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RoadRunner6
09-19-2008, 07:32 PM
I told my wife when the 50" Panasonic plasmas got below $1000, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Well, yesterday I saw the Panasonic TH-C50HD18 (768p) for $999 at Costco. Today it's sitting in our garage (yes it does fit in the trunk of a Honda Accord). I have to wait until my wife gets home from Japan in two weeks for help lugging it upstairs.

This is the same exact TV as the Panasonic TH-50PX80U (768p) (except for only 2 HDMI inputs). The model TH-C50FD18 (1080p), was still $1599 at Costco. The extra $600 was not worth it for me. As you might know, past about 8 feet or so most people cannot detect any difference. Our main seats are at 9 and 12 feet. These are this years entry level models with Panasonic. They have slighly fewer bells and whistles but nothing important for me except they lack the pro picture tweaks. They also have the anti-relfective screen and are suppose to be brighter and have improved contrast over the previous Panny models. The finish is a nice satin black. Thank God none of that reflective piano black like on the Pioneers and the Samdungs. I love the piano gloss black on my speakers but not for my TV!

For $999 I'm sure it will be fine. By biggest concern when I hook it up will be the PQ on SDTV. My 42" JVC plasma (480p EDTV) in the bedroom has an excellent picture on SD. With the latest high quality broadcasts deamed for HD such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics it is really impressive. Just goes to show that the resolution spec is not the most important part of a TV's PQ.

These new Panasonics now have an estimate of 100,000 hours! At 6 hours per day that is 45.6621004564 years (I would be the oldest man in Seattle). I know Pixelthis says that plasmas are dead. However, I'll be long gone before this one is even slighly down in brightness. Oh, btw, Panasonic has the best repair record according to CR with only a 2% repair history. The leaking gas BS is only for those who eat beans while watching TV. Visual Apex has a video showing a metal ball hitting a Panny plasma screen quite hard with no damage. My cardiologist won't let me drink anymore so there should be little chance of putting my empty head thought the screen!

I checked out all the reviews on many forums for the equivalent TH-50PX80U and read lots of praise. The nice thing about Costco is that I get a 3% rebate and it has a two year warranty and a 90 day return policy. I'll let you know if I find any problems. I know it's not a Vizio but I'll just have to suffer.

RR6 :22: :22: :22:


PICTURE QUALITY RATING: 95 (on the 75U)

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/panasonic-th50px80u.html

Feanor
09-20-2008, 02:47 AM
I told my wife when the 50" Panasonic plasmas got below $1000, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Well, yesterday I saw the Panasonic TH-C50HD18 (768p) for $999 at Costco. ...

PICTURE QUALITY RATING: 95 (on the 75U)

http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatv/panasonic-th50px80u.html

Thank you for your detailed comments -- much appreciated by a poverty-stricken hold-out who hopes to go HDTV some day soon.

At this point I'd absolutely go plazma myself. Yeah, maybe LCD will eventually "win out" but plazmas are still selling pretty well. I'm inclued to believe the very slightly lower price of LCD and much lower weight of these units are big factors, but in reality its just another marketing triumph over the gulible consumer, (much like a McCain/Palin election victory would be -- as I have often pointed to my kids, half people in the world are of below average intelligence: scary).

In our case we'll probably go for a 46" or 47" since we'll need to sit about 8-9' from the screen and I think the slightly smaller size will be big enough. On the other hand I'm going 1080p. This will be not so much for the higher video quality from DVDs (or Blu-ray eventually), but because of the possibility of the use of the unit as a computer monitor where every pixel is bonus, IMO.

Congrats on a great choice.

Mr Peabody
09-20-2008, 04:56 AM
Man, how are you going to wait 30 days? Won't your girlfriend help :)

Looks like you've done your home work, suffer in peace. Heck, you almost sold me one and I don't even need it. I was just pricing some of the larger Plasma and LCD's, 60", give or take, and you can still spend some big dollar there. I guess I will try to get a bit more use out of my DLP.

RoadRunner6
09-20-2008, 10:03 PM
Thanks Guys,


Feanor, I have found that the same sized plasmas of high quality actually run slightly less in price versus a comparable LCD. However, as the prices fall this is becoming almost a mute point anyway. The LCD's are lighter but no problem for me once it is in place. I'm not sure if this is a race to the death because each type has its own advantages. For my watching of TV and movies in a non-bright to dark room with the best PQ and off angle viewing as priorities the plasma is a no brainer for me.

Panasonic has introduced 4 models of 46" 1080p plasmas this year. The three higher models all have PC inputs as does the 50" 1080p (mine does not). I see the 46" TH-46PZ85U (1080p) goes for $1379 at BuyDig. Sounds like one of those should be right up your alley. Vizio has just introduced a new 32" plasma. Panny's has new 46 and 65 inchers. Plasma is dead ???


Mr Peabody, There seems to be a huge jump in prices when you go from the 58" Panny's to their new 65." The 58's seem to be running in the high $2000's. I talked a friend at work into the 58" 600U (768p) plasma that Costco sold out last spring at just over $2000. It has the finest PQ of any plasma I have seen including 1080p's. Plasma Buying gave it a 97 rating on picture.

I have to be very careful and keep my girlfriend a secret. My wife has only been in the US for 12 years now and she is very good at Fujitsu (woops, I mean Jujitsu). Recently I was dreaming and called out in my sleep "I love Suzie" (that's the name of my girlfriend). The next morning my wife was all smiles. She said she was so happy that I had yelled out in my sleep "I love sushi". Man, that was close!

RR6 :D

Mr Peabody
09-21-2008, 11:09 AM
LOL, and not to mention you want her to keep the Ginsu knives in the kitchen.

pixelthis
09-21-2008, 09:33 PM
I told my wife when the 50" Panasonic plasmas got below $1000, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Well, yesterday I saw the Panasonic TH-C50HD18 (768p) for $999 at Costco. Today it's sitting in our garage (yes it does fit in the trunk of a Honda Accord). I have to wait until my wife gets home from Japan in two weeks for help lugging it upstairs.

This is the same exact TV as the Panasonic TH-50PX80U (768p) (except for only 2 HDMI inputs). The model TH-C50FD18 (1080p), was still $1599 at Costco. The extra $600 was not worth it for me. As you might know, past about 8 feet or so most people cannot detect any difference. Our main seats are at 9 and 12 feet. These are this years entry level models with Panasonic. They have slighly fewer bells and whistles but nothing important for me except they lack the pro picture tweaks. They also have the anti-relfective screen and are suppose to be brighter and have improved contrast over the previous Panny models. The finish is a nice satin black. Thank God none of that reflective piano black like on the Pioneers and the Samdungs. I love the piano gloss black on my speakers but not for my TV!

For $999 I'm sure it will be fine. By biggest concern when I hook it up will be the PQ on SDTV. My 42" JVC plasma (480p EDTV) in the bedroom has an excellent picture on SD. With the latest high quality broadcasts deamed for HD such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics it is really impressive. Just goes to show that the resolution spec is not the most important part of a TV's PQ.

These new Panasonics now have an estimate of 100,000 hours! At 6 hours per day that is 45.6621004564 years (I would be the oldest man in Seattle). I know Pixelthis says that plasmas are dead. However, I'll be long gone before this one is even slighly down in brightness. Oh, btw, Panasonic has the best repair record according to CR with only a 2% repair history. The leaking gas BS is only for those who eat beans while watching TV. Visual Apex has a video showing a metal ball hitting a Panny plasma screen quite hard with no damage. My cardiologist won't let me drink anymore so there should be little chance of putting my empty head thought the screen!
I checked out all the reviews on many forums for the equivalent TH-50PX80U and read lots of praise. The nice thing about Costco is that I get a 3% rebate and it has a two year warranty and a 90 day return policy. I'll let you know if I find any problems. I know it's not a Vizio but I'll just have to suffer.

POOR DEPRIVED LITTLE THING.
Ever occure to you as to why plasmas are selling so cheap?
And the guy who figured out the "lifespan" of your set, he used to work
at Ford motor, came up with the 7500 mile oil change.
A gas envelope is a lot more complicatated than a CRT, and if one of those lasted more than a decade you were lucky, and most conked out after five years.
AND my Vizio is already hanging on its pole, because it only weights 48 LBS.
One last "dig", 1080p does matter, a lot more than I though it would, really.
This is like when they were pushing EDTV 480p plasma, because the tech couldnt compete with LCD screens, they were saying that 1080i
didnt matter...
AND the piano black is beautiful, btw, NO glare really.
And that is all of the "digs' I will lay on you, don't want to spoil your
Christmas and all.
Enjoy your new toy, hope you surrive operating it!:1:

pixelthis
09-21-2008, 09:37 PM
Man, how are you going to wait 30 days? Won't your girlfriend help :)

Looks like you've done your home work, suffer in peace. Heck, you almost sold me one and I don't even need it. I was just pricing some of the larger Plasma and LCD's, 60", give or take, and you can still spend some big dollar there. I guess I will try to get a bit more use out of my DLP.

You need 1080p is what you need, and fast.
Really nice, I have run outta movies at Blockbuster and am starting on Movie gallery, even crap on this TV looks great.
and my 5.1 is working, and MAN what an experience:1:

pixelthis
09-21-2008, 09:42 PM
Thank you for your detailed comments -- much appreciated by a poverty-stricken hold-out who hopes to go HDTV some day soon.

At this point I'd absolutely go plazma myself. Yeah, maybe LCD will eventually "win out" but plazmas are still selling pretty well. I'm inclued to believe the very slightly lower price of LCD and much lower weight of these units are big factors, but in reality its just another marketing triumph over the gulible consumer, (much like a McCain/Palin election victory would be -- as I have often pointed to my kids, half people in the world are of below average intelligence: scary).

In our case we'll probably go for a 46" or 47" since we'll need to sit about 8-9' from the screen and I think the slightly smaller size will be big enough. On the other hand I'm going 1080p. This will be not so much for the higher video quality from DVDs (or Blu-ray eventually), but because of the possibility of the use of the unit as a computer monitor where every pixel is bonus, IMO.

Congrats on a great choice.

1080P does make for a great computer monitor.
And its not a question of "fooling" anybody, there used to be some
small penalty in PQ in buying LCD, but not anymore, especially with a 1080p/24p source.
Also regardless of what you pick you might want to go 42", the picture is quite larger than you might think.
Its quite sufficent, really:1:

pixelthis
09-21-2008, 09:46 PM
At this point I'd absolutely go plazma myself. Yeah, maybe LCD will eventually "win out" but plazmas are still selling pretty well. I'm inclued to believe the very slightly lower price of LCD and much lower weight of these units are big factors, but in reality its just another marketing triumph over the gulible consumer, (much like a McCain/Palin election victory would be -- as I have often pointed to my kids, half people in the world are of below average intelligence: scary).

Congrats on a great choice.:1:

pixelthis
09-21-2008, 10:02 PM
yep, you "pulled the trigger " alright.
JUST HOPE YOU WERENT PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE
WHEN YOU DID SO.:1:

RoadRunner6
09-22-2008, 12:20 AM
Hey Pixelthis and Everyone, what do you guys make of the new Vizio 32" plasma?

http://www.vizio.com/productDetails.aspx?id=1404&pid=1506

Man, that really came out of left field. It's the first plasma I've heard of below 37". After I thought about it for awhile I guess it's not a bad idea for a bedroom, kitchen or bathroom for those who just insist on a plasma. Very interesting move. I'll be curious to see how it sells.

RR6 :confused5:

GMichael
09-22-2008, 05:14 AM
Congrats on the new plasma. I'm with the others though. How can you buy it and then let it sit in the garage for weeks? I'd have moved a recliner and the stereo to the garage by now. The car can live outside for a while. It's not like it's snowing out.

All kidding aside, I'm sure you'll love it for many years. The newer plasmas don't have the same problems as the old ones. Burn in is all but gone, and the only ones that leak are the ones Pixie has dropped from the second floor.

Rich-n-Texas
09-22-2008, 05:40 AM
Congrats on your Plasma purchase RR6, and condolences on the loss of your drinking priveledges. :smilewinkgrin:

I was in a Walmart the other day buying some Mobil 5000 (mile) motor oil and I saw quite a few Vizio's on display next to the $5.00 DVD Bargain Bin (I'm not kidding). I couldn't really get far away enough to get a good view, but needless to say I suppose they fit the bill for the type of clientel Walmart serves.

Watch this...

One last "dig", 1080p does matter, a lot more than I though it would, really.

1080P does make for a great computer monitor.

You need 1080p is what you need, and fast.
I wonder how much longer before he starts criticising and flaming 720p owners? :rolleyes:

RoadRunner6
09-22-2008, 05:55 AM
Thanks for the belly laughs!

BadAssJazz
09-22-2008, 10:25 AM
I told my wife when the 50" Panasonic plasmas got below $1000, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Well, yesterday I saw the Panasonic TH-C50HD18 (768p) for $999 at Costco. Today it's sitting in our garage (yes it does fit in the trunk of a Honda Accord). I have to wait until my wife gets home from Japan in two weeks for help lugging it upstairs.

Congratz!

