View Full Version : OK! Your Plasma! You Tell Me! Got a new one? post it here


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Krusty the Klown
11-29-05, 09:35 AM
1. Panasonic 42PX500u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Consumer Reports, comparisons in store. Couldn't suck up a 50 in my viewing room - used cardboard cutouts of both sizes to help with the comparisons before buying.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Picture and audio quality, connections flexibility, PIP, TV Guide.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Heavy.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. None

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma. None

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. You can change the size of PIP by using the Aspect control - nicely produces a large picture beside a small picture (all the on-line literature said you couldn't control the PIP sizing).

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. Some initial problems with the tuner not recovering from "poor picture quality" OTA messages.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Every discretionary purchase is worth what you pay for it unless someone has a gun pointed at your head.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. Audio quality is much better than expect - the 500u speakers are quite good (my wife hates to use the stereo system with TV).

viewer167
11-29-05, 01:18 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
I bought the HP model PL-4200N.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I was looking to buy the panasonic 42PX500U and the salesman at 6ave electronics said I could get a better price with that model. Apparently HP purchased the TV from panasonic so the TV has almost all the features of the 500U. It has the exact same look, PIP, speakers, options etc. The only thing missing is the TVGuide.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Viewing sports is best but really I am still getting used to it. The colors are great and the TV itself is very well designed.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I am not so certain that its the plasma or the signal but analog programs do not look as sharp on the plasma as they do on my old Magnavox 32". I am a bit frustrated by the fact that its not a slam dunk in terms of viewing compatibility.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I would like the 4:3 display to be movable so I could position it wherever on the screen I wanted to reduce the chances of afterimage problems. Also the color/picture display adjustments are done through a menu and I would prefer a button similar to normal TVs.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Cut the prices more. The more TV's that get sold to the general public the sooner the changeover from analog will occur.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Image was not clear for some channels. Again very frustrating. The next thing that caught me off guard was the reception for DVD's. The picture was fantastic but since my DVD's are all widescreen the letterboxing size surpriced me. I figure the actual picture is only 1/3 the size of the screen. I can use zoom but then I lose some detail.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Gee can I say it again. Images that are not clear on plasma are crystal clear on regular TV. If I designed a product that was not backward compatible my company would fire me.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I had plasma fever and now that it is over I can say that the cost was not worth it, yet. If and when all channels are broadcast in HD then I can say that yes I have a great TV.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I love that the TV is light and thin. The connections in the back were enough for my purposes and easy to figure out. I am getting the cablecard installed on my TV so I figure that my reception should improve a bit.

myuunan
12-01-05, 01:32 AM
1. Model: Pioneer 435XHD (same as 4350HD without separate media receiver and 1 instead of 2 HDMI inputs). Have had for 2 weeks.

2. Why purchased: Was leaning toward a Panasonic but was swayed by price and features. I felt this was a better unit that was better priced for the features it had compared to the Panasonic (was on sale) Panasonics were backordered at the time, as well.

3. Likes: The HD picture is phenomenal !! Watching HD is the only way to go. I also liked the look of the panel and the quality of the construction, very nice fit and finish. Since I plan on a wall mount, I also like that the connectors are vertical and near the bottom of the panel. Easier to connect and allows the panel to be very close to the wall. The remote has a nice layout and feel.

4. Dislikes: SD channels dont look as good as my old Panasonic CRT (but it's pretty close). Concerns about "burn-in" (which may be overstated) keeps me stretching the display to fill the entire panel. This isnt the optimum picture quality for anything except HD.

5. Features I wish it had: At least one more HDMI input. As more devices are introduced, this may be a bottleneck as HDMI is supposed to have the most bandwidth and produce the best picture (I havent tested it compared to component cables to determine if I can tell the difference, however). I would also have preferred the model with a separate media receiver as it makes connections easier and simplifies cable management (but I wouldn't pay the price difference for that feature). One set of A/V inputs on the front of the panel would be nicer for a camcorder, etc.

6. Advice to the manufacturer: A bit early to have well developed suggestions but I was disappointed at the lack of information on the Pioneer website (nothing for this model) so I'd recommend that they have a more comprehensive website with more detailed information on all models.

7. Biggest surprise after getting it installed: Some lower quality SD channels on my cable. While not really bad, this unit is less forgiving than my old Panasonic CRT in this regard.

8. Issues: None yet (after two weeks of ownership). Pretty satisfied so far.

9. Price was a big factor but the drop over the last year (in conjunction with the sale price on this unit) was enough for me to take the plunge. If the reliability is good, then I'll be satisfied even if I kick myself 6 months from now if the prices are even lower then.

10. Anything additional: Nothing at this time.

TheCMB
12-01-05, 12:30 PM
Viewer167 - I'm a newbie too, and I don't to sidetrack this thread, but this doesn't sound right...

"7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Image was not clear for some channels. Again very frustrating. The next thing that caught me off guard was the reception for DVD's. The picture was fantastic but since my DVD's are all widescreen the letterboxing size surpriced me. I figure the actual picture is only 1/3 the size of the screen. I can use zoom but then I lose some detail."

Isn't there a setting on your DVD player that just needs to be changed to 16:9???

icecom
12-01-05, 07:37 PM
I got the TH-42PHD8UK two days ago.... I love it... :)

Hooked it up with component to the SA3250... HD is amazing..
even the regular channels are very nice.

I copied these settings... (from another member)
Picture: 9
Brightness: -3
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Normal
Color Mngmt: off
Black Extension: 1
W/B High R: -8
W/B High B: -18
W/B Low R: 5
W/B Low B: 10
Gamma: 2.2
AGC: Off

earwax4sale
12-02-05, 04:20 PM
thanks for the above settings, mine are very similiar

Bodine
12-02-05, 08:10 PM
I want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 5060

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I have always admired the pioneers, the shortage of panasonics sealed the deal

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Sweet picture and gloss black bezel

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Silver stand(soon to be painted black)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Mind control remote :D

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Send me a rebate ;)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How simple it was to set up

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None to date

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

That is subjetive, they finally are for me though.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

50 inches is too small, there looms a larger plasma in my future, I alread have a space planned for this on in the bedroom.

Thanks.

Dave
bodine

zilver
12-03-05, 01:15 AM
Getting the TV soon. Finally, the Panny 8UK is back in stock.

How are the PCconnectiona and TV authority handle the return? I heard that PCconnection will replace if there is something wrong within 30 days. I will give them a call tomorrow, but just want to hear opinions from people who bought from them before.

Thank you very much.

mswlogo
12-03-05, 09:32 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

PDP-5060HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Media Box, Slim Cabinet, Track Record, Picture, No Floating Blacks.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Cabinet

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Tuner

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Tuner with 2 Ant inputs that can do Cable HD or OTA HD

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Look at Sony HDD250 DVR Tuner

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That 50" fit wonderfully. That the tuner was really dumb.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Just dumb tuner. Tuner is very usable though.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

A bit high for this model.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

See my review

Pioneer 5050 Review Link (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=611774)

http://softronix.com/pictures/pioneertv.jpg

TopKatz
12-05-05, 08:21 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pany 42 phd8uk

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Needed 42inch foot print, did not need tuner, speakers, inputs. Slick form factor, and lots of reviews citing it as a tremendous display.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Sleek, slick and impressive PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

BNC connectors required new cables, or converters. Band SD cable reception through mut composite to s-video converter while waiting on my HD set top box.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

1080p? Native HD? does the laundry? Dishes?

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

More info dispelling burn in and brake in procedures.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How sharp the picture is

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

using composite to s-video for digi cable input right now... really bad gohosting and image blur.... not sexy

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Purchased from DTVCity for just over 2k. Not a bad deal in my book for a high end TV.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Just do your home work. This is not a purchase that you want to do quickly. Find the right display, and a good reputable dealer.

cooley
12-06-05, 12:49 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Hitachi 55HDS52

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

screen size, good looking cabinet, PQ, features, power swivel stand

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

I love everything about this plasma, but the power swivel stand is the coolest. It's very convenient to get rid of pesky reflections from backlighting now.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

My only minor gripe is that the remote seems to have a very narrow field of view. The range of operation is fine, it just needs to be precisely pointed at the TV to work properly.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Another feature that originally attracted me to the Hitachi line was the media box (the 51 series??). Though the discontinuance of this in the newer models wasn't a deal breaker, it would have been all the better.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

I think Hitachi offers a great product, but it was difficult to find a dealer - work on distribution! Also, a separate "media box version" of each model would have made my decision easier :)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

The weight: this thing is very heavy; especially with the power swivel attached.
The screen size: 55 inches is monstrous when you get it home!! WOW =)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

This is subjective. For me, it was definitely worth it. Although this was my first plasma purchase, I have been anxiously watching prices drop for a few years. The main thing that was holding me back was my living room space. We recently moved to a larger home with a nice big living room, so that paved the way for my decision. The fact that prices have dropped considerably was a nice byproduct of my hesitation.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

More manufacturers should offer a power-swivel stand, as well as, varied cabinet styling.

JasonAnd
12-08-05, 10:38 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panny - TH-50PM50U- Costco model. Got the 4th to the last one in the US Costco had according to them. (Same as TH-50PX50U) but with no tuner, funny thing is when it came in the box, it has 50PX50U all OVER IT !!! and has a COAX input??

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Because from this and other forums, this Panny is THE best, 8th gen Glass, and the fact that pretty much ANYWHERE in America or Canada its outta stock gives you an idea. Yea, everybody else has Pio's and LG's and blah, blah, blah....... not Panny's ;)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

I plugged it in last night (Dec 7th, 8:33pm) and it came to life right away, NO DAMN CONVERGENCE or other BS !!... and no sweet spot !!! Bye bye projection..

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Haven't had time to see anything bad yet.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Need to play with it more.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Menu system needs to be alittle easier.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That's a big BOX!!!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Every SINGLE DAMN PENNY !!! for the Panny !!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

jim314
12-10-05, 09:44 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

This forum and other reviews I've read about the Panasonic plasmas

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture has tremendous WOW factor.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Nothing yet.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

It has all the features I need right now. Later on, I might wish for more.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Can't think of any.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That size does matter !! I can't believe how much larger 50" is in my house than it was on the showroom floor.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes, I've been waiting long enough.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

DEFman
12-11-05, 01:54 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Reviews I've read about the Panasonic plasmas, both consumer and commercial.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture is incredible right out of the box.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Nothing.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

More inputs. I'm an input hog. Would like 2 component and 2 HDMI. Yes!

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Keep up the good work.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How realistic COX HD channels look. It's like being there.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

It would be great if all HDTVs levelled off at about a grand cheaper than they are right now.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

VINZE
12-11-05, 09:54 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer Elite 1130 50" 6th gen screen

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Currently one of the best on the market at this moment, 6th gen screen, beautiful black frame, and did I say one of the best? It was either going to be the 61 inch Pioneer Elite but Pioneer hasn't yet offered the 61" with the 50" technology.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The absolute clean black look of the frame.


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Very pricey, could be a bit bigger. I sit anywhere from 6tp even 12ft away from the screen. Though 50" seems like a perfect fit, I believe an extra 5 inches would make it nothing but perfect.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

More outputs on the external reciever. Screen saver would be nice.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Though I heard Pioneer already does the break in on burn in, I'm not quite sure if they did it or not. Other than that? Absolutely nothing else, this PLASMA kills all in terms of performance and aesthetics!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Needs calibration ASAP.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

So far nothing yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

It all depends. Who doesn't like to get the best bang for their buck? Honestly, the Pioneer Elite series is quite very expensive and it's too soon to say whether or not it's worth it. But then again, for Pioneer's Elite series, you're definitely paying more for simply the name and it's always nice to have the best. Either way, you have to pay to play. The price of playing is solely up to the user.

-Vince

Phaid
12-12-05, 11:25 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Online reviews, including lurking these forums, and seeing it in action. I was originally considering a Sony LCD projection set, but the picture quality difference was too much to ignore.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

If I have to pick something, it would be the speakers. My 32" Panasonic CRT which this replaces had much better speakers. But I only use them for watching regular TV, movies go through the surround sound system so it's kind of a moot point.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

In the future I'll probably wish it has more than just one HDMI input, but right now I can connect everything I need to.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Make the default picture presets a little more reasonable. Vivid is just silly, Standard is almost OK if you reduce the sharpness and increase the Brightness, and Cinema is way too dark even in a dark room.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How quick and easy it was to set up and get at least reasonably calibrated.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

You spend $25,000 or more on a car which lasts maybe five years and in which the majority of your time is probably spent commuting to work. Spending $3000 on a TV which you can enjoy with your family for the same amount of time is well worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I bought the TV at CC on 12/1 and it was delivered on 12/6. So far I've mostly watched 1.85:1 DVD's on it and a bit of analog tv in Just mode. I did a quick calibration using the THX Optimizer on the <i>Aliens</i> DVD; For movies I have the picture settings at Cinema; Color Temperature Medium ; Picture 5, Brightness 9, Color -4, Tint 0, and Sharpness 0. I have Comcast and am getting a digital / HD box installed this week, so I'm looking forward to that.

Tenfingers Gene
12-12-05, 07:44 PM
1. Model: Vizio P50HDM
2. Although I had firmly decided on the Panny 50", the display (and price)at Costco as well as the thread on the AVS Forum made me go for it.
3. Best Feature: Two HDMI inputs, two Component inputs. This lets me use my DVD and Sat Receiver without having to buy an HDMI switch or new HT Receiver.
4. Don't like the permanent speakers. I would like to remove them for a cleaner look, since they won't be used.
5. Features I wish it had: Discreet input switching and discreet power on/off instead of the "toggling"
6. Advice to manufacturer: Make the speakers removable (or optional) and provide discreet remote codes for input selections.
7. Biggest surprise: HDMI was clearly superior in image quality compared to component. I had read several complaints on other sets that component was either the same or superior to HDMI.
8. Problems: none
9. Price: This is the lease expensive 50" Plasma I'd seen, but the quallity is, IMHO, equal to anything I've personally seen.

bombcar
12-13-05, 02:06 AM
1. Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. Highly recommended by many people and locations.

3. That's no plasma - it's a space station!

4. I can't get the DVI board to accept 1366x768 native from my powerbook.

5. Better S-Video.

6. Make it not weigh eighteen billion pounds.

7. It is a LOT bigger than I thought it would be.

8. I can't seem to get DVI to accept 1366x768 (1360 and 1368 are possible, though)

9. Sure!

10. This model is only going up in price. Very good deal.

Vasichko
12-13-05, 10:22 PM
1. Maxent 42X3

2. I bought it because after some research had Panny internals and had a picture close to units more than twice it's price.

3. I love the picture and the price.

4. I have nothing to complain about.

5. I wish it has a better native resolution and back lit controller. That is all I could find wrong with the set.

6. See 5.

7. There were no surprise I had seen and researched this unit for a while.

8. No problems.

9. The price was worth it, I got it at 10% under retail so it made it even more of a steal.

10. The only suggestion I can make to those thinking of purchasing this unit is buy it now. See it, don't think just buy. These are becoming hard to find and worth the price by far.

jyagnd
12-14-05, 03:38 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
-pioneer pdp 5061hd
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Contrast Ratio, Black Level, viewing angles
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-The great picture
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
nothing
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
two input pic in pic (now its just cable or input i have no cable and use sat so i cant pic in pic pc and sat or pc and dvd)
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
more pic in pic options
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
hgow awsome discover hd theater looks!!!
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
2 pixles stuck at red cant see unless on top of the screen
havent called yet to fix
9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.
still alittle much
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
pioneer is the way to go!!

Cap'n Jazz
12-15-05, 09:55 PM
1. Model

Panasonic TH-42PX50U.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Generally good reviews (Consumer Reports, Sound & Vision, here). Checked it out in the store and was pretty impressed. Had been looking at 26-37" LCD screens and decided that there might be too much eyestrain since I stare at those all day long at work and they appeared (if possible) too sharp and bright in the store. Plasma, which I had never considered, looked closer to CRT to me, in general, and I was able to convince myself that a 42" screen was the ideal size (9-10 ft. viewing distance) and I could somehow afford it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HDTV looks stunning. I've hardly been a TV watcher for years now and I find myself fascinated by total crap just because it looks so good. Love the size (I used to have a 26/27" Sony Trinitron from the '80s), widescreen, optical digital out, multiple video inputs.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Concerned about a visible division between the upper and lower panels, not sure if this is something that needs to be serviced. It usually only shows up in full screens of solid color, especially blue and lighter shades like tan. Knew that it didn't have different picture settings for different inputs but didn't realize exactly what that would mean. Oh, well.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Er, see above.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

None, currently.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How totally natural 42" suddenly becomes after years of less.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

See number four. Also, "Just" and "Full" mode don't seem noticably different. DVD playback has been really varied, too, which is disappointing. I have a Pioneer 563a and have been slogging through pages and pages on this forum trying to determine if an upconverting player would make a difference. So far, Return of the Jedi looks stunning, Fellowship of the Ring suddenly looks less than great, "Angel" the series a bit soft, too, and whites seem off. I've done a little calibrating with DVE but I'm new to this stuff.

Oh, and one more: the buzzing sound. I've read elsewhere, some people seem to have this and some not, but I get the impression Panasonic won't service it, so I may have to live with it. Not noticable most of the time, usually just at low volumes.

9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.

For the money I'm a little bit dismayed about a couple of the problems, especially that panel division-- horizontal line through the middle of the screen that is occasionally noticable.

CrapONez
12-16-05, 08:21 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
These discussion groups. I was originally planning a 42" model and was going to go with the 7 series until I came across the shifting blacks problem. When the 8th gens came out, it seemed like the 42" still had the problems but the 50" did not. It may all be perception more than reality, but that sealed it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
I can't believe how amazing HD is. Like others, I'm watching DiscoveryHD and other stuff I'd never watched before just for the visuals. I have Picture and Brightness tuned down to -20 to -15, color down to -9 and still can't believe the picture clarity.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Haven't had much time to play with it yet. But because it's still in its break-in period, I find myself switching from Component to S-Video inputs just to be able to scale the picture and eliminate the bars.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Can't believe a TV like this doesn't ship with at least one digital input. Not sure I want to bother buying an HDMI or DVI board and card just to see if they blow away component.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
What's with the BNC connectors? Thanks to Visual Apex for including the adapters - nice touch.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Three.
The immediate one was how freaking heavy it is. I'd be nervous hanging it on a wall!
The second was how amazing HD is. I have my cable box set to start up in the HD channels now and would rather watch crap in HD than anything in SD. Can't wait for everything to switch over.
The third was that it's not that big. Since we sit 5-6' away, I was almost fearing that a 50" would be overpowering, but it really isn't. Neither to the viewing eye nor the room aesthetics. My wife agrees. So I must be wrong.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
I don't think I'll ever be able to watch anything with the side bars anything but black. The mid-level grey is just too distracting. Hoping that won't give me burn-in issues down the road. Not really a plasma issue I kow, but had to fit it in somewhere.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
No. CRTs are down to what - $10-20 an inch? Plasma more like $60-100. I suspect now that all the panel producers are building new facilities and/or boosting production big-time, there will be significant price drops in the next 2 years (I wouldn't be surprised to see 50%). But I couldn't wait. And paying the big bucks is part of the WOW factor isn't it?

