Samsung LN52B550 vs Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U?

[Grimfate126]

Hi.

Im currently debating a new TV, and am stuck between the Sony LN52B550 and the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U. They both look just as nice, with the panasonic costing about 200 bucks more. Which one would deliver better picture quality?

Thanks

 

[DaleAV]

It's an individual choice. I like the Samsung plasma or Panasonic plasma over 'any' LCD. Of course, a Pioneer Kuro would be the best.
Still, many LCDs are sold, and a lot of people like them. I think Toshiba is giving Samsung some serious competition for LCD, as well as a couple of Sony models.
Still, for the best all around picture, especially if not in a excessively lighted area, is plasma IMO.
The 800u is an older model, might check out the latest and even better Panasonics. If anything value is even better.

 

[smitty78]

I would go with Samsung for LCD or Panasonic for plasma.

The Sammy 52LN750 is one of the best LCDs out there, of course it'll run you about $600 more. The only gripe I have with Samsung besides their customer service is that darn shiny screen. If you could mate the Sony XBR9 with Sammy 750 and have a hybrid LCD with seperate dejudder and motion controls along with a matte screen, you'd have the ultimate LCD

 

[DaleAV]

http://www.valueelectronics.com/images/pdf/VE 09 HD shoot out results of the attendees.pdf

 

[clouso]

if you go the lcd way you should seriously consider the toshiba regza full led matrix with local dimming...you will have better PQ then the samsungs or pannys..look at the link that daleAV posted above..honestly with the right settings this tv looks like a plasma..you can adjust brighness...backlight and dynamic contrast too...so people who think that lcds are just too bright and are only good in a very bright room are just not well informed...i watch movies and tv programs at night and the tv just look has better then any plasmas exept for the kuros wich i think is the top that plasmas will ever be..panasonic wont produce better plasmas then the kuros never!...i think the future is for full matrix led lcds and oled wich sony is producing right now but the pricing will be crazy so!...

 

[strube]

Here is one thing I never see mentioned in recommendations:


Aside from PQ and other things that put plasma above LCD, one must keep in mind that plasmas (yes, even newer ones) are lousy above a certain elevation. This has to do with the ambient air pressure being too low for a plasma to operate optimally. You may hear or read about "high altitude" plasmas, but I know from experience they still don't cut it. At too high an elevation, the plasma will hum like a refrigerator, run too hot all the time, and quite simply, it won't last very long (less than a year for some, at least at my elevation of 7200 ft).

I honestly don't know what the magic number for elevation is (a few years ago when I was shopping, plasmas weren't a good option even for Denver at 5200 ft), nor do I know the OP's elevation, but I know I am well above the magic number for sure, which is why LCD was the only way to go for me. They are not affected by altitude.

 

[DaleAV]

..panasonic wont produce better plasmas then the kuros never!..

It was Panasonic that was producing panels for Pioneer for a few months before Pioneer pulled the plug on displays.
There is no reason to think plasma will not continue to improve, as it has been steadily every year.
LCD even the best LED types, have issues like uneven backlighting you will never see on plasma, not to mention color and contrast severely degraded at off-axis viewing.
LCD is more popular, but that does not make it better. However, it may spell the demise of plasma because the average HDTV consumer is not educated enough on the subject to understand the differences.
Most plasmas today are rated at 8500'. I doubt there is a substantial consumer base living above 5000' in the US. And those that do, can go with LCD if they choose.
I am not saying something better may not come along, and it may even based on LCD, but for now, nothing has the potential for as accurate a picture as plasma, or offers as much value for your dollar spent.

 

[smitty78]

if you go the lcd way you should seriously consider the toshiba regza full led matrix with local dimming...you will have better PQ then the samsungs or pannys..look at the link that daleAV posted above..honestly with the right settings this tv looks like a plasma..you can adjust brighness...backlight and dynamic contrast too...so people who think that lcds are just too bright and are only good in a very bright room are just not well informed...i watch movies and tv programs at night and the tv just look has better then any plasmas exept for the kuros wich i think is the top that plasmas will ever be..panasonic wont produce better plasmas then the kuros never!...i think the future is for full matrix led lcds and oled wich sony is producing right now but the pricing will be crazy so!...

I agree with the Pioneer Kuro being superior to Panasonic but I doubt the poster was looking to spend over 3 grand for a Kuro, unless they run across a deal that's too good to pass up. Panasonic makes the next best plasma and are readily available. That's assuming the original poster was even considering a plasma.