Hopefully by now, you've either found a good hand truck or a kind neighbor to help you move that TV into the house. I've only moved around 42" Panasonics, but they're not heavy by any means IMO. Option B would be to check the yellow pages for a moving service. Option C would be the slightly riskier finding a day laborer to lend a hand. 2 weeks seems awfully long to wait to see if the thing works or not.

I think you've made a great choice...as long as you're comfortable knowing that it's not 1080p. The thing is, as long as you don't have a reference plasma sitting side by side your TV, you really won't be able to distinguish between a 768 or 1080p at your viewing distance.

But if you're anything like me, just knowing that there is more to be had in the market will cause you never ending consternation. It will slowly eat at you each time someone mentions 1080p. It will haunt your conversations. It will cause the hairs on your back to stand on end when you load your 1080p Blu Ray player. 1080p. 1080p. 1080P!!!!:incazzato:

Seriously, enjoy the new plasma. I'm just waiting for the prices to come down a bit more before I pull the plug on a bigger screen myself. (No, 42" isn't enough.)

GMichael
09-22-2008, 11:06 AM
Congratz!

Hopefully by now, you've either found a good hand truck or a kind neighbor to help you move that TV into the house. I've only moved around 42" Panasonics, but they're not heavy by any means IMO. Option B would be to check the yellow pages for a moving service. Option C would be the slightly riskier finding a day laborer to lend a hand. 2 weeks seems awfully long to wait to see if the thing works or not.

I think you've made a great choice...as long as you're comfortable knowing that it's not 1080p. The thing is, as long as you don't have a reference plasma sitting side by side your TV, you really won't be able to distinguish between a 768 or 1080p at your viewing distance.

But if you're anything like me, just knowing that there is more to be had in the market will cause you never ending consternation. It will slowly eat at you each time someone mentions 1080p. It will haunt your conversations. It will cause the hairs on your back to stand on end when you load your 1080p Blu Ray player. 1080p. 1080p. 1080P!!!!:incazzato:

Seriously, enjoy the new plasma. I'm just waiting for the prices to come down a bit more before I pull the plug on a bigger screen myself. (No, 42" isn't enough.)


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........

You are killing me.

RoadRunner6
09-22-2008, 10:54 PM
Thanks, I appreciate the comments, both serious and humorous, (ILMAO)!

About a year and a half ago the JVC 42" went upstairs to the bedroom when I bought a new Panasonic 50" 768p Commercial Monitor (the Panny UK series) from Visual Apex (great online dealer). I did buy a stand since I didn't want to wall mount it. My wife thought it was very classy looking but unfortunately didn't care for the fact that it had no speakers. She didn't like using the surround system just to watch her daytime cooking and talk shows. I told her we would get a 50" consumer model when the prices dropped.

Last May my son decided he wanted to buy a similar Panny to wall mount. So I gave him ours (next three years X-mas present) and the JVC came back downstairs (the 27" Sony back to the bedroom from the garage...musical TV's) . So don't feel sorry for me, that old JVC really has a great picture. I go down to the garage several times a day so the new one doesn't get too lonesome.

I have 90 days for a no questions asked return from Costco if necessary. Before then I'll beg, borrow, or steal a Blu-Ray to do some test viewing. Later, I'll either wait for the Panny BD50 to drop another hundred or more (it's down to $499 now) or be patient and wait and save for the OPPO; probably the latter. I like companies that don't rush into the market and do it right the first time. Of course, I'll still wait a few months until they get most of the bugs out.

Anyway, if for any reason I'm not 100% satified at 768p then I'll return it and get the 1080p. I figure in three months (just before Christmas) the price on the 1080p will be down from the current $1599 to about $1199-$1299 and I'll be a winner either way.

I still feel the native resolution is not as important as color accuracy, contrast, black levels, scaling and processing in choosing a display. I would take a 768p Panny or Pioneer any day over a budget 1080p. My usual viewing distance for movies on the sofa is at 11 feet. The recliner is at 9 feet, but that is where my wife sits (she knows Jujitsu, remember?). If I do upgrade it will be due to the Blu-Ray of course.

It reminds me of when I tell friends that I've bought a new digital camera. The first questions they all ask is how many megapixles? The quality of the optics, quality of the digital processing and quality and size of the sensor are more important. All things being equal, extra megs are nice especially for large blow-ups and cropping (which I do on almost all of my shots). Sorry, I'm rambling on here.

RR6 :D

RoadRunner6
09-22-2008, 11:25 PM
The plasma trash talk from Pixelthis is emotionally and phsychologically tramatic and devastating to me as I'm sure it might be also to many of you. (I might have to go in for counseling)

However I do like to give credit where it is due. I must say that some of his photos really crack me up. The ceiling cat and the Pope are two of my favorites. Being subjected to seventeen years of Catholic education I especially appreciate the Pope photo. (OK, no smart ass better come on here and ask me if I had to do fourth grade twice).

RR6 :D

pixelthis
09-22-2008, 11:29 PM
Congratz!

Hopefully by now, you've either found a good hand truck or a kind neighbor to help you move that TV into the house. I've only moved around 42" Panasonics, but they're not heavy by any means IMO. Option B would be to check the yellow pages for a moving service. Option C would be the slightly riskier finding a day laborer to lend a hand. 2 weeks seems awfully long to wait to see if the thing works or not.

I think you've made a great choice...as long as you're comfortable knowing that it's not 1080p. The thing is, as long as you don't have a reference plasma sitting side by side your TV, you really won't be able to distinguish between a 768 or 1080p at your viewing distance.

But if you're anything like me, just knowing that there is more to be had in the market will cause you never ending consternation. It will slowly eat at you each time someone mentions 1080p. It will haunt your conversations. It will cause the hairs on your back to stand on end when you load your 1080p Blu Ray player. 1080p. 1080p. 1080P!!!!:incazzato:

Seriously, enjoy the new plasma. I'm just waiting for the prices to come down a bit more before I pull the plug on a bigger screen myself. (No, 42" isn't enough.)


Actually that is quite true.
1080p started coming out right after I got my 720p, and its bugged me ever since.
When I got a Blu player the fate was sealed on my 720p.
AND yes there is a difference!:1:

pixelthis
09-22-2008, 11:30 PM
[QUOTE=GMichael]Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........

You are killing me.:1:

RoadRunner6
09-26-2008, 10:32 PM
FYI.....Model numbers update:


Panasonic 50" 720p models:

TH-50PX80 (U If in the USA) = Regular Panasonic Model
Has Front HDMI INPUT
Frame: Gloss Black
Speaker Section: Flat Black

TH-M50HD18 = Panasonic Model made for Wal-Mart
No Front HDMI INPUT
Frame: Flat Black
Speaker Section: Flat Gray

TH-C50HD18 = Panasonic Model made for Costco
No Front HDMI INPUT
Frame: Flat Black
Speaker Section: Flat Black

So the "C" in the TH-C50HD18 stands for Costco not Canada.

Otherwise these sets all have two rear HDMI inputs and are the same TV.

RR6 :p

GTF
09-27-2008, 06:47 AM
POOR DEPRIVED LITTLE THING.
Ever occure to you as to why plasmas are selling so cheap?
And the guy who figured out the "lifespan" of your set, he used to work
at Ford motor, came up with the 7500 mile oil change.
A gas envelope is a lot more complicatated than a CRT, and if one of those lasted more than a decade you were lucky, and most conked out after five years.
AND my Vizio is already hanging on its pole, because it only weights 48 LBS.
One last "dig", 1080p does matter, a lot more than I though it would, really.
This is like when they were pushing EDTV 480p plasma, because the tech couldnt compete with LCD screens, they were saying that 1080i
didnt matter...
AND the piano black is beautiful, btw, NO glare really.
And that is all of the "digs' I will lay on you, don't want to spoil your
Christmas and all.
Enjoy your new toy, hope you surrive operating it!:1:


Just because you made a mistake buying a LCD TV instead of a Plasma TV,
their is no need for you to take your error out on the folks who bought the coreect TV.
A Plasma.

pixelthis
09-27-2008, 10:42 PM
Just because you made a mistake buying a LCD TV instead of a Plasma TV,
their is no need for you to take your error out on the folks who bought the coreect TV.
A Plasma.

GHOD you are so funny! First you say that a RPTV is better than LCD, which even the most ardent hater of LCD WOULDNT SAY,
even if drunk.
SO plasma is the "correct" TV?
Tell that to the people I work for, they wont talk about what happened to that Samsung plasma that was in the waiting room, the maintenence
guy just mumbled something about "catastropic" failure and shambled off.
Or what about the ones who suffered from burn in? Or a dead set when the gas leaked out?
What about the increased chance of failure from excess heat,
or the increased energy usage?
HOPE you dont have kids, hate to think about that big chunk of glass near a bunch of rugrats, or dogs.
Truth is, producing a video picture by shooting 30,000 volts through an unstable gas is about the dumbest way to make a TV ever invented.
Its kinda like building a space shuttle to get to the stop and rob down the street.:1:

pixelthis
09-27-2008, 10:48 PM
Congrats on your Plasma purchase RR6, and condolences on the loss of your drinking priveledges. :smilewinkgrin:

[QUOTE]I was in a Walmart the other day buying some Mobil 5000 (mile) motor oil and I saw quite a few Vizio's on display next to the $5.00 DVD Bargain Bin (I'm not kidding). I couldn't really get far away enough to get a good view, but needless to say I suppose they fit the bill for the type of clientel Walmart serves.

like you, maybe?
You can move to texas, drive a clapped out fireturd, shop at the walmart,
even wear overhauls, but you will never be a "good ol boy",
just a carpetbagger from Jersey




I wonder how much longer before he starts criticising and flaming 720p owners? :rolleyes:

And no flaming, maybe a cautionary warning, there is a bigger difference between the two than a lot think.
I have two (one of each) LCDS. In home enviroments,
and the diff is quite evident.
I could never advise anybody to buy a 720p:1:

pixelthis
09-27-2008, 10:54 PM
The plasma trash talk from Pixelthis is emotionally and phsychologically tramatic and devastating to me as I'm sure it might be also to many of you. (I might have to go in for counseling)

However I do like to give credit where it is due. I must say that some of his photos really crack me up. The ceiling cat and the Pope are two of my favorites. Being subjected to seventeen years of Catholic education I especially appreciate the Pope photo. (OK, no smart ass better come on here and ask me if I had to do fourth grade twice).

RR6 :D


Its a long process, but we'll get you "readjusted".
And when you're plasma goes, as the Brits say, "tits up",
take a word of advice, and GO TOWARD THE LIGHT!
GO TOWARD THE LIGHT!
It will be a LCD with another twenty years of life left in it:1:

pixelthis
09-27-2008, 10:57 PM
Congratz!


[QUOTE]I think you've made a great choice...as long as you're comfortable knowing that it's not 1080p. The thing is, as long as you don't have a reference plasma sitting side by side your TV, you really won't be able to distinguish between a 768 or 1080p at your viewing distance.

But if you're anything like me, just knowing that there is more to be had in the market will cause you never ending consternation. It will slowly eat at you each time someone mentions 1080p. It will haunt your conversations. It will cause the hairs on your back to stand on end when you load your 1080p Blu Ray player. 1080p. 1080p. 1080P!!!!:incazzato:
[QUOTE]Seriously, enjoy the new plasma. I'm just waiting for the prices to come down a bit more before I pull the plug on a bigger screen myself. (No, 42" isn't enough.):1:

GTF
09-28-2008, 06:57 AM
GHOD you are so funny! First you say that a RPTV is better than LCD, which even the most ardent hater of LCD WOULDNT SAY,
even if drunk.
SO plasma is the "correct" TV?
Tell that to the people I work for, they wont talk about what happened to that Samsung plasma that was in the waiting room, the maintenence
guy just mumbled something about "catastropic" failure and shambled off.
Or what about the ones who suffered from burn in? Or a dead set when the gas leaked out?
What about the increased chance of failure from excess heat,
or the increased energy usage?
HOPE you dont have kids, hate to think about that big chunk of glass near a bunch of rugrats, or dogs.
Truth is, producing a video picture by shooting 30,000 volts through an unstable gas is about the dumbest way to make a TV ever invented.
Its kinda like building a space shuttle to get to the stop and rob down the street.:1:


You need to slow down.
Your making a mistake.
I "NEVER" said RPTV is better then LCD.
I would rather have an LCD over a RPTV any day.

But I would also take a Plasma over any LCD.
The only thing that counts is what's important.

Rich-n-Texas
09-28-2008, 08:41 AM
You need to slow down.
Your making a mistake.
I "NEVER" said RPTV is better then LCD.
I would rather have an LCD over a RPTV any day.

But I would also take a Plasma over any LCD.
The only thing that counts is what's important.
These, I'm afraid are concepts that do not compute in his brain, GTF :hand:

02audionoob
09-28-2008, 09:27 AM
It will be a LCD with another twenty years of life left in it:1:

Why would someone plan on keeping an LCD for over twenty years?

Perhaps it's my post that was construed as saying RPTV is better than LCD. I did say it looks as good. My reason for saying that is that I've really sat for extended sessions and watched a top-of-the line Panasonic HDTV rear-projection HDTV set on an HD cable box and I've watched for extended sessions some of the cheap off-brand LCD TV sets that are so popular. Maybe it's like the comparison between analog audio and digital...I don't really know. But it's not because of the argument one likes what he's used to (although there's merit to that argument). I'm used to my Sony.