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
My biggest bitch is the HD programming that just seems to be slapped on at a higher resolution but still comes in 4:3. The major networks really need to do a better job with their HD content. PBS and Discovery are the bomb.

The kids think Timmy Turner is awesome at 50".

kmarsh
12-19-05, 02:43 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
- Panasonic TH-50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
- The generally favorable reviews here and elsewhere that made this seem like the best "bang for the buck"... especially with the "Employee Purchase Program" discount that I got through my company (not Panasonic). I also looked at this set in several stores and it always looked very good compared to others nearby.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
- The size and feature set are a good match for my viewing situation.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
- A. - One dead green pixel - easy to see on a white screen from 10 feet away.
- B. - SIGNIFICANT green push that I haven't yet been able to dial out (yes, Color Management is OFF).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
- Higher resolution (1080p) ... but I think it'd be too expensive for me at today's prices.
- CableCard 2.0 (two way) would be nice, but I don't think I'd use the two way features much.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
- Fix the color balance so it looks good out of the box!
- Don't sell panels with bad pixels!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
- SD digital cable looks surprisingly good on some channels

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- as mentioned above - nasty green push and a dead pixel that is much easier to see than I would have thought.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- Not really. If I hadn't gotten the steep discount, I would have probably waited another year for the prices to continue to drop.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
- I'm having a bit of buyers remorse on this one... not sure whether the issues with my particular panel will become less noticeable (or at least less annoying) over time.

Dustin07
12-21-05, 12:09 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
- Norwood 42" from CompUsa

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
- Mostly Price. More inches per dollar over better quality LCD's.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
- Size and color brightness on animations/DVD

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
- Lost a pixel already (about 6 months old) still under warranty though.
- dark images, or poor quality video is not great viewing material. some tivo recordings can turn up poorly on the Plasma when rewatched (king of queens in particular for some reason is the worst)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
- Just higher resolution. but i would have bought that if i could have afforded it! :)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
- sell with wall mount brackets! at the time that I bought mine, none were available for it. My custom made ones from the local welding shop are horrible! (my fault though, design flaw)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-no burn in when I fell asleep watching the simpsons dvd and woke up to the menu. no burn in from ESPN, CNN, TNT, or any other logos. no burn in! :)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- just the one lost pixel which you can only see up close, and the fact that no wall mount brackets were available at the time I bought it.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- hard to say. I bought mine for $1400 on sale, but it's still advertisted in the ads for $2k... I wouldn't have paid $2k, but I'm very happy with my t.v. and price that I DID pay. i think it's still the cheapest anyone could pay for a 42 inch Plasma.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-for some reason I've had no issue with burn in, even though I've abused this plasma and broke every rule. watched letter box movies before it was really broken in, watch lots of hours of logo television (ESPN, TNT, CNN, etc.), play video games on it (mostly xbox, but hookin up the GameCube this weekend). for the price, best Plasma for the money in my opinion. I researched for about 6 months before buying. no buyers remorse here. ALTHOUGH, i'm not attached. when I move I'd be open to leaving it on the wall for the new buyers (for $1k...lol)

Dennis51
12-21-05, 08:29 PM
Hi, I just got a pioneer pro 1130 to replace my pioneer elite projection tv and the picture is just amazing. I have one question though. I have an old hughes hd receiver from directv. The kind where when you watch HD you hit a button on the remote and it upgrades to HD and then downgrades to Sd when you hit it again. When i hooked this up to my plasma i thought the same thing would happen but it just goes in HD mode and stays there. I called pioneer and he said that the only thing i can do with the plasma is to split the connections. Have my HD in input 1 and my Sd in input 2. This way i am using two of my inputs on one source. There must be a better way. Does anybody know . Are is he right and this is the only way. Thanks for any help. Dennis

phoenixplasma
12-26-05, 02:15 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP-50A5HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
It was an xmas gift. I've been a very good boy this year. :D

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The sleek appearance.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Too high maintenance! (burn-in prevention & break-in steps, etc.)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Anti burn-in technology (auto pixel shift, etc.) so people don't have to worry about the possibility of burn-in any more.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Not sure, just got it so need to play with it for a while first.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How poor SD definition really is. I need to get more HD sources!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I dunno. Electronics and computers always seem to drop in price (especially after you buy something! :mad: )

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Great site!

jorgerod
12-29-05, 11:46 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Samsung HP-R4252X

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
After a tight race between Costcos older gen Pioneer and the Panasonic and This One I chose this unit because it was Samsungs latest Generation with anti burn features,60,000 Hour MTBF on the screen 13 bit processor for 586 billion Colors and a 10,000:1 Contrast Ratio at the same price of the Pannasonic which didnt have any of those features

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
That it looks so damn good compared to everything else

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Too high maintenance! (burn-in prevention & break-in steps, etc.)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Haven't found any feature it is lacking yet, when I do I will update

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
They could make it a tad lighter. This is one of the heaviers Plasma units.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How poor SD definition really is. I need to get more HD sources!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I never think about price since four months from now my tv will be 500 or 600 dollars cheaper just to mess with my head.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Great site!

ersatz
12-31-05, 02:44 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
General good reviews. The most good reviews out of all the models I'd been looking at. Also comparing to others in store.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
So far everything. The PQ is great and I still have it on the "toned down" settings while breaking it in. I can't wait till I can really see some good PQ on this baby.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No PIP and you have to aim the remote right at the damn thing. Not so much now that I'm using my Universal though.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PIP

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
None so far.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How good everything non HD looked. I expected DVDs to look OK on a non upconverting player....but they just look great. And my SDTV looks great too.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None with the actual set itself. I just can't seem to find an antenna that will get OTA HD signals yet. I REALLY want this feature and I hope I can find one soon. I'm in an apartment building so it makes it a little more difficult.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I think anything over $1k is a lot of money for a TV, but when I look at mine I don't feel so bad. I still say they are overpriced....but I don't regret my purchase.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Here are some pics from Monsters Inc. and my xbox 360 music player. The image noise is the camera. I took these in dim light so I had to put the ISO really high which adds noise.

cajieboy
12-31-05, 02:58 AM
Ersatz, if you're getting the Scientific Atlanta (SA) 8300 HD box from your local cable co., you can utilize the STB's PIP feature.

trekguy
01-01-06, 09:04 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
- Panasonic TH-50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
- Reviews in Consumer Reports and elsewhere and side by side comparison at the dealer.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
- The picture! :)
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
- -Lack of separate memories on the picture settings for each input and for each of the three base settings (vivid, normal and cinema.
--Lack of a second HDMI input
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
--At least one more HDMI input and separate memories by input.
-- CableCard 2.0 6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
- None.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- None except for those mentioned already

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- -It will be cheaper in six months and it would have been $15K not long ago. I bought it so I must have felt the price was ok.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

echopoint
01-04-06, 04:44 PM
1. The "Model" you have
Pioneer Elite PRO-930HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model"
I was all set on buying a Panasonic, and then I saw this model next to the Panasonic I was considering at a local Magnolia Hi Fi. I had brought some DVD's with me and was amazed at how much smoother and natural the same movie (The Fifth Element) was on this display in comparison.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The separate media reciever, and the picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Resolution is 1024x768. If I were to do it over again, I would pick the 1130 for this reason.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
An additional HDMI and component video connector. Currently input 2 can only be RCA or S-Video. I wish this input could also be HDMI

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Keep focusing on quality

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Pioneer included 2 different PCMIA media adapter cards for using my camera media with the television. This was very thoughtful, and I wasn't expecting it.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- None except for those mentioned already

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
No. I think todays prices are still a bit high, but this technology is still difficult to manufacture at good yields, and I got a great deal.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
It's a great television set, and I am very happy.

DMRSX
01-06-06, 12:27 AM
1. The "Model" you have
Panasonic TH-42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model"
I tried to fight buying a Panasonic. I tried so hard I even bought a Hitachi! Then I returned it and pre-ordered the Panasonic. For me the main selling point was the lack of problems Panasonics seem to have. They don't suffer from motion jutter, poor contrast, etc.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The shadow detail is really impressive.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Silver! Why can't all electronics be black...now I have another thing that doesn't match...

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A second HDMI would be nice. I'd also love to see higher resolutions start to "trickle down" to smaller size screens once the 1080p plasmas start hitting the market.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Keep it up! You're the market leader for a reason so make sure you continue to create great PDP's at great prices.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The cable hiding attachments were a nice touch.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
720p seems QUITE soft versus other similar screens.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Every 4-5+ years I typically spend around $2500 on a screen so this was within my budget. However I do look forward to seeing 50" PDP's coming down in price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
So far so good...I'll see everyone in the Panny threads!

2-reef
01-06-06, 02:38 PM
1. The "Model" you have
Pioneer PDP-5060HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model"
Some reviews, I have always liked Pioneer, the separate media box, the small black bezel around the screen, the picture quality.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD broadcasts. David Letterman.....an other HD broadcasts really show off what this set can do. Very impressive picture quality, better blacks than I expected.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Image retention...Issues with Discovery HD...I can't watch it any more, due to this happening after 20% viewing the logo stayed on the screen for 5 days.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Features are excellent, I wish it had three HDMI instead of two.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Provide a sheet that discusses burn in, image retention, break in...really after spending so much you'd think they would want you to be ready to use this TV without worry.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The stand was on back order, the bottom of the box makes a nice temporary stand.....no really I like adjustment and calibration of each input being separate.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Just the Image retention scare. Web response from the US site is spot on, they say 24 hours, and yes they responded in time. The Canadian line is a JOKE. I spoke to someone live at the 800 number, he did not know what HDMI was?? and said he would get back to me, which he never did, this was December 15th. I called the line twice since then, it's always busy...have to leave your number and Pioneer will get back to you. Two messages left since Before Decemebr 21st, they have NEVER called me back. Really Really poor customer service (Canada only... US is great! but the US 800 number won't deal with me once they knew I was from Canada).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I paid about $5,500 CND for this....if it last 10 year then yes it's worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I figured out most of the questions I had by myself or on line. 3 of us bought the Pioneer together, (the other 2 bought the 43") We all really like it. One friend saw the manual and said he would call someone to come and connect the set, he was too nervous.( I laughed) but I think this just shows how versatile (and possibly complex) these set have become!

TheCMB
01-10-06, 08:06 PM
1. The "Model" you have. - NEC 42VM5

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

- reviews about excellent rendering of SD (no access to HD signal for me)
- commercial model, so sleeker w/o speakers
- nice set of inputs for a commercial set
- black bezel - no silver stuff for me!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

- great PQ
- stadium (stretch) mode
- PQ looks HUGE to me, never owned anything before bigger than 32"

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

- nothing yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

No biggies for me, but...
- PIP/split screen
- sharper stand, especially with swivel
- blacker bezel (it's more like a charcoal grey)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

- make a stand that swivels, and don't overcharge for it!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
- how easy it was to set up
- PQ looks great right out of the box

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- nothing yet (knock on wood)

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- YES! Compared to what folks can get a beautiful 50" HD set for, it seems like I actually overpaid for my 42" commercial ED set. But it fits my needs.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
- still waiting on some more new equipment, then will add some pics
- good experience dealing with Cleveland Plasma

Mike52
01-10-06, 08:43 PM
1. Display: Toshiba 42HP84

2. I got this panel because it had a good picture, and I decided to have a different brand than most everyone else on this forum.

3. The best thing about this tv is its picture and the lack of any picture problems.

4. What I don't like is that it is already "old technology".

5. The only feature I wish this panel had that it doesn't, is a ATSC (is that right?) receiver.
6. More, more, more, for less, less, less $.

7. My biggest "surprise" was that it handled regular TV signals decently...after all the negative comments I had read about other panels.

8. The only problem I have is an occasional buzz from the sets speakers with extremely low frequency bass sounds.

9. Todays' prices have not fallen as much as I had thought they should. Considering the lack of overall HD programming on TV (although it is getting better), and the cost of receiving those signals if you don't live in a major metropolitan area...the cost is still not worth it.

10. As with any technology, this one is still rapidly evolving. So be prepared to be outdated before you even get your new toy out of the box.

70runner
01-11-06, 02:17 AM
1. The "Model" you have. - NEC 50XR5A Plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
- strong comparison to Pannies
- black bezel, slick appearance
- input options

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
- outstanding OTA HD picture quality, solid blacks
- excellent SD picture quality (analog cable)
- zoom and stretch modes

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
- haven't found anything yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
- TBD

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
- TBD

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
- stellar PQ out of the box
- damage to box but plasma survived

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- nada

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- worth is a relative term, for each to decide; in my case, the rendering of SD signals along with the remarkable HD picture makes this plasma set worth every penny to me; I spent a lot of hours auditioning the Fuji 50in plasma, generally judged as best in show...this NEC appears to be in the same class for 3K less

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
- as noted earlier, box arrived with damage to bottom which I didn't see until after I signed off and sent the deliveryman on his way; I opened the top to take a look and saw the hole on the bottom, took some pictures for reference; all seems well though as there was no damage to TV and its working fine so far; moral of the story, check the box CLOSELY

killathespian
01-11-06, 03:19 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Toshiba 42HP95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Was stuck on the Panasonic PWD8UK for the longest time, but in the end our viewing habits (no cable/satellite), the cost of tuners and other add-ons, and the convenience factor made a consumer model more practical. The feature set of the Toshiba won out over the PD50 (VGA, settings by input, cablecard (if we ever get cable), memory card slot, etc), and the Pioneer 4214 at Costco.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HDTV and OTA HD reception (even without the HD feed). We brought it home an hour before the Rose Bowl, and after assuring friends it would be ready for game time, we had about a dozen people over. They were impressed. I'm still grinning when watching

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The stand is ugly, but it's getting mounted eventually. The HP(X) doesn't look that attractive in web photos, but it looks a lot better in person. My wife was initially turned off by the looks but its larger size than the commercial models made it look more "impressive" and substantial to her in the end.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

The HP95 has "preference" settings for each input, but it would be cool to have 2 preferences. Overscan adjustment (not that i've noted a need for this--just that it was an interesting feature of the Panasonic commercials). Discrete on/off. Direct input selection.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

I got nothing.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

HD picture quality (different having it my house than seeing it in a showroom). the sound strip quality is also nice.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

TV guide feature has loaded but has the wrong time, which in my cursory look, i was unable to adjust (i did a manual entering of time in the main menu, but that didn't do anything). One other minor annoyance is the shift in picture modes on SD sources (will stretch one channel, change it and now the SD source is unstretched), but that might be user error (not entering "done", but just exiting the menu).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Well, we overshot our initial budget a bit, with a chunk of that coming from moving from ED to HD. We spent as much on the HP95 as we had on a sectional sofa, and this will get a lot more use and has more "wow" factor, so I'll say yes. Only potential regret is not waiting a little longer to check out the new Vizio or HP66. But i think the extra $$ to buy now is the cost of no longer having to suffer from paralysis by overanalysis.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Thanks to AVS for all the info!

snapper
01-11-06, 04:22 PM
1. Model.

HP PE4200N.


2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Great price for what is essentially a Panasonic EDTV with a black bezel.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

So far, (still using break-in period settings) the colors and details that I didn't see in my Mitsubishi 31" CRT.


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The bezel/housing is much wider and deeper than I would like. The internal speakers aren't used so it is just unnecessary bulk.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A second RF input so I could try OTA ATSC without having to disconnect cable and re-scan channels. Also, one button input switching would be preferable to the menu selection routine.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the Manufacturer about your Plasma.

See 4 and 5 above. Also, the sound system and the table-top stand should be optional because they are redundant in many installations.


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That the picture is significantly better than my previous CRT. I see much more detail - and this is just with SD on analog cable.


8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

There seems to be a couple slight dents in the front bezel sides.


9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

At the MSRP - no. At around 25 percent off, yes.


10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I haven't been successful in getting to the service information that displays the hours. Using the procedure found in the Panny plasma FAQ gets me into the service menus alright but the very last step doesn't get me any further. Anyone know about this?

Gomariners116
01-11-06, 11:11 PM
Hitachi Plasma 42HDT52A
Accessories, style were a few factors for the purchase
A few of the features include power swivel, USB port, 40 watts audio
A little expensive though-Paid $2599.00 Prices are coming down slowly.
I am having problems with the power swivel, I am getting the TV replaced.
A great picture & TV, and I would buy another one.
First time buyer for this type of TV.
TV sits on a entertainment shelf and not wall mounted.
I purchased a 5 year extended warrenty through Hitachi.

ejunior2
01-12-06, 01:03 PM
1. Panasonic PD4250U
2. Wanted a EDTV for use with direct cable input and SD cable signal. And not to spent >$2000 to do it.
3. So far the colors just pop and the SD upconverting is stellar.
4. Kind of Plane Jane looks and only 1 coax input
5. Dual HDMI
6. Name contrast, "Contrast" already.
7. My biggest surprise was that this set looked so much better than the Samsung EDTV is replaced. I was hoping for at least a slight improvement when I switch but the Panny set handled the SD signal (and HD) so much better.
8. None found so far.
9. Not really. It's just a TV after all.
10. This set has pretty much guaranteed I'll be getting a Panasonic when I get the 50"-55" model for the living room later on. Bring on those 600U's.

