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LED LCD vs Plasma

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Personally, I think that TV technology is so good at this point that there is very small gains from one quality brand to another. Sizes being equal, I'd much rather put $1000 more into audio (bigfoot is arguably one of the best centers on the market) and a good subwoofer (hello MFW-15!). I would get more satisfaction out of those upgrades than I would over the jump from a Panasonic plasma to the Pioneer.

And honestly, when other people come into your house to watch movies, they aren't going to comment on the black levels of your TV. They are going just be oooohed and ahhhhed by any old flat panel and then have the crap scared out of them when those speakers fire up.
 
dmw16 said:
The best price I can find on the Pioneer right now is $2140+125 for the stand. That's a solid $1000 over the Panasonic. I like having the best, but I am also a fan of bang for the buck. The TV won't be in a theater room or anything and when we do get a house with a room I can dedicate to that I'll spring for a new TV.

I will keep searching for a better price on the Pioneer, but I don't think I can justify $1000 over the Panny when we need some new furniture, window coverings, etc etc etc 🙂
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If you are after the best bang for the buck, the G10 is pretty much it. You can also take a look at the Samsung PN50B860. More accurate color than the G10, but the black levels aren't as good.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.
 
vi edit said:
Personally, I think that TV technology is so good at this point that there is very small gains from one quality brand to another. Sizes being equal, I'd much rather put $1000 more into audio (bigfoot is arguably one of the best centers on the market) and a good subwoofer (hello MFW-15!). I would get more satisfaction out of those upgrades than I would over the jump from a Panasonic plasma to the Pioneer.

And honestly, when other people come into your house to watch movies, they aren't going to comment on the black levels of your TV. They are going just be oooohed and ahhhhed by any old flat panel and then have the crap scared out of them when those speakers fire up.
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Black levels contribute to overall PQ, not just the black bars on movies. So yes, people will notice it. People normally describe Pioneer's PQ as "3D like" which no other sets seem to be able to replicate. Other HDTV owners also complain about black bars when watching movies at night. Pioneer 9G owners don't see any black bars. 🙂

That being said, if you had to make a compromise from a Pioneer to a Panasonic, I'd say you're doing just fine. 😉
 
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Thanks again for all the input. I think the Panny is the right choice. I know the Pioneer is unmatched, but $1000 in my hand when we move into our first house would be nice to have for all the odds-and-ends that are sure to come up.

I am also thinking that I might use a little of the money saved on a Bigfoot center 🙂
 
dmw16 said:
I've found the KRP-500M for about $2000. I have been able to find the Panasonic 50V10 for about the same. But the 50G10 is $1200 @ NewEgg. I don't mind spending up to $2500, but if I could spend $1200 and use the balance towards any number of other things then all the better. $1300 could buy me almost enough monster cables 🙂
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NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Don't do it!
 
Well the wife and I went to Best Buy tonight and they had a Pioneer (not the 500M, but an Elite) and a 65in version of an Panasonic. She felt the cabinet of the Panasonic looked a bit cheap compared to the other TV's we'd looked at (the Pioneer, the Samsung LED, etc) and I am inclined to agree.

With that said, the Pioneer is now at the top of the list and the order will probably be placed tonight. I know it's a little early, but it seems like you need to get them when they can be gotten.

Thanks again.
 
dmw16 said:
Well the wife and I went to Best Buy tonight and they had a Pioneer (not the 500M, but an Elite) and a 65in version of an Panasonic. She felt the cabinet of the Panasonic looked a bit cheap compared to the other TV's we'd looked at (the Pioneer, the Samsung LED, etc) and I am inclined to agree.

With that said, the Pioneer is now at the top of the list and the order will probably be placed tonight. I know it's a little early, but it seems like you need to get them when they can be gotten.

Thanks again.
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I'm sure you are going to be very happy with your purchase. 🙂 And don't forget to take some pics when you get it all setup.
 
I will certainly take pics. It will be a while before we get everything setup and all, but once we are settled in the house I'll get pics.

Thanks again for all the help.

Where can I find good deals on a basic mount? (not sure if I want to use the Pioneer stand)
 
Dari said:
Where do you see the KRP-500M for $2500? I see it for $4000 at Amazon.
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I used Google Shopping and found it from a place called Electronics Express. I've never heard of them, but they have a chain of stores in TN and 4 out of 5 stars in their reviews. I used my Amex so I feel protected if it does turn out bad. But ~$2000 is the price many people have found them for. I am not sure why Amazon is so high.

djnsmith7 said:
If you're looking to do a wall mount, I use a Sanus tilting mount, which I purchased at BB.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sanus+-+...11984&st=sanus
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I am looking for a low profile mount, but if you like that brand I'll start there.

There is just such a huge range of prices on these mounts so I am trying to figure out what it costs to get quality and what is just overpriced.
 
The deal on the 500M was a bust - they are sold out and so is every other place I looked. So I am back on the hunt again.

We looked at a Panny G10 last night and we (wife and I) both thought the cabinet made it look cheap. Maybe a stupid criteria, but it will be in the middle of our living room so I'd like it to look nice even when it's off.

I am looking for high res photos of the V10 to see if it looks any better. I may also check into the Samsung plasmas since Samsung tends to put their TVs in nice cabinets.

Any other thoughts on a good next move?
 
