Recommended, just be sure you have the mount you need for your television.

5 Stars A Good Investment
So, I was in tough spot. I had a 23″ widescreen monitor taking up most of my desk. On one hand, I wanted something functional, but on the other I didn’t have a lot to spend.

After much research, this little gem popped up. I wasn’t familiar with the brand, but the price was right. The way it’s screwed into a wall means that you *have to* get through a support stud(Not always the most convenient based on your furniture arrangement), but that’s a very small complaint.

I can move the arm freely left and right, it stays exactly where I put it every time. Additionally, the connector point to the monitor allows me to rotate the monitor freely up to 360 degrees. Call me a geek, but it’s cool to be able to turn my monitor 90 degrees to read comics, etc.

I’ll be acquiring a secondary monitor soon, and I definitely plan to purchase another one of these for it.

5 Stars Just what the doctor ordered !!
Bought mount of a 20″ flat screen TV. Very imprested with the quality and appearance.Easy to install and ajustments are endless A+++

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Panasonic Viera TH 46PZ850U 46 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Building upon the market and critical success of Panasonic’s previous Plasma models, the PZ850 series includes a number of step-up features that will further strengthen Panasonic’s leadership position.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars This May Be The Last Great Plasma Made!!
When this model first came out over a year ago I dreamed about owning it. At the time it was selling for nearly three thousand dollars, which was significantly more than I wanted to pay for “another TV”. The feature set was amazing and the spec were literally second to none – That includes Pioneer. After a year of continuous shopping the price for this TV dropped to twelve-hundred dollars on Amazon. that was less than the average Vizio. Looking at what they did to the newer models I doubt the good times will ever be back again.

1. The 850U model includes a Studio reference mode which is infinitely configurable. Few Plasma TV’s have this capability accept for the highest end models. To get this capability on the latest Panasonic models cost thousands more.

2. The 850U comes with an SDHC video card reader. This is huge. I plan on buying one of the latest HD camcorders which all output to the latest AVCHD format. Panasonic is the only manufacturer doing this, and the new models don’t offer this feature until you pay thousands more.

3. The 850U may be an energy hog, but i think all things are relative here. For me it may amount to another 1-2 dollars per month, despite being half as efficient as the newer models. On the up side, the older models look richer and can be turned up as bright as necessary. This is very important in bright rooms that have alot of reflection. The over-heating discussion is bogus. My TV is in an enclosed cabinet (with venting slits in the back) and it barely gets warm. Absolutely no big deal at all. In fact it emits less heat than my Pioneer that’s only 42″.

4. The picture quality on this set is much better than my Samsung that is also 46″ (LN-T4665F). The off angle viewing on the Panasonic is fantastic. There is no fading or distortion at all on the Panasonic. The screen is perfectly uniform. The samsung is way too faded from the same off-angle viewing positions. I will say that the blacks are about the same, but the overall color saturation on the Panasonic is much better.

5. All the little things like quickly getting to the proper input mode, back lighting for the remote, and saving settings are all much better on the Panasonic. Also, I LOVE THE FACT THAT PANASONIC HAS A FRONT PANEL SLOT FOR INPUTS AND ATTACHMENTS AND NOT THE SIDE OR BACK OF THE SET. my cabinet is 47 inches wide. I can’t insert anything on the Pioneer or Samsung because of this problem. twisting the sets all the way around to reach the back (in darkness) is too problematic. panasonic reolved this problem (huge benefit). I now have wall mounted the Samsung and the problem still exist. By the time you swing the TV 2.5 feet away from the wall the power chord and HDMI chord diconnect, because they are not long enough.

6. The Viera Cast is cool, particularly if they beef up the content in the future. Watching UTube on full screen is different. better to have it than not have it.

7. The single pane of glass makes this one of the nicest looking TVs on the market – no joke. I actually don’t think I noticed how thin the facing bezel is until I hung it on the wall. It looks great off – like a work of art.

