ltc

I just got off the phone with Sanus and confirmed that I don't need the VMXA1 extender plate for the P65VT30.

The VT30 mounting pattern is 300mm x 684mm (11.8" x 29.9"), so the universal nature of the VMPL3 is nice. Looks like that mount is about $140 from Overstock or Amazon, so I will double check wall stud placement tonight and order the mount. If I can in fact hit 3, I will do so, as you suggested, just because.

The VT30 was not quite as bright as the GT30 (due to the AR glass), but everything else is what it is advertised to be. Pretty impressive display IMHO.

The "impulse" buy was simply based on the diminishing stock of VT30's and the fact that I really didn't think I needed the VT50, at least based on initial reviews.
It is replacing an 11 year old Pioneer Elite 58" RPTV, so by the time I am ready to replace the VT30, the VT50 will be obsolete. I am sure that the new 4320 line high definition standard will be commonplace by then.

P.S. My bride got the better end of the deal. After 2-3 days of furniture shopping, she ended up choosing the ekornes (?) sofa and chairs...so the furniture is far more expensive than the VT30! That's OK, after 30 years together, I've learned

MM3.9GT3

Thanks for the tip on Crutchfield. I am a huge fan of Panasonic Plasma TV's, and I just ordered and received a 60" plasma (TCP60GT30) for the bedroom from Crutchfield (TV room has 65" Panasonic plasma). They were having a massive sale.

ltc

The 2012 models are slowly being released, so almost all the dealers/retailers are selling off the 2011 units at a discount.

It is just a question of how long to wait before the inventory is gone.

For me, the fun starts this weekend...me, a saw, a shop Vac and the wall.
What could possibly go wrong?

cobalt

So you will really appreciate all this TV has to offer. I hear you on the Mrs. After all we are spending she can't complain about the TV, surround system or lift for the garage. Just trying to figure out how to justify a pool. Although the new Kate Spade bag came in today so I must be paying for something I did. LOL 30 years is impressive we just had our 20th on the 2/29 don't have to go through another real one for 4 more years.

As far as the bracket goes talking to my guys they said they use the LT-25 for tilting and LL22 for non tilting on larger heavier sets and have no problems with them.

Have fun with the install.

ltc

I looked at the LT-25, but had some issues with it.
If I read the dimension drawings correctly, it can hit 3 wall studs, but it assumes that the TV is centered on the 3 studs, since it is only about 35".

Unfortunately, the studs over my fireplace are not exactly centered (about 4" off centerline), so is using an LT-25, my installation would not be centered if I hit 3 studs.

I am reluctant to only hit 2 studs with the VT30, so I think I will stay with the VMPL3, which should do everything I need/want it to do.

(on a related note, it is odd when you call around to see if someone has the VMPL3 in stock. I usually get the answer, no, but we recommend xxx mount instead because the VMPL3 doesn't line up with the TV mounting pattern... so I just say thank you and hang up. It seems that mounts are a very personal decision)

ltc

Just ordered the Sanus VMPL3 mount (best price was from TigerDirect ... $129 + $14.99 shipping ; compares well to $279 from Best Buy).

Also ordered the VMXA1 extended (+8") wall bracket, just for peace of mind to easily hit 3 studs for an off center install and still have room left for left/right adjustment.
Strangely Crutchfield had it for 2 prices ($49.99 new in box), $29.99 (open box with free shipping). I went with the open box sheet metal bracket.

The attack on the wall begins this weekend ... )right after we get back from the furniture store and put a deposit down on the Ekornes furniture (have to do it by the 25th before the promotion ends). Hopefully in 12-16 weeks when the furniture arrives, I have the installation completed!

cobalt

Wow great price thanks for the heads up.

looking forward to hearing about the end result. I bet you will be up and running long before the furniture arrives. Exciting when things finally come together.

Hardwood floors went in yesterday and I will start cutting in the speakers this weekend. All that is left for this room is to complete the trim work, paint and ceiling fans soon after the furniture and we are done. Now only if the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room, elevator and last but not least the garage and driveway were completed I could relax.

Looking forward to your comments
best luck

ltc

Attack on the wall went pretty much as planned. One very long day...the usual when it comes to old work installs.
Ended up buying a Fein Multimaster, which made cutting access openings in the sheetrock very clean. I have their original single speed sander from about 30 yrs ago....OK, I needed an excuse to buy the new one...$199 at Home Depot.

Will spackle the reinstalled Sheetrock around the access cutouts and repaint the wall this week.

Mount install and hanging TV planned for next weekend. HDMI and optical cables scheduled for delivery this week.

Going to HD tonight to buy slightly longer +4mm M8 bolts to attach the vertical brackets to the back of the TV...the supplied 16mm seem a bit too short IMHO. Vernier measurement shows the blind mount hole is 26mm, so no issue with bottoming out.


And yes, the furniture was ordered...hopefully mid June.

cobalt

It wouldn't be a project unless you have to buy a new tool.

I have been working on the in-wall speaker install. I knew it would be an issue because of the fireplace design. Hooked them up to my old Mac equipment and I was incredibly disappointed at first. The enclosure made for a directionless sound with far too much resonance. The high ceilings will need to be addressed once all the furniture is in, I am thinking I will need sound deadening panels along the back wall ceiling area. I can't be sure until the room is filled.

