Quick question:

Why does it seem that most (vast majority) of 1080p screens are LCDs? I've been keeping up with deals and prices on several brands and noticed that most plasmas are 720p and most 1080p are LCD. Where are the 1080p plasmas? Is there an inherent disadvantage to them? Maybe it's just me but it's very noticeable IMHO.

Thanks

I think you may need to look closer and od more research.
Any manufacturer(although there are only three big ones) that makes a 720p plasma also makes at least one if not more versions of 1080p plasmas.
Pioneer
Samsung
Panasonic

Then a lower tier
LG(they are getting better)
Vizio
etc.

:confused: i've had one sitting in my living room for over a year now...

where are you looking?

year or two ago this was definitly the case.
But today, most plasmas being released are 1080p.

I think you may need to look closer and od more research.
Any manufacturer(although there are only three big ones) that makes a 720p plasma also makes at least one if not more versions of 1080p plasmas.
Pioneer
Panasonic

Then a lower tier
Samsung
LG(they are getting better)
Vizio
etc.Fixed :D

Fixed :DI'd have to rank Samsung above Panasonic. I can't stand all the picture noise on the Panny's. Pretty pathetic that folks MUST use the haze looking Cinema mode to reduce the picture noise. It also sucks that you can't customize Cinema mode for each input. Panny = fail!

I'd have to rank Samsung above Panasonic. I can't stand all the picture noise on the Panny's. Pretty pathetic that folks MUST use the haze looking Cinema mode to reduce the picture noise. What picture noise? The only time i've ever seen picture noise on a Panasonic were random TVs on display at BB and CC, but i also saw it here and there on Pioneers and Samsungs and LGs as well and i'm certain that it was something that was incorrectly set up or induced by their video distribution source. I have seen a number of plasmas at people's homes and none of em display picture noise so it's not something that all Panasonics do (or any other brand for that matter). Neither of mine have video noise, and none of the ones i've set up for friends and associates have it. Have you seen this noise on Panasonics that were properly set up in a home environment? Or just in stores?

Upon further review, I think I've spotted my problem... I'm tending to concentrate on under-$1k sets, so 1080p plasmas are mostly absent...

As for the panny vs. sammy, I'm looking at both in the samae 720p price range, I did notice cnet has the panny vieiras as best-bang-for-the-buck, but does seem odd they make heavy mention of all the noise which the previous poster aludes to. I'm going to have to check out both in action for whatevere the in-store eye tests are worth.

What picture noise? The only time i've ever seen picture noise on a Panasonic were random TVs on display at BB and CC, but i also saw it here and there on Pioneers and Samsungs and LGs as well and i'm certain that it was something that was incorrectly set up or induced by their video distribution source. I have seen a number of plasmas at people's homes and none of em display picture noise so it's not something that all Panasonics do (or any other brand for that matter). Neither of mine have video noise, and none of the ones i've set up for friends and associates have it. Have you seen this noise on Panasonics that were properly set up in a home environment? Or just in stores?Cnet mentioned the picture noise on the Panny's. My cousin also owns a 50" 08 Panny Plasma which was professionally calibrated.

funny how people shop by numbers.
I've a Pio 5080HD, a 50" plasma, not 1080p but it beats close to every 1080p plasma out there and all 1080p LCD's
Focus on color, and blacks, motion and then maybe resolution and you will walk out with a good TV.
But numbers are easy to market, and sad to see how most people fall into the marketing trap.
The human eye as a finite resolving power. Unless you plan to sit 3-4 feet away from your TV, 1080p doesn't matter......

funny how people shop by numbers.
I've a Pio 5080HD, a 50" plasma, not 1080p but it beats close to every 1080p plasma out there and all 1080p LCD's
Focus on color, and blacks, motion and then maybe resolution and you will walk out with a good TV.
But numbers are easy to market, and sad to see how most people fall into the marketing trap.
The human eye as a finite resolving power. Unless you plan to sit 3-4 feet away from your TV, 1080p doesn't matter......I love how you mentioned that your HDTV beats out all 1080p LCD's. LoL!