8. Its now discontinued, but for the feature set and price, it has all the bells and whistles of the plasma’s that cost much more money. panasonics vision now is to find a way to make the energy efficient models look as rich as the energy hogs, which is going to drive the price much highr. No need to pay for their R&D when the set is not going to look any better on the screen. The other thing Panasonic wants you to pay for is the side thickness (from 4 inches to 1 inch). Admittedly it looks cool (only from the side), but you will pay more money to get the same features in a smaller case. The picture is not better, but the thickness is thinner. Again the cost is much higher.

I love this set. I now own the Panasonic, Pioneer and Samsung. My life is complete.

5 Stars Love it!
I was initially skeptical about buying Plasma because of the things I had read about them (e.g. high power consumption, short lifespan). I can’t speak of the lifespan of this tv (100,000 hours to 1/2 brightness according to Panasonic) since I have had it for only 2 months, but I have been monitoring the electrical consumption. There are 5 preset picture modes: Vivid, Standard, Studio Reference, Game, and Custom. Respectively, at widescreen and on factory settings, they consume approximately 400, 175, 250, 375, and 325 Watts. Thankfully, the picture modes are saved for whichever input you use; I keep the tv and game inputs set on Game, and the Blu-ray player set to Studio Reference. You can adjust each of these modes individually by picture, brightness, color, tint, and sharpness. The stock speakers were surprisingly good with coverage even to deeper bass however, it is extremely directional. After initial setup, I brought a pair of bookshelves on each side of the tv only to find that the audio sounded as if it were coming through a tunnel. This has no bearing on me since I have built a pair of external speakers for surround sound, though if you intend to use the standard speakers, just be sure to leave enough room on either side of the tv. Blu-ray playback is absolutely gorgeous! It is crisp and clear, contrasty, and quite bright. There is no ghosting, and the supposed 480 Hz technology is worlds better than the 120 Hz you see on LCDs, it looks natural and cinematic, and I am extremely pleased. On a final note, my Harmony remote has some trouble switching between the video inputs, so I keep the standard remote out just in case.

5 Stars THE BEST HDTV
I bought this TV at Best Buy and paid quite a bit more for it than what you see here. I am thrilled with this TV and is quite a bargain on Amazon. I have cable and a DVD with HDMI and it was a snap to connect and start watching from the get-go.

It is a beautiful TV, and now I am addicted to the larger size widescreen HDTV’s. The 800 series of this TV is excellent, and has the best sound ever. No need for a home theatre, DVD and Blu Ray plays BEAUTIFULLY. I bought the expensive calibration service which I think was a waste of money, as the TV is easy to adjust right out of the box. I have my own perferences, and after it was calibrated, I never even used the Custom setting (that is where they put the “calibrated” settings) and went back to my own “Standard” settings after the calibration. I turned off the NR setting, put the black level to “light” and turned off the C.A.T.S. settings on the “Picture” menu. Keeping the black level to “light” and turning off C.A.T.S setting makes a big difference in the clarity of the picture, and makes the adjustment of brightness and contrast more accurate. It takes a bit of fussing, but you can get a perfect picture, all by yourself. I love this TV, and plan to buy a 800 series in the 50 inch, also. Both these series are pretty future proof, and will probably be the last TV’s I buy.

I have read that keeping the Contrast and Brightness down to 50 for about 30 days before revving it up any higher will “prime” the TV and actually make it last longer. The 800 series of the Panasonic Plasma has my highest recommendation.

P.S. Be aware that there is some reflection issues with the larger TV, just because they are able to reflect things like lamps over a broader space. This is the nature of big screen TV’s I am afraid. However, I have a Sony LCD (the best) and I still prefer the Plasma..far better picture.