SARHENTO
01-15-06, 11:49 AM
1. Hitachi 42HDT52A

2. My research convinced me that this is the better model than the S52, and better value than Panny and Pio

3. The colours, details, features and looks.

4. The image retention

5. One-button input switching

6. Improve coverage of remote control (bypass the "wake up" stage)

7. That the PQ far exceeded my expectation and my Sony XBR crt

8. None so far.

9. I got a good price so yes.

10. I really like the fact that you are able to configure the settings separately for each input.

ncx
01-18-06, 05:01 PM
1. Model.
Pioneer Elite PRO-1130

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Side by side with everything else, it stole the show. Even my wife picked this one out based on HD, SD, and DVD PQ.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The scaler, the color depth and detail, and the separate media receiver.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
So far, nothing.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None really. Thinking 10 years down the road it might be nice to have upgradeable firmware or upgradeable input modules in the media receiver.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the Manufacturer about your Plasma.
Don't skimp on quality to make them cheaper to compete with Panasonic or others.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
We don't watch much SD content, but we were shocked when we did the first few times. SD PQ is excellent (using component), the best I have seen anywhere. I am using the Pio's scaler and not the one in my HD DVR.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
No issues so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
At the price I got it for, yep its well worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
This is my 4th HD TV but first plasma. I should not be surprised by this model, but it will definitely change how much we watch TV and movies. It is that good.

Dulo
01-18-06, 06:17 PM
1. Hitachi 42HDT51

2. Display capabilities, connectivity and design.

3. Picture, features, design, separate A/V control center, remote-controlled motorized stand.

4. I haven’t found anything yet.

5. It has everything I need. That’s why I bought it after a month of a detailed search.

6. Retain the quality and keep improving!

7. Picture of SD channels looked good out of the box and the picture of HD channels - amazing!

8. I’ve had it for a year and no problems what so ever. It’s my first plasma TV.

9. That’s for everyone to decide what’s best for him. I paid $5999.99 CAD, its market price was about $1000 more and the MSP was $8500 CAD. Plus I got a free Panasonic DVD-F87. It will last more than 10 years. Yes, I am satisfied and have no regrets at all.

10. I bought a 5 year extended warranty. There was a warning in the manual about the burn-in issue with the plasma displays. On the TV’s plastic cover was attached with a scotch tape a glossy paper sheet with some color pictures and common sense tips how to protect your TV from image retention. I am aware of plasma television burn-in and how to avoid it but a lot of people are not. I find this very professional and thoughtful! Bravo Hitachi!

BOB T.
01-19-06, 02:48 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panisonic TH-50px500u
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
50px50u was out of stock and they gave me a very good deal on this model

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
picture is awesome
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
speakers kinda suck
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
2 hdmi inputs
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
better speakers and 2 hdmi inputs
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
it's huge, it took a little time to get use to the size difference between this and the old 27"crt
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
still a litte steep
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

dzn465
01-19-06, 04:02 PM
I am not sure if posting this reply is bad form ....but where is this model 25% off?

1. Model.

HP PE4200N.


2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Great price for what is essentially a Panasonic EDTV with a black bezel.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

So far, (still using break-in period settings) the colors and details that I didn't see in my Mitsubishi 31" CRT.


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The bezel/housing is much wider and deeper than I would like. The internal speakers aren't used so it is just unnecessary bulk.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A second RF input so I could try OTA ATSC without having to disconnect cable and re-scan channels. Also, one button input switching would be preferable to the menu selection routine.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the Manufacturer about your Plasma.

See 4 and 5 above. Also, the sound system and the table-top stand should be optional because they are redundant in many installations.


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That the picture is significantly better than my previous CRT. I see much more detail - and this is just with SD on analog cable.


8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

There seems to be a couple slight dents in the front bezel sides.


9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

At the MSRP - no. At around 25 percent off, yes.


10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I haven't been successful in getting to the service information that displays the hours. Using the procedure found in the Panny plasma FAQ gets me into the service menus alright but the very last step doesn't get me any further. Anyone know about this?[/QUOTE]

kaione
01-19-06, 07:17 PM
Akai Pdp4206ea/Pdp4206em

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bought the same Plasma at CompUSA new years day sale.

It is my first Plasma. I pulled the trigger on it because it was in my budget. I really wanted and HDTV with all the bells and whistles but Id have to spend a few $$$ more which is out of my budget.

Im pretty much happy with it even though its an EDTV. PQ on HD channels is great when connected to my Comcast/Motorola HD STB. Regular cable looks like crap though. I found watching regular cable through the direct tuner looks much better.

Problems.

I am having the same problem as groo08. I dont know what the features CTI, DNR, White Peak Limiter, Flesh Tone, Adaptive Luma Control do. Does anybody no how to adjust these settings? The User manual does not say what they are for , only how to adjust?

Also I have tried connecting my COMCAST/Motoroal HD STB DVI to DVI on Plasma to get the best PQ but it looked worse than it did when hooked up through the component inputs. Is this because its an EDTV?? I have it switched back to component.

Another problem is Pixelization when watching basketball ion an HD channel. It seems when there is a fast moving scene I get the screen door effect. Any way to fix this? again is this because its an EDTV? If i was to buy an HDTV will I still have the same problem?

Overall im happy since it is a Plasma and wall mountable which I needed since I have a small living room. I know its not future proof but it'll work for the now.


Any info on my problems will be appreciated?

riDuh7
01-20-06, 05:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

A: Westinghouse LVM-37w1

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

A: Use with the computer via DVI and support of 1080P

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

A: Size as a computer monitor!! :D

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

A: Sometimes color does not represent correctly..., but fine 95% of the times.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A: HDMI connection with 1080P support from DVI-2 and Component.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

A: Things that are answered in question 5.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

A: Refreshing rates! I thought it would be choppy to play games on this monitor, but it's flawless!!!!!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

A: So far, NONE. :D

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

A: I got it so cheap that I feel like I want to pay more money for this baby. LOL

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

A: If you are a big time computer user, BUY THIS!! You will never regret what you are about to find out. :D

dcpmark
01-21-06, 07:42 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer PDP-5061HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Great SD PQ, great price, and 3-years no interest.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Just about everything.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Having to baby it during break-in period. Daytime reflection of light. Cinema stretch mode for 4:3 is very good, but the bottom is still cut off a little bit, making tickers hard to read.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Screensaver/screen wipe/inverse pixelator......no problems now, but just in case.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Get rid of the TV Guide crap. Even thinner bezel.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How great the SD picture is, and how reflective the screen is during the day. Never saw that or read about that before buying a plasma.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

At the price I paid for it, yes......

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

As I said, Cinema stretch mode is nice.....are there any better on other units? Also, the picture seems to be getting better and better......is it true, or is it me just getting acclimated to the panel?

emachine
01-23-06, 03:57 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50phd8uk

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

PC input, low-profile bezel, no stand (planned to wall mount), no speakers (planned to use 7.1 system), very good PQ to my eyes. A good buy for me, personally, for what I wanted to do, and at a price I could afford.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

It has so far been everything I expected it to be. I'm quite pleased with the experience it imposes upon the living room, overall.

4. - 6.

n/a

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How good HD looks. Discovery HD is insane...

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None, the unit is free from defects and has been working perfectly.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes. It's not just the new tv, either. It's the new tv, the new receiver, the new speakers, the cabling, the new furniture, the weekends spent in the attic dilling holes and running all the cables, mounting speakers on the wall and running back and forth to home depot. It's _all_ been worth it. And I'm not even a movie buff. It's that cool.

spikedog007
01-24-06, 08:25 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Sony kde-50xs955

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Very good SD, better looking HD than the panny (at least in the store) just seemed to pop more than the panny, great exterior design (by far the best looking tv (my opinion only).

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Gorgeuos tv, great picture, and it's a plasma (bragging rights).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Still worried about image retention and break in. I've got all the settings down way low since it's new and it doesn't look as good as it did in the store right now. The swivel feature on the stand is also very cool. Didn't even know it did that until I brought it home.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Lack of image retention, it's not a big deal as images go away within a few minutes but when you pay this much for a tv you would expect perfection.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

uh... I let you know.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Better than expected SD, and how bad the image retention is at least at first.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Again just the image retention. Don't get me wrong it goes away fairly quickly.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I did get a great deal compared to MSRP but I would have to say NO. I mean come on it's just a tv.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

By far I think the plasmas give the best picture quality (I did alot of searching over about a weeks time, compared to LCD, Directview, RPLCD and DLP). I owned a rear projection LCD micro display (hitachi 50v500) and have to say in it's best day it didn't even come close to this plasma PQ.

asic
01-24-06, 08:07 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50PX500U :cool:

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I was looking at 5060; but the supply was short, and personally I don't like the TV stand design (IMO, 5050 has the best design). The 500U has a similar design, plus there are tons of excellent reviews out there. Just have the TV right before Christmas!!! WOW!

After 3 yrs of Sony KV-34XBR800... I am ready to move on to PDP. By the way, KV-34XBR800 is still the BEST TUBE TV out there, IMO.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Super nice performance. The shell design is very nice. Easy to use on screen meun.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Extra HDMI input will be nice.... maybe a separated box for all the input like 5060?

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Better design / quality remote control. Better PnP. I get used to Sony's PnP...

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Fix the Picture-in-Picture function!!!! Make it more user friendly... look at what Sony does!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Size... I know I going to get a 50"; but once it is in my setting room....man.... it is BIGGGG..

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far... crossing my fingers....

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

In the world of electric.... forget it. Just get what you like and try to have as much fun as you can. My old KV-34XBR800 was $2500 three yrs ago... and now worth about 30% only. But I am still very happy about my TV…

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

All I am waiting for is HD-TIVO.... and Bur-ray DVD.... man... can't wait.

quickpick
01-25-06, 10:57 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

TH-42PWD8

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Reviews of ED versus HD.
Seeing both ED & HD side by side.
FCC delay with HD adoption.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Everything so far.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Nothing not to like.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

I don't.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

None - I wouldn't presume to.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Just how good everything was. We switched from a Sony 27# to the Panasonic, added in surround sound, new DVD player. It's hard to isolate the monitor/TV with such sweeping changes.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Still a little overpriced. Competition from larger LCDs will help that in the future.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

TC Rider
01-25-06, 08:05 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Maxent MX50-X3 50"

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
The Maxent thread probably did it for me

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Great picture, low price.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No snob appeal, I have to explain who Maxent is when friends visit.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
One more HDMI port.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Crank some out with a black frame..


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. That everything worked great the first time (and shock for how big it looks in my living room)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I had held off for years on getting a big screen, at what I payed for this, if it's obsolete in 5 years I'll happily buy something better.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

lilMAC
01-26-06, 09:17 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42HP95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Toshiba's glass is the same as the Panny, w/PC connection on lower priced model than the Panny.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Great picture, low price.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
It's not a 70"!!!!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
One more HDMI port. (I agree)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Crank some out with a black frame. (agree again)


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?
I'll let you guys know when I get it.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
I bought it yesterday (wed 1/25/06) @ sears), but I wont get it till next wed (2/1/06)

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I had held off for years on getting a big screen, at what I payed for this, if it's obsolete in 5 years I'll happily buy something better. (Ditto)

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

twindux
01-27-06, 02:26 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PM50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Panny picture just looked better than the other models in the price range. Looked at the Vizio, Philips, etc...had a chance to work with both and adjust the settings...for the relatively small price difference, the bettter PQ was worth it to me.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Great picture, great picture, great picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
SD in zoom mode is not a good thing. World's cheesiest remote.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
One more HDMI port.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Speakers on the sides rather than the bottom. Would love to be able to zoom HD/DVD material to eliminate letterbox bars...

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?
pleasant surprises: glare does not seem to be a facor...good viewing even during the day in a farily bright room...

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Needed longer cables! No problem with the TV yet, though.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
It's definitely an indulgence. Worth it? probably not completely, but did it anyway.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

emachine
01-27-06, 11:22 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

In order of relavence:

Price:Size (both within the realm of reason)
PQ (excellent)
Inputs (defaults were all I needed)
Bezel (sleek, black, wall mount = sexy)
Speakers (didn't need/want any)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Everything in 2, and brownie points for:

Big handles on the back for lifting/mounting

Vertically aligned inputs (facilitates low profile wall mounting)

BNC connectors (prefer BNC over RCA after learning more about both)

Built-in twist-tie thingies to tie down your input cords (they thought of everything)

Adjustable shades of grey for the 4:3 "Normal" mode side-bars (we like dark grey)

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

One very small issue with one aspect of the tv (and it's avoidable) but I don't like Justify mode. It appears to "bend" 4:3 images so that they are slightly concave (or is it convex? They go "in"). You can see it when scenes pan quickly left or right, you can detect more motion on the left & right sides than in the center. This produces a slight but noticeable inverted fish-eye effect. It's not noticeable when a scene is still, but I find it "obviously noticeable" when the scene is panning or moving laterally. I find it distracting, particularly for video games with frequent lateral panning motion (an FPS where you are constantly looking around is a good example). My wife agrees, she also finds it too distracting to use.

But like I said it's avoidable. We just use "Nomal" mode and watch all 4:3 content w/ side bars, and we're happy with that.

Update: Pixel response time

The pixel response time of Green is very slow. Red is not quite as slow, and Blue is not an issue (it's virtually instant). What this means is, some people (including myself) may be prone to seeing "yellow smearing" when brighter portions of the screen quickly transition to darker ones. While the Red and Green pixels fade in the absence of Blue, this can produce discrete but noticeable yellow hues. This may be an innate plasma issue due to the nature of the gasses used to produce color, as it's been reported on more than just the Panny model. It will be noticeable in modern games where 3D scenes are in constant motion, the slow pixel response will cause discolored blurring (the effect is similar to older LCD computer monitors). Read this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=603995) to see people discussing it.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

None.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

See 4.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?

I didn't really buy this thing to watch HD programming, so when I saw my first ESPN/DiscoveryHD stuff I was pretty amazed. When some of these shots have good lighting & focus, they begin to transcend from "looks good" to "looks real". Typical newbie HD reaction probably, but the most memorable wow-factor for the first few hours none the less.

And it was a little surprising to learn that 97lbs really does weigh 97lbs! For some reason when you're looking down at the tv, nestled in styrofoam holsters in the open box, you can't help but mentally dismiss that 97lbs for something more like... I dunno, 75ish. It's so thin, it just doesn't seem like it'll really weigh "a hundred pounds". Then you lift it up out of the box and yea, 97 is a good start - feels more like 115. Bring a friend!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

If they weren't, this thread wouldn't be stickied to the top of the forum.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Where to buy is usually the next question after what to buy, so I'll add that I got mine from monitor outlet, got good/curteous response from CS via email & phone, received undamaged from FL to CA and had a smooth purchase overall.

Danny5
01-28-06, 01:30 AM
1. The "Model" you have. Vizio P50 HDM 50" (aka Costco special)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Several things really - the thread in this forum, the fact it fit in my bedroom - the picture quality - price point - and Costco's return policy!

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Value, Price, and Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Cheesiest remote EV4R!!!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Digital Audio IN to compliment the Analog HD IN

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Make your remote light up!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. The base weighed next to nothing

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. Since its in my bedroom, I can't really eat a meal while watching it

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Heck yah - wouldn't have bought one otherwise! ;)

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. You know it - check it here (http://members.cox.net/evander/plasma1.jpg) for a picture

-Danny

gcrocker1
01-29-06, 10:10 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
JVC PD-50X795

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I have owned serveral JVC products and have had good results.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Looks, great picture and sound. Stunning picture on most SD channels and great HD. So many extra features to try and list. I like having the additional Media box which allows multiple connections, Plasma has a good internal digital & analog turner. I like the panoramic,cinema and full features which work great. You can switch from 480i.480p,720p, to 1080i and can adjust with the features you want to create the best picture. If the picture is off you can move the entire picture up/down/left/right to center it. I have had no image burn-in retention yet. This set does have picture shift capabilities as well as a feature to periodically erase burn-in which takes about 55 minutes to complete. (Supposedly burns all pixels to the same level of brightness) haven't needed to do this though.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I don't like to having to actually go thru each input instead of scrolling to select one I want, there are at least 6 inputs including PC input.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None really, it has so many but still would like what was mentioned above in #4

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
#4

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The 50" screen size and the looks of this set.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet, I do have 1 yr manufacturer 5 years of in-home service warranty, though.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
No they are not, however if you want the toys you have to pay for them. Fortunately, I could afford this set. It lists for $8000 but I got it for [MSRP only please] delivered including 5 years in home service plus 1 year manuf. warranty tolalling 6 years.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I would like to hear from others on this forum who may have this plasma or know anything pertaining to this model good or bad.

gkamer
01-31-06, 08:05 PM
Well after much research that started back in Nov, and numerous trips to different stores to check out plasma screen TV's, I finally pulled the trigger today.

I ordered the TH-42PD50U from Panasonic. 42" plasma ED (Enhanced Definition) TV......

I have compared it to al ot of other brands, and for the price I don't think I could go too much wrong with it. I know it's not high Def, but I also saved about a thousand bucks so that works out. Looking at it compared to other high Def and I'm hard pressed to tell the difference.

It is supposed to be in on the 13th of Feb. I decided to say the delivery charge and go to the store myself. My extended cab pick up can handle it.

Funny story, sort of..... This past Sunday, I stopped at Circut City in Spokane and looked at the Panny they had. God, I still oved that picture quality so I asked the salesman if he had any in the bak. Of course he didn't.

But than he pointed out the price shown was a sale price that expired. The actual price was $100.00 more than displayed. But in an act of major generosity, he offered to let me buy the display model at that lower price.

I asked him how long it was on the floor and he said about a month. I told him there was no way I was going to take a floor model thats been used for a month for a mere $100 off the normal retail price. He said it was a low as he could go, so I thanked him for his offer alnd left.

As it turned out, I got this one for $200.00 less than Circut City was asking, and this is brand new, never used, out of the box..... Of course I decided to opt for the 3 year service plan, just in case. For this kind of money, it's at least a little peace of mind if nothing else.

Of course, now I'm having those "second thought" things you always get after you comitt to a large purchase, but damn it, I'm just plain excited. What finally pushed me over the edge so to speak was this.....

We just got back from a few days vacation in Las Vegas. Our hotel room had a 42" plasma TV in it. Now, when you go to the store and look at these TV's, it's nice... But I think the real WOW factor comes when you actually have time to lay on the bed and watch your tv shows like you were at home... CSI, the news, that kind of stuff.... Thats whan it really hit you..... Then you come home and look at your 25 incher, that used to look pretty big, and well.... Your officially spoiled!

So anyway. I just wanted to post some bragging rights, :) and when it finally comes and we have it all hooked up, I'll report back..... Geez, I remember, back in the day, when you wanted to buy a new tv, the only issue you had to consider was "what size screen"... I sometimes miss the good old days...

