Plasma TVs are going away...does anybody care?

[HeXen]

Never saw anything special with Plasma TV's But I don't see leprechauns riding on Unicorn's either so no, I don't really care about Plasma's dying out and usually those things have a root cause, like more people that also don't see anything special with Plasma's either.

 

[mmntech]

Plasma has always had an issue with burn-in, which I think turned a lot of people off from them. Though it's not as bad in newer ones. LCD can burn-in as well if you leave it on the same image for long periods. Seen many examples working in broadcast.

The other disadvantages plasma has is size and power consumption. They're chunkier and heavier than new LED backlit LCDs. They also a lot more electricity. Plasma also dims over time.

Advantages? Superior contrast ratio and black levels, and faster refresh rate. Much closer to CRT in that regard. Produces better image quality than LCD. Especially TN displays.

LCD has gotten better though now that IPS is becoming the norm. You'll never get deep blacks with the technology though since it has to be backlit.

OLED is the only display technology that's thoroughly impressed me. Though I can't see them being price competitive with LCD for some time yet.

Speaking of displays, spent the afternoon calibrating that old rear projection CRT HDTV you guys mocked me for hanging on to. Cracked her open, cleaned the lenses, calibrated it, and tweaked the focus. Image is still a touch soft but otherwise it looks amazing. I'll have to fiddle around with the focus some more. Shame they don't make them anymore. DLP is getting rare too.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I've had 3 plasmas and have never had to deal with burn in. IR maybe, which is not even an issue really.

If something unrepairable happens to my Panny 65VT60 I don't know what I'll do to replace it. Maybe a projector?

 

[sandorski]

When I first saw a Plasma, 20ish years ago, I was blown away and always wanted one. Fate is cruel though, I suppose I will never have one now.

 

[hawtdawg]

The general population doesn't know jack shit about technology is the problem. A bright showroom floor is not where they shine either. Most of the general public also thinks that "LED" is it's own thing, and that they're getting something cutting edge.

Seriously though, I was talking about plasmas at work the other day, and a guy says "don't you have to get them refilled every so often?". That, in a nutshell, is why plasmas didn't survive.

I have an ST30 and an ST60, and I don't imagine that anything will be coming along anytime soon that will make me feel like i need an upgrade. The ST60 in particular, is fantastic.

 

[hawtdawg]

Never saw anything special with Plasma TV's But I don't see leprechauns riding on Unicorn's either so no, I don't really care about Plasma's dying out and usually those things have a root cause, like more people that also don't see anything special with Plasma's either.

I think it has a lot more to do with people not having any idea in the world what they're talking about, and people thinking that a bright showroom floor is a place to scope out something that you'll never watch in an environment half that bright again.

Most of those same people wouldn't even be able to tell you that an LED tv is still an LCD tv.

 

[hawtdawg]

Plasma also dims over time.

the typical brightness half-life on a plasma TV is 100,000 hours, which is the same as the typical LCD.

The real issue with plasma's is that no one knows what they're talking about.

 

[hawtdawg]

You all must still have CRTs hooked up to your PCs too, if you are a PQ purist. Personally, I see nothing wrong with a "good" LCD screen.

If you can't notice the horrible, awful washed out blacks on anything that has a lot of shadow detail (dark scene in a video game, or a typical movie, etc) that's apparent on even the nicest LCD's out there, then plasma tv's are not for you.

 

[Railgun]

I'm rockin a Panny VT20. It will be replaced when oled is mass produced. LCD will never be a TV in my place.

 

[Pacfanweb]

the typical brightness half-life on a plasma TV is 100,000 hours, which is the same as the typical LCD.

The real issue with plasma's is that no one knows what they're talking about.

Yep.

The persisting myth about burn-in, and the fact that an LCD will look brighter in a brightly-lit store, so side-by-side, the Plasma looks dim in comparison.


But the main reason that Plasma is going away is production cost vs. what they can sell them for.
The manufacturers have spammed the market with LED's in all shapes and sizes, and it has worked. They are now what people want. They are trying to do it again with 4K, and I think that is going to work, not sure to what extent.

I hope that doesn't affect OLED, which is the first real jump in technology and picture since.....Plasma.

 

[Pacfanweb]

If you can't notice the horrible, awful washed out blacks on anything that has a lot of shadow detail (dark scene in a video game, or a typical movie, etc) that's apparent on even the nicest LCD's out there, then plasma tv's are not for you.

Most people can't, or don't notice these things.

That's why you have those "Beats by Dre" crappy headphones selling like crazy, when a good $50 pair of headphones are as good or better.

