Hey Everyone,

I'm a little bit torn. I'm in the market for a new TV, and have owned and loved Samsungs for some time now. I currently have an LN4061T. I'm looking to upgrade to something between 50-60", preferably more like 52-58.

Anyway, I am a huge, huge gamer. Over 60% of this next TV will be used for gaming, many of times will be marathon sessions when new games come out. I was almost sold on the Panasonic 800u series (58"), but then I started seeing reports of phosphor trails and I'm second guessing it. Has anyone with one of these TVs had issues with Phosphor trails?

Size is one reason for upgrade (my fiancee's favorite reason), but otherwise I'm looking for top of the line colors, black levels, contrast, and motion accuracy for games and blu rays.

So, for gaming (360 and PS3) first, Blu Rays second and HD cable/standard cable last, in the experience of the users here, do you think I would be best off with the Panasonic Plasma, the Samsung 8 series or their 9 series?

Any info, help, suggestions or experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!


EDIT: I play mostly action games. First person and third person shooters, action/rpgs, some occasional racing or sports games. Thanks again!

Pioneer Kuro; That's it. There is no finer direct-view display on the market. It's color accuracy is on a CRT level. It's black levels and shadow detail are unmatched. The only thing that handles motion better is a high-end CRT or an OLED display. If you want the best for games (hell for anything) that is it.

If you're not interested I would check into the Panasonic plasma as they're the next best thing.

Although if you want to do it RIGHT then you need to ditch the whole direct view thing altogether, clear some space for a 100" or bigger screen and set up a nice projector. Really nothing compares.

take a look at the Samsung LED DLP's..... I have a 2007 model and from everything I've read, the 2008 models are nice also and cant be beat at their price point-

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029686

For right now, my dream TV (for gaming and movies) is the Samsung LN55A950 (http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LN55A950D1FXZA).....*sigh*....1 day, someday....it will be mine!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want more info on this LED LCD from our fellow AVSers, go here..... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1060111

I'm in the market for the exact same thing.. a top of the line, as close as 60" as possible, 1080p, preferably plasma TV. Here is my list:

1. Pioneer Kuro 60"
2. Panasonic 8xx 58"
3. Samsung A550/650/760 58" or 63"

My budget is limited to $2500 though.. considering the 60" Kuro is running about $4,000.. I dont you will ever see that in my living room.

Right now the Samsung 58 or 63 is at the top of my list. I just had the stupid azz red bezel around the tv.. why the hell would they do that. Seriously?? How many living rooms use the colour red as a decour.

As far as plasmas go, nothing touches a pioneer. I have a 5070, which is 2 generations before the Kuro, and that thing is awesome. Great picture, very solid. The only complaint I have about it is I was not able to get W.A.F. for the 60". :rolleyes:

I just bought a samsung 52850, and every xbox360 game I've put in it looks like a whole other game and I'm coming from a 720p sony rptv.

Thanks for the responses!

None of the TVs I'm looking at would be in my range if it wasn't for my employment with a major retailer. That said, these are what I'm looking at:

1. Panasonic 58pz800u
2. Samsung 55a950 (that one's not really in my range haha)
3. Samsung 52a850

I'm still highly interested in the Pioneer's, but they are all a bit out of range for me. Although admittedly I've only really looked into the Elites, but I guess I should pay a little more attention to the straight Pioneer line.

To all with Plasmas, have you seen any of the Phosphor trails?? I'm really not concerned about burn in as it has greatly improved and with proper care shouldn't be an issue, but I don't want my gaming experience ruined by distracting green trails -- that could be worse than LCD motion blur!

Thanks again for the responses and keep 'em comin!

UPDATE: I'm bringing my 360 and PS3 in to work sometime this week to test out the above mentioned TVs. I'll let everyone know what my findings are!

you haven't lived till you've played nhl 09 on a decent projector.

Let me throw an asterisk by the Kuro.

I've got the 60" non-elite flavor and it's certainly the most beautiful set I've laid eyes on.

However, when calibrating my system with Rock Band 2 (the guitar allows for visual and audio calibration through an integreated mic and light sensor), it showed me that when directly connected from 360 -> Kuro via HDMI, I have 42ms video lag consistently. I'm not sure how that compares honestly, but I know my 26" LCD samsung POS display in the bedroom had 0ms when the same test was run.

Will you notice any real world difference? Probably not, but it's worth noting.