Several hours of properly insulating the enclosures and many hours of break in time I was able to achieve an acceptable tone from the pair and 95% of the resonance is gone giving far better definition. I am considering venting the enclosure but I still need to do the stone work which will change the sound even more. You can hear the distinctive Mac sound that I was never a huge fan of. The Arcam should be in soon with the sub and rear speakers which I will deal with when they arrive. Totem claims 50hz low frequency I don't see these as ever reaching that low even with ideal conditions but that is what the sub is for.

Still no response on if May 14 is the release of the VT50 so I might be picking up the VT30 if prices come down some more. Good luck with the rest of the project let me know what your first impressions of the TV are.

ltc

Quick note on Panasonic 3D TV's....

I just read that Panasonic will no longer be producing IR 3D glasses after mid 2012. After that time, they will be switching to Bluetooth (apparently there is an effort to standardize 3D glasses protocol amongst manufacturers)

If this is true, it is unknown if the VT50 is the last of the IR (probable) or first of the Bluetooth (possible) 3D eyewear sets.

I only mention it since given the location of my 65VT30 and the proposed new couch location, I should be at exactly 12', which is about the max distance for Panasonic IR 3D range.

ltc

VT30, in a word ... spectacular.

The person responsible for the design and implementation of Tamper Resistant AC receptacles ...
Note to self: always break in a TR outlet a dozen times or so BEFORE mounting the TV on the wall.

I was surprised at how easily the TV slides left to right on the Sanus VMPL3. I was also impressed at how well the Sanus HeightFinder predictions vs actual worked out (within a 1/4" or so)

Still have a few nights of work properly wiring the equipment rack, but with the VT30 running off the HD cable box (Comcast), it was an impressive debut. After a few hundred hours, I will try the THX calibration data (available from CNET) and see how they look.
On a side note, I had been told by someone who works in the professional audio field with TVs, that the Panasonic VT plasmas had the best built in audio. I must admit, I surprised when I first powered it up off of HDMI and used the internal speakers.

Very happy so far with the results. I went with a hardwired Ethernet (rather than the USB WiFi dongle). Haven't tried the Vierra Connect internet applications yet.
Also haven't verified if I have to update the firmware, although I did bookmark the page on the Panasonic global site for the download if needed.

The bride was happy

ltc

Did some more fooling around tonight ... the bride is away for a few days with family, so I can just run wires and leave them laying about for now.

Hooked up my Gen 1 Apple TV via HDMI 1080p on input 2 (input 1 is Comcast HD box).
Ran the TV optical output back to my audio system.

Seamless audio transitions when switching HDMI inputs, no clicks, pops or artifacts. Should make for a simplified remote setup and wiring.

The AR glass on the front, although it does reduce the output a bit, is worth it. Still running the power on default settings. Very good visibility in ambient lighting, excellent in dark room viewing. Off axis is everything you'd expect from a plasma.

I have to admit, the black levels are impressive, as is the motion viewing.

cobalt

It is supposed to be better than my Panasonic Pro so I am sure it looks fantastic. They gutted my Kitchen this week had 19 guys working on the house at once, utter chaos. Electrician cut my phone lines and internet service without realizing it. Finally fixed the problem today after ripping apart a few extra walls. At the rate we are going I won't be ready for the TV until May so I am going to wait for the VT50. Sure I would be happy with the VT 30 but after all this what is a little more money spent.

Enjoy the new TV happy to hear it is everything you expected.

cobalt

Just checking in.

Picked up the VT50 65" a few weeks back. Decided to put the pro Panasonic in the new great room and put the new VT50 in my viewing room downstairs. I have to admit it is one of the finest pictures I have seen. Better than my sons Runco which I always considered comparable to the Pioneer Kuro. better than the pro series and better than my old Fujitsu which is still a fantastic set by today's standards. Best blacks I have seen with fantastic motion and color, a good looking set, clean lines and the small bezel adds 5" of view screen within almost the same size frame as the 60" pro.

I checked out the Elites before buying and honestly they are smoking something with those sets. Thousands more for the Elite name and have everyone believing they are the old Pioneer even though it is a fancy Sharp. It has a great picture but for far less the VT-50 is a far better deal and IMO has better all around viewing. I was told by the rep that the days of dropping TV prices are coming to an end. Everyone is loosing money on TV's and the future will see more gimmicks with less quality but prices have hit bottom. If you ask me pick up a VT 50 while the prices are low and hold onto it. Right now the VT50's are hovering around $3000 and well worth it.

M. Schneider

We have the Panasonic plasma model VT25 50" (basically a VT30; VT25 was branded & bundled for USA retailer Best Buy) in Georgia and (2) VT30 55" plasma's at 8,500' in Colorado. Couldn't be happier! Each VT plasma has a Bryston model SP2 Pre-Pro running pairs of active ATC SCM20ASL monitors. A tier one audio and video combo for a residential setting if there ever was.

I do wish Panasonic Consumer USA or Panasonic Broadcast would import the smaller sizes of the VT series which are available in ROW markets; not every room can handle large (50"+) panels.