Any plasma HDTV owners out there?

I initially wanted to buy a DPL HDTV at the beginning of this year but didn't get to do it because of a series of events happening in my life at the time. I've decided to give myself a HDTV for an early Christmas present and have been looking at 42" plasmas. I need to limit it to 42" because of my entertainment center size limit (44 inches wide) and the fact the room it will be in is not too large (16 X 17) therefore I would be sitting around 10 to 12 feet from the TV. My questions are, what 42" plasma do you have (brand / model) and what are your likes and dislikes? What features made you choose the particular one?

I appreciate any input,
CajunBabe

I don't own a plasma, but I know from first hand experience that with HD, you really can and should be closer to the display than old analog TV. More along the lines of 1-1.5:1 ratio of screen size:viewing distance. I have a super small room (12' x 12') and my 53" RP seems small and that's after replacing a 38" direct view. Since I'm contrained by money and am still fed up with consumer quality plasma's, I'm building myself a 77" (largest I can fit because of my entertainment unit) front projector setup :devil:

My $.02.

-DF

Do a search online. "plasma buying guide" "plasma failures" "plasma problems" etc... Basically get an extended warrenty. Stay away from the Gateway plasmas, they are having problems with their circuit boards and making a lot of consumers mad!

When I was thinking about expensive TVs I read a lot of useful info on avsforums.com

Greg

I echo Greg. Bought a Panny 42" ED model last year, after doing a TON of research online at AVS Forums. Love my Panny, loved the price. IMHO, if you are looking at a 42" plasma, you really should consider an ED model instead of an HD model. Unless you are sitting closer than 6' away, you will not be able to tell a PQ difference between the ED and HD models. Now if you go 50" or larger, differen't ballgame. Do yourself a favor, talk with the experts over at AVS Forums, and stay away from the Know nothings at CC, BB, etc. Kinda like over here with lights!

+1 on avs forum.
The Sony Bravia XBR LCD's are Great!!
Pick your size..

+another for the AVS forums.

We have a Sony 55 inch XS LCD that is spectacular. No burn in issues to contend with. We did not get any dead pixels either.

Be aware though when moving up to a gigantic HD/Digital TV of a couple of things.
1-Standard DEF is hit or miss as far as quality and initially it may bug the hell out of you. Those things you are seeing are indeed there on your regular TVs just not as visible to the eye.

2-Take the time or pay the money to have your TV set up and calibrated properly. Make sure not to run in torch mode. Basically you want to dim everything down. I spent about two months reading, learning and playing with all the calibration functions of our TV before I was satisfied. I went over to my neighbors house who also had a Sony LCD TV for much longer and took fifteen minutes to work on his and he couldn't believe the difference.

Also make sure you purchase a TV that gives you the most access to all the calibration functions. Most of the base level cheaper models do not give you individual controls, they only allow for preset settings such as Bright or Cinema or whatever. You want to be able to control all the individual settings.

3-Keep an extra projector bulb on hand. They will blow out and chances are you will be watching the Superbowl, Survivor finale or whatever floats your boat at that moment. Having an extra bulb on hand will save you the headache. We have yet to blow a bulb though.

4-Learn about burn in. It is very prevalent on Plasma displays. It is almost non-existent on LCD and DLP projectors.

5-Understand that they all have weaknesses. Figure out which ones you can and can't live with. Buy based on this knowledge.

6-HDTV is spectacular but does require a box or card to receive the signals and may cost more depending on your provider. You can receive over the air HDTV signals and they are still spectacular but will require an antenna and are more likely to be effected by atmospheric conditions. Over the air HDTV is nothing like over the air TV of the past, due to it being sent in digital packets it is breathtaking and you either have signal or you don't. There is no fuzz or static.

Chris

I've heard that ED is better than HD most of the time unless you spend big bucks too for a external processor.

LCD I can only think of getting bad pixels out of the box, or the florecent back light going out. DLP you have the bulb that might go out. Plasma you have possibility of burn-in and some models have had problems with the circuits (gateways). CRT you only have to worry about the size really. hehehe

If you had the $$$ and really wanted top of the line, how about one of them Sony TV's that use Luxeon RGB back lights? Everything is solid-state so nothing will burn in or wear out, plus the color range is awesome. A true flash-a-holic would have a TV powered by Luxeons you know.

wow a sexy women who wants a hdtv gotaa love that.

I was thinking the same thing, Raggie! :naughty:

CajunBabe said:

My questions are, what 42" plasma do you have (brand / model) and what are your likes and dislikes? What features made you choose the particular one?

Click to expand...

LCDs are "cold" technology while plasma's are "hot" technology. I wouldn't put a plasma TV inside a closed entertainment center for ventilation reasons.

If you're not comfortable with researching equipment to find a perfect match with a plasma "monitor," I would look at plasmas that offer internal HD tuners and SD tuners, preferably with a cable card (all you need is a card from the cable company rather than a separate box that uses a separate remote, etc.). However, you're going to pay more for all of this. Panasonic makes some highly recommended plasmas complete with cards and tuners. However, they are high $$ units as well. Maxent 42X3 model was an excellent unit at Costco, but they do not stock it anymore (monitor only model). You might look at some of the Vizio products if you want to save money.

ED (enhanced definition - 480p) might also be a better choice if you want to save money. 480p (progressive) sources are much more common such as progressive DVD players. There are currently macroblocking problems with the MPEG-2 compression standard that show up on higher definition sources (720p and up). Standard definition (SD) television signals look better at 480p than 720p or 1080i.

State of the art (SOTA) - 1080p (progressive) is the only true high definition TV. 1080i (interlaced) is "near HD". Westinghouse and Sony make a few 1080p capable units and more will come out in the next year. Talk of blu-ray DVDs (1080p) using MPEG-4 compression is also coming in the next year.