I have been gaming using my 360 on my 50" 720p Vizio Plasma for the past 2 years and have never experienced any of this "phosphor" stuff you speak of. And my TV is nowhere near technically as advanced as these newer 1080P plasma panels.

Heres a bit of advice.. many of the members of AVS get so caught up in in reading and 'reviewing' details and complaints on this forum that they go entirely overboard on problems and defects that may or may not appear. And many times these problems are completely overblown and sometimes not even present.

I've said it 100's of times in my 7 years of participating in AVS. Stop watching pixels and start watching movies.

That said.. you are doing the absolutely best thing you could do. And thats to take your stuff to the store and try it yourself. You get to be the judge and the jury. Take your 360 and hook it up to every tv you consider a possible purchase. Take your time and examine the picture. Play with the settings and remote. Make your OWN decision from there.

Trust me when you get it home, and actually use the damn thing. You will be satisfied.

if you're on a budget, and want a plasma, get a Panasonic. if you're on a budget, and want an LCD, get a Samsung 550. if you're not on a budget, and want the best of the best, get a Pioneer Kuro. end of story...

I have been gaming using my 360 on my 50" 720p Vizio Plasma for the past 2 years and have never experienced any of this "phosphor" stuff you speak of. And my TV is nowhere near technically as advanced as these newer 1080P plasma panels.

Heres a bit of advice.. many of the members of AVS get so caught up in in reading and 'reviewing' details and complaints on this forum that they go entirely overboard on problems and defects that may or may not appear. And many times these problems are completely overblown and sometimes not even present.

I've said it 100's of times in my 7 years of participating in AVS. Stop watching pixels and start watching movies.

That said.. you are doing the absolutely best thing you could do. And thats to take your stuff to the store and try it yourself. You get to be the judge and the jury. Take your 360 and hook it up to every tv you consider a possible purchase. Take your time and examine the picture. Play with the settings and remote. Make your OWN decision from there.

Trust me when you get it home, and actually use the damn thing. You will be satisfied.

This is all very true. About a year ago I bought a 40" Sony LCD (4061) that I have loved. It wasn't until learning about the different models/options through working at a retail store that I started to notice the differences. Even so, I know that anything I get is going to be amazing and a large leap from my current television (which is still awesome in its own right and will be used elsewhere), I'm just trying to make as informed a decision as possible so that I can make sure it lasts.

All technical specs point to Plasma being the TV for me, it's probably just going to be a matter of whether or not I see the green/yellow phosphor trails that some others have seen.

If I do and it's incredibly distracting I'm going to be back into looking at LCD screens... but man, we had the Transformers Blu Ray playing on a calibrated Panasonic 58" 850 today, and it literally made my jaw drop!! Time will tell. Thanks again for the replies!! My primary reason for making this thread was just to see what other experiences were, particularly with regards to gaming (as a lot of people I work with don't have a lot of experience in that department), and even though I'll make the final decision based on my own judgment and experience, it's good to have some other opinions on the matter. Thanks again!

Another thing to consider is if the room you're going to be using this in is well lit you probably don't want a plasma. Those glass screens absolutely love to reflect a big ol' glare from lights and windows.

I don't mean to high-jack the thread, but with those lacking oodles of money, is it better to lean towards a 40" Samsung LCDor a 42" Samsung plasma? Around 40" is the biggest I can manage, and I hear plasma's are better in every way, albeit not as ideal in bright rooms. Any thoughts?

Another thing to consider is if the room you're going to be using this in is well lit you probably don't want a plasma. Those glass screens absolutely love to reflect a big ol' glare from lights and windows.

The newer generation models only have 1 layer of glass instead of 2, so the reflections are not as much of an issue any more. They are even putting antireflective coatings on some of them. Also, if you have issues with reflections....if you have a wall mounted plasma, you can tilt it at a 3% angle up or down and the reflection issue is solved ;).

I'm in the market for the exact same thing.. a top of the line, as close as 60" as possible, 1080p, preferably plasma TV. Here is my list:

1. Pioneer Kuro 60"
2. Panasonic 8xx 58"
3. Samsung A550/650/760 58" or 63"

My budget is limited to $2500 though.. considering the 60" Kuro is running about $4,000.. I dont you will ever see that in my living room.

Right now the Samsung 58 or 63 is at the top of my list. I just had the stupid azz red bezel around the tv.. why the hell would they do that. Seriously?? How many living rooms use the colour red as a decour.