RoadRunner6
09-28-2008, 05:05 PM
Lifespan
There has been much misinformation about the longevity of today’s plasma
TVs. Like all other display devices, there are two parts to a television. The first
is the internal electronics. Modern circuit designs are extremely reliable and
all televisions, including plasma’s circuits, are designed to provide extremely
long life. The second part is the section of the television that produces light.
In plasma, it is the phosphors within the glass panel. Phosphors are used to
produce an image in standard picture tube (CRT) televisions as well, and in
three-CRT rear projectors.
Television manufacturers base the projected life of all TVs on “half
brightness,” meaning the time it takes for the display to create an image
that’s only half as bright as when the TV was new. The three-CRT rear
projector is generally rated at 15,000 hours until half-brightness. Direct-view
CRTs are generally rated to 30,000 hours. Panasonic plasmas have a half
brightness rating of 100,000 hours – more than six times the life of CRT rear projection.
This equates to more than thirty eight years at seven hours a day viewing,
around the average daily TV viewing time per U.S. household. With its
inherent high brightness, a Panasonic plasma will likely retain its image
quality for many years.

and futhamore:

While a CRT direct-view television is an analog device that uses a picture
tube and the plasma is a digital device, there are many similarities between
the two technologies. Each display uses phosphors to create light.
While a direct-view picture tube operates in a vacuum, and the plasma
screen uses inert gases, both are completely sealed. There is no possibility
of the gas leaking out (barring physically breaking the panel), and there is
never a need to “recharge” or “refill” the plasma panel. Conversely, there is
no possibility of moisture leaking in, it can never “fog up” like a car windshield
and, unlike an incandescent light bulb, a plasma panel doesn’t suddenly
“burn out.”

RR6 :D

Mr Peabody
09-28-2008, 06:58 PM
"life span", not to mention if you have an accident plasma may be used to increase your life span :)

pixelthis
09-28-2008, 08:55 PM
Lifespan
There has been much misinformation about the longevity of today’s plasma
TVs. Like all other display devices, there are two parts to a television. The first
is the internal electronics. Modern circuit designs are extremely reliable and
all televisions, including plasma’s circuits, are designed to provide extremely
long life. The second part is the section of the television that produces light.
In plasma, it is the phosphors within the glass panel. Phosphors are used to
produce an image in standard picture tube (CRT) televisions as well, and in
three-CRT rear projectors.
Television manufacturers base the projected life of all TVs on “half
brightness,” meaning the time it takes for the display to create an image
that’s only half as bright as when the TV was new. The three-CRT rear
projector is generally rated at 15,000 hours until half-brightness. Direct-view
CRTs are generally rated to 30,000 hours. Panasonic plasmas have a half
brightness rating of 100,000 hours – more than six times the life of CRT rear projection.
This equates to more than thirty eight years at seven hours a day viewing,
around the average daily TV viewing time per U.S. household. With its
inherent high brightness, a Panasonic plasma will likely retain its image
quality for many years.

and futhamore:

While a CRT direct-view television is an analog device that uses a picture
tube and the plasma is a digital device, there are many similarities between
the two technologies. Each display uses phosphors to create light.
While a direct-view picture tube operates in a vacuum, and the plasma
screen uses inert gases, both are completely sealed. There is no possibility
of the gas leaking out (barring physically breaking the panel), and there is
never a need to “recharge” or “refill” the plasma panel. Conversely, there is
no possibility of moisture leaking in, it can never “fog up” like a car windshield
and, unlike an incandescent light bulb, a plasma panel doesn’t suddenly
“burn out.”

RR6 :D

Yes it does.
And when does that happen? NOBODY KNOWS.
That 100,000 hour estimate is , quite frankly, rediculous.
They were never able to get a much less complicated CRT to last half that long.
And has plasma tech been around 38 years?
Of course not! This is based on (very optimistic) computer models.
As for teh gas escaping, they had a real problem with this awhile back,
but they "think" they have fixed the problem..
But if teh pic was significantly better than LCD than it would be worthwhile if it only lasted ten years, the point is that its not.
Longevity has to do with PQ also, how will the pic look after a few years, a decade?
They never would have developed plasma if they had thought that LCD would take off like it did, that caught everybody by surprize.
Now they have an expensive tech that is not nessesary, they have to get developement cost paid for, etc, and they were quite high.
But in the long run plasma will be dead even in the short run it will
start to fade, nobody is going to put up with its inherent problems for
some imagined pq improvement that is very slight if it exists at all.
Panny, normally a quite conservative company known for building
quality products, is pushing plasma hard, if anybody can get it to work,
they can.
BUT that is the point, no one will ever get it to work:1:

pixelthis
09-28-2008, 08:58 PM
"life span", not to mention if you have an accident plasma may be used to increase your life span :)

Like a plasma TV falling off of a wall and glass going everywhere.:1:

Duds
09-29-2008, 09:23 AM
Congrats on the purchase, and SO glad to hear you didnt buy a hunk of junk Vizio lcd.
Plasma trumps lcd in every way.

GMichael
09-29-2008, 10:44 AM
Congrats on the purchase, and SO glad to hear you didnt buy a hunk of junk Vizio lcd.
Plasma trumps lcd in every way.

That's not entirely true. :hand: Plasma is only better in regards to the picture quality. :ciappa: LCD's rule in all the other categories.:3:

Rich-n-Texas
09-29-2008, 11:04 AM
LCD's generally have better speakers. :yesnod:

Duds
09-29-2008, 11:20 AM
Silly me. i forgot LCDS dont fall on people and kill them, and dont leak gas. i'd rather have that than an awesome picture. BWAHAHHAHAHA!!!!


That's not entirely true. :hand: Plasma is only better in regards to the picture quality. :ciappa: LCD's rule in all the other categories.:3:

GMichael
09-29-2008, 11:21 AM
And they weigh less. Don't leave that out. That's always been my top concern when picking out a TV. I have often asked the guy at Best Buy to let me pick up any TV I'm looking at.

Duds
09-29-2008, 11:32 AM
ahhh yes i forgot about that. that must mean my Marantz reciever is junk because its pretty heavy right? should i buy a new one that doesnt weigh as much?



And they weigh less. Don't leave that out. That's always been my top concern when picking out a TV. I have often asked the guy at Best Buy to let me pick up any TV I'm looking at.

GMichael
09-29-2008, 11:59 AM
ahhh yes i forgot about that. that must mean my Marantz reciever is junk because its pretty heavy right? should i buy a new one that doesnt weigh as much?
Yes, and then donate any equipment you have that is too heavy. I'll give you the address & pay the freight to ship your receiver, speakers, etc. Go get yourself a Bose.:devil:

dean_martin
09-29-2008, 12:52 PM
Congrats! I have last year's model (...75U) and love it. I'm waiting for the chance to replace the old crt in the bedroom now.

nightflier
09-29-2008, 03:19 PM
seven hours a day viewing, around the average daily TV viewing time per U.S. household.

Not that it should surprise me, but jeez, that's a lot, especially when you consider how many TVs there are in this country.

My observation is that Plasmas are now noticeable less expensive than LCDs. And with the economy the way it is, I expect there to be a lot of pressure on retailers to move this year's stock before x-mas, so as long as some of you still have some money left over, there should be some great deals around the corner, indeed.

My concern with Plasma deal more with the intangibles: energy consumption, extra heat, weight, toxic waste, and the troubling fact that a Plasma TV has to stay upright. Now all the "green reasons" aside, that last point is important because not all shippers will honor the "this side up" label. I suppose if you buy the Plasma from a store, then chances are it came in a bundle of several TVs and they were all kept straight up. But if you're buying that sucker from an eBay shipper who doesn't know this and searches out the cheapest USPS shipping option, you're bound to be disappointed.

I haven't completely ruled out Plasma, but the "green reasons" are important to me. Oh, and while I may be the only one here to say it, I have no problem keeping a TV for 10-20 years. I've kept my CRTs until they died and I expect to keep my Plasma or LCD just as long. I keep my cars, appliances, A?V equipment and everything else as long as possible too - nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I use a 23 year old Dynalab FM tuner and it's still going strong. I also have a pair of PS Audio amps that are from 1981, and%2

pixelthis
09-29-2008, 11:01 PM
Not that it should surprise me, but jeez, that's a lot, especially when you consider how many TVs there are in this country.

My observation is that Plasmas are now noticeable less expensive than LCDs. And with the economy the way it is, I expect there to be a lot of pressure on retailers to move this year's stock before x-mas, so as long as some of you still have some money left over, there should be some great deals around the corner, indeed.

My concern with Plasma deal more with the intangibles: energy consumption, extra heat, weight, toxic waste, and the troubling fact that a Plasma TV has to stay upright. Now all the "green reasons" aside, that last point is important because not all shippers will honor the "this side up" label. I suppose if you buy the Plasma from a store, then chances are it came in a bundle of several TVs and they were all kept straight up. But if you're buying that sucker from an eBay shipper who doesn't know this and searches out the cheapest USPS shipping option, you're bound to be disappointed.

I haven't completely ruled out Plasma, but the "green reasons" are important to me. Oh, and while I may be the only one here to say it, I have no problem keeping a TV for 10-20 years. I've kept my CRTs until they died and I expect to keep my Plasma or LCD just as long. I keep my cars, appliances, A?V equipment and everything else as long as possible too - nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I use a 23 year old Dynalab FM tuner and it's still going strong. I also have a pair of PS Audio amps that are from 1981, and%2


When they first started making plasmas they had to ship them in steel cases, and they still had a high rate of breakage.
When I predicted that HDDVD is dead I got a lot of heat, even tho it was an eazy prediction.
Now I have "dud" ( name fits) following me around like some kind of stalker (peruvian skies the II?) poor chap is obviously "simple" or something.
But its worth the aggravation if I can save one person from making a mistake.
For instance, "DUD" loves plasma, isnt that reason enough to stay away? :1:

Rich-n-Texas
09-30-2008, 06:50 AM
Not that it should surprise me, but jeez, that's a lot, especially when you consider how many TVs there are in this country.

My observation is that Plasmas are now noticeable less expensive than LCDs. And with the economy the way it is, I expect there to be a lot of pressure on retailers to move this year's stock before x-mas, so as long as some of you still have some money left over, there should be some great deals around the corner, indeed.

My concern with Plasma deal more with the intangibles: energy consumption, extra heat, weight, toxic waste, and the troubling fact that a Plasma TV has to stay upright. Now all the "green reasons" aside, that last point is important because not all shippers will honor the "this side up" label. I suppose if you buy the Plasma from a store, then chances are it came in a bundle of several TVs and they were all kept straight up. But if you're buying that sucker from an eBay shipper who doesn't know this and searches out the cheapest USPS shipping option, you're bound to be disappointed.

I haven't completely ruled out Plasma, but the "green reasons" are important to me. Oh, and while I may be the only one here to say it, I have no problem keeping a TV for 10-20 years. I've kept my CRTs until they died and I expect to keep my Plasma or LCD just as long. I keep my cars, appliances, A?V equipment and everything else as long as possible too - nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I use a 23 year old Dynalab FM tuner and it's still going strong. I also have a pair of PS Audio amps that are from 1981, and%2
How did I know that? Plasma's contribute to global warming right guys (Feanor)? :ciappa:

Duds
09-30-2008, 07:00 AM
The smart people who want the best picture (isnt that why you buy a tv) are the people who buy plasmas. The people who listen to the saleskids in best buy, etc (who dont know the facts and make up sh*t about LCD being better, much like Dixie does) are the people who buy LCD.


When they first started making plasmas they had to ship them in steel cases, and they still had a high rate of breakage.
When I predicted that HDDVD is dead I got a lot of heat, even tho it was an eazy prediction.
Now I have "dud" ( name fits) following me around like some kind of stalker (peruvian skies the II?) poor chap is obviously "simple" or something.
But its worth the aggravation if I can save one person from making a mistake.
For instance, "DUD" loves plasma, isnt that reason enough to stay away? :1:

Rich-n-Texas
09-30-2008, 07:06 AM
When they first started making plasmas they had to ship them in steel cases, and they still had a high rate of breakage.
SOP when shipping to test labs.

When I predicted that HDDVD is dead I got a lot of heat, even tho it was an eazy prediction.
As a member of the forums, this is what pix lives for. Say it long enough and eventually (insofar as A/V is concerned) it'll come true. Pix has been a member here for more than a year now.

Now I have "dud" ( name fits) following me around like some kind of stalker (peruvian skies the II?) poor chap is obviously "simple" or something.
No, that's "Duds". Like the clothes, but I guess in your neck of the woods farmer overalls are only known as daywear.

But its worth the aggravation if I can save one person from making a mistake.
And herein lies the problem pix. Because of your posting style (or perhaps "demeanor" is a better word), IMO people tend to discredit you, so how exactly is anyone better off? I've said in the past that the name calling is sometimes humorus, but really, how does that help your stock and therefore the chance anyone's going to take you seriously? See my point?

For instance, "DUD" loves plasma, isnt that reason enough to stay away? :1:
Not really. The occasional passerby doesn't know jack about Duds, but when they read this kind of thing with your username next to it, who do you think is going to get the *credibillity award*?

