Sammy 50A550 or Pio 1150

[newb]

Which one, decisions decisions!

The Sammy can be had for about 500.00 less than the Pio.

Both have the tweaker aspects I like, but the Pio seems to just be a better panel even at 720p while the Sammy gives me 1080p.

Both have great PQ, so what to do?

Might want to get on it soon as the new panels are coming from both manufacturers and these will vanish as people scramble for good deals.

 

[Hi Ho]

I have experience with both and my vote goes to the Pioneer for two main reasons.

1. The Pioneer has superior picture quality.

2. The Pioneer has superior reliability.

I have seen more problems with Samsung plasmas than any other brand. Pioneer, along with Panasonic, has been virtually problem free.

 

[The Dukester]

Definitely go for the Pioneer. I have that model and love it. The only way 1080p would come into play is if you watch it from say 7 feet in. At that distance you could probably see a little difference in resolution. The Pioneer is so far ahead of the Samsung in processing, color, etc, however, I would go for it anyway. At greater distances it's an easy decision, IMHO. I searched and could not find anything that beat the Pioneer at anywhere near the closeout prices at Tweeter.

 

[Soundman]

Definitely go for the Pioneer. I have that model and love it. The only way 1080p would come into play is if you watch it from say 7 feet in. At that distance you could probably see a little difference in resolution. The Pioneer is so far ahead of the Samsung in processing, color, etc, however, I would go for it anyway. At greater distances it's an easy decision, IMHO. I searched and could not find anything that beat the Pioneer at anywhere near the closeout prices at Tweeter.

I guess it depends on what the IP is looking for in a TV. This Samsung is a strong performer in many ways. I'm not sure how much weight is given to CNET, but their review was very good. The Panasonic PZ85U and the Pioneer 5080 HD Kuro were used for reference in the review. In some ways, the Sammy outperformed the Panny and the Pioneer. So, it's definitely worth looking at. It doesn't have as inky blacks as that Panny or Pioneer, but the color accuracy and video processing was very good. here's some highlights:

Black level: While the PN50A550 was able to muster a convincingly dark shade of black, better than either of our Sony reference displays, for example, it didn't get quite as dark as either the Panasonic or the Pioneer PDP-5080HD plasmas in our comparison. Blacks in the letterbox bars, shadows, and nighttime skies, for example, all appeared a bit lighter on the Samsung, although even in a side-by-side comparison the PN50A550 still held its own well. Details in shadows, such as the bricks and boards in a blown-out wall during an apartment firefight, looked as excellent as on the Pioneer, with a more-natural rise from black than the Panasonic exhibited.

Color accuracy: Here's where the Samsung shined. After calibration, the set's color temperature was quite close to the standard, leading to natural-looking skin tones and white areas, such as the overcast sky and the sides of the police cars during the helicopter assault. The Pioneer appeared a bit reddish and the Panasonic a bit more bluish in comparison in most areas. Primary and secondary colors were also right on, from the greens of the trees alongside the highway to the blue of the skies; the orange of the explosion from the VTOL jet fighter that follows Bruce Willis down the section of freeway looked closer to our reference on the Samsung than it did on the Panasonic. Color decoding was again very accurate, and we saw no red push, even in delicate skin tones such as the face of Lucy after her make-out session.

Video processing: Unlike most HDTVs we've tested, the Samsung PN50A550 was able to successfully de-interlace 1080i film-based material once Film Mode was engaged. It also handled video-based material well and, as expected, successfully displayed every pixel of both 1080i and 1080p sources. Not that it mattered much; as usual we found it nearly impossible to distinguish any difference in detail between the 1080p Samsung and the 720p Pioneer.

The Samsung did produce a cleaner, less-noisy image than either of the other plasmas. With all of the noise reduction controls turned off, they showed more dancing motes of "snow," and when we turned the Samsung's NR to Auto and the other plasmas' up all the way, the Samsung again looked cleanest. The difference wasn't drastic, especially between the Pioneer on High versus the Samsung on Auto (although the Samsung's High was cleanest of all), but people who are sensitive to video noise or sit relatively close to the screen may well appreciate it.

As you can see, this display scored higher then even the Kuro ( however, it was tested against the 5080 HD not the 1150) in the accuracy and video processing department, so it really just comes down to what is most important to the OP.As far as color accuracy goes, I don't think you can do better then this display. If deep blacks are important, then go for the Kuro. All of the displays used here are excellent choices.
You can read the full review here: http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-pn50a550/4505-6482_7-32887581.html?tag=prod.txt.1

 

[bandphan]

no question, period, the 1150.

 

[newb]

Was wondering if anyone was out there

Thanks all for the response.
I was afraid all the opinions had dried up....and then where would we be?
I know it all comes down to choice, but this is a huge purchase for me and will need to last for years.
Alot hinges on that CNET review, at least in favor of the Sammy, but reliability means alot too. And of course the Pioneers just seem to outperform in all respects but for price.
I was at Magnolia and they offered to get the Sammy at online prices and would throw in the delivery/setup, plus I have the option to return to a local store if problems arise.
The Pio would be coming from Vann's (consumer reports did say they were a better than average online retailer) but it will still have to be shipped and that's what worries me a bit. I should probably call tweeter too and see what their price is right now. I don't expect problems but better to be a little paranoid (just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you).
I guess if anyone has experience with the online purchase of a 50" panel, some assurance would help.
Anyway, thanks again for the input.

