The VIERA G25 Series Plasma is the center of your entertainment universe. With VIERA Cast, enjoy what the web has to offer right on the big screen. Catch up with family and friends with Skype on your TV, catch your favorite movie with Netflix and listen to great music with Pandora - plus more! And the Infinite Black Panel featured on the G25 series blocks ambient light and produces deep blacks and bright, vivid images with minimal reflection. VIERA Cast's assorted online content just keeps getting better - in addition to the popular contents such as YouTube and Picasa Web Albums, it now offers Pandora Internet Radio, movies streamed from Netflix*, exciting sports from FOX Sports, tweeting web communications with Twitter, and even home video and audio conferencing with Skype. It also provides USB terminals for a keyboard and Wireless LAN Adaptor. No PC required. VIERA Cast's addition of Skype makes it possible for people around the world to connect and communicate through voice and video calls from the comfort of their own living room on VIERA's large screen. A new panel and improvements to the cell discharge area dramatically increase contrast when viewing in brightly lit locations. And reducing the electrical pre-discharge that causes graying has greatly enhanced black gradation. As a result, deep, rich blacks are displayed in virtually any viewing area, from living rooms to bedrooms. Even in dark film scenes, fine textures such as on clothing, are clearly reproduced. It's easy to view full-HD images with the SD card slot. Watch and show your photos and motion images right after you take them. Simply insert an SD Memory Card into your VIERA HDTV to display photos and full-HD videos on the large screen. You can also choose from among 5 types of background music and 5 display effects. It's much more fun when you can view them on a large screen HDTV with family and friends in 1920x1080-pixel high definition and a wide 16:9 aspect ratio. THX reprod
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Rating
I will make this simple. This TV cannot be beaten. Ihave a samsung 240htz LED and this panny blows it out of the water. I purchased this tv yesterday for 1241.00 at my local HH GREGG.
Rating
My wife and I bought bought this TV two weeks ago and we have been very happy with it so far. This was our first big-screen/HDTV and we were glad we chose this TV. We were able to find it for $1000 on sale at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
I have been most impressed with the color quality with the TV. The depth of colors, especially the blacks, make me happy we chose a plasma over an LCD. Plus, the 600 Hz refresh rate blows away even the “state of the art” 240 Hz on LCD/LED. There are no awkward looking movements on this TV like you see in the LCD/LED TVs in the stores.
The sound quality on this TV is fine; I have read a lot of reviews that say that similiar Panasonic models have horrible sound quality. Unless you are expecting Bose-quality sound coming from the TV, the sound is fine and in fact better than our previous CRT TV. It’s not a big deal to me if the sound isn’t Bose-quality; I’d rather pay less for the TV than have to pay more for a built-in speaker upgrade.
I really don’t think the THX certification is that big of a deal. The THX picture mode is nice, but I prefer the custom picture settings that I have self-calibrated to my preferences on the TV. All the THX cerfitication really means to me is that the TV your are buying is one of the manufacturer’s higher-end models.
We did have a problem with a couple of the pixels going completely white during one of the first nights we had the TV. We were worried at first, but it’s been over a week and we haven’t had any problems. I’ve heard that plasma TVs may require some time to get running at full capacity (or something to that extent) so we weren’t too concerned.
The only other thing I notice about the TV is that it does make a faint buzzing sound while running. I have read this is standard with all plasma TVs. It’s not really that noticable unless you are really close to the TV and have the sound way down. It’s quite minor if you ask me and I wouldn’t let it change your mind between buying a plasma and buying a LCD/LED TV.
Rating
This tv is one hundred percent dead on. This is my sixth hdtv and let me tell you the g25 blows them all away. Easy to set up put this on thx mode, sit back and you wont believe your eyes. The picture is jaw dropping. I could babble all day about why you should get it. Simply look at the price ,look at the specs, look at the picture, look at who makes it and it equals a no-brainer. Thank you tv gods I believe !!!! April 10. I have had this tv for a couple of weeks now. The most important thing I have noticed is that in standard definition it is fantastic, yup fantastic. Last night my wife way watching tv and I noticed it wasnt in hd by using the controller info and I couldnt believe my eyes. I’m telling you, you will be making a HUGE mistake if you buy another tv. Everyone who has seen it can’t believe the picture, they all want to come over with movies and watch it on the g25 (im not kidding). Stop reading buy one and I promise you will see that you have made the right choice. This is the best electronic purchase I have ever made!!!!!
