42ST30 Impressions.
- Thread starter allajunaki
- Start date
sunshine_vsk
Active Member
one other point, while i went to place the order the salesman was very keen to sell 50VT20 to me, he had a fresh stock and it came with 2 3D glasses and it was THX certified. i guess he offered me 1,06,000. Now since the revised offer for 50ST30 is 1,03,000 which would be a better deal?.
i guess there were few bugs reported in VT20 which was corrected in ST30....
i guess there were few bugs reported in VT20 which was corrected in ST30....
allajunaki
New Member
50VT20 brightness is a bit low especially in 3d. But should be sufficient.
VT20 has floating blacks.
3D is not as good as 2011 models (Or so they claim).
On the positive note :
VT20 has ISF Day and Night mode (Picture control options that you cannot even begin to imagine, It has more parameters to tweak than a mid range SLR in Manual mode
).
THX mode.
A slight edge on PQ.
Flagship Plasma of 2010.
ST30 has limited video controls, but as I have said earlier, things look damn good out of box settings (And confirmed by many calibrators worldwide).
Some of the reviews said that "True Cinema" Mode is very close to THX level settings found on Panny that feature THX.
Variables to consider :
VT20 has Rising blacks, which means black levels will rise as panel ages. However, the rise is not dramatic, and it still will have good Black levels.
2011 Panels have slightly higher black levels than 2010 models. But they claim the black levels will be stable. But since xx30 series are new, no one can confirm this yet. (Overall outlook is positive though).
Overall, you cannot be wrong if you chose either. But VT20 has been discontinued. But Panny will still offer 3 year warranty. I do not know what they will do, if they have replace this panel due to some fault. Having said that you will Love both these gems. It all boils down to features you want.
ST30 -> More Features, Better 3D (?), Slightly higher black levels, Stable Blacks(?), Fluctuating Brightness (Subtle, can be fixed), Limited video controls
VT20 -> Deeper Blacks, inferior 3d (?), Lower Black Levels, Rising Blacks (Though not as bad 2009 models, subtle), Floating Blacks (As far as I know, no fix). Plenty of video controls.
I hope, this helps you weigh your options
VT20 has floating blacks.
3D is not as good as 2011 models (Or so they claim).
On the positive note :
VT20 has ISF Day and Night mode (Picture control options that you cannot even begin to imagine, It has more parameters to tweak than a mid range SLR in Manual mode
). THX mode.
A slight edge on PQ.
Flagship Plasma of 2010.
ST30 has limited video controls, but as I have said earlier, things look damn good out of box settings (And confirmed by many calibrators worldwide).
Some of the reviews said that "True Cinema" Mode is very close to THX level settings found on Panny that feature THX.
Variables to consider :
VT20 has Rising blacks, which means black levels will rise as panel ages. However, the rise is not dramatic, and it still will have good Black levels.
2011 Panels have slightly higher black levels than 2010 models. But they claim the black levels will be stable. But since xx30 series are new, no one can confirm this yet. (Overall outlook is positive though).
Overall, you cannot be wrong if you chose either. But VT20 has been discontinued. But Panny will still offer 3 year warranty. I do not know what they will do, if they have replace this panel due to some fault. Having said that you will Love both these gems. It all boils down to features you want.
ST30 -> More Features, Better 3D (?), Slightly higher black levels, Stable Blacks(?), Fluctuating Brightness (Subtle, can be fixed), Limited video controls
VT20 -> Deeper Blacks, inferior 3d (?), Lower Black Levels, Rising Blacks (Though not as bad 2009 models, subtle), Floating Blacks (As far as I know, no fix). Plenty of video controls.
I hope, this helps you weigh your options
Yes, that sucks. A 50VT30 would be quite interesting. If they don't introduce a 42GT30 then at 42 the ST30 will be the flagship model.
emailnagpal
New Member
Will Sony 3D Glass work with Panasonic ST30 ?
There is a huge difference in price, so can I buy Sony Glasses for Panasonic Plasma ?
There is a huge difference in price, so can I buy Sony Glasses for Panasonic Plasma ?
allajunaki
New Member
As far as I know, Samsung Infra-red works with Panny, but in reverse, that is Left Eye content will hit right eye, and right to left eye. That means everybody watching should use Sammy glasses, and then set it the tv to reverse 3d (Easily done).
Other option is, as I mentioned earlier, to go for Xpand X103 glasses from 20north.com
sunshine_vsk
Active Member
allajunaki,
when you use Xpand X103 along with the panasonic glasses which comes with the TV do we need to change any TV settings? ( like set the TV to reverse 3D)
Hi, panasonic has the models from top to bottom VT, GT, ST, UT, U, X..........if you notice VT is the highest in terms of features, etc..........its hard to compare a VT to ST. VT20 is an award winning 2010 3D model and actually took panasonic to greater heights. It totally rocked the TV world when it was launched. ST30 is a 2011 model and falls below VT30. I feel if you are getting a good deal then do not dismiss VT20, its a damm good TV. In the end decide what your eyes like always!!!
allajunaki
New Member
Nope, X103 can be "set to" panasonic mode. where it will accept Panasonic Sync signal. So no need to alter anything from TV.
They are universal 3d glasses. They can work with almost all major brands.
They are universal 3d glasses. They can work with almost all major brands.
