Pioneer vs Panasonic Plasma - Which to Buy?

[edwindrake]

Need Help on Purchasing a Plasma TV.

I'm looking at 2-models below:
1) Pioneer PDP-6010FD (+/-$4,200 - cost)

2) Panasonic TH-58PZ700U (+/-$3,200 - cost)

Any feedback on which one to purchase?

And, is the Pioneer worth $1,000-more than the Panasonic?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
EdwinDrake

 

[GlocksRock]

Not really sure as I haven't seen either of the two, but I know Pioneer makes some of the best plasmas on the market, but that is their Elite line, not sure how good their regular models are. Plasmas suffer from burn in, and they use a lot more power than any other type of display, so I tend to shy away from them, you can get a way bigger screen for your money if you go the rear projection route, but then you can't wall mount, if that's your thing.

 

[avaserfi]

As previously discussed via PM I would strongly recommend the Panasonic over the Pioneer as the small quality difference is not worth the large price difference.

Plasmas suffer from burn in, and they use a lot more power than any other type of display, so I tend to shy away from them, you can get a way bigger screen for your money if you go the rear projection route, but then you can't wall mount, if that's your thing.

Burn-in on quality plasmas such as the ones listed is a thing of the past. I know a handful of people with Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas who have left DVD menu screens on for 3-5 hours without a single hint of burn-in and only slight polarization which LCDs are susceptible to. [Polarization is similar to burn-in, but is not permanent and can be removed through use of the display.] The simple fact is that higher end plasma makers realized the problem and have dealt with it appropriately, but burn-in has now become a myth used to scare many away from purchasing a plasma.

Also, if one is going for the highest quality display in recreating the full color spectrum at all viewing angles plasmas are still the best option.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Pioneer is simply better. Is it worth the extra $1,000? IMO, it's still up to you. For me, the Pioneer was what I wanted above all else, so I got the 6080 model (768p instead of 1080p) which was perfect for my 12+ foot viewing distance.

That ran me $3,000 from Sam's Club - and was well worth it.

I tend to recommend either the Pioneer or Panasonic displays, but the Pannys simply aren't going to be as good. Yet, they will still be really good. If you want the Pioneer, then get it. If you don't, then get the Panny. At the end of the day, you do know that both of these are quality leaders at their price point, so you have to justify it yourself.

 

[The Dukester]

I agree with BMX. They are both great displays, but there is still no doubt that the Pioneer is better. If you are really picky and will always doubt whether you made a bad choice going with the slightly lesser picture quality, then go with the Pioneer if you can afford it. If you aren't that picky and want to save some money, then go for the Pannasonic.
As for me, I went with a Pioneer, although it was last year and was a 720p. No regrets...untill I go look at the new Kuros.

 

[Kolia]

Comparing the Panasonic and Pioneer side by side, the difference is quite visible.

I have a Pioneer PDP-4280.

 

[westcott]

Both are great plasma displays!!! The Pioneer may edge out the Panasonic but as you so wisely pointed out, is it worth the added cost? If you can tell a difference, and are willing to pay for it, get the Pioneer. If you can not justify the price difference, get the Panasonic. I bought the Panasonic because the real limiting factor seems to be the HD signal I get from satellite, not the capabilities of the display.

 

[AdrianMills]

The Pio is the better screen; blacks are deeper, posterization is less noticeable, glare is a comparative non-issue, SD handling is better, and the Pio also supports 1080p/24 for less juddering during pans (as far as I know the panny does 3/2 pulldown at 60hz).

Is it worth the extra? Well, I think so but it very much depends on how much you value the performance increase.

BTW, believe it or not but that model Pio costs 13,000 US$ here in Norway...

Need Help on Purchasing a Plasma TV.

I'm looking at 2-models below:
1) Pioneer PDP-6010FD (+/-$4,200 - cost)

2) Panasonic TH-58PZ700U (+/-$3,200 - cost)

Any feedback on which one to purchase?

And, is the Pioneer worth $1,000-more than the Panasonic?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
EdwinDrake

 

[Thunder18]

I was looking at Best Buys wall of TV's and they had a non-Elite Pioneer Kuro on the wall with all the other TV's and I have to admit that on the Pioneer Demo video they were playing, the Pioneer's blacks were noticeably better than every other tv there within viewing distance.

 

[Warpdrv]

I have 2 Panasonic Plasma's, 42 and 50", they are awesome...

My first Panny I chose (2 years old now) 42 over the 43" Pio... two years ago, for 1300.00 price difference.. Picture was comparable.. Pioneer had a better pic, but just slightly.

Second 50" less then a year old again was $1300.00 less then the Pioneer.
Again, picture was comparable, but the Pioneer was a touch better...

If money wasn't an object, I would have chosen the Pioneer... They are the best, Hitachi has a great panel as well.