Rating
This pannasonic G25 is amazing. Clear, Crisp Picture. Colors are amazing, unlike an LCD. You never would know the difference unless you saw a plasma. Unfortunatly plasmas got a bad rap years ago and people shy away from them. This model (as do others including samsung) have built in image retention elimination devices. Follow the break in for the first 100 hours and you have nothing to worry about. The sound levels arent bad, you probably have a surround system anyways so it dont matter. This picture gets better and better as it breaks in. All store demos are pretty crappy and usually the plasmas are off to the side. If stores used a good setup and dialed in the sets its unbelievable how many they would sell, but most people drift to the big bright LCD or LED. This tv is bright and colors are unmatched. Hockey games and fast paced sports are crap on lcd, but on plasma when the hockey players stop, you can see every sliver of ice fly through the air. Plasmas are less money and better picture the an lcd, why buy an lcd? I looked at the samsung, however they have a realllly bad rep for buzzing. Get it, dial in your settings and you too will be blown away.
Rating
This TV is awesome. Purchased a Vizio 42′ 120 LCD from Costco about 1.5 years ago. There is no comparison between the two. The picture on the Panasonic is one of the best I have ever seen. It took me all of five minutes to get it set up once out the box. If you are trying to decide between the Samsung plasma and the Panasonic plasma. You cannot go wrong with this the G25 from the Amazon store. I did a ton of research before making this purchase. Alot of the information I found was of people complaining of buzzing and set-up issues. Have played both Blu-Ray and PS3 games and the quality is excellent. Another thing I considered was the price. Not only was it lower on Amazon than local retailers it was shipped free because of my annual prime membership. In addition I also purchased the warranty for four years and it was half the price of retailers.
Now that I own a plasma from Panasonic my family and I will never buy LCD again. If you have kids the LCD was not made for them. The screens are made cheap and will damage very easily. There is a great video on YouTube that shows the durability of the Panasonic plasma. Now that mine has come I can see the difference.
The last thing I would recommend is buy from the comapnies who have been doing this for more than 10 years. That was advice given to me by a client in the electronics business for more than 25 years. When we were talking and I was asking for his advice his stated that the LCD’s
are still years behide what a plasma can do today. Now I can see what he means. Hope this helps.
Rating
Get the 50 inch version or bigger, it’s not too large. 😛 Put this in THX mode and it is great. The construction is excellent, picture quality is the best I’ve seen on any TV, menu is very navigable, and the remote control is perfectly adequate. Viera Cast is an awesome feature of this TV. Pandora is an awesome service for those interested in music. Amazon video on demand has a large selection and video quality is high(a bit expensive though). YouTube unfortunately defaults to 360p, even if the video has 480p, 720p, or 1080p available. There is no way to manually force it to a better video mode. Netflix streams just fine, but there is no integrated search feature. The speakers are good, but at times it is downright difficult to understand what people are saying. I found that standard definition channels look worse on this TV than on a SD television(maybe this is to be expected, but I wasn’t to this extent). A few SD channels are really really bad, to the point of being almost unwatchable(tennis channel). No 3.55mm headphone connection. In addition, there is no DVI connection either(only resolution limited VGA port). Don’t buy an LCD or LED because you are concerned about this burning in. Burn-in(especially past the first 100 hours) has been made mostly irrelevant with recent plasma developments. However, I did do about 72 hours of break-in slides(from avsforum) to age the pixels evenly, not sure if it was really necessary but I did it anyways. Do NOT buy the expensive Panasonic wireless adapter. If your wireless router is too far from the TV to run a cable, buy a cheap DD-WRT compatible router and install the aforementioned firmware on it. You can then put it into client bridge mode and it essentially becomes a wireless adapter. I installed DD-WRT standard version 13525 on a $35 ASUS WL-520GU. This worked just fine with the TV. Nevertheless, make sure when the TV arrives you have an HDMI cable/flashlight ready to verify there are no defects before signing for it. If possible, watch to make sure that when the delivery person brings it out of the van, it has not been transported facing down(if so, reject it). The delivery guy is usually in a rush, so don’t be pressured into signing before you are confident you have inspected it sufficiently.
Pros:
-Great overall performance and value, no sacrifices
-Black levels and colors excellent(THX), not overbright
-Viera Cast(with future updates it has great potential)
-SD card/Thumb-drive/keyboard capable
Cons:
-SD seems to look worse on this than on a SD television
-Sound quality could have been better
-No 3.5mm audio or DVI connection
-YouTube needs improvement
Rating
If you are like me, you put a lot of research into a expensive purchase like a flat screen television, especially since it is something you plan to use for several years. I chose the Panasonic G25 after months of research trying to determine which was “better”, LCD or Plasma, while also investigating which brands and models were the best performers.
