Help with new TV purchase

[Duffinator]

I'm going to buy a new TV within the next 30 days and am looking for opinions on the various technologies. I'm pretty set on the Panasonic 58" Plasma but would consider other technologies as well. The set needs to be within the 55" to 65" range. So does a DLP 1080P picture compare to that of a Plasma or even an LCD? Anything else I'm missing? Price is always an issue and I have the budget for a Pioneer Kuro 60" but my research has led me to the Panasonic as from a value perspective I don't think the Pioneer is over 50% better than the Panasonic.

Any thoughts or opinions of the following TV's is appreciated.

TV's I'm considering

Panasonic 58" Plasma

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86757

Pioneer 60" Plasma

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=88794

Toshiba 57" LCD

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86548

DLP's

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=87811

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=90767

[1tribeca]

Not sure about the DLP's...but you can smoke the Toshiba right off that there list feller!! If you can stretch it, go for the Pioneer. Truly a beautiful panel, and you WILL notice a diff between it and the Panny (which is great value as you mentioned)

Also, look at other features each set has. I'm not too well read about them, but the Pioneer might have some advantages in other areas...like 3:3 pulldown, No. of HDMI inputs or that type of thing (that was just an example, I'm sure other, more knowledgeable folk around here can tell you more)

Of course, once the TV is on your wall alone, you won't be comparing it with anything better or worse, so it'll be awesome!

Do one thing for sure...grab "Planet Earth" on Blu-ray and make it the first thing you watch on the big panel...what a mind-blowing experience! In fact, I think it's the still image they're using on the Pio 60" in that link you posted!! Let us know what you choose, and do tell how nice it turns out either way!

[Duffinator]

Do one thing for sure...grab "Planet Earth" on Blu-ray and make it the first thing you watch on the big panel...what a mind-blowing experience! In fact, I think it's the still image they're using on the Pio 60" in that link you posted!! Let us know what you choose, and do tell how nice it turns out either way!Thanks, I have Planet Earth on HD and have watched it on my current Toshiba 56H80 HDTV. It does look amazing.

[1tribeca]

Which reminds me...I'm heading over to the shop I do some part-time work at tomorrow. The boss had a meeting with the brass at Pioneer last Thursday....hope he has some info about the new panels (and the PRO-110 for that matter) Pioneer's fiscal ends March 30th...in Canada atleast...I'm sensing a blowout of PRO-110's at a reduced price!! No? Wishful thinking huh?...prolly right. DARN!

[Duffinator]

Does anybody have any opinions on how DLP sets stack up against Plasma or LCD flat panels? The Mitsubishi sets I've looked at have a very nice picture.

[bandphan]

Does anybody have any opinions on how DLP sets stack up against Plasma or LCD flat panels? The Mitsubishi sets I've looked at have a very nice picture.
my dlp looks better than most lcd panels i have seen without question, agianst a good plasma panel, the plasma is gonna win.

[Exit]

For larger screens (i.e. 61", 65") except the 72" size, DLPs seem to give the largest screen for the dollars not counting projectors. Get 1080p. They also have a good picture but you can decide for yourself. I have enjoyed my Samsung DLP for about three years without problems. There is nothing like having a big screen.

[Duffinator]

Here's two more TV's I've now added to my list of potential sets. Any comments on them? I was at Fry's and the Samsung 58" plasma was sitting next to the Panasonic 58" plasma and the Samsung looked better in every aspect. I also saw the 52" Samsung LCD with the LED backlight the same as the 57" below and it looked very nice as well. The blacks were noticeably better than other LCD's but still not quiet there with the plasmas. The Pioneer 60" still looks the best but I was not able to compare the Samsung 58" right next to it. Any thoughts?

Samsung 58" plasma (http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=plasmatv&model_cd=PN58A550S1FXZA)

Samsung 57" LCD (http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LNT5781FX/XAA)

[MUDSHARK]

The setup can influence side by side comparisons greatly. Give weight to the picture when viewed off axis and below and above optimum eye level. It was this that had the family pick the DLP as opposed to LCD a few years back.

