Are Panasonic Still The Sweet Spot Plasma Panels?

[Guest WalrusLike]

I am getting closer to purchase and my research of a year or so ago seems out of date... a 50 inch HD viera can now be got for the old price of the 42 SD....

Is there still agreement that the best price/picture in the $2000-3000 range is the Pana? I must admit that it doesnt look that way to me in many stores.... but it is so hard to get a decent test... generally the source is crappy....

And is the 50 inch HD without tuner (PV?) exactly the same panel and processing chip as the tuner version (PX?)? In other words are they identical except for built in tuner?

[PanaSung]

I am getting closer to purchase and my research of a year or so ago seems out of date... a 50 inch HD viera can now be got for the old price of the 42 SD....

Is there still agreement that the best price/picture in the $2000-3000 range is the Pana? I must admit that it doesnt look that way to me in many stores.... but it is so hard to get a decent test... generally the source is crappy....

I think LCD is about to hand Plasma it's ass, however, Plasma is good value for money{50in pana $3000}.....and yes, Panasonic plasma are easily the best when we factor in price, the only better panel might be the Pioneer.

Both Pioneer and Panasonic have the respect of website reviewers and home consumers....Panasonics superior black levels are a global talking point.

[Owen]

For a 50” size and sub $3k price range you can’t go past the Panasonic Plasma.

If the next generation of high end Pioneer Plasmas is everything they are cracked up to be, they will have no competition from LCD’s as far as performance is concerned, but they wont be cheep.

[amberzombie]

i'm gonna let you in on a secret.

Most, if not all, Panasonics at the store are set to Dynamic in their picture settings. In this mode, i found the PQ extremely grainy compared to the Pioneer.

But when i took hold of the remote and changed the picture setting to Normal, man you'd be pressed to see if the Pioneer was really worth $1000 more than the Panasonic.

PLUS, the RRP for the Pana 50" has JUST dropped this week. i just scored one for $3274 including shipping and 5 year warranty.

that makes the plasma ITSELF less than $2900.

$2900 for a 50" plasma? hard to beat!!

[Struggo]

I am getting closer to purchase and my research of a year or so ago seems out of date... a 50 inch HD viera can now be got for the old price of the 42 SD....

Is there still agreement that the best price/picture in the $2000-3000 range is the Pana? I must admit that it doesnt look that way to me in many stores.... but it is so hard to get a decent test... generally the source is crappy....

And is the 50 inch HD without tuner (PV?) exactly the same panel and processing chip as the tuner version (PX?)? In other words are they identical except for built in tuner?

So many are happy with their PANA Plasma.

But I would be totally pissed if my Hitachi 1080i had the dreaded PURPLE SNAKE!

My 2c

Struggo

[bac]

So many are happy with their PANA Plasma.

But I would be totally pissed if my Hitachi 1080i had the dreaded PURPLE SNAKE!

My 2c

Struggo

This phenomenon shows up < 0.1% of the time, so I wouldn't let that put you off an otherwise excellent plasma.

(just my 2c worth - now we have 4c all up...)

Cheers,

BAC

[Struggo]

(just my 2c worth - now we have 4c all up...)

Cheers,

BAC

[diesel]

And is the 50 inch HD without tuner (PV?) exactly the same panel and processing chip as the tuner version (PX?)?

Yep, except for DVB tuner, better speakers, SD card slot and some say better looks

There's always something better around the corner, but as stated below, probably the best value (all things considered) at the moment!

I think LCD is about to hand Plasma it's ass, however, Plasma is good value for money{50in pana $3000}.....and yes, Panasonic plasma are easily the best when we factor in price, the only better panel might be the Pioneer.

For a 50” size and sub $3k price range you can’t go past the Panasonic Plasma.

If the next generation of high end Pioneer Plasmas is everything they are cracked up to be, they will have no competition from LCD’s as far as performance is concerned, but they wont be cheep.

