ok here it is, im going to buy this TV, but before i buy it i want to take the afterdawn community's opinion.. so please tell me what you think... http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...70HDS0010086518&catid=23526&logon=&langid=EN#
Plasma is on it's way out, LCD better and cheaper to own. My preference is LCOS ( $ony SXRD or JVC D-ILA ) IMHO.
It's certainly not on the way out to those who watch movies, HD content, and demand the best possible picture. As the latest muti-shootout in HomeTheater Mag concluded, Plasma is still King. Not one of the reviewers chose an LCD/DLP or LCOS for the top spot. The battle was between Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas. In the March issue (part 2) they did some rigorous testing and again recommended Plasma, especially for sports and action movie fans. The highly touted 120 Hz LCD displays, The Sony 46XBR4 and 5 and the the Samsung LN T4671F all suffer from poor motion performance, the constant change from soft image/loss of sharpness (during motion) to sharp (during still) plus the unique ability to make films look like videos aren't what I would consider 'better'. With the new anti-glare screens and more completive pricing the best just keeps on getting better. It's also interesting to note that Consumer Reports reliability survey found Panasonic plasmas to also be some of the most reliable TV's ever made. And let's not overlook their conclusion: The best sets are better than ever. The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U had the best picture of any flat-panel TV we’ve ever tested. One of the new breed of 1080p plasma sets now hitting stores, it combines “full HD”--1920x1080 native resolution, the highest currently available--with the characteristic strengths of plasma technology. Its ability to reproduce the finest detail, plus its rich, vibrant colors and deep blacks, lend an almost three-dimensional look to images. Panasonic's 50-inch TH-50PZ700U plasma model was named Consumer Reports' best flat-panel TV ever tested. Folks should also note Panasonic plasmas are also great with SD channels and their native upscaling is some of the best.
Another opinion you want is what you get, please all take a look at this http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_jump.cfm/608095/3675004
MysticE, I will agree with you that mostly all sports channels look great on plasmas. As you know, mostly all sports channels broadcast at 720p so yea, it's going to look better IMO. The image isn't being upscaled like some of these LCD's do. LCD's tend to also have motion blur issues, I've seen it first hand on several different models. I think plasma is usually a bit more pricey and the resolution is natively at 1024x768 on most sets. If you want a nice, big, plasma at 1080p, it's usually going to cost ya. That can also be said for LCD as well. Want anything over 42 inches and you will see the prices jumping really high. Me personally, I choose to roll with a nice DLP set. Football games look excellent on it and the colors are amazing. I've been more then happy with my 57" DLP by Mitsubishi. I've had it for about 3 years now and have had no problems, I'm currently looken to get a new one soon as the tax refunds come around.
It's not just sports, it's high action movies also. It's not just that sports channels choose 720p (although that is a good artifact free choice) it's the nature of the superior technology. I have 3 Vizo 42" 720p LCD sets in my tavern. They cost about $950 when I bought them. They are a good choice due to their anti-glare nature and brightness ( a rather unnatural one). People love them (of course I've tweaked the settings to near perfection, something I rarely see in competitors places). Similar Panasonics at that time would have been about $1400. But now things have changed. The Vizio's are still about the same price. A basic Panasonic is now the same price. http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/pro...=cpc&utm_campaign=PNTH42PX75U&sku=PNTH42PX75U The whole 1080p thing does not concern me. Put the Panasonic side by side with the Vizio and run a high action movie like Transformers or Die Hard 4 through them, or a SD source and there is simply no comparison, the Panasonic blows it out of the water (as it does all LCD's). Being happy with your DLP is important and you got a nice looking large set. To try to have gotten that size, 57", in a plasma would have broke the bank... you are right. I grew up watching film. That's the look I like and that's where the plasmas shine, a rich, detailed, lag free, motion artifact free experience. And as I noted Consumer Reports found that the Panasonic plasmas are some of the most reliable sets ever made, only 2% having problems, Sony LCD's where almost as good at 3% (luckily most problems turned up during the warranty period). Unfortunately the DLP/rear projectors did not fair so well in reliability. The Mitsubishi numbers are a bit scary. I don't want to belabor the point but statements like 'plasma is dying' is just plain silly. Every generation has gotten better and cheaper. Last year Matsushita spent $2.3 billion to build the world's largest plasma display factory, doubling the capacity of its existing plants. This ain't my humble opinion, it's just the way it is.
I totally agree with you, "plasma dying" might not have been the correct words to use but, like I always say, it just really comes down to what looks good to you and what application will work best for you and apparently, plasma isn't the way to go for iluvendo. Price was a determining factor for me and at that time I got a hell of a good deal on my DLP. Three years ago, plasma was a bit pricey and LCD wasn't an option either. I have a large living room and my wrap around couch is about about 10 ft away from my tv so, I went big. I'm really eying the Mitsubishi WD-73833, it is a bit pricey but, I've got some money saved up. I'm also wondering if projection might be the way to go. I mainly watch movies and sports so, either way I go, I should be happy.
Another opinion from a different source on plasmas BTW MysticE, I'm not against plasmas. But for what I want ( watching movies) LCOS is the way to go. I like the clarity, color rendition, contrast, and the fine definition of LCOS over the rest. Plasmas' main claim to fame was always it could be hung like a piece of art. Not until recently did plasma get to 1920x1080. $ony's SXRD (LCOS) was 1920x1080 from day 1.Except for the brightness, LCOS looks better to me all around.Just my 2 cents.
