Steely
Dumped Comcast for FiOS
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Princeton Junction, NJ
| reply to BillTager
Re: Plasma TV experiences. What Brands??
said by BillTager  :I prefer real user reports. Also, how many of the twenty tested were 1080p sets with three HDMI inputs; and accepted 1080p over component? Got a link to the article? I'd love to read it. Dude, I don't really want to make this a pissing match so I'm keeping my personal opinions of the Panasonic plasmas to myself from here on out and just citing Internet sources. I'm sure your plasma is everything you want it to be and was a great value.
To address two of your questions:
Some of the Panasonics have three HDMI inputs and some have two. Mine happens to have two although I only need one. Also, I have absolutely zero need for 1080p over the component inputs. So both of your concerns are moot points for me...and probably other people as well.
As for your "real user reviews" comment, don't embarrass yourself. The very first post in the AVS thread YOU pointed me to links to a CNET page I had never looked at before. On that page, CNET editors gave your Samsung an 8.0 out of 10, and CNET users (let's assume they're "real" users) gave it an 8.1 out of 10. Pretty good, but a similar pool of CNET users ("real" users too?) gave my Panny TH-50PZ77U an 8.8 out of 10. Unfortunately, the CNET editors didn't fully review the TH-50PZ77U, but they did review the cheaper TH-50PX77U which is identical in every way except for a native display of only 720p. And even with that relatively inferior 720p resolution, that Panasonic model managed an 8.0 out of 10 from CNET editors - the same score as your 1080p Sammy - and CNET users ("real" users?) awarded it 8.7 out of 10 points, trumping your 8.1. So thank you for posting that AVS link to try to support your argument...which actually accomplished the complete opposite by bolstering my position. 
The Consumer Reports plasma reviews you asked me to point you to are HERE but you have to be a paid subscriber to see them. The description for your model (ranked #17, overall score of 68) was as follows:
Highs
Very good picture quality across the board. Makes the most of its 1080p resolution, reproducing very fine detail. Deep, stable blacks don't vary in brightness with different types of content. Its high-definition film-mode operation did a good job eliminating jagged edges--"jaggies"--in movies and other film-based content. On-screen menu is very easy to navigate. Has built-in features that allow the TV to be connected to a home network. Longer than usual (24-month) parts and labor warranty.
Lows
Image is not as bright as the better plasmas and is slightly lacking in contrast. In the darkest scenes, images were grainy and unnatural-looking.
Bottom Line
This Samsung set, which comes with a swivel stand, has very good picture quality with great detail and deep blacks.
You should know that two other Samsung 50" plasma models scored significantly higher than your model.
There were three "real" user reviews there too. Two folks gave it 4 out of 5 stars and one user gave it 5 out of 5.
Here's the CR synopsis of my Panasonic (#3 in their rankings, overall score of 80):
Highs
Excellent picture quality on all types of programs: HD, SD and DVDs. Top-notch detail squeezes the most from HD programs. Colors were very accurate, and contrast was very good, giving images depth and dimension. Very good black levels, though depth was slightly dependent on the overall brightness of program content. With HD and SD programs, very good reproduction of scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas. Excellent high-definition film-mode operation effectively eliminates jagged edges--"jaggies"--on movie content. Has a GalleryPlayer feature that allows high-def artwork to be loaded onto an SD card and displayed on the TV.
Lows
Brightness levels were generally fine, though not as bright as some that are better suited for brightly lit rooms. Black levels were generally good with DVDs and SD fare, though a bit bright on the darkest scenes. With DVDs, some banding was visible on scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas. Lacks separate RGB-level adjustments. Has just two HDMI inputs, one fewer than some HDTVs
Bottom Line
Another excellent well-priced 1080p plasma from Panasonic, this model sets a new price/performance benchmark.
There are no CR user reviews available...however...Circuit City, Best Buy and Amazon users all give it (or gave it) a 4.5 or 5 out of 5.
Those are the reviews and rankings I found online, devoid of personal bias. In spite of all that, if you need 3 HDMI inputs and 1080p over component, I guess my Panasonic model is not the one for you. Enjoy your Samsung. |
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jmacd27
Premium
join:2001-05-13
Florida
clubs: 
1 edit | reply to BillTager
said by BillTager :I just ordered a Samsung 50" Plasma (t5084) for $1764. It's scheduled to be delivered next Thursday. I can't wait. It's gotten excellent reviews over at AVSForums and elsewhere. One of the main reason I went with the Samsung over the Pioneer or Panasonic equivalent is the fact that the Samsung accepts 1080p signals over component; not to mention the price was significantly less than the Panasonic or Pioneer models of the same size. I hope you enjoy your set. I have the larger 58" version of your set, the FP-T5884. I looked at the Panny and Pioneers and couldn't justify the higher costs for those sets. I do think the 60" Pioneer was nice, but had yellow tinted whites when displaying a lot of white. This is a big issue since I watch a lot of hockey. The Panny 58" didn't to me have a nicer picture and was at the time a $200 more than the Sammy set. Add in the 2 year warranty and the decision was easy for me and I have had no regrets. |
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KickMe
join:2001-10-03
Lancaster, OH
 ·RoadRunner Cable
·Earthlink Cable Mo..
| reply to BoulderHill1
Let's face it, these are personal choices and people will defend their choice. There are good points with every flat panel and most of us would be happy with quite a few of them.
