Hi all, I'm definately a noob to the HDTV market but I have been doin my research (07 models) to prep for my next purchase. But in waiting for those stimulus rebate checks to come out first, the new 2008 models have been released so i guess most of my research is useless at this point so I thought I would turn to you guys for some helpful advice. I was between the Samsung HP-T5064/HP-T5054 and Panasonic TH-50PX77U but with the release of the 2008s I've turned to the new Samsung PN50A450 or the Panasonic TH-50PX80U.
I've seen them both at Best Buy but I personally can't really see a major difference in PQ. But my main concern is the anti-glare/reflective screens because this is going to be in a very bright room. I couldn't really tell in the store which was better. The 07 PX77 series screens I know were top notch but I read that Panasonic changed the screens this year. I know LCDs fare better there but the price difference is quite a lot for similar sized LCD compared to Plasma. Thanks in advance for any help/input.

Just buy what you think looks best

Picture quality wise, to me they look the same...i just can't determine which has the better screen in the store. Figured I would see if anyone on here had any input because I would really like to avoid buying one, trying it out at home, take it back, try the other one, n then pick which one i liked better.

How many imputs does each of them have. Find out and see which one is more connected. I haven't seen the A450 yet, but the px80 looks good to me.

They both have adequate connections for me, the only major difference is the Sammy has the PC input and the Panny has a SD slot. I'm looking to see how each company's anti-reflective/anti-glare screens compare.

We were buying 50" 720p plasma today.
After research I nailed it to

Pioneer PDP-5080HD (2200$ BB)
Samsung PN50A450 (1440$ CC)
Panasonic 50PX80U (1377$ CC)

All three sets were sitting close at BB, so it was easy to compare them. To me it was obvious that Samsung has best PQ from all three. It's sharper and colors look better. Before coming to the store I was sort of ready to spend more on Pioneer after reading how great this TV and all, but turns out there is no reason to do it. Can't see Pioneer advantage in the deep blacks either, may be it should be measured with something more precise than human eye.

Btw Samsung PQ is better when mode set to Dynamic, at least at the bright area of store. At Cinema mode it's plain bleak.

Can't comment on anti-glare, since we never watch TV at daytime.

In the end we bought PN50A450 from CC at 1440$+tax and 10$ HDMI cable from monoprice. For that kind of money TV is fantastic.

why not get the 550 version?

1080P for only another $500

We were buying 50" 720p plasma today.
After research I nailed it to

Pioneer PDP-5080HD (2200$ BB)
Samsung PN50A450 (1440$ CC)
Panasonic 50PX80U (1377$ CC)

All three sets were sitting close at BB, so it was easy to compare them. To me it was obvious that Samsung has best PQ from all three. It's sharper and colors look better. Before coming to the store I was sort of ready to spend more on Pioneer after reading how great this TV and all, but turns out there is no reason to do it. Can't see Pioneer advantage in the deep blacks either, may be it should be measured with something more precise than human eye.

Btw Samsung PQ is better when mode set to Dynamic, at least at the bright area of store. At Cinema mode it's plain bleak.

Can't comment on anti-glare, since we never watch TV at daytime.

In the end we bought PN50A450 from CC at 1440$+tax and 10$ HDMI cable from monoprice. For that kind of money TV is fantastic.

why not get the 550 version?

1080P for only another $500

This just strikes me as absurd that spending an additional $500 is being batted around like it's chump change.

Not everyone can afford to spend $2000 on a TV. Sometimes I wish most people (ie fanboi's) on AVS would realize that not everyone can afford to put a $4000 flagship set in every room every year.

Some of us don't give a damn about about the Kuro's, Elite's or other high end sets.

Some of us just want a good TV for a decent price so we can still afford to go out to eat once in a while. (Ya know, that whole living on a budget thing...)

You do have a point. Generally speaking if you have to go to BB,CC and buy a set with 12,24 or even 36 months no interest plan you probably cant afford the set or you really should put some money in savings first. I am guilty of overspending for years and now I have learned my lesson and "' settled " for 720p.

why not get the 550 version?

1080P for only another $500

It's another $860, which is +60% more expensive.

Frankly I barely can see the difference standing close to TVs, and you have to look hard for it.
From 16 feet like in our viewing room ... forget about it.

We are happy to get 95% of PQ for 60% of price.

Thanks for the input void.crusader. I think i'm going w/ the sammy as well, i figured i'd just put up new curtains or something if the light is too bad. I'd rather get the tv with the better picture quality and have to listen to the fiancee bitch for a few weeks than settle for something with PQ thats a lil less jsut to have a good anti-reflective screen. And as for RobbyTVs comment about gettin the 1080P, I'm just turning 21, i'm engaged, have a new car, and jsut got a house less than a year ago...I'd rather get 720P(which almost all the content is that i'll be sending to the TV) rather than bust my bank anymore just for the very negligable difference of 720P/1080P on a 50" screen.

