After countless research hours of surfing and visits to various dealers is the first of the comparably priced Samsung F6510 (identical to Samsung F6500, housing color white) with me ended (see related review). Unfortunately, I could not quite this image-wise satisfactory. Especially in football broadcasts on Sky HD unpleasant effects are noticed me, who made me return the device and to give the Panasonic a chance.
Below my assessment for Panasonic (also in direct comparison with the F6500 from Samsung):
+ 2D image: Contrast and pleasant colors. Find it easy to create a pleasant image at Panasonic, I had to try around more on the Samsung. The television creates it well, play well Details sharp. In direct comparison, for example, skin contours come to better advantage. The representation of SD channels is of course a lot worse than that of HD channels, but acts still quite pleasing.
+ Playing BluRays and DVDs (output device BD player Sony BDP-S5100): BluRays be played homogeneously and with good plasticity. The DVD presentation is among the best I've seen in LCD / LED TVs. No competition for good BluRay material, but overall a pleasant picture. Even older DVDs can still conjure up in reasonable quality on the screen. But also depends on the player used. Previously had a Samsung BD-F6500. The record could not when it comes to picture and sound with the Sony. Colors seemed so unnatural, the sound was sometimes a bit unsteadily.
+ Images in 4: 3 can be scaled to full screen. Especially while looking for older series and films beneficial if you are not the thick edges on the TV wants, although the proportions may no longer be as balanced as in the original format. The adaptation of 4: 3 material on 16: 9 screen of the TV is the Samsung not (more) possible. In my C6000 it went. When Pana also many other formats (eg 14: 9, Wide Zoom, Zoom) to choose from. This is very good solution, especially as it comes to be set via a direct button on the remote control. Again, this does not work for Samsung on the included remote control. Annoying navigating through sub-menus is the result.
+ Good viewing angles by IPS panel (technology among other things comes in good mobile phone or tablet displays for use). The stated 178 ° you should not expect in practice of course. Centrally placed but he makes of both corners of the bed from a good impression. The Samsung is less true color and contrast, as one moves away to the side.
+ Design: Simple and timeless, affects overall quite elegant. Design, however, Samsung also works well. As always, a matter of personal taste.
o image illumination: Shown on completely dark area more backlights as the Samsung. You always hear that the Panel have a fairly large series dispersion in both manufacturers. It's certainly better, but overall the illumination is also the Pana quite harmonious.
o Processing: It's alright, when you look closely you can see, however, that screen and frame are assembled completely flush at all places (especially in corners). Since the screen embedding of Samsung was precisely fitting into the frame.
o 3D display: The passive system with the polarization technique has many supporters, but I am not necessarily so. Clearly it is straightforward. Glasses on and ready. No additional activation of glasses or batteries required. But the picture is not as dense and rich in detail, since the resolution is lower. Find the 3D effect is not as nice overall elaborated. For the active system from Samsung, there were Internet applications that have impressed me a lot more. The system requires stronger light falloff at the active system remained relatively even in the context, since Samsung has more capacity in the brightness. In addition, the glasses from Panasonic are fairly clunky.
o Operation: Even if I the Samsung interface was used before I can adjust relatively quickly to another system myself actually. So much is at Panasonic self-explanatory, but the most important control and option keys are so close together that you can quickly slips away times. The channel list display is also in need of improvement, as it is very fragmented and displays only a few stations per side.
o Integration of web content: HbbTV functions without defect. Videos from the Arte library can I play on the Pana in HD, what Samsung has not made despite 32.000er line. In addition, the TV keeps stable the wireless signal. On the negative side, the app selection should be recorded. Since Samsung has significantly more. Positive, no prior registration as Samsung needed.
o placement of the ports: are located on the right rear side of the device. Depending on where the TV is in the room and how the rest of the units are located, this may be a small optical advantage or disadvantage with respect to the cable to be stuck. At Samsung, the connections are on the left rear side of the device.
o (-) motion sharpness: Basically good, but I would the interframe calculation (at Panasonic IFC - Intelligent Frame Creation) make or disable low, otherwise the Pana creates an unnatural motion (Soap Effect). This looks at Samsung interesting, more supple.
