OK, what's the scoop on Plasma longevity?!?!

[David Dryden]

Like the title says, I've heard anything from 5 years to 50. Obviously, we won't know if they'll make the 50 year mark for another 40+ years, BUT does anyone know how they'll fare after say 8-10 years?

Right now I'm using a 31" Panasonic GAAO set that I purchased about 10 years ago. Still looks great, but seems to have gotten smaller over the years (it looked huge when I first bought it! ). At some point within the next year or two, I anticipate buying a larger setup. I love the HDTV Panasonic plasmas, but I have a hard time with the thought of plunking down that much cash for a piece of hardware that has a short life span.

So, what's the general consensus on the best all 'round way to get a decent, large (50"-60"+) picture?

 

[BMXTRIX]

The general consensus is that you will likely see 20,000 hours or so out of the plasma. That's until it reaches 'half' of original factory fresh brightness. The number is more or less accurate and doesn't mean anything in years until you compute how many hours a day/year you use your system.

If you watch TV 3 hours a day, 7 days a week, that's 21 hours a week, or about 1,000 hours per year. That means you will get about 20 years out of the plasma before it is HALF as bright as new on a 20,000 hour set.

Bump the watching up to 6 hours per day, and you lose half the time - ten years instead of 20. Bump the hour lifespan of the plasma up and you gain years.

Generally speaking, plasmas are considered to have about the same lifespan, if well taken care of, as your average CRT (normal) TV. So, replace your old TV with the confidence that your new plasma will likely last just as long as the old unit. If you are really concerned, you may want to look at LCD television as well.... if you can afford to.

 

[goodman]

According to the January 2005 issue of Popular Mechanics that arrived today, at page 76, "Flat Screen Face Off", plasma will last 30,000 viewing hours and LCD TV about twice as long. Either one is a lot of viewing.

 

[David Dryden]

Gotcha! Well, that makes me feel better about my lust for the Panasonic plasma! I'm planning on moving the current set into the living room, where we hope to spend more time anyway, and getting the larger set for the HT in the family room. I had thought about front projection, but the room's very narrow and long (~12x24 feet in the wrong ways ). It could be done, but I think the plasma has the better picture anyway.

Thanks for the info! Now I just gotta get my sights back on saving my pennies...

 

[Mort Corey]

Panasonic and Pioneer are both suggesting 40K plus hours to half brightness on their new displays....but who knows nobody has owned one that long. The troubles that have been reported have generally had more to do with the electronics than the panels.

Mort

 

[BruZZi]

Actually both Panasonic and Pioneer are claiming more than 60,000 hours for their current Models.
Now if they're really going to last that long ...

 

[David Dryden]

20K, 30K, 40K, 60K??? Well, this is moving in the right direction! At this rate, by the time I buy one, they'll outlive me! Seriously, that is very encouraging. I feel alot better about my future now.

 

[Audioholics]

I sure as heck wouldn't hesitate to buy one from the big manufacturers (or from someone using their components, which is just about everyone).

Longevity is one of the "hidden" advantages to the rear projection LCD/DLP models. Most people complain about replacing the bulbs after x000 hours, but they forget that they basically get a brand new display after doing so.

I'm a "glass half full" kinda guy myself.

 

[Cuteman]

Fujitsu seems to have one of the longest lives in the market, with 60,000 being their reasonable estimate of half brightness, with them testing their models all the way to 120,000 hours.

Fujitsu, unlike others also guarantees, on paper, a certain manufacturer warranty. I usually recommend Fujitsu or Pioneer Elite for longevity.

(Elite series tend to have deeper cell structures that most brands meaning less chance of leakage, etc)

 

[BruZZi]

Fujitsu seems to have one of the longest lives in the market, with 60,000 being their reasonable estimate of half brightness, with them testing their models all the way to 120,000 hours.

That applies for the Alis Panels only.

The Fujitsu 50" and 42" ED Displays use Panasonic Glass (PDP) and
the Fujitsu 63" Models use Samsung Glass (PDP).




.

 

[Pete Dzwonkas]

"Bulb life"

Is there a longer life with DLP projector bulbs than CRT bulbs? The DLP RPTV's are said to have longer life to their bulbs than CRT's, etc. Is it the same for DLP projectors? And what is the typical cost of a DLP projector bulb versus an LCD projector bulb?

