To Plasma or not to plasma... Questions.

[jgierich]

Speaking as one who has a new model 50" Panasonic, I have absolutely nothing negative to report about it. The Picture blows me and everyone else that sees it away. I did about three months of research before I made my purchase and almost without exception, the Panasonic stood head and shoulders above any other brand. I spent the extra bucks and have it mounted on a Bello Plasma stand and it is an awesome display. Prices have dropped significantly. My total purchase, with the stand was under 7k. I dealt with Visual Apex on the purchase and they were outstanding. I would highly recomend the Pani

[RayBan]

Well there is no denying that a CRT will give a better black level...
Iam an owner of a plasma (under 3k) and I found that by taking the time to adjust the set with something coperable to the Digital video esentials test disk, Iam able to get a pretty good image. Sure it will never equal a CRT but if you buy it knowing that it's not a big deal. I also can tell you that the better quality cable youuse the better the picture as well Component being a good picture
As far as life of the TV? Considering how incredible the strides in technology are and the track record of EVERY peice of equipment I ever owned, I'm not going to stress over this TV lasting 10 years. IMAGINE what we will be talking about in 10 years! I'm sure it will get me happily thru 5+ years

[jgierich]

[QUOTE=RayBan]Well there is no denying that a CRT will give a better black level...
The Panasonic boasts a 3000:1 contrast ratio and even if that is an overstatement, I have NEVER seen a better, crisper more clear picture than what this monitor produces. I swear that at times during the Superbowl, like when the overhead camera was used, I felt like I was on the field. I do agree that I could care less if I get over 10 years with this, as I can imagine watching true holographic imaged Tv within the next decade.

[yamdsp-a1]

Which TV under $3K did you go with?

I saw the 50" LCD RPTV. It was pretty good. I was actually very impressed. Also, I think with a proper calibration, the TV would be pretty amazing. I could see myself owning that TV, no problems at all. However, I am still pretty curious about the plasmas and I have nto exhausted my research yet, ao I apprecaite the information.

Thanks for your input.

Yam

[jeskibuff]

Which TV under $3K did you go with?

Hey Yam...I just checked out that Visual Apex site that jgierich referred to. They have a 42" Panasonic EDTV on sale right now for $2745 (expect somewhere around $100 shipping). This doesn't come with the stand, although it's pictured with one. Also, note the contrast ratio is now at 4000:1. Worth checking out, in my opinion.

Edit: correction...their cheapest shipping runs $195

[AVMASTER]

Jeskibuff;
can you receive a 720p signal?

[jeskibuff]

can you receive a 720p signal?

Yup...it accepts any signal my HDTV receiver dishes out through the PC connection, except "Video 1/2", which is basically your lowest resolution (480i...S-Video or composite). It has no problem with displaying the 1080i, 720p and 480p modes, even though the resolution of the display is only 852x480. Actually, now that I think about it, the 480i mode just doesn't go out on that connector, so it's not really a problem with the plasma...my HDTV receiver decides not to output that mode on that connection.

[jgierich]

Just a quick point of clarification....the 42" plasma you referred to from Visual Apex is the EDTV model and not the HDTV. From everything I've seen and heard there is not a highly perceptable difference in viewing regular cable or satellite, but I believe the difference is greater when viewing DVDs. The most authoritative resource I have found on this is located at www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com. I recomend a stop over at that site before you make any final decision.

[AVMASTER]

i can understand in your case using a ED industrial plasma, but my main concern when selling these is not lifespan, burn-in, or heat but current and furture usage. ED plasmas ( good ones)are great for DVD viewing but what happens when blue-lazer DVD players hit? What happens when analog broadcast ends and more program providers use higher formats (1080p ? )? You may have a great sound system but what if I just want to watch the news for a few minutes- instead of just turning on a plasma TV i,ve got several steps to take just to hear a plasma Display. I could go on and on but the point is Yam should consider a plasma with as high as resolution he can afford and how he plans to use it.
I highly recommend Panasonic th42px20u or Panasonic th42phd6uy with component video(rca) plug-in board and a DVI plug-in board