LOl I'm with ya, why the hell put red around the TV?

I'm playing on a 52" 1080p lcd aquos, very low refresh rate, no problems here and its under $3,000

Once you go projector, you'll never go back. I'm sorry, but as nice as some of these displays are, nothing can mess with a 126" 16:9 screen. I did mine so that it's 126" diagonal for 16:9 and about 11 1/2 feet wide for 2:35:1 movies. It's the best of both worlds. I could never imagine going back to having a screen under 100 inches as my primary display.

Plus, projectors are a heck of alot cheaper too. You can get a high quality 720p projector for around $800 or so if you look for the deals and specials. As for the screen, tons of DIY methods for making a screen for under $100.

Obviously, the big problem with the projectors is a light controlled environment. Everybody that comes over to my house and sees my setup instantly wants one in their own home, but 90 percent of them don't do it, cause they don't have a room that would work right for it.

I'll be jumping on the projector ship a bit later than I initially intended. I'm gonna wait until they go domestically bulbless. Meaning when they are affordable. I don't have spendable cash atm due to fixing up my car.

If you want an LCD, go for Samsungs. Sony's are overrpriced for same or WORSE TV's compared to Samsungs.

Plasmas, go for Pioneer and if it ain't affordable, go for Panny.

RPTV's... uh, not a fan. From all that I've seen at stores and in friend's homes...uh,no.

If only I had the space for a projector, haha. I live in an old house and the rooms are somewhat oddly shaped.

For me the reflections of plasma would not be an issue. The majority of my gaming/viewing would be at night, and I have curtains during the day as well as the fact that the wall it will be placed against is not in any direct light.

The the only reason that I wouldn't go plasma right now is if these "green and yellow trails" turn out to be something that I notice and find incredibly distracting. My fingers are crossed that my test this week shows that it will not bother me at all, because for all intensive purposes the Panasonic 58pz800u is looking perfect!

I'm leaning towards the Samsung 850s if I can't deal with the trailing issue on the plasma. We'll see, fingers crossed!

I don't mean to high-jack the thread, but with those lacking oodles of money, is it better to lean towards a 40" Samsung LCDor a 42" Samsung plasma? Around 40" is the biggest I can manage, and I hear plasma's are better in every way, albeit not as ideal in bright rooms. Any thoughts?

I have loved my Samsung 40" LCD. The best thing would probably be to try gaming on an LCD, and try it on a Plasma, then see which you prefer.

If you think you should go plasma, I would recommend the Panasonics. They are the highest rated and regarded in the lower price ranges, only eclipsed by Pioneer when you start to get into the higher end TVs.

Get the Kuro! I'll chip in $10. :D

I could never own a plasma the threat of IR is just too much for me to handle. You can preach to me all day how it's not a problem anymore but it would always be in the back of my head.

Knowing this I went looking at LCD's. After a ton of research I personally went with the Samsung LN-T4681F it's the LED powered LCD, 46 inches and drop dead gorgeous. The color accuracy and black levels are on par with the Kuro's(seriously) and it costs half as much.

But what sealed the deal to me was the LED motion plus technology. This HDTV was rated the 2nd fastest HDTV (plasma or LCD). Being a semi-professional halo 3 player blurring is not acceptable and this set has none. Zero.

So why would you buy a plasma again?

1st day of my 50PZ800U.. no trails at all. I couldn't do an LCD due to the flashlight corners and the fact that anytime I move quickly at all the screens have a tendency to blur out... No HINT of IR. I thought it was going to be a bigger deal than it was- but I haven't seen anything yet even after some Halo 3 sessions.

The only problem is that the 800U doesn't take 1080p in over component.. but if you have a newer Xbox with HDMI built in, thats not a problem.

As a gamer, I'm very happy with the 800U.

But please note, I've only had it for a day...

I'd consider buying a plasma next if budget allowed it has I've always owned lcd's, and want to truly own a plasma for night time black levels. I still say my calibrated 71 series 120hz LCD has good night black levels and wouldn't really need anything more, but still. Not to mention you can get them in bigger sizes than most lcd's. My living room is pretty big, and even 52" is looking a bit small (as I see a 52a750 at my friend's house.)

As it stands, my 4071 is too damn small for the living room (was in the bedroom before I moved to my new apartment, and it was perfect then, but not now).

