NHDTVD

[JohnnyB]

Saturday I just picked up this 60" Panasonic plasma HDTV, 1080p, new w/warranty for $1099. You can occasionally find a 55" LCD TV for $1100, but not a 60". This was an enlightening learning experience. I bought this TV on the last day of the sale; it went back up to $1500 the next day, yet there were still these TVs in the box, unbought, when the sale went off.

I can hear you all saying, "But JohnnyB! How could that happen? Why didn't everybody jump on this fantastic deal?"

Well, here's why. If you go to a mid-to-high level specialty shop where they control the lighting and adjust each TV to its optimum setting, you'll usually find that the plasma TVs are about as bright as the LCD versions, have about as much contrast, and are better at shadow detail. They also convey action smoother.

Go to a big box store or wholesale warehouse like Sam's or Costco, and the plasma TVs look like ass compared to the LCD TVs. The plasmas look dull like you're viewing the image at the bottom of a sink filled with dirty dishwasher. That's because at the box stores they just use the default settings and plug 'em in. Well, plasma TVs aren't as energy efficient as LCDs, so to get an EnergyStar rating, Panasonic (and others) turn down all the settings on the "Standard" setting to get the energy consumption down into EnergyStar territory. It passes, but looks like asses. Turn the settings up to where it's as sharp and bright as the LCD TVs and the extra energy could cost you a whopping extra $1 per month. I can live with that.

Besides getting this TV for $1099, what are the other advantages over LCD? There are several:

• The refresh rate is 600 Hz, rather than the 120 Hz or 240Hz of LCD. This makes for a smoother picture with smoother action. You also get more "pop" and dimensionality. This Panasonic uses the same fast phosphor as was developed for 3D TVs. It explains why 3D TVs look better than 2D, even when playing 2D material. This 2D TV has that same advantage. In fact, I think plasma will come back as 3D TV catches on, because currently the plasma 3D TVs absolutely SMOKE the LCD 3D TVs.
  
• Plasma can be viewed from any angle without image brightness or sharpness dropoff.
  
• Plasma has better shadow detail, no contest.
  
• Plasma seems to be easier to dial in very true, realistic color without one color getting oversaturated.
  

Anyway, if you're in the market, make sure you include plasma TVs in your search. If the TV display looks dull on the shelf, have a salesperson adjust the picture (or just set it to the "Cinema" or "Vivid") so you have a better idea what it can do.

[murkat]

We got the same one last year, an Xmas present to each other, about the same coin. At first we thought, well the wife thought, too big... It is not.

A very nice TV, we are very happy with it.

And with a PS3... (games and BluRay), wonderful.

[JohnnyB]

And with a PS3... (games and BluRay), wonderful.

We source our best stuff from a PS3 too, especially Blu-ray movies. But what surprised me the most is what this TV does with mid- and lower-res sources. Regular HD cable is almost stunning, Netflix InstantWatch is far better than I thought the technology and bandwidth would allow, and I'm now starting to pull out the std-def DVDs which I thought I was done with. I'm using a pretty good upconverting DVD player for those--the Oppo DV-980H. When fed to this Panasonic plasma, it's not as sharp as Blu-ray, but for the action in the foreground the difference is hardly noticeable on the better DVDs.

[Armitage]

I searched all over a couple years back and got the Panasonic TC P65V10. It was simply the best I could find in a 65 inch TV. But don't let anyone tell you plasmas are as bright as LCD, and cetainly not as bright as most LED.

They have much better pictures, better color, better blacks... but plasmas don't like a bright room.

[silentman]

I picked up a 50 inch Panasonic plasma a few weeks ago - 720p - didn't feel the need to bump to 1080 - for $600. And like you said they had the plasmas looking like crap compared to the LCD's (but we know better). I was even talking to a woman about it (they were so busy) and she strill went with a crappier LCD with a smaller screen for more money! I have another 50 inch Panasonic from a few years ago that I like. The only thing they need to work on is getting better sound out of these. I really miss my old Sony - no other tv has come close in terms of sound.

Edited to add: I have my plasma in my family room which is pretty bright and I have no issues veiwing it.

[JohnnyB]

I searched all over a couple years back and got the Panasonic TC P65V10. It was simply the best I could find in a 65 inch TV. But don't let anyone tell you plasmas are as bright as LCD, and cetainly not as bright as most LED.