* Small supplement *: Last night on ZDF HD a few minutes the film Switch seen. Significant lags in the presentation. Is also my girlfriend noticed immediately. The IFC set to medium, and immediately saw all the movements like briefly pressed to the time-lapse button. Setting back to low and everything has equal jerked again, once the image was on the move. The jump between the two settings is advised too big. Is me so far not as strong noticed. Had not thought that the native 100Hz panel of Pana can get such problems with movement (the 600Hz stated are more Marketinggeschwafel than anything else and apply only to the maximum interframe calculation, with movements as mentioned are then displayed totally unnatural). Not nice.
o 3 HDMI inputs: For most probably sufficient, but who wants to join the full program from Sky receiver on the Soundbar and console up to BluRay players etc., has at least one plugging too little available and needs. The Samsung offers 4 HDMI inputs.
- Broadcasting of football matches on Sky HD or ARD / ZDF HD: Better than the Samsung, but after mE still disappointing for a current device. DSE (Dirty Screen Effect, blotchy looking image) and banding (In the background, vertical stripes are horizontal panning when noticing) sometimes clearly perceptible. Many notice it at first not, however, one has discovered it once, find it hard to distract them. These effects are more or less on all current EDGE-LED devices. For me an absolute blunder. Dear housing more depth, but better illumination of devices. My old UE32C6000 has (been connected to the same Sky receiver to exactly) with these effects despite EDGE LED incidentally few problems. It's a shame that you apparently can not expect a little more at a 1000 EUR-TV in 2013.
- Sound good and evil beyond: so have design reasons all flat screen TVs their problems, but the Pana manages seemingly effortless even in this aspect negatively stand out. Tinny, with meager voice and completely powerless, he fights his way through the program. Without an additional connected Soundbar I switch the appliance no longer a while I am determined in terms of sound is not overly demanding. The C6000 I have long operated without external sound support and found the absolutely sufficient.
- Brightness sensor: I disabled. I do not know was how small set of radius for the exposure. The televisions are available in a corner of the room, which is not so much affected by direct light. There, the brightness is regulated down mercilessly. Normally, I look with a maximum of 50 percent backlight, thus already rather dark, but the picture of what Pana automatically offers is so bleak that it is not even to be used in a darkened room. If the floor lamp next to the bed made, the Pana still not even regulate a step lighter.
Conclusion: The Panasonic's image-wise definitely worth a recommendation, provided that the TV consumption is not or only very limited focus on sports broadcasting. Contrast, pleasant color reproduction and superior DVD playback and BluRays. However, everyone must decide whether the ETW60 really generated for a surcharge of example currently around 200 euro against the F6500 from Samsung in the totality of such added value, especially as one or the other can find hair in the soup. The price-performance ratio, I feel as a class common, although Samsung and LG sometimes quite significantly undercut the remaining competitors in the midsize class. In addition, the Panasonic really emits a plaintive sound without external sound support. This issue I would reckon at a purchase with when still is no system or soundbar available. But you get the Panasonic, as we have said, for many applications a truly balanced 2D image. Thus, it is especially a recommendation for those who like to watch movies and series on DVD / BluRay or on the go a lot to the "normal" HD channels.
Since me the weaknesses in football broadcasts but still annoying (though not as much as on the Samsung), I'm wondering about if I was still a third attempt with a local dimming device (LEDs are located not only at the corners, but are on the whole picture spread, allowing for better control of the different areas) or 50-inch Create plasma, although as with negative phenomena (plasma: brightness, ambient noise, power consumption etc; Local Dimming, DSE and banding can not be excluded, devices lot more expensive) is to be expected. Besides the fact that my originally covered price range is then no longer hold up to 1,000 euros.
