Hey everyone,

Looking at buying my first HD tv. Here's what I know for sure:

1080p
at least 120hz
Prefer the brightness of the LCD over plasma, but the Kuro (PDP5020) looked really good in a Visions store.

There's a big sale going on tomorrow, and I'm looking at:
Pioneer PDP5020 for $3000 (floor model, out for maybe 6 months)
Samsung LN52A650 for $2500 (heard good things, but the picture quality looked really "washed out" the way it was hooked up in the store)
Sony KDL52W4100 for $2200
(All prices in CAD)

Apparently now is the time to buy with the recession as well as the getting rid of '08 stock.

Any suggestions on these TVs or others? From the setup in store, most plasma's are too dark and whites look greyish. The only plasma that I loved the picture was the Kuro. Sound isn't an issue, have a separate sound system. Will be used for Movies/Gaming mainly, in a controlled light environment.

Thanks for any advice.

I went with the Kuro, which they gave to me for 2800. They told me it had been on the floor for approximately 3 months at 12hrs a day = 10 000hrs of use. Anyone forsee any issues with this? I've looked around the internet for the halflife (?) of this TV and haven't found it. Anyone know if 10 000hrs puts a significant dent in the longevity of this TV?

I went with the Kuro, which they gave to me for 2800. They told me it had been on the floor for approximately 3 months at 12hrs a day = 10 000hrs of use. Anyone forsee any issues with this? I've looked around the internet for the halflife (?) of this TV and haven't found it. Anyone know if 10 000hrs puts a significant dent in the longevity of this TV?

I wouldn't worry about the life.
You will most likely upgrade to something newer and better long before half-life comes around.
Just enjoy your kuro and be glad you made the right decision.
Your eyes will thank you.

Thanks for the reply Chad.

So do you think a Kuro for 2800 is a good deal then? There is so much information, so many different TVs that it's left me quite confused as to what is a great deal, what is a good tv, where is the best bang for the buck. I used my eyes in the store and this TV was excellent, but the price tag was hefty (for me; currently between jobs and moving, money is running thin). My reasoning is that 5 years of use, spend an extra 500 dollars.

I wouldn't plan on getting a new TV for 5+ years.

Chad, would you have any idea what the half life is, or any idea what, if any, effect being a floor model would have on the longevity of my TV?

Thanks for the reply Chad.

So do you think a Kuro for 2800 is a good deal then? There is so much information, so many different TVs that it's left me quite confused as to what is a great deal, what is a good tv, where is the best bang for the buck. I used my eyes in the store and this TV was excellent, but the price tag was hefty (for me; currently between jobs and moving, money is running thin). My reasoning is that 5 years of use, spend an extra 500 dollars.

I wouldn't plan on getting a new TV for 5+ years.

Chad, would you have any idea what the half life is, or any idea what, if any, effect being a floor model would have on the longevity of my TV?

Unless you live in Canada, you got ripped off, 2,800 is not a good deal for a used 5020.

I paid 2k new for my 5020 at one of the worst B&M you can purchase from, Magnolia Hi-fi.

yeah those prices seem a bit high. a ln52a650 for $2500? and a 52w4100 for 2200? those are both sub-$2k televisions

yeah those prices seem a bit high. a ln52a650 for $2500? and a 52w4100 for 2200? those are both sub-$2k televisions

yes i agree with you man!

Yeah, the prices are in CAD (Canadian Dollars).

Most online deals I've found online are in American dollars and are not available in Canada. For comparison, Future Shop in Canada sells the Samsung LN52A750 for 2700, and the Pioneer Kuro PDP-6020FD for 5500. Bestbuy in Canada has the LN52A650 for 2600. HD Guru and most other sites are in American, so it's difficult to compare (and thus, know if what I got was a decent deal. If not, I still have 13 days to return for full refund.)

Thanks for all the replies; I know this is a busy forum.