I have owned hand-me-down CRT televisions 27'' or less for my entire life. I have decided to leave my tattered TV past behind and enter the real world of bigscreen hi-def television. My Wii, brand new Xbox 360, and soon-to-come Blu-ray player are angry at me for having a 21'' CRT... very angry.


Here are my specs:

-I will be sitting 6 feet or less from the screen.
-I will be playing a decent amount of video games (3-4 hours at a time)
-I would like to not spend over $1500 ($1000+ is preferable)
-I can sufficiently darken the room
-I live in rural MS, so I will have to drive over 1.5 hours to go to a big TV dealer
-I have heard about the forum sponsers but I don't really know much about them
-I want the best black levels/picture quality I can afford.



Can you Plasma Guru's give me any advice or ideas to help me fit my ideal Plasma?

At 6ft or less you'd need 1080p, and there are many nice 1080p 42" models in your price range. The outgoing Panny pz700u and pz77u models are in your budget shipped off internet vendors. You could wait for the new models pz85u for superior black levels, but it will be out of your budget at first and you'll have to wait for prices to drop.

I would say go with the 42pz700u, or hold out a few more months for when the 42pz85u, the 46" 46pz85u, or the 42pz800u drops down to your budget range.

At 6ft or less you'd need 1080p, and there are many nice 1080p 42" models in your price range. The outgoing Panny pz700u and pz77u models are in your budget shipped off internet vendors. You could wait for the new models pz85u for superior black levels, but it will be out of your budget at first and you'll have to wait for prices to drop.

I would say go with the 42pz700u, or hold out a few more months for when the 42pz85u, the 46" 46pz85u, or the 42pz800u drops down to your budget range.I agree with everything Batpig said. I'd say you do need the TV to be 1080p since you're sitting so close so i'd get the TH-42PZ700U if you want to buy now, or wait a little and get the new upcoming TH-42PZ80U or TH-P42PZ85U which will have better black levels than the PZ700U.

According to some guys in another thread, Costco now has the TH-42PZ700U.

These guys are right, keep in mind at the present time Panasonic is the only maker of a 1080P plasma display......

I agree with everything Batpig said. I'd say you do need the TV to be 1080p since you're sitting so close so i'd get the TH-42PZ700U if you want to buy now, or wait a little and get the new upcoming TH-42PZ80U or TH-P42PZ85U which will have better black levels than the PZ700U.

According to some guys in another thread, Costco now has the TH-42PZ700U.

+1

The sets Randy mentioned are definitely your best options.

These guys are right, keep in mind at the present time Panasonic is the only maker of a 1080P plasma display......

WOW??

What a statement!!!

I don't post often and I certainly would never think of posting something that flies in the face of, or contradicts what one of the big guns here had to say, especially a big gun that's a dealer BUT... I feel I must say something, perhaps too much.
The OP stated, first and foremost, that 'he' is a "Complete TV Newbie" and while 'I' am fairly certain that I understand the reason that you made such a statement, I am also pretty confident that he WILL NOT!
Again, in light of one of his other statements that he "heard about the forum sponsors but I don't really know much about them", to me, this would be an extremely bad first impression!

I would humbly and respectfully request that you qualify this statement to the OP, as to not confuse the fellow any more then I am sure he is, given the complexities of buying a TV these days.

I find it to be completely and utterly misleading, leaving him with no option and absolutely no other alternative then to order a Panasonic TV, even if he by some chance had a windfall, wanted a larger set then was mentioned or just decided to spend more.

Normally, I'd find a post like mine to be picking nits or just downright inflamatory but I assume that this fellow is pretty much going to take what you big guns here have to say much as he would the gospel. After all, this statement wasn't made by just ANY poster.

I'm very sorry if anyone is offended by it or you think it out of line but again I'd find it to be totally misleading if I was to come from a place of little to no knowledge on the subject.
I would hope that when people whose word might be taken quite literally, that those people would give more thought to statements made to those of us who need the help the most.
All that being said, I'm sorry to have to have posted what feels like a lecture and hope it is taken in the manner in which it was intended. I'm quite certain that it was mearly an oversight as I know you've been a big help to many members.

