After milling around Best Buy today a bit, I'm starting to consider a Plasma

[aphex]

Been fairly certain that the Samsung LN46A650 was going to be my next tv. After milling around at Best Buy for a little while today and speaking to some very helpful reps (that actually knew their crap), i'm kinda torn now.

I was always turned on by the brightness of LCD (I know, I know), but the 650 seemed to combine the best of both worlds (high contrast ratio, good blacks, bright), but after watching both it and the Pioneer Kuro sitting next to it, I kept turning away from the brightness and staring into the endless black levels of the Plasma.

The Kuro is well out of my price range, but it got me thinking, maybe I don't need something as bright as the LCD. When you see the two side by side, the LCD just stands out. But the longer you look, the plasma just seems to be more refined and natural. Something I had heard, but never really noticed in person until today.

I dunno, what do you guys think? My only requirements are under $2000, 1080p and at least 46-50".

PRIMARY USES:

1. HD Cable / HD DVR
2. PS3 Games
3. PS3 Blu-Ray
4. HTPC

UPDATE:
ROCK ON! Ran into an old friend who used to work at CC with me years ago who is now working at Best Buy, gonna let me use the 10% off coupon on the Samsung 50" 550 Plasma (even though its on sale) & is gonna give me the lower warranty price since the TV is dropped into a lower extended warranty price bracket.

$1599.99 (Sale price of TV)
- $159.99 (10% off Coupon)
- $70 Reward Zone GC (from previous purchases)
-------------
$1370 (Subtotal for the TV)
+ $260 (4 year extended warranty)
-------------
$1630 (Subtotal for TV w/ Warranty)
+ 7% (Tax)
-------------
$1744 (TOTAL)

Broken up over 24 months, that's ~ $73/mo. Not bad at all. He even rang it all up through the system to make sure the coupon worked on the sale price of the TV, and it did.

Gonna go back with my wife tomorrow to order the TV. Thanks everybody!

 

[Excelsior]

The Panasonic 50" Plasma (the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U) is just around the $2K mark. And the 85u is even less.

http://www.abesofmaine.com/ite...PZ85U&id=PSTH50PZ85U&l

http://www.abesofmaine.com/ite...800U&id=PSTH50PZ800U&l

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Hasn't it been shown that the LCD Sony **V4100 is better than the Plasma Samsung LN**A550? In overall picture quality.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
Hasn't it been shown that the LCD Sony **V4100 is better than the Plasma Samsung LN**A550? In overall picture quality.

Huh? I'm looking at the 650 vs. Plasma

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Oh sorry. I do have to say those plasmas look really good. I was going to get the Panasonic PZ42800U i think. But I went for the Sony 40V4100. It looks so nice.

 

[aphex]

How does Plasma brightness compare to DLP? Also, any suggestions on something I can put in my living room to test how annoying the reflective glass will be from the Plasma?

 

[Woofmeister]

A good Plasma can be as bright or brighter than a DLP. The reflective glass, on the other hand, will be a problem if you are watching in a bright room. I have all the lights in my television room on a dimmer--makes a huge difference when watching the plasma.

 

[mshan]

Why don't you just get the Samsung LN46A550?

If your use was purely for viewing hdtv and movies, I would have said go with the 50 inch 720p Panasonic, but since you need double duty for gaming and Blu-Ray, I'd say Sammy.

