| Building on its award-winning 2009 Plasma line, Panasonic's 65-inch VIERA TC-P65S2 Plasma HDTV features a new panel with NeoPDP technologies that provide the best balance of black and white under brighter environments while also offering higher energy efficiency. The new NeoPDP Plasma panel also further reduces reflections and creates sharper pictures with higher contrast in brighter environments. This S2 series model provides 1080p resolution, full-time 1080 TV lines of moving picture resolution, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity.  This and other models in the S2 line offer Panasonic's VIERA Image Viewer feature, which enables you to play slideshows of JPEG images stored on SD memory cards, as well as the VIERA Link feature for controlling a variety of compatible components--from Blu-ray Disc players to digital cameras--through a single remote. Adhering to Panasonic's commitment to the environment, this VIERA model--as well as all 2010 models--features improved power consumption and meets the new, more stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements. And you'll get a long Plasma panel life of up to 100,000 hours--more than 30 years of viewing when watched 8 hours a day--before the brightness of the panel decreases to half. | 
Panasonic's VIERA S2 series Plasma HDTV. | Key Features  | NeoPDP: By redesigning the Plasma panel's cell structure and developing an innovative new filter, Panasonic has tripled the luminous efficiency (compared to 2007 models) of its VIERA Plasma HDTVS--resulting in stunningly beautiful images while also reducing power consumption. |  | 1080 Moving Picture Resolution: With 1080 lines of moving picture resolution and integrated NeoPDP technology's high-speed drive performance, the display time for each image frame is shortened to minimize afterimages, making decisive calls in football matches and delicate motions in figure skating performances appear crystal clear. |  | 600Hz Sub-field Drive: 600Hz technology lets you view superb full-HD motion and still images with 1080 lines of resolution. For even greater clarity with motion images, Panasonic uses its own unique image-analysis technology, which converts the motion in each scene into data. And each frame is practically displayed for a shorter length of time than in previous systems, to reduce aftereffects (see an illustration of 600Hz technology). | |  | VIERA Image Viewer: View full-HD images with the integrated SD card slot, enabling you to view JPEG photos captured from your digital camera or camcorder on the big screen. Navigate your images via an easy-to-use thumbnail display. |  | VIERA Link: Allows the interlinked operation of various AV devices--from DVD and Blu-ray Disc players to home theater sound systems to digital cameras and camcorders--using only the VIERA remote control by simply connecting the devices to each other by an HDMI cable (see pop-up illustration). |  | Game Mode: With Game Mode, quicker image response increases the enjoyment of video games when a game console is connected to the TV. What's more, VIERA produces the dark images in video games more clearly. This mode works with the anti-image retention (wobbling) function, too.  | | Key Specifications - Series: S2
- Screen type: Plasma
- Screen size: 65 inches
- Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Contrast ratio: Native: 2,000,000:1
- Shades of gradation: 6,144 equivalent
- Receiving system: ATSC/QAM/NTSC
- HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p
- EDTV display capability: 480p
- Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power; surround sound capabilities
- Image viewer: JPEG compatibility
- Aspect control: Normal, Just, Zoom, Full, H-fill
- Optional wall-mounting bracket: TY-WK6P1RW
- Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French
- Energy Star qualified: Yes
| Connections - HDMI: 3 (1 side)
- Component (Y, PB, PR): 2; each with audio input
- Composite A/V: 2 (1 side); each with audio input
- Digital audio output: 1
Dimensions - TV with stand: 62 x 40 x 16.4 inches (WxHxD)
- TV without stand: 62 x 38 x 4.2 inches (WxHxD)
- What size TV should you get?
