Samsung LN52B550 vs Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U?

[DaleAV]

Here's the article discussing the differences.

http://www.displaymate.com/LCD_Plasma_ShootOut.htm

 

[Grimfate126]

thanks for that article. i think i do want a plasma now.

i found another later verison of the panasonic tv:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_133P50G15/Panasonic-TC-P50G15.html?search=TC-P50G15&ssi=0&tp=161

seems to be as good as the 800, if not better. Thoughts?

P.S. i did also find a Kuro PDP-5020FD on bestbuy for 2000, but it is slightly expensive, and according to cnet reviews, the TC may even be better.

Thanks

 

[DaleAV]

thanks for that article. i think i do want a plasma now.

i found another later verison of the panasonic tv:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_133P50G15/Panasonic-TC-P50G15.html?search=TC-P50G15&ssi=0&tp=161

seems to be as good as the 800, if not better. Thoughts?

P.S. i did also find a Kuro PDP-5020FD on bestbuy for 2000, but it is slightly expensive, and according to cnet reviews, the TC may even be better.

Thanks

If I was buying a 50" plasma today, it would likely be this Pioneer.

http://www.valueelectronics.com/

 

[bandphan]

All of my comments on the subject are releated to industry spec period and LCD is still lacking in key components.

 

[Matt34]

And in three to four years there'll be a new technology that will overtake everything else just as lsiberian states...Three to four years doesn't mean squat.

The OP is looking for a TV now. Not next year. Not 2 years from now. Not ten years from now.

Plasmas currently outperform most everything out there. Are they more expensive? Yes. Are they worth it? That's up to the buyer. I still think my 720p Samsung from 5 years ago looks damn fine and would still buy it in today's market and be just kosher with it.

-pat

I only recently bought my 50" Samsung Plasma during last years black Friday sale. I'm always behind when it comes to displays but it does look great to my eyes.

 

[billy p]

If I was buying a 50" plasma today, it would likely be this Pioneer.

http://www.valueelectronics.com/

Hi Dale, I'm looking at the Samsung PN50B650 and I see you own the A650. What are the difference between the two? FWIW... I'm also considering the panny G15 and I know how it differs from the G10, but I'm not sure about the Samsung models. I've done some research regarding Samsung and noticed that their newer panels are on par with the panny's and dare I say even surpass the panny's in colour accuracy.

Regards, Bill

 

[DaleAV]

Hi Dale, I'm looking at the Samsung PN50B650 and I see you own the A650. What are the difference between the two? FWIW... I'm also considering the panny G15 and I know how it differs from the G10, but I'm not sure about the Samsung models. I've done some research regarding Samsung and noticed that their newer panels are on par with the panny's and dare I say even surpass the panny's in colour accuracy.

Regards, Bill

I think the latest Samsung panels have only one layer of glass. This makes for slightly more clarity and less reflection. Not huge changes.
What does concern me is I've read over at avsforum some complaining about buzzing on some 'B' models.
I think overall the black level has improved not to the degree of a Pan but quite close...color accuracy is better in the Samsung but not as much as last year over the Panasonic. If you really want a no-hassle display Panasonic has the best stats for reliability.
But nothing is perfect. Again, I think the Pioneer KPM-500 bears some checking out as long as 50" is not a restriction, as well as no built-in tuners.
Can't go too wrong with any of these IMO. I'm very pleased with my Samsung, it has been flawless. If cost had been less important I would have gone with a Kuro Elite. I had it pro-calibrated last year about this time.

 

[pzaur]

I guess I need to look at current plasma prices compared to LCD prices...oops.

My father in-law has a 61" Kuro and it throws off a lot of heat. And I mean a lot. It does look damn fine.

-pat

 

[Alex2507]

My father in-law has a 61" Kuro and it throws off a lot of heat. And I mean a lot.

They totally run hot and word has it they use more juice and they are heavier than LCD's. If you don't have air conditioning, can't afford to spend much on electric and plan to watch it while holding it in your lap then your choice is clear ... LCD !!!

I don't know if it's been mentioned and I'm not gonna check but Panasonic has addressed image retention with pixel shift and reflective glare has been addressed by anti-glare or anti-reflective screens.

