Anyone "in the know" for Plasma tv's?
- Thread starter JasonD
- Start date
autoweenie
New member
I love my Panasonic plasma tv! Play games on it, watch dvd on it - no complaint there.
(I also have a small Hi-Def CRT and a Hi-Def LCD).
The only complaint is that the price has dropped by more than 60% since I bought it two
years ago (I wish they would do that for cars).
Personally, I just don't like the DLP - the poor off-axis viewing is the deal killer for me.
(plus you have to replace the $200-300 bulb from time to time - I am a cheapskate).
Currently, I am trying to convince my wife to get that 1080p 65" Panasonic plasma tv.
(it is "only" about $9000). She told me to sell one of my kidneys.
(I also have a small Hi-Def CRT and a Hi-Def LCD).
The only complaint is that the price has dropped by more than 60% since I bought it two
years ago (I wish they would do that for cars).
Personally, I just don't like the DLP - the poor off-axis viewing is the deal killer for me.
(plus you have to replace the $200-300 bulb from time to time - I am a cheapskate).
Currently, I am trying to convince my wife to get that 1080p 65" Panasonic plasma tv.
(it is "only" about $9000). She told me to sell one of my kidneys.
imported_jaobrien6
New member
JDookie said:
IMO, If you're not going to mount this on the wall, do NOT discount the microdisplay rear projection technologies so quickly (DLP - by far the market leader in this segment, LCD rear projection, LCOS). These are table-top displays that will sit just fine on whatever stand you were planning on using, and are not very deep (my 55" LCD rear projection is only about 14" deep) or heavy compared to the old CRT, cabinet style rear projection units. If you go with one of these sets, you will get a lot more for your $, but you lose the ability to hang it on a wall, and the trendiness of a flat panel display.
Just my $.02, I'm very happy with my LCD rear projection set.
WilliamHBonney said:
I'm confused, what do you mean plasmas only goes to 720p? DLP, LCD and plasmas all have 1080p displays. Oh, I have a 42" Panasonic 9uk and love it!
edit: audioholics has a set of great articles on the various displays
WilliamHBonney said:
IIRC DVD is only 480i. It becomes progressive when the DVD player itself converts it back. And now plasmas go up to 1080p. I've heard of dvd players that upconvert to 720, and are HDMI capable, but I don't see how it would improve quality all that much as the resolution is not there in the first place.
JasonD
New member
CarWeenie said:
I fully agree with you. I saw this tv the other day and it is absolutely amazing. Out of the 20+ high end tv's that I looked at (Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer, Hitachi, LCD, DLP, Plasma, etc.) The two tv's that kept jumping out at me were the Pioneer Elite 60" Plasma, and the 65" Panasonic Plasma.
On the other hand, the biggest disappointment so far has been the Sony XBR3 LCD. I was expecting to see so much more than I did, and I am a die hard Sony fan too. :nixweiss
metload1 said:
This is true, but I *think* the upconvert dvd players actually upconvert to 1080i, not 720p. My current bedroom setup is a 32" crt Sony XBR, and a Sony ES dvd player (just a basic progressive scan dvd player). This combo produces a 720p picture when using the proper component video cables.
Oppo DVD players are highly recommended on AVS. Their newest units upconverts to 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (through HDMI only).
OPPO Digital - Up-Converting DVD Players - Buy Direct from the Manufacturer
edit: some background info on upconversion...seems legit, not sure though
OPPO Digital - Up-Converting DVD Players - Buy Direct from the Manufacturer
edit: some background info on upconversion...seems legit, not sure though
imported_bigfoot1
New member
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on "plasma tv" Flat Panel Televisions at Epinions.com
This might be able to help you a bit...
This might be able to help you a bit...
JasonD
New member
I found out some very interesting info today that I thought you guys would be interested in knowing.