Thank You for your understanding.

So shall we assume Chris is a Panny fanboy especially now that it appears Pioneer will be rebadged Panasonics? :cool:
Samsung, LG among a few others who also make 1080p plasmas.

WOW??

What a statement!!!

I don't post often and I certainly would never think of posting something that flies in the face of, or contradicts what one of the big guns here had to say, especially a big gun that's a dealer BUT... I feel I must say something, perhaps too much.
The OP stated, first and foremost, that 'he' is a "Complete TV Newbie" and while 'I' am fairly certain that I understand the reason that you made such a statement, I am also pretty confident that he WILL NOT!
Again, in light of one of his other statements that he "heard about the forum sponsors but I don't really know much about them", to me, this would be an extremely bad first impression!

I would humbly and respectfully request that you qualify this statement to the OP, as to not confuse the fellow any more then I am sure he is, given the complexities of buying a TV these days.

I find it to be completely and utterly misleading, leaving him with no option and absolutely no other alternative then to order a Panasonic TV, even if he by some chance had a windfall, wanted a larger set then was mentioned or just decided to spend more.

Normally, I'd find a post like mine to be picking nits or just downright inflamatory but I assume that this fellow is pretty much going to take what you big guns here have to say much as he would the gospel. After all, this statement wasn't made by just ANY poster.

I'm very sorry if anyone is offended by it or you think it out of line but again I'd find it to be totally misleading if I was to come from a place of little to no knowledge on the subject.
I would hope that when people whose word might be taken quite literally, that those people would give more thought to statements made to those of us who need the help the most.
All that being said, I'm sorry to have to have posted what feels like a lecture and hope it is taken in the manner in which it was intended. I'm quite certain that it was mearly an oversight as I know you've been a big help to many members.

Thank You for your understanding.

Your post is a lecture. I posted my opinion, which is that given the OP's viewing distance and budget, only Panasonic 1080p 42" sets meet his needs.

Your post is a lecture. I posted my opinion, which is that given the OP's viewing distance and budget, only Panasonic 1080p 42" sets meet his needs.

Based on your interpretation.
Does the OP want 50" or 42"? If 42" then 720p would also be fine.
Oh, as usual I again favor LCD for heavy gaming which the OP appears to be.

Your post is a lecture. I posted my opinion, which is that given the OP's viewing distance and budget, only Panasonic 1080p 42" sets meet his needs.

And your post was quite insiteful but my post and my lecture if you will, was directed at CLEVELAND PLASMA as you will note in the quote at the top of the page.
Are you also of the opinion that Panasonic is the only 1080P Plasma...PERIOD!!
Because that's what his post states.

Based on your interpretation.
Does the OP want 50" or 42"? If 42" then 720p would also be fine.
Oh, as usual I again favor LCD for heavy gaming which the OP appears to be.

I agree here. The OP really needs to get to a few shops and see some 720 sets and see if they work for him. Not everyone is super-sensitive and needs a 1080p set which is gonna cost a good chunk of cash in the 42" screen size. It almost seems wasteful.

I also agree that LCD should be left as an option due to the heavy gaming.

I would go with a 1080p set in any case, but especially in your case since you will be sitting fairly close to the display. Now I won't go as far to say that Panasonic is the only manufacturer with 1080p plasmas but they are the best in terms of quality/price. Pioneer currently has the best quality & there are other brands with much better price but I feel Panasonic has the best balance between the 2. Size is a personal preference so just because you are closer doesnt mean you wouldnt appreciate a bigger screen. get what you think will satisfy you. Im no expert but I have enough experience to say that plasma pretty much beats lcd everytime except in overall brightness which isnt necessarily a bad thing considering you dont want your set to be too bright anyway. I have a 50" Sony GWIII which is a pretty good TV but aside from size cant hold a candle to my 42" panasonic 1080p. I hate the screen door effect that you get with a 720/768p display, especially when you are within 6 or 7 feet of it. Ive also seen family & friends plasmas & lcd in action & again, I'd go plasma everytime & if you cant afford the Pioneer Kuro go for the Panasonic 1080p.