I've been gaming on a panasonic plasma for about a year now. It is primarily what I use it for and I have absolutely no perminent burn-in & no ghosting. Picture quality is fantastic. IMO panasonic plasmas are the best bang for your dollar. The picture quality beats any LCD hands down.

You do get some temporary image retention, but it is not permanent and goes away. And you only notice it on a black or grey screen. As long as your not stupid and don't leave static images on your screen for hours and hours you'll be ok.

Are plasma sets still bigger energy consumers than LCDs or have they improved on that with newer sets??

Are plasma sets still bigger energy consumers than LCDs or have they improved on that with newer sets??

Yes they do draw more power (although it depends on what you are watching) but it would only come out to an extra dollar a month on your bill probably.

Size is one reason for upgrade (my fiancee's favorite reason)

I thought size did not matter.....:D:eek: (amazing, after 3 days, i am am the 1st to make the joke...)

Once you go projector, you'll never go back. I'm sorry, but as nice as some of these displays are, nothing can mess with a 126" 16:9 screen. I did mine so that it's 126" diagonal for 16:9 and about 11 1/2 feet wide for 2:35:1 movies. It's the best of both worlds. I could never imagine going back to having a screen under 100 inches as my primary display.

Plus, projectors are a heck of alot cheaper too. You can get a high quality 720p projector for around $800 or so if you look for the deals and specials. As for the screen, tons of DIY methods for making a screen for under $100.

Obviously, the big problem with the projectors is a light controlled environment. Everybody that comes over to my house and sees my setup instantly wants one in their own home, but 90 percent of them don't do it, cause they don't have a room that would work right for it.

Hate to tell you Anthony.. but I went projector (twice).. and I went back.

Of course this was 4 years ago.. the best projector being a 1024x768 unit. But the picture was simply overwhelming for everday viewing. I dont always want to have to move my eyes and head across 120" inches of screen when I'm playing the same game for 4 hours non stop. It feels like im watching a tennis match sitting in the first row at the half court line.

You then also have to deal with a usually complicated setup, unfriendly use, light concerns and bulb replacement concerns. Thats after you've bought the projector, screen, then went on to mount everything and ran millions of wires. I also hate the fact that you must absolutely use a reciever with 2.1 to 7.1 surround sound. just to play.

I dont always want big sound to play. I dont need to hear bombs being dropped shaking my apartment (or house) and disturbing other people at 2am in the morning. I just simply want to play the game, on a decent sized big screen with some sound to go along with it.


Would I buy a projector again? Absolutely.

But would I buy a 1080p 60" Plasma first before I buy that projector again? You bet your sweet azz I would.

For me the reflections of plasma would not be an issue.

Then get the biggest Plasma you can and you'll be very happy!

My buddy has a 360 hooked up to a projector on a 120" screen. I can't stand to play games on it, i get motion sickness terribly bad. I do want a projector someday, but definately not for gaming.

I got pot lights right above my plasma and I have no issues with light reflections.

I have a 50 inch Samsung and looking to move to a 58 inch plasma sometime before Christmas. Either a SAMSUNG PN58A550 or something else. Can't wait.. bigger is better.

constraints....

budget

size

WOW (show off) factor?

WAF

Once you figure that out, you are golden. I tend to agree with 516 with his recommendations.

My vote is still for front projection (I use it for games and movies) with my entry level vizio sitting in the living room for TV viewing.

Yes Deakwan, I play on my projector for a lot of hours straight :) There's nothing like it. I like having the option of both. It's like having 2 girlfriends that are cool with each other. Blond and Brunette, short and tall, fat and skinny, Asian and White, Black and Hispanic or whatever your combination prefers.

I also have a 1080p 24" for my computer :) I'm just tempted to plug in my PS3 and see how it plays

I can see the green trails on high contrast scenes on my brother in law's Panasonic PZ800U. I didn't mention it when I saw it because once you see something like that it tends to get to you. But if you don't ever notice it, you're golden.

If you go into the store looking for green trails, you WILL see them!

Pirates of the Caribbean on Blu-Ray looked awesome on it, though, that is for sure!

constraints....

budget

size

WOW (show off) factor?

WAF

Once you figure that out, you are golden. I tend to agree with 516 with his recommendations.

My vote is still for front projection (I use it for games and movies) with my entry level vizio sitting in the living room for TV viewing.