I visited my local "high end" home entertainment dealer who have very high end clients. One of their biggest is Lenny Kravitz, and they sell products like B&K, Classe, Krell, Martin Logan, B&W, Pioneer Elite, Sony ES, McIntosh, Mirage, Rotel, Marantz, Transparent, Richard Gray's Power Company, etc.
Anyway, I went in today to start putting together my home theater package now that I've done a little research and now have an idea of the direction I'm headed as to what I'd like to end up with. We first discussed tv's, of course, and even though their biggest seller is the Sony XBR3, of course, the one that was recommended was the Pioneer Elite and he had LOTS of reasons why.
What I learned today that I thought you guys would like to know is that Pioneer Elite is about to come out with an entire new line of Full HD 1080p Plasma televisions that is *supposed* to take Plasma tv's to a whole new level and blow away what they have out now, which I already find dominating everything else out there. The salesperson went on to say that they are being very vague with what they are choosing to release in the way of information, and didn't have any kind of release date or anything, but was assured that its going to take the industry by storm.
Of course, this is not *official* news, so it can mean anything, but just the fact that its going to be 1080p is a huge step in the right direction and exactly the news I was looking for.
So, end result, I am going to hold out as long as I can to buy this tv until I see what comes from the Pioneer Elite camp. If they are anywhere near as good as the "buzz" is saying, prices should change drastically on everything that is available right now.
I visited my local "high end" home entertainment dealer who have very high end clients. One of their biggest is Lenny Kravitz, and they sell products like B&K, Classe, Krell, Martin Logan, B&W, Pioneer Elite, Sony ES, McIntosh, Mirage, Rotel, Marantz, Transparent, Richard Gray's Power Company, etc.
Anyway, I went in today to start putting together my home theater package now that I've done a little research and now have an idea of the direction I'm headed as to what I'd like to end up with. We first discussed tv's, of course, and even though their biggest seller is the Sony XBR3, of course, the one that was recommended was the Pioneer Elite and he had LOTS of reasons why.
What I learned today that I thought you guys would like to know is that Pioneer Elite is about to come out with an entire new line of Full HD 1080p Plasma televisions that is *supposed* to take Plasma tv's to a whole new level and blow away what they have out now, which I already find dominating everything else out there. The salesperson went on to say that they are being very vague with what they are choosing to release in the way of information, and didn't have any kind of release date or anything, but was assured that its going to take the industry by storm.
Of course, this is not *official* news, so it can mean anything, but just the fact that its going to be 1080p is a huge step in the right direction and exactly the news I was looking for.
So, end result, I am going to hold out as long as I can to buy this tv until I see what comes from the Pioneer Elite camp. If they are anywhere near as good as the "buzz" is saying, prices should change drastically on everything that is available right now.
Good stuff, Dookie.
However, be careful about shopping at mega-marts like BB or CC. The guys there usually only know what's on the product sticker, and not much else. In addition, the TVs there aren't calibrated - they're usually just set at their brightest settings, not to mention the poor signal quality that was already mentioned.
TVs need a thorough calibration once set-up in a home... I think its possible to do it yourself, but to get it done really well, you have to use specialized equipment that is too expensive for the average homeowner to buy just use once. I *believe* (you will probably want to second-check, though) that in this case its better to pay to have it done.
But be careful about waiting, too. There'll always be something "better" on the horizon - once that fancy new technology comes out, you won't want what you want now
. We computer guys are all too familiar with this particular phenomenon 
However, be careful about shopping at mega-marts like BB or CC. The guys there usually only know what's on the product sticker, and not much else. In addition, the TVs there aren't calibrated - they're usually just set at their brightest settings, not to mention the poor signal quality that was already mentioned.
TVs need a thorough calibration once set-up in a home... I think its possible to do it yourself, but to get it done really well, you have to use specialized equipment that is too expensive for the average homeowner to buy just use once. I *believe* (you will probably want to second-check, though) that in this case its better to pay to have it done.