Cnet mentioned the picture noise on the Panny's. My cousin also owns a 50" 08 Panny Plasma which was professionally calibrated FYI. You must be a Panasonic lover.No actually i am a Pioneer lover. But i buy Panasonics because they have a great picture for not a lot of money, and because Pioneer doesn't make any 42" 1080p models. I have not seen many Panasonic owners complain of video noise here. I suppose it's always possible that those particular TVs had a problem or a problem with the source, but if it were some widespread problem you'd sure see lots of posts about, but you don't. My brother-in-law has a new Panny (that i set up for him) and the picture is perfect and devoid of any video noise.

And to the Viking gentleman above, if you think that 1080p doesn't matter unless you're sitting 3-4 feet from the screen then you either have really bad eyesight, or you have been listening to people who don't know what they're talking about. There are a lot of people here who see a distinct difference at 10 feet and beyond and that is a fact.

No actually i am a Pioneer lover. But i buy Panasonics because they have a great picture for not a lot of money, and because Pioneer doesn't make any 42" 1080p models. I have not seen many Panasonic owners complain of video noise here. I suppose it's always possible that those particular TVs had a problem or a problem with the source, but if it were some widespread problem you'd sure see lots of posts about, but you don't. My brother-in-law has a new Panny (that i set up for him) and the picture is perfect and devoid of any video noise.Just because you don't see the picture noise doesn't mean it's not there. Also, I'm sure your brother-in-laws HDTV looks nice but perfect? I guess that's a matter of opinion which is cool with me. In my opinion, no HDTV is perfect. Every model has a flaw.

I love how you mentioned that your HDTV beats out all 1080p LCD's. LoL!

I would agree with him 100%.

I would agree with him 100%.Well, the majority of consumers voted LCD with their money. Thanks for your opinion.

Well, the majority of consumers voted LCD with their money. Thanks for your opinion.

And most consumers know very little about flat-panels.

Most LCD owners are first time buyers. and alot of them switch to plasma.

Also, most retailers push customers toward LCD.
Jd power sent 2000 mystery shoppers into the top retailers and found that they push LCD heavily on consumers despite Plasmas obvious advantage over LCD.
And that most of the reasons they lead them away from plasma are bogus and obvious misinformation.

JDpower finds that most retailers push LCD regardless of plasmas advantage (http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pdf/2008092.pdf)

Heck, I was one of these people.
I was told that Plasma was a bad choice because of burn-in, and it didn't last long. Both of which were complete bull. So I bought that bright LCD thinkning it would be awesome because it was so "poppy".

But luckily after doing some real in-home comparisons between the two technolgies, I saw that Plasma was the obvious better picture just as the top magazines, calibrators, and videophiles were saying.

And most consumers know very little about flat-panels.

Most LCD owners are first time buyers. and alot of them switch to plasma.

Also, most retailers push customers toward LCD.
Jd power sent 2000 mystery shoppers into the top retailers and found that they push LCD heavily on consumers despite Plasmas obvious advantage over LCD.
And that most of the reasons they lead them away from plasma are bogus and obvious misinformation.

JDpower finds that most retailers push LCD regardless of plasmas advantage (http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pdf/2008092.pdf)

Heck, I was one of these people.
I was told that Plasma was a bad choice because of burn-in, and it didn't last long. Both of which were complete bull. So I bought that bright LCD thinkning it would be awesome because it was so "poppy".