GMichael
09-30-2008, 08:23 AM
Plasmas and LCDs both have their plusses and minuses. Why can't we be just as happy for anyone who picks up a new toy no matter which one they ended up with?

Feanor
09-30-2008, 09:21 AM
How did I know that? Plasma's contribute to global warming right guys (Feanor)? :ciappa:

Environment be damned. :devil:

RoadRunner6
09-30-2008, 09:39 AM
You can take my plasma ... when you pry it from my cold dead hands!

RR6 :mad5:

Rich-n-Texas
09-30-2008, 10:04 AM
Environment be damned. :devil:
The sun came up today, so Richie gets to play another day. :thumbsup:

GMichael
09-30-2008, 10:25 AM
The sun came up today, so Richie gets to play another day. :thumbsup:

The sun actually burnt out 10 years ago. That B.O.T. that's still up in the sky is part of a huge government cover-up to get us to buy more oil.

(and plasma TV's)

Mr Peabody
09-30-2008, 04:36 PM
Some one should tip Homeland security about that leaking gas in those Plasmas.

OK! Here's the truth on Plasma vs. LCD. This should put an end to all debate on the issue. I did a side by side comparison in the store with same program and I'll be damned if I can tell a difference with my sunglasses on.

pixelthis
09-30-2008, 08:39 PM
Some one should tip Homeland security about that leaking gas in those Plasmas.

OK! Here's the truth on Plasma vs. LCD. This should put an end to all debate on the issue. I did a side by side comparison in the store with same program and I'll be damned if I can tell a difference with my sunglasses on.

OR off, really.
This will all be over in a few years when plasma crashes and burns
and I am acknowledged as the undeniable king and champion of teh universe.:1:

nightflier
10-01-2008, 02:41 PM
Well, I just did a quick check online and it does look like Plasmas are now cheaper than their comparably sized LCDs (well except for the Pioneers).

Look, I didn't say anyone else had to care about the green reasons. It would be nice if they did, but people can buy what they want. To me it matters, so that's where I spend my money.

GMichael
10-02-2008, 05:21 AM
Well, I just did a quick check online and it does look like Plasmas are now cheaper than their comparably sized LCDs (well except for the Pioneers).

Look, I didn't say anyone else had to care about the green reasons. It would be nice if they did, but people can buy what they want. To me it matters, so that's where I spend my money.
And you should be very happy with your purchase. Nothing wrong with a good LCD. Everyone has their own reasons for why they pick one over the other. Personally, I picked neither, but would have been happy with either. Go HT!

pixelthis
10-02-2008, 09:46 PM
And you should be very happy with your purchase. Nothing wrong with a good LCD. Everyone has their own reasons for why they pick one over the other. Personally, I picked neither, but would have been happy with either. Go HT!

I agree, musta fell and hit my head, I agree with GM.
I like to tease plasma owners (a tad) but truth is if you are interested in this hobby that is a start.
Give yourself the "acid test" (not that kinda acid GM) and get a plasma side by side with a LCD.
Wont be able to tell the diff between the two, I PROMISE.:1:

GMichael
10-03-2008, 05:29 AM
I agree, musta fell and hit my head, I agree with GM.
I like to tease plasma owners (a tad) but truth is if you are interested in this hobby that is a start.
Give yourself the "acid test" (not that kinda acid GM) and get a plasma side by side with an LSD hit.
Wont be able to tell the diff between the two, I PROMISE.:1:

That depends on where you do this demo. If you mean in the store, with uncelebrated units under bright lights, then you are right.

There. Now you don't have to agree with me.:ihih:

Feanor
10-03-2008, 08:46 AM
Well, I just did a quick check online and it does look like Plasmas are now cheaper than their comparably sized LCDs (well except for the Pioneers).

Look, I didn't say anyone else had to care about the green reasons. It would be nice if they did, but people can buy what they want. To me it matters, so that's where I spend my money.

Around where I am LCD are about the same price or a little cheaper. However what is surprising is that price have actually gone up a bit; not the "regular" prices but there are fewer advertised discounts that was the case a couple of weeks ago.

Samsung 1080p 46" LCD (LN46A550) (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010099947&catid=)
Panasonic 46" 1080p Plasma (TH46PZ80) (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010100493&catid=)

nightflier
10-03-2008, 03:42 PM
Around where I am LCD are about the same price or a little cheaper. However what is surprising is that price have actually gone up a bit; not the "regular" prices but there are fewer advertised discounts that was the case a couple of weeks ago.

Samsung 1080p 46" LCD (LN46A550) (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010099947&catid=)
Panasonic 46" 1080p Plasma (TH46PZ80) (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0770HDS0010100493&catid=)

...but here it has something to do with the Bush Effect.

Feanor
10-03-2008, 04:17 PM
...but here it has something to do with the Bush Effect.

When time start to look to look tough for average consumers, they stop buying. However the price of luxury consumers goods may actually go up because sellers know that only the wealthier people will continue to buy and they won't be deterred by the higher prices.

We in Canada are affected very quickly by whatever happens in the US.

Rich-n-Texas
10-03-2008, 05:00 PM
...but here it has something to do with the Bush Effect.
Ya know what Clint Claven? I'm gonna yank that cigar right outta your mouth and push it up your nose. See what I'm sayin'? :mad5:

Rich-n-Texas
10-03-2008, 05:03 PM
When time start to look to look tough for average consumers, they stop buying...
Okay. I'm not understanding what you are saying here. :crazy: :rolleyes5:

nightflier
10-03-2008, 09:03 PM
Ya know what Clint Claven? I'm gonna yank that cigar right outta your mouth and push it up your nose. See what I'm sayin'? :mad5:

On the morning of November 5th, Tex, after another night of too much booze and women, is leaned over the side of the pickup truck puking his guts out and swearing to the good lord for the gazillionth time that if he can just get through this morning he's never going to sin again. Looking up, wiping the chunky slime with his sleeve, he sees a motorcade approaching....

TEX: (Now remembering the elections of the night before, blurts out) They're Republicans like us. Let's say hello to them and then get going. (Yelling to the passing limousines) Hurrah! Hurrah for the Republicans! Hurrah! Down with Obama! Hurrah for George... (to his friend) What's his name again?

BLONDIE: Bush.

TEX: (Yelling to the secret service detail running along side the cars) Bush! God is with us because he hates the Democrats too! Hurrah!

BLONDIE: (Seeing that these are Republicans and CEOs fleeing the justice department) God is not on our side 'cause he hates idiots also....

You see, Tex, in this world, there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with intelligence, and those who wonder what happened. You wonder.


(paraphrased from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)

Rich-n-Texas
10-03-2008, 09:38 PM
If he really said "Tex", I'm sunk.

However, that blonde was sooooooo young, sooooooo sweet. (Yes, blonde: Bush)

nightflier
10-04-2008, 02:36 PM
If he really said "Tex", I'm sunk.

However, that blonde was sooooooo young, sooooooo sweet. (Yes, blonde: Bush)

Ahem... "Blondie," ie. "The Good," was Clint Eastwood's character.

And no, "The Ugly" wasn't "Tex," it was "Tuco" played by Eli Wallach. The correct quotes:


TUCO: (Seeing troops approaching) They're gray like us. Let's say hello to them and then get going. (Yelling to the troops) Hurrah! Hurrah for the Confederacy! Hurrah! Down with General Grant! Hurrah for General... (to Blondie) What's his name?

BLONDIE: Lee.

TUCO: (Yelling to the troops again) Lee! God is with us because he hates the Yanks too! Hurrah!

BLONDIE: (Watching closely as the troops approach) God is not on our side 'cause he hates idiots also. (The troops approach them, and beat the gray dust off their Union uniforms.)


Later in the movie, when "Angel Eyes" aka "The Bad" has been shot in the classic 3-way shoot-out (a Hollywood first), Blondie says to Tuco:


BLONDIE: You see, in this world, there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig.


Which was a re-wording of a similar thing that Tuco had told Blondie at the beginning of the story.

pixelthis
10-04-2008, 08:13 PM
When time start to look to look tough for average consumers, they stop buying. However the price of luxury consumers goods may actually go up because sellers know that only the wealthier people will continue to buy and they won't be deterred by the higher prices.

We in Canada are affected very quickly by whatever happens in the US.

WEELL, sux to be you because we here in the states are about to go through one KING hell of a depression.
you canucks are gonna be cutting open leblatts cans and licking the insides.
A guy named Clinton lifted the regulations stopping this sort of thing
(the GLASS STEGAL ACT) .
Why did he do such a stupid thing?
Why did he give clasified govt secrets to the Chinese?
Well, look at the bright side, he can always blame it on the republicans.
Of course both parties are wings of one monolithic demopublican party that is intent on destroying the country in order to bring about
a "new world order", they are in charge, so we are ALL screwed to the
wall.
Plasma, lcd, and other high tech toys are going to suffer, the poor wont be able to buy, and the rich will be buying luxeries such as food.
BUT it is still fun to come to sites like these and pretend that we still live in a world where you can buy just about anything without starving.
That tree has been chopped down, just hasnt hit the ground quite yet.:1:

Feanor
10-05-2008, 03:23 AM
Okay. I'm not understanding what you are saying here. :crazy: :rolleyes5:

It's a matter of microeconomics, that is, in worsening economic times the demand curve shifts downward but more so on the low price end for luxury goods.

In normal times prices are lowered to attract people who can't afford buy a higher prices; volume of sales, however, increases sellers profits.

However in an economic downturn, the lower prices won't attract the more reluctant people because they are spending all their money on, say, food. Might as well leave the price high and extract as possible from people who are better off and less concerned with price.

There, I said the same thing again at greater length. Does this wordier explanation help, Rich?

Feanor
10-05-2008, 03:43 AM
....
Plasma, lcd, and other high tech toys are going to suffer, the poor wont be able to buy, and the rich will be buying luxeries such as food.
BUT it is still fun to come to sites like these and pretend that we still live in a world where you can buy just about anything without starving.
That tree has been chopped down, just hasnt hit the ground quite yet.:1:

Yeah, the tree is coming down. Just yesterday I finished reading Kevin Phillips' 2006 book, American Theocracy (http://www.americantheocracy.net/), wherein he illuminates the US' endgame as the leading world power. Three factors are limiting American options:

A crippling dependance on oil, (whatever the source)
The increasing religiosity that is working against rational solutions, (and is exploited and stocked by Bush-style Republicans)
The enormous public and private debt that has been ramping up for decades ago but exploded since 2000, (the sub-prime mortgage thing being but one aspect).He's at least right about the last one as events of the last couple of months have demonstrated.

As for blaming it all on Clinton, well, your paritsanship has given you selective apprehension of the facts.

Mr Peabody
10-05-2008, 11:05 AM
A year ago what Feanor was saying held true, while Wal-Mart and similar stores had their first down turn in sales, boutique and high end stores were booming, whether it be clothes, jewelry or whatever. Now that the damage has come full circle and landed on Wall Street sales are down every where. Bush has pretty much put the skids to the middle class and McCain seems bent on doing the same kind of damage, tax breaks to oil and other corporations while taxing our health benefits, further union busting efforts, contracting out of work and shipping jobs overseas and the maverick carries on.

I don't know if anyone else has tried to sell anything online but I have had little to know decent offers on items I've placed on Audiogon or Craigslist. You'd think in the economy people would be looking for a good deal but rather the economy is past that, it's to the point I believe where people are just buying necessities.

pixelthis
10-05-2008, 10:46 PM
Yeah, the tree is coming down. Just yesterday I finished reading Kevin Phillips' 2006 book, American Theocracy (http://www.americantheocracy.net/), wherein he illuminates the US' endgame as the leading world power. Three factors are limiting American options:

A crippling dependance on oil, (whatever the source)
The increasing religiosity that is working against rational solutions, (and is exploited and stocked by Bush-style Republicans)
The enormous public and private debt that has been ramping up for decades ago but exploded since 2000, (the sub-prime mortgage thing being but one aspect).He's at least right about the last one as events of the last couple of months have demonstrated.

As for blaming it all on Clinton, well, your paritsanship has given you selective apprehension of the facts.

You seem to be blaming it all on republicans.
they werent the ones who insisted that everybody with a pulse get a mortage to match.
Of course thats buying into the whole 2 party dynamic, which is horse
puckey.
The two "parties" are actually two wings of one monolithic party
that is controled by one worlders and has deliberately run our country into the ground, "parting out" anything of even minicusle value.
It may seem a "disaster" but its actually what they want.
You wont get a one world govt until the USA is brought down to the level of the rest of the world.
Which is the process currently taking place.
The last depression destroyed a once free republic, replacing it with
a socialistic "democracy" , the current depression will finish the demolition process, which will include all of western civilization.
DONT THINK SO? Try to find anything more complicated than clothespins still made in this country.
We are 500 trillion in debt, how will we pay that with no serious manufacturing base?
I THOUGHT SO.:1:
(plasma is dead, and so are we)

Mr Peabody
10-06-2008, 09:08 PM
Just who is behind your plot Pix? Do you think if our civilization crumbles our current congress would be in the New World Order? I don't think so. Is another country actually running the U.S. from behind the sceens? Just which nationality would be in charge? Would the U.N. rule? The same U.N. that tried to sanction Iraq around 13 times for not cooperating with inspectors. The U.N. is the only thing more pathetic than our own congress.