BARK
01-31-06, 09:00 PM
congrats on your purchase, looking forward to your follow-up. I to am thinking about a ED panel, could you tell me how standard digital looks? I'm thinking it should look great!!! none of the "hd looks great but sd sucks syndrome".

goodluck and enjoy

mbroadus
02-01-06, 07:53 PM
Went to Best Buy last weekend and was able to get the Panasonic TH-37PX50U on sale for $300 under MSRP and 36 month no interest financing. This is my first plasma purchase and my first tv purchase since I bought a Sony Wega 7 years ago. I'm very excited about joining the world of the audiophiles. Now, I have my eye on the Sony S70 DVD player. I did most of my research on this board and I look forward to posting questions in the near future. After looking at some of the pictures in the gallery, I'm excited about putting together a killer HTS. :D

silentbob1974
02-03-06, 01:29 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 50XR5

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The NEC thread on these boards. I bought sight unseen and have absolutely no regrets.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Spectacular PQ, aesthetically pleasing.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Ugly and poorly-designed remote with minimal usefulness.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A tuner wouldn't hurt, but I really didn't need one.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

Aside from the remote control, keep up the good work.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?

Usual n00b reaction to how mind-blowing HD can look when the incoming signal is better than the one you see at B&M stores. And how gigantic a 50-inch screen really is. I can't even imagine what it's like to have one that's over 60 inches.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None, and I don't expect to have any.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Plasmas may cost less in the future, but life is short. The NEC provides quality near the Fujitsus and Pioneer Elites and at a gentler price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

All the praise for Cleveland Plasma is justified. Chris is great at his job.

Max Lomax
02-03-06, 10:37 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 505cmx

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I sold my other plasma before christmas to buy the new NEC 50, and then they took forever to get in the country. I was having a New Years party and I needed something to put back on my wall to cover up my beautiful metal plasma bracket with wire sticking out of the wall.
I knew that this new gen. of plasmas was going to be great, no matter what I got, and I could get the Pioneer fast. Plus Key digital makes a sick scaler card for it. The idea of interchangeble video/data cards appeals to me.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

How much it completely exceeded my expectations, they are finally getting it right with these new ones.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

I cant have sex with it. It's that pretty sometimes.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A lifelike vagina on the side of it.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

See #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?

That I didn't blow 3 grand on a POS plasma. Or mabey it was relief. I had never laid eyes on one until it landed on my doorstep.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None. But I'm still in the honeymoon stage.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yeah, if you're a dealer and you can buy wholesale. Or if you have an easy way to sell it if you don't like it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Don't drive yourselves crazy when shopping for these things. As long as you don't go bargain bin shopping for plasmas and stick with one of the 4 main players you'll be very happy with it.

jdef
02-07-06, 11:05 PM
Please see quote below:

I want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

Philips 50PF9630a/37 50" FlatTV with Ambilight

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

- Outstanding features including two HDMI ports, memory chip ports, Ambilight

- Many happy owners reporting in this forum

- Great value for the money

- User upgradeable firmware a very nice plus given the emerging technology of HDMI/HDCP


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

I love the picture quality, build quality, and...Ambilight. Also lots of inputs of various types

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Am pretty thrilled with it actually. It is probably too big for the room, seating is about 8' from the panel. This means you can see some artifacts given less than perfect signal. Looks amazing when you step back a few paces

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

This set is very feature rich, don't know of any features I'm missing

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Documentation is shaky, more complete version is available on product CD. I like a good printed manual. Also, the picture needed quite a bit of tweaking out of the box, which was worthwhile given the outstanding results. Mfr should set the TV to look great right from the factory.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

The PQ far exceeded my expectations. The fit and finish are just beautiful. The Ambilight is unique and quite compelling.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

No malfunctions or anomalies of any kind

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

It's nice to see the prices falling. I have no regrets and feel I've gotten a tremendous value for my money

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Thanks.

Dave

darcraver
02-13-06, 09:07 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The great reviews on the Internet. The small form factor. It is simply a monitor with a rectangular rim. That's all I needed.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture quality is superb. The guy who calibrated the set said it was one of the best he had seen. Watching movies is now a real pleasure.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

i) The fact that Panasonic and other plasma manufacturers are blatantly lying by saying that plasma's have no worse problems than CRT's with burn-in issues

ii) The warning's about being "careful" during the first 100 hours of viewing should be displayed in big, bold letters on the first page of the manual - ie turn down contrast and brightness, view at full screen, don't display static images

iii) The out of the box settings are the settings most likely to cause burn-in! Come on manufacturers, make the out of the box settings a little less harmful...

iv) I had burn-in by accidentally leaving input 2 on the default settings and displaying a bright static image from a media player. Even though I would only display these images for a max of 10 mins at a time, I still got burn-in. From browsing these forums I learnt to use the screen savers and leave a DVD running at full screen for hours at a time. This has reduced the burn-in but it is still there.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Wobbling and Peak Limit to be turned on by default (to reduce likelihood of burn-in) and out of the box settings to be less harmful.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

See #4 and #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma?

How good it looked in my living room.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

See #4

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

No way. I spent $4000 on something that I have to be very careful with when displaying static images. This means I have to be very careful when playing games, using my media centre, using it as a PC monitor and when watching channels with a bright logo.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

If you want a 50" TV, are prepared to pay the money and are willing to live with the limitations then a plasma is the way to go. I wanted a 50" TV today and I tried rear projection (I got the rainbow effect) and LCD (fast moving objects were a problem and I didn't feel the picture quality was as "warm" as plasma), so plasma was my choice. I just wish I didn't accidentally hit "normalise" when playing with the menu choices when I was on input 1....

tvcraze
02-15-06, 01:24 AM
1. Model.

HP PE4200N.


2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Great price for what is essentially a Panasonic EDTV with a black bezel.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

So far, (still using break-in period settings) the colors and details that I didn't see in my Mitsubishi 31" CRT.


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The bezel/housing is much wider and deeper than I would like. The internal speakers aren't used so it is just unnecessary bulk.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A second RF input so I could try OTA ATSC without having to disconnect cable and re-scan channels. Also, one button input switching would be preferable to the menu selection routine.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the Manufacturer about your Plasma.

See 4 and 5 above. Also, the sound system and the table-top stand should be optional because they are redundant in many installations.


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

That the picture is significantly better than my previous CRT. I see much more detail - and this is just with SD on analog cable.


8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

There seems to be a couple slight dents in the front bezel sides.


9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

At the MSRP - no. At around 25 percent off, yes.


10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I haven't been successful in getting to the service information that displays the hours. Using the procedure found in the Panny plasma FAQ gets me into the service menus alright but the very last step doesn't get me any further. Anyone know about this?
Hi Snappy,

I'm going to get my pe4200n tomorrow.... any more things you could let me know for settings and connections, etc that you may think is helpful to me?

Thanks!

kyungkim
02-15-06, 12:09 PM
1. The "Model" you have. panny 42hd8uk

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Cheep, everyone seemed to recommend this one here.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Form factor, been an rptv man.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Floating black level problem..only see it when the lights are completely off, but annoying.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. DVI.Hdmi on board would have been nice

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Please fix Number 4.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. Didnt know the pc input could double up as a component in.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. I though mounting to metal studs would be a problem, but didnt have any issues at all, just get the biggest sheet metal screws you can.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. For the 42 and 50 in sizes yes. Used to be you paid anywhere between 2-3x the price of comprable rptvs, but now you pay a very small premium, like 10%. Def worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

MrBookworm
02-15-06, 05:03 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 5061

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Was certain I was going to get the Panny 50". Compared the 2 side by side at Best Buy and preferred the less glare of the Pioneer (my room has a lot of windows). I also much preferred the glossy black finish. It also came with the mount, which helped with the price difference over the Panny.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

I previously had a 32" Sony POCT (plain old crappy tv) that was the max size for my built in entertainment center. I am absolutely stunned with the HD picture, especially sports. Even HD commercials are worth watching, at least until the newness wears off.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Haven't found anything yet that I don't like. Again, I came from a 32" POCT.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Beats me.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Lower the price! :D

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

At how tremendous the picture quality is. It looks far better than in the store. Even older movies shown on the HD channels look great.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I spent my annual bonus on it, so it is not rent/food money. The only thing I spend more time using is my bed, so that's how I justify the price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

M Rob
02-16-06, 11:45 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer PDP-4214

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The $400 price drop at Costco brought the price down to lower end HD Plasma's. Beautiful black finish.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Bright vivid colors. Has none of the black level problems that I hear everyone on this site talking about.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

I find myself watching HD channels only because they are HD.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Cable card slot.... maybe. Not a big deal for me, but could be for others.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

None yet, we will see after a few months.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

No real surprises. The picture looks phenomenal, but that was expected.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Sure. Who wouldn't like to pay less though?

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

jstorerj
02-16-06, 02:02 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 4360HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I was sold on the Panasonic pro model, but supply problems got in the way. I started looking at alternatives and started looking closely at this model. The more I looked, the more I liked.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Beautiful picture (even with the setting toned down for the burn-in period) and ease of connections (the separate media box makes it a piece of cake).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The stand mount that comes with this unit is cheap. I'm only using it temporarily so it's not really an issue, but they should include the swivel mount (Elite model) with all their plasmas.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

So far so good.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

Uhhhh... continue to slash prices so I can buy one for the bedroom.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

I was seriously considering a 50", but this thing is big. A 50" would have been too big for my space.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None yet... <<fingers crossed>>

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

IMO they're still a bit on the high end. $50/inch for Pio/Panny quality should be what the industry strives for.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

My four year old daughter almost jumped out of her seat last night during a snake attack scene on INHD... I think she thought it was coming out of the TV.

ALBIG
02-16-06, 11:25 PM
HITACHI 42HDM12

I was sold on the Panny 42PX50U, but they were not avaiable, and the Hitachi was a better value.

Excellent PQ particularly on HD, and acceptable SD.

I only wish it had more inputs

See number 4

Include better set-up instructions, it took me 15 minutes to figure out that I had to go to the HDMI screen to get the picture from the cable box.

How much better the picture looked at home as opposed to the store. I have a feeling that the settings were intentionally turned down as compared to the more expensive models.

None so far,I have just completed my 100 hour break-in and I'm ready to do my Avia calibration.

I still feel they are too high and they will decline as DLP and Micros fall below 2K plaza will do the same.

I must have spent four months doing research and reading this forum. It was a good exercise for me , and I learned that will always be a new model, so just pull the plug and enjoy it!

theandies
02-17-06, 11:35 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model"?

A lot of research and Consumer Reports "Best Buy" rating

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Worrying about uneven phosphor aging. (Not that concerned by everything I've read so far).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

It has all the feature I wanted so no complaints here.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Make the supplied stand more attractive. Work with the satellite providers to develop a card like the cable card some models have now.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How well it looked (PQ) in our well lit family room.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far except for some HDMI issues that I have addressed in other threads.

9. Do you really think that today’s "Prices" are worth it.

After watching this thing on HD channels......YES.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I just like saying Plasma!!!! :D

doopstr2
02-17-06, 11:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 42XR4A

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model"?

Wife vetoed a 50". Brand loyalty to NEC.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture Quality, viewing angles, the panel itself is pleasing to look at even when off. The connectivity the panel offers is great.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Buzzes a little bit. I put some fabric behind it to absorb the sound. Its mostly eliminated. I think the sound was amplified by being wall mounted on drywall with a 5 degree downward tilt.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

HDMI 1080P.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Get your panels into more high end stores.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

SD picture quality was better than expected, very watchable. Stadium stretch mode is very good.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Little bit of buzzing.

9. Do you really think that today’s "Prices" are worth it.

Of course I want it cheaper, but don't sacrifice the quality. Make it cheaper/better, not just cheaper.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I have bought NEC in the past (computer monitors) and always loved their displays. I'm glad to see that the high quality of NEC continues

HsvToolFool
02-17-06, 09:52 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I've wanted a 60" or larger plasma for years. The prices finally dropped
enough for me to justify the cost of a 50". The consensus on the web was
that the new 8UK is a high-quality product. So far, I must agree.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

#1) Awesome picture quality in all light levels. Every once in a while, the local
stations broadcast HDTV material which is almost three dimensional. For a
fleeting instant, I feel like I'm looking out an open window rather than
staring at a piece of glass on the wall. That's fun. I can't wait to watch
the Masters this Spring.

#2) Separate video adjustments for each HDMI card I've installed. I can tweak
my DVD player and HDTV tuner separately. Total geek-out!

#3) Removes a bulky 32" CRT telly from between my speakers for even better
soundstaging.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Babes are not as impressed as I could have hoped. No fawning or swooning
when they see my big ol' plasma, amps, and speakers (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=643607). It's almost like that
stuff isn't important to them! Go figure. They do say, "Oh my..." when they
walk in the house, but I get the feeling they don't mean that in a good way.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

I wish Panny made a HD tuner card for their commercial models. It would be
a nice option when/if this plasma is moved to the bedroom someday.

6. What advice or suggestions would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Sell the 8UK for $1500 and you'll own the plasma market.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise"...

How easy the install went. After installing an HDMI card and abandoning
S-video, I was also shocked how great a $100 upscaling DVD player looks.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had...

Large, subtle color gradiations are often "bands" of discreet color. I first
noticed this effect on the "krill: Swim Away!" scene in Finding Nemo. The
murky ocean in the background is moving bands of color rather than a mist of
grey/blue. It can be distracting now that I've noticed it, especially since the rest
of the movie looks so good.

I strongly suspect this artifact is caused (or at least exacerbated) by taking a
source with only 480 lines of resolution and scaling to 1080. I rarely see this on
HDTV broadcasts. When I do see it OTA, I suspect the station is upscaling before
they broadcast. The effect is less pronounced and it usually only happens on
station logo screens.

I hope that a BlueRay edition of Finding Nemo make the bands go away.
If not, que sera whatever. The Panny still suits my tastes better than any
other technology at any price. No regrets.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I wouldn't have purchased the plasma if I felt it wasn't worth the cost. That's
how I knew it was time to buy. The price was right. I couldn't NOT buy it.

10. Any additional information...

I'm very happy with the purchase. Visual Apex gave me a very pleasant
e-shopping experience.

writenick
02-19-06, 06:06 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Wanted the best 42" on the market. The forum convinced me this was it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture, Picture, Picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

I would prefer a round or oval stand.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Hope I have all the hookups necessary for the near future.

6. What advice or suggestions would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Get a better looking stand.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise"...

How simple to get hook up and use.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had...

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

If I say no, then I look pretty stupid.

10. Any additional information...

I was concerned about glare. I have lost of glass in front and behind, but not to the sides. My seating is in a semi-circle and except for the one directly in front, no glare. So no more chair directly facing in front and problem solved.

jerlane
02-20-06, 08:49 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 50HP95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reviews, features, price, picture quality and overall appearance.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality, especially HD.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
SD doesn't look so good anymore.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None so far. Maybe a second HDMI port.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
This thing is heavy! Not as bad when I took of the base to mount on the wall. I was also blown away by HD picture quality.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None with the plasma.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Debatable. Retail prices are still a little steep. Fortunately my wife works for one of the big stores.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
A lot of what other people have said is true. Stop waiting for the next greatest thing or you'll never get anything. I've had this for two weeks and it's great. DOn't worry about what's coming out tomorrow.

justplainmike
02-20-06, 11:04 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
TH-42PD50U
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Read all the threads on AVS forums and did lots of looking at the B&M stores. My wife and I watch about 50/25/25 DVD/HD/SD and based on this the ED model was the best bang for the buck.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
DVD's look unbelievable. BUT, only got that way after calibrating with DV essentials DVD. Looked good before that but now the effect is really jaw-dropping. Family and neighbors are transfixed by the image quality. HD looks great and SD varies from decent to mediocre depending on the channel and whether it's digital or not.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Not crazy about the silver bezel and finish. But it's actually not as bad as I thought it would be.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Auto-calibration would be nice :-)
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Get rid of "Torch" mode completely from the user available menus. It looks terrible even on the store floor.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How much more there was to see in a DVD and HD. Textures and color saturation are amazing.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Option-itis. I had all the MPEG whatnots and Video NR whosits turned on because they were there. Going with the "Less is more" approach yields better PQ.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Bought mine from Manolia in July for $2499 and they did a $500 drop in price matching 90 days later. For me that was a pleasant surprise. I'd love it if these things were $150 but that might be a touch unrealisitic. Overall, I'm very happy with the TV and glad that my money was not spent on something I don't like now.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
If you're considering a Plasma TV, ask yourself:
1) How much can I spend?
2) What are my viewing habits? (DVD, HD, SD, etc.)
3) What kind of environment will the TV be in (Dedicated HT, family room, bright light, etc.)
Knowing the answer to these questions will really help narrow down your choices. I just want to say a big THANKS to everyone on this forum for all their advice and hard work. This forum is the go-to place for anything Audio/Visual

Cheers!!
Mike

p.s. My Setup:
Panny TH-42PD50U
Panny S97 DVD player (via HDMI to plasma and upconverted to 720p... i know it shouldn't look better, but my eyes tell me different!)
Panny XR-55 (brand new, haven't even tried it out yet!)
Mirage Omnisat (L C R) (also brand new)
Mirage Omni S8 sub (also brand new)

Hedonist
02-21-06, 03:13 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
TH-50px50u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Going to B&M stores, reading reviews, both here, CNET, and pretty much everywhere i could find people's opinions.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ is fantastic, no glare from glass.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Cannot change aspect ration on HD feeds.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Day/Night button to change picture settings for each input.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
How about they sell them already broken-in!! That way the consumer doesn't have to worry about burn-in as much.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How spectacular the PQ was for hd and how poor SD pictures are.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Only problem is not having a wider selection of HD channels to watch!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I still think they are expensive, but at least the prices are not as high as they used to be.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Just to make sure that you get the right screen size for your viewing room, and to consider any potential change in viewing room and lighting conditions.

Moebius
02-22-06, 05:30 PM
So after nearly 3 years of delays....