What’s in the box?
* The 50″ TV
* Swivel stand
* Lighted remote, including batteries
* Detailed Instruction manual
* Quick Start Guide
I purchased this TV as our main television in our family room. I own two other flat screens, both LCD and both from Panasonic, 32″ and 42″.
Set up is a breeze. The box is designed to be easily opened by releasing four plastic clips built onto the box. This allows the top (most of the box) to be lifted of the TV, while the TV remains secure and stationary in the lower part of the box. The included swivel stand comes in two pieces and is easily assembled with a few included screws. If you use this stand, you simply have to lower the TV onto the stand. This can be done vertically without laying the screen down on its face, since the design of the TV mounting components are flush with the stand. Some TVs require you to place the TV in a horizontal position to mount it to their stand. You possibly could do this assembly alone, as the TV is not very heavy, but due to sheer size, it is extremely prudent to have someone help you.
Many professional reviews will advise you to beware of plasma “burn in” of images, or using plasma in a brightly lit room. I worried about these two things constantly during my research.
Panasonic’s manual does advise you not to leave a 4:3 image, or any still image on the screen on the screen for very long periods as it can contribute to some burn in. But in general, even if you watch 4:3 mode all day long, the TV has a couple of features which helps protect its image, including orbiting pixel technology and a scrolling bar which can be run across the screen to help cleanse it. I have watched a good deal of 4:3 format on this TV and have not had any issues whatsoever. The orbiting technology slightly moves pixels about, undetectable to the human eye, which really minimizes the chance of any burn in.
As far as a bright room, don’t worry! My family room is decent size, and has a cathedral ceiling with a skylight, plus a southern wall that is almost all window and a sliding door on the opposite wall. So the room has lots of light. I can watch the TV during the brightest time of day without any loss of quality or viewing ability. The anti-glare feature of the screen reduces the natural reflective characteristics of glass down to practically nil.
I tend to watch most programming on the TV’s THX mode. This will give you a somewhat less bright display than the G25’s “Standard” or “Vivid” mode or compared to most LCDs, but personally I am looking for the most accurate, pleasing display, not simply “the brightest”. If you do prefer a very bright display, the TV’s numerous picture settings can easily give you a bright display.
I am a huge Panasonic fan, and that did factor into my choice of TV. I find Panasonic typically gives you high quality at a reasonable price.
As for price, you will spend several hundreds of dollars more for an LCD of comparable size and quality. Some better quality LCDs in this size range will cost double what the G25 sells for.
Most of the features on the TV and remote are intuitive and the menu offers general explanations of the purpose of each setting. The remote itself is well laid out and easy to navigate, although this was not very important to me since I am using my FIOS remote for most typical functions.
There are three HDMI ports on the TV, as well as RCA and component connections and coax input. There is also a PC port as well as two USB ports. The lone port type absent is S-Video. While S-Video is passé, if you have a DVD player that’s a few years old, you might be using S-Video to connect to your TV, so be prepared to upgrade or switch cable types if need be.
The TV can also be networked either by Ethernet cable or wireless adapter. You must use Panasonic’s adapter if you choose the wireless route, which is one of the few cons on this product. Compatibility with common wifi adapters would have been nice, since the Panasonic wifi adapter is over-priced. Although Panasonic confirmed you must use their adapter, I tried a couple of others any way, but the TV did not detect them. If you network the Tv you can make use of numerous features like direct connection to several services (some of which require a subscription or fee). Examples are Amazon Video on Demand (cost associated), YouTube (free), Pandora (free), Twitter (free, and a few others.
A couple of typical complaints about Panasonic TVs are the sound quality, and starting with the G series from 2009, the black levels displayed on the screen becoming lighter after several hundred hours of use. The sound is decent on the TV, and many people will probably cutover to their home theater for audio when playing DVDs or music-related TV programming anyway. I don’t believe the concerns over the black levels are a huge issue. That is just my opinion; I am neither an expert nor any type of engineer. At the end of the day, everything I have read seems to indicate that the resulting black levels from Panasonic’s firmware still leaves the display at a better black level than the competing Samsung products, so ………
Aside from being limited to Panasonic’s wifi adapter, about the worst thing I can say about the G25 is that for the price, Panasonic could include some sort of cleaning cloth for the screen, which is typical even on their own lower end LCDs.
Overall, this television has astounding picture quality and realistic reproduction which is superior to any LCD or LED TV I’ve seen. For the price, you cannot go wrong or find a better flat screen HD TV.