I think like you do. Since there will be a large object sitting on my living room wall, I think it should look good. That's why I'm partial to the Samsungs over the Panasonics. The Samsung cabinets just look goooood.

Plasma is a fairly mature technology. If you buy a good name, it'll be hard to go wrong as long as you stick with a decent name.
 
dmw16 said:
The deal on the 500M was a bust - they are sold out and so is every other place I looked. So I am back on the hunt again.

We looked at a Panny G10 last night and we (wife and I) both thought the cabinet made it look cheap. Maybe a stupid criteria, but it will be in the middle of our living room so I'd like it to look nice even when it's off.

I am looking for high res photos of the V10 to see if it looks any better. I may also check into the Samsung plasmas since Samsung tends to put their TVs in nice cabinets.

Any other thoughts on a good next move?
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You have a PM.
 
Ouch, those KRP-500m's have really gone up. I told a friend to hurry and buy one a couple months ago when it was $1600 or so, eventhough we saw some in the $14xx range not too much earlier. Glad he didn't wait.
 
I too was looking at plasmas a few months back, particularly the Panny G10 and the Samsung B550. I went with the 54" G10 and have no regrets. Regarding cosmetic designs I liked the Panny more due to a slimmer bezel around the edge. As for PQ the Panny is probably the next best thing to a Pioneer set. A review I read does show slightly better color accuracy with the Samsung but loses in black levels and details to the Panny. You really can't go wrong with any of the two though. With the money you save by going with either of these you can use it to upgrade your audio.
 
smitbret said:
I think like you do. Since there will be a large object sitting on my living room wall, I think it should look good. That's why I'm partial to the Samsungs over the Panasonics. The Samsung cabinets just look goooood.

Plasma is a fairly mature technology. If you buy a good name, it'll be hard to go wrong as long as you stick with a decent name.
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What Samsungs give the best PQ?
 
jtvang125 said:
I too was looking at plasmas a few months back, particularly the Panny G10 and the Samsung B550. I went with the 54" G10 and have no regrets. Regarding cosmetic designs I liked the Panny more due to a slimmer bezel around the edge. As for PQ the Panny is probably the next best thing to a Pioneer set. A review I read does show slightly better color accuracy with the Samsung but loses in black levels and details to the Panny. You really can't go wrong with any of the two though. With the money you save by going with either of these you can use it to upgrade your audio.
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From what I have heard, this is pretty much true. The Samsungs will have better, more accurate color, but the Panny's will do better with black levels. Any of them will be better than even a very, very good LCD. Panny's have a reputation for handling glare a bit better, as well. As far as PQ on the Samsungs, the B550 is a great buy. The 650 and 850 are very good as well.
 
I bought a 54" Panasonic S1 (Same as the G10 without Vieracast or the much maligned THX mode).

Spent 5-6 months researching and looking at flat screens before I bought it. I also own a 42" Toshiba 1080p LCD.

The S1 is absolutely fantastic. There is no way in hell I would pay double the price for the Pioneer. I'm sorry, but even the supposed best flat screen TV ever (the Pro F111D) is not worth that much of a price premium, and that's not a subjective statement. I've seen one installed in a coworkers home and the picture quality is better, but we're talking about a very small increment. The gap between my Toshiba LCD and my Panny plasma is much greater.

Cnet called the S1 the best bang for the buck large flat screen on the market (actually, they said: The bottom line: Excellent picture quality for the money makes the Panasonic TC-PS1 plasma the best value among large-screen flat panels.), and after much research, I am inclined to agree. If you really want to waste the money, get a V10. It is a better TV, but not $800 better.

And as for mounts, if you pay $200 for a Sanus mount, you might as well buy your crate of Monster cables that you are joking about. I bought Monoprice's Premium Wall Mount for $32 + shipping, and like one reviewer said, it would take a GD bazooka to bring the thing down. I absolutely love it. Was easy as hell to install and is adjustable and rock solid stable.

Don't let your ego or peer/snob pressure cause you to spend money needlessly. With the S1 and that mount, you will get 95-98% of the top level of performance (and still much better than ANY LCD... seriously - the only LCds I've seen that can come close are the Samsung B750 and a couple of the local dimming LEDs, and not Samsung's side lit LED crap) for a lot less money. If you insist on spending money, then get a V10 or maybe the new LG locally dimmed LED if its actually available now in decent quantities.
 
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s44 said:
Honestly, you want inches. More inches.

Size matters. A lot.
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Agreed buy the biggest size you can fit every time. I would upgrade at the least to a 54s1 Panny and I would consider a 58s1 even more if yo uthink it will fit. you should be bale to pick it up for under 2k easy.

Samsungs make some nice tv's but the latest generation seems to be hit with a buzzing issue. Panny's have know known major issues so I would go with the Panasonic this time around. Color accuracy is a bit better on the Samsung but the black levels are better on the Panny so it's an even trade off.

The S1 series of tv's from panny are the best buys for plasma on the market. Currently I've been goign back and forth on picking up a 65v10 or 65s1 and I think it's going to come down to which one gets put back in stock. (selling so well the 58 and 65 inch of both models are sold out nationally).

Since your not too concerned with getting the best (Pioneer) then Panny is the perfect substitute and always has been. 90% of the quality for 60% of the price.
 
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