[PanaSung]

For a 50” size and sub $3k price range you can’t go past the Panasonic Plasma.

If the next generation of high end Pioneer Plasmas is everything they are cracked up to be, they will have no competition from LCD’s as far as performance is concerned, but they wont be cheep.

You're thinking in Mercedes Benz terms, IOW, even if they have the best PQ, they won't be value for money, nor will they be ideal for PC usage.

LCD is better suited to PC use, has a sharper picture, is lighter and more sturdy+ the 1080 M81's will prolly be $2800 by jan next yr.

At the moment.....the 2 best value TV's are Panasonic 50in Plasma or a 56DLP{Samsung}.....but when I say TV's, I mean just that, FTA, Fox and DVD.....nothing else, OTOH, once you start factoring in other uses, these 2 become less desirable.

Right here and now, Pana Plasma 50 has everything going for it, size, viewing angle, flat panel, contrast ratio.

[aztec]

I am sick of reviews on things based on someone else's perception of value. You get it with everything from TVs to sports cars, eg, best sports car under $100K, best sports car over $100K, I just want to know what's the best sports car. I'll be the judge of value.

[davep]

I am sick of reviews on things based on someone else's perception of value. You get it with everything from TVs to sports cars, eg, best sports car under $100K, best sports car over $100K, I just want to know what's the best sports car. I'll be the judge of value.

Audi RS4:

http://www.fullboost.com.au/news.php?newsId=1262

[amberzombie]

Best sports car - Bugatti Veyron

[TwisTz]

So many are happy with their PANA Plasma.

But I would be totally pissed if my Hitachi 1080i had the dreaded PURPLE SNAKE!

My 2c

Struggo

Heh. I'd be pissed if my Pana Plasma had the even more dreaded Hitachi flicker.

My $1.85

TwisTz.

[PanaSung]

I am sick of reviews on things based on someone else's perception of value. You get it with everything from TVs to sports cars, eg, best sports car under $100K, best sports car over $100K, I just want to know what's the best sports car. I'll be the judge of value.

FYI frustrated superhero.....most people know very little about HDTV, and that's one of the reasons why I put my 2 cents in{not that I know everything}

If I was ready to buy a HDTV and someone confused me with facts and options...I'd delay my purchase until I had a better understanding of what I was getting myself into.

Like it or not, you can't just waltz up to a salesperson on the showroom floor{regardless of what he knows}, and say give me the best HDTV.....he'll think you're stupid.

The world of TV and home entertainment has changed, and with it comes a degree of complexity........as such, asking simple and one dimensional questions is evidence of extreme ignorance.

[PanaSung]

Best sports car - Bugatti Veyron

But that must make you richer than Owen then Amber.....GAGAAGAGAGAAGAA.

[Zacspeed]

It's probably nearly impossible to say which is the best HDTV out there, thats a very subjective question. There are many contenders but I think it's fair to say at such and such a price point TV "x" is the best HDTV.

Infact I think when CNET and other bodies do reviews on TV's they factor in the cost vs performance in to it and it forms part of the overall rating.

From reviews on HD sites and on here, the Panasonic has constantly been labelled best performance with the best value for money.

Then the Pioneer has been labelled subjectively as the best Plasma, however Fujitsu and Hitachi are also up there.

In the end all you can do is take the facts (not hype, rumour or innuendo) and make your own informed decision.

[aztec]

FYI frustrated superhero.....most people know very little about HDTV, and that's one of the reasons why I put my 2 cents in{not that I know everything}

If I was ready to buy a HDTV and someone confused me with facts and options...I'd delay my purchase until I had a better understanding of what I was getting myself into.

Like it or not, you can't just waltz up to a salesperson on the showroom floor{regardless of what he knows}, and say give me the best HDTV.....he'll think you're stupid.