I like the buttery smoothness of those Sammy LCD panels and the Panasonic plasmas have always reminded me of crt (especially glare off screen). Seems like you can really get a superior home theater picture with the plasma if it is properly calibrated and you don't have issues with glare, but Sammys seem real nice right out of the box.

edit: you can also get the 52 inch 1080 Samsung at Frys.com for $1600 shipped: http://shop3.frys.com/product/5541270

 

[imported_grinder]

If you already have a HD TV look at buying a 720p or 1080p projector. Use the Tv for standard tv viewing to save bulb life and the Projector for everything else. I will be buying one next year just spent all and borrowed a little on a new HT Audio set up. have a Samsung 1080p Plasma for now.
A projector will give you a much more movie like experience, with cheaper drinks, food, and a lot less bothersome noise.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: grinder
If you already have a HD TV look at buying a 720p or 1080p projector. Use the Tv for standard tv viewing to save bulb life and the Projector for everything else. I will be buying one next year just spent all and borrowed a little on a new HT Audio set up. have a Samsung 1080p Plasma for now.
A projector will give you a much more movie like experience, with cheaper drinks, food, and a lot less bothersome noise.

Projector isn't an option for me and the HDTV we currently have is on its way out.

 

[tk149]

In my experience, Best Buy usually does a crappy job of calibrating their TV's, and for some reason, their sources don't always have the same quality. Just be sure that you're comparing apples to apples when you view different TV's side by side.

Also, keep in mind that unless you were in a special viewing room, you were probably under bright fluorescent lighting. You probably don't have the same conditions in your home.

I went with the Samsung LN52A550 for the bigger screen size over the LN46A650, plus the 550 has a matte screen, not a glossy one, which is better for my living room with its many light sources.

 

[mshan]

My sister owns a 3 series 37 inch Olevia LCD and it has a picture that looks great in a well lit room (in a dimly lit room, you can see that blacks aren't really that black). Picture really pops in a pleasing way in a well lit room.

You should try seeing those Samsung 550 series LCDs in a room that at least approximates your typically room brightness (I don't own one, but these Samsungs have always drawn my eye when I see the lesser series at Sam's Club).

Plasma / LCD works great for hdtv. For dvd, I also recommend a dlp front projector, even if you are projecting onto a bare wall. I've got an Infocus 4805 and watching dvds at a 120 inch diagonal just approximates a theater experience more than even a 65 inch hdtv (I'm eventually going to get a Carada Precision screen and I am projecting onto a mustard yellow wall, but still I would take that over any hdtv. Brightness is dimmed and colors obviously have a slightly yellow / red tinge, but nothing can make up for that theater like perspective for movie based dvds).

 

[imported_grinder]

Originally posted by: mshan
My sister owns a 3 series 37 inch Olevia LCD and it has a picture that looks great in a well lit room (in a dimly lit room, you can see that blacks aren't really that black). Picture really pops in a pleasing way in a well lit room.

You should try seeing those Samsung 550 series LCDs in a room that at least approximates your typically room brightness (I don't own one, but these Samsungs have always drawn my eye when I see the lesser series at Sam's Club).

Plasma / LCD works great for hdtv. For dvd, I also recommend a dlp front projector, even if you are projecting onto a bare wall. I've got an Infocus 4805 and watching dvds at a 120 inch diagonal just approximates a theater experience more than even a 65 inch hdtv (I'm eventually going to get a Carada Precision screen and I am projecting onto a mustard yellow wall, but still I would take that over any hdtv. Brightness is dimmed and colors obviously have a slightly yellow / red tinge, but nothing can make up for that theater like perspective for movie based dvds).

Nice another one that likes Front Projectors, I have read so many comments were someone has gone from a Plasma or LCD to a projector and were blow away in the difference they make.
This is diffidently something I want to buy hopefuly about a year from now by then the 1080p ones should be a lot cheaper than they are now and maybe they will have better bulb life to them were i wont need to worry about using the plasma for normal tv viewing.

 

[aphex]

A projector just isn't feasible in my room for many reasons unfortunately, so its either LCD or Plasma for me.

How is the 50" Panasonic 1080p Plasma (80U)?