But luckily after doing some real in-home comparisons between the two technolgies, I saw that Plasma was the obvious better picture just as the top magazines, calibrators, and videophiles were saying.My cousin owned a 50" 08 Panny and it had burn-in after the first day of playing Madden 09 on it AFTER breaking it in and having it professionally calibrated. After a week of not playing games and watching full screen content, the burn-in remained. As for which type of display is better, it's a matter of opinion and not fact. All display types have faults and as long as the consumer is happy with their HDTV, that's all that really matters isn't it? I think Plasma's are fine displays but I found the picture to look a little bit too noisy for my tastes. Probably because of the dithering. I loved the viewing angles though but since I don't sit to the sides of my LCD, I don't notice that the picture washes up from extreme angles (but still very visible). Nobody that I know notices the faults and only end up commenting on how awesome the picture is. This includes my cousins and brothers who are pretty critical when it comes to electronics. Anyways, I don't want to turn this thread into a Plasma VS LCD argument so... yeah.

I own a 50" Panny plasma ( purchased in 08). No break in. Play hours of video games...watch channels with static displays for hours on end. Zero burn in.
IR is easy to eliminate using the white scrolling bar.

As far as noise...there isn't any that is not in the source. Cnet reviews are done by monkeys...best to ignore them.

I also have a 576p projector, a 720p projector and a 1080p projector. I know what should and should not be there. The Panny introduces no extraneous noise.

No image retention on my tV either after playing games on my PS3.
But I admit that I am always on guard. This is a weak point for plasmas. But it is avoidable if people are careful and reduce brightness levels and don't pause and leave static pictures on the screen for hours

Well, the majority of consumers voted LCD with their money. Thanks for your opinion.

That means absolutely nothing as far as quality.....if you think the masses know anything just look at any other aspect of life and you'll see the error in your ways.
I call spade on the burn-in.

Well, the majority of consumers voted LCD with their money....That's because the majority of flat panel buyers are buying smaller 15" to 32" TVs so they have no choice but to choose LCD because Plasmas start at 42" and larger. And little LCDs are made by dozens of cheap junky brand names and are available everywhere - even supermarkets and drugstores and home depots for very cheap prices so it's no wonder that LCDs sell more. It's just like Hyundai sells a lot more cars than Porsche - but that certainly doesn't mean the Hyundai performs better.

And everything chadmak09 said is right on the money - the vast majority of consumers are ill-informed when it comes to flat panel TVs. The salesmen make it worse because they either don't know the facts about Plasma TVs or are instructed to lead people away from Plasmas and sell them on LCD where they make higher profit margins. I can't tell you how many times i've overheard salesmen at BB spew false and misleading information about plasma TVs in an attempt to get them to buy an LCD instead. I like to let them engage me in conversation and see how much bullcrap they can dish out, then i ask them technical questions and i'm amazed at how little they know and how much they lie.

I love LCD TVs (i have three very nice ones at home that look great, and a new POS 42" LG at work that i don't like so much), but i simply prefer the more natural image you get with Plasma.

That means absolutely nothing as far as quality.....if you think the masses know anything just look at any other aspect of life and you'll see the error in your ways.
I call spade on the burn-in.You Plasma lovers act as if LCD's are no match for Plasma's.

BTW, it's hilarious to see the Plasma fanboys react to the story about my cousins 08 Panny Plasma having burn-in. Burn-in = reality folks. Get over it and you'll live longer.

That's because the majority of flat panel buyers are buying smaller 15" to 32" TVs so they have no choice but to choose LCD because Plasmas start at 42" and larger. And little LCDs are made by dozens of cheap junky brand names and are available everywhere - even supermarkets and drugstores and home depots for very cheap prices so it's no wonder that LCDs sell more. It's just like Hyundai sells a lot more cars than Porsche - but that certainly doesn't mean the Hyundai performs better.

And everything chadmak09 said is right on the money - the vast majority of consumers are ill-informed when it comes to flat panel TVs. The salesmen make it worse because they either don't know the facts about Plasma TVs or are instructed to lead people away from Plasmas and sell them on LCD where they make higher profit margins. I can't tell you how many times i've overheard salesmen at BB spew false and misleading information about plasma TVs in an attempt to get them to buy an LCD instead. I like to let them engage me in conversation and see how much bullcrap they can dish out, then i ask them technical questions and i'm amazed at how little they know and how much they lie.