Let me tell ya, if DC and Wall Street falls there's still a lot of U.S. territory to cover and quite a damn few of us exercise our rights to bare arms and the rest of the job ain't going to be easy. Sure there's nukes but what good would that do. It would be like blowing up your house to get rid of the mice. Yeah, the mice are gone but so is anything else of value. What good is a giant waste land to anyone?

How in the world did this thread get out here??

RoadRunner6
10-06-2008, 11:24 PM
My thread is but a pitiful shadow of its former self!

RR6 :sad:

Mr Peabody
10-07-2008, 06:49 PM
Ah, don't be sad RR, we need to talk about something while we are waiting for you to hang the darn thing.

RoadRunner6
10-07-2008, 09:04 PM
Thanks Mr. Peabody, you have lifted my spirits (:lol:). I'm a Poly-Sci major and get overloaded at election time with all the political talk.

Seriously, my new plasma it is going on a stand. I have it set up now and going thru a break-in routine. In a few weeks I'll hopefully have time to hook up a blue ray, test it and give my feedback. The frame is very attractive and so far I'm pleased with the picture.

RR6

GMichael
10-08-2008, 05:22 AM
HD HD!
Plug it in and turn it on! What's going to be the first movie?

Rich-n-Texas
10-08-2008, 06:20 AM
Thanks Mr. Peabody, you have lifted my spirits (:lol:). I'm a Poly-Sci major and get overloaded at election time with all the political talk.

Seriously, my new plasma it is going on a stand. I have it set up now and going thru a break-in routine. In a few weeks I'll hopefully have time to hook up a blue ray, test it and give my feedback. The frame is very attractive and so far I'm pleased with the picture.

RR6
Don't forget the pics Mr. 6! We need pics. We like pics! :yesnod:

RoadRunner6
10-08-2008, 08:48 AM
Oh, a voyeur!

Rich-n-Texas
10-08-2008, 10:25 AM
I don't know what a yoyeur is.:idea:

GMichael
10-08-2008, 10:34 AM
I don't know what a yoyeur is.:idea:

+1
:crazy:

RoadRunner6
10-08-2008, 02:16 PM
OK, it's corrected. So I have a little Arthur Itis in my fingers. Give the old fart a break. My wife thinks it's sad. She says my fingers are the only stiff parts on my body!

RR6 :frown2:

PostScript,

Houston, we have a problem. I just looked at the keyboard on my laptop. The "v" key and the "y" key are two rows apart and separated by the f, g and h keys. Is this consistant with a diagnosis of early onset mental decline rather than the earlier diagnosis of Arthur Itis disease?

nightflier
10-09-2008, 09:52 AM
PostScript,

Houston, we have a problem. I just looked at the keyboard on my laptop. The "v" key and the "y" key are two rows apart and separated by the f, g and h keys. Is this consistant with a diagnosis of early onset mental decline rather than the earlier diagnosis of Arthur Itis disease?

...we can only hope you're using a single HDMI cable between components.
:biggrin5:

pixelthis
10-10-2008, 01:56 PM
I don't know what a yoyeur is.:idea:


that is a YOYO master of course.
Have to explain everything to ya!

Rich-n-Texas
10-10-2008, 09:54 PM
Lieutenant Ohura... Ahuro... can't remember her name...

Nevertheless, she had all them aliens under control with her translation skills. Romulians, Klingons, fuzzy talkin' balls n' all that kinda sh!t. Remember? And a healthy rack to boot.
:thumbsup:

pixelthis
10-12-2008, 08:45 PM
Lieutenant Ohura... Ahuro... can't remember her name...

Nevertheless, she had all them aliens under control with her translation skills. Romulians, Klingons, fuzzy talkin' balls n' all that kinda sh!t. Remember? And a healthy rack to boot.
:thumbsup:


COMMUNICATIONS skills. She had skills?
I think it was the great rack that had everybody under control:!:

nightflier
10-15-2008, 11:02 AM
Nothing like a black woman who could even put Shatner in his place, to get white boys to shout: baby got back!

So Pix, still no luck on that Vincent Audio babe?

pixelthis
10-15-2008, 09:46 PM
Nothing like a black woman who could even put Shatner in his place, to get white boys to shout: baby got back!

So Pix, still no luck on that Vincent Audio babe?

NOPE.
Sorry.
Heres yet another consolation prize:1:

RoadRunner6
10-15-2008, 11:30 PM
News clip from Sound and Vision Magazine

October 10, 2008
Boomtime for Plasma
Even with the global economy on increasingly shaky ground, a new study out of China shows that — not only are plasma sales booming as LCD sales fall — plasma sales are actually hitting historical highs.

While you can debate on which is better/cheaper/blacker/thinner/sexier/brighter, it seems plasma sales are going strong, according to a report from DisplaySearch, a market research firm.

Is it technology-driven, or an effect of the economy?

Part of it's simple supply and demand. Samsung and LG both shipped more plasma units recently. As a result, the prices for similar sized screens favor plasma over LCD, by about 25%. In this economy, who doesn't want to save 25%?

In most viewing rooms, plasma works fine, and with better prices, why wouldn't sales be booming? —Leslie Shapiro

RR6 :biggrin5: :biggrin5: :biggrin5:

nightflier
10-16-2008, 02:22 PM
RR, if only that were true for all brands, but Pioneer is still way higher. But yes, Panasonic and LG do seem to have come down a bit. Of course, so have comparably-sized LCDs, which apparently are over-stocked as well. The tigers my not like us very much, but when we stop consuming, guess who cries wolf?

pixelthis
10-16-2008, 03:39 PM
News clip from Sound and Vision Magazine

October 10, 2008
Boomtime for Plasma
Even with the global economy on increasingly shaky ground, a new study out of China shows that — not only are plasma sales booming as LCD sales fall — plasma sales are actually hitting historical highs.

While you can debate on which is better/cheaper/blacker/thinner/sexier/brighter, it seems plasma sales are going strong, according to a report from DisplaySearch, a market research firm.

Is it technology-driven, or an effect of the economy?

Part of it's simple supply and demand. Samsung and LG both shipped more plasma units recently. As a result, the prices for similar sized screens favor plasma over LCD, by about 25%. In this economy, who doesn't want to save 25%?

In most viewing rooms, plasma works fine, and with better prices, why wouldn't sales be booming? —Leslie Shapiro

RR6 :biggrin5: :biggrin5: :biggrin5:


A lot of it is marketing.
Plasma 720p undercuts LCD and a lot arent interested in 1080p.
My brother wasnt, bought a 720p samsung 42".
But 1080p does make a diff, quite a diff, really.
Actually I like the idea that there are a lot of plasma buyers out there,
when you get tired of the news crawl from fox overlaying your movies,
when the gas escapes, when the high voltage rectifier burns out,
you're gonna be in the market for a real monitor, I'll be ready to sell to a former plasma owner tapped out from his last purchase.
certified check only please:1:

RoadRunner6
10-16-2008, 03:48 PM
when the gas escapes

RR6 :ciappa:

pixelthis
10-19-2008, 09:16 PM
RR, if only that were true for all brands, but Pioneer is still way higher. But yes, Panasonic and LG do seem to have come down a bit. Of course, so have comparably-sized LCDs, which apparently are over-stocked as well. The tigers my not like us very much, but when we stop consuming, guess who cries wolf?


OR FOX:1:

Wits
10-31-2008, 11:43 PM
Wow...after reading all the vitriol in the four pages of this thread I need a brain relaxant!

First things first...Congratulations RR6! :thumbsup: I'm sure you'll enjoy your new tv...Plasma has a great picture quality that is unmatched by anything. I'm looking at a short list of three plasmas: Panasonic 50PZ800U, Samsung PN-50A550, Samsung PN-50A650. Just can't quite decide between them.


We are 500 trillion in debt, how will we pay that with no serious manufacturing base?
Well, Pixelthis, I now see that you take liberties with all data, not just those of plasma and LCD tv specs.:nono:

Mr Peabody
11-01-2008, 04:14 AM
When looking for a great plasma Pioneer should be on that list. The Elite will cost more but the picture quality improvement will be obvious.

Woochifer
11-01-2008, 12:29 PM
Wow...after reading all the vitriol in the four pages of this thread I need a brain relaxant!

First things first...Congratulations RR6! :thumbsup:[SIZE=4][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3] [FONT=Tahoma]I'm sure you'll enjoy your new tv...Plasma has a great picture quality that is unmatched by anything. I'm looking at a short list of three plasmas: Panasonic 50PZ800U, Samsung PN-50A550, Samsung PN-50A650. Just can't quite decide between them.

The new Samsungs have improved in a lot of areas. My understanding is that the Pannys have superior brightness levels compared to the Samsung plasmas, while some people prefer the Samsungs' color balances. Last year, the Panny picture quality was clear step up, but this year it's supposedly more of a toss up.

As Peabody mentioned, the Pioneer plasmas probably have the best picture quality among all HDTVs, and the Elite models come with the most comprehensive picture controls available to the end user -- useful if you do your own calibration using a calibration disc or external device.. But, they are also the most expensive sets on the market.

Only by moving up to the TH-50PZ850U (which is another $500 higher) do you get a similarly comprehensive set of controls on the Pannys.

pixelthis
11-03-2008, 12:32 AM
Wow...after reading all the vitriol in the four pages of this thread I need a brain relaxant!

First things first...Congratulations RR6! :thumbsup: I'm sure you'll enjoy your new tv...Plasma has a great picture quality that is unmatched by anything. I'm looking at a short list of three plasmas: Panasonic 50PZ800U, Samsung PN-50A550, Samsung PN-50A650. Just can't quite decide between them.


Well, Pixelthis, I now see that you take liberties with all data, not just those of plasma and LCD tv specs.:nono:

Yeah you're right, I am UNDERESTIMATING things a bit.
Truth is , with unfunded libilities we are a lot deeper in debt than 500 trillion.
And THATS just the govt!
Never mind the 1.4 QUADRILLION in dirivatives, or the one trillion in credit card dept.
Not to mention that what left of our auto industry is about to pack it in.
Sorry for lowballing things so badly:1:

nightflier
11-10-2008, 05:01 PM
The cost per sq. inch for a Plasma is now a bit less than LCD, from what I can find online. Another factor I wasn't aware of is that for the larger screens at least, the watts used both in operation and at idle (when power is off and it's on standby) is actually very low, often lower than many LCDs. This certainly raises Plasma on my Green-O-Meter.

pixelthis
11-10-2008, 11:37 PM
The cost per sq. inch for a Plasma is now a bit less than LCD, from what I can find online. Another factor I wasn't aware of is that for the larger screens at least, the watts used both in operation and at idle (when power is off and it's on standby) is actually very low, often lower than many LCDs. This certainly raises Plasma on my Green-O-Meter.


THIS is great if you want to use your TV for a paperweight, or some kinda sculpture.
IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO WATCH IT, it will consume twice
what an LCD does, it takes power to create a plasma in a glass tube,
about 30,000 volts, actually.
The one thing I do like about plasma is that it sticks it to the "green nazis", anything that pisses off those idiots is okay in my book.:1:

Mr Peabody
11-11-2008, 06:53 AM
You should be thankful for "green nazi's" and all who become concerned enough over an issue to speak out. There needs to be balance in all things and with out some one standing up and shouting "hey!" to bring the rest of our attention to an issue that is being over looked the greedy (______, insert foul adjective of choice) in power and control would run this country and us into the ground. In this day and age with all the communication we have available, probably too much, it is easy for something to go unnoticed until it is too late. With that being said it is also common for over reaction or take things to such an extreme that a good thing soon becomes negative in people's perception. As an example, I'm all for ethical treatment of animals and people but what does that have to do with breast milk in my ice cream.

I personally feel when the majority of consumers go to look for a TV that power consumption is probably way down the list of priorities to look for if at all. It could some day if electricity was extremely expensive, or perceived that way, the way gasoline is today. The jump in gas prices over the summer was a rude awakening to those who still cling to SUV's and 8 bangers. Some come down on the U.S. auto makers for not mirroring the foreign imports, and they probably should have at least kept up with the technology, but they sold the product the public was buying. If SUV's and muscle cars were sitting on the lots with no where to go, do you think Detroit would have been still pumping them out? Detroit can't change until the consumer changes. There has to be a demand for a product or at least a strong indication that the public would welcome it before making it available. After all the idea is to make money and sales.

nightflier
11-11-2008, 04:22 PM
Actually, Pix, I did a little research on that, and some of the newer Panasonic Plasmas have lower energy usage than comparable LCD. Sony seems to make the most energy efficient LCDs, but Toshiba, Pioneer and lesser known brands like Westinghouse and Olevia are real energy hogs. Some of the Panasonic plasmas use only about 280 watts while in use (compared to some LCDs that require up to 600 watts) and can use as little as .05 watts when off (compared to 2 watts for some Toshibas). I know that last figure is only a fraction of the on-energy-use, but if you consider how much more often the TV will be off in most homes, it all does add up.