There has only ever been one 'respected' member who advocated LCD over plasma that I'm aware of and that was due to the burn in issue which has since been put to bed ... there are still a few do's and don't's with plasma so if you know that you're not gonna read any part of the manual, LCD may still be the way to go but if you won't read a manual then you're probably not gonna read this.

 

[DaleAV]

What Panasonic has done is universal to all plasmas these days, with regards to burn-in protection.
But in fact, most modern panels have little problem with it with some caution the first hundred hours or so, like avoiding excessive contrast when setting up, and the use of gray bars when viewing images in 4:3 perspective.
It's the old story, know what you are buying, read the owner's manual thoroughly, and use some common sense.
Along with everything else, plasma is more efficient these days also. The differences are not as great as some might want you to believe. Of course, you don't want any display set up in 'torch mode' like they are in most stores.

 

[clouso]

for those who thinks that led lcds or lcds dont have their place or are not worth the money just go on cnet.com and you will see a lot of them in the best hdtvs..i am very happy to see mine is up there..not ranking first but its there..and btw i dont see any vizio there!

 

[3db]

Vizio beat out the Toshiba according to Home Theater's 5 flat panel shoot out and its substantially cheaper than the Toshiba. Going to 240 Hz seems a bit gimicky to me.

As far as picking Samsung vs Panasonic, my favorite audio/video shop has dropped the Samsung line becuase of poor customer service according to the slaes person I deal with. That would be enough to push me to the Pannymnot that I would need a huge push or naything like that..just more money .

 

[clouso]

Vizio beat out the Toshiba according to Home Theater's 5 flat panel shoot out and its substantially cheaper than the Toshiba. Going to 240 Hz seems a bit gimicky to me.

As far as picking Samsung vs Panasonic, my favorite audio/video shop has dropped the Samsung line becuase of poor customer service according to the slaes person I deal with. That would be enough to push me to the Pannymnot that I would need a huge push or naything like that..just more money .

i saw those reviews but people are confused about toshiba..this was the zv series they reviewed not the sv!.

 

[3db]

i saw those reviews but people are confused about toshiba..this was the zv series they reviewed not the sv!.

Nevertheless, a low end Vizio which is substantailly cheaper than the Toshiba beat it and in real worlld viewing, the Vizio did far better than the tests indicated.

 

[smitty78]

Vizio beat out the Toshiba according to Home Theater's 5 flat panel shoot out and its substantially cheaper than the Toshiba. Going to 240 Hz seems a bit gimicky to me .

I think the Vizio is a darn nice LCD as far as the traditional ccfl backlit displays go and you can't argue the low price.

I wouldn't go as far as to say the LED displays are complete garbage either. I just think they lack in performance for that heavy price tag that goes with them. I'm unsure if they'll ever surpass plasma in pq, though. I could be wrong but I doubt they'll be as affordable as the plasmas are now...maybe in years to come. Right now LED is really overpriced and overhyped for what it is. It's not exactly new technology. Cell phones, laptops and even flashlights have been using LED lighting for years.

The 240 hz processing is gimicky. I see the difference from 60 hz to 120hz but not much from 120 to 240. I can't stand that dejudder feature myself, everything looks cheap and unnnatural. I would rather deal with the 3:2 pulldown of the 60 hz anyday than buy into these 120 or 240 hz televisions. Now I hear that it doesn't have anything to do with the processor but when you disable the dejudder feature on most of these sets, you are watching material in 60hz.....how does this not have anything to with the processor? Maybe someone more knowledgeable can answer this. I do know that some of the higher end 240Hz displays have the option of keeping the motion control and turning off the dejudder feature...hence why I reccomended the Sammy 750. The Sony XBR9 shuts both features off the same time...you may as well buy a 60hz and save your money if you are like me and can't stand this new "soap opera" effect that these 120hz-240hz models have. For gaming I can see the benefit as long as the response time is good but for movies, I'd reccomend plasma first and foremost as long as you weren't in sunroom or a very bright area.