| What's in the Box Panasonic S2 series Plasma HDTV, removable stand, remote control (with batteries), operating instructions Panasonic 2010 VIERA Plasma and LCD Comparison | Series: | G25 Plasma | S2 Plasma | U2 Plasma | C2 Plasma | U22 LCD | X2 LCD | C22 LCD | | Models: | TC-P54G25 54"
TC-P50G25 50"
TC-P46G25 46"
TC-P42G25 42" | TC-P65S2 65"
TC-P58S2 58"
TC-P54S2 54"
TC-P50S2 50"
TC-P46S2 46"
TC-P42S2 42" | TC-P50U2 50"
TC-P42U2 42" | TC-P50C2 50"
TC-P46C2 46"
TC-P42C2 42" | TC-L42U22 42"
TC-L37U22 37"
TC-L32U22 32" | TC-L37X2 37"
TC-L32X2 32"
TC-L22X2 22" | TC-L37C22 37"
TC-L32C22 32" | | VIERA Cast | 
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | VIERA Image Viewer |
(AVCHD, MPEG2, JPEG) |
(JPEG) |
(JPEG) |
(JPEG) |
(JPEG) |
(JPEG) |
(JPEG) | | VIERA Link |
webcam capable | | | | | | | | NeoPDP Panel | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | THX Display | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Contrast Ratio | Infinite Black | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 2,000,000:1 | Dynamic: 20,000:1 | Dynamic: 20,000:1
22": 15,000:1 | Dynamic: 18,000:1 | | Moving Picture Resolution | 1080 lines | 1080 lines | 900 lines | 720 lines | -- | -- | -- | | Anti-Reflective Filter | | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Display Capabilities | 1080p, 1080i,
720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i,
720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i,
720p, 480p | 720p, 480p | 1080p, 1080i,
720p, 480p | 720p, 480p | 720p, 480p | | 600Hz Sub-field Drive | | | | | -- | -- | -- | | 120Hz | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Game Mode | | | | -- | -- | | -- | | Speakers | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total | 2; 20W total
22": 6W | 2; 20W total | | Surround Sound | | | | | | | | | HDMI input | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side) | 2 | 3 (1 side) | 3 (1 side)
22": 1 | 2 | | Component input (Y, PB, PR) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Composite input | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side) | 2 (1 side)
22": 1 | 2 | | PC input | 1 (side) | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | | USB | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Ethernet LAN input | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Digital Audio output | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | iPod Universal Dock | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | -- | | Energy Star | | | | | | | | | Series: | G25 Plasma | S2 Plasma | U2 Plasma | C2 Plasma | U22 LCD | X2 LCD | C22 LCD | Learn More
| With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get. - Minimum size = Viewing distance/3
- Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5
| |
|
 A Fantastic Television With a Few Shortcomings |
| Review Date: July 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Raul G., USA |
I've spent the last 2 months researching my next television purchase. I'm one of those people that over-researches the pros and cons of any major purchase. I specifically set out at the beginning of my research to purchase a television for my finished basement. Since I can easily control ambient light pretty much any display technology was on the table - Plasma, LCD, LED-LCD, DLP, etc. I love the picture quality of DLP sets but ultimately decided to rule out that technology mainly because of the size (width) and the fact that I would eventually need to replace a bulb. I decided against traditional CCFL LCD displays too despite owning a Sharp Aquos LC46D84U. That essentially left me with LED-LCD and Plasma technology. After going back and forth I finally ended up deciding to go with Plasma. I think ultimately the deciding factors for me were the overall picture quality and cost.
I've been using my TC65S2 for about the last 2 weeks and I'm absolutely floored by the picture quality. I'm actually surprised at how much better the display looks than my Sharp Aquos. Black levels are incredibly detailed, inky-black that leaves my Aquos' display looking like it can only generate gray instead of a true black level. Out of the box the TV came on 'vivid' setting which makes colors impressively "pop" on-screen, however, it somewhat distorts flesh-tones and makes people appear a bit orange. I used my DVE HD Basics calibration disc and calibrated my TC65S2 myself. It's probably not as good as a professional calibration but I feel satisfied enough with the results.
The TV comes with additional pre-settings such as 'Cinema' and 'Game'. I've used both and I'm happy to say that the settings are actually useful. I use a PS3 for both gaming and watching Blu-ray movies. The cinema setting on BD movie playback tones down the overall brightness and gives movies a 'warm' color setting similar to movie theaters. The 'Game' setting is impressive too and maintains a good black level while increasing the overall color levels. I can honestly say that after playing God of War 3 on my Aquos and again on this set, it's like playing a different game. There are many areas in GoW3 that are extremely dark and I'm now noticing details that just weren't there with my Aquos. Everything looks cleaner, more detailed and colors are more accurate.