They have much better pictures, better color, better blacks... but plasmas don't like a bright room.

I didn't mean to imply that plasma can play as bright as LCD. In earlier threads a few years back I made the point that if you can't lower the light in your viewing room, get an LCD. My point is that the "Standard" setting on plasma TVs is simply for scoring an EnergyStar rating, gives a false impression of its picture quality, and shouldn't be used for actual viewing. When lights are lowered (as they should be) for viewing and the TVs are adjusted to those conditions, LCD's brightness advantage disappears and plasma's advantages--picture resolution, color consistency, shadow detail, and motion tracking--emerge. Our media room is on a lower level with easily adjusted window coverings, plus we're coming into our 47th parallel winter, where it'll be dark by 5:30 pm or earlier for several months.

[specialk]

Any problems with fan noise, Johnny? Those plasma's run hot, so lots of fans are in the box. Maybe they've made the fans quieter these days.

And FWIW, plasma's are as susceptible to burn-in as any other monitor/TV. But they do have good pictures.

[murkat]

No fan noise here.

[JohnnyB]

Any problems with fan noise, Johnny? Those plasma's run hot, so lots of fans are in the box. Maybe they've made the fans quieter these days.

The TV I replaced had an audible fan. If this Panasonic has a fan, I sure can't hear it. It's only about 1" deep. Although plasma is more susceptible to burn-in, this TV has a pixel switcher to minimize burn-in. I turn it off for the optimum picture, but our son has a standing order to turn it on whenever he is gaming, since the backgrounds are often static.

Whatever was conventional knowledge about plasma displays 5 years ago has changed. Half-life has gone from around 20,000 hours to 100,000. I haven't noticed anything to indicate that it runs hot; I think this one is convection cooled. They're brighter and more efficient than before, and they have faster phosphors for tracking faster action better than before.

[gregc]

I love a good plasma screen. I grabbed a Samsung 59" a couple months ago for a righteous price. Dead quiet. Beautiful. Damn screen throws a lot of heat though. I'm a plasma fan all the way. I pretty much watch tv in the dark and it's close to perfect.

[JohnnyB]

I love a good plasma screen. I grabbed a Samsung 59" a couple months ago for a righteous price. Dead quiet. Beautiful. Damn screen throws a lot of heat though. I'm a plasma fan all the way. I pretty much watch tv in the dark and it's close to perfect.

It's a telling thing about plasma, that even though Samsung makes some of the best-looking LCD HDTVs, they have a full line of plasma TVs as well. And they make some great ones.

Panasonic's new 600 Hz sub-field drive takes advantage of retinal latency, allowing more off-time between refreshes. This not only makes for cleaner action, it means the plasma display is on less, which is (I think) why the half-life has increased to 100,000 hours, and is definitely a reason that the display runs cooler. It is not fan-cooled, yet 2 solid hours of viewing only makes the screen somewhat warm to the touch.

Saturday I just picked up this 60" Panasonic plasma HDTV, 1080p, new w/warranty for $1099. You can occasionally find a 55" LCD TV for $1100, but not a 60". This was an enlightening learning experience. I bought this TV on the last day of the sale; it went back up to $1500 the next day, yet there were still these TVs in the box, unbought, when the sale went off.

Did I say $1099? When I went to Costco today, the instant rebate had increased from $400 to $500, making the purchase price $999. I took my receipt to the customer service desk, and sure enough, at my request they canceled the $400 rebate code, entered the $500 code, and refunded the $100 difference. This is an insane deal at $999.

The $1500 price I saw after my purchase was on the Costco website, but it turns out they have a $500 rebate there too, after you put it in the cart and go thru checkout (I think).

[RacerX]

Congrats on the new hdtv!

I bought a 42" 1080p Panasonic Plasma almost 4 years ago, and still love it today. Incredible picture especially with hd sports, racing, movies.

Also, I should mention that I had a problem with mine a couple months AFTER the 2 year warranty ran out...I was pretty upset, but EVERY person I spoke with at Panasonic customer service was SUPER nice. They ALL where here in the US, all very helpfull, and eventually approved the in-house repair without much pushing from me. The service guy fixed my TV within a week, (also a very nice guy) and I even got a couple of follow-up calls from Panasonic making sure I was happy.

Great TV + outstanding customer service = I'll buy from them in the future for sure.

Mark