But be careful about waiting, too. There'll always be something "better" on the horizon - once that fancy new technology comes out, you won't want what you want now
. We computer guys are all too familiar with this particular phenomenon
JasonD
New member
paul34,
I fully agree with you. I only went to Best Buy to do my initial shopping so I didn't go into the high end store completely oblivious to everything, lol. The difference is amazing when you go to a specialized home entertainment type store. The salesman spent over 45 minutes with me discussing everything from the current technology to the visual design of the cabinetry. His in-depth knowledge of just everything we discussed was mind boggling. You just have to appreciate someone that knows their business from beginning to end.
I am actually going to buy from this specialized dealer, and they told me about the calibration, and how important it is. Everything I am going to buy from them will be delivered, hooked up, and calibrated for free.
So far, my goodies list is as follows:
60" Pioneer Elite Plasma (waiting for the new 1080p version to come out)
B&W speakers all the way around
Rotel 7.1 Preamp, tuner, 200x2 amplifier, and 200x5 amplifier
Playstation3 to play games and BluRay
HD DVD player of some kind
Power Conditioner of some kind (Monster, Panamax, RG's Power Company, etc.)
I fully agree with you. I only went to Best Buy to do my initial shopping so I didn't go into the high end store completely oblivious to everything, lol. The difference is amazing when you go to a specialized home entertainment type store. The salesman spent over 45 minutes with me discussing everything from the current technology to the visual design of the cabinetry. His in-depth knowledge of just everything we discussed was mind boggling. You just have to appreciate someone that knows their business from beginning to end.
I am actually going to buy from this specialized dealer, and they told me about the calibration, and how important it is. Everything I am going to buy from them will be delivered, hooked up, and calibrated for free.
So far, my goodies list is as follows:
60" Pioneer Elite Plasma (waiting for the new 1080p version to come out)
B&W speakers all the way around
Rotel 7.1 Preamp, tuner, 200x2 amplifier, and 200x5 amplifier
Playstation3 to play games and BluRay
HD DVD player of some kind
Power Conditioner of some kind (Monster, Panamax, RG's Power Company, etc.)
paul34 said:
Yeah! I can't believe how bad Best Buy SUCKED when we got our Plasma TV from them. What a mistake. First of all, none of them knew anything at all. One of them tried to tell me that interlaced is standard 30 FPS and that progressive is 60 FPS blah blah blah. And that's just one example. Then they tried to sell us all kinds of crap and super inflated prices. He even tried to sell us a $70.00 HDMI cable for our HD DirecTV receiver, when it came with one, and of course it was "monster" cable, which certainly doesn't matter too much with a digital signal. Then of course, BB had a deal with Pioneer to change the model # of the TV, and change the remote a little to justify it. The tv is the 5070 HD but at BB it's the 5071 HD or something like that. That way they don't have to price match. I found the 5070 significantly cheaper on NewEgg, but was reluctant to have something like a plasma TV delivered and not be able to see it first etc. I told them about NewEgg's price, and they proceeded to lie and tell me that "internet companies" including NewEgg, worked by picking up random stuff from ships on the east coast and then selling them as they travel to the west coast.... what?? I don't know what he's talking about, but NewEgg is located in California. He also told me that they wouldn't price match because they will come and fix the tv for me if it has a problem at no extra charge. So I said "so if the tv breaks you will come and fix it for me for free?" and then he told me no, there would be a charge. I said "but you just told me you'd do it for free" and he said, yes, he would come and fix it free of charge, and basically continued to BS me until I could take no more of his stupidity, and I walked out.
Never again will I buy anything of that cost at BB again, ever. It was funny though, after my friend heard about what happened to me he went back and played a little trick on them. He went around to all the display computers, took a screenshot of the desktop, got rid of all the icons, and then made the background picture the screenshot he took. LOL. I wonder if they figured it out or reformatted them all. I'll stick with NewEgg.