"Consumer Reports" repair records are based on nearly 75,000 reader responses to their annual questionnaire and that is very helpful in making a decision. If you consider the expense and trouble of getting one of these repaired or even looked at, it can be invaluable. They break down the percent needing repairs this way:
Panasonic 2%
Pioneer 3%
Samsung 5%
Phillips 8%
(not a large enough sample to evaluate other brands).
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wings10
I Am Legend
Premium
join:2004-06-09
South Elgin, IL
 ·Dish Network
 ·AT&T DSL Service
·Comcast
| said by KickMe :Let's face it, these are personal choices and people will defend their choice. There are good points with every flat panel and most of us would be happy with quite a few of them. Very true. The only thing to really watch for in the lower price models is they may go cheap on other parts. The display might all be made/come from one source but it is parts like power supplies that end up being cheap and fail in a short time. Best thing is to read up on reviews and check out the units in the shop and then buy the one that you like and can afford. It only matters what you think and enjoy.
--
"The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration." |
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Bubba17
Less is More
Premium
join:2006-09-21
1 edit | Well, after the recent LCD (family-room) purchase, we've relocated the old 36" Mitsubishi SD/tube TV (must be over 20 years old .. still has a great picture!) into the living-room. Course, the 26" tube TV it displaced went to a guest bedroom.
And, based on this thread, I will consider plasma for our next (not too distant) purchase to replace the Mitsubishi.
Very early (one can tell from my prior questions) I locked onto LCD and, very focused, proceeded. I didn't look back. In my mind still, just last month, plasma's (all except the very expensive units) were mostly all 720p with smaller screen dimensions. They suffered screen burn-in problems and were, overall, inferior compared to LCDs in product dependability. I was wrong.  |
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Steely
Dumped Comcast for FiOS
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Princeton Junction, NJ
| reply to wings10
said by wings10 :It only matters what you think and enjoy. Really, it all comes down to that. And the truth is that almost all HDTV's sold today are great....even the cheap off-brand ones. Unless you happen to get a lemon, it's hard to go too far wrong with whatever TV you buy. |
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pepe34327
@northwestern.edu
| Eh? I don't think so. 'Great' is very subjective. If you take a serious look at the extremely poor PQ of junk HDTVs like Maxent (one example), you will think again when you place it next to even one of the newer plasma panels. I'm shocked at how many people walked out with Panny panels last year when amazing sets like the Pio Kuro were sitting there practically unnoticed @ places like BB, etc. They just couldn't get past the idea that a 720p set could provide superior PQ than something w/ 1080p, or got it in their heads that what you saw in the store was how it would look at home....
-P
quote:
And the truth is that almost all HDTV's sold today are great....even the cheap off-brand ones.
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Steely
Dumped Comcast for FiOS
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Princeton Junction, NJ
| You're obviously MUCH younger than I am. I remember the days when you looked at a wall of display TV's in a store and the picture on each set was radically different than the one on either side of it...even though all were tuned to the same channel. Colors were so bad on some that flesh tended to look either decidedly pink or decidedly green. Some TV's were bright, others were dull. And some sets had much sharper images than others. Ghosting and graininess were common to the point where those types of flaws were almost expected. The bad TV's were really atrocious.
These days, differences between similarly priced sets are much more subtle, and picture quality ranges from good to excellent. Very few sets, if any, are unwatchable. Yes, it's subjective, but even the least expensive HDTV's today have a more-than-decent picture quality. Even those cheap Maxents.
BTW I don't think those Pioneers necessarily went unnoticed. More than likely their relatively high prices made shoppers on a budget look elsewhere for value. |
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timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
clubs:
·AT&T Southeast
|  said by Steely :BTW I don't think those Pioneers necessarily went unnoticed. More than likely their relatively high prices made shoppers on a budget look elsewhere for value. Bingo! I could not justify paying $5000 or more for a Pioneer Kuro when the Panasonic looked at least 99% as good for $2200. I have always had a preference Pioneer audio and video equipment, but that was just too, too much.
Tim
--
"Love consists in overestimating the difference between one woman and another" - George Bernard Shaw
~ Project Hope ~ |
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cissado
Premium
join:2008-01-14
Clifton, NJ
| reply to BoulderHill1
Boulderhill1, have you tried using a calibration DVD to improve PQ? They cost about $30 and you can get pretty close to perfect without having it professionally calibrated. Even if you don't like the results, you can tweak them from there.
I just helped my sister choose the Panasonic 50px80u today. I've also heard a lot of great things about the Panasonic line of plasmas. Great price, especially for her first HDTV. |
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