Yes Deakwan, I play on my projector for a lot of hours straight :) There's nothing like it. I like having the option of both. It's like having 2 girlfriends that are cool with each other. Blond and Brunette, short and tall, fat and skinny, Asian and White, Black and Hispanic or whatever your combination prefers.

I also have a 1080p 24" for my computer :) I'm just tempted to plug in my PS3 and see how it plays

24" 1080p? Jesus. That thing will look better than ANY TV or projector due it's extremely sharp pq, and pixel density.

For now, I'd be extremely happy with a 60" Plasma or 120hz LED LCD. I'd want a projector but it's too much of a hassle to get the room ready for one. If I had a room dedicated for such a thing, I'd definitely jump on one much earlier.

I've tried looking for phospor trails in store but I can't see them. maybe I have to really look. I have seen videos on youtube of them, and they would definitely turn me off from getting a plasma.

I thought size did not matter.....:D:eek: (amazing, after 3 days, i am am the 1st to make the joke...)

Good one! You're right, I'm surprised it took so long for that one to go through. My fiancee says: "Size, DOES matter."

24" 1080p? Jesus. That thing will look better than ANY TV or projector due it's extremely sharp pq, and pixel density.

For now, I'd be extremely happy with a 60" Plasma or 120hz LED LCD. I'd want a projector but it's too much of a hassle to get the room ready for one. If I had a room dedicated for such a thing, I'd definitely jump on one much earlier.

I've tried looking for phospor trails in store but I can't see them. maybe I have to really look. I have seen videos on youtube of them, and they would definitely turn me off from getting a plasma.

nah there are better LCDs out there specially the ones at the Mac store. Awesome PQ and you can really see pixels etc.

I am using the Samsung LN52A650 and I love it. Especially blurays. Never notice any lag with either my 360 or PS3.

I am assuming that everyone is just going to recommend what they have/bought. These threads strike me as odd. Anyway, just set a budget and spend some time viewing as many sets as possible that fit that budget...then pull the trigger on what you liked the best...

I'm perfectly happy with my 30" sony CRT hd set, but I do plan on a projector in the next month or so to compliment it.

I am assuming that everyone is just going to recommend what they have/bought. These threads strike me as odd. Anyway, just set a budget and spend some time viewing as many sets as possible that fit that budget...then pull the trigger on what you liked the best...

Yeah I figured that people would suggest what they own, which is exactly what I was looking for. My hopes were that maybe some people had tried both plasmas and lcds and would have some insight, and some have.

I'm bringing in my PS3 and 360 tomorrow morning to try out the Panasonic PZ800u. Maybe if there's time I'll try some others. I'll report back here with my findings!

Okay, the deed has been done. I spent a little over 2 hours with the professionally ISF calibrated Panasonic 58" PZ850u this morning, and here I bring you my results. (Note: I am personally looking into the PZ800u, but the 850 was the only one on display. For all intensive purposes, after calibration, they should be very similar.) NOTE: This is a long post!! I thought that maybe my results might help others with similar purchasing dilemmas, and for me it is great to be able to write my thoughts down and kind of feel out my own decision. With that said, on with my findings!

First off, this is an awesome TV. All of the games I tried looked great on it. The one thing I noticed was that a lot of them didn't seem to have a HUGE difference (initially) when compared to what I'm used to (aside from the size of the TV being 18" bigger than my current Samsung LCD). That is to say that when I upgraded from an SD tube tv to a 32" tube HD TV, I saw a pretty big difference. When I upgraded to my current 40" LCD, at the time the difference felt huge. This didn't feel as massive but then again it wasn't in my own home, and more importantly, this TV was calibrated and therefore "correct" where some of the colors may have popped more on my LCD since it is not professionally calibrated.

That said, I did notice some huge differences in minor details. Both Uncharted and Gears of War had much more detail than I had ever seen before. Some of the games with less advanced graphics I suppose gave a less impressive jump in quality. What did not disappoint (as I knew it wouldn't), was blu-rays.

I played Casino Royale, I Robot, Iron Man, and the Dark Knight IMAX prologue from the Batman Begins disc (and the other day I played Transformers). All of these looked phenomenal, a significant and huge jump over my current LCD. The biggest difference was the three dimensionality, which was awesome. Colors and motion were great as well.

