The Panasonic PZ77U models , the 42 inch TH-42PZ77and 50 inch TH-50PZ77, are Full HD 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). The resolution of the 42 inch TH-42PX77 is 1024 x 768 and for the TH-50PX77 is 1366 x 768. All are equipped with an integrated ATSC tuner for HD reception. Notable features include; 10,0000:1 contrast ratio, EZ Sync HDAVI Control for one touch remote control of multiple home theater components, picture sharing with the built-in SD memory card slot, anti-glare filter slideshow capability with free integrated GalleryPlayer software and a good range of connectivity options. Naturally, with the plasma technology comes the superior motion image rendering compared to LCD displays.

With digital images now being stored predominantly in digital format, the SD memory card slot and GalleryPlayer software are welcome inclusions to these Panasonic plasma’s specification. They provide the modern convenience to load one’s own or visitors photos to share on a far larger, convenient screen than a cameras display or a computer monitor. LCD photo frames are a popular gift this season and Panasonic’s GalleryPlayer turns converts the plasma display into huge photo frame for slideshows.

Just as with still photos, Panasonic’s plasma HDTVs incorporate anti-glare glass to stop the color phosphors reflecting light from nearby lighting or windows, making images difficult to see. Unfortunately, the anti-glare glass acts like a polarizer cutting light output by some 50%. A necessary evil however, as a brighter display you can’t see is of no value.

Displayable Colors and Shades of Gradation Differences between Panasonic PZ77U and PX77U Plasma HDTV Models

The shades of gradation for the PZ models (4,096) are greater than those for the PX models at 3,072. As grayscale performance is an important factor for determining image quality, it’s a difference worth considering in association with other factors such as cost. The quality of a display increases with the greater number of shades of gray which can be rendered, transitioning smoothly from one to another with no apparent stepping or banding. The number of shades of gray possible is also directly proportional to the number of color shades which can be represented. And this can be seen in the specifications with the displayable colors for the PX models being lower at 29 billion compared to 68.7 billion for the PZ models. What this means to the individual is best determined by a side-by-side comparative viewing.

If considering these plasma models, it’s worth knowing that the 42 inch TH-42PZ700U of the sibling Panasonic 700 plasma HDTV series has recently been announced as a 2008 International CES Best of Innovations Design and Engineering Award honoree in the Video Displays category. Consumer electronics products competing in CES (Consumer Electronics Show) are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade press with the most impressive products in each category are selected as honorees.

Phosphor based displays are inherently more suspect to burn-in which is due to display areas being used more frequently than others having a lower luminosity than those surrounding. Plasma manufacturers now have a range of countermeasures integrated into their televisions including one feature common to all the Panasonic series plasmas is a utility function called pixel wobbling. Imperceptibly, to the human eye, pixel wobbling shifts the image displayed one pixel at a time.
One feature that is missing from the Panasonic series that some consumers might expect is picture-in-picture (PIP).

Panasonic’s Plasma’s 100,000 Hours to Half Brightness

Panasonic recently announced an extended life span for their new plasma televisions of 100,000 hours to half brightness. So you would have to watch over 18 hours a day of television to get to the half brightness point within 15 years. Given how quickly display technologies are evolving, 15 years is probably several display lifetimes. As a comparison, a standard CRT TV has a life to half brightness of some 30,000 hours.

Green Credentials

Panasonic have rightly been including information on the environmental impact of their display products in recent press releases. A key development has been their recent announcement of being the first manufacturer to eliminate lead from the production of plasma display panels. California and the European Union actually enacted legislation in 2003 banning the heavy metals cadmium, hexavalent chromium, mercury and lead from electronic products, unless exempted due to technical reasons. Lead oxide has glass has previously been used as a key constituent of various components such as the dielectric layer and electrodes. Alternative manufacturing processes and technologies for the leads removal has been an advancement which has led to some performance improvements as well as a more environmentally friendly product.

Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)

Panasonic’s EZ-Synch is a branding of the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) which is an optional feature of HDMI which Panasonic has implemented to provide global control all CEC-enabled peripherals using one remote. CEC will allow up to ten devices to discover and communicate with one another through HDMI cabled network. Individual AV devices can control each other utilizing CEC. For example, closing the DVD tray could trigger the DVD player to switch the TV on, select the correct video source on the TV and set the appropriate video and audio modes for playback.

Compare Prices and User Reviews for Panasonic PZ77 Plasmas

Read the many reviews for the Panasonic PZ77 plasma HDTVs at Amazon;

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 42″ 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic TH-42PX77U 42-inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic TH-50PX77U 50-inch 720p Plasma HDTV

Extended Service Plan

There are also competitive prices and plenty of user reviews at Buy.com including

Panasonic TH-42PZ77U 42 Plasma TV - 42 - ATSC, NTSC - 16:9 - 1920 x 1080 - 68.7 Billion Colors (12-bit) - Surround - HDTV

Panasonic TH-50PZ77U 50 Plasma TV - 50 - ATSC - 16:9 - 1920 x 1080 - 68.7 Billion Colors (12-bit) - Surround - HDTV

You can also check prices at Butterfly Photo

Panasonic TH-50PX77U 50″ 720p Plasma HDTV TH50PX77U

Panasonic 700U 1080p Plasma HDTV Specification

Technorati Tags: EZ Sync, shades of gradation, pixel wobbling