1. The "Model" you have.
TH42PM50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Kind of leaned towards 8UK, but Costco return policy adds serious peace of mind

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ out of the box was far better than I expected. Glare was much less than expected.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Miniscule remote, no discreets. Will have to think about a Harmony finally.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Better remote.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Keep up the good work.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Out of the box PQ. Using composite input, 6 year old DVD, not even progressive scan and it was still very impressive.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Nothing yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Pushing the pricey side still, but worth it to be sure.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I'll echo Hedonist in make sure you get the right size. While I think a 50 might work in here (smaller room), the 42 is already looking like a giant after replacing the 27 inch crt.

egmutza
02-23-06, 08:12 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio P50HDM 50"

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Lots of inputs, great price, with reportedly great PQ for the money. The store's return policy was also a huge selling point.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ is great with the right source material. Some DVD's look near HD. I was concerned about glare, but it's actually much better than the 35" tube TV we upgraded from. The piano black frame also looks much nicer in the house than it did in the store.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The silver speaker bar at the bottom. Makes it look like an RPTV. If it were just a little thinner, or painted black instead, I would have no complaints. That said, this set is still a very nice addition to the room. Not an eyesore by any stretch.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Built-in tuner. Detachable speakers.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See #4 & 5.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How bad a lot of HDTV programming is. Some channels look great, but others have a lot of compression artifacts. For instance, the Olympics on Universal HD look amazing. On our local NBC HD channel, they're pretty ugly.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Slight buzzing during bright scenes. Can only hear it with the volume muted and at < 5' away. Probably never would have noticed it if I didn't read these forums obsessively. Our track lighting is noisier. Not sure if I think it's worth calling tech support over.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Probably not. It's definitely a luxury purchase (one I probably can't really afford - but that's what credit cards are for!). If it were $1000 cheaper, it would be a no-brainer.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Moving from Tivo to the cable company's DVR has been a challenge. You don't realize how well-done Tivo is until you have to deal with another company's clunky interface.

Tigershark
02-24-06, 03:24 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Maxent MX-50X3

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Input from Forum members, Picture Quality, Attractive Price, Store's return policy

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Compared to my old 27" CRT, it blows it away on everything. I even enjoy SD since it is just plain bigger! I like the silver look and the side detachable speakers are a plus (although they are attached right now).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Only has one HDMI input. No tuner. Some Macroblocking - but working on fixing that.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More inputs!

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See above.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How bad DVDs really are. 480i looked so good on a CRT, but not on a 50" Plasma.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Definitely a luxury item. I blame this forum for infecting me with the HDTV bug.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I was deciding between this PDP and the Vizio P50 and it just "looked" better, PQ and appearance of the set. Just my personal preference. Highly recommended.

deharry
02-25-06, 11:13 AM
Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 50HPX95
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Great design, picture quality and features

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Ability to connect and select channels from antenna and cable from remote


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Love it

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
one more analog Audio Output from the current 2

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Individual select buttons on the remote for "Mode" eliminating scrolling.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
I was able to get around the QAM tuner not tuning some channels, by adding a simple indoor/outdoor antenna which tunes them in. Other sets with only one source connection, will not allow simultaneous antenna/cable cinnections. I can select either cable or OTA channels from my remote, or from the TV Guide screen. No selecting a different source or swapping connections on the TV.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
In the case of my TV, it is worth it because of the many features and availability.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
My TV has all the features that Panasonic does not, features that Samsung and LG offer combined. I love the peace of mind that the built-in pixel shift feature and white screen give to avoid and remove any burn-in problem. Thanks.

Dave[/QUOTE]

dark1x
03-01-06, 04:45 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42HPX95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Features + Panasonic glass + best performance in store (after testing a huge variety of plasmas with my own equipment). Decided on Plasma technology due to its lack of various flaws with LCD and DLP technology that I could not deal with.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Color performance + sharpness

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Black levels in a dark room + grain in the low end of the gray scale (both are problems with plasma technology in general, unfortunately).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Ability to tone down the entire brightness of the screen to produce a darker picture overall in dark environments (perhaps not even possible)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Perhaps offer more control options via the user menu

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Realization that the burn-in issue was blown COMPLETELY out of proportion. It is nearly a non-issue, provided you don't abuse it.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Black levels. I knew they weren't going to be CRT quality, but completely dark content (such as the Silent Hill series of games) in a dark room is just awful looking. I didn't expect it to be so similar to LCD and DLP in this regard (both suffer from the same issue - perhaps more so).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Not quite. The fact of the matter is, whether you buy LCD, DLP, or Plasma, you are simply trying to match as closely as possible the quality of a great CRT in order to experience a larger size with less mass. Only when displaying fine, still images do these display types excel over CRT. Plasma comes close to matching the CRT in many areas and exceeds it in a few areas, but it doesn’t do everything.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Bring your own test equipment to the stores when looking at these. I could have chosen the Hitachi 42” (HDT, or whatever the higher end 42” model is) and may have done so had I not properly tested. There were significant display anomalies present that would have absolutely killed me had I taken it home instead. Only the Panny, Toshiba, and Pioneer displays performed to my liking…but I could not have determined that without careful testing. I also was able to confirm once and for all that LCD and DLP would not work for me.

Skullker
03-01-06, 11:52 PM
The "Model" you have.

Philips 42PF7320A/3742HPX95 Plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Saw it in a store, looked just fine compared to 42" Samsung and Panasonics, and cost significantly less. I searched for 3 weeks to find the model as it was sold out of major stores before Christmas.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
My first Hi-Def TV...picture is great. Also, lots of inputs including 2 HDMI. Also takes USB card to display pictures (haven't tried it out yet).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing I have found so far.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Nothing I can think of at moment.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Include a "Starter" page in instructions on how to tune all the settings. Include a "basic user" setting and then advice for the more advanced users.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

I was unaware of how to deal with normal TV being extended to wide-screen. My current choice is to automatically invoke stretching to wide screen, rather than black borders staying around normal TV broadcast.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

I have to use 2 remote controls - one for cable box/DVR and one for TV. Old TV ran fine off the cable box/DVR remote control.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Absolutely. Basically, CRT is dead and the convenience of wide-screen (DLP, LCD, Plasma) HDTVs with their great looks and less space make them a great purchase (consider that MP3 is not the same quality as CD-Audio, but the convenience is awesome and music sound is good enough for most people). I found my Plasma for $1897 which matched a good 42" DLP, so no brainer decision.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Plasma and LCD buyers need to be aware that wall-mounting is not for the faint of heart. I found this to be the hardest part of my purchase. Major wall surgery, lucky to have a creative, good friend to assist, and hiding cables and surge protector not trivial.

jey16
03-08-06, 10:22 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PV500A

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

brand reputation of Panasonic, generally regarded as "best bang for your buck" and it looked great in store

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

excellent picture quality, decent amount of inputs, inbuilt speakers as well as woofers

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

a heavy tv and the bezel is quite large

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

an extra HDMI input and it would be perfect

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

include that extra HDMI input (which they seem to have done for the new model) and reduce the bezel size

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

setting it up was a breeze compared to my previous Plasma (Sony PFM42V1).... and i didnt think i would see such a PQ difference between the Pana and the Sony but i did and i was blown away by the HD broadcasts that i watched

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

i have no idea...but if you can afford it, i say buy it :)

kittler
03-11-06, 01:24 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-5OPM5OU

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The reviews on this site, in store displays, and reputation.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ, stretch modes, natural colors.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The fear of burn and the break in period.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

More Screen protection features (maybe I just worry to much.)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Better Documentation

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

SD picture quality, I read so many negative things about SD content.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Not really, but when you want the technology a little ahead of the mainstream, you have to pay for it.

Cadillakin
03-12-06, 12:54 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

TH-42PWD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Value for the dollar - great reviews, slim with black bezel, no crappy speakers I don't need... and not having to pay for a tuner when I have one with my satellite.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture, and it's classy look in the room.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The big bill I have to pay. No closed caption with this model. No tuner, no captions. Anybody have that Guardian device used for closed captioning? Does it hurt the picture output?

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Closed captioning.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

I'm a big fan of Panasonic - cameras, drills and TV's.. they provide great quality and don't need any suggestions from me.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How very far out of whack the settings are, as shipped. I was a little disappointed the first day till I whipped out my new copy of Avia and tuned her up. As somebody who has done some occcasional picture editing, I should have known that a sharpen setting of 5, combined with a "stretched" picture would increase artifacting. When I turned that sharpen setting down to 0 and put brightness at a reasonable setting of -12, things improved alot!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Nothing.. it's been great.. Mostly just trying to work out the various inputs for the equipment and get them co-ordinated with the remote.. that's been the only work.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

It's a lot of money to spend- but I like to keep up with the technologies. I learned with my computers not to get out in front, lag back, buy good qualilty and catch the bargains. This Panasonic seems to be a real bargain as plasmas go.. or at least that's my perception.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

The 32 bucks for Avia was worth it.. and Visual Apex was a great vendor to buy from. And a thank you to Bruzzi for all his valuable effort.

JKent
03-13-06, 01:37 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP-5060HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
PQ, Reviews, Media Box, Appearance, Detachable speakers, Light weight, Features (i.e. stretch modes, 2 HDMIs) AND…PQ!! :D

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Media Box, Appearance, Detachable speakers, Light weight, Features (i.e. stretch modes) AND…PQ!! :D

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
So far, nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Seems to have just about everything, including 2 HDMIs.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Maybe an upgrade path—firmware and/or cards for the media box. I don’t want my 5K investment to be obsolete in 10 years. Also--a calibration disc would be nice.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Amazing PQ with SD DVDs on a 10-year-old (not progressive) DVD player.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None—but it’s only been a week.

9. Do you really think that today’s "Prices" are worth it.
No, but I still love my plasma!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Was waiting for a Panny 500U. Glad it never came. The Pio is awesome! :D

renfield33
03-15-06, 08:48 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
th-42phd8uk

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
best for the money... i really wanted the th-42px50u, but it is just not available. in the end, i am running this TV with an HD-DVR from the cable company


3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality! simply stunning... looks way better than in the stores

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
needs more inputs... i just have to buy the HDMI card now...

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
i knew what i was getting with this plasma, no surprises here

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
make a remote that isn't as ugly. also, what's the point of having numbers on the remote? there is no tuner!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
heavier than i thought

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
a little too high if you want quality stuff... sure you can get a plasma for cheaper, but i would rather spend a few extra hundred and get quality

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
This plasma is really nice right out of the box. SD looks good through the STB, and HD is stunning... i knew once my wife saw this in the house she would really like it. and she does!

FiatDood
03-15-06, 10:01 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
TH-42PWD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality (from multiple reviews) along with the simple black picture frame besel. Plus, I don't plan on receiving an HD signal any time soon, so the SD resolutions I'll be watching along with the DVD's (less conversion with the ED) is what I was looking for.

Oh yeah....can't beat the price!


3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality on SD and DVD sources, look, and light weight. Plus no ugly attched speakers. And it's still capabable of displaying an HD feed, although not at the full resolution.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Don't know yet. More inputs would be nice, but since I don't have any digital components right now it doesn't really matter. Currently I am running the component from my STB and DVD through the JVC reciever, my VCR through the S, and my computer through the RGB. If I do get a DVI/HDMI component later, I can pay $130.00 and get the DVI module.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I knew what i was getting with this plasma, no surprises here

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Nothing I can think of right now. Perfectly content.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Lighter than i thought and SD was actually better than I thought it was going to be.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Depends on what you're looking for. For someone like me (see question 2) it's a great product for the price. However, if you're going to be subscribing to the max HD package you can find and need a bigger TV, then I'd pass.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
As for the ED vs. HD debate, it can't be said enough that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've seen an HD feed to an ED TV (Not this model) and I couldn't tell the difference between the HD feeds on the HD TV's I've seen. I'm sure some can, but if it's there, it's minimal. So if I do end up getting an HD signal, I can't wait to see how great

teekster
03-15-06, 11:37 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer Elite 930HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The picture quality and looks of the set, the fact that it fit perfectly into the space that my prior TV occupied.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture quality is AMAZING!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Price (ouch)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

More than 2 HDMI inputs

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

More HDMI inputs.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Great looking SD (though it is stretched to protect it)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I think that this and most other plasmas are still overpriced. The LCDs are even worse, however. I have stayed away from plasma until now (have 2 DLPs) and thought that prices would have come down by now. Unfortunately, the price of admission is the price of admission.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I was placing this TV in a very well lit room. It seems that many on this forum were recommending flat LCD TVs for this application. I was not impressed with the PQ of TVs like the 45" Sharp. The Pioneer does a great job in this environment. If anyone is contemplating this scenario, with the current TVs, I recommend plasma.

Bacardiman04
03-18-06, 01:55 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panny Th42px50u
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
PQ and Price
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ and QAM tuner
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The remote, how hard it is to fine tune the picture from Manf. settings from SM, one hdmi port
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
1080p and another hdmi port
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
see 4 and 5
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The way it looks on my wall, and PQ on both analog and SD
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none yet and hopefully none at all

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
haha yes...got it under cost, company still made money with the Extended Warranty
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Get an awesome surround sound system to go with the awesome picture.
If you don't have surround sound you're only getting half the experience.

pzul_w
03-18-06, 07:17 AM
Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 42" Plasma 1024x768 42PF7220A (not Ambilight)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price! Good blacks. Consumer Reports.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Good blacks. 2 HDMI iinputs. Tuner. USB port for photos and mp3s.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I can't take off the lousy built-in speakers (built in speakers on all plasmas seem to be junk).

If I had more money I would have bought more pixels.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I wish I could set it to never distort the aspect ratio. I really can't stand looking at people stretched wide or tall.

I wish it had different picture settings for each input.

I wish all audio inputs would be routed out through the digital coax out. That way I wouldn't have to switch the receiver when I change the input. Switching the receiver is fine for myself, but it confuses my family.

I wish the stand could position the tv closer to the wall. It's about 2.5 inches away with the stand against the wall.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Detachable speakers. The built-in ones really belong in the garbage.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

The PRICE for HDMI CABLES!!! More than a hundred bucks for a cable to connect a $90 upconvert DVD player. I went to six stores trying to avoid paying for "premium" cables such as Monster. I KNOW this is a DATA cable, so "signal lose" is not an issue. In my quest I encountered a "premium" power cord that was over a hundred dollars. Premium cables make me distrust the retailer; shields up!

I was surprised by the amount of free HTDV programming available with a table top UHF antenna

The USB input for browsing photos and playing mp3s.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I am sure that in two years there will be much better sets for less money. But the waiting game never ends.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
At first I bought the Westinghouse 37" 1920x1080 LCD. But the black level was not good enough so I returned it. After that I would no longer consider LCD's; I had to have a Plasma - I expected I would only be happy with Panasonic's black levels. But the Philips looked much better than any LCD and nearly as good as the more expensive Panasonics and Poineers.

This Philips Plasma replaces a 36" Sony Trinitron WEGA CRT. The Sony CRT has a great picture - I was AFRAID to compare it to the Plasma so I made a rule that they could never be turned on at the same time. It would drive me crazy if the Sony CRT looked brighter or had better blacks (it probably does!) .

(The Sony had now been sold).

Gun Shot
03-19-06, 07:21 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Maxent 50x3

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

The picture quality is on par or exceeds more expensive sets.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ and size.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Price, and I wish SD displayed better (but I don't blame this set for that).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

n/a, only because it was such a huge upgrade from my old set, at this moment I couldn't ask for anything more.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Spice up the bezel a little bit, and make the stand a little sleaker and less noticeable without increasing the cost.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

DVD's are off the hook, and SD sucked worse than I thought it would.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Rarely, SD audio will cut out. I have to change the channel on my cable box for the audio to turn back on. I have swapped out cable boxes with my provider, and after a solid 5 days of not doing it, it just did it again, so I'm thinking it may be the tv? Still haven't sorted that out.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Plasmas are still too expensive, in my honsest opinion. I am very happy with my set though, no regrets.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

The detachable speakers that come with the set SUCK! My little $30 computer speakers rock the house, and the big speakers that come with the set sound like a bad clock radio. Moot point if you have a different audio source.

Cyriss the Virus
03-22-06, 02:23 PM
Just purchased a new plasma, it was delivered yesterday and mounted flush on the wall.

1.What model did you purchase
Hitachi Director Series 55 inch (55hdx62)
2.What caused you to purchase this particular model
Personal evaluation at the store, comments on this forum, consumer reports reviews
3.What do you like best about your plasma.
its sheer size and awesome overall performance with Standard Def programming
4.What dont you like about your plasma
Nothing, so far.
5.What feature(s) do you wish your plasma had
detachable speakers
6.What suggestions would you make to the manufacturer of your plasma
make detachable speakers available
7.What was your biggest "Surprise" you received after getting your plasma
Its sheer size realative to my living room. it takes up a sizable fraction of the enitre wall. wow !
8.What problems or issues have you experienced with your plamsa
none so far. no flickering that seemed to be evident with earlier generations of the 55HDX62
9.Do yo think todays prices are "worth it"
Yes definatly, considering this same size tv was twice as much 2-3 years ago

citman
03-22-06, 04:31 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
black levels, PQ, didn't need a tuner or speakers

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ, sleek look, customizable inputs, size

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
blades should work in all slots, some are slot specific

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
none so far, completely satisfied

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
make all baldes work in any slot

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
the PQ for DVDs and HD TV..just amazing

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none other than a blade I wanted to use wouldn't work in slot 3, no biggie

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yep...one of the best things I've ever bought no doubt

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
If you don't need a tuner or speakers (I had D* and a HT receiver already) then the commercial model really makes a ton of sense vs. the consumer IMO. Only had the set about a week, but I am blown away by everything I've seen so far. :)

pedromt
03-23-06, 02:46 PM
nice one!

ken1953
03-25-06, 12:23 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer Elite 1130 (50" plasma)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Actually bought a panny 50px500u, but then Magnolia HT couldn't get delivery from Panasonic, so they gave me the Pioneer Elite for the same price. It was part of a pretty expensive homet theatre set up I purchased, so i guess they didn't want me to cancel the whole thing.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Spectacular colors, definition, etc. It looks cool too.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Too many video adjustment options. I am probably going to drive myself nuts fine-tuning.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
An auto perfect calibrate button.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Better info on video set up.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
I was surprised that i enjoy watching bugs crawl over leafs on Discovery Channel Hi Def Thetre.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes. The difference between a normal tv and a plasma with hi def programming is night and day.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Marky_Mark896
03-26-06, 10:24 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
NEC 50MX5A

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Actually, I was looking to buy a 42" for our bedroom. Was going to get the 42HDT52 Hitachi, since I have the 55" hitachi, but after talking with Chris at Cleveland Plasma, I decided to get the NEC because I could get it for just a few hundred more than the 42" and I didn't need speakers or tuner, and the footprint of the NEC is just a couple inches larger than the 42" hitachi with its speakers.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Bright beautiful picture, great black levels, thin bezel, cool looking heavy base.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The only thing I can think of is the Image Retention (IR) which is not a big deal since it only happens when playing Xbox, or pausing the DVR, and goes away after a few minutes of watching full screen tv.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I really can't think of anything I'd add to it.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Market it better.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How nice the "Stadium" stretch mode works for viewing 4:3 material, almost makes it look HD.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
One dead pixel, which is unobservable from more than a couple feet away.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, the prices are coming down nicely, and making them more affordable. I can't wait to get a 103"... after I get out of the hospital when my wife beats me for suggesting it.