Just wanted to give an (May 28, 2009)update on my opinion of this TV. It has stayed the same. I still love it. I have changed my mind about getting a calibration done, and I think it is worth the extra bucks to get a professional calibration. I was wrong about that, the TV does play better after a calibration. I bought a second Panasonic Plasma the TH 50PZ800U through Amazon, which was a great buy, and excellent white glove delivery. I wanted the 800U in the 50 inch for my living room and the reviews for the 800U (with THX) was higher than the 850U. However, I prefer the 850U model over the “certified THX” 800U, and I also prefer the 46″ over the 50″ size. The 850U has special professional adjustment features, and I think the picture is sharper on the 46″. So if you think bigger is better, that is not always so, but it always comes down to your own personal needs and preferences. I also bought a Panasonic BMP BD50 model of Blu Ray disk players. Blu Ray is excellent on both Panasonic models. The Panasonic Blu Ray player is very good, but I plan to replace it with a Oppo Blu Ray player when it is released. The Panasonic Blu Ray 1080p upscaling for standard DVD’s could be better, so I plan to replace with an Oppo brand.

5 Stars Great TV & Great service from Amazon
After much research & pondering about “justifying the expense”, I decided on the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ850U. I really love this TV — it was easy to setup, & I “calibrated” it myself using the THX program on one of my “Star Wars” DVD’s. The picture is unreal with any sort of HD input. I’m a bit disappointed in the “standard TV reception”, even though I was warned to expect that. If I had to do it again, I might have waited until the new Panasonic TV’s were available because they actually have a THX Mode (so do the Panasonic PZ800U’s, but they also lack some of the features that the 850’s have).

The delivery from Amazon was exceptionally prompt — only took about 5 days from the time I placed my order (about 5 days ahead of schedule). The guy that delivered it assisted me in the un-boxing & getting it positioned. He didn’t leave until we were both satisfied that the TV was in good working order.

5 Stars great tv
great tv for the price, easy to set up on your own,using the xtras such as the viera cast requires some expertise

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BellO 8120DB Tilt Wall Mount for 12 to 32 Displays For Dummies Black

The Bell’O 8120 Tilting TV Wall Mounting Kit makes it easy for anyone to install their flat-panel television with the included For Dummies installation guide and DVD. This mount features a 15-degree forward tilt and a 5-degree backward tilt. It can accommodate 12″-30″ televisions weighing up to 150 pounds. With the 8190 Adapter Plate, sold separately, this mount can fit televisions up to 52″ wide.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars too many fasteners
This was exactly what I needed in the price range I was willing to pay. The quality and appearance(although you can’t see the mount) are excellent. My only real objections are the instructions and the amount of fasteners included. I don’t feel I really needed a wall mount for “dummies”, but the after trying to sort out all the spacers and fasteners, I began to feel like one.I probably used only 6 of 24 items. In defense of the manufacturer, they appear to appeal to a large range of TV makes & models resulting in to many details. The hardware is prepacked in plastic strip pockets and lettered, so the attempt to simplify is evident. Bottom line, the TV is up and all is working well. I would recommend to a friend.

5 Stars Great product, cheap price
I didn’t want to spend $100 on a mount for a $400 LCD, so this kit hit the mark. The low price is no reflection on quality, since this item locked right into my television with minimal effort and was easy to secure to the wall with all the provided hardware. Quality on the cheap…I love Amazon.com!

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Premier Mounts AM2 B Articulating Wall Mount for 17 to 40 Displays Black

Recommended for 10″-37″ LCD displays, this full-articulation swingout arm can be pulled out 17″ from the wall. It also offers significant tilt and pivot using innovative Radial Glide Technology.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars JCC
THIS IS MY SECOND PURCHASE. THIS MOUNT FAR EXCCEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. GIVES ALOT OF FLEXIBLITY FOR REVIEWING ANGLES, ETC. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND.

4 Stars Great Mount
Just got this mount a few weeks ago. Went up real easy. Put my 32″ Samsung TV on a thick plaster wall using three 1/4″ toggle bolts. Holds great and arm easily moves. Would not suggest this mounting method with any drywall. Looks good too in my smaller bedroom on the opposite wall and above the bed/near the ceiling.

