Panasonic plasma suggestion

[SAGENT]

Best buy currently has the Panasonic th50pz80u on sale for $ 1499.00. My store also has a th50pz85u display model on clearance for $ 1545.00. As far as I can tell only difference between the two is the 85u has better contrast ratio and ability to connect to a computer.

I would purchase Best buys 4 year warranty with either tv if a were to purchase.

Any suggestions as to which one i should pick up?

[Duds]

i'm sure you wil be happy with either, but whatever you do, DO NOT buy the best buy extended warranty.


Best buy currently has the Panasonic th50pz80u on sale for $ 1499.00. My store also has a th50pz85u display model on clearance for $ 1545.00. As far as I can tell only difference between the two is the 85u has better contrast ratio and ability to connect to a computer.

I would purchase Best buys 4 year warranty with either tv if a were to purchase.

Any suggestions as to which one i should pick up?

[f0rge]

i vote go with the new TV, also agreed to skip the 4yr warranty.

[pixelthis]

Best buy currently has the Panasonic th50pz80u on sale for $ 1499.00. My store also has a th50pz85u display model on clearance for $ 1545.00. As far as I can tell only difference between the two is the 85u has better contrast ratio and ability to connect to a computer.

I would purchase Best buys 4 year warranty with either tv if a were to purchase.

Any suggestions as to which one i should pick up?


A company called HHGREG is having a HUGE tv sale.
They are selling a 50" SHARP LCD for under a GRAND.:1:

http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductListing.asp?SID=n&CategoryID=650&CategoryName=Digital+Television&SubCategoryName=LCD

[natronforever]

Man, for $46 dollars extra, get the better TV. I can't see any scenario where you would ever regret that decision. Oh, and I'm also OK with you not purchasing the extended warranty. If you really want one, you can find one online for much cheaper.

Again, buy the better TV. The cost difference is negligible.

[Woochifer]

Both sets use the same plasma panel. The difference is in the processing circuitry. People who've seen both models seem split as to how much of a difference in picture quality they notice.

Keep in mind that both models are getting discontinued, and the replacement models are due in stores sometime in March.

If you want to go with the PZ80U, check around for lower pricing. I have the Costco version of that model, and it was selling for $1,400 when I got it, and had been marked down as low as $1,300 before it went back up to $1,450 a few weeks ago. The Costco model is basically the same thing as the PZ80U except that it uses a matte finish bezel and includes a PC input. Costco no longer has it on their website, but their stores might still have it in stock (and you can always recheck the website, since they update it regularly as new stock rotates in). The nice thing about buying from Costco is that they double the factory warranty and give you a 90-day return window.

The clearance price on the PZ85U is pretty good, but I suspect that it won't be hard to find someone else selling it for the same price or lower.

The newer models due out in March use a 10th generation plasma panel with 40,000:1 contrast ratio, better light output, and lower energy consumption. I haven't seen the list prices yet, but you might want to check around to see what the newer Pannys are going for before settling on a price for one of the current models. If the new plasma models' list prices are a lot higher than the current street/clearance prices, then it might be a while before you can get the newer TVs for less than the current clearance prices. I recall that the PZ80U was introduced at $2,000 last March, and the PZ85U was listing for $2,200.

[SAGENT]

After asking my little brother ( who works for BB ) about the extended warranty, he tells me his store has a Th50pz800u display model he will give to me for $ 1500 if I buy the warranty
( $ 250.00 )

Looking at the specs on this model it would appear this would be a better deal than either of the other two, no?

Thanks for the info

[Woochifer]

After asking my little brother ( who works for BB ) about the extended warranty, he tells me his store has a Th50pz800u display model he will give to me for $ 1500 if I buy the warranty
( $ 250.00 )

Looking at the specs on this model it would appear this would be a better deal than either of the other two, no?

Thanks for the info

The PZ800U has a more comprehensive set of adjustments available, and by all accounts, it's a very nice set. But, I would NEVER go with a Best Buy demo model! Way too many grubby hands have touched it. OTOH, if this is a customer return/open box, then it might be worthwhile. Keep in mind that I've seen the PZ800U selling for around $1,800 brand new, so you might want to do some more price checking.

[RoadRunner6]

Don't buy the display model, buy the 85U without the extended warranty.