 

[aphex]

Just a quick update, another quick trip to Best Buy and Circuit City. After playing around with the settings for quite awhile, I have decided to go Plasma. Although the Samsung 650 series LCD can get close to the blacks of the Plasma, the plasma still looked better IMO. The associate put on a Blu-Ray of a concert performance and the difference between the standard LCD (Samsung 550 Series LCD) and the Panasonic Plasma I am considering was drastic, even after tinkering with the settings. The 650 was definitely closer to the plasma, but the blacks still were better in my opinion on the plasma. Although the brightness on the LCD's was noticeably brighter, the blacks are really what swayed me.

The Panasonic Plasma I am looking at getting is the TH-50PZ80U - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...&cp=1&id=1202650462469 I didn't see much of a difference between the 80U and the 85U, at least not enough difference to justify (in my mind) a $400 price differential.

Trying to decide where is best to get the TV with 0% financing;

BEST BUY
$1799.99 + $324.99 (4 year warranty) = $2124.98
12% off Coupon = -$254.99
SUBTOTAL: $1869.99
TAX (6.5%): $121.55
TOTAL: $1991.54
36 Month no interest financing; $55.32/month for 36 months


AMAZON
$1558.43 + $279.99 (4 year warranty) = $1838.42
TOTAL: $1838.42 (no tax, free shipping)
24 Month no interest financing; $76.60/month for 24 months


Although the difference is $150 over the long run, having a Best Buy warranty is better in my eyes than the 'N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc.' warranty that Amazon offers. For something this size, I think I would just prefer to deal local.

What do you guys think?

 

[DrunkenSano]

You should see if Best Buy will try to pricematch the Amazon price, especially since you're buying an extended warranty. They're usually much more compliant to customers who buy their warranties.

 

[mshan]

"All the top name brands including Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi Samsung, Philips, LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp and Toshiba etc. have in-home factory authorized warranty service for their larger size TVs (usually 32? and up). Out of warranty service is no problem. All the major name brand TV companies have vast parts supplies and a nationwide network of factory authorized servicers. The latest trend, started by Panasonic is ?concierge? service. If a Panasonic plasma is taken out of the home for service, Panasonic will provide a loaner plasma TV until the set is returned. This extra service is free; set purchasers only need to register with Panasonic." http://hdguru.com/?p=107

I think profit margins (and presumably commissions) are razor thin on the hdtvs themselves, but are quite generous on extended warranties.

I would do some more research on exactly how low a price you could get online for that hdtv from a reputable online retailer, then go back to Best Buy with a printout of the disposable hdtv article I linked above and see how much further they can come down. Salesperson will probably get a nice plump commission if they sell you the extended warranty, even if set itself is at or near cost. People seem to like Amazon.com as a place to purchase hdtvs, and they also have a 30 Day Price Guarantee. (the Refund Please e-mail notification is spotty, so you need to watch your product in your shopping cart for those 30 days).

Sales person has got to truly believe you will walk out door and buy it somewhere else, too.




edit: how many years is standard Panasonic Plasma warranty - 1 or 3 years? Assuming that the hdtv isn't roughly handled while being shipped from an online retailer or defectively manufactured, I suspect that any problems with your hdtv will likely manifest themselves in the first couple months of use. As long as you don't move the hdtv after it has settled in (I read that parts inside kind of weld together after prolonged use, though I think they were referring to CRT, so moving to a new home may not be a good idea), you might reasonably expect to have many trouble free years of use. Don't hold me to that and peace of mind from the extended warranty might be worth the cost, but you probably need to find out details of who pays for shipping, etc. with specific extended warranty against possible cost of having out of warranty technician of your choice fix it for you at your own cost. Might also want to find out what parts fail over what typical time period and how much those repairs cost.

 

[Snakexor]

Originally posted by: mshan
"All the top name brands including Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi Samsung, Philips, LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp and Toshiba etc. have in-home factory authorized warranty service for their larger size TVs (usually 32? and up). Out of warranty service is no problem. All the major name brand TV companies have vast parts supplies and a nationwide network of factory authorized servicers. The latest trend, started by Panasonic is ?concierge? service. If a Panasonic plasma is taken out of the home for service, Panasonic will provide a loaner plasma TV until the set is returned. This extra service is free; set purchasers only need to register with Panasonic." http://hdguru.com/?p=107

I think profit margins (and presumably commissions) are razor thin on the hdtvs themselves, but are quite generous on extended warranties.