Now, for the main reason I went in: Phosphor trails / fringing. Did I see it? Yes. Is it going to keep me from buying the TV? I don't think so. Why? Well, I tried two frames of mind when trying different material. First I would just play the game and enjoy it. Then I tried to make the tv fringe. After a while I would go through the same section playing and enjoying once more.

When I tried to make it happen, I could make it happen. Anywhere there were high contrast whites I could make it happen. Once I found a spot that it would happen, I would obsess over it and it would keep looking worse, getting me really aggravated and frustrated. Then I would go through and play the game normally. I'd say about 90% of the time, if I was just playing the game, I wouldn't notice any fringing. The only game that I DID notice fringing while playing, was Call of Duty 4. Usually when coming around a corner from a dark room into a light room there would be a flash of green. As I played a little more, I stopped tuning into it. Also worthy of note: Originally I plugged my component cables into the TV directly, and the fringing in COD4 was pretty bad. When I plugged it into the receiver that was connected to the calibrated input, it was much better. Still there, but better - probably lower contrast settings. Also, I did see some fringing in the intro of Casino Royale, the black and white scene, which I was told would really make it stand out. I definitely saw some, but it was fairly minor and I had to be looking for it to notice it.

Overall, I think that this fringing has potential to bother me, but most of the time I will just be too busy playing the game and having fun to focus on it. And when all is said and done, the colors, black levels and motion are all worthwhile benefits to me that I'm hesitant to sacrifice because of an anomaly that I would probably get used to and not even notice after a while.

NOTE: In order to get these trails, I often had to do something you normally wouldn't do - like shaking the camera quickly from left to right. In Wipeout HD, I had to slow to a crawl and steer erratically left and right. I saw the fringing, but you would never do that in that game, so in some ways, who cares?

These are the games I tried:

Uncharted (PS3)
Burnout: Paradise (PS3)
Call of Duty 4 (360)
Gears of War (360)
Bioshock Demo (PS3)
Wipeout HD (PS3)
Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3)
Soul Caliber 4 Demo (PS3)
Motorstorm (PS3)


Uncharted was beautiful, easily the best I've seen it. The colors were very rich, everything was smooth and detailed. I noticed some slowdown, and then remembered that the game had just a little bit of that every once in a while (this was the scene where you're in a jeep with a grenade launcher). So that was a score.

Burnout Paradise I was specifically looking for fringing. I had to stop entirely and pan the camera from left to right over road signs and white buildings to see any. I don't know if it was happening while driving, but I was too busy trying to not crash to notice.

Call of Duty 4 looked really good, but I've seen so much of that game that I guess I'm somewhat over the visuals at this point. It's probably the best I've seen it (outside of on PC with higher resolutions). I noticed the fringing the most here, and it's the biggest question mark next to the "Will this end up bothering me?" sign.

Gears of war looked incredible. I could make fringing occur pretty easily, and I could actually get it by very slowly panning the camera... that was pretty annoying, but it's another thing that I wouldn't do often - though certainly more often than jerking constantly from one side to the other. I should also note: I was nailing headshots way more often than usual, my guess is that it was primarily due to the size of the television, but it was somewhat interesting to me.

The Bioshock Demo was actually really impressive. I've seen the game enough that I didn't really expect to be that blown away, but it was very rich looking. The main reason I put this one on was to test for color banding, as I finally noticed it the other night on my LCD. It was flawless, no color banding to be seen. Now that I know what it's supposed to look like, it'll be hard to go back!

Wipeout HD looked great, very smooth and beautiful. As previously stated, I only noticed fringing when I slowed down and tried to make it happen. Again, way too focused on not crashing to look for it while playing normally. Maybe in this case if I go with this TV and watch someone else play I'll see it and get pissed off haha, but in general it's usually just me playing.

Unreal Tournament 3 looked excellent, though it was again more of a detail improvement than anything really major. It was very smooth and rich looking, and again if I tried I could make fringing happen but not as badly as others.

Soul Caliber IV demo was pretty good, this is a case where the colors popped more on my LCD (non-calibrated), but the motion here was very fluid.

Motorstorm was the last one I threw in before packing up, and the colors and motion were both superb. I didn't see any fringing.




So the bottom line is, I saw it and I didn't like it (the fringing / phosphor trails). BUT - I only usually saw it when I tried to make it happen and glared at it. Personally, in my free time, I try not to do things that make me miserable! I think that if I get this TV and just focus on playing and not trying to find faults, that I would be very pleased indeed.