I love LCD TVs (i have three very nice ones at home that look great, and a new POS 42" LG at work that i don't like so much), but i simply prefer the more natural image you get with Plasma.That's cool that you love Plasma's but it's not as if Plasma's simply blow away LCD's. They're very comparable. Both have their pro's and cons so there's nothing wrong with folks choosing LCD's. Plasma lovers act as if all LCD owners are ignorant and chose LCD's because they didn't know any better. I've seen Plasma's in person after doing TONS of research but it just wasn't for me. I'm sure the Plasma lovers will defend their displays until the end but as for myself and I'm sure a ton of other folks, we're very happy with our LCD HDTV's and could care less about what Plasma fanboys think about our purchases.

It seems as if you fanboys are going to go on and on about how superior Plasma's are and how ignorant LCD owners are so I'm planning on not visiting this thread since it's going nowhere fast. I also have a ton of football to watch on my day off and I plan on spending it watching the games on my awesome LCD HDTV.

I call spade on the burn-in.

I gotta agree.
I am not calling the guy a liar or anything, but the story seems VERY questionable to me.
Maybe there is more to it than he knows about.
If the panny did in fact get burn-in , then I guarantee you there is more to the story then that.
Maybe he turned off the pixel shifter and turned up the contrast to 100% and paused the screen for 24hours straight. But even then I wouldn't think he would get anything other than some heavy IR.
Maybe he abused the helll out of it and didn't tell anyone, who knows.

But I do not believe for one second that after a complete break-in, a 2008 panasonic plasma would get burn-in from regular gaming for one day.
Not for one second.
These type of storys show up alot.
Usually in the middle of a Lcd/plasma discussion. and its usually the LCD enthusiast that says his brother in laws friend, or a freind of a friend, or a cousin or something got burn-in. And usually there is nothing to verify the story other than just word of mouth.
My biggest probelm is that someone that is considering a panasonic plasma may read his story and think it could happen to them. which it won't.

I have had 4 plasmas, 3 LCD's Flatpanels, about 6-7 LCD monitors, and one SXRD, and I have only seen burn-in 2 times in my life. Never on any of my televisions.

Once was at work on a piece of manufacturing equipment that had the same "menu screen" displaying for over a year. And the monitor was CRT.

The second was when all four LCD's at the front of out production lines got heavy burn-in from showing the production graph on the screen for about a year and a half straight. (and I am sure Plasma would have gotten burned in much faster had we used them).

You Plasma lovers act as if LCD's are no match for Plasma's.
.
Well, it depends on how you look at it.
If you mean when it comes to what most Videophiles consider important (which are the aspects set forth by ISF as the most important attributes to a good picture) then no, the Top LCD is no match for the top plasma.

Thats just the way it is. Its not a matter of opinion or preference


As you said "Get over it and you'll live longer."

You Plasma lovers act as if LCD's are no match for Plasma's.

BTW, it's hilarious to see the Plasma fanboys react to the story about my cousins 08 Panny Plasma having burn-in. Burn-in = reality folks. Get over it and you'll live longer.

What I find funny is that to see and appreciate the benfits of plasma, people are called fanboys by the likes of you who have been here long enough to have a cup of coffee.

So I bought that bright LCD thinkning it would be awesome because it was so "poppy".

But luckily after doing some real in-home comparisons between the two technolgies, I saw that Plasma was the obvious better picture just as the top magazines, calibrators, and videophiles were saying.

I found your comment interesting. I took my wife to BB yesterday to look at televisions, and I immediately noticed that the LCDs were turned up very bright compared to the plasmas. I asked her which she liked best and to my surprise she preferred the plasmas saying that the LCD's brighter picture didn't look "natural" compared to the plasmas.