Could it be that buying a very large plasma is less expensive over time if you add up the bulb replacements?

 

[KJ7YM]

Fujitsu seems to have one of the longest lives in the market, with 60,000 being their reasonable estimate of half brightness, with them testing their models all the way to 120,000 hours.

Fujitsu, unlike others also guarantees, on paper, a certain manufacturer warranty. I usually recommend Fujitsu or Pioneer Elite for longevity.

(Elite series tend to have deeper cell structures that most brands meaning less chance of leakage, etc)

OK so is this getting out of hand or what. Look at these claims going higher and higher. Now we have Fujitsu claiming 60,000 hours? So they have been testing that screen for nearly 14 straight years now, at 24 hours a day?

Man I give up. It is clear there is no truth in adsvertising. I guess I'll keep watching my 37 inch CRT from Sony that will probably still be running when these Big Dogs do finally prove thier lifespans in the homes of real users. I just cant take the insult to my inteligence any more. I would buy a product with a limited lifespan but not when I cant get the real truth. Larry

 

[Hi Ho]

Is there a longer life with DLP projector bulbs than CRT bulbs? The DLP RPTV's are said to have longer life to their bulbs than CRT's, etc. Is it the same for DLP projectors? And what is the typical cost of a DLP projector bulb versus an LCD projector bulb?

Could it be that buying a very large plasma is less expensive over time if you add up the bulb replacements?

CRT projection sets do not have bulbs. They use three high power CRTs (red, green, blue) to produce an image. The CRTs will last longer than the bulb in any DLP or LCD projection set. It can cost nearly $1,000 to replace all three CRTs in a set but a bulb in a DLP or LCD set can cost as little as $250. There is no difference in longevity between bulbs for DLP and LCD sets. Bulbs for front projectors are more expensive and have a shorter lifespan because they burn hotter and brighter.

Rear projection sets, in general, are the most troublesome in my experience. Some brands have major problems with mechanical part failure (Samsung DLP) while others have problems with electronic part failure (Sony and certain Mits).

 

[skads_187]

since this thread is a bit old, from 2004, is there any new updated info regarding plasmas as far as longevity and burn-in effects?

 

[David_313]

since this thread is a bit old, from 2004, is there any new updated info regarding plasmas as far as longevity and burn-in effects?

i was reading and i heard that some of the new plasmas should be 60,000hrs

 

[skads_187]

also what about gaming and burn-in effects, I heard it takes a lot longer (days) in order to get a burn in effect, especially if you have the screen saver on. is this true?

 

[gus6464]

also what about gaming and burn-in effects, I heard it takes a lot longer (days) in order to get a burn in effect, especially if you have the screen saver on. is this true?

I play my PS3 for hours on end on my plasma and haven't encountered any burn-in. I do get a slight image retention but it goes away after 2 minutes if I just put watch some TV.

 

[highfihoney]

I sure as heck wouldn't hesitate to buy one from the big manufacturers (or from someone using their components, which is just about everyone).

Longevity is one of the "hidden" advantages to the rear projection LCD/DLP models. Most people complain about replacing the bulbs after x000 hours, but they forget that they basically get a brand new display after doing so.

I'm a "glass half full" kinda guy myself.

This is exactly why we chose to go with DLP over the other choices,i wont be too bummed out replacing a bulb

 

[Warpdrv]

Seeing as this thread is so old... Im thinking the numbers had to have jumped to at least 200,000 hours by now... Don't ya think...?

 

[BMXTRIX]

PLEASE REMEMBER - THIS TOPIC IS THREE YEARS OLD!

There has been some improvement (constantly) regarding longevity, but the bottom line is that LCD and plasma both have life spans rated to that of CRT displays. So, that 27" TV you never thought about the lifespan of, has the same expected life as your nice LCD or Plasma panels.

That number likely is going to be well over a dozen years.

In fact, it is far more likely that the electronics that drive the plasma/lcd display will wear out before the display itself fails. Things like powering on/off a display is far more damaging then the actual usage of the display and it is the circuitry inside that's most likely to fail.

Of course - since 2004 we've seen LCD drop WAY down in price so that it matches/beats plasma for the most part.

We'll revisit this again in another three years right? Maybe then we can throw OLED into this mix!