Which Plasma should I buy?
Ok folks, So this is going to open a heck of a can of worms, but which Plasma (50" range) should I be looking at buy?
Seems only fair that I get a new TV with my iTV unit (I told my wife they go hand and hand
We have a 36" TV now, that is about 10+ years old, and just won't cut it with the iTV, and the Wi, we're getting the xmas this year.
From what little research I've done so far, I say plasma, because viewing in our home, will be from many different angles.
So which TV and why?
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Seems only fair that I get a new TV with my iTV unit (I told my wife they go hand and hand
We have a 36" TV now, that is about 10+ years old, and just won't cut it with the iTV, and the Wi, we're getting the xmas this year.
From what little research I've done so far, I say plasma, because viewing in our home, will be from many different angles.
So which TV and why?
Skip
Comments
More significantly if you're planning on using something like AppleTV, is burn-in. All plasmas suffer from screen-burn, and LCDs don't. This means that the menus of the AppleTV interface could get burned into your screen if you use the AppleTV for any significant length of time for music listening (where various bits of the interface stay in the same place for the duration of the music playing).
Kuro. Do not listen to the naysayers.
Kuros don't look that great when they've got an AppleTV UI permanently burned into their panels.
Kuros don't look that great when they've got an AppleTV UI permanently burned into their panels.
What decade did you buy your Kuro in?
What decade did you buy your Kuro in?
I've got a 2008 Samsung plasma.
All plasmas suffer from the potential for burn-in (permanent) and image retention (temporary). Fact. Yes, they've got better over time in that it now takes longer for images to get permanently burned into the panel, but it can happen if you're not careful and image-retention after using a UI for a while is pretty much guaranteed. It is something that should be factored in a purchasing decision, depending on what you're planning to do with the set.
I've got a 2008 Samsung plasma.
All plasmas suffer from burn in. Fact. Yes, they've got better over time in that it now takes longer for images to get permanently burned into the panel, but burn-in (including temporary burn) does happen and it is something that should be factored in a purchasing decision, depending on what you're planning to do with the set.
I have a 2007 50" Samsung plasma and it's never had a hint of burn-in. Power consumption is pretty close to CCF backlit LCD's. The power consumption figures for plasmas are based on a continuous white screen at full brightness which is almost irrelevant. Also, plasma efficiencies are increasing. The newer LED backlit LCD's are lower, however.
I made my choice after hours of comparison. I just looked again last week for fun and I'd still choose a plasma. Pioneer is the tops but both Samsung and Panasonic are excellent. Since I bought my TV, Panasonic has improved to match Samsung, IMHO.
I have a 2007 50" Samsung plasma and it's never had a hint of burn-in.
Really? Not even after watching something like a news channel with a permanent ticker running along the bottom/top of the screen for a couple of hours?
I've edited my post as I was using the wrong terminology. Burn is permanent (and is very rare nowadays, glad to say I don't have any), image retention is temporary and highly likely if you leave something like a UI up for a reasonable length of time.
Really? Not even after watching something like a news channel with a permanent ticker running along the bottom/top of the screen for a couple of hours?
I've edited my post as I was using the wrong terminology. Burn is permanent (and is very rare nowadays, glad to say I don't have any), image retention is temporary and highly likely if you leave something like a UI up for a reasonable length of time.
I haven't seen a plasma built in at least the past five years that exhibited any burn-in. If you want to play games or use it as a computer screen, I suppose an LCD is the better choice. However, if you watch movies, I feel plasmas are better (especially when you compare it to an LCD turned down to a realistic brightness). Again, just MHO and I recognize that others have equally valid views.
However, if you watch movies, I feel plasmas are better
Indeed. Plasmas probably do still have the edge image quality wise, it's just that the OP mentioned AppleTV and I wasn't sure how much he'd be leaving the UI up on the screen - if the AppleTV were used just to play video, the UI wouldn't be up for long, but if it's used to play music the UI could be up for hours on end in which case image retention (and burn if you leave it on over a weekend or something by mistake) might be an issue.
By brother burned his Panasonic plasma (bought in the last 5 years or so) by leaving the Windows Media Center UI up for too long.
After doing a fair amount of research (over the weekend), Sony has stop the production of their Kuro line of Plasma TV's, and the Newer Panasonic's are getting very good reviews and screen life.