Also, as a note to those on much lower budgets (like me, if I didn't have a discount): My Samsung 4061 40" LCD has been awesome for games. This TV I looked at today is definitely better, but it's not by some massive "this is the only way to go!" margin. So what I'm saying is, if you can only afford something around $1000-$1350, you would still be getting a great TV with the right LCD (in my opinion). If you get the chance to bring in a system and try it out, that's really the ultimate test I believe. It allowed me to try multiple little things that others might not bother with, and I feel like if I purchase this TV I will have made a more informed decision because of it.


Alright guys, I'm sorry - this post was WAY too long!! If you read the whole thing, I'm impressed! As previously stated, I just figured maybe it would help give some people a little insight, and personally for me, it has helped to write out my thoughts and further think through this major purchasing decision. Thanks for all the help, and let's keep the thread going to offer more help to others in need! Take care all.

Nice post Jonny. Glad you got to try out the set before buying. The local home theater store let me try out a few projectors with my XBox before deciding on one and it made all the difference in the world. I have a Samsung plasma in my bedroom, a few LCDs around the house, a Sony projector with 102 inch screen and a couple Sony 1080i RP CRTs. While we game on all of them, I prefer the CRTs for gaming (believe it or not), the plasma is quite a bit brighter and crisper in the end though. I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase of a Panny plasma. By the way, what are the differences between the 800 and 850 ?

thanks for the update...

post your screenshots on the screenshots thread

post your setup pics on the setups thread



Laters!

Nice post Jonny. Glad you got to try out the set before buying. The local home theater store let me try out a few projectors with my XBox before deciding on one and it made all the difference in the world. I have a Samsung plasma in my bedroom, a few LCDs around the house, a Sony projector with 102 inch screen and a couple Sony 1080i RP CRTs. While we game on all of them, I prefer the CRTs for gaming (believe it or not), the plasma is quite a bit brighter and crisper in the end though. I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase of a Panny plasma. By the way, what are the differences between the 800 and 850 ?

Out of the box, the 800 has the "THX Mode" picture setting, which was reviewed as having much more accurate colors than the 850's "Studio Reference Mode." If you're having it calibrated, then those don't really matter, but the 850 is supposed to have a slightly wider color gamut than the HDTV standards. Technically, these are supposed to come off as being deeper and more saturated (though not necessarily "accurate.") So picture wise, it's relatively minor.

Other than that, the biggest difference is that the 850 has "Viera Cast" which is their IPTV program. Check stocks, weather, news through your tv connected to the internet. Though on the stocks front, maybe everyone should turn that off on their 850s until things even out a little... ;)

And of course, a lot of games aren't meant to be seen at a rec709 standard, but THX calibrated is great for movies.

Alright, it's done! I ordered the Panasonic 58pz800u from the warehouse today. It will be in on Tuesday, just in time for my day off, Little Big Planet, and Far Cry 2!! I'm very excited.

I've decided that if the fringing/phosphor trails are awful and I can't get past them, then I'll return it and probably go with the Samsung 52a850 or a750. I would be interested in the 950, but it's just way too expensive.

I was playing Socom Confrontation on my 40" LCD last night, and man those maps have some serious contrast in them! Not usually something I would worry about, as I love the look... but I'm worried that I'll be seeing ridiculous amounts of fringing. Hopefully my worries will be set aside and overcome by joy in a few days :)

Go RED SOX!!

Grats Jonny on purchasing the absolute best bang for your dollar. :) You won't be dissapointed.

Soooo my 360 received RROD last night in conjunction with my power brick making a violent zapping sound, the light on the brick turning red, and a wonderful smell of burning.

I'm on the phone with Microsoft right now... with Gears 2 coming out in a couple of weeks, this is not the right time!

At least I have my PS3. Still, I was planning on getting Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 on the 360. My fingers are crossed that I can get something worked out in a timely fashion.

Call it in right now. You can hand it to UPS today. You should have it back within 2 weeks.

False alarm, it was just the power supply! And luckily for me, my brother-in-law for some random reason had an extra one and gave it to me. Game on!!

Grats Jonny on purchasing the absolute best bang for your dollar. :) You won't be dissapointed.

nope the best bang for the buck is the sammy HL67A750 LED DLP

Hmmm.. what is this HL67A750 LED DLP you speak up. 67" inches. 1080P. LED. No colour wheel or light bulb. No rainbows?

Must. Investigate. Now. Thanks!