Having said that, I felt I could find both LCD's and Plasmas that I could live with (after calibration)--but when push comes to shove, I've got my eye on a Pio 151 :D

I gotta agree.
I am not calling the guy a liar or anything, but the story seems VERY questionable to me.
Maybe there is more to it than he knows about.
If the panny did in fact get burn-in , then I guarantee you there is more to the story then that.
Maybe he turned off the pixel shifter and turned up the contrast to 100% and paused the screen for 24hours straight. But even then I wouldn't think he would get anything other than some heavy IR.
Maybe he abused the helll out of it and didn't tell anyone, who knows.

But I do not believe for one second that after a complete break-in, a 2008 panasonic plasma would get burn-in from regular gaming for one day.
Not for one second.
These type of storys show up alot.
Usually in the middle of a Lcd/plasma discussion. and its usually the LCD enthusiast that says his brother in laws friend, or a freind of a friend, or a cousin or something got burn-in. And usually there is nothing to verify the story other than just word of mouth.
My biggest probelm is that someone that is considering a panasonic plasma may read his story and think it could happen to them. which it won't.

I have had 4 plasmas, 3 LCD's Flatpanels, about 6-7 LCD monitors, and one SXRD, and I have only seen burn-in 2 times in my life. Never on any of my televisions.

Once was at work on a piece of manufacturing equipment that had the same "menu screen" displaying for over a year. And the monitor was CRT.

The second was when all four LCD's at the front of out production lines got heavy burn-in from showing the production graph on the screen for about a year and a half straight. (and I am sure Plasma would have gotten burned in much faster had we used them).Sorry to break it to you but it DID happen. I'm sure it doesn't happen a lot but it DOES happen. Maybe the set was defective. It happens.

What I find funny is that to see and appreciate the benfits of plasma, people are called fanboys by the likes of you who have been here long enough to have a cup of coffee.I was mostly talking about die hard Plasma lovers that won't give an LCD HDTV the time of day just because it's not a Plasma. I happen to like Plasmas myself and I also appreciate the benefits. If burn-in was not at all possible or if I could afford a Pio Elite, I'd probably own a Plasma right now instead of an LCD. For now, I'll enjoy my LCD HDTV until an HDTV comes along from a reliable manufacturer that has true blacks.

BTW, what a crazy Sunday for football!

That is sound thinking whether I agree or not on your final choice. :)
And yup, one heck of a crazy season....horrible for my Birds. :mad:
Same in college....good time to be a football fan.(except for no playoffs in college)

Sorry to break it to you but it DID happen. I'm sure it doesn't happen a lot but it DOES happen. Maybe the set was defective. It happens.
If you say so.:D

Same in college....good time to be a football fan.(except for no playoffs in college)

this has been a HORRIBLE football season for college!
Any season that the crimson hillbillys go undefeated is a bad season.lol.
I have two favorite teams, Auburn and whoever is playing Alabama.

That is sound thinking whether I agree or not on your final choice. :)
And yup, one heck of a crazy season....horrible for my Birds. :mad:
Same in college....good time to be a football fan.(except for no playoffs in college)I'm loving my 52" 120Hz LCD. The viewing angles are more optimal on Plasma's but the picture clarity is best on high end LCD HDTV's. That's my opinion of course.

If you think your Eagles are bad, try being a 49er fan.

I've tried many times to find a good display. Four years ago, I settled on a pioneer elite plasma. This display had reasonably good colors but the blacks and contrast were atrocious.

Then, a couple years later, I bought an XBR3. This, IMO, was worse than the Pro-1110HD in the other room because of the blur.

The following summer, I bought a sharp that was reasonably well reviewed.

I didn't see as much blur on this, but there was no possible way to make this one look natural at all. 6-7 months later I bought a panasonic PZ700U, which (albeit lacking in black levels) impressed me and looked pretty natural, but I had to have more.