Beto3645
03-26-06, 08:00 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PX60U, a 9th generation 42-inch plasma.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality; deep blacks, shadow and highlight detail, purity of blacks & whites, smooth gray scale, natural colors, sharpness.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality, slim profile, good price.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Insufficient inputs and outputs; only one coaxial cable input, no variable analog audio output; no headphone output; no subwoofer output. Bezel and and duck feet stand are unattractive.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
The bezel should be glossy piano black like the Pioneer's. Inputs and outputs as described in #4. Ability to use the built-in speakers as the center channel when using external speakers. Back-lit remote. Ability to access some menu items directly from the remote, such as brightness, contrast, color, and hue.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
See #4 and #5, and continue to lower the price.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The ability to receive local HD channels without a STB!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
SD definition channels vary in quality. This is primarily the responsibility of the broadcaster, but SD is easier to watch on an old SD set like the Sony XBR CRT's.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, finally, this year of 2006.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
We placed the TV at the foot of the bed on two stereo shelves placed side-by-side. Hence, we watch this 42-inch plasma from about 6 feet away. It is the perfect size! The DVD player is on a shelf under the TV, facing away from the bed. We can still operate its remote by bouncing the infrared signal off the opposite wall!

Rally
03-28-06, 02:38 AM
1. The "Models" you have.
Fujitsu P55XHAUS, Panasonic 50" and 42" (not sure of model numbers)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Viewing the monitors at Magnolia Audio/Video

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality followed by size

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing comes to mind!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I wish the fuji had a black bezel.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Bring down the price so everyone can enjoy the technology.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Several of my neighbors and friends had to suddenly upgrade.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Probably not, but life is too short to worry about it.

vether2
03-31-06, 12:03 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP4214HD Plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Price. Seemed like a good deal for the Pioneer quality. I was also thinking of getting the Panasonic 42 inch EDTV plasma


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Nice colors on some channels

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Remote control seems sluggish. Some colors seem muted (perhaps I need to adjust better)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Better imaging with dark scenes

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Not sure but see above.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

No manual. I was told to download it off the internet (display model)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Too dark

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Getting there!

__________________

cmlee
04-02-06, 08:10 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PD50

Just got it today and I love it already!

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

It was between this and the Samsung for me, both in my price range at $700 off MSRP. Went with the panasonic based on what I read here.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Everything. Im still in awe. i dont even have HD signals coming in yet, and just Standard Cable looks amazing. DVDs look beautiful too,

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The grey case. Would have prefered black.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None so far.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
New stand - make it a swivel.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
the difference in a regular signal. Granted my previous TV is a 12 y/o 27" JVC.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
If I didnt I wouldnt have bought it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
:D

Hitachi42
04-04-06, 04:05 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Hitachi 42HDS52

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
SD PQ, HD PQ, excellent finish and power swivel

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
a) SD PQ & HD PQ
b) power swivel
c) Has 2 settings (day/night video settings) that can be set through a timer to
switch automatically depending on the time of the day
d) The screen is pretty good to cut most of the day night glares

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Not anything that I could think of now may better sound quality

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Monitor input

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your
Plasma.
Better audio quality

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Definitely the SD picture quality

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Had a horizontal bar running through the screen, turned out to be a cable
issue

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Could be a bit cheaper definitely under $2000, so more people could enjoy

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Even though there is not much hype about Hitachi plasma makers, I am just
totally blown by their plasm quality so far.

BOSS10L
04-05-06, 11:09 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 50XR5

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Information/advice from this forum, seeing the NEC 42XR4 in person.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

It's big, it's flat, it's changing the way my family watches TV. Great PQ. Support for 1080p input, even though it isn't a native 1080p display. Let's face it, the coolness factor is still very high even though LCDs and Plasmas are moving into more homes.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Lack of upgradeable inputs (a la Panny blades). Fear of burn-in and image retention.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

1900x1080p native resolution. Upgradeable inputs (a la Panny blades).

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

I'm not sure if it is a bad thing or not, but NEC really needs more exposure. Maybe their lack of sales in big box stores is a calculated tactic, but had I not come here, I probably wouldn't have seriously considered it. Luckily I saw the 24XR4 at a local boutique A/V store.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How big and heavy (relative term - the 50XR5 w/ stand (130lbs) is still 100 lbs lighter than my 30" CRT WS HDTV Sony (250lbs)) it really is. They look smaller and lighter in the showrooms.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None yet except for going through the break-in process (hour 24 and counting!).

9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.

Worth is such a subjective and relative term. Without getting into specifics on pricing, the logical side of my brain says it is asinine to spend over $3K on a TV, but I believe in living life the way you want to, so in that way I am very content.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Thanks AVS for all the info and support! Additional kudos to Chris at Cleveland Plasma, great guy, great price, great service!

2 piece
04-07-06, 12:58 PM
1. LG 50PC3D

2. Already have LG products and some what loyal. Have not had any problems. Went to CC and demo'ed it and fell in love with it. I realize that it's very much subjective, but I felt I really couldn't go wrong. Also my budget was limited to 3500 USD.

3. It fits well on top of my fireplace (I do not use the FP)

4. Clarity, brightness and I just had to have one. I've been pretty much LCD all the way, but with new features to help limit burns sold me.

5. More connectivity. Firelire, USB, Ethernet and resolution that can work with various laptops. More fromt lanel connectivities would be nice, like the new HP's

6. Better built-in speakers, more sound fields, better remote and thinner form factor.

7. I moved up from a 37 to 50. Once I placed it on the tv nook, it looked much bigger than I first anticipated. No harm. I love it more.

8. None yet. Waiting on buddies to come by this evening so that I can connect all the cables.

9. In my eyes, No, but what is? Just have to bite the bullt one some products.

10. NA

murray32
04-07-06, 05:17 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Hitachi 42HDS52
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Months of research, looking at every tv out there from plasma to dlp to lcd, etc etc.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Stunning PQ, outstanding value. Check it out on Circuit City online.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Scrolling through inputs to change from DVD to Cable.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Can't think of any it doesn't have.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See #4 above.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How much better the PQ was at home than at the store.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Some posters say that the Panny is better (sharper picture/deeper black levels). I just don't agree with this. The Hitachi is noticeably better, sharper in PQ. It's not even close IMHO.

Kelton
04-11-06, 09:59 AM
A few days ago, I moved from Florida to Knoxville, tn and decided that this would be the start of my hi-def life! I'm going to get "in" to watching college football in a real football town (Tennessee Volunteers)!

After reading this past post, I went to CC and took a look at the 42" Hitachi. I bought it. Was it "better" than the others. Well, it's hard to tell. If it was better (or worse), we're talking subtleties that I can't discern.

For those of you worried about all the complexities of TV set-up mentioned within these forums, it's not a big deal. You can easily just plug the TV into the wall, hook it to the HD cable and enjoy. The fine tuning you can do later, but it's immediately impressive right out of the box.

No matter what, the PQ you get at home will far outshine the PQ you saw at CC or bestbuy.
LCD TVs, to me, look too "digital" or "electric", so I decided to risk the burn-in worries and go with Plasma. Plasma just looks more like a real photographic image.

At first, I thought the power swivel was gimmicky but I have already used it numerous times....and I've only had the TV for a few days.

I tired of reading the posts in this forum regarding the obsessive concerns of the videophiles (it was making ME obsessive too!), so I just bought this model without fretting.
I have calibrated nothing. Just turned the TV on and started watching.
It looks fantastic!

I have now turned many of the pic settings way down (brightness/contrast etc.), and the PQ is still impressive.

Nothing about this TV feels or looks cheap.
Given that the Panasonics are well reviewed, I took a look at them. It was hard to get past the cheap plastic look of the TV. I couldn't see a difference in PQ, but the TV itself looks like an off-brand model. I just couldn't put such a big item in my livingroom given it's cheesey looks.
The LG was of interest as well.

Is the Hitachi the best choice? I have no idea, but I'm loving it!

Good luck,
Kelton

madflava
04-11-06, 01:05 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
LG 50PX1d
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
$1800 off at Best buy
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Looks and price!!
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The speakers sound funny - bass wise
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Can't think of any it doesn't have.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See #4 above.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How much bigger it looked in my house!!
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
#4

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Nope

Trident8
04-11-06, 04:49 PM
1. Vizio P50HDM 50" Plasma Monitor

2. Amazing price for it's size.

3. Great picture. Quiet. Did I mention great price?

4. So far, there's nothing I don't like.

5. I wouldn't mind if it had a tuner or cable card input. But not necessary.

6. Provide a better remote; since it's not one of the "major" brands, not all other components have codes to allow for controls of this unit.

7. biggest "Surprise" = ease of setup.

8. No problems.

9. This is absolutely the best value out there. At the price I paid, this thing could self destruct and I could get another one the day after the warranty expires.

10. Only had the unit for about 10 days. I'll check back in if there are any issues.

dukmahsik
04-11-06, 05:30 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50px-60U! :D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Recommendations on this site, reviews, known quality of Panasonic PDPs

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The size! 50inches is great. DVD Pic Quality is fantastic as well. SD is suprisingly okay.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
A lil too much silver in the bezel. Remote is okay only.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PiP, hdmi input in front panel

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Change the bezel design to include more black or make it all black, pref piano black! :)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The SIZE! Setup was a breeze. How slim it really is and it looks much bigger at home than in store. How quiet it is when it's on.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far. *knocks on wood* I bought an EW.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, I got a pretty good deal on it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Definitely recommend this PDP, especially since the price has gone down from last year's models. If you can spring for it get the 5060HD from Pioneer but it's 1500 bucks msrp more. :eek:

rgbburn
04-12-06, 10:47 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Vizio P50"

2. Price, and Costco guarantee.

3. PQ is incredible. Also, 2 HDMI inputs (cable box and upconverting DVD)!

4. Burn-in has already started. I've had the unit 1 day. I turned on ESPNHD and the ESPN logo was on the side bars. I went to the kitchen for a drink, came back 2 minutes later to change the channel, and the ESPN logo was ghosted. I ran the TV's white-washer and it went away. But it takes as little as 1 minute for burn-in to start. Have an email in to Vizio about it.

5. Nothing, seems to have it all.

6. Keep up the good work

7. Cable's analog channels suck, even thru the HDMI cable.

8. See #4. Also, when I change channels from a hi-def to an analog or digital channel, sometimes the sound remains on but no pic (for the digital/analog channel). When I switch the channel back to the hi-def, the pic comes back. Turning the set off/on fixes this, but it's a problem.

9. Yes, price is worth it. I paid $2299 at Costco for a 50" plasma.

10. Nope.

RB

Carolina93
04-12-06, 02:30 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42HP66

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price and name. Couldn't get a Panny from where I wanted to get it from and the Pioneers are too expensive

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
42 inches is a nice size. Probably could have 50, but not complaining. PQ is off the hook. Never watch 'regular' cable anymore.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
It could be bigger, but no biggie. Image Rentention worries me, but it goes away very quickly.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Nothing more. Some folks want a cable card, but I use the TWC HD DVR box so I'm set.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
I like the look so nothing....

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Setup was easy. The change from Panny to LG for the glass caught me a little off guard.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
The image rentention deal and on some HD channels, I see a little flicker. Leads me to believe it's the signal, not the TV.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Like someone said...it would be good to wait, but you can wait forever. Unless they are free, they'll always be cheaper in couple months...

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Wonderful set and the price is very good.

PANA50PX60
04-14-06, 08:14 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PX60

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reputation, reading the web, and Q/A with the salesguy.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
50 inches is a nice size. PQ is off the hook. Never watch 'regular' cable anymore. HD ready with the ATSC and QAM tuners.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Price. Image Rentention worries me, but I haven't seen any yet. Touch Wood.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
One more regular cable connection, so I could use the OTA and regular cable without having to physically switch the connection.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
The looks of the set itself could be better, for an expensive set it could come with the nicer R/C. The one that came with the set is FUGLY and cheap.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
I did allot of research, so I haven't had any surprises yet.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Could lower (as always) but for the technology you get, not a bad price. The Canadian pricing are excessively high.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Wonderful set, plasma is a kick-arse technology.

Dominus
04-14-06, 10:11 AM
[QUOTE=PANA50PX60]1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PX60

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
One more regular cable connection, so I could use the OTA and regular cable without having to physically switch the connection.

You can buy a switcher for #5

krelldog
04-14-06, 11:14 PM
I recently purchased the Panny 50PX 60U and couldn't be happier. This is my second 50" plasma I've bought from Chris at Cleveland Plasma. I can't say enough about the time and patience Chris has extended to me on both my purchases. I went back and forth trying to determine which 50" to buy and so far I'm very happy with the Panny. Initial impressions: Extremely simplistic menu/settings. Even the remote is very well layed out. I'm very happy with the picture via sattelite or DVD . Thanks to the whole AVS forum crowd for the info and insight that led to my purchase and thanks again to Chris Majaros of Cleveland Plasma for all his help.

Schwingding
04-17-06, 08:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-37PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
The picture quality was far and above everything else in this screen size range.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
I cannot believe the clarity, color, and blacks. Some shots have a "3D" look to them the depth is so great.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Wish the setup menu had separate controls for red/green/blue. But I wish that for all TVs.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
See above. Also, wish the bezel was black and there was no "space" visible between the stand and the TV.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Alter the stand to form an apron between TV and surface unit sits on. Include screensaver in setup on consumer model. Rename "picture" control to contrast. Include calibration images in setup.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How shockingly better the picture was than my week old Sharp LC-32D40OU

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely, yes.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

vandool
04-18-06, 12:44 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Panasonic TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". The positive reputation of the Panasonic. The contrast ratio and the blacks look great. The two HDMI inputs. Size and weight. The Plasma stand I have only holds up to 130lbs.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. 50" is great. I am so glad I changed my mind from the 42". All of my A/V equipment is silver, the Plasma cabnet is also silver...looks great!


4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Not so much the TV but I can't wait for more channels become available in HD. Standard tv sucks. :)


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Well the only option it doesn't have is a PC input. But I don't think I would have used that anyways. The main reason for this TV was for movies.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Good question, I'll have to come back to this one.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. No suprise. Everything was well researched and informative purchase.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None so far. Crossing my fingers. My biggest concern is a dead pixel, none at this point.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. I am okay with the prices, much better than 5 years ago.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. I would recommend this display to anyone who can dish out $3g's. I really think it's a beautiful display.

kenluvstv
04-18-06, 03:49 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reputation; Positive user comments here and elsewhere; Top-rated reviews (of previous models) by Consumer Reports and CNET; my friend's A/V consultant said the Panny was the best PQ in my price range (the exact price everyone is selling this for)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The large, clear, theater-like picture. And that it was a birthday present from my wife and adult kids. They gave me a family gift certificate good up to a certain amount. I spent it all.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
How bad and stupid 4:3 SD contents looks in the Full and Just modes. I'm watching most 4:3 in Zoom. It fills the screen without distorting the picture. Of course, it cuts off the top and bottom. (The coming digital standard will take care of that)
Gray bars at the side of 4:3 viewed in 4:3. Default should be black.
No PC input. I can buy adaper/converters.
Can't find how to switch directly to a different video source. So far, I have to bring up the menu/list and choose.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Different approach or more options for enlarging 4:3 content.
The other items mentioned in #4 above.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
If a break-in period of low-contrast, low brightness, no sidebars viewing is really advisable or necessary as Panasonic has written in their plasma white paper, then this should be in the user manual. That the user documentation has nothing about break-in period or how to prolong screen life makes me wonder if this is really something they think users need to know.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
SRS Wow surround sound. Sunday evening, I was on the floor immediately in front of the TV listening through its built-in speakers while I completed some hookups -- and I could have sworn I heard sound coming from behind me, left and right. I don't know how that works, but it does. I prefer to listen to TV and DVDs through my audio system. But the TV's built-in sound is surprisingly good.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Only that there's not enough explanation of all the picture/color settings and what they should be. Maybe that's all subjective.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Tough question. I feel a little bad having spent this much. But I think my dream of a high quality 42-inch plasma or LCD for $1500 is still far off. When I view the cost of this TV as part of completing the new home addition in which it now sits, then the price is small. We're already enjoying the large picture -- and I haven't even upped our service to HD yet. I really enjoy the home theater experience. So to that extent, it's worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
With a 60,000-hr life, this TV can give me 27 years of 6-hrs-a-day viewing. I don't watch anywhere near that much TV. So I expect to own and enjoy this TV for the rest of my life.

grtwhtsk
04-21-06, 02:43 PM
1. The "Model" you have - Panasonic TH-42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - reading this forum, seeing the tv, the Panasonic Plasma reputation, etc.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - this is my first of anything other than a tube set. I am just blown away by so much.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - worrying about "breaking it in " properly

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - PIP

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma - Black bezel please.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma - how much watching tv feels "new" again (HD is great!)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - None so far

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - Based on prices I've seen in the past, yes. Hoping though that prices will continue to go down though.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - just a big thank you to everyone who posts here. I'm glad I found this place!

claud
04-24-06, 09:42 AM
Just bought a Panasonic 42PX60U on Thursday. I delivered it to my beach house, in the box Friday and set it up. SD picture quality was much better by Sunday. No HD TV source yet or progressive scan DVD player useable yet. Analysis Plus HDMI and component cables should arrive this week.
Chose this TV because of PQ and price. I even paid BB full price.

G_Moore
04-25-06, 01:00 PM
I finally decided on a Toshiba 42HP95 but hadn't decided on who to order it from. My brother, who just moved to Anchorage, wanted to know all about it because he hadn't had time to look. He bought one the next day at BB and had it mounted above the mantel.
I finally got mine ordered and setup. I get HD OTA and the rest on D* UTA and he does everything over cable.
The 42HP95 has just about any feature you would want. Both of us especially like the camera card slot. Great picture.

showtz
04-25-06, 01:54 PM
1. The "Model" you have - Panasonic TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - reading this forum, and features of TV.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - Size, picture quality, viewing angles, very nice blacks.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - break in worries,

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - PIP, removable speakers, more picture modes and ability to customize them differently for each input.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma - Colored bezel options through their website? Although I do like the silver on mine.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma - How much space I have in my family room after I wall mounted and threw away my old entertainment center.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - zero

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - Yes. Its great to see all the different TV technology and how prices are getting closer between them.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - avsform is the greatest! Thanks for helping with my decision.

masoncw
04-27-06, 09:22 AM
1. The "Model" you have - Panasonic TH-42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - AVS forum reviews, and many visits to compare at local stores.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - HD PQ amazes me - even with all settings toned down for first 100hr. Set-up for OTA reception was effortless

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - worrying about the possibility of burn-in - trying to keep the family on the break-in mode for the first couple weeks.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - PIP, lower profile (height)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma - If possible I would have prefered a more streamlined unit - more like the commercial models but this would have required me to invest in seperate tuner. Seems like some other manufacturers are able to design models a little less bulky visually on the bottom.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma - HD PQ looks much better at home than local B&M. Despite measuring TV just barely fit into entertainment center.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - none so far

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - Hard to say - it's still a huge amount of money for me to spend on a TV but I hope to get many years of use from it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - I was originally reluctant to invest in HD plasma since we view OTA and DVDs only. I am amazed by the PQ of OTA HD - we are 20 miles from antenna farm with channelmaster antenna in attic.