More and more places are pushing these LEDs and before long we won't have the options of plasma. The best plasma display in the world isn't being produced any longer, I say it's just a matter of time that rest of the manufacturers will jump on board and focus solely on these LEDs....until then, plasma will continue to rule the world of HDTVs. Just hope folks are smart enough to get their plasma while they can. Even if they perfect these "LED" LCDs.. they won't be better than plasma...maybe equal in pq but for a few thousand dollars more.

 

[clouso]

why would 600htz for plasma be good and 240htz not good or better for lcds?...anyway i am not discussing on that subject anymore my led is looking awesome and it is a big upgrade compared to the dlp i had in the past...the pq is awesome and clearScan 240 works perfectly cause football and hockey looks awesome too..and when you have the good settings movies dont look like **** either..i will appreciate this tv for some years for now and im pretty happy with it.

 

[bandphan]

why would 600htz for plasma be good and 240htz not good or better for lcds?...anyway i am not discussing on that subject anymore my led is looking awesome and it is a big upgrade compared to the dlp i had in the past...the pq is awesome and clearScan 240 works perfectly cause football and hockey looks awesome too..and when you have the good settings movies dont look like **** either..i will appreciate this tv for some years for now and im pretty happy with it.

The 600hz is more marketing as plasma tech is completely different and means nothing. Do a little research on how plasma displays images the compare that to lcd.

 

[smitty78]

bandphan is right, they are two completely different technologies unlike LED vs. standard LCD... whereas the form of lighting is the only difference. As far as refresh rates go.. LCD uses extra frames in between frames to get the higher 120hz refresh rate whereas plasma flashes dots during each frame (60 frames+10 flashes during each frame=600 hz).

The numbers mean nothing with plasma. A 48hz plasma won't have motion blur issues like the 60hz LCDs. The LCD folks keep uping the refresh rates to smooth out movement that even earlier model plasma displays didn't have issues with. The 480hz is next, just another way to fool buyers into thinking they are getting a better display because it has a higher refresh rate.

This is all really kind of irrelevant to the OP. The person was looking for a midpriced 52", when the "LED is best" attitude came about. Not too many folks are gonna agree with ya there, clouso, when there's better displays for less money. You are satisfied with your toshiba and that's all that matters but don't expect folks to pat you on the back for spending 3 grand when you could have spent half that on a display with better pq. I surely wouldn't be promoting it in this thread. I'm sure the poster has seen the LED on the showroom floor if he/she has been looking at any electronic store....they are heavily pushed if you haven't noticed lately.

 

[clouso]

bandphan is right, they are two completely different technologies unlike LED vs. standard LCD... whereas the form of lighting is the only difference. As far as refresh rates go.. LCD uses extra frames in between frames to get the higher 120hz refresh rate whereas plasma flashes dots during each frame (60 frames+10 flashes during each frame=600 hz).

The numbers mean nothing with plasma. A 48hz plasma won't have motion blur issues like the 60hz LCDs. The LCD folks keep uping the refresh rates to smooth out movement that even earlier model plasma displays didn't have issues with. The 480hz is next, just another way to fool buyers into thinking they are getting a better display because it has a higher refresh rate.

This is all really kind of irrelevant to the OP. The person was looking for a midpriced 52", when the "LED is best" attitude came about. Not too many folks are gonna agree with ya there, clouso, when there's better displays for less money. You are satisfied with your toshiba and that's all that matters but don't expect folks to pat you on the back for spending 3 grand when you could have spent half that on a display with better pq. I surely wouldn't be promoting it in this thread. I'm sure the poster has seen the LED on the showroom floor if he/she has been looking at any electronic store....they are heavily pushed if you haven't noticed lately.

first i never said led is best and second he only talked about the price range on page 2 of this thread and third im not trying to make people say that led is better or anything the only thing that matters is for someone to like what they have and i really like this toshiba cause like i said it is a huge upgrade over the dlp i had in the past..i know plasma is good but like i said in previous posts i really liked the PQ on this tv better then on the other lcds including the sammys and sonys and this is my personal taste but you dont need to try to make me feel bad about my purchase just because you dislike lcds.

 

[bandphan]

but you dont need to try to make me feel bad about my purchase just because you dislike lcds.

No one is knocking your purchase, just understand the technology before making statements that could be taking wrong by others. You have a nice display enjoy it and continue to educate yourself; that's all