Home audio & video forum: Panasonic 50PZ800U Plasma question

it's the cable feed.

Think of cable like you would an internet video. It is compressed, it is streamed. Those factors will effect on the picture and cause those types of artifacts that you saw. It is not motion blur.

You should rarely see this type of pixelation, though you will get it every now and again. Bandwith can take a hit for cable providers which lead to quality issues.

The reason you didn't see it in the DVD, even though it is a standard def source, is because it is a clean source. Cable isn't so lucky lol.

If you are seeing happen a lot, call your cable company. You could have a problem with your signal. Other than that, it is unfortunately par for the course to see pixelation creep up every now and then.

I compared the PZ800 with a Pioneer Kuro, side by side with a PS3 a first person shooter, GTA IV and Metal Gear Solid. These two are the top of the line plasmas and the best sets you can get that reduce motion blur. The Kuro had much better picture quality and has much stronger video processing. I found when you set it to smooth, you get noticeably smoother movement for fast camera panning. The difference between the PZ800 and the Kuro in terms of this blur is hard to detect.

The problem is that the Kuro available in 1080p mode is ridiculously expensive and the improvement in motion is difficult to spot. Based on blur factor alone, I wouldn't spend the extra $1000 for that. If you really want the better picture quality and a small almost unnoticeable improvement in blur, then I suggest you return the PZ800 and get a Pioneer Kuro.

I myself am really particular about motion blur so I feel your pain. I went with the PZ800U anyways because it still does an excellent job with motion blur and there are starving kids in Africa so I can't justify spending $3000+ on a Kuro. That's my two cents.