For anyone interested in the Costco TH-C50FD18, I saw it today at our Costco and it is down to $1199, $100 less than I paid for it and a great buy.

[Duds]

FIRE SALE!!


A company called HHGREG is having a HUGE tv sale.
They are selling a 50" SHARP LCD for under a GRAND.:1:

http://www.hhgregg.com/ProductListing.asp?SID=n&CategoryID=650&CategoryName=Digital+Television&SubCategoryName=LCD

[Woochifer]

Don't buy the display model, buy the 85U without the extended warranty.

For anyone interested in the Costco TH-C50FD18, I saw it today at our Costco and it is down to $1199, $100 less than I paid for it and a great buy.

To the OP, this Costco model is the equivalent model to the PZ80U. $1,200 is indeed a great price for this set.

[nightflier]

I have the smaller 47" Costco model, and see absolutely no reason to regret my decision. Love it. I just mounted it on the wall last weekend and did a full calibration. Don't let the different Costco-specific model number scare you. It's the same TV as the 80U and it includes the VGA input. Contrast ratio may be less, but I've been told it's more marketing hype than an actually noticeable difference so the performance of the Costco model is just as good. Costco also has a very good 90-day return policy and 2yr warranty.

[pixelthis]

FIRE SALE!!

Probably.
Except that its a samsung, which makes it an even better deal.
But its for the Birmingham store only.
AND plasma is on sale too, so yes...FIRE SALE.
Which is what YOU will be doing when your plasma conks out:1:

[sallysue]

Best buy currently has the Panasonic th50pz80u on sale for $ 1499.00. My store also has a th50pz85u display model on clearance for $ 1545.00. As far as I can tell only difference between the two is the 85u has better contrast ratio and ability to connect to a computer.

I would purchase Best buys 4 year warranty with either tv if a were to purchase.

Any suggestions as to which one i should pick up?

Panasonic makes a very good plasma. Try to view the various plasma's in person and ask to see the remote. Check to see what mode it's set too , most come out of the box set to "vivid" which is designed to sell plasmas to customers. Each manufacturer will have "color push" - this is an unnatural amount of color saturation to dazzle the viewer in the store, but it's not an accurate "real world" color. Flesh tones are the most difficult color to duplicate and finer plasmas do a better job than lesser ones.

Contrast Ratio - Beware!!!!

There is no standard for contrast ratio - Again, view the set in person.

Warranty - Your call, if it gives you peace of mind , go for it. Plasma's have a very long life if not abused, contrary to popular belief. However should something go wrong, many times you need a new panel - the TV is toast.

good luck and enjoy the set.........

[Woochifer]

Panasonic makes a very good plasma. Try to view the various plasma's in person and ask to see the remote. Check to see what mode it's set too , most come out of the box set to "vivid" which is designed to sell plasmas to customers. Each manufacturer will have "color push" - this is an unnatural amount of color saturation to dazzle the viewer in the store, but it's not an accurate "real world" color. Flesh tones are the most difficult color to duplicate and finer plasmas do a better job than lesser ones.

Actually, the panel controls will allow you to access the menus. I totally agree with you on the Vivid mode -- the picture looks awful. The actual default mode on the newer Pannys is Standard, but while it looks better than the Vivid mode, the only preset that closely matches reference levels for greyscale and gamma is the Cinema mode. That mode will look dark in a brightly lit showroom, but under more normal lighting conditions, it provides the best overall picture quality.

[sallysue]

Actually, the panel controls will allow you to access the menus. I totally agree with you on the Vivid mode -- the picture looks awful.

The marketing folks know what they are doing, vivid works on customers and dazzles them. Special video loops that don't give a relative color perspective only enhance this affect on the unwary.


closely matches reference levels for greyscale and gamma is the Cinema mode

99% of the public could care less and will focus in on the insignificant aspects of a given set. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtian.

[pixelthis]

The marketing folks know what they are doing, vivid works on customers and dazzles them. Special video loops that don't give a relative color perspective only enhance this affect on the unwary.

You cant be honest when selling a plasma set.
Next to the dozen or so LCD sets I saw at Sams they looked quite DIM
(KINDA LIKE WOOCH, RR, and other plasma fanboys)
So you have to show them bright, brighter than any owner would dare to use them for
because of burn in

[QUOTE]99% of the public could care less and will focus in on the insignificant aspects of a given set. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtian.