DavidElix
04-27-06, 11:44 PM
So I really want a Pioneer the same as the rest of you. However not really an option as with most of for price point. So the next best cosmetically is the new Samsung. The Samsung produces the most PDP in the industry. They have a great PQ on them but I also like the Panny. I think the Panny itself though is ugly and cosmetics will make a differnece. Has anyone bought the samsung yet? If so let me know what you think.

plazman
04-28-06, 07:11 AM
So I really want a Pioneer the same as the rest of you. However not really an option as with most of for price point. So the next best cosmetically is the new Samsung. The Samsung produces the most PDP in the industry. They have a great PQ on them but I also like the Panny. I think the Panny itself though is ugly and cosmetics will make a differnece. Has anyone bought the samsung yet? If so let me know what you think.
-------------------

You should be able to see a Samsung next to a Panny in most BB/CC to compare the PQ. I believe Panny is #1 or #2 in America, Japan and Europe, whereas Samsung dominates in Korea. Both Samsung and LG sell a lot of their displays to other vendors....

Most 3rd party reviewers would place the PQ of the Samsung well below that of the Pioneers and Panasonics. But in the end it's what appeals to you that counts.

High Gear
04-28-06, 09:00 PM
I like my Panasonic PX6OU. Looks better cosmetically over last years model. Yes, I think the Pioneers are one of the best looking. But remember, as long as your watching a movie on this TV, the picture will be what your looking at and not the frame. So, get the ugly, less pricey set and SAVE. Just keep the TV on at all times so you will not notice how bad the rest of it looks....................................................... .Just kidding.

So I really want a Pioneer the same as the rest of you. However not really an option as with most of for price point. So the next best cosmetically is the new Samsung. The Samsung produces the most PDP in the industry. They have a great PQ on them but I also like the Panny. I think the Panny itself though is ugly and cosmetics will make a differnece. Has anyone bought the samsung yet? If so let me know what you think.

Gallhat
04-30-06, 10:32 PM
I just bought my TH-42PX60U today from bb. Can someone explain what I should do about the burn in period. Please explain.

I need a good surge protector. Does anyone know about J&R "HT1010SAT3?

The DVI-HMDI cables. Do you use them from the cable companies digital converter box to your plasma? and from your DVD player to your plasma?

Does someone have the initial settings for this model?

RKB4C
05-01-06, 11:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer Elite 1130 (50" plasma) bought from B&M in IL.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Been looking at this TV for a LONG time. Looked great in the show room and there were plenty of positive comments here at the forum. I figured I couldn't go wrong with this TV unless I wanted to save some money by buying something else.

Wanted to wait for the new 65" Panny, but could wait no longer. Price was right (down $1500 from December - used that money to buy BOSE system) and 50" was plenty big for our family room.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Spectacular colors, definition, etc. It looks cool "floating" on the wall above our perfect plasma furniture.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Nothing yet - just wonder why so many "HD" channels don't broadcast in wide screen format.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

More powerful speakers - then I wouldn't have needed the Bose system.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Include longer standard warranty so I wouldn't need to buy an extended plan.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Background lighting doesn't interfere with picture quality. The room looks so much larger with the TV on the wall.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes. The install prices are not worth it but the TV is!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

wbe
05-09-06, 01:54 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
NEC-50XR5A

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reading what all the different people had to say here at AVSforum. I consider this a good, trustworthy, neutral site for finding helpful information without a bias toward "selling" you on one model or another. Sure, you read the Panny thread or the Pio thread or the NEC thread, and folks in each rave about their panels. BUT, they are also honest and straight forward enough to admit when they are having a problem with their display and seek advice. Everyone's experiences that I read about in those threads, as well as talking to some salespeople at BB, CC, AV stores, etc, helped me to decide on the NEC. The PQ and electronics from what I've read are right up there with Pio and Panny and so far have had fewer reported problems (according to the threads I read). Not interested in stirring things up. Just noticing what I read.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
That it is finally in my house!! Watching DVD's on it, Stadium mode for SD viewing, 3yr waranty

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Hoped SD viewing would be better. Stadium mode makes SD viewing decent, but I was getting greedy and hoped it would be better. Looking forward to more HD content

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A tuner so I wouldn't have to rely on a STB for that. But I like the DVR thing, so I need the extra box anyway.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make them more accessible to consumers to see in person to compare to others.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
That I can't believe I spent over 3K on a TV !! :) :) :eek:

That my Omnimount CL-L cantilever wall mount with a UAL universal adapter plate actually supported the 97lb beast without sagging in the fully extended position.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet. Still trying to get used to where the all the settings are located and what the heck they all do. Also, trying to "smooth" the trasition from dark color areas to lighter colors in certain scenes.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.Not quite. Another 500 to 1000 cheaper would have been more fathomable. But sometimes you just have to live it up.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Now I think need to upgrade my DVD player, move from SD to HD Dish, condition the power... aauughhh! When does it stop?!? :D

Jamie at Invision Technologies (aka plasmaconnection.com) was very helpful when I bought my plasma from her. She made sure I had considered things I hadn't previously thought of before giving my "final decision" to purchase it.

flyjar
05-09-06, 10:15 AM
1. The "Model" you have. - HP PL4260N - 42" Plasma
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - great price through a friend, and was impressed in the store
3. What you like best about your Plasma. - all black bezel
4. What you don't like about your Plasma. - SD tv doesn't look the greatest
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. - more component (2) or hdmi (1) inputs
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. - I'm not using the speakers, but they are way too big, Dumbo comes to mind
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. - Discovery HD & ESPN HD
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. - The fan can be a little annoying when the volume is low
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. - For the price I paid, yes.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - Your eyes are the best judge, I liked the picture on the HP just as much as the Panasonic, and the all black bezel with the final straw. For the price difference between the HP and the Panasonic, I'm very happy.

hoomook
05-09-06, 04:53 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

REALLY CHEAP. Got it by filling out offers on a website
- my total spent was $300.00

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

its big. very clean looking (no speakers, tuner,etc.). its all picture and the PQ is amazing

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

cant think of anything i dont like. seriously.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

right now i wish i had a built in tuner b/c Time Warner San Antonio doesnt carry FOX HD. i've been watching '24' all season in hd and now i have to watch it in sd. i'm pissed. but hey "almost free" plasma, cant complain.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

none b/c if they included more features then that would jack the price up.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

how awesome the picture looks. hdtv & dvd look amazing!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

none

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

got mine really cheap. but i still think prices are inflated.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

If you're in the market for a plasma and already have a set top box (cable or sat) and surround system then you should look hard at Panasonic's industrial line. I LOVE mine.

mule65
05-09-06, 05:18 PM
REALLY CHEAP. Got it by filling out offers on a website
- my total spent was $300.00
How'd you do that!? :eek:

Elemental1
05-09-06, 05:26 PM
How'd you do that!? :eek:

Nigeria?
ROFL......

hoomook
05-09-06, 05:32 PM
How'd you do that!? :eek:


i cant post URLs. do a search for rewardsvenue.

and do a search for "plasmawinners" on yahoo groups

hoomook
05-09-06, 05:33 PM
Nigeria?
ROFL......


dont laugh man... it works i swear check the "links" i sent in my other post

DennisB
05-13-06, 04:46 PM
1. The "Model" you have. - Panasonic TH-42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". - Reviews from members here and elsewhere online pointed me to this set, seeing it in person & at a great price at the local B&M sealed the deal.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. - Amazing picture quality, ease of setup.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. - All of the stretch modes for SD content distort the images too much.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. - Another component input & PIP would be nice.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. - Make a cleaner design & better looking stand, similar to the commercial models, however, the silver isn't as distracting as I thought it would be when watching the set.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. - How killer Halo 2 looks in 480P on this set & how little HD content there is on cable/OTA.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. - Not really a fault of the plasma, but none of my other universal remotes (Onkyo TX-SR503, SA 8300HD Cable Box) can emulate the 'aspect' button on the Panasonic's remote. This is the only thing keeping me from replacing the Panny's remote.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. - Most definately. I wouldn't have been able to afford a 37" plasma just a year ago for what I paid today, much less a Panasonic.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. - I probably would have regretted the purchase if I did not have a HD-compatible cable box and cable service. Although there are only a few HD channels with my current service (Adelphia in the West Palm Beach, FL area provides local OTA stations & Discovery HD with digital cable package), I find myself watching shows I wouldn't normally watch just because they are in HD.

PHOCUST
05-14-06, 02:10 PM
4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Babes are not as impressed as I could have hoped. No fawning or swooning when they see my big ol' plasma, amps, and speakers. It's almost like that stuff isn't important to them! Go figure. They do say, "Oh my..." when they walk in the house, but I get the feeling they don't mean that in a good way.

Hilarious! :D Women will never get it when it comes to men and their "tech-no-gadgets" It has to be in the genes. Not that it is a better or worse issue... just different and different sometimes is good. The only thing you can hope for is to find a woman that will go along with the techie thing and not try to extract it from your being. IMHO, stay away from those that say "oh my" in a bad way... they are the ones that will not except that kind of expediture in a relationship.

Hothersale
05-18-06, 06:11 PM
dont laugh man... it works i swear check the "links" i sent in my other post
Looks like www.rewardsvenue.com is out of business. Not surprised if they are giving away plasmas for $300.... ;)

Schlos
05-22-06, 03:55 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

LG 50PC3D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Really the deciding factors for this TV were the contrast ratio (10,000 to 1) & the burn-in preventative tools that it has.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

It really just looks incredible. The blacks are like ink!!!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Would like to have more than just 1 HDMI input. The component still looks really good, but the HDMI which is plugged into my LG dvd player with upconversion looks sick.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Well, I'd of course like more inputs & wish it was 1080p capable...but I'm not about to spend a ridiculous amount of money on that now when nothing really broadcasts in that resolution yet.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Make the 50PC3D with the same amount of capabalities as the 50PX5D, but keep that great new XD engine and contrast ratio.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

I got the 50", thinking that it was going to be a monster...after it was installed it actually didn't look as big as I thought it would. Fits perfect above the fireplace though.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

I only had two problems after install. 1) My AV guy said that I had "dirty power." There would be a dark line running from bottom to top of my tv all the time. I went and bought a 3 to 2 plug converter at the hardware store though for $0.69 and that seemed to fix the problem. 2) My Xbox 360 doesn't look as good as it does on my 26" Samsung LCD. I noticed a lot of Jaggies when playing NBA 2K6.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

It really depends on how much you're willing to spend and how much you enjoy having a hot entertainment center. I got my LG for $3,250.00...it looks just as good as the Pioneer and it's almost $1K less. When you consider how good the pictures are, how much space they save and all the things you can use them for besides just standard TV, then I definitely think it's worth. Well, only if you're willing to spend money on the other components (good receiver, speakers, dvd player, game system) that truly make the tv live up to the price of admission.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I'm a total hermit in the winter. I hate the cold and love the NFL, so this plasma is sure to keep me happy year round. I definitely suggest getting the LG to anyone who is looking.

huntstealth
05-23-06, 12:55 AM
I just bought a viizio 50 inch for $1939 seems to be great so far, anybody know any thing about this brand.

Greg T
05-23-06, 10:33 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42HP95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
*Firewire (I have 3 DVHS machines)
*Picture Quality (uses Panasonic glass)
*Price (Open Box from Best Buy, can't mention price on here, but it was really good and I had a coupon)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
*I'm a big CRT guy (Sony 30" in workout room, 65" 9" gunned 65813 Mits for main TV)
The picture quality on this set is incredible, much closer to CRT than LCD. It's a bedroom TV and I sit about 9 feet away, from that distance it looks like CRT.
*This TV instantly made me a cooler dude.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
*If you enter a channel number (example 4, you can't default it to 4.1 it will tune the analog station). So it takes me 3 key strokes to go directly to a digital station.
*If you setup the on/off timer it display right across the middle of your screen when you change channels. Ie,. “on timer weekdays 6:30AM”

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
*A better on/off timer. You can't set the exact off time (I might be able to use the TV guide to make this work). I usually have the TV come on at 6:30 (when I wake) and turn off at 7:40 (when I should be leaving)
*Guide info with channel changes, you have to open up the TV guide to see the program info. I'd like the guide info to act like Satellite with channel changes. The LG did it with OTA content.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Look at LG's menu system. This TV replaced an LG 32LXD1 (that's now going back after I found this deal).

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
*How good the picture looked from 9' and how quiet the unit is with so many fans.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
*None (well, had to enter the next towns zip to get the TV guide to function correctly)

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
*I was just telling a buddy I remember when 42" plasmas where $10k (it wasn't that long ago). Albeit, I noticed that manufacturers are using the “strip features” tactic to reach the $2K mark.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
*Right now it's sitting on a 4.5 foot dresser. I'm hoping to mount it after my 30 days are up and I'm completely committed. Even though my bedroom is 13X17, It sort of dominates the room where it is now. I'm hoping that mounting it on a wall will change that drastically.
*Great sound quality from virtually hidden speakers.
*After setting color and contrast the picture really smoothed and popped.
*might want to look in the service menu later.
*Color temperature at warm looks about right on for gray scale. No blue, red or green blacks.

Update one week later: Couldn't wait,
I mounted it this weekend (Simplicity mount from Costco), completely changed the dominance in the room (it actually looks perfect for the room now). We are about 11.5 feet from the TV while we are in bed. I'm glad I didn't go smaller. I mostly watch HDTV from a HD Tivo and OTA, so I'm glad I didn't go ED either.

Macfan424
05-23-06, 01:52 PM
I just bought a viizio 50 inch for $1939 seems to be great so far, anybody know any thing about this brand.
You'll find a lot of info if you do a search. ;)

You can start here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=647041&highlight=vizio) though.

Mr. Plasma
05-28-06, 05:27 PM
[B]The model you have: Samsung HP-S5053

What convinced you to purchase this particular model?

Fantastic PQ, performance (great skin tones, black levels in particular) in same league as Panny et al, at a very attractive price

What do you like best about your new plasma?

Great PQ!!! Tuner is very good, DVD performance is great.

What don't you loke about your new plasma?

Can't watch it enough--family objects!

What features do you wish your Plasma had?

No more, it's very well set now

What advice or suggestion would you make to the manufacturer about your plasma?

Nothing at this time

What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your new plasma?

How large it was in my room, how absolutely great it looked!

What problems or issues have you had with your plasma?

Nothing yet

Do you really think that today's prices are worth it?

Yes, definately!!! Hard to beat at $3150.

Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Check out the new Samsungs before you buy, they are really quite nice, very competitive with Panny, Pio et al.

Elemental1
05-29-06, 01:43 PM
1. The "Model" you have. - Panasonic TH-50PX500u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". - My eyes

3. What you like best about your Plasma. - PQ, Build quality...etc..etc

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. - Possible 720p input issues even though it hasn't impacted my viewing experience.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. - None atm

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. - The new models are a step back....don't put profit margin over quality.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. - Looks even better at home.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. - Had some VGA input isses but seems ok now.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. - It was worth it for me but would like the pricing to become more mainstream.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. - The 50" 500u is the best plamsa I have laid my eyes on so far. Excellent set!

plazman
05-29-06, 02:00 PM
1. The "Model" you have. - Panasonic TH-50PX500u


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. - The new models are a step back....don't put profit margin over quality.



I agree. Hopefully Panny will fix that with the 600 series. The 500U is still the best value for money for any consumer plasma (IMHO) :D

ShadowsHawk
05-29-06, 11:46 PM
As an intro, I've never owned a set larger than 27 inches and it wasn't even full stereo! I researched for many months before I decided on the following.

1. PRO-930HD

2. Simply put, I loved the picture. To be more specific I found the color to be very accurate, fade out was minimal in indirect light and I was not able to see any juddering effect.

3. I'll update the other questions as soon as it arrives which will not be for 2-3 weeks since they are back ordered at the moment. I just wanted to express my appreciation to everyone that posts here. I'm not an expert, but I didn't walk in blind.

ShadowsHawk

kweezr
05-30-06, 08:53 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

from a 42" ED to the TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Previous experience

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Size and PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

SIZE(my wife)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

N/A

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

N/A

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

PQ, ease of set up

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Not yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes, I paid the today for a 50" that I paid 3yrs ago for a 42" ED model!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Just get one!

etys rule
06-01-06, 01:23 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Previous model reviews and general overall opinion on this unit. 2 HDMI's

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture....It is simply amazing. I really enjoy my TV now. Never was much of a TV person, until now.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Have to change the aspect every time I power the thing on.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Remembered the aspect ratio. Other than that, nothing.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Nothing

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Picture in my home. WOW.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None. And I hopefully won't

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes. Best Buy rules.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Buy one. It is money very well spent.

Thanks.

Dave See reply

tcat
06-01-06, 03:19 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42" HD 42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

This forum, CR ratings.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ, both SD and HD, weight.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Sound could be better.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A way to edit the cable program guide :o)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Improve sound varation from channel to channel (really a Cable Co. problem)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Picture QUALITY, even on many SD stations

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None - although doesn't seem to remember (default) to last aspect size.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes, unbelievable to get a high quality Plasma for same or slightly more than an LCD or DLP.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I find MANY TWC SD channels in "Just" mode, just about as good as the HD channels. This was a BIG surprize, and made me very happy with my switch from Dish to TWC at the same time I bought the Plasma.

dmastro
06-01-06, 07:05 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panny 42" HD 42-PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I bought the Panny 50" commercial model a couple years ago and love it. Not to mention the outstanding price I got this new one for.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

I haven't taken delivery yet (tomorrow), but I chose the Panny for the picture quality, black levels and price/performance value.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

A PC input would be nice, but not terribly important since this is going in the bedroom.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

I don't need a lot of features from my display, so I'm very happy with what it has.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

If this wasn't going into a bedroom, I'd worry about the ability of the 20W speakers to fill a room.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

I hope there are no surprises.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

none - knock on wood.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Of course, I'd love for prices to continue to drop, but this is still relatively new technology for which we're going to pay a premium. To me, it's worth the price of admission. To find a high quality 42" plasma display for less than $2,000 just shows things continue to move quickly in the right direction.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Nope, I'm good.

clayd333
06-04-06, 09:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pio 5060

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Media Box and quality

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Truly nothing, incredible!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
none yet (maybe cheaper :)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make it cheaper

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How beautiful it is both on and off.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
The media box is really incredible if you want a clean wall mount.