[stratman]

If you can swing the Pio's price go for it, if you want more cash in your pocket, Panny's the way, I installed one a couple of months back for a friend, what a beautiful picture, and the price.....well you can get more goodies.:D

[Duffinator]

The Panny is now #3 on the list. Anyone seen the new Samsung 58A550?

[Pyrrho]

I'm going to buy a new TV within the next 30 days and am looking for opinions on the various technologies. I'm pretty set on the Panasonic 58" Plasma but would consider other technologies as well. The set needs to be within the 55" to 65" range. So does a DLP 1080P picture compare to that of a Plasma or even an LCD? Anything else I'm missing? Price is always an issue and I have the budget for a Pioneer Kuro 60" but my research has led me to the Panasonic as from a value perspective I don't think the Pioneer is over 50% better than the Panasonic.

Any thoughts or opinions of the following TV's is appreciated.

TV's I'm considering

Panasonic 58" Plasma

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86757

Pioneer 60" Plasma

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=88794

Toshiba 57" LCD

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86548

DLP's

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=87811

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=90767


You might want to take a look at the chart at:

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-friCCSWpsAo/learningcenter/home/TV_chart.html

Regardless of what various "fanboys" may say, there is no such thing as a perfect TV, and no matter what you pick, something else will be better in some ways. I personally went with an LCD, but you should consider the various pros and cons of the different possibilities, and then look at some examples in your local stores. Then decide what is right for you.

As for burn-in on plasma TVs, forum rules forbid me from expressing my opinion of the intelligence of those who say it is a thing of the past. If burn-in were a thing of the past, the first brand that "solved" the problem would have given a warranty against it and bragged about it as a sales tactic. Before buying a plasma TV, download the manual for it from the manufacturers web site and read it to see what they say about burn-in. The people who say it is a thing of the past literally don't know what they are talking about. If they only read the manual to their plasma TVs they would know that it is very real.

To those who still insist it isn't real, READ YOUR DAMN MANUAL! What does the manufacturer say about it? Do you know more about it than they do? Yeah, right.

[Duffinator]

Regardless of what various "fanboys" may say, there is no such thing as a perfect TV, and no matter what you pick, something else will be better in some ways. I personally went with an LCD, but you should consider the various pros and cons of the different possibilities, and then look at some examples in your local stores. Then decide what is right for you.I'm also concerned about the burn-in on plasmas. I've seen it several times and it has always scared me away from plasmas. But those sets were very early $30,000 NEC's we had at work and I know newer sets are less prone to burn-in. I'm not going to do any gaming on this set so to me the better PQ out weighs the burn-in issue. I have a Sharp 45" LCD hanging in my bedroom so I'm very familiar with the issues of LCD. The motion blur is pretty much a thing of the past. The issue is there are few LCD TV's in the 57"-65" range and the ones that are available are very expensive. The Samsung and Panasonic plasma TV's I'm looking to buy were next to the Sharp 65" SE and both plasmas looked better than the Sharp LCD.

The new Samsung LED backlight 6 LCD's look amazing and if I could afford their 57" LCD that would be the set I'd buy. But to increase their contrast ratio Samsung has added a reflective screen (or glass) to the panel so that kills one of LCD's advantages. And to me non reflective screens are a big advantage. I've been living with my Toshiba 56H80 for almost eight years now and would like to get a TV that's less reflective. My new home will have less of an issue with light than my current home and regardless what anybody thinks the Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas with "anti-glare screens" aren't much better than the old ones and still reflect images A LOT.

I'm still comtemplating the following three in this order:

1 Pioneer 6010FD
2 Samsung 58A550
3 Panasonic 58PZ700U

Has anybody else had a chance to check out the NEW Samsung? They are so new that hardly anybody has them.

[Pyrrho]

I'm also concerned about the burn-in on plasmas. I've seen it several times and it has always scared me away from plasmas. But those sets were very early $30,000 NEC's we had at work and I know newer sets are less prone to burn-in. I'm not going to do any gaming on this set so to me the better PQ out weighs the burn-in issue. I have a Sharp 45" LCD hanging in my bedroom so I'm very familiar with the issues of LCD. The motion blur is pretty much a thing of the past. The issue is there are few LCD TV's in the 57"-65" range and the ones that are available are very expensive. The Samsung and Panasonic plasma TV's I'm looking to buy were next to the Sharp 65" SE and both plasmas looked better than the Sharp LCD.