That's why you have the PC gaming market dwindling, as people play more and more silly games on their phones and tablets.

That's why you have the camera and video camera market dying. Phone pictures are "good enough".

Etc.

 

[RussianSensation]

I don't think it's that most people can't notice but no one has shown to them what proper TV IQ is supposed to be like or what good headphones are supposed to sound like. A lot of people are convinced that Toyota Camry is a good car, that Beats/Bose sound great, that Nike makes good running shoes and that LED is superior. It has a lot to do with marketing and lack of people's understanding of technology/products that require more extensive research (not your easy PS4 vs. Wii U type of search).

If you read marketing studies, 80% of consumers make purchases based on emotions rather than logic. Since LEDs were the popular TV tech and plasma was branded old tech, power inefficient, the marketing won over the mainstream consumer. When my parents were looking to buy a new TV 7 years ago, I told them to be open minded and compare LCD to Plasma. They actually spent their time and on their own without reading reviews found the Pioneer Kuro and Panasonic plasma to be their top 2 picks! 2 years ago they were looking to upgrade and still found high end LEDs lacking.

Most consumers aren't like that. They go with what's advertised as new and cool. CNET and AV forums have for years given top marks to plasmas as the best TVs for movie watching and sports but the average consumer doesn't read professional reviews or goes into detailed comparisons. The other problem is the poor calibration of plasma TVs at places like BestBuy and side-by-side comparisons of overly saturated LEDs. A lot of people like the oversaturated color over more accurate color. Let's not forget that in a brightly lit showroom store, there will be a major reflection on most plasmas and who wants to stare at a TV and see themselves in it like a mirror?

You can see how marketing sells Bose, Beats, etc. It is unfortunate that plasma died but it was going to be too expensive to reliably make 4K plasma screens and again marketing would have won immediately when given the choice between 4K LED and 1080p plasma. My friends who weren't biased and also took their time to compare TVs have all chosen plasma in the last 5 years. Moving forward though it seems 4K LEDs will be a dominant force and it will be an uphill battle for the OLED.

 

[harobikes333]

RussianSensation, that was a detail & depressing truth post.

Anyone have a suggestion as to where I could snag a nice Plasma still (42" +) ...? The one's I've seen are on clearance and often only have like 1 HDMI, etc.

 

[chucky2]

Depending how much you are looking to spend, there might be some Samsung PN51F8500 still around. Rumor had it BestBuy or some other place was getting more in...

 

[SickBeast]

I'm sorry guys, but the pros of LED technology far outweigh the cons. The blacks aren't as good? Well, the whites are brighter. That is all that plasma really has on LED is the black level, and if you get a TV with a good VA panel you will be very happy with current LED technology IMO.

The power consumption is the real deal breaker though. If you add it up over the lifetime of the TV it will cost you big time. I'm currently saving about $60/year by switching from an LCD TV to an LED one. I would imagine that I would be saving about $100/year compared to a plasma. $500 after 5 years is not chump change.

 

[NutBucket]

I don't spend my life watching TV. It'd better look good when I watch. I'll trade power consumption for PQ any day.

 

[SickBeast]

I don't spend my life watching TV. It'd better look good when I watch. I'll trade power consumption for PQ any day.

Unless you are in a dark room, an LED TV will look better.

 

[poofyhairguy]

That is all that plasma really has on LED is the black level,

Wrong. The motion performance of Plasma blows away any LCD.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Unless you are in a dark room,

So like every time you watch TV at night.

 

[NutBucket]

Unless you are in a dark room, an LED TV will look better.

I have a DLP so the dark room is a given.

I just looked...221W power consumption.

 

[SickBeast]

I have a DLP so the dark room is a given.

I just looked...221W power consumption.

My 55" LED TV uses 80 watts, probably even less seeing as I use the "high" setting of my backlight auto dimming.

 

[NutBucket]

And it was of no concern when I bought the TV

 

[poofyhairguy]

My 55" LED TV uses 80 watts

My P60ST60 uses double that, so I could see LEDs really mattering to those who are eco-conscious. Gamers, people with children, people with open concept houses, and the eco-conscious are the main beneficiaries of LEDs.

 

[CoPhotoGuy]

Why would we care about plasma going away? Never seemed any better than LED/LCD anyway. I hear they don't work at elevation as well either though.

 

[SickBeast]

My P60ST60 uses double that, so I could see LEDs really mattering to those who are eco-conscious. Gamers, people with children, people with open concept houses, and the eco-conscious are the main beneficiaries of LEDs.

I apply to all of those categories, so yes, LED is really the only technology for me.