Now I get the Pioneer's at cost, but I want bigger then a 60", Panny makes a 65"... not sure which way I will go. Both are simply amazing plazma's and neither will dissapoint... good luck

 

[AdrianMills]

Before my Kuro I had a Panny PV500 (I'm not sure what the equivalent model in the US is but it's the 8th gen 2005 model that's a bit gaudy) and it was a really nice screen - I've seen custom installers say that, overall, the 8th gen Panny is probably the best that has been made.

The only problems I had with it were the blacks, which were more grey than black, and the posterization/banding that would bug me no end(!). I think the newer PZ series are somewhat better in that respect but still fall behind the Pio.

What bugs me with Pio's is that it takes a long time before the phosphor settles; out of the box, if you sit too close, you can see a phosphor crawl that's annoying. I've heard that it's worse in the 42" versions and better in the 50" elites. The full hd models are a bit better again. It took some getting used to it after the Panny which doesn't seem to have this "issue" at all.

Oh, and be aware that the Elites have a boatload of tuning options - which is not necessarily a good thing if you don't like playing around in menus for hours on end. On the good side, it does allow pretty good calibration without having to resort to ISF certified personnel - there are a number of threads out there with a number of set ups to try.

I have 2 Panasonic Plasma's, 42 and 50", they are awesome...

My first Panny I chose (2 years old now) 42 over the 43" Pio... two years ago, for 1300.00 price difference.. Picture was comparable.. Pioneer had a better pic, but just slightly.

Second 50" less then a year old again was $1300.00 less then the Pioneer.
Again, picture was comparable, but the Pioneer was a touch better...

If money wasn't an object, I would have chosen the Pioneer... They are the best, Hitachi has a great panel as well.

Now I get the Pioneer's at cost, but I want bigger then a 60", Panny makes a 65"... not sure which way I will go. Both are simply amazing plazma's and neither will dissapoint... good luck

 

[westcott]

I was looking at Best Buys wall of TV's and they had a non-Elite Pioneer Kuro on the wall with all the other TV's and I have to admit that on the Pioneer Demo video they were playing, the Pioneer's blacks were noticeably better than every other tv there within viewing distance.

Unfortunately, judging a displays attributes based on what you see on the showroom floor is not reliable. I have yet to see one that is calibrated for optimal video performance. Almost all are on torch mode(s). And if you start screwing with the calibration, the sales people race to stop to you!!!

 

[1tribeca]

Panny plasmas can be described with one word...robust! They're a good bang-for-the-buck. However, even the non-Elite Pio is way ahead...just do a side by side comparison you'll see. Sure, the cost difference is significant, but it's all personal need/taste I s'ppose.

The one glaring difference to me is the second sheet of glass that Pioneer has eliminated on their plasmas. The image is right up to the front of the glass...Panny still needs that second panel for bonding the colour filter to the TV...otherwise it'd burn right off the first glass layer (or so I've been told by the folks at Pioneer HQ. The techs at Panasonic HQ however, say the second sheet of glass is for structural rigidity...I'm thinking the Pioneer guys are closer to the truth!!)

Every week I see the Pioneer Kuro non-Elite, Elite, and Panny PZ750 all side by side. To be honest there's about a 25% difference each step up you take...but that's my opinion. Keep in mind, once you have one of these in your home, you'll have nothing to compare it to...better or worse, so it'll look awesome regardless!

No matter what panel you choose, take the time to either calibrate it yourself (within the parameters of the manual) or have it done ISF...for a fairly hefty fee. I think that will make a difference overall.

 

[Reorx]

Every week I see the Pioneer Kuro non-Elite, Elite, and Panny PZ750 all side by side. To be honest there's about a 25% difference each step up you take...but that's my opinion. Keep in mind, once you have one of these in your home, you'll have nothing to compare it to...better or worse, so it'll look awesome regardless!

Where do you see these sets at?
25% difference...Pioneer Elite > Kuro > PZ750?

Anyways, I do agree with you. I was looking at 50" PDP-5080's and the PZ700U's. Because of the additional features, and the price, I had settled on the PZ700U. But the picture quality was very close, but PZ700U still a little better. The PDP-5080, even though it's 720p, was blowing away most of the 1080p HDTV's on the market.

Now fast forward to PDP-6010 vs PZ700U. The 6010 is a 1080p, 6months+ newer, and I believe (though I may be wrong) is built on similar technology as the PDP-5080. PDP-6010 > PZ700U.

From what I've seen in a showroom at a couple HT based stores...not the BB or CC crap. Setup using dedicated blu-ray players and connected via HDMI, the PDP-6010 > PZ7xx line.

I don't claim to be an expert, and I did not have any DVD's on me to run a full suite of tests. this is just my .02 from reading reviews, digging through forums, and seeing them in person.

Even though it's been said...get which ever is in your price range. If I could afford it, and I was looking to get a TV, I'd get the PDP-6010.

 

[1tribeca]

Elite the best, Pioneer second best, Panny 3rd overall without question. Just look at any letterboxed DVD and see the black levels...not even a contest!