The new Samsung LED backlight 6 LCD's look amazing and if I could afford their 57" LCD that would be the set I'd buy. But to increase their contrast ratio Samsung has added a reflective screen (or glass) to the panel so that kills one of LCD's advantages. And to me non reflective screens are a big advantage. I've been living with my Toshiba 56H80 for almost eight years now and would like to get a TV that's less reflective. My new home will have less of an issue with light than my current home and regardless what anybody thinks the Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas with "anti-glare screens" aren't much better than the old ones and still reflect images A LOT.

I'm still comtemplating the following three in this order:

1 Pioneer 6010FD
2 Samsung 58A550
3 Panasonic 58PZ700U

Has anybody else had a chance to check out the NEW Samsung? They are so new that hardly anybody has them.

You might want to read the following thread about a fairly new plasma TV with burn-in:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42394&highlight=burn

IF I were going to buy a plasma TV, I would go with Panasonic, because I think they give the best picture for the money and are relatively reliable. But I would not buy a plasma.

Whether you will have a problem with burn in or not is going to depend upon many factors, such as the particular model you buy, and then how you use it. For example, if you watch a lot of material that is not the aspect ratio of the TV, and if you don't stretch and/or crop the image to fit, you are more likely to have burn in problems, particularly if you have the letter boxing and column boxing black instead of gray (unfortunately, black looks better than gray). Using whatever pixel-shifting/screen saver modes the TV has should also help in preventing burn in. Regardless of burn in, though, it will use more power and generate more heat than other TVs. At least some of the price difference will be lost in increased power bills.

If you don't need a thin screen, you might want to consider a rear projection model. You can get much more picture for your money that way. And if you have the proper room for it, and don't mind a bit more trouble setting it up, front projection would be my TV of choice, as it is the most like a movie theater.

Also, if you are not in a hurry to buy the TV, I am sure that the large LCD TVs will drop in price. The smaller ones did, and are still dropping in price, while getting better. The same will undoubtedly be true of the larger models.

But given the size of TV you want, if you need the TV soon, and if you need a thin TV, and if your viewing habits will permit it, a plasma is probably the most practical choice.

[Duffinator]

I've decided I'm getting the Panasonic, mainly based on recommendations that if there is ever an issue with the TV Panasonic is much easier to deal with than Samsung. While I do think the Pioneer has a slightly better I just can't justify the price difference. With the best delivered prices between the two there is a difference of $1,450 and it's just not that much better to me. I'll post my impressions of the set when I get it in a few weeks. And while I'm always against extended warranties I'm seriously thinking about getting one this time around. :eek:

[rmk]

I've decided I'm getting the Panasonic, mainly based on recommendations that if there is ever an issue with the TV Panasonic is much easier to deal with than Samsung. While I do think the Pioneer has a slightly better I just can't justify the price difference. With the best delivered prices between the two there is a difference of $1,450 and it's just not that much better to me. I'll post my impressions of the set when I get it in a few weeks. And while I'm always against extended warranties I'm seriously thinking about getting one this time around. :eek:

Good choice Rick, I have been really happy with my Panny Plasma. Now just roll that savings (and a bit more) into purchasing one of my Fathoms and you'll be all set.;)

[Duffinator]

Good choice Rick, I have been really happy with my Panny Plasma. Now just roll that savings (and a bit more) into purchasing one of my Fathoms and you'll be all set.;)Oh don't even temp me please! Rolling them already?

[Alex2507]

I saw a 65" Panny at Tweeter yesterday for $5000. They are making room for the new models. I posted a thread in "Deals" regarding a 50" PZ77U that I bought for $1850 out the door. They have some pretty sweet deals, at least in Mass.