The 50" S1 series is rated at 100,000 hour Panel life (or about 68 years at 4 hours a day)? Sure seems pretty long lasting to me.
Now the Panasonic LCD series TV's are rated at 40,000 to 60,000 hours on average and the LED / LCD tv's at 60,000 - 100,000, so as for the life of the screen ? this doesn't seem to be a big enough factor, to choice a LED / LCD over a Plasma
It's always a pain making a major electronic purchase, so here's hoping you folks have some more good input.
What do folks have, and do you like what you have?
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What do folks have
I have a Samsung PS50Q96HD, a 1280 x 720 50" plasma, purchased as it was insanely good value for money and has very good SD (576p or i in PAL) picture quality (no HD sources yet apart from the odd iTunes download). As mentioned earlier, it suffers from image retention and other minor foibles but I can live with them given how cheap (for a 50" screen) it was.
and do you like what you have?
edit: just noticed I misread the question. I think I thought the question was "and what would you like to have"?
My next purchase will most likely be a 50" or greater LED backlit 1920 x 1080 LCD. I've got fingers crossed that the industry will settle on a standard for 3D and I'll get a 3D capable set. I won't be buying until a couple of years from now at the earliest, so it's possible.
If you'd like to read more, the avforums have a mammoth amount of info. It mainly draws visitors from UK and mainland Europe but most TV models have a US equivalent.
You're right it can be tricky to choose, it depends on how fussy you are.
What do folks have, and do you like what you have?
I have a Kuro. I'd like to have a 50" OLED TV. And a private jet and an Island with a golf course and a supermodel.
Also they come in glorious matte finish, so they work good in just about any location in your home.
It seems large TV's are even harder to find a glare/reflection free location than computers are.
Be sure to marry a decent 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system to it and a BlueRay player for the ultimate theater experience. I use a Harmon Kardon system myself.
Break out the popcorn.
Sony's Bravia's are very nice LCD HDTV's...
I couldn't disagree more. Before my Kuro I had a Sony Bravia, glad that's gone. The Kuro is better in several ways, obviously the picture is much better, but the sounds is also far superior too. The Bravia was one of my worst purchases EVR!
Ok folks, So this is going to open a heck of a can of worms, but which Plasma (50" range) should I be looking at buy?
The one made by Apple.
Has the time run out on that bet yet Ireland?
One mistake most buyers make is getting a too small screen. Although 50" sounds large, if I could do it over and, of course afford it, I would have gone for a 58".
Panasonic is a good compromise between quality and price and I'd definitely buy another plasma from them.
ncee, you should also check out the avsform site.
I've got a 2008 Samsung plasma.
All plasmas suffer from the potential for burn-in (permanent) and image retention (temporary). Fact. Yes, they've got better over time in that it now takes longer for images to get permanently burned into the panel, but it can happen if you're not careful and image-retention after using a UI for a while is pretty much guaranteed. It is something that should be factored in a purchasing decision, depending on what you're planning to do with the set.
I've got Samsung plasma as well. I don't see *any* evidence of burn in and I've had my set now for 2 years, almost 3. I think picture burn risk in on plasma sets is over-rated if you have a plasma that was made within the last three years. It could happen but isn't likely under normal use.
The LED sets are nice but are quite a bit more expensive. I think the best values are in plasma sets.
The one made by Apple.
Has the time run out on that bet yet Ireland?
*Warning* Thread Derail *Warning*
I think Ireland will be right. If they don't release one in a 12-18 months I'll admit defeat but the iMac seems to be morphing into a TV, IMO.
27" is a far cry from 50+ inch tv's at this time.
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All roads point to the fact this COULD happen, the question is "When"? I'm not going to wait for it to happen. I'll just purchase one, when it does happen … if it is any good.
27" is a far cry from 50+ inch tv's at this time.
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I can't say when but the iMac keeps getting bigger and looking more like a tv set. What's the advantage of of bigger screen if the iMac is *just* a computer? Do you need a 27" screen if you browse the internet, use iWork and do photo editing? I don't think so but that's what most non-pros use their iMac for. For typical family use I'm not sure you need a screen bigger than 20", which is what I have. Certainly a 24" is more than enough.
The advantage of increasing screen size is to display video content.
I'm sure Vinea will chime in with the rebuttal and the thread derail will be complete.