While these guys are right for the majority of people in regard to you needing a 1080p set, go look at some for yourself and decide. I dont notice the screen door effect as much as other people. 6 foot on a 42 incher, I cant really tell the difference between 720 and 1080P. When I was looking at 50 inch sets I just noticed it barely at 6 foot. Take your XBox into a store and try it out on different sets up close. If you can get by with a 720 set thats a significant savings for you.

Thanks for the opinions so far, guys.

I will try to get to a store this weekend and do a little research and comparison.


As for the TV size, bigger is better, but a 50'' 1080p sounds like it might be outside my price range. I will go take a look at some, but that 42'' Panasonic 1080p is sounding pretty good. I will see if I can find one in a store and take a good look at it.


Don't stop the ideas and opinions rolling, though! If I see that a TV will be better for me if I save up for another month, I might just have to do that.



EDIT: I did a little research on the 42pz700u and it seems it is breaking on a lot of people. Do yall have any expert opinions on this?

And your post was quite insiteful but my post and my lecture if you will, was directed at CLEVELAND PLASMA as you will note in the quote at the top of the page.

Are you also of the opinion that Panasonic is the only 1080P Plasma...PERIOD!!
Because that's what his post states.I presume Chris meant to say:

"at the present time Panasonic is the only maker of a 42 inch 1080P plasma display", which i think is correct.

Chris knows that none of the 50" 1080p models are anywhere near the OP's low budget, but the various Panasonic 42" 1080p sets are within budget.

I did a little research on the 42pz700u and it seems it is breaking on a lot of people. Do yall have any expert opinions on this?Power supply failures are the most common failure on all the various brands of plasma TVs and no plasma maker is immune from the occasional defective power supply board. You're only focusing on the very small minority of owners who have had a problem, while probably 98% of the other PZ700U owners here have no problems whatsoever so you don't hear from them. The Panasonics are the most reliable TVs made so don't let random reports of failures scare you away.

I presume Chris meant to say:

"at the present time Panasonic is the only maker of a 42 inch 1080P plasma display", which i think is correct.

Chris knows that none of the 50" 1080p models are anywhere near the OP's low budget, but the various Panasonic 42" 1080p sets are within budget.

No, the ...... at the end of his post is a dead giveaway that he was being very sarcastic and really didn't add anything constructive to the post.

While I don't personally agree with his method, he has a point. I'm just not sure what other 42" plasma display with 1080p resolution he had in mind besides the Panasonics.

WOW??

What a statement!!!


Whoah dude, relax. Why not just respond with something like, "that's not technically true, Samsung and Pioneer also have 1080p plasmas". Your escalation was a little unnecessary.

I agree here. The OP really needs to get to a few shops and see some 720 sets and see if they work for him. Not everyone is super-sensitive and needs a 1080p set which is gonna cost a good chunk of cash in the 42" screen size. It almost seems wasteful.


Have to disagree here -- while the statement is true in general, the OP specifically states that he will be sitting less than 6 feet from the display which almost necessitates 1080p.

And as to your comment about the good chunk of cash premium for 1080p, that's not really true anymore. If you compare the pricing of 42" 720p plasmas vs. 42" 1080p plasmas, the premium is only a couple hundred and will be well within his budget. What you are saying is true of 50", where there is still a large price gap between 720p and 1080p, but the 42" niche has some real awesome values out there in the 42pz77u and 42pz700u.

Normally I totally agree with the generalization that 720p is fine, and I am an owner of a 50" 720p. But for a video gamer sitting 4-5 feet away from the screen (or super-spidey-vision Randy Walters!!), and at the 42" size, he falls within the exception to this rule. If there is anyone for whom 1080p at 42" would be worth a couple hundred extra, it's the OP.

No, the ...... at the end of his post is a dead giveaway that he was being very sarcastic and really didn't add anything constructive to the post.

While I don't personally agree with his method, he has a point. I'm just not sure what other 42" plasma display with 1080p resolution he had in mind besides the Panasonics.I was talking about post #4 by Chris at Cleveland Plasma - i don't see any sarcasm in his post. You must be talking about someone else's post . . . . .