This past summer, I got both the Pioneer 5010FD (8G kuro) and the Pro-151FD (9G kuro elite). Both of these are much more satisfiable than any of my previous displays. They are much more natural and have acceptable blacks. There isn't much perceivable blur, but they do buzz. I've learned to tune out the buzz and enjoy the PQ. I didn't just blindly purchase these. I waited for a while (the 5010 not so much. I just needed a TV for the downstairs of the new house) for the 9Gs, and I did a lot of comparisons between those and all of the newer LCDS (except the 950 and the XBR8, but I couldn't wait that long. I still haven't seen them), and I preferred the kuros. Call me a kuro fanboy if you want, but I still have my own eyes and what little fanboyism I have is based on the PQ of my PDPs. I am open to change, but I can't say that the LCDs have closed the gap enough.

BTW. OP, I have 3 1080p plasmas. What are you talking about.

If you say so.:DDenial isn't a river in Africa my friend.

but the picture clarity is best on high end LCD HDTV's. That's my opinion of course.

If you think your Eagles are bad, try being a 49er fan.


I definitely respectfully disagree, especially when things or you get moving.

At least your niners dominated the 80's and won four SuperBowl's....try being an Eagles fan. ;)

I definitely respectfully disagree, especially when things or you get moving.

At least your niners dominated the 80's and won four SuperBowl's....try being an Eagles fan. ;)That's cool. We all have different opinions. LCD's have motion res issues and the viewing angles are not optimal at all angles. Plasma's picture looks noisier mainly because of the use of dithering and they can also suffer from burn-in, image retention and phosphor trails. One day, I hope to own an HDTV with no issues at all. One day......

The 49ers have won 5 out of 5 Super Bowls actually. I also have a feeling that Donavon is going to end up on the 49ers next year...

OK, ok...I guess I'll jump in here ! I am truly NOT a "fan-boy" of either technology. I see IMHO, of course, superior features to both- hey, MY opinion is THE only one that matters when I'm sitting in front of the unit, right? I currently own a Sony 60" A-3000 SXRD 1080p (last rear projection by Sony). It shows a very "respectable" picture...It is "tweaked out." I will say aside from the SSE in occasional bright scenes (and then I grit my teeth...the negative feelings go away as soon as I recall that I paid $1700. for it back in February.:cool: I very rarely am AWARE of motion blur (though I know it exists and is alive and well in my rec room). OK, I also own a Sony 27" "Hi-def" direct tube (actually 4:3), and I really love this thing. NO motion blur and the blacks are...well, as good or better than Pioneer or Sony orSamsung's LED. OFF=OFF.:D
The different technologies certainly have their strengths (or perceived strengths).
Having said that, MY issue with the plasmas that I have seen, and I think I've seen ALL of the major current models, is that MY PERCEPTION is that the "whites" are not as white on the plasmas as on the LCD. My perception, up very close, is that the LCDs seem a bit crisper/sharper. Soooo, my next "television" purchase will be...probably the Pioneer 50" Elite (what? 111?...I can't keep the numbers straight anymore), as I am a sports nut, and I feel that they are better for motion and angle view (though I think the "poor angle view" of LCDs is OVERSTATED.) Then I'll be getting a LCOS/DILA FP via JVC (another topic altogether).;)
Hey guys, respect one another's differing opinion here. There are no enemies. Different factors and flavors stand out to different folks...Baskin-Robbins made a fortune on that premise.

That's cool. We all have different opinions. LCD's have motion res issues and the viewing angles are not optimal at all angles. Plasma's picture looks noisier mainly because of the use of dithering and they can also suffer from burn-in, image retention and phosphor trails. One day, I hope to own an HDTV with no issues at all. One day......

The 49ers have won 5 out of 5 Super Bowls actually. I also have a feeling that Donavon is going to end up on the 49ers next year...

The dithering depends on the manufacturer....I returned two Sammy plasmas due to the dithering and since going to a Kuro it has not been an issue.

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot one.....I'm thinking Minnesota.

The dithering depends on the manufacturer....I returned two Sammy plasmas due to the dithering and since going to a Kuro it has not been an issue.