I've been reviewing LCDs and comparing them in the stores alot here lately as I'm looking for a good LCD for my bright area. I've fooled with the settings on just about every model they carry at BestBuy and the home theather stores. The LEDs haven't been perfected from what I've seen...even the Regza 670s. They have better blacks than the original flourescent lit models but they are ALL plagued with the same issues as the Sammy and LGs such as blooming, poor viewing angles and backlight issues. I would personally wait on the "LED" backlight LCDs until they address these issues especially for the price they are asking for them. I think Sammy jumped the gun and everyone else is following suit. They're thin and they look pretty hanging on the wall...that's about it. There are far better LCDs to consider for less money. Even a lower end plasma would look better than any of those "LED"s. It's all a matter of preferance as someone already stated.

To the poster: Get out to the stores and see for yourself. Most places will let you play with the settings. Find the best looking one in your price range and pull the trigger.

 

[clouso]

I agree with the Pioneer Kuro being superior to Panasonic but I doubt the poster was looking to spend over 3 grand for a Kuro, unless they run across a deal that's too good to pass up. Panasonic makes the next best plasma and are readily available. That's assuming the original poster was even considering a plasma.

I've been reviewing LCDs and comparing them in the stores alot here lately as I'm looking for a good LCD for my bright area. I've fooled with the settings on just about every model they carry at BestBuy and the home theather stores. The LEDs haven't been perfected from what I've seen...even the Regza 670s. They have better blacks than the original flourescent lit models but they are ALL plagued with the same issues as the Sammy and LGs such as blooming, poor viewing angles and backlight issues. I would personally wait on the "LED" backlight LCDs until they address these issues especially for the price they are asking for them. I think Sammy jumped the gun and everyone else is following suit. They're thin and they look pretty hanging on the wall...that's about it. There are far better LCDs to consider for less money. Even a lower end plasma would look better than any of those "LED"s. It's all a matter of preferance as someone already stated.

To the poster: Get out to the stores and see for yourself. Most places will let you play with the settings. Find the best looking one in your price range and pull the trigger.

if there are far better lcds to consider tell me wich one and the model cause i didnt see it i guess!..and i saw all the best brands .

 

[smitty78]

My Vizio for starters...Sam's club. No clouding, wider viewing angle, natural colors and it has an adjustable backlight too.

The LN750 I mentioned would be a wiser choice in a 52".....which the OP was looking for. It's 240hz (if one must) seperate adjustable dejudder and motion.. all that jazz. You can save yourself 600-800 bucks and get a display that looks good and acts good too.

Don't get me wrong, the LED has better blacks than the traditional LCDs but that is the ONLY upside. If one was so worried about the black levels, I would suggest a plasma.

I don't see where your suggestions or opinions are any better than mine. You dismissed my suggestion like I didn't know wtf I was talking about. If you are happy with your LED...good for you. I ain't buying into the whole LED hype just yet.

 

[clouso]

My Vizio for starters...Sam's club. No clouding, wider viewing angle, natural colors and it has an adjustable backlight too.

The LN750 I mentioned would be a wiser choice in a 52".....which the OP was looking for. It's 240hz (if one must) seperate adjustable dejudder and motion.. all that jazz. You can save yourself 600-800 bucks and get a display that looks good and acts good too.

Don't get me wrong, the LED has better blacks than the traditional LCDs but that is the ONLY upside. If one was so worried about the black levels, I would suggest a plasma.

I don't see where your suggestions or opinions are any better than mine. You dismissed my suggestion like I didn't know wtf I was talking about. If you are happy with your LED...good for you. I ain't buying into the whole LED hype just yet.

i respect you dont worry but you guys who only like plasmas just go down on other technologies and im getting pissed off...i guess all the reviewers and professional calibraters that i read reviews are just saying bullshit then...and btw keep that post and bring it out in 3 or 4 years im telling you that plasma is going down and you better buy your kuros while you still can..plasma wont and cant get any better then the kuros while other technologies always get better and better!.. soon oled and full led matrix will take over...

 

[DaleAV]

guess all the reviewers and professional calibraters that i read reviews are just saying bullshit then...