Only change I would make is for the manufacturer to supply a template that shows the oval cover outline and holes where to drill so I could precisely postion the TV. Made my own but having a pre-made one would have saved a few minutes.

You need the optional plate for a the 32″ Samsung.

5 Stars Third Time’s the Charm…
We tried two other mounts before getting the Premier. The first was misrepresented in the Amazon description and was not even compatible with our 22″ bedroom flatscreen. The second fit but it extended above the back of the set and was visible. Ugly!

The AM2-B is terrific, easy to install, solid, and offers great flexibility.

4 Stars Pretty Pleased
First: I am a pretty good handy person who has experiencing installing items like this in the house. I have installed tilting and arm type supports on four occasions prior. This was my fifth.

My Installation: Install a 26″ LCD above a door frame in a bathroom. Pretty straight forward.

Pro’s: I had it installed in about 20 minutes total. It was quite easy, and seemed very stable. The leveling is quite easy as you have only one alignment (vertical) to consider. The swing cjharacteristics on side to side and in or out are quite impressive. I can go nearly 90deg to each side when fully extended out.

Cons: you better have a stud where you want the center of your TV or you will have to build a “support” between studs. (No big issue for those who know what to do). Bigger issue is that the stud bolts are Phillips Head Screws.. So you better pre-drill your holes, and better have a power screw driver. No way can you sink these monsters by hand and no pre-drill with out rounding off the head. These would have been better as hex-heads. The down ward tint is a bit less than I thought, but I have a high mount. If middle of wall mount, this is no big issue. The cable management system is adequate.

I would recommend this and use this mount again.

5 Stars compact and easy to install
Love this item. A lot smaller than other types of mount, but does the job.

Installation was a snap, 4 screws into a stud. Do not miss the studs!

Movement is smooth and easy in all directions. Would buy another if needed.

Buy/More Info

Samsung PN58B550 58 Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

58″ screen (measured diagonally) * 1920 x 1080 pixels * 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio * 600Hz Subfield Motion anti-blur technology * FilterBright anti-glare filter *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars beautiful
beautiful..im very happy with this purchase…but i still have an unpeaceful feeling knowing it is plasma, especially when i use it to play games..player with energy bar. ^ ^

5 Stars Samsung PN58B550
Samsung PN58B550 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV This TV is nothing less than perfect! Its been everything I hoped for. Add Amazon was great to deal with. No problems, order easy to track, was here when they said it would be. Buy and enjoy

4 Stars one of the best in 58 inch plasmas
I purchased this unit at HH Gregg for $1340 out of box special. Few small scratches especially on base which I do not use base and don’t watch the frame. I also had/have previously another Sammy and a Panny plasmas. I also own 2 flat panel LCD’s. You can get super deals on these last year models and the difference between older A and newer B models is not worth over a $1000 to me maybe to you. They had this and the Panny 58″ (TH-58PZ800U) side by side along with the newer B model. They were hooked up to same source, inputs and this beat the Pannys picture by a smidge. Better blacks much better contrast. Both sets were set to same pix setting. I’always preferred the Pannys but it appears Samsung has caught up and surpassed the Pannys. The B model also displayed looked a tad better side by side but I don’t believe you would be able to tell the difference if you saw one then the other. I Also have an older Panny 42″ and this set is equal to the Panny if not a little better. The Sammy has much more controls for adjusting pix sound off air tv etc. If you get your signal Off Air for HDTV then the Samsung has a much better ATSC tuner. It will pick up stations and lock them in that the Panny doesn’t even see.

The pix from Blu Ray is awesome one of the best I’ve seen to date. The Satellite HD from Dish Net also excellent just a tad softer then over air sources. Off Air HDTV is just a notch under Blu Ray but very close. Cable HD very good also but varies a good bit on different channels. Now for upgraded SD off air varies widely from very good to just good on some of the older movies and sub channels. This also depends on the channel if it is a sub channel 1 or 2 or 3 they get worse the more they have. The main channel example (19-1) SD looks very good. 19-2 still good 19-3 (much less bandwidth) looks like an old news reel footage. Still not bad considering they were originally shot to display on at best a 25 inch TV.