NOTE:
If you are a making your first flat screen, HD television purchase, please remember that no matter what brand or type you buy, standard display will not be as sharp as high definition programming, and the larger the screen the more noticeable that is.
Rating
This is the second Panasonic Plasma that we bought! In November we bought the P50G10 and we were so happy and satisfied with the picture quality that when we wanted to buy another TV for our master bedroom, we did not hesitate! We got the 2010 model of the exact same TV!
And we have thus far not been disappointed at all! The picture quality is incredible! For natural reproduction of colors and smooth life-like images Plasmas beat the performance of the best LCD/LEDs. The 2010 models give you a whole bunch of additional picture adjustment options.
Pros:
– Amazing picture quality
– Much Improved internet connectivity/widgets (more coming in July/August)
– SD card reader can read videos directly from my HD camcorder! No wires to deal with!
Cons:
– Sound from TV speakers is below par (but that’s to be expected of most flat panel TVs)
– This model is still quite thick compared to LG PK750 or some of the Samsung models
– Would have liked one more HDMI connection (this model has 2 in the back and one in the side
Rating
**Disclaimer: As of this review date, I have only had the TV for a couple of weeks; so I could not really tell you about any issues that could develop (as with any TV) over time.
This television is perhaps the best I’ve ever seen in it’s own right, but then combine that with the price that’s being offered and you really have an unbeatable deal!
Picture quality is astounding, in that colors, blacks, whites, and grays are all accurately and sharply reproduced, and I really don’t see how you can get a much better picture than this on any TV out there. Plus, you don’t need to turn contrast and saturation up to “fake” a solid picture – put this baby on THX mode and you’ve got all the color and contrast you need in a picture that truly does match the intended output of the source material.
All sources I have tried look great – Blu-Ray is absolutely astonishing, upscaled DVDs really look like HD, and both standard and HD television look as great as they can.
If you are looking for the best possible picture for a very reasonable price, you need to get this.
I could give you a few minor nits (the remote isn’t the most intuitive, for example), but if you’re like me and what you care about most is your high-def picture, with minimal negatives, this comes highly recommended! I really wasn’t expecting the quality to be THIS good when I bought it.
But don’t just take the word on Amazon for it – do your research and see what the consensus is on this TV. That’s what I did, and there isn’t a reviewer out there who has given this less than a near-perfect review.
I’d also be happy to answer any questions…
Rating
Got this TV only a week back. So, treat this as my initial review/impression. Firstly, the TV looks gorgeous, all black and nice bezel. It has decent weight, but nothing like LED-LCD TV. But I was able to move/lift it alone. My wife had to help me when putting on to the stand.
Let’s talk about the topics which are common concerns and see if it helps you make your decision easy –
SD content – For first few days, we didn’t had HD transmission, so watched SD content, and let me tell you, it looks awe full. It is watchable but the expectation is so high from all the reviews, you feel bumped. But understand it is SD content, not meant to be projected to a 50″ screen. So I am not that worried.
THX mode – I kept the resolution/brightness/sharpness at 50 (per online forum recommendations) and planning to keep it for one more week. Also I am watching in THX mode. Only in THX mode colors seem natural (at least for me), some of you may find it dull/dim colors, take a look at calibration setting from CNet, it might be helpful or increase brightness.
Break-in slides – Even though I consider I am techie enough to understand electronics, I ran break-in slides for 50 odd hours, just to make sure I have a good night sleep, and not think about it.
Buzzing sound – Only if you stick you head to the back of the TV and keep everything on mute and stop any external noise, you will hear a slight buzz. It is so faint, that I would consider it non-existence. Only because there is so much buzz about buzzing I am able to notice it, otherwise, I may not have noticed the sound. Depending on brightness, you might hear a faint buzz from front (mine is still only 100+ hours old), like from 2 inches. I don’t hear any buzz, from more than a foot, even there is no other sound/noise. Bottom line, I consider there is no buzz and all is well.
Elegance, beauty and great picture quality – Just hooked up and enabled HD content. Oh my gosh, what can I say. Watched Food Network, ESPN and some other channels. I am amazed. I was expecting this from all the other reviews, but it is something that can’t be explained, you have to feel it. Again, I am not exaggerating, this is just my experience. So don’t wait any more, if you’re into market around this TV segment (50″ or LCD vs Plasma), this is the best TV. PRICE is great, it might come lower around Thanksgiving, but heck with it, I waited already around a year to jump in (for various reasons).
At last, People who already have this TV, I know you’re having fun with your toy. Others who are looking/thinking about this TV, jump in, you won’t be disappointed, esp with a seller like amazon. I’ll be happy to answer any other specific questions. Happy TViewing.