Quote:
Originally Posted by foosball
Just tossing this out, as well...
Plasma is a dying breed. I have heard from a few people that the technology will be done within 1.5 years. It is too costly, and the prices are falling out.
I had a plasma last year (LG). The picture was sick, but is had "ghosting" issues. I did not abuse the TV at all. Watched ESPNews for an hour, and would change it per this. The measures I took for the TV were ridiculous Still, the bars for the channel froze on my screen. This is VERY common.
Go LCD. 1080p if you're going 42" or bigger. Base the screen size off of the room size. I have above 46" for both my TV rooms.
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The bolded part explains your problems, but LG's new sets are actually looking pretty good even though I'd choose Panasonic or Samsung ahead of them. They seem to be looking for a higher end market. Keep in mind, LG used to manufacture Goldstar equipment...so that's right in line with Magnavox, Sylvania, etc.
Now to take exception to the rest of your post....plasma sales have been increasing steadily year over year globally and in fact in 2008 during the recession plasma was the ONLY display technology that saw a year over year increase. If you base whether or not a breed is dying on sales figures, your statement is clearly wrong. Discerning viewers choose plasma.
I don't know which people you've been hearing from, but did you know that Panasonic just opened up its FIFTH plasma factory?
http://broadcastengineering.com/news...ma-panel-0104/
Quote:
Jan 2010
Panasonic held a ceremony in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture last week to mark the completion of a major new plasma display panel plant.
The new facility is capable of producing the world’s largest plasma displays at 330cm x 190cm. It is designed to shore up Panasonic’s plasma display business, which is lagging behind its liquid crystal display panel output.
The new plant began trial production in November, six months behind schedule due to low demand because of the recession. The factory will begin commercial production this month, with an initial monthly rate equivalent to 120,000 units of 42in panels.
Panasonic’s monthly production of plasma panels at its three plants in Amagasaki will expand to 1.06 million units
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Panasonic had trouble keeping the amazing V10 series in stock in larger sizes, this will rectify that and allow for ample supply of the VT25 series 3DTV's to be in stock.
I wouldn't base your screen size on your room size...but rather directly on your viewing distance and what resolution you'll be watching.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHUCKYRAY
Is there anyway possible that a 720p could have a better picture than a 1080p.
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Absolutely, panel resolution should be WAYYYY down your list of attributes, far behind calibration options, connectivity (does it suit your system's set-up), ANSI-measured contrast ratio (not ridiculous manufacture provided "dynamic" contrast ratios which are as useful as a kick square in the bollocks), colour accuracy, video processing (how does it handle interlaced content, 3:2 sources, etc.) - these are all far more important to consider. A 720p Pioneer Kuro from 2008 (PDP-5080FD) beat out 6 other 1080p displays for best picture in the Home Media Magazine's 2008 HDTV display shootout from Sony, Samsung, JVC, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, etc., etc., etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by foosball
Completely agree. That said, for the problems they have, not worth it. Like I said, I have had one, and it was not worth it. Took it back. Did you read that I changed the channel every hour, just to avoid said issue? I went in to ownership knowing the pros and cons.
My friend had his lose complete picture after a thrown hat contacted it. Owner error, no doubt.
Do I love the picture? Yes. Worth the hassle? Nope. Also, they cannot handle light in a room.
Love my LCD.
Plasma sets are now less expensive than comparable LCD's. Still wouldn't go that route.
After my last Plasma, I will not go that route again.
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Most people I know that own plasma can game on COD4 for hours on end without suffering any burn in. I think you may have had a lemon, it's entirely possible. Burn in is a thing of the past with plasma unless you try your absolute hardest to wreck it, like leaving a test pattern on the screen for a week.
Consumer Reports (which I only use for reliability ratings, everything else is useless for someone concerned primarily with picture attributes) lists the major plasma manufacturers sets as having the same failure rates as the LCD's. No difference. Usually around 2%.
Plasma isn't going anywhere, LCD is the global leader of course and that won't change for a long time given the sizes they come in (all 15", 17", etc., monitors for PC's are counted in LCD global sales) but plasma is still the #1 choice for those looking for the best picture and now at the best prices. I have a hard time enjoying LCD, I can't help but see the motion blurring and innaccurate picture, the blacks in a dark room are the most disturbing...watchnig somethign like "The Fifth Element" on an LCD is painful as it's dark, dark grey. On a Kuro, the bezel just disappears into the room, as will the upcoming VT25 series plasmas from Panasonic.
The LED backlit LCD's have fixed most of the contrast issues, you can now get really nice deep blacks on an LED-backlit set (not sidelit though, BACK-lit) with local dimming but the motion resolution is only corrected by using motion interpolation and that just looks weird to me, probably because motion interpolation creates artifacting. Turn it off and you're stuck back down at around 500/1080 lines of motion resolution resolved! In addition you have to sit dead centre on an LED set to get good ANSI contrast readings...I like everyone in the room to see as good a picture as I'm seeing which again brings me back to plasma.