Maybe this if obvious, but the numbers refer to 'lines of resolution'. So, a 480i or 480p source provides 480 lines of resolution, etc. A progressive source provides even and odd lines of resolution with each frame. An "i" or interlaced source alternates drawing odd and even lines every other frame (generally does not look as sharp as a progressive picture).

Will you use the set more for SD watching, DVD watching, cable HD watching, over the air (OTA) HD watching (you have about 17 local over the air HD channels) or something else?

Hi Cajun Babe,

Even though I wonder if that's really you in the pic, I'd be happy to help you out even if you were a 250 lb. linebacker for the Tigers.

If you check out www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com you'll find several good reviews and links to reputable vendors, if you care to mail order. If not, Best Buy has a 10% off online coupon now available for the next week. That can really make a dent in the $2000 plus purchase price.

I'm also looking at 42s and like the Panasonic HDTV a great deal. It's in the $2700 range locally and a couple of hundred less by mail order after factoring in shipping. It's getting top reviews. The Sony Bravia 40 inch LCD seems appealing but is about $600 more. Haven't seen any meaningful reviews on it yet.

Another poster also suggested AVForums. That's a good spot to check, for sure.

Happy viewing!

Thanks for all the great replies. I've done a ton of research last night and today on various sites, including avsforums.com and highdefforum.com, both of which are excellent sites I might add. In any event, I've narrowed my choices down to the following 4 models:

Panasonic TH-42PX50U
Samsung HP-R4262
Tohsiba 42HPX95
Sony KDL-V40XBR1 LCD rather than plasma

With my brother in town tomorrow, I going to make my final decision tomorrow while I have his muscles and assistance to hook it all up.

Thanks again everyone,
CajunBabe

ps. Onthebeam, Although I never played for the Tigers, I did spend a lot of time on the sidelines Cheering them on and last time I checked my weight was less than half of a 250 lb. linebacker, so thanks for overcoming your doubts/fears and posting.

I just couldn't resist the temptation to pick back at you,
I really appreciate your input.

Hey Cajunbabe... I have an idea. Go to the Crutchfield websight and take a look around. Good explanations/Tech advise as in their mail out catalogs, which also explain different types of TV tech well. cheers ! :wave:

CajunBabe said:

I've narrowed my choices down to the following 4 models:

Panasonic TH-42PX50U
Samsung HP-R4262
Tohsiba 42HPX95
Sony KDL-V40XBR1 LCD rather than plasma

Click to expand...

I think I'd narrow it down to (in this order):

Panasonic TH-42PX50U
Sony KDL-V40XBR1 LCD rather than plasma (if you play a lot of games)

Just remember that all manufacturers set their default brightness levels sky high to compensate for the bright store lights and to look better compared to the competition. If you've made it through the AVS forum, then I would copy down the optimum contrast, brightness, tint, color, and sharpness settings and adjust the sets to those values in the store.

Also, be aware of the store's desire to push certain models. Make certain that both the type of connection (component, HDMI, etc.) is the same when you compare sets AND that the signal over that type of connection is the same (the signal can be non-HD over component or HD over component, etc.). Watch out for Best Buy on this issue. Have to be wary to get a good review in a store environment, so narrow your choice and make sure there is a good return policy afterward.

If you have any more questions, feel free to email.

Good Luck!

So what did you go with, C-Babe? Do you like it?

Regardless of what you chose, a good follow-up investment will be to have the set professionaly calibrated. You can do it yourself (threads again on AVS forum); I did and am pleased with the results, or pay a few bucks and have a pro do it. Can make a HUGE difference, IMHO. People who come over just stare dumbfounded at Discovery HD shows, they are so incredible.

So what was the winner?

I ended up getting the Tohsiba 42HPX95 and I'm happy as can be with it. The picture quality is gorgeous, especially on HD programming. DVDs and SD programming look pretty good also, much better than I expected. My brother who also has a plasma TV (I think his is a 50" Panasonic) had a copy of DVD essentials which we used to calibrate mine. I'm sure it is not as perfect as could have been done by a professional, but close enough for my eyes.

Take Care,
CajunBabe

Nice choice, CB. I'm sure the picture quality is impressive.

Good choice, C-Babe. Looks like that set has some cool Network capabilities to check out. Looks like the panel is a Panny, right? The blacks should be awesome then. How did you mount it? Mine gives off some heat after awhile, but I have it on a reticulating arm in a corner of the room, so it can be swiveled around depending where you want to sit. Buried all the cables in the wall to the AV system, and installed a new spike-protected outlet behind the set, so no wires/cable show at all. With the black bezel, the set seems to dissapear at night. I am impressed you did the calibration. That can be frustrating, to say the least. Geez, tell me you like .45's and smoke cigars, and I'll REALLY be impressed.

So how many unsolicited marriage proposals have you gathered since hanging out here?

Enjoy that set, but make sure it can breathe.

EricMack,
I absolutely love my new plasma TV. I placed it in an entertainment center I had purchased some time back when I moved from Louisiana to Texas. The 42HPX95 fit perfectly, it literally has a ¼ inch on each side and about ¾ inch on the top. The back behind the TV is open so no problem with heat build-up. I also invested in a Panamax power center to help protect it from the spikes we sometimes get, especially during severe weather.

The calibration, I must admit I did not do, but rather assisted my older brother who is the real "expert" at it.

I'm afraid no .45's nor cigars here, but rather I occasionally pick up a .38 revolver (maybe my dad's .40 caliber every once and a while) and the only smoking I enjoy is smoked turkey!!!

On a final note, no unsolicited marriage proposals from any CPF members although a occasional friendly PM every now and then. I must admit, you guys are very well behaved and have always made me feel welcomed …


Thanks for the post,
CajunBabe