Some have reported a loud buzzing sound. I have not had this problem. This unit does have fans and if hooked up inproperly (ground loop problems) maybe subject to AC hum from different video sources. All plasmas’s make a slight noise but I don’t think you going to be watching silent movies. I’m not saying that this is the problem which others who wrote about this but there’s no loud buzzing from this or others I’ve seen. The above maybe the reason some complain about buzzing sound. Different sets can perform differently. My Panny doesn’t like a bad ground loop but still displays a good picture and it’s quiet but the Sammy seems to be a little bit more particular in this area.

Summary – Sammy PQ HD off air (antenna) or Sat excellent picture Blu Ray totally awesome.

PQ SD off air or sat (dish net)excellent to very good(unless on a third or more sub channel off air only).

Cable excellent to acceptable depending on source and cable company. You probably have to try it on your cable system and see if you can live with it. Channel to channel seems to very on some systems.IMO Comcast (MUS fibernet city owned cable company)seems to be much better then Charter. These are the only 3 in this area that I have compared.

Sound is good nothing to write home about but you’ll probably want a good surround system with a pix this big to get a theater like experience.

I’d recommend this set especially at some of the prices it is presently going for. You will not be dissappointed with the PQ from this unit. Below is a list of the models I considered and the reason I choose differently. MY take in ( ) for what it’s worth and reason ruled out.

LG 60 inch Plasma 60PS60(excellent choice very high marks – price could not get a good deal $2200 +)I really liked this set PQ very close.

Panny 58 inch plasma TH-58PZ800U(excellent choice best deal I could find $1700 – price not an issue Pix Quality/featurers just a tad less then Sammy.

Sammy LED/LCD 55 inch UN55B6000 ( appears to be excellent choice). This set had great blacks contrast etc. The best I ever seen for a LCD but a tad cartoon-ish look. You will have to play with settings to get a film like picture. Price was main reason for not purchasing this one. $2900 + for 55 inch. Smaller pix models maybe worth a look. This is a LCD side lite by LED not a true LED or OLED still a few years out.

Pioneer 60 inch. If money grows on trees for you or is not an issue this set has the BEST picture flat out! The only reason to rule out this set is price. Best I could do even on a refurb was well in the low $3000 mark. I may have even pulled the trigger for this one but was concerned Pioneer is getting out of the TV business. Parts and service down the road may become an issue and at this price I don’t want to send to scrap yard for quit a while. OLED in about 5+ years ( maybe less) may make all these look bad and that’s a lot of green for just a few years.

5 Stars Great Size and Functionality
This is a fantastic tv for the money and includes great functionality. I have owned Samsung HDTVs and was surprised by the ANYnet device control functionality. This allows me to control bluray and dvd players via the television remote through the hdmi cables. The usb port also allows for software updates(firmware) as well as mp3 players and flash drives which can be output to your home theatre via optical cable. The sound is what can be expected from any flat panel. This tv is great for gaming as well as casual tube surfing. i do not regret this purchase and would reccomend it to anyone provided they understand the IR sensitivity of plasma televisions (any damage to the set is easily avoidable with even a little care and awareness). The contrast ratio is very good and on par with most midrange and high end plasmas currently available. As an upgrade from a ln46a650 the motion handling of plasma technology is breathtaking as well as an improvement for gaming due to considerably less lag. Dont belive there is a difference bewteen this years plasma and lcd motion handling due to refresh rate? Try playing an FPS and spinning around in a 360 as fast as you can and watch the cross hairs. (Plasma FTW)

5 Stars Great TV
It’s awesome — a plasma for under 2K. There is a slight buzz, but it is barely noticeable when watching a movie. Probably inherent to the plasma design in general.

The picture is so fantastic, that I am re-watching all my movies!

Very heavy.

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