Granted, the average Plasma does use more, but there are a few models that use less and for those who care about this (here in SoCal we care about it perhaps a bit more than elsewhere), that's significant. If you also consider the many advantages in picture quality that a Plasma offers, it becomes a tough sell to pay as much as 20% more for the same size LCD if the latter also uses more energy and gives off more heat. I know I'm in the minority when it comes to being green about this, but when it's coupled with a better experience, then why not get the better overall package?

For the record, the most energy efficient LCDs are Sonys, and the most energy efficient Plasmas are Panasonics. Many Sony & Panasonic models are more energy efficient by a wide margin from other barnds, and the Panasonic Plasmas typically have lower usage than LCDs from manufacturers other than Sony.

Wits
11-11-2008, 04:44 PM
When looking for a great plasma Pioneer should be on that list. The Elite will cost more but the picture quality improvement will be obvious.
That's why Pioneer isn't on my final list. With everything else I have to buy I absolutely must stay below $2k on the television.:sad:

Mr Peabody
11-11-2008, 05:08 PM
NF, I appreciate the research you did and especially you sharing it. I suspect my Sharp 26" is a power hog LCD, it is always radiating heat, even when off. My daughter has a 30 something no-name LCD and hers is cool when off. I don't know how much power either uses while on. I do not like my LCD putting out heat in the summer, that would have been a deal breaker if I had known.

nightflier
11-12-2008, 10:16 AM
Mr. P., for $23 and change, you can find out exactly what the damage is, on & off:

http://www.amazon.com/P3-International-P4400-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/187-3894811-9051829?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226513596&sr=8-1

For the temperature, any thermometer should do (just don't use one that's been in dark places, we'd loose all respect, LOL).

Woochifer
11-12-2008, 11:07 AM
Actually, Pix, I did a little research on that, and some of the newer Panasonic Plasmas have lower energy usage than comparable LCD. Sony seems to make the most energy efficient LCDs, but Toshiba, Pioneer and lesser known brands like Westinghouse and Olevia are real energy hogs. Some of the Panasonic plasmas use only about 280 watts while in use (compared to some LCDs that require up to 600 watts) and can use as little as .05 watts when off (compared to 2 watts for some Toshibas). I know that last figure is only a fraction of the on-energy-use, but if you consider how much more often the TV will be off in most homes, it all does add up.

Aside from the material used, the energy usage on a plasma also greatly varies with the calibration settings. In nearly all cases, if you calibrate a plasma set to reference levels, the energy usage goes way down. For example, on the Pioneer PDP-LX5090, the measured energy usage goes down from 393 watts using the factory settings to 272 watts after calibrating the set. On one of the Panasonic models, I recall consumption declining from around 280 watts using the default settings to around 205 watts after a calibration. Larger size and 1080p resolution also affect energy usage, Panny's 50" 1080p plasmas on one set of benchmark tests I saw were closer to 400 watts out of the box, and 300 watts using calibrated settings.


For the record, the most energy efficient LCDs are Sonys, and the most energy efficient Plasmas are Panasonics. Many Sony & Panasonic models are more energy efficient by a wide margin from other barnds, and the Panasonic Plasmas typically have lower usage than LCDs from manufacturers other than Sony.

Panasonic's new plasma lineup for next year will purportedly feature thinner panels that use much less energy than the current models. Since Pioneer's plasma panels will be manufactured by Panasonic starting next year, we'll see if their sets see a comparable reduction in energy usage. On the LCD side, going with LED backlighting increases the contrast and decreases the energy usage.

nightflier
11-12-2008, 12:34 PM
Most of my TV watching is done at night, so I could probably turn it down even more.

That said, Wooch, wouldn't the same be true for LCDs, then? I was mainly basing my findings on Crutchfield's listed figures for the testing they did in-house, and I'd like to think that they calibrated the sets or at least used standard settings.

Woochifer
11-12-2008, 01:25 PM
Most of my TV watching is done at night, so I could probably turn it down even more.

That said, Wooch, wouldn't the same be true for LCDs, then? I was mainly basing my findings on Crutchfield's listed figures for the testing they did in-house, and I'd like to think that they calibrated the sets or at least used standard settings.

LCD's a different animal in that its energy usage varies only with the lamp level, and they typically come out of the factory with the level set to 100% (some LCD calibrations I've seen reset the lamp level to around 80%). Displaying a whiteout pattern will consume the same energy as a greyscale pattern on a LCD TV. With plasma, the energy consumption will vary with the pattern displayed.

I would doubt that Crutchfield uses calibrated settings in their power consumption measurements. Although if they were doing other tests such as color accuracy or contrast, I would then assume that they did some reference level calibration.

Woochifer
11-12-2008, 02:10 PM
NF, I appreciate the research you did and especially you sharing it. I suspect my Sharp 26" is a power hog LCD, it is always radiating heat, even when off. My daughter has a 30 something no-name LCD and hers is cool when off. I don't know how much power either uses while on. I do not like my LCD putting out heat in the summer, that would have been a deal breaker if I had known.

Kind of an apples and oranges comparison, since the heat sources on LCD TVs are a lot more localized and that location can vary. This is not like plasma TVs where heat is more uniformly distributed throughout the panel.

robb01
11-12-2008, 03:38 PM
LCD's a different animal in that its energy usage varies only with the lamp level, and they typically come out of the factory with the level set to 100% (some LCD calibrations I've seen reset the lamp level to around 80%). Displaying a whiteout pattern will consume the same energy as a greyscale pattern on a LCD TV. With plasma, the energy consumption will vary with the pattern displayed.

I would doubt that Crutchfield uses calibrated settings in their power consumption measurements. Although if they were doing other tests such as color accuracy or contrast, I would then assume that they did some reference level calibration.

Interesting, didn't realize they set it to 100%, thanks.

pixelthis
11-13-2008, 11:03 PM
LCD's a different animal in that its energy usage varies only with the lamp level, and they typically come out of the factory with the level set to 100% (some LCD calibrations I've seen reset the lamp level to around 80%). Displaying a whiteout pattern will consume the same energy as a greyscale pattern on a LCD TV. With plasma, the energy consumption will vary with the pattern displayed.

I would doubt that Crutchfield uses calibrated settings in their power consumption measurements. Although if they were doing other tests such as color accuracy or contrast, I would then assume that they did some reference level calibration.


MORE LIES AND NONSENSE from major propagandist wooch.
I do hope no-one is paying any attention to this nonsense.
The only way that "calibration" will reduce the power of any
set is if, during calibration you turn down light output, A GREAT DEAL.
AND PLASMA will still use twice as much power as your typical LCD set.
As for LCD its a "different animal" because its more energy efficent.
The backlight is adjustable(I TURNED MINE DOWN TO 35) but it wont
reduce power usuage as much as turning down the light output
on a plasma because a plasma is such an energy hog to start with,
LCD is always going to be more efficent, no matter how bright you set it to run.
OF COURSE it would be too much to ask wooch to stick to the facts
I guess, as he has shown a complete inability to do so.:1:

Duds
11-14-2008, 05:30 AM
If you are buying a tv based on power consumption....you are a moron


MORE LIES AND NONSENSE from major propagandist wooch.
I do hope no-one is paying any attention to this nonsense.
The only way that "calibration" will reduce the power of any
set is if, during calibration you turn down light output, A GREAT DEAL.
AND PLASMA will still use twice as much power as your typical LCD set.
As for LCD its a "different animal" because its more energy efficent.
The backlight is adjustable(I TURNED MINE DOWN TO 35) but it wont
reduce power usuage as much as turning down the light output
on a plasma because a plasma is such an energy hog to start with,
LCD is always going to be more efficent, no matter how bright you set it to run.
OF COURSE it would be too much to ask wooch to stick to the facts
I guess, as he has shown a complete inability to do so.:1:

RoadRunner6
11-14-2008, 06:50 AM
If he is not buying a tv based on power consumption....he is still a moron.

RR6

GMichael
11-14-2008, 06:56 AM
If he is not buying a tv based on power consumption....he is still a moron.

RR6


You can judge for yourself on that one.

Rich-n-Texas
11-14-2008, 07:08 AM
Great come-back though nonetheless. :lol:

nightflier
11-14-2008, 11:03 AM
Moron? I'm going to take offense to that.

Anyhow, to each his own buddy. I didn't say that was the only criteria, I just said it's a consideration. I guess where you folks live it's OK to use your gear as space-heaters, but here in SoCal, heat and power are expensive, get shut off with rolling black-outs, and is wasted unecessarily.

Yes, picture quality and features are of primary concern, but just because oil is low again (which is, by the way how much of the electricity in this country is generated), it doesn't mean that energy prices will continue to stay low. If you consider how many people have 2-3 TVs and these each cost about $5-7 per month (for LCDs - CRTs use way more), and that's not counting heat & associated air-con use, then these things do all add up.

If you've got money to burn, well I guess that's your decision on where you want to burn it. But for those who are watching the energy costs pile up, this is a concern. And if that makes me a moron, well then how smart do you think you are?

Duds
11-14-2008, 11:52 AM
I wasn't referring to you, sorry about that.



Moron? I'm going to take offense to that.

Anyhow, to each his own buddy. I didn't say that was the only criteria, I just said it's a consideration. I guess where you folks live it's OK to use your gear as space-heaters, but here in SoCal, heat and power are expensive, get shut off with rolling black-outs, and is wasted unecessarily.

Yes, picture quality and features are of primary concern, but just because oil is low again (which is, by the way how much of the electricity in this country is generated), it doesn't mean that energy prices will continue to stay low. If you consider how many people have 2-3 TVs and these each cost about $5-7 per month (for LCDs - CRTs use way more), and that's not counting heat & associated air-con use, then these things do all add up.

If you've got money to burn, well I guess that's your decision on where you want to burn it. But for those who are watching the energy costs pile up, this is a concern. And if that makes me a moron, well then how smart do you think you are?

Rich-n-Texas
11-14-2008, 11:56 AM
Yeah, watch out. nightflier is GREEN!!! :rolleyes: <== green!

Consider if you will, flyboy, where pix comes from. Maybe a better description would be... inbreed? Outhouse junkie? You make the call.

nightflier
11-14-2008, 01:22 PM
Green with envy about RoadRunner's new 50" plasma? You betcha!

GMichael
11-14-2008, 01:37 PM
Green with envy about RoadRunner's new 50" plasma? You betcha!

Me2. It would look great in my game room.

RoadRunner6
11-14-2008, 01:58 PM
If he is not buying a tv based on power consumption....he is still a moron.

RR6

I thought he was talking about the one who's name rhymes with Viziothis.

RR6 :biggrin5:

(moron this later)

pixelthis
11-14-2008, 04:39 PM
I thought he was talking about the one who's name rhymes with Viziothis.

RR6 :biggrin5:

(moron this later)

Oh no, this simpleminded idiot was talking about me, seems hes' my own personal internet stalker.
Every time I post something this ninny has to chime in with some clueless drivel, hes' probably Peruvian skies in disguise.:1:

Woochifer
11-14-2008, 04:41 PM
MORE LIES AND NONSENSE from major propagandist wooch.
I do hope no-one is paying any attention to this nonsense.
The only way that "calibration" will reduce the power of any
set is if, during calibration you turn down light output, A GREAT DEAL.
AND PLASMA will still use twice as much power as your typical LCD set.
As for LCD its a "different animal" because its more energy efficent.
The backlight is adjustable(I TURNED MINE DOWN TO 35) but it wont
reduce power usuage as much as turning down the light output
on a plasma because a plasma is such an energy hog to start with,
LCD is always going to be more efficent, no matter how bright you set it to run.
OF COURSE it would be too much to ask wooch to stick to the facts
I guess, as he has shown a complete inability to do so.:1:

Remember to tip your waitresses, looks like pixie's tour of accidental comedy continues!

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

pixelthis
11-14-2008, 04:45 PM
Yeah, watch out. nightflier is GREEN!!! :rolleyes: <== green!

Consider if you will, flyboy, where pix comes from. Maybe a better description would be... inbreed? Outhouse junkie? You make the call.

AND CONSIDER where good old rich comes from, a toxic waste
dump called new jersey.
Cant blame him for trying to pass "southern" but that is something you're born with, come down and visit, even to live, welcome.
But try to be something you're not and there is just ONE word
to describe you...CARPETBAGGER.
You realize with this idiotic post of yours that you are insulting
EVERYBODY where you now live as well as everybody else in the south.
IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR THE SOUTH , feel free to leave anytime you want, we have enough loud mouth know-nothing yankees
who think that they are the center of the universe to last awhile.:1:

Rich-n-Texas
11-14-2008, 05:19 PM
I think I pissed him off! I really do!

Did you read my post about the family of inbreds I saw at my local grocery store?

And I've already said I'm here for the money.

Nevertheless, if I've offended you Pix, I apologize.

RoadRunner6
11-15-2008, 02:15 PM
simpleminded idiot (rather redundant)

Hey Pix, that is exactly what my Mom used to call me! However, she would have beat the sh1t out of you if she heard you call me that. We always kept our pet names in the family.

RR6 :D

pixelthis
11-16-2008, 06:01 PM
I think I pissed him off! I really do!

Did you read my post about the family of inbreds I saw at my local grocery store?