99% of the public want a set that is BRIGHT, screw black level or PQ.
This is a battle I have fought for some time, after setting a friends set to reference
settings I come back a few days later and its in TORCH mode, because that is what they want.
Which is why PLASMA is DEAD.:1:

[sallysue]

99% of the public want a set that is BRIGHT, screw black level or PQ.
This is a battle I have fought for some time, after setting a friends set to reference
settings I come back a few days later and its in TORCH mode, because that is what they want.
Which is why PLASMA is DEAD.


The death of plasma has been forcasted for some time now but yet it chugs along. Plasma still has advantages in performance over LCD currently. I'm a big LCD fan but plasmas still have an edge in black levels and speed. The new LCD's are getting better and for me , the black levels on some of the Sony's are acceptable. LCD isn't quite there yet but it will be someday, until then, plasma does things a little better ( and cheaper).

As far as burn-in goes, if you're a net surfer or gamer I'd go LCD.

[Woochifer]

The marketing folks know what they are doing, vivid works on customers and dazzles them. Special video loops that don't give a relative color perspective only enhance this affect on the unwary.

It works because most showrooms are gawdawful spaces for properly demonstrating TVs. The Vivid mode is not Panasonic's default, and the default Standard mode setting is not nearly as off-the-charts as what I've seen from other TVs.


99% of the public could care less and will focus in on the insignificant aspects of a given set. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtian.

Yep, and that's how it has always been. That's why the default settings on TVs are so far off from reference levels. But, when stores take the time to calibrate their TVs, it's amazing how clearly you see the real picture quality differences between TV, and how much better everything looks in general. Unfortunately, most stores don't care much for calibrating their demo sets. Even Magnolia, which sells the high end models, is very inconsistent from store to store. I dropped by a Magnolia location over the weekend, and a lot of the TVs just didn't look right. One of the Pioneer Elites looked washed out, while the Samsung plasma sitting next to it had a big time red push. A different Magnolia store just a few miles away had their demo models calibrated (to advertise their ISF calibration services), and they uniformly looked a lot better.

The first time I calibrated a TV, I was shocked at how far I had to move the settings to achieve anything close to proper calibration. Now that I'm used to looking at a calibrated picture, I can't stand watching most showroom demos without significantly tinkering with the settings.

[Woochifer]

You cant be honest when selling a plasma set.

The only dishonesty is your constant denials of the performance advantages that plasma TVs have in most performance categories, especially when comparing TVs at similar price points.


Next to the dozen or so LCD sets I saw at Sams they looked quite DIM
(KINDA LIKE WOOCH, RR, and other plasma fanboys)

Right, Sam's Club is an IDEAL environment for TV testing, right? :rolleyes:


So you have to show them bright, brighter than any owner would dare to use them for
because of burn in
99% of the public want a set that is BRIGHT, screw black level or PQ.

And for anybody who cares one bit about picture quality, the brightness level on a plasma more than suffices, given that 50% brightness on a Panny plasma is already OVER the calibrated level.


This is a battle I have fought for some time, after setting a friends set to reference
settings I come back a few days later and its in TORCH mode, because that is what they want.

Yeah, you're fighting the battle to convince everybody that torch mode, and watching everything using a zoom stretch is the way to go. And what would you know about reference settings, given that you don't even calibrate your own TVs?


Which is why PLASMA is DEAD.:1:

:out:

[pixelthis]

[QUOTE=Woochifer]The only dishonesty is your constant denials of the performance advantages that plasma TVs have in most performance categories, especially when comparing TVs at similar price points.

Plasmas have a (very) slight improvement in black level.
STUFF YOU MAADE UP DOESNT COUNT


Right, Sam's Club is an IDEAL environment for TV testing, right? :rolleyes:
"ENVIROMENT" doesnt matter, you need to have a set that is ajustable to various room conditions.
A plasma looks good in a dark tomblike room...AND THATS IT.
Thats why LCD kicks its butt in overall sales, most people are buying for family rooms,
NOT HT ROOMS.
And of course a LCD will look better when it still has a picture after that finicky plasma
conks out



And for anybody who cares one bit about picture quality, the brightness level on a plasma more than suffices, given that 50% brightness on a Panny plasma is already OVER the calibrated level.