Lots of people have Panny's and have been enjoying them for years. I want to be one of them. :)

[DaleAV]

My next display is likely to be a Panny or Pioneer.. I want to see how the new 800/850 series of Panasonic do in reviews, etc.
Most of what I've seen and hear of the new 80/85 is positive. Most say the blacks of the Kuro's still stand out.. but there is still a lot to love in the Panny picture. It is not that it does not have good blacks, in fact they are very good, as they were in the 700, et al....but even darker shadow areas in scenes are just more impressive in the Kuros.
The gap is closing.. we shall see.

[bandphan]

I saw a 65" Panny at Tweeter yesterday for $5000. They are making room for the new models. I posted a thread in "Deals" regarding a 50" PZ77U that I bought for $1850 out the door. They have some pretty sweet deals, at least in Mass.

Lots of people have Panny's and have been enjoying them for years. I want to be one of them. :)

picked up the pro1150 for 2gs yesterday, the also had the Mitsubishi Diamond Series 46 lcd for 2199

[rmk]

Oh don't even temp me please! Rolling them already?

Naw, just kidding.

[Duffinator]

Naw, just kidding.OK I'm breathing a little easier now. ;)

[alrudy55]

one thing to remember , the last 10 % of quality is thew most expensive

[big-frank23]

There you go Alrudy. 100% True. Hey, you never said if your going to hang the tv or not???

[Duffinator]

There you go Alrudy. 100% True. Hey, you never said if your going to hang the tv or not???I received the TV on Monday and it looks terrific. For now it's sitting on my new Salamander Triple 20 with wheels but I may mount it on the wall later after I have my media niche remodeled. I have my Sharp 45" LCD mounted on the wall in my bedroom. Clearly one of the big advantages of large flat panel TV's is wall mounting. :D

[Duffinator]

Just an update of my purchase. No doubt about it this Plasma has a much better picture than my older Sharp 45" LCD. The blacks are much better and the image is nice and stable during action sequences. But the reflection on this thing is horrible. I know the LCD vs. Plasma debate rages on but I got to tell you if Sony or Samsung made a 57" LCD I think I'd rather have one of them. During day light hours it's almost unwatchable, just like my old Toshiba 56H80 with it's mirror screen. Seriously, while watching in the dark is great I do a lot of TV watching, mostly sports on the weekend, during the day and poor blacks or not my LCD is much nicer to watch during daytime. Bottom line is neither plasma or LCD is perfect so fan boys on either side need to cool your jets. Too bad OLED is not out yet because when it's available in large size panels at a reasonable price both of these current technologies will be history.

One additional note, not that it ever mattered to me but my plasma seems to run cooler than my LCD and both have fans in them.

[jgw4]

Duffinator, thanks so much for your honest and detailed posts. I am staring down the same situation as you just went through. My old Mitsu died yesterday and I'm going through the LCD vs. Plasma debate. I have a lot of light in the room and some horrendous viewing angle. I'm going with LCD based on your posts. Which 60" LCD did you think was best? I agree with your assessment of companies destroying a good LCD situation with glossy screens. Seems more are doing that.

[Duffinator]

jgw, there's no doubt that plasmas have a better overall picture...in a light controlled environment. I was watching Ocean's 13 last night on HD DVD and it looked amazing on my new Panasonic and my 3 year old Sharp LCD can't touch it. But, IMO, if you watch lots of TV during the daytime LCD remains in the mix for serious consideration. Newer Sharp, Sony, and Samsung LCD's look much better than my three year old 45" Sharp.

From my experiences I think the best looking LCD's are Samsung, Sony, and Sharp in that order. While a lot more expensive the new Samsung with LED backlights look great. I'm not saying don't buy a plasma but better black levels are useless if you can't see them. :eek:

At my local Fry's they have the newest Sharp 65" special edition LCD sitting next to the Panasonic 58" that I purchased. The Panasonic looked better but this was in a darkened room with little to no light reflections. Both sets were showing the same HD loop and appeared to be adjusted properly with no goofy looking color pushes and such. The black levels on the Panny was noticeable better than the Sharp but bright colors were similar. I could not detect any motion blur on the Sharp but no live sports were being shown although the HD loop did have several actions sequences from HD movies. Good luck with your purchase.