 

[bandphan]

tweeter is still running the discounted price. The pioneer is going to be less complicated to tweak the panel, as the home menu contains all the adjustments needed including color space. Im not saying that the sammy might not be a good panel, but pioneer is proven. As for the cnet review, it wasnt the elite that was compared, and 5080 needs to be tweaked in the service menu. Ive been gamming alot more latley and no retention at all. The home media gallery(all be it slow) makes networking easy.

 

[Soundman]

tweeter is still running the discounted price. The pioneer is going to be less complicated to tweak the pannel, as the home menu contains all the adjustments needed including color space. Im not saying that the sammy might not be a good panel, but pioneer is proven. As for the cnet review, it wasnt the elite that was compared, and 5080 needs to be tweaked in the service menu. Ive been gamming alot more latley and no retention at all. The home media gallery(all be it slow) makes networking easy.

Hey all, I was not arguing against the Pioneer elites superiority in my earlier post. I was mearly pointing out that the Samsung performed quite admirably against both Pioneers and Panasonic, considering the price. Seeing that it performed right up there with the other two brands, it's definitely worth looking at especially when you consider how accurate the screen is. I did mention in my post that the Sammy was being compared to the 5080HD, not the 1150.

 

[newb]

Feel the love

Don't worry Soundman...
No bashing here, I appreciate all the input and have nothing but respect for all opinions.
Why would I ask otherwise?

 

[Soundman]

Don't worry Soundman...
No bashing here, I appreciate all the input and have nothing but respect for all opinions.
Why would I ask otherwise?

appreciate that. I have actually been looking at all 3 brands myself and still havent made a decision.

 

[The Dukester]

FYI, if you go into Tweeter and talk to someone for awhile...maybe the mgr, you can usually work a better deal than their listed price. I went in a couple of times looking at all the sets and spent some time in there with the salesman. Once they know you are informed on what you are looking at, tell them you know Pioneer isn't making 720p sets anymore and that the new models are only a month or so out, then make him an offer he can't refuse. Good chance you can get it a couple hundred off the asking sale price. I bought mine like three or four days after they cut the price way down to the current level and got another $125 off pretty easy.

Good hunting!

Also note that you can pick up a lot of info on AVS about these tvs. Posted is a link for picture settings for the 1150. I used these and the picture is pretty much spot on as far as I can tell. I don't have fancy equipment like the pros do, only the typical Avia disc, but I can tell you it looks really good to me!
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858851

 

[bandphan]

Once they know you are informed on what you are looking at, tell them you know Pioneer isn't making 720p sets anymore
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858851

fyi they are 768p

 

[newb]

In Wa

I'm up in Seattle so, going to Tweeter is not doable...I called though and the price was the same as for Vann's (but tweeter had only floor models) who I'm trying to find out if they have any Pio's left (4 coming from stores but don't if spoken for yet).
If it all goes south on the Pio's, I'm going for the Samsung, I can probably get the online pricing matched at Magnolia (they had it pretty well dialed in and it looked good) and I may get it into the house and up the stairs for free.
I'm wondering about reliability on this set and if I should try to work them around on a warranty.
Thoughts?

 

[newb]

Pulled the trigger

OK...so I got the call back from Vann's and at least one of the Pio sets they had coming from their retail stores was available for pre-order (Gets my name on it) and so I pulled the trigger! whoo hoo!!
So now the wait begins, hopefully they will hit the warehouse mid next week and will ship out soonest, just waiting...
It will probably arrive right about the time my new recliner couch comes in to watch it on (or at least watch the break-in DVD go round and round).
Can't wait to watch the Matrix on the tube and listen to Dark Side of the Moon on the speaker setup.

 

[The Dukester]

Congratulations on the purchase. If it gets to you in one piece, I think you will be one happy camper. Enjoy!

 

[The Dukester]

fyi they are 768p

True. They still aren't going to make anything but 1080p starting next month. 768 only counts when you are using it as a computer monitor, though, correct?

 

[bandphan]

the display scales to the native resolution of the panel , unless your are using an outboard scaler with adjustable output to match and input it through the vga input.

 

[newb]

Break in DVD

where can I download this to burn on my DVD-r's? what format is it and will it fit on one disk?
I have Nero 7 for the software and burn with Nero ROM, but what files am I looking to burn, etc...?
Thanks for the help
And will I need a calibration disk (and which one) or will the settings on avs be best?

 

[bandphan]

where can I download this to burn on my DVD-r's? what format is it and will it fit on one disk?
I have Nero 7 for the software and burn with Nero ROM, but what files am I looking to burn, etc...?
Thanks for the help
And will I need a calibration disk (and which one) or will the settings on avs be best?

http://www.eaprogramming.com/

there are 3 choices of file types

with the setup, you can use dnice's recommended settings, but imo you should use the disc. Use his burn/break in settings, but remember to use them only with the burn in disk nothing else

 

[bandphan]

note: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=858851 , is the place to start.