The 50% brightness on a plasma is actually less than 25% as a plasma cycles on and off.
Run a plasma at 50% continously and you get screen burn in...
WHICH IS WHY IT CYCLES ON AND OFF.


Yeah, you're fighting the battle to convince everybody that torch mode, and watching everything using a zoom stretch is the way to go. And what would you know about reference settings, given that you don't even calibrate your own TVs?

there YOU GO AGAIN makin stuff up.
A lcd properly calibrated is exelent for HT AND can be turned up for the occasions
when families around, or you need more brightness.
A dim plasma display is TOTALLY UNSUITED for family room use....
which is WHY
PLASMA IS DEAD:1:

[Woochifer]

Plasmas have a (very) slight improvement in black level.
STUFF YOU MAADE UP DOESNT COUNT

And the false denials that you make up count even less. Maximum light output is the only performance parameter where LCD has a clear advantage, and that advantage is rendered meaningless when you actually calibrate the set. :out:


"ENVIROMENT" doesnt matter, you need to have a set that is ajustable to various room conditions.
A plasma looks good in a dark tomblike room...AND THATS IT.

"ENVIROMENT" does matter, given that the reference calibration settings will vary depending on the ambient light you get in a room. My room has a normal amount of light, and I can easily get it to display at reference levels with the brightness under 50%. Oh, but you wouldn't know that, given that you don't bother to calibrate your TVs. :out:


Thats why LCD kicks its butt in overall sales, most people are buying for family rooms,
NOT HT ROOMS.

Like I said, most of LCD's sales are generated in the smaller 32" and under sizes. Plasma strictly competes in the larger screen sizes.


And of course a LCD will look better when it still has a picture after that finicky plasma
conks out

Tell that to anyone whose LCD has gotten knocked out by a flying Wiimote (same impact would do no damage whatsoever to a Panny plasma, which is rated to sustain more than 4X the force that would permanently damage an unprotected LCD screen)


The 50% brightness on a plasma is actually less than 25% as a plasma cycles on and off.
Run a plasma at 50% continously and you get screen burn in...
WHICH IS WHY IT CYCLES ON AND OFF.

And that's just more made up BS that you keep repeating over and over. The brightness cycling doesn't even occur during most normal viewing, and only kicks in when the image is near whiteout, which is rare. The level at which the brightness cycling begins will vary depending on the maximum output from the power supply. Unlike your fleeting brain matter, this has nothing to do with burn-in.

And with Panny's newest panel design cutting energy consumption by more than 50%, the maximum light output on that panel more than doubles for anyone who wants to squint while watching their TVs.


there YOU GO AGAIN makin stuff up.
A lcd properly calibrated is exelent for HT AND can be turned up for the occasions
when families around, or you need more brightness.
A dim plasma display is TOTALLY UNSUITED for family room use....

In other words, your TVs are NOT calibrated and you remain clueless as to what a calibrated TV is supposed to look like. You claim that J6P only cares about brightness, and doesn't care about picture quality. Actually, you only speak for yourself, given that you're the one that pounds down them six packs before posting! :lol: As I said, a calibrated plasma set outputs less than 50% brightness. And in my room, which has a normal amount of light, I've never felt the need to change the brightness settings.


PLASMA IS DEAD:1:

:out:

[Duds]

Let's not forget that LCD's are known for leaking extremely harmful liquids..... :)

[Rich-n-Texas]

Will I catch a buzz if I drink it Duds? :ihih:

[Duds]

a buzz you wouldnt believe!!! maybe that's why Trxie is so whacked out of his mind....


Will I catch a buzz if I drink it Duds? :ihih:

[pixelthis]

And the false denials that you make up count even less. Maximum light output is the only performance parameter where LCD has a clear advantage, and that advantage is rendered meaningless when you actually calibrate the set. :out:



"ENVIROMENT" does matter, given that the reference calibration settings will vary depending on the ambient light you get in a room. My room has a normal amount of light, and I can easily get it to display at reference levels with the brightness under 50%. Oh, but you wouldn't know that, given that you don't bother to calibrate your TVs. :out:



Like I said, most of LCD's sales are generated in the smaller 32" and under sizes. Plasma strictly competes in the larger screen sizes.