Aesthetically, Panasonic seems to trail Samsung, Sony and Sharp. While those companies have invested significantly in the looks over everything from their bezel to the remote, Panasonic maintains a cleaner and simpler look. Personally I don't have a problem with the subdued look - I'm more interested in the picture quality than anything else. That said the TV does have a pleasant piano-black glossy finish. That continues with the rather simple wedge-shaped stand that is included. The remote unfortunately leaves something to be desired. Perhaps most importantly it is not back-lit. Simple things like adjusting the volume in a dark room are easy due to the shape of the particular key, however, changing the input for example is not. I believe that the G-2x & VT Panasonic plasmas do offer a better & back-lit remote. After the first week or so I finally had the time to program my Harmony for my new TV and I won't miss the Panasonic remote at all.
The included television speakers are adequate but nothing impressive. Honestly, at 65" I think most folks that purchase a set like this are doing so for a home theater and have surround sound. I used the included speakers for about a day before I switched over to my home theater speakers.
Feature wise the S2 might be called "bare-bones" by some. Personally I was on the fence about getting a G25 or jumping up to the VT (3D) series. Ultimately though I think 2 things swayed me to the S2. First the size; I wanted to create a home theater setting and the G25 tops out at 54". Panasonic does make a 65" VT25 that is full-HD 3D, however, that set is around the $4000 dollar mark. With such limited 3D offerings currently on the market I just couldn't justify the price. Second, the extra bells and whistles in the more expensive sets like the G25 and VT series are nice though I'm not sure how often I'd watch YouTube videos or listen to Pandora radio on my TV. The Netflix integration is probably the best feature, however, I'm already getting that with my PS3. For someone looking for a TV with a great picture and not really interested in peripheral features, the S2 is the way to go!
Lastly, for those not aware Panasonic was recently in a bit of a scandal - at least as far as AV enthusiasts go - with their plasma sets. It seems that after varying degrees of usage Panasonic plasma TVs started losing their deep-black level. There is a lot of discussion on various AV sites about the severity of the issue but as noted by CNET's reviewing editors it does happen and it is an issue with the 2009 and earlier sets. For the S2, Panasonic is using a new Neo-PDP panel and it remains to be seen what will happen. This was an issue that nearly derailed my purchase of this set. However, after reading more into the issue and the fact that the change is gradual - not something that happens overnight - I felt like I could go ahead and make the purchase. I'll follow up in the months to come to this review and make comments as necessary. I'm hoping that with the 2010 sets Panasonic was able to mitigate the problem. Time will tell.
Other information:
- In the box this TV weighs in at 165lbs! The TV alone weighs 123lbs and 137lbs with the included stand. Be sure to have adequate help when setting up this TV! Fortunately Panasonic designed hand grips into the back of the set to make is somewhat less unwieldy.
- I've noticed that when using HDMI directly to my PS3 I can utilize some of the Viera-Link features. For example when I switch my television input to my PS3 it automatically powers on my PS3. Kind of a neat feature that I thought was only compatible with Panasonic products that are Viera-Link enabled.
- This features 3x HDMI inputs and 2x Component inputs. There are additional inputs for composite and SDHC. The S2 series lacks a lot of the additional inputs that you gain with the G2x or VT series like USB, ethernet, RS232C, PC, etc.
- For such a large plasma television, the S2 does not generate as much heat as I expected. Even after recently watching a long movie and then a World Cup soccer match the TV wasn't hot.
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UPDATE 7/5/10:
One minor annoyance I just noticed today is that the volume controls are not unique to the input. Not a big deal if you're using a home theater setup as the TV volume wouldn't matter - just something that I noticed will tinkering around with my set. |
The only way to go for a 65" format
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| Review Date: August 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: T. Howlin, Virginia |
We got the TV a week ago, did the 100 hour burn in using software available for free online. Then, a day spent calibrating it to our taste and when all that was done, we had a spectacular picture, especially sing our BR player. We have owned a Panasonic Plasma for four years now, no burned out pixels, no quality issues at all, hopefully this one will be equally as reliable.
For those that want to use this with your PC, understand that this is a next generation TV and isn't going to interface to a normal video card. If your PC is current, it may well have an HDMI port on it and then this TV will work just fine. Or, if your Blu-Ray player is Internet ready, you will be able to download movies to it and watch them on the TV.