The world of TV and home entertainment has changed, and with it comes a degree of complexity........as such, asking simple and one dimensional questions is evidence of extreme ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, you ignored the meaning of the post. You may post that the Panasonic is good because of blah, blah blah, versus a Pioneer which does blah, blah, blah. The better one is this because ... but it costs $3k more. Expecting everyone to place the same value on something is extreme ignorance.

[aztec]

Heh. I'd be pissed if my Pana Plasma had the even more dreaded Hitachi flicker.

My $1.85

TwisTz.

I am a proud owner of an Hitachi and don't have any such problems. Which model are you referring to?

[PanaSung]

Speaking of ignorance, you ignored the meaning of the post. You may post that the Panasonic is good because of blah, blah blah, versus a Pioneer which does blah, blah, blah. The better one is this because ... but it costs $3k more. Expecting everyone to place the same value on something is extreme ignorance.

What you fail to grasp is that there's more to a HDTV than just PQ......so even if Pioneer has a slightly better PQ than a cheaper Panasonic, it's irrelevant unless all you care about is PQ.....of course if you did, you'd be expressing your frustration in DLP/Lcos threads.

It would seem to me that apart from PQ, you're also factoring in size/aesthetics....thus making your initial statement regarding "just tell me which is the best TV" seem just as silly now as it did a few hrs ago.

IOW, it's obvious that you care about factors other than PQ/price, yet you were silly enough to criticize others for this type of consideration.

[PersianImmortal]

I am sick of reviews on things based on someone else's perception of value. You get it with everything from TVs to sports cars, eg, best sports car under $100K, best sports car over $100K, I just want to know what's the best sports car. I'll be the judge of value.

This is an incredible statement. You do realise that the concept of "best" is totally subjective, don't you? Get 20 automotive experts together in a room and ask them which is the "best" sports car and you'll likely get up to 20 different answers. How do you define "best" - fastest in a straight line, fastest around a track (and which track?), best looking, most reliable, most technologically advanced?

Same deal with HDTVs. To start with there is the fundamental issue of LCD vs. Plasma - some people prefer LCD's image quality, some prefer Plasma's. They are definitely not the same, you can see the same movie on both LCD and Plasma and there is a discernible difference in how the image appears to the eye.

Since the original poster's question is are panasonics still the sweet spot plasma, I'd say the answer is going to have to be a resounding yes, since "sweet spot" implies a good price/performance ratio, and there is definitely that with the current Panas.

Instead of confusing the issue and turning each thread into an HD vs. SD and/or LCD vs. Plasma, it might be worth staying on topic and answering questions clearly, rather than proving who is the most superior A/V techie each time, right?

[aztec]

This is an incredible statement. You do realise that the concept of "best" is totally subjective, don't you? Get 20 automotive experts together in a room and ask them which is the "best" sports car and you'll likely get up to 20 different answers. How do you define "best" - fastest in a straight line, fastest around a track (and which track?), best looking, most reliable, most technologically advanced?

Same deal with HDTVs. To start with there is the fundamental issue of LCD vs. Plasma - some people prefer LCD's image quality, some prefer Plasma's. They are definitely not the same, you can see the same movie on both LCD and Plasma and there is a discernible difference in how the image appears to the eye.

Since the original poster's question is are panasonics still the sweet spot plasma, I'd say the answer is going to have to be a resounding yes, since "sweet spot" implies a good price/performance ratio, and there is definitely that with the current Panas.

Instead of confusing the issue and turning each thread into an HD vs. SD and/or LCD vs. Plasma, it might be worth staying on topic and answering questions clearly, rather than proving who is the most superior A/V techie each time, right?

I understand your point, never meant to turn it into a HD v SD, which I don't think I did. But, if it is so subjective what's the point of the thread. For this exact reason I was pointing out that it would be better for people to detail the pros and cons and possibly even list best price. Then the readers can determine themselves if they are still the sweet spot.

Apologies for diverting the thread, I'll slink off now into the background.