Tell that to anyone whose LCD has gotten knocked out by a flying Wiimote (same impact would do no damage whatsoever to a Panny plasma, which is rated to sustain more than 4X the force that would permanently damage an unprotected LCD screen)



And that's just more made up BS that you keep repeating over and over. The brightness cycling doesn't even occur during most normal viewing, and only kicks in when the image is near whiteout, which is rare. The level at which the brightness cycling begins will vary depending on the maximum output from the power supply. Unlike your fleeting brain matter, this has nothing to do with burn-in.

And with Panny's newest panel design cutting energy consumption by more than 50%, the maximum light output on that panel more than doubles for anyone who wants to squint while watching their TVs.



In other words, your TVs are NOT calibrated and you remain clueless as to what a calibrated TV is supposed to look like. You claim that J6P only cares about brightness, and doesn't care about picture quality. Actually, you only speak for yourself, given that you're the one that pounds down them six packs before posting! :lol: As I said, a calibrated plasma set outputs less than 50% brightness. And in my room, which has a normal amount of light, I've never felt the need to change the brightness settings.



:out:

Only ONE response to this inane nonsense.
I sat and watched a plasma cycle between NO picture and bright for TEN minutes,
ITS a fairly constant thing, in any event its going to cut overall brightness a
great deal to have your display cycled OFF half the time.
And I have set my set quite well, no need to spend 250 bucks on a 900$ tv,
THAT WOULD BE RATHER SILLY...
which is why you propose it probably:1:

[Woochifer]

Only ONE response to this inane nonsense.
I sat and watched a plasma cycle between NO picture and bright for TEN minutes,
ITS a fairly constant thing, in any event its going to cut overall brightness a
great deal to have your display cycled OFF half the time.
And I have set my set quite well, no need to spend 250 bucks on a 900$ tv,
THAT WOULD BE RATHER SILLY...
which is why you propose it probably:1:

And who among us watches TV using a video camera pointed at a video monitor like you do in your rent-a-cop guise (which is the only time that this brightness cycling is even visible to the naked eye)? You're the ONLY one, and you stand alone in believing your own lies as well. Enjoy the solitude ... :out:

[pixelthis]

And who among us watches TV using a video camera pointed at a video monitor like you do in your rent-a-cop guise (which is the only time that this brightness cycling is even visible to the naked eye)? You're the ONLY one, and you stand alone in believing your own lies as well. Enjoy the solitude ... :out:

Its not visible to the naked eye, but the effect on overall brightness IS.
Always wondered why those plasma panels were so DIM.
Now if I could just figure out why you're SO DIM.:1:

[Duds]

Recent studies have shown that the insane brightness of LCD's is having horrible effects on viewer's eyes. It's almost like a sunburn on the retina.

combine that with the toxic liquids that are leaking out of LCDs, i dont know why any fool would ever buy one...


Its not visible to the naked eye, but the effect on overall brightness IS.
Always wondered why those plasma panels were so DIM.
Now if I could just figure out why you're SO DIM.:1:

[Woochifer]

Its not visible to the naked eye, but the effect on overall brightness IS.
Always wondered why those plasma panels were so DIM.
Now if I could just figure out why you're SO DIM.:1:

:out:

[pixelthis]

Recent studies have shown that the insane brightness of LCD's is having horrible effects on viewer's eyes. It's almost like a sunburn on the retina.

combine that with the toxic liquids that are leaking out of LCDs, i dont know why any fool would ever buy one...


What about the toxic liquids leaking outta YOU?:1:

[Duds]

no liquids, just gas.....BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHA


What about the toxic liquids leaking outta YOU?:1:

[pixelthis]

no liquids, just gas.....BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

YEP....outta both sides

[StevenSurprenant]

Best buy currently has the Panasonic th50pz80u on sale for $ 1499.00. My store also has a th50pz85u display model on clearance for $ 1545.00. As far as I can tell only difference between the two is the 85u has better contrast ratio and ability to connect to a computer.

I would purchase Best buys 4 year warranty with either tv if a were to purchase.

Any suggestions as to which one i should pick up?

Amazon has the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U for $1850 and from what I read it is a step or two above the older TV's. In addition, it has a life span of 100,000 hours which is a huge improvement.