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot one.....I'm thinking Minnesota.A Pioneer is probably the only Plasma I would spend my hard earned cash on. Maybe that will change in the future.

As an owner of a Panasonic 50pz80, I can attest that these TVs do have excessive video noise in all video modes except Cinema. The pz85 is the same. Cinema mode is fine but not everybody likes that mode.

This is a real issue and has been well-documented here. It is with these two particular models and not a problem with other Panasonics or plasmas in general. Same thing with the red errors on these sets. The Samsung a550/650 are easily superior to these Panasonics in PQ, however they have issues of their own with poor speakers, glare, less resistance to IR, and dozens of reports of pink haze.

While I understand that all plasmas use dithering, the problem with the pz80/85 as I understand it is related to gamma only being accurate in Cinema mode.

The dithering depends on the manufacturer....I returned two Sammy plasmas due to the dithering and since going to a Kuro it has not been an issue.

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot one.....I'm thinking Minnesota.

As a lifelong Vikings fan, I still ain't over '98. Nobody knows disappointment like a Vikings fan. There may be teams that have lost as much but no team that was favored so heavily so often only to choke it all away...and the way they lose...hail mary (v Dallas NFC Title), missed field goal from a previously perfect kicker (v Atlanta NFC Title), dropped tying touchdown pass in the end zone (v Washington NFC Title), 42-0 (v Giants NFC Title)...I'm getting teary-eyed so I'll quit, but I could go on and on and on... :o

Same QB as your situation and the "Fog Bowl" combine to make one of my worst sports memories of all time.

Plasma's picture looks noisier mainly because of the use of dithering and they can also suffer from burn-in, image retention and phosphor trails. One day, I hope to own an HDTV with no issues at all. One day......

...

I have never had any issues with Dithering because you cannot notice it unless you get 1-3 feet in front of the screen.
And I don't watch like that.

Burn-in is a non-issue with todays top plasmas for owners that have at least a little sense. Anyone who says anything different doesn't know what they are talking about.

Image retention I have only seen one time in my life and that was with a walmart phillips plasma I bought to tied me over a little while. Never seen it on any of the 3 Pioneers I have owned. And I am a COD4 Junkie on my PS3. I play at least 2 hours at a time. On weekends, I sometimes play for 6-7 hours straight. Never seen a hint of IR on a Kuro.

Phosphor trails, I have never seen either. And I am not about to glue lenses to my head, look thru them, while watching a test video I downloaded from one of Jack Whites threads, and move my head back and forth, while darting my eyes back and forth, while rubbing my tummy and repeating "rubber baby buggy bumpers". If I have to do that to witness them, them its not an issue.

I have never had any issues with Dithering because you cannot notice it unless you get 1-3 feet in front of the screen.
And I don't watch like that.

Burn-in is a non-issue with todays top plasmas for owners that have at least a little sense. Anyone who says anything different doesn't know what they are talking about.

Image retention I have only seen one time in my life and that was with a walmart phillips plasma I bought to tied me over a little while. Never seen it on any of the 3 Pioneers I have owned. And I am a COD4 Junkie on my PS3. I play at least 2 hours at a time. On weekends, I sometimes play for 6-7 hours straight. Never seen a hint of IR on a Kuro.

Phosphor trails, I have never seen either. And I am not about to glue lenses to my head, look thru them, while watching a test video I downloaded from one of Jack Whites threads, and move my head back and forth, while darting my eyes back and forth, while rubbing my tummy and repeating "rubber baby buggy bumpers". If I have to do that to witness them, them its not an issue.Nobody asked you if you had issues with dithering. Fact is, it's there and folks DO notice.

You've only seen image retention once in your life? Probably because you never bothered to notice. I'm not sure about the Kuro's but the Panny's and Samsung Plasma's do suffer from IR.

Again, folks DO notice phosphor trails. Just because you don't notice them does not mean that it does not exist.

Why must you defend Plasma's every chance you get? We know you're a fan boy but c'mon!