And I've already said I'm here for the money.

Nevertheless, if I've offended you Pix, I apologize.

QUITE allright, I get quite abrasive sometimes I guess, you're a decent chap and all, just lay off of the "inbreeding" stuff okay?
Thats a bit over the line.
The referee is leaving the field, let the rotten tomatoes start flying again!:1:

pixelthis
11-16-2008, 06:06 PM
(rather redundant)

Hey Pix, that is exactly what my Mom used to call me! However, she would have beat the sh1t out of you if she heard you call me that. We always kept our pet names in the family.

RR6 :D

Pet names?
So they named you after the dog?
Figures.
Saw your mom the other day, the old broad is doing well.:1:

pixelthis
11-16-2008, 06:08 PM
If that one doesnt get me a "greenie"....:1:

GMichael
11-17-2008, 08:01 AM
QUITE allright, I get quite abrasive sometimes I guess, you're a decent chap and all, just lay off of the "inbreeding" stuff okay?
Thats a bit over the line.
The referee is leaving the field, let the rotten tomatoes start flying again!:1:

Did Richie hit a nerve?:1:

Rich-n-Texas
11-17-2008, 08:04 AM
I think I did. I was just reminded of that family of what I thought were... well... kinda looked a little off when I was in my local grocery store. :eek:

GMichael
11-17-2008, 08:25 AM
I think I did. I was just reminded of that family of what I thought were... well... kinda looked a little off when I was in my local grocery store. :eek:

We have those types of families up here too. It's not limited to the south. All you have to do is walk into the Wal-Mart up in Monticello NY for proof. Whoa boy! I started hearing the banjo playing in the back of my head. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. Even wifey was asking me why everyone looked so funny in there.

Rich-n-Texas
11-17-2008, 08:57 AM
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Funny stuff GM!

pixelthis
11-17-2008, 11:32 PM
We have those types of families up here too. It's not limited to the south. All you have to do is walk into the Wal-Mart up in Monticello NY for proof. Whoa boy! I started hearing the banjo playing in the back of my head. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. Even wifey was asking me why everyone looked so funny in there.


He didnt hit a nerve, its just that, while there are spots all over the place
where that sort of thing happens, its just a cheap shot, and for some reason the south gets a lot of that crap, even tho some parts of the north resemble an X-FILES episode.:1:

pixelthis
11-17-2008, 11:34 PM
But back on topic, to whoever "pulled the trigger"(cant remember now)
really, I dooo hope you enjoy your plasma for however long(how long does a fruitfly live?) that it lasts.
AND THAT YOU COME UP WITH SOME CONSTRUCTIVE
use for the carcass after it dies.:1:

GMichael
11-18-2008, 06:11 AM
He didnt hit a nerve, its just that, while there are spots all over the place
where that sort of thing happens, its just a cheap shot, and for some reason the south gets a lot of that crap, even tho some parts of the north resemble an X-FILES episode.:1:

Fair is fair. You never let a chance slip by to call us Yankees. Too bad you haven't figured out that we don't mind it (except for those from Boston).

As far as plasma life goes, I'm betting that his new plasma will last long enough to make it into a second room when he upgrades this room again.:thumbsup:

pixelthis
11-18-2008, 11:40 PM
Fair is fair. You never let a chance slip by to call us Yankees. Too bad you haven't figured out that we don't mind it (except for those from Boston).

As far as plasma life goes, I'm betting that his new plasma will last long enough to make it into a second room when he upgrades this room again.:thumbsup:


Why should you mind it?
Mind it when I call you DAMN yankees.
Yankees is what you are, mearly a description, not an insult.
Why you think it should be an insult is curious tho.
Something wrong with being a "yankee"?:1:

GMichael
11-19-2008, 06:22 AM
Why should you mind it?
Mind it when I call you DAMN Yankees.
Yankees is what you are, mealy a description, not an insult.
Why you think it should be an insult is curious though.
Something wrong with being a "Yankee"?:1:

Nothing wrong with it at all. In fact, in the UK you would be called a Yankee too. Just don't call anyone from Boston a Yankee.
But from the context you use it it, it's clear that YOU think it's an insult.

Rich-n-Texas
11-19-2008, 08:01 AM
That's right pix. It's all in the way you use it. My understanding is that a "Damn Yankee" is someone who moves to the south and stays. Not a big deal to me. I'm staying here for a lot of reasons. And I must say there's a lot about living in the south that just makes me shake my head in amazement when I see the things I see. Frankly, I think "that Southern Hospitality" is an urban legend. People on the highways down here seem to take driving personally instead of just practicing the defensive driving theory, for instance. And even though there are idiots everywhere it seems to be the norm rather than the exception in Texas. Some very rude people here.

Rich-n-Texas
11-19-2008, 08:03 AM
...Yankees is what you are, mearly a description, not an insult.
:1:
Redneck is what you are, merely a description, not an insult.

kexodusc
11-19-2008, 08:10 AM
I'll never forget my first week at school in Atlanta...I ate at some horrible dinner on the highway that was a glorified truck stop. The lady waitress came to me with rotten teeth and a cigarette hanging on her lip and took my order, then asked in the longest southern drawl I've heard
"Where y'all frum, y'all have the fuhhhhniest ax-ssssents..."
Being from North Dakota, I was used to rednecks, but I'll never forget Dixie...

nightflier
11-19-2008, 04:07 PM
Getting back to Plasmas:

Wooch, I'm curious, why did you buy the bottom-of-the-line model from Costco? I figured you for someone who would want the added features and better picture of Panasonic's higher-level monitors.

As it stands, I'm still looking to replace my (now sold) CRT TV. Plasma is definitely getting to be more attractive, but this brightness thing does bother me. After 6 years, it looses 10% (probably negligible), but after 12 years it's down 20% and after 18 years it's 30%, that nearly 1/3 less bright. Considering that Plasma are already less bright than LCDs, that does give me pause. Does a less bright Plasma require me to turn up the power-consumption? If energy prices continue to go up, that's not a good thing.

What I actually most like about Plasma is actually the smooth motion. Even the best LCDs look more choppy, jittery and pixelated during action scenes and scenes requiring smooth, extended flows of motion (like a flag waving). The only LCD that did OK in that department is the Olevia 747i, but i'd have to give up a lot of shadow detail and blackness. Besides, the 747 is getting a bit long in the tooth (and also hard to find apparently). Of course, at $1K, that's a price that's hard to beat. What it does not have is 24fps, which I've noticed can help a lot on the right TV (some actually look worse).

For my TV room, we'll be sitting 9-10' from the screen (if I don't want the couch against the back wall), so a minimum of 46" is necessary and detail is noticeable at that distance. People may say that contrast ratio, 24fps, and noise are no big deal, but I doubt they're sitting that close when they downplay them. Anyhow, if anyone has some thoughts, please chime in.

Woochifer
11-19-2008, 05:41 PM
Getting back to Plasmas:

Wooch, I'm curious, why did you buy the bottom-of-the-line model from Costco? I figured you for someone who would want the added features and better picture of Panasonic's higher-level monitors.

Add a baby, subtract half my wife's income, throw in an uncertain economy, and that equates to a reduced TV budget. With the Pannys, the picture quality of their plasmas is uniformly good across their entire lineup. You're not giving up a lot in the way of picture quality between the top of the line and entry level 1080p models. The top of the line models give you the single pane panel design and additional picture adjustments. I already know from reviews that the Cinema mode is already close to the reference levels and only requires minor adjustments to optimize the picture quality.

I decided on the 1080p Panasonic plasmas quite a while ago, and the choice was between one of the higher line 42" models or an entry level 50". When we rearranged the room and pushed the sofa back a few feet, we opted for the larger screen size. Once the price point went down to $1,400 at Costco, we opted to order one from them because of their 90-day return guarantee and standard doubling of the factory warranty (on a Panasonic that means you get a 2-year warranty, on an LG the warranty gets lengthened to 4 years).


As it stands, I'm still looking to replace my (now sold) CRT TV. Plasma is definitely getting to be more attractive, but this brightness thing does bother me. After 6 years, it looses 10% (probably negligible), but after 12 years it's down 20% and after 18 years it's 30%, that nearly 1/3 less bright. Considering that Plasma are already less bright than LCDs, that does give me pause. Does a less bright Plasma require me to turn up the power-consumption? If energy prices continue to go up, that's not a good thing.

How long do you actually intend to keep this TV? You just sold a CRT TV that's only a few years old. We just got rid of an 11-year old TV, and my other TV broke down after 10 years. That brightness curve is just an extrapolation, I would doubt that the rate of brightness decline is a straight line.

I've said before that in a bright room, you should at least give LCD a look, since the white output is where its performance is strongest. My TV room is not a dark room by any stretch, and the recommended settings on the Panny are not too dark at all. But, you have to remember that I'm used to looking at a calibrated TV, so I know what the reference level is supposed to look like.

The typical default LCD TV setting is way above the calibrated reference level, and to my eyes that bright a picture in a typical living room gets fatiguing in a hurry. If someone's used to the torch setting, then plasma will look dark by comparison. Evaluating a LCD TV requires adjusting the picture settings so that it's closer to the reference levels so you can evaluate the overall picture quality, which includes a lot more than just the brightness.

Like I said before, plasmas will use a lot less energy after you calibrate the TV to reference settings. Panasonic's new plasma lineup will be announced at CES in January, and they supposedly will be a lot thinner and use less energy than this year's models.


What I actually most like about Plasma is actually the smooth motion. Even the best LCDs look more choppy, jittery and pixelated during action scenes and scenes requiring smooth, extended flows of motion (like a flag waving). The only LCD that did OK in that department is the Olevia 747i, but i'd have to give up a lot of shadow detail and blackness. Besides, the 747 is getting a bit long in the tooth (and also hard to find apparently). Of course, at $1K, that's a price that's hard to beat. What it does not have is 24fps, which I've noticed can help a lot on the right TV (some actually look worse).

The plasma image to my eyes is more natural looking, and better approximates what good film projection looks like. Interesting observation on the Olevias -- were those 120 Hz models? The120 Hz models typically do better with motion.


For my TV room, we'll be sitting 9-10' from the screen (if I don't want the couch against the back wall), so a minimum of 46" is necessary and detail is noticeable at that distance. People may say that contrast ratio, 24fps, and noise are no big deal, but I doubt they're sitting that close when they downplay them. Anyhow, if anyone has some thoughts, please chime in.

My TV distance with a 50" TV is less than 9' and that's a lot longer than the 6.5' minimum distance that Panasonic recommends for a 50" 1080p set. A lot of the recommended viewing distances were originally developed for lower resolution TVs. At 1080p, you don't notice the pixels until you get very close to the TV.

pixelthis
11-20-2008, 02:08 AM
One reason the "brightness" of a plasma isnt as great.
They fade on and off!
Put a video camera on one and watch it.
When watching a ntsc monitor on a LCD screen the picture rolled,
because the scan rates didnt match.
Watching an LCD screen on camera, on an LCD screen, the pix looks
fine.
But watch the plasma on an LCD screen, it starts out bright, then slowly fades to almost completely off!
And then slowly comes back on!
This would reduce the average brightness a great deal.
Strangest thing I have ever seen, probably some anti-burn in scheme.
These were Panasonic plasmas, BTW.
This "throbing" wasnt visible to the naked eye, but it would decrease average brightness by a large margin.:1:

GMichael
11-20-2008, 07:32 AM
Getting back to Plasmas:

Wooch, I'm curious, why did you buy the bottom-of-the-line model from Costco? I figured you for someone who would want the added features and better picture of Panasonic's higher-level monitors.

As it stands, I'm still looking to replace my (now sold) CRT TV. Plasma is definitely getting to be more attractive, but this brightness thing does bother me. After 6 years, it looses 10% (probably negligible), but after 12 years it's down 20% and after 18 years it's 30%, that nearly 1/3 less bright. Considering that Plasma are already less bright than LCDs, that does give me pause. Does a less bright Plasma require me to turn up the power-consumption? If energy prices continue to go up, that's not a good thing.

What I actually most like about Plasma is actually the smooth motion. Even the best LCDs look more choppy, jittery and pixelated during action scenes and scenes requiring smooth, extended flows of motion (like a flag waving). The only LCD that did OK in that department is the Olevia 747i, but i'd have to give up a lot of shadow detail and blackness. Besides, the 747 is getting a bit long in the tooth (and also hard to find apparently). Of course, at $1K, that's a price that's hard to beat. What it does not have is 24fps, which I've noticed can help a lot on the right TV (some actually look worse).

For my TV room, we'll be sitting 9-10' from the screen (if I don't want the couch against the back wall), so a minimum of 46" is necessary and detail is noticeable at that distance. People may say that contrast ratio, 24fps, and noise are no big deal, but I doubt they're sitting that close when they downplay them. Anyhow, if anyone has some thoughts, please chime in.

How may 18 year old TV's do you have in service now?

GMichael
11-20-2008, 07:41 AM
My TV distance with a 50" TV is less than 9' and that's a lot longer than the 6.5' minimum distance that Panasonic recommends for a 50" 1080p set. A lot of the recommended viewing distances were originally developed for lower resolution TVs. At 1080p, you don't notice the pixels until you get very close to the TV.