By the way and since we are the subject of plasmas, I always had a hard time determining which technology was better, plasma or LCD, when viewing them in the store. The two major differences were brightness and black levels. It went this way or that way depending on the picture that was being displayed. One thing I did notice was that when the background was black, many times the LCD looked blacker than the plasma, but when I would put my eye against the screen, the plasma was actually darker than the LCD. It was strange that it didn't appear that way from a distance. I suppose that it was because the LCD was brighter. I would also assume that most people turn their brightness down at home resulting in a net effect of the plasma being better at black levels. Just a thought...

Anyway, I saw a Pioneer plasma that was playing all dark scenes and it was very impressive. No other TV that I saw would show such inky black with all the detail intact. The brightness seemed a little subdued but everything looked great. The only problem was that it was too big and too expensive for me. Everything else in the store looked washed out in comparison during dark scenes.

My only real concern with plasma is screen burn. While it has been improved a great deal, it still happens often enough. For instance, I love the 2.35:1 format with the black bars, it makes the scenes appear expansive, but with plasma you have to change the black bars to gray or expand the picture to fit the screen and loose some of the movie. If you don't, you take a chance that burn will occur if you watch it too long in that mode.

After seeing the Pioneer I was willing to take the chance.

[SAGENT]

Thanks for all the input, B.B. last week had the Pioneer PDP-5020FD on sale for 2199.00 and I decided to go with that. Sounds as though its a very good display. I should have it by Tues/ 27th.

[Woochifer]

Thanks for all the input, B.B. last week had the Pioneer PDP-5020FD on sale for 2199.00 and I decided to go with that. Sounds as though its a very good display. I should have it by Tues/ 27th.

Pioneer makes the top rated HDTVs on the market. The Elite version of this TV sold for $8,000 a year ago. Even though Samsung and Panasonic's plasmas have narrowed the picture quality gap with Pio in recent years, both of them present more compromises with the picture quality and features as a trade off for their lower prices.

[Duds]

You got an amazing TV at an amazing price. I got my 5020 a few weeks ago (still at a great price but not as good as yours) and i am in awe every time i turn it on.

Congrats on the purchase!


Thanks for all the input, B.B. last week had the Pioneer PDP-5020FD on sale for 2199.00 and I decided to go with that. Sounds as though its a very good display. I should have it by Tues/ 27th.

[SAGENT]

I forgot to ask, B.B. wants about $ 400.00 for a 4-year extended warranty. I originally told them no but I've got another month to decide if I want to go with it. My brother / father have the exact same tv now for about 6 months without any problems. What do you think, would I be pissing away money?

[Duds]

dont waste your money


I forgot to ask, B.B. wants about $ 400.00 for a 4-year extended warranty. I originally told them no but I've got another month to decide if I want to go with it. My brother / father have the exact same tv now for about 6 months without any problems. What do you think, would I be pissing away money?

[Groundbeef]

I forgot to ask, B.B. wants about $ 400.00 for a 4-year extended warranty. I originally told them no but I've got another month to decide if I want to go with it. My brother / father have the exact same tv now for about 6 months without any problems. What do you think, would I be pissing away money?

I had a warrenty on my 37" Sony Wega Plasma that I bought in 2004 from BB. At the time it was $350.

August 2008, my Wega started acting up, and was scrapped by BB after an estimated $2,200 repair bill.

August 2008, BB swapped out my dead Sony for a 50" Pioneer Plasma. I declined the warrenty for 2 reasons.

1. Warrenty for a 50" plasma was $550. TV new cost $2,200. I'm not paying 25% of the price of the TV for the warrenty.

2. I'm comfortable with the Plasma technology now, but was hesitant in 2004.

[Woochifer]

I forgot to ask, B.B. wants about $ 400.00 for a 4-year extended warranty. I originally told them no but I've got another month to decide if I want to go with it. My brother / father have the exact same tv now for about 6 months without any problems. What do you think, would I be pissing away money?

Agree with GB, the cost on the extended warranties aren't worth the money given how far the prices on plasma TVs have slipped. In 4 years, you can probably get a brand new TV with at least equal performance for not much more than the current warranty cost. With RPTVs, the extended warranties are more worthwhile because they cover projector bulb replacement.