I would do some more research on exactly how low a price you could get online for that hdtv from a reputable online retailer, then go back to Best Buy with a printout of the disposable hdtv article I linked above and see how much further they can come down. Salesperson will probably get a nice plump commission if they sell you the extended warranty, even if set itself is at or near cost. People seem to like Amazon.com as a place to purchase hdtvs, and they also have a 30 Day Price Guarantee. (the Refund Please e-mail notification is spotty, so you need to watch your product in your shopping cart for those 30 days).

Sales person has got to truly believe you will walk out door and buy it somewhere else, too.




edit: how many years is standard Panasonic Plasma warranty - 1 or 3 years? Assuming that the hdtv isn't roughly handled while being shipped from an online retailer or defectively manufactured, I suspect that any problems with your hdtv will likely manifest themselves in the first couple months of use. As long as you don't move the hdtv after it has settled in (I read that parts inside kind of weld together after prolonged use, though I think they were referring to CRT, so moving to a new home may not be a good idea), you might reasonably expect to have many trouble free years of use. Don't hold me to that and peace of mind from the extended warranty might be worth the cost, but you probably need to find out details of who pays for shipping, etc. with specific extended warranty against possible cost of having out of warranty technician fix it for you.

There is so much FUD in this post it is obnoxious.

 

[mshan]

FUD?

I am suggesting to OP that Panasonic Plasma is a quality built, mature technology product with a superb standard warranty and that an extended warranty might not be worth the price, and you call that FUD?

 

[mshan]

"i work retail as well (supervisor @ bby) and born brand shoes are all ive used for the past few years and they have been awesome! "

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

 

[sportage]

Plasma is a nice picture. 30 year screen life too (usually).
But... plasma takes twice or more the wattage power, and is twice as heavy.
Even so, I'm pro plasma myself over the others.
And DLP is totally out, except for projectors and movie theaters.

 

[aphex]

edit: how many years is standard Panasonic Plasma warranty - 1 or 3 years? Assuming that the hdtv isn't roughly handled while being shipped from an online retailer or defectively manufactured, I suspect that any problems with your hdtv will likely manifest themselves in the first couple months of use. As long as you don't move the hdtv after it has settled in (I read that parts inside kind of weld together after prolonged use, though I think they were referring to CRT, so moving to a new home may not be a good idea), you might reasonably expect to have many trouble free years of use. Don't hold me to that and peace of mind from the extended warranty might be worth the cost, but you probably need to find out details of who pays for shipping, etc. with specific extended warranty against possible cost of having out of warranty technician of your choice fix it for you at your own cost. Might also want to find out what parts fail over what typical time period and how much those repairs cost.

After getting fucked by Toshiba (even within warranty), I won't take a chance anymore. Extended warranty all the way.

 

[toslat]

Originally posted by: mshan

"i work retail as well (supervisor @ bby) and born brand shoes are all ive used for the past few years and they have been awesome! "

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

ouch!!!

 

[toslat]

Originally posted by: sportage
Plasma is a nice picture. 30 year screen life too (usually).
But... plasma takes twice or more the wattage power, and is twice as heavy.
Even so, I'm pro plasma myself over the others.
And DLP is totally out, except for projectors and movie theaters.

aren't we exaggerating things a bit?

 

[Snakexor]

Originally posted by: mshan

"i work retail as well (supervisor @ bby) and born brand shoes are all ive used for the past few years and they have been awesome! "

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...AR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

In your post it is quite obvious that you do not understand plasma TV technology nor a Best Buy Performance Service Plan. Me stating I am a supervisor (now manager) for Best Buy on this forum does not "pwn" me.