Btw Samsung PQ is better when mode set to Dynamic, at least at the bright area of store. At Cinema mode it's plain bleak.
ugh...i'm pretty sure Dynamic is Samsung's "torch" mode that jacks up the contrast, sharpness, and brightness to un-Godly levels. completely oversaturated image that is nowhere close to being accurate. ironically, "Cinema" mode is probably much closer to being correct out of the box.

you're better off making comparisons with these displays out of their default "torch" modes if you want to get a better handle on their accuracy and real world performance, unless of course you like that kind of image, in which case you should really buy an LCD. :D

ugh...i'm pretty sure Dynamic is Samsung's "torch" mode that jacks up the contrast, sharpness, and brightness to un-Godly levels. completely oversaturated image that is nowhere close to being accurate. ironically, "Cinema" mode is probably much closer to being correct out of the box.

you're better off making comparisons with these displays out of their default "torch" modes if you want to get a better handle on their accuracy and real world performance, unless of course you like that kind of image, in which case you should really buy an LCD. :D

Agreed. The cinema mode is probably more indicative of the Samsungs true PQ. Play with the settings in the store, it will be tough, but try to decide what looks good. Take your time on this. Heck, I went several times for extended periods at different times of the day and still did not get it right on the first purchase.

Which brings me to my second point. Whatever you buy, use it heavily when you get it home. Make sure you still like it in your home environment. If you don't, don't hesitate to return it. There are so many variables that it is nearly impossible to choose the right TV in the store alone.

Btw Samsung PQ is better when mode set to Dynamic, at least at the bright area of store. At Cinema mode it's plain bleak.

That's because you were looking at the displays in a tremendously overlit environment. Unless you reside in an aircraft hangar, you will likely find that Dynamic mode fries your eyeballs, induces headaches etc. when watching the display at home in the evening, even if you aren't sitting in total darkness.

I see that 5080 owners are all over the thread defending their choice. :rolleyes:
Guys if you like your TV - good for you.
If you like watching blurry and undersaturated image because it's "accurate", then absolutely go for it.
I just gave my opinion and that's it.

Our family voted for Samsung after playing with settings in both BB and CC stores. Three of us watched it for 4 hours at dark room in Dynamic mode, no one's complained about fried eyeballs or headaches. Should we feel guilty because of it? :rolleyes:

We all know that PN50 is about half-year newer than 5080.

2BaumerXP
I was watching today Nascar@Fox 720p in the well-lit great room (has 2 story high windows with no curtains) and even forgot that I turn it on to test anti-glare. :)
Could it be that Panny is better at resisting glare? May be. But I can't complain about Samsung for sure.

Going for 720p is a no-brainer, unless you'll find similar TV with 1080p for 50-100$ more, which is highly unlikely.
Imaging Science Foundation says that resolution is less important aspect of PQ than contrast and saturation and it makes sense.

Thanks for input void.crusader thats exactly what i wanted to know...all the input is greatly appreciated

i bought the 50A450 couple days ago, and I agree, for the price its a damn good TV. too bad I'll be returning it though because i'm highly sensitive to those green phosphor trails, so if your eyes are quite sensitive, then it is best to stay away from plasmas. other than that the tv is a great value, of course it doesnt have the deep blacks of the pioneer kuros, and thats why its cheaper. but on the upside it has dynamic contrast which make it bright like LCDs.

I love my 50px80u. Not quite sure why so many people automatically assume the samsung has a better PQ based on how bright it is in the store. That's just silly.

i bought the samsung pn50a450 lastnight and i love it to death its my baby!!! the picture is just amazing on it , i dont really care what anyone says i cant even see a big difference between 720 and 1080 , just isnt worth the extra money to me.

damn, a new 50 inch sammy? i was just about to buy the 5064, and now this. i guess that's a good thing, seeing as they most likely got rid of the stutter issue the 5064 has. so how much better is the new line of 720p sammys when compared to last year?

i'm trying to decide the same thing as the OP here, has anybody done any side-by-side comparisons?

i'm trying to decide the same thing as the OP here, has anybody done any side-by-side comparisons?


indeed

I am actually planning on going out tonight and buying one or the other

unfortunately I'm in canada so they are more expensive. $1800 for the A450 and $1999 for the PX80

but I'm sure the guy at futureshop will give it to me for cheaper cuz I'll bundle stuff in with it.

Which one should I go with?

I has previously ordered tha Sammy 450 but cancelled. I went to brandsmart usa here in Miami and saw both tv's. I can tell you the Panny looked really good,imho better than the sammy. When I got home I ordered the Panny from buydig. I should have it in a week,cant wait!!:D

I'd have gone with the 50PX80U personally, I have a 42PX80U and am purchasing a 50PX80U for the living room.