They are right, because LCD technology IS getting better. But remember it is LCD that is chasing down plasma, not the other way around.
And now some models are equal in black level and color as the better plasmas..but it still does not take away the disadvantages of LCD which the same publications also mention, like viewing angle.
I don't know what calibrators you are talking about, most I've read reports on say LCD has improved significantly, but their preference is still plasma for image accuracy.

http://www.displaycalibrationonline.com/index.asp

The gap is closing...and maybe they will be on equal footing, or LCD will surpass plasma. They both have their pluses and minuses as does every technology. Buy what makes you happy! All displays today are far superior to anything available just 2 years ago.

Check out this chart: Just a year or so ago both plasma and LCD would have been a notch or two lower than this.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-vvtTCtxYtUP/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

 

[clouso]

They are right, because LCD technology IS getting better. But remember it is LCD that is chasing down plasma, not the other way around.
And now some models are equal in black level and color as the better plasmas..but it still does not take away the disadvantages of LCD which the same publications also mention, like viewing angle.
I don't know what calibrators you are talking about, most I've read reports on say LCD has improved significantly, but their preference is still plasma for image accuracy.

http://www.displaycalibrationonline.com/index.asp

The gap is closing...and maybe they will be on equal footing, or LCD will surpass plasma. They both have their pluses and minuses as does every technology. Buy what makes you happy! All displays today are far superior to anything available just 2 years ago.

Check out this chart: Just a year or so ago both plasma and LCD would have been a notch or two lower than this.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-vvtTCtxYtUP/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_flatpanel.html

very nice links ..but i would have like it was the 2009 regza instead of 2008...this is a lcd calibrating test not the led lcd one.

 

[lsiberian]

i respect you dont worry but you guys who only like plasmas just go down on other technologies and im getting pissed off...i guess all the reviewers and professional calibraters that i read reviews are just saying bullshit then...and btw keep that post and bring it out in 3 or 4 years im telling you that plasma is going down and you better buy your kuros while you still can..plasma wont and cant get any better then the kuros while other technologies always get better and better!.. soon oled and full led matrix will take over...

LCDs have the advantage of lower production cost. Therefore make a much better mass market TV than Plasmas. They also benefit from very good marketing teams that push the product well.

There are technologies on the horizon that will surpass both, but they aren't quite ready for mass market deployment.

The TV technologies have both improved insanely in the last few years. I think LCD will win the war for mass market TVs.

If you want the best TV I personally endorse the 73" LED dlp tv's.

If you want something for movies I suggest Plasma.

I evaluated various technologies and fell in love with DLP.

 

[pzaur]

i respect you dont worry but you guys who only like plasmas just go down on other technologies and im getting pissed off...i guess all the reviewers and professional calibraters that i read reviews are just saying bullshit then...and btw keep that post and bring it out in 3 or 4 years im telling you that plasma is going down and you better buy your kuros while you still can..plasma wont and cant get any better then the kuros while other technologies always get better and better!.. soon oled and full led matrix will take over...

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

 

[Adam]

Are they more expensive? Yes.

Actually, one of the reasons that I bought mine was because it was hundreds less than an LCD with the same size (approximately) and same resolution from a top-tier manufacturer.

 

[Alex2507]

Are they more expensive? Yes.

Actually a Sony LCD that was 2 inches bigger than my plasma was about 2 times more expensive a year or two ago so I think you're mistaken ... but I would still like to be friends.

Edit: I type slow ... well, I was choosing my words carefully too.

 

[clouso]

just has people said i think its a matter of tastes..i was going to buy a pana v10 series but i changed my mind when i saw the toshiba because of the better blacks and overall PQ thats all..besides prices the only advantage that plasma still have right now is viewing angle and this is not a big deal to me...i dont sit at 170 degrees when i watch tv..lmao..

 

[Grimfate126]

holy crap that took a while to read..

anyway, i looked at the LN-52A750 and it looks pretty good to me. However, im still debating whether to go for a bit smaller plasma rather than the bigger lcd. (namely the viera).

My price range is 1500, and screen size should be 46-52. 50 is optimal.

I will probably have to go visit some stores to compare them side by side.

Thanks

 

[strube]

just has people said i think its a matter of tastes..i was going to buy a pana v10 series but i changed my mind when i saw the toshiba because of the better blacks and overall PQ thats all..besides prices the only advantage that plasma still have right now is viewing angle and this is not a big deal to me...i dont sit at 170 degrees when i watch tv..lmao..

Well, I have a 2 year old Samsung 46" LCD (see sig), and I have no problems with the viewing angle. I think the spec is 170 degrees, and you are right. Who watches TV at 170 degrees off axis? Nobody.