I was talking about post #4 by Chris at Cleveland Plasma - i don't see any sarcasm in his post. You must be talking about someone else's post . . . . .

Yep, same post. He came off as very sarcastic to me and apparently at least one other person in this thread as well.:confused: What else are the multiple periods at the end of his post for? Isn't he the one that has been sorta pushing the new NECs? Do they make a 42" 1080p?

some people just end a quick post with ellipses (the periods), it sort of indicates trailing off after a quick thought. I got nothing at all sarcastic or anything else from that post, and he qualified it as "at the present time". I think everyone needs to settle down and not read something into nothing.

some people just end a quick post with ellipses (the periods), it sort of indicates trailing off after a quick thought. I got nothing at all sarcastic or anything else from that post, and he qualified it as "at the present time". EXACTLY! I cannot believe someone would take ellipses as being "very sarcastic". I think he's being way too sensitive and reading stuff into the post that doesn't exist. I know for a fact that i wasn't being sarcastic, and i use ellipses all the time here.

some people just end a quick post with ellipses (the periods), it sort of indicates trailing off after a quick thought. I got nothing at all sarcastic or anything else from that post, and he qualified it as "at the present time". I think everyone needs to settle down and not read something into nothing.

If that's the case then I sincerely apologize for adding my $.02 about his post.
I'm used to reading different forums and the "..." at the end of a post can definitely signify sarcasm. Also, if he had not left off the 42" detail about Panasonic being the only 1080p plasma manufacturer, then I would not have given his post a second thought.

If that's the case then I sincerely apologize for adding my $.02 about his post. I'm used to reading different forums and the "..." at the end of a post can definitely signify sarcasm. Also, if he had not left off the 42" detail about Panasonic being the only 1080p plasma manufacturer, then I would not have given his post a second thought.Maybe you don't know that Chris/Cleveland Plasma sells Plasma TVs and is very knowledgeable about them and knows full well that Panasonic is not the only maker of 1080p plasmas. He's always very helpful and friendly and i don't remember ever seeing him be sarcastic. That's how i know he must have forgotten to state that it's the 42" models he's talking about, and there is no need for him to be sarcastic in the first place.

Now if he had inserted the Sarcasm smilie >>:rolleyes:<< that would be a different story....... oops i mean . :D

I looked at the TH-42PZ80U on some websites and I definitely wouldn't mind waiting a month for that one to come out (says they ship in early April on the Panasonic website). It looks cheaper and better than the TH-42PZ700U.


Is there something I am missing as to why it is so much cheaper yet is better quality?



Also, where would y'all recommend I go/contact to get the best deal on a TV? Search for deals and coupons from stores or is there some great place on the web?

I don't think it will actually be cheaper in terms of street prices, at least initially. There are great deals out there for the 700u, but if you're a black-level guy you might want to wait and see how the reviews look for the new models.

Anyway, plasmas have been dropping in price so steeply the last few years it isn't abnormal for a new model to debut with a lower MSRP but yet have superior features/performance.

Since you are probably going to have to get it delivered since you live so far away from a big store, if you order online make sure it is a reputable vendor. Check resellerratings dot com if you see a price that looks too good to be true online.

I always start with Amazon as a baseline -- they usually have very competitive (if not the best) prices and often offer free shipping. Then check price search sites like Pricegrabber etc. (although beware some of the vendors on those sites!!) and follow threads at fatwallet dot com and slickdeals.

The forum sponsors (visual apex, cleveland plasma, invision -- links at the top of the page) have great prices and outstanding customer service with a very solid reputation -- I paid a little extra for my 50ph10uka from Invision than the very best price I could find online, but the forum sponsors prices beat 90% of the prices out there and it was worth paying a few extra bucks for the peace of mind of dealing personally with a company with an outstanding customer service reputation. Sometimes, especially with huge purchases online, it doesn't pay to be a complete cheap-ass to save $50 on a $1000+ item with the risk of a horrible experience.

If you want the peace and security of a real B&M return policy in case something goes wrong, just try and get the best price you can at the closest best buy, circuit city, or frys. Costco is probably the best option if there is one near you, since their return policy is very liberal.