JDookie said:
It's funny, as far as I know, it's cheaper to get the PS3 than a blue-ray disc player, and the PS3 plays games as well.
As far as power conditioning get a UPS for sure. I've got two by Belkin on my computers and one by APC on the plasma. They all three work great. I opted for the APC on the TV because it had an LCD screen unlike the Belkin that uses software to monitor things. The software obviously doesn't work with the TV so you need the LCD display to see battery charge, load, etc.
Links to the ones I have:
Newegg.com - BELKIN F6C1500-TW-RK 1500VA 8 Outlets UPS - Retail
Newegg.com - APC BR1300LCD 1300VA 780 Watts 8 Outlets BACK-UPS - Retail
Check those out, I recommend those over the standard "surge suppressors" as they are just MOVs that wear out anyways.
JasonD
New member
Paulie Walnuts
New member
gnahc79 said:
No, they go to 720p and 1080i. 1080p is considered true high def.
imported_jaobrien6
New member
WilliamHBonney said:
Actually, there are 1080p plasmas on the market now, such as this: Panasonic TH-58PZ700U Plasma TV - In Stock at OneCall.com. There aren't many of them yet, but they're out there, and more are coming.
Also, 720p, 1080i and 1080p are all High Definition according to the ITU standard... 1080p isn't "true" HD. Yes, it's higher resolution than 720p or 1080i, but since HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are the only ways to take full advantage of the resolution, it's really not that vital, IMO. HD-DVD still looks *awfully* good on a 720p set, too.
If I was buying a set right now, would I get a 1080p set? Yeah, assuming it fit in the budget, I would. But don't imply to people that 720p and 1080i aren't HD by calling 1080p "true" HD. All the HD content that is broadcast over the air, or by any cable company or satellite company is either 720p or 1080i. *Nothing* is broadcast at 1080p, nor are there any plans to change that.
The problem is one of bandwidth. We need widespread fiber rollout to start even thinking about widespread 1080 content distribution. Current copper and coax infrastructure is just too dated.
We need FiOS. We need the next generation of communications to push us into the future of entertainment, education, and commerce.
But guess what? Now that the ATT monopoly is back, they can say things like "copper is good enough for now. We're not going to install fiber."
And well, they actually did say that. And so, we're stuck with copper because they're a monopoly and what they say goes.
Yay for monopolies
We need FiOS. We need the next generation of communications to push us into the future of entertainment, education, and commerce.
But guess what? Now that the ATT monopoly is back, they can say things like "copper is good enough for now. We're not going to install fiber."
And well, they actually did say that. And so, we're stuck with copper because they're a monopoly and what they say goes.
Yay for monopolies
JasonD
New member
jaobrien6 said:
This is definitely something to remember if shopping around right now. There is so much more that makes up the final looks of a picture than just resolution. I fully agree with this statement and the proof can be seen when comparing most (I would like to say *all* but I'd rather not start that kind of debate, lol) 1080p tv's to the Pioneer Elite 720p Plasmas that are out right now. The difference is amazing, which is exactly why I am going to wait just until Pioneer comes out with their 1080p Elite Plasma's because if their 720p sets looks this good, the 1080p ones coming out should just be amazing. On the other hand, if it ends up just being hype, and goes the other way, I can still catch the current models before they sell out, and maybe even get a better deal. It's going to be all about timing on this one.
imported_paradigm
New member
ditto. my home theatre tv is an older Panny 42" plasma. it's only an EDTV...but due to other attributes such as excellent contrast ratio, etc...a HD signal looks fantastic on it. no one that ever watched it could tell it wasn't an HD set...and when i bought it (nearly 4 years ago), it wasn't worth paying double to get the HD version. these days the prices are much less, of course, so getting HD is a no brainer. now you just have to pick what level of HD you want.
your list of equipment sounds (pun intended!) great, JDookie! it would be great to see pics once you have things up and running!