I has previously ordered tha Sammy 450 but cancelled. I went to brandsmart usa here in Miami and saw both tv's. I can tell you the Panny looked really good,imho better than the sammy. When I got home I ordered the Panny from buydig. I should have it in a week,cant wait!!:D

how different are the a450 and px80 from the a550 and pz80?

is there any different other than 1080p?

cuz cnet's reviews state that the a450 has the flawless colors but mediocre blacks, while the pz80 has the deepest shade of black they've seen but mediocre colors because of strong red push

so conflicted:rolleyes:

I was in a local Canadian retailer (AVU) today comparing these exact two units, Samsung PN50A450 and the Panasonic TH-50PX80U.

I used my Pearl Harbour DVD (SD) as a test disc as it has the THX Optimizer included. That helped me do a quick calibration of both sets before evaluating their relative PQ's. The disc was played on an upconverting Samsung BluRay player that had HDMI going through a switcher to both displays simultaneously. Here's what I found out...

Blacks seem quite similar with a slight edge going to the Panasonic. However, the Panasonic has a visibly softer picture. Even when sharpened, it didn't have the "cripsness" of the Samsung. That's a preference thing. I found that the Samsung could be softened to make a good compromise but the Panasonic could not be sharpened enough for my taste.

The overall PQ was quite similar on both sets. However, on a particularly difficult scene at 1:13.32 in the film where a body is being pulled out of water at night, the Panasonic showed visible false contouring whereas the Samsung showed none; it had a nice smooth colour transition instead. This made me feel that the processing was better on the Samsung. I'm particularly sensitvie to posterization/false contouring so this was an important detail to me.

The Panasonic seemed to exhibit less of the "green trails" or "rainbow effect" that can be seen by some on plasmas when you move your eyes quickly across the screen when viewing a dark scene. The Samsung seemed to have slightly more of this effect. I figured that I could live with either in this regard.

In the end, I chose the Samsung PN50A450. This was mainly due to it having noticably less false contouring, good PQ, better price ($300 less than the Panny) and an additional year of warranty (2 yrs total).

I should get the set next week when the store gets its next shipment. Man, I can't wait. My previous plasma experience was a budget Hitachi model (P50H401) that was quite inferior to the same generation Panasonic (75 series) -- I returned the Hitachi which is why was shopping again.

Anyways, I hope this mini review helps. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

MarkT

im debating between these two sets right now. They are currently the same price on amazon. i looked briefly at them today at CC. The panasonic looked a lot darker to me than the samsung. I clicked through the 3 default settings in the menu on each and the panasonic was darker on each. however a huge storm ripped through the area so the satellite feed was out. so i wasnt able to watch much. anyways i realize the default settings on all plasmas are not true indicators of their performance. so i am wondering if anyone can link me to some good reviews of these sets or similar ones since i am having a hard time finding any subjective reasons to pick one over the other.

also if anyone can give me some feedback on what set would do better hooked up to a computer... I know the samsung has a VGA connector but i will be using DVI to HDMI. We did this on my friends samsung with a similar computer. pixel bars and so on were a not a issue once we got the resolution correct.

Well I just recently bought the Samsung PN50A450 and love it, however after trying it out for a few days I have come to the conclusion that it is just too big for our living room. It actually strains my eyes a bit because you are supposed to have approx. 13 feet distance from the tv but I only have approx. 10. I know that doesn't seem like much but like I said, my eyes are strained. My wife keeps telling me I'll get used to it but I'm not so sure...

Anyways, I found a good deal on a Panasonic TH-42PX80U and have considered purchasing it. Any suggestions? Also, is anyone in the Lancaster/Reading/Harrisburg, PA area that would want to purchase the Samsung from me? I'd let it go for around $750 and I still have the box.

Just read a review of PN50A450 from DigitalTrends, it gets a rating of 6.5/10 and comments on poor video quality (grainy picture, milky blacks...). I would say go with A550 or Panny.

Well I just recently bought the Samsung PN50A450 and love it, however after trying it out for a few days I have come to the conclusion that it is just too big for our living room. It actually strains my eyes a bit because you are supposed to have approx. 13 feet distance from the tv but I only have approx. 10. I know that doesn't seem like much but like I said, my eyes are strained. My wife keeps telling me I'll get used to it but I'm not so sure...


Now there's a switch, the wife wants to keep the bigger plasma :eek: :D

Now there's a switch, the wife wants to keep the bigger plasma :eek: :D
10 feet from a 50" TV is about right, I plan to have a projector with 92" screen viewing from 12 feet. Currently I am 9 feet away from a 42" plasma and it looks small. Trust me, you'll get used to a large screen very quickly.

Just read a review of PN50A450 from DigitalTrends, it gets a rating of 6.5/10 and comments on poor video quality (grainy picture, milky blacks...). I would say go with A550 or Panny.

IMHO I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that web site's review. The method seemed completely subjective to me. Maybe someone with an axe to grind, or another agenda. I notice that there are only two or three real reviews of LCD's or Plasma's in the entire TV section. The rest are just headings with manufacturer's press material. I honestly haven't seen it, but I believe Consumer Reports rated the 450's well, compared to the Panny.
I'm still shopping myself, so I'm not biased either way, honest. I'd put more stock in the head to head comparisons of the people who owned both the A450 and the PX80U in these forums.