I looked at the TH-42PZ80U on some websites and I definitely wouldn't mind waiting a month for that one to come out (says they ship in early April on the Panasonic website). It looks cheaper and better than the TH-42PZ700U.
Is there something I am missing as to why it is so much cheaper yet is better quality?
Also, where would y'all recommend I go/contact to get the best deal on a TV? Search for deals and coupons from stores or is there some great place on the web?

think it would be wise to wait on the new model th42pz80 or 85u over the older 42pz700.

check with avs forum sponsors like Chris at Cleveland Plasma, his text link is at the bottom of the avs forum pages or Roman at Invision Displays, link at top of the forum pages. both are excellent guys to deal with and they should have good prices on the new panny th42pz80 or th42pz85 that would fit right in your budget and work great in your a/v setup. they are usually some of the first online dealers to have newer models in stock and plus it will be delivered right to your door here in MS. You won't have to be traveling to find a bestbuy or circuit city in Jackson or up in Memphis wherever you maybe closer to and then hassleing with them over prices and them trying to slam cables and overpriced extended warranties on you.

definately a trend to bigger and better panels and lower prices, economies of scale and other factors all leading to better deals for consumers.

Thanks for all the help, everyone. I have decided to go with the TH-42PZ85U when it comes out in April based on your posts and from doing my own research.


Do any of you happen to have any recommendations on the best way to display my TV (wall mount, buy a stand, etc.) or with any peripherals (Blu-ray player, speakers, etc.) so I can maximize my experience?

This thread answered my question of which res to get within a 6ft watching distance and along the same lines of budget. I will be gaming as well like the OP, coming from a 27" Sony Wega CRT.

Once I found about the Kuro last month, I was thinking "That's my tv!!", but gasp at the price. I was hoping for a 42" because I think that is the best size for my room, but I believe those wont be out til Fall IIRC. Though the 8G 42" 720p version looks very nice to get. I checked them out at BB and they look pretty slick. I will definitely keep in mind the Panny models suggested and see how things go in the upcoming months, just waiting for my gov initiated tax refund to arrive. One day, a Kuro will be in my house.

Thanks guys for helping out the OP.

This thread answered my question of which res to get within a 6ft watching distance and along the same lines of budget. I will be gaming as well like the OP, coming from a 27" Sony Wega CRT.

Once I found about the Kuro last month, I was thinking "That's my tv!!", but gasp at the price. I was hoping for a 42" because I think that is the best size for my room, but I believe those wont be out til Fall IIRC. Though the 8G 42" 720p version looks very nice to get. I checked them out at BB and they look pretty slick. I will definitely keep in mind the Panny models suggested and see how things go in the upcoming months, just waiting for my gov initiated tax refund to arrive. One day, a Kuro will be in my house.

Thanks guys for helping out the OP.

I also agree with the majority of posters here who suggest that at 6' you should probably be looking at a 1080p display. It's not necessarily the extra resolution that matters, but rather that you want to avoid seeing the "Screen Door Effect" (SDE) where the edges of the individual pixels become visible (and probably annoying.)

Note to renderman - No new 42" Pioneer plasmas are expected this year at all (much less a 1080p model); all official announcements have indicated that their smallest 9G set will be 50". (Rumors about a possible 44" set remain unconfirmed; don't hold your breath.)

I think the Panny 42PZ85U is simply an awesome choice for that size, viewing distance, and budget!

I also agree with the majority of posters here who suggest that at 6' you should probably be looking at a 1080p display. It's not necessarily the extra resolution that matters, but rather that you want to avoid seeing the "Screen Door Effect" (SDE) where the edges of the individual pixels become visible (and probably annoying.)

Note to renderman - No new 42" Pioneer plasmas are expected this year at all (much less a 1080p model); all official announcements have indicated that their smallest 9G set will be 50". (Rumors about a possible 44" set remain unconfirmed; don't hold your breath.)

I think the Panny 42PZ85U is simply an awesome choice for that size, viewing distance, and budget!

Thanks slbosse for the info update. Once the new pannys come in, I shall be making store visits.