The sound quality from the TV is marginal at best, I'm not even sure why they put speakers in the set. I can't imagine anyone buying a set this size and not using a home theater setup with it. When played through our Onkyo system, who cares about the TV speakers.
If you're like me, you've probably researched LCD, LED, HDLP and Plasma and in sets this size, the transitional capability is much better than the other technologies in my opinion. No matter the level of the set, every LCD/LED set I previewed had momentary blurring in fast action scenes like sports. I get none of that on the plasma set. Although our media room allows for the proper viewing angle from every seat, you can get well outside the ideal range and the plasma picture is still accurate and bright.
There is some glare off the screen in bright light but again, in a dedicated media room application, it's not an issue. The price of this set has been dropping pretty steadily so it's quite a bargain at under $2K. Do check it very carefully when delivered, including using a flashlight at an oblique angle on the screen to detect any hairline cracks. It wasn't a problem with mine but have heard of screen being broken in transit and hard to detect small cracks in normal light.
I think Panasonic owns the plasma field and this is a another step up in what they offer. |
Excellent Value, Especially for the Price!
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| Review Date: August 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: xRUSTYx, |
First Off ...
To the guy that rated it 1 star -- Dude, read the specs before you purchase something, especially a $2,000+ item ... geesh
Now, on to the P65S2 ... Hands down, an amazing buy. We got it when it was $2025 w/ free shipping from Amazon! Can't be the price! We did the 100 hour break in, calibrated it to our liking, and have loved it ever since.
We are moving up from a 42" 720p Panasonic plasma that is about 4-5 years old now. We plan to put that one in our bedroom, and the 65S2 is now in our bonus room. We sit about 10 ft away from it, and its just awesome! Picture/Clarity/Black levels are wonderful ... Sound, well ... Its not the greatest, as you can expect from a TV, thus the reason you need a decent Soundbar, 3.1, or 5.1.
At this point in owning it (2-3 weeks) I have yet to have a single issue. Pilot delivered it and did a great job in allowing me to set it up and test it!
Overall A+++ Experience from Amazon, Pilot, & Panasonic. Will likely continue to get Panasonic as long as they keep making great equipment like this.
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If you go big, go for this one!
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| Review Date: August 29, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Gerald Schoenburg, MOORPARK, CA USA |
I bought this TV based on Raul's review. Thank you! I bought it on 8-20 and it was up and running in my home on 8-25. The delivery service was CEVA. They are a first class service, and sent two really nice guys to lug it upstairs and unpack it. The TV was not damaged anywhere, and they handled it with care.
I connected it to all my stuff, and the picture was great right out of the box. My calibration was a minor tweaking of some of the settings. The picture was bright and clear, with perfect color. Blu Ray movies are even better than I watched on my old Samsung 61 inch LED.
We are amazed at the picture, especially at this price. This is a true bargain.
Some people were disappointed by the 3 HDMI inputs. Well maybe one more would have been nice, but that problem can be solved with a receiver with multiple HDMI inputs or a lossless switch. Raul and others have done great reviews so no need to get into a lot of the technical aspects. I just wanted people to know who are considering this TV, to buy it. You don't have to be an electronics wizard to get a great picture.
Enjoy!!!!
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Panasonic 65" Plasma TV
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| Review Date: August 30, 2010 |
| Reviewer: svenlg, |
| The LCD vs. Plasma vs. LED essays by Consumer Reviews are the most useful articles I found before purchasing this screen. ( [...] ) Because of their articles, I trusted this screen to be the perfect balance of size, viewing clarity from any angle, reduced glare, comprehensible options, and price. So far, it's better than I'd imagined. |
Product has no warranty, commercial grade, not Panasonic Authorzed Dealer
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| Review Date: August 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Terry Linn, |
| Attempted to register warranties with Panasonic. Panasonic indicted the product has no US Warranty and is Commercial Grade Product not to be sold to US Consumers. Panasonic indicated WorldWide Stereo is not authorized to sell this Panasonic product. Seller declined to allow us to return product causing us to have to resolve the matter with our bank. |
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