You can run into what I call the tennis match syndrome. That's where it become hard to take in the whole picture without turning your head, or at least moving your eyes. Kind of like sitting in the front row at the movie house. Nothing wrong with it if that's what you like. Saw The Empire Strikes Back that way. Felt like I was in the movie.

Woochifer
11-20-2008, 11:11 AM
You can run into what I call the tennis match syndrome. That's where it become hard to take in the whole picture without turning your head, or at least moving your eyes. Kind of like sitting in the front row at the movie house. Nothing wrong with it if that's what you like. Saw The Empire Strikes Back that way. Felt like I was in the movie.

Front row at a movie house?! Remember that the screens at the larger theaters are upwards of 60' to 80' wide, which is about twice as wide as a tennis court! :crazy:

The rationale behind the 2.35:1 widescreen ratio was to envelop a theatergoer's peripheral vision, so that like you said, the audience would feel like they were in the movie.

A 46" or 50" 1080p TV with a viewing distance of 9' to 10' doesn't come close. I was watching the Wall-E Blu-ray last night and I actually extended the TV further from the wall and pulled the sofa closer up because so much of the detail got obscured at the longer distance. I actually think that Panasonic's 6.5' viewing distance recommendation on a 50" 1080p TV is spot on. That gives you a large picture, but you're still far enough away that the individual pixels aren't visible.

GMichael
11-20-2008, 11:23 AM
Front row at a movie house?! Remember that the screens at the larger theaters are upwards of 60' to 80' wide, which is about twice as wide as a tennis court! :crazy:

The rationale behind the 2.35:1 widescreen ratio was to envelop a theatergoer's peripheral vision, so that like you said, the audience would feel like they were in the movie.

A 46" or 50" 1080p TV with a viewing distance of 9' to 10' doesn't come close. I was watching the Wall-E Blu-ray last night and I actually extended the TV further from the wall and pulled the sofa closer up because so much of the detail got obscured at the longer distance. I actually think that Panasonic's 6.5' viewing distance recommendation on a 50" 1080p TV is spot on. That gives you a large picture, but you're still far enough away that the individual pixels aren't visible.

WHOA! That is way bigger than anything I've seen around here. Was that a drive-in?

Sounds like you've found the perfect ratio for you. I am about 19' away from a 106" screen in the living room and 12' away from a 92" in the bedroom. But both of those are 720p. The bedroom screen views a little larger than the living room does.
I think Kex is in the 10' range from a 100+ screen. Must look huge.

Woochifer
11-20-2008, 12:28 PM
WHOA! That is way bigger than anything I've seen around here. Was that a drive-in?

Nope, just the screen sizes on some of the single-screen theaters I used to frequent when I lived in L.A. The famous Chinese Theater has a 60' wide screen, as does the two-deck Village Theater in Westwood. The Cinerama Dome is an 80' wide screen (I think the actual edge-to-edge width is around 70' because of the deep curve on the Cinerama screen). The largest screen at one of the newer stadium multiplexes is usually around 40' wide (in a stadium seating configuration, you can get away with a smaller screen size because more of the audience sits closer to the screen, although IMO the surround effect sounds worse in a stadium-style theater).


Sounds like you've found the perfect ratio for you. I am about 19' away from a 106" screen in the living room and 12' away from a 92" in the bedroom. But both of those are 720p. The bedroom screen views a little larger than the living room does.
I think Kex is in the 10' range from a 100+ screen. Must look huge.

19' away?! No wonder why you brought the tennis match effect, you can almost put a tennis court between your sofa and the screen!

nightflier
11-20-2008, 03:28 PM
How may 18 year old TV's do you have in service now?

I have a TV in a wooden cabinet in the garage. I have no idea how old it is, but it still works and lets me catch the game when I'm working there. Believe it or not, it was just sitting by the side of the road back when I was in college, so we put it in the truck, and it actually worked, so it's been with me ever since. I can't tell you that it looks new or even in-home-acceptable anymore, but it still works. My wife refers to things I've kept from that long ago as belonging to my "caveman days" and the garage is my "man-cave," (although that's also what she calls any room that has too much A/V gear in it). In the kitchen we have a 19" CRT that's also getting long in the tooth. Don't know how old it is, but it's got to be at least 15 years old.

I guess you could say we hold onto things longer than the average family. The HT room CRT we sold because it was just too big - it was 25" deep and 44" wide. Just getting it down the stairs required three people, lots of straps, and a near-death experience. I've got all my other gear in the same room too, so it's all a bit snug in there right now. Someday... when we buy a new home... (when the finances change), maybe I'll get my 2-channel room back.

In any case, the next TV I buy I will likely want to keep for as long as it stays operable. By the way, I was just told that Olevia filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that they fired all their sales reps last week. So I guess my choices are being made for me. It's going to be Samsung if it's LCD or Panasonic if Plasma. I really like the Panasonic BluRay player, so maybe I'll let that sway my decision - the Samsung BluRay player isn't quite as attractive to me.

...Now let's just hope these guys stay in business and and Plasma sticks around for a little while longer.

Anyone seen the new Mitsubishi laser TVs yet? They are supposed to weigh less, use half the energy that LCDs use, and have none of the picture issues that LCD or Plasma have. The only caveat is that you can only buy a 65" sized TV and it costs a whopping $6-7K. It's pricey, of course, but that was how Plasma and later LCD started out too, so I'm hoping that it will come down in price soon enough. So is it everything it's claiming to be? Has anyone seen it yet?

pixelthis
11-20-2008, 03:53 PM
I have a TV in a wooden cabinet in the garage. I have no idea how old it is, but it still works and lets me catch the game when I'm working there. Believe it or not, it was just sitting by the side of the road back when I was in college, so we put it in the truck, and it actually worked, so it's been with me ever since. I can't tell you that it looks new or even in-home-acceptable anymore, but it still works. My wife refers to things I've kept from that long ago as belonging to my "caveman days" and the garage is my "man-cave," (although that's also what she calls any room that has too much A/V gear in it). In the kitchen we have a 19" CRT that's also getting long in the tooth. Don't know how old it is, but it's got to be at least 15 years old.

I guess you could say we hold onto things longer than the average family. The HT room CRT we sold because it was just too big - it was 25" deep and 44" wide. Just getting it down the stairs required three people, lots of straps, and a near-death experience. I've got all my other gear in the same room too, so it's all a bit snug in there right now. Someday... when we buy a new home... (when the finances change), maybe I'll get my 2-channel room back.

In any case, the next TV I buy I will likely want to keep for as long as it stays operable. By the way, I was just told that Olevia filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that they fired all their sales reps last week. So I guess my choices are being made for me. It's going to be Samsung if it's LCD or Panasonic if Plasma. I really like the Panasonic BluRay player, so maybe I'll let that sway my decision - the Samsung BluRay player isn't quite as attractive to me.

...Now let's just hope these guys stay in business and and Plasma sticks around for a little while longer.

Anyone seen the new Mitsubishi laser TVs yet? They are supposed to weigh less, use half the energy that LCDs use, and have none of the picture issues that LCD or Plasma have. The only caveat is that you can only buy a 65" sized TV and it costs a whopping $6-7K. It's pricey, of course, but that was how Plasma and later LCD started out too, so I'm hoping that it will come down in price soon enough. So is it everything it's claiming to be? Has anyone seen it yet?

everything will be coming down in price soon.
THE BANKRUPTCY of olevia is big, they were pretty popular.
THIS SITE HAS BEEN A REFUGE from what is going on "out there",
but you cant ignore it, they are talking depression on even mainstream
channels.
If they havent tooled up for the laser TV yet you might not see it...
EVER.
Especially since mitshu also sells cars, and nobody is buying those,
even imports.
I SAW A PIC OF THOUSANDS PARKED in a port in California,
they are running out of places to put them.
Things are getting rough.:1:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/19/business/19ports.php

Mr Peabody
11-20-2008, 07:33 PM
I saw a laser DLP in a Crutchfield catalog, I didn't pay much attention to it at the time because I was just browsing. You may be able to see what it's about if you visit their website.

NF, you might want to take a hard look at the Samsung BD-P2500, they are around at $299.00 and loaded with features including on board HD audio decoding, Netflix compatible, BD Live and have the HQV Silicon Optix video chip.

Things are interesting, every day I keep watching the markets fall wondering if this will be the day that will be the bottom and maybe things start picking up. It don't look like that will happen for a while. On the other hand for some reason it looked like most of the city decided to shop at the grocery store today. I guess it was the sale or coupon day, hell I thought it might have been "free grocery day" the way the check out was lined up. A guy I know that works at one store said it was a 40 minute wait in line. That's crazy, I'm wondering if I missed some warning or something.

BTW, gas here was $1.56 a gallon at 7-11. Apparently, now, it's this deflation in prices that's our enemy. We can't win......

Woochifer
11-21-2008, 12:16 PM
In any case, the next TV I buy I will likely want to keep for as long as it stays operable. By the way, I was just told that Olevia filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that they fired all their sales reps last week. So I guess my choices are being made for me. It's going to be Samsung if it's LCD or Panasonic if Plasma. I really like the Panasonic BluRay player, so maybe I'll let that sway my decision - the Samsung BluRay player isn't quite as attractive to me.

The bankruptcy apparently happened back in July. Olevia was the U.S. nameplate for Syntax-Brillian, one of the smaller LCD OEM suppliers. Unlike other lower priced off-brand TVs, all of Olevia's TVs were made by Syntax-Brillian. The problem for an off-brand player like Olevia depending on a single vendor is that the OEM market for LCDs has been in a massive shakeup for the past couple of years with several smaller manufacturers going under and market share consolidating with the larger players.

The CNET article I read indicates that the company was going to reorganize under the Olevia brand name. This likely means that they will function more as a virtual company like their other off-brand competitors, in which nearly all of the R&D and manufacturing are outsourced.


...Now let's just hope these guys stay in business and and Plasma sticks around for a little while longer.

Samsung's the largest LCD OEM and retail supplier in the world (and the #2 plasma manufacturer), they're not going anywhere. Panasonic's the largest plasma supplier in the world, and they're not going anywhere either. The plasma market has grown by more than 30% this year with thinner and more efficient designs coming out next year, so it's not going away in the near future either.


Anyone seen the new Mitsubishi laser TVs yet? They are supposed to weigh less, use half the energy that LCDs use, and have none of the picture issues that LCD or Plasma have. The only caveat is that you can only buy a 65" sized TV and it costs a whopping $6-7K. It's pricey, of course, but that was how Plasma and later LCD started out too, so I'm hoping that it will come down in price soon enough. So is it everything it's claiming to be? Has anyone seen it yet?

Cut past the hype. That Mitsubishi laser TV is basically a DLP RPTV with a new backlight design. Using a laser is supposed to bump up the contrast ratio and light output, and bring out truer colors. Mitsubishi led the big screen market for decades when it was dominated by FPTVs and then RPTVs, but as the market evolved towards flat panels, they've fallen behind. Mitsubishi is trying to protect its stake in RPTV as much as they can, given that they have independent R&D and manufacturing capacity in RPTVs, but depend more on outsource partners for flat panels.

But, if you can get past the usual drawbacks shared with other RPTV designs (i.e., limited viewing angle, bulky cabinet size), then a laser-lit DLP at least has some promise in that it shares plasmas' high contrast ratio and motion resolution, and LCD's high light output, and uses less power than both of them in that large screen size. Problem is that at $7,000, you have other direct view flat panel options in that same size, and the primary market rationale for RPTVs has been larger screen size for less money than direct view flat panels.

pixelthis
11-21-2008, 03:45 PM
DLP anything is basically rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
(or the USS DLP) and a big waste of time, basically.
The group of managers who agreed to this must have been drunk
on their collective asses on that paticular day.
Its never going to make a dime, ever.
Don't tell me that these are the same group that made my fantastic
60" RPTV, what a beautiful set that was.
This is what happens when you cannot accept change.:1:

Wits
11-21-2008, 05:17 PM
Before multiplex theaters became popular, it was common to see very large screens of the size talked about by Woochifer. In fact, I remember not wanting to go to the multiplexes because the experience wasn't as good.

Mr Peabody
11-21-2008, 08:01 PM
The blurp on the laser said it was a smaller cabinet and can be mounted on the wall. My old DLP only weight about 80 lbs. but the back is still a bit bulky. Unless the picture is just killer, I think the price tag will be the largest draw back. If I was spending that kind of money at this point the Elite plasmas would be the top contender.

Can't you see these guys in the R&D department back there like mad scientists trying to come up with the next big TV thing. "Let's try lasers", "ah, let's try LED with LCD", "you got chocolate in my peanut butter".

I wonder how this 3D thing looks with these Mits sets? It's actually out now. I need to go out and check some of these things out.

nightflier
11-24-2008, 10:55 AM
(With headings like that, I'm sure DHS is going to be eavesdropping on this conversation....)


I wonder how this 3D thing looks with these Mits sets? It's actually out now. I need to go out and check some of these things out.

So, besides Mitsubishi's own demo, how many 3D movies are there really that would take advantage of the 3D features?

Mr Peabody
11-24-2008, 07:24 PM
I know of two; Journey To The Center of the Earth and Shark Boy & Lava Girl.