I have been given the following offer for plasmas
1. THP42GT20D @ 97,000/- &
2. THP50VT20D @1,25,000/-
Now I know that a member has posted a price of 1,06,000/- for the V20 and that gives way to a question : whether the prices given to me for the GT 20D are also on the higher side and if yes then by how much. If any of you has been offered or know of a better price for this model then do let me know. The above prices are from the local Panasonic brand shop. Further is the GT20 a good buy? Does it too suffer from the floating blacks/fluctuating brightness problems.
The brand shop here has sizable stocks of both the 42GT20 and the 50VT20 and have no idea as to when the models with the numeral 30 will be available with them.
1. THP42GT20D @ 97,000/- &
2. THP50VT20D @1,25,000/-
Now I know that a member has posted a price of 1,06,000/- for the V20 and that gives way to a question : whether the prices given to me for the GT 20D are also on the higher side and if yes then by how much. If any of you has been offered or know of a better price for this model then do let me know. The above prices are from the local Panasonic brand shop. Further is the GT20 a good buy? Does it too suffer from the floating blacks/fluctuating brightness problems.
The brand shop here has sizable stocks of both the 42GT20 and the 50VT20 and have no idea as to when the models with the numeral 30 will be available with them.
allajunaki
New Member
GT20D should be about 5k more than ST30. The prices quoted by you is way way high. VT20D fifty inch can be bought for about 90k.
GT20D Suffers from Floating Blacks and Rising Black.
ST30 Has fluctuating Brightness. But there is a solution in the international version. I will be following up with Panasonic India to see if they will fix it.
GT20D Suffers from Floating Blacks and Rising Black.
ST30 Has fluctuating Brightness. But there is a solution in the international version. I will be following up with Panasonic India to see if they will fix it.
Hey do you have any idea for what price i might get Samsung 55D6600 if i wait till Jan. Now its around 1.6L. Will it fall down cheaper than 1.2 ?
rana_kirti
Active Member
can the St30 be connected to the home network only via usb wifi or does it also have a lan port to connect it via cat5 to the router/modem ?
Hi
Had been to koramangala panny showroom. Salesman was promoting 50vt20 and was offering 98k with 2 3d glass. I could not check out st30 model. He was saying vt20 is japan model whereas st30 is assembled in thailand. and that st30 cannot beat vt20 in terms of picture quality. Is that so?. Can you pls tell me whether vt20 is better than st30 at same price for 50 inch model?
Had been to koramangala panny showroom. Salesman was promoting 50vt20 and was offering 98k with 2 3d glass. I could not check out st30 model. He was saying vt20 is japan model whereas st30 is assembled in thailand. and that st30 cannot beat vt20 in terms of picture quality. Is that so?. Can you pls tell me whether vt20 is better than st30 at same price for 50 inch model?
emailnagpal
New Member
Same case happened to me at Panasonic Showroom, Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
The salesman was promoting, no no forcing upon me that VT20 was way better than ST30. He offered 92k for 50VT20 + a pair 3D glasses along with TATA SKY HD and 105k for 50ST30 with no offers at all... :sad:
I was quoted about 70K for THP42GT20D and 98K for THP42GT20D at BLR.
allajunaki
New Member
@rana By default ST30 comes with Wired RJ45 port. So CAT 5e works . If you need wifi, you can buy a third party Wifi Dongle listed in the panasonic Site. Dont worry about losing a USB Port though, ST30 Comes with 3 
Once again , ST30 Does NOT have wifi capability out of the box, you need to buy a USB dongle. Thankfully it is not one manufactured by Panasonic (D-link, I believe). So it should not be very expensive.
@dev @nagpal : They are pushing for VT20 because, they want to clear off stocks, longer they wait, further prices will crash, and people tend to lose interest in yeteryear models. Having said that, VT20 has some definite merits, I have mentioned a good pros/cons of both models in many many place, including this thread. Please have a look and make your decision
Just another update: Watched "Africa's Lost Eden" on Nat Geo HD. I had to remind myself to pick up my jaws from the floor. It was shot beautifully, with high speed cams, and ST30 did full justice to the PQ. I have recorded it to show it to my friends. Makes a good case for why Plasmas Rock (And Africa too!)
. If you need wifi, you can buy a third party Wifi Dongle listed in the panasonic Site. Dont worry about losing a USB Port though, ST30 Comes with 3 Once again , ST30 Does NOT have wifi capability out of the box, you need to buy a USB dongle. Thankfully it is not one manufactured by Panasonic (D-link, I believe). So it should not be very expensive. @dev @nagpal : They are pushing for VT20 because, they want to clear off stocks, longer they wait, further prices will crash, and people tend to lose interest in yeteryear models. Having said that, VT20 has some definite merits, I have mentioned a good pros/cons of both models in many many place, including this thread. Please have a look and make your decision
Just another update: Watched "Africa's Lost Eden" on Nat Geo HD. I had to remind myself to pick up my jaws from the floor. It was shot beautifully, with high speed cams, and ST30 did full justice to the PQ. I have recorded it to show it to my friends. Makes a good case for why Plasmas Rock (And Africa too!)
Last edited:
sunshine_vsk
Active Member
allajunaki,
are you using the Pixel Orbiter function present in your ST30?
are you using the Pixel Orbiter function present in your ST30?
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