Attached are some pictures taken, camera makes everything look really bright but tv picture looks awesome even on brightest day.

D

tcat
06-04-06, 02:56 PM
Here's picture of mine, found a nice 36" stand (which is really 42") at Circuit City. Paradigm Cinema 90's and PDR8 sub. Panny SA8300 STB, Panny XR57 receiver, Panny E80H recorder/player.

http://i.pbase.com/o4/13/3613/1/61297267.HT1.jpg

My other comments 3 posts up.

kentgbr
06-04-06, 06:04 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

positive reviews here and observed picture quality in stores

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

great picture with SD and HD sources, HD aspect ratio control, high contrast

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

nothing yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

feature set is sufficient

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

tone down the showroom default settings, they don't do the display justice

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

great SD picture

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

first set had a dead pixel near center screen, exchanged it, new set has no issues

9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.

I think so, considering the picture quality and space savings

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I keep reading about "clayface" with this set when in vivid mode in showrooms.
With some minor adjustment it is absolutely not an issue and the picture quality is great.

dealsteve
06-07-06, 02:51 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Next generation 10,000:1

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture is amazing...

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Having problems plugging my PC DVI to HDMI and well.. ya so what if it's not supposed to.
I'd like it to have a better sound system.. the 600 has the strips down the sides.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

DVI or HDMI input with easy config for the Pc. The 600 will come with VGA.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Better sound next time..

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
OMG.. HD 50" is incredible.. do they make porn in HD?

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Just the PC issue.. posted the question under Graphics..

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely... 3g at BB...

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Umm.. Love is grand..
Make yourself happy.. buy yourself a toy.. or 2 or 3..
Those are most happy that do they things that make them happy..
I might have been born yesterday but I stayed up all night?
I like Spicy Oriental Party Mix...

avjeff
06-08-06, 09:59 PM
Just this afternoon I purchased a Panasonic 42PD60U.

I decided on this model for a few reasons. This 42PD60U is not a high definition display, it is an enhanced definition television. But I am okay with this because it is a significant savings over the hd version and because my viewing distance will always be at least 11 feet. I am told at this distance the difference between hd and ed becomes negligible.

The one thing this set is missing which I wish it had is a cable card slot. Fortunately it has an hd tuner so I can get my hd fix without a cable box.

I'm really looking forward to delivery day so I can answer the rest of these questions.

smannepa
06-10-06, 03:16 AM
Hi Guys,
This is my first post here...

1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 50HP66

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Looked at HP, LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Toshiba at BB for almost 2 hours. Finally, Toshiba looked better to my eyes over the rest.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Don't know yet. Will let you know after couple of months.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The stand. I don't know how to take it off and mount the plasma on wall.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Multimedia card reader (CF/SD/MD/MS etc); Cable card

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Provide option to purchase with or without a stand.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Didn't think it would be this big in my small living room.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Banding in sunset/sunrise shots; But I verified that this is the same for other manufacturer models too.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Maybe, maybe not; You have to pay high prices if you want latest technology.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

John151
06-11-06, 09:51 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-37PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Research on AVS, and then each time we visited a store, the wfie pointed to a Panny Plasma and would say "That is the best picture". I initially set out to get an LCD, and was anti-plasma, but the PQ swayed us to this unit.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Great picture, even on SD sources.
Easy to set up.
Easy to use menus (many of the less expensive brands have very quircky menus that are very slow to respond).


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The stand "feet" extend about 8" in front of the unit. This is a problem for me since I have mine placed into a entertainment center, so I have to push the unit 8" back.

I choice fo black would be nice.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Wish the setup menu had separate controls for red/green/blue.
Wish the it could handle variable volume analog output for audio.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Alter the stand to form an apron between TV and surface unit sits on. Include screensaver in setup on consumer model. Rename "picture" control to contrast. Include calibration images in setup.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Out of the box picture on SD was outstanding.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely, yes. The price of this unit is around $500 less than last years, and I caught this unit on sale a CC,which put this unit into my price range.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

mule65
06-12-06, 11:58 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK (http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=94147&catGroupId=14624&modelNo=TH-42PWD8UK&surfModel=TH-42PWD8UK)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Hours of research, many visits to B&M's and constant excellent reviews. The Panasonic commercial EDTV's can easily process HD/DVD/SD content -- less converting, scaling and picture processing provides a fast faultless picture.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD/DVD/SD Picture quality. Sleek and simple black bezel looks great on or off :cool: .

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Can't get rid of black bars on HD content :confused: . 853X480 isn't ideal for PC. Wish they made a 50" version. Digital HDMI/DVI inputs would be nice but both component inputs work great. With any background light, glare is an issue.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How awesome HD looks -- it's better than the best DVD. Channel surfing and input flipping is much faster than I expected. Discreet's for power and inputs.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None. Panasonic has done a great job with their commercial plasma engineering. The packaging is phenominal -- you don't even need a box cutter.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
It's all relative -- very much like buying a new car: The hot new models will depreciate the fastest. The price I found for mine at TVAuthority was certainly worth it. Plasma is a fragile technology and likely won't be around as long as the fast evolving LCD but, I found plasma PQ to be much better than any LCD.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
AVS Forum and sponsors are fantastic resources -- saved me a lot of time and money. Caveat: Members with most posts usually have the best advice (ie. most EDTV bashers have under 100 posts :rolleyes: ). There isn't enough HD and too much of it isn't broadcast in wide screen. When most content is presented in HD wide screen, a HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player costs $100, and a 60" 1080p flat panel costs under $2k then my 42PWD8UK will be moved to the bedroom. :D

fastwithstyle
06-13-06, 04:49 PM
1. Panasonic TH-50HDP8UK

2. After looking at he consumer model, what's not to like.

3. I'm guessing the unit will be upgrageable with plugin blades.

4. HDMI should have come with it.

5. The Beer tap I was looking for... didn't come with it.

6. It would be nice to have a resolution ID.

7. Not being able to find the HDMI (TY-FB8HM) plugin ANYWHERE IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY!

8. Still CANNOT find the TY-FB8HM after weeks of looking.

9. Since this is the first TV/Plasma I have purchased in 20 years, I can live with the cost.

10. I now understand the 3D effect everyone mentions. Watching the Softball National Championships, Cat almost put a knot on my noggin with more than a few of her pitches.

Damn what a picture!!!

raptura
06-16-06, 02:19 PM
1. Phillips (42PF7321D/37). Bought it at Costco and the website doesn't display the model #. I believe this is the one (got it off phillips), without the ambilight.

2. Price ($1799). Also, I've had phillips before and never had issues.

3. Picture

4. Sound (A mono radio probably sounds better.) Also, the near impossible to figure out features.

5. Stronger quality speakers.

6. Not to go "cheap" when it comes to instructions. The book has basic instructions and everything else is supposedly on a CD rom that doesn't come with the TV.

7. How light it was in comparison to SD TVs or DLPs, and how little room it took.

8. It has the "channel" display which I have not been able to figure out since there is NOTHING in the instructions.

9. I think so.

10. It's a good TV for the price, but I will eventually be replacing this for a Panasonic since they have some of the best reviews.

Thanks.

Bud-man
06-16-06, 07:39 PM
You guys think my ED Panny PM50 is worse then a 8uk?, it seems the same as it has just has builtin speakers and a host of input's, i dont think i would really see any diff if i owned one over my consumer model, sure i know the adjustments are better, but i feel it's the same glass.

lkneric
06-19-06, 03:51 PM
This is the ILO 42 EDTV Plasma from Wal Mart. Bought this unit a week ago with moderate expectations. I think it is a nice deal for the price. I am certainly not a videophile or TV junkie, but I was tired of watching DVDs and sports on my 25" tube, so I wanted an entry level flat screen with a little more size. My viewing habits: 3 to 5 DVD movies a month and less than 5 hours of TV per week (sports, news) so I'm a very light TV watcher.

Anyways, this set has exceeded my expectations. It has a DVI input, 2 Component inputs, and several other inputs including RCA type (composite?), SVideo, PC, etc. No external speakers yet, but the internal audio is actually ok at this point. Plenty loud and clear for general TV, but obviously would benefit from having Bass and surround for movie watching. That'll be my next purchase.

Currently hooked up is my SD DirectTV receiver (2 years old) thru SVideo. Pic is plenty bright and contrast looks fine to me. Clarity is good but varies from channel to channel. Also have a Pioneer DVR / DVD burner is hooked up via Component, and DVDs look amazing. 1st generation XBox is hooked up to RCA input, looks pretty good to me.

Set has 3 aspect options: 4:3, Panoramic, and Full. I can't figure out the difference beteween Panoramic and Full... Anyone have any ideas?

Remote is OK, but can't find code yet for my DirectTV remote. I may end up getting a newer universal or learning remote like the Logitech Harmony series.

Not much info on these sets, so I figured I'd post my experience. Somewhere I saw that these may be re-branded AKAI tv's but I don't know for sure. I love the thin black bezel and the general look and feel of the TV. The glass has a significant glare when my ceiling fan light is on, but as I understand it, glare is an issue with most Plasma TVs. I just turn the lights off when watching.

If anyone has any questions let me know and I'll try to answer.

Thanks,
Eric

Colin123
06-21-06, 05:34 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

LG DT-50PY10

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

PRICE VERSUS FEATURES

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

SIZE & DEFINITION

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

THAT IT BROKE DOWN

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

APART FROM WORKING, THAT YOU COULD USE THE SOUND AMPLIFIER WITHOUT THE SCREEN BEING "ON"

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

HAVE MORE STOCKOF REPLACEMENT PANELS

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

HOW GOOD IT WAS UNTIL IT BLEW

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

SCREEN STARTED GETTING RED & GREEN DOTS & DASHES PARTICULARLY IN THE DARKER AREAS 7 WHEN THE PICTURE WAS FULL OF ACTION

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
NO, NO, NO, NO AND JUST IN CASE NO

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

CONSIDER OTHER THAN PLASMA &/OR LG.

Thanks.

Dave[/QUOTE]

henryso
06-21-06, 03:14 PM
The model you have:
Samsung HP-S4253

What convinced you to purchase this particular model?
Attractive price, picture quality, great looks.

What do you like best about your new plasma?
Amazing PQ for HD!

What don't you like about your new plasma?
Picture quality for SD.

What features do you wish your Plasma had?
Can’t think of anything.

What advice or suggestion would you make to the manufacturer about your plasma?
Picture quality for SD could be better.

What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your new plasma?
Set up was easy.

What problems or issues have you had with your plasma?
None.

Do you really think that today's prices are worth it?
Yes, a great deal for $1,899.

Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
The Samsung is highly recommended.

malaugh
06-21-06, 04:18 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer Elite 1130HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality, Dual Tuners, Dual HDMI

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The picture quality is outstanding, watching HD and DVD sources is like going to the movies. SD picture quality is very good.
The built in sound is excellent.
The TV guide is very useful
The split screen feature is great, the set is big enough so you can watch two shows at once.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The fan runs all the time, even when the set is off. Its quiet, but you can still hear it.
The CH+ and CH- display all the channels is finds during auto channel scan, you cannot delete them.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A button that makes all broadcasters change their shows to High Def.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
Do not run the fan when the set is switched off.
Update the software so we can delete channels.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The picture quality, if you look at these in the store, you have no idea. Mine was delivered at noon, and looks great in daylight, but at night with the lights down and the HT sound turned up - WOW.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, I am hoping that Pioneer becomes the "Lexus" of plasmas, with reasonable prices, but not so low as to compromise on features or quality.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
To those who are thinking of buying a plasma - Go do it, you will not regret it.
To those who are thinking of buying an LCD - Look long and hard at plasmas before you decide, the picture quality is nowhere near a plasma, the "grey" blacks will show up even more in your home.

AEC
06-23-06, 09:29 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Hitachi 55HDX62

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I was waffling between a 50" Panasonic & LG Plasma and the 60" Sony SXRD. I would not buy the Sony until the new ones came out because of the quality issues I personally observed and what I have read about here on the forum. If I went that route, I would wait for the new models. I would not have even gotten the Hitachi because the Panasonic and LG price points are better, though the Hitatchi picture quality (IMO) beats both out. So why did I buy this model? A pal is going through a divorce and I got it (less than 10 hours on it) w/the stand for less than either the 50" Panny or LG.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Crystal clear picture, deep (non-crushed) blacks, lack of picture noise.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Needs to have a cooling fan run 24x7 - doesn't really bother me much. Just hate to spend money on electricity to cool a unit in "Sleep" mode.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cannot think of any.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Set the input selector so that you can select input by name, (you can label each input) as opposed to scrolling through them. Same issue w/my Sony.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Same surprise I had when I got a Sony HD LCD; i.e., how great the picture looked in MY house. Viewing at the best B&M HT store in their most expensive theater and equipment will not give you any idea of what the display will ultimately look like in your living/family room, under your lighting conditions, with your HT/HD equipment. It was a shock for both sets.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Knock wood - none yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely. This set came out MSRP at 8K last year. then later this year there was a 2k price drop at Magnolia. (Do not want to break any rules here). Last time I saw it at Magnolia, its' price rivaled that of similar 50" plasmas by Panny and LG (though a little higher in price).

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged
The last post in this thread said;

"To those who are thinking of buying an LCD - Look long and hard at plasmas before you decide, the picture quality is nowhere near a plasma, the "grey" blacks will show up even more in your home. "

I have a Sony 55KDFE A20 and I love it. It is in my basement. But I have to agree with the above quote. I obviously could not compare these 2 side by side in my home, but after seeing both in the same room under identical lighting conditions, hooked up to identical HD and HT equipment, it is a no-brainer. The plasma's color, black level, depth is not a fair comparison to my Sony. I will just add that even w/the SDE on my Sony, I think it is a great set for the money and everyone who viewed it (before I got my plasma) was "wowed" at the picture on sports & HD Discovery and HD movies and even in SD w/digital. But it is not a plasma. Hope this post helps someone. These decisions are so subjective - no one has your eyes nor your ears. We all see and hear things somewhat differently.

medude
06-23-06, 01:55 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

User review, good value for the money, 10000-1 contrast

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The picture is amazing on HD and good on SD, 2 HDMI inputs

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Plasma died after 4 hours of viewing, all inputs dead..


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

Screen saver, white wash feature.


6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Upconvert SD signals to HD

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
OMG.. HD 50" is incredible.. Much bigger at home, light weight

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
See number 4

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely..

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

None

Numbers Nerd
06-23-06, 02:20 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH42PX600U. Ordered from Panny Direct 5/31. Delivered 6/19.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reviews of prior Panasonics, particularly Home Theatre Magazine and Consumer Reports. Reviews on this board further helped, particularly the ones showing dramatically better black levels versus the Pioneers. The price was considerably lower than the comparable Pioneers.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Considering that the last TV I bought was 16 years ago, just about everything.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The break-in period.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Actually, I wish it had a second cable/antenna input, so I could keep an antenna hooked up for OTA broadcasts, which could then be displayed on the split screen.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
You can stop making them now that I've got mine. ;)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
I was pleasantly surprised, given that I have only basic analog cable with no set-top box or cable card (yet), that I get both the TV Guide On Screen and the local HD channels. That is, my local cable provider (TWC) doesn't encrypt the big four (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) digital high-def stations, and my set's QAM tuner found them.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Didn't realize I needed two sets of A/V cables running from my combo VCR/DVD player (because component cables only carry the DVD output). Obviously this isn't the fault of the TV, but I wanted to share. :D

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Well, I spent the money, didn't I? Honestly, yes. Think about the money you spend for other things like car repairs, new roofs, kid's playsets - you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this purchase!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
A) Aspect ratios and connections are a pain. Life was much simpler when I viewed my old 25" CRT with one set of inputs, and watched videos in letterbox format without any concern.
B) Read all opinions here with a healthy skepticism. Everybody thinks their new set is amazing. If they have a Pioneer, it is clearly better than the Panasonics. If they have a Panasonic, it is clearly better than the Pioneers. If they have a cheaper brand, it is every bit as good as the Pios and the Pannys.

howe
06-24-06, 01:00 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH50PX600U.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reviews of prior Panasonics, improved specs for new model, styling of the 600U, compared to other displays in the price range, obvious choice even against Pioneer which has a very reflective high gloss black bezel but similar PQ for more money.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD PQ is outstanding. Built in sound has been good enough that setting up my surround sound became a low priority.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Ambient light glare is still an issue with plasma displays.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
It'd be nice if it had coaxil digital out instead of just optical and about two more inputs, ie: another HDMI and a standard S-Video on the back of the set.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
Bring back the swivel pedestal from last year. I'd like to be able to angle the set from time to time. Shame on you for skimping on the remote. It was much better last year. Where's the back lighting?

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The TV guide was actually useful for OTA. VHS was watchable. SD was better then I saw in stores on most other models.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
The remote is not very strong on IR communication.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I've been on the fence a few years waiting until I could afford it. Today's prices are the lowest ever and the sets are better than ever. Especially the 600U series, in particular, is worth it compared to alternatives. Nevertheless, its still a lot of money but not in the $5K to 10K range an excellent 50" set used to be.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
1080P 50" sets are coming and the prices will go down. But life is short. At the price point, Panasonic delivers the best product for the price at the current resolution. The 600U series is a class act and as nice looking as any other set out there with identical build quality to last year's model and better specs. Get one of these and you'll be a happy camper until everything goes HD and 1080P a few years down the road. :D

2therock
06-25-06, 07:55 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

42" Hitachi 42HDT52

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

In store PQ comparisons. Also Hitachi reputation. Several of our family households have had Hitachi RP-CRT 4.3:1 Ultravisions for years and were great to view and were trouble free.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ is outstanding.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

One minor user interface issue on the remote is all.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

"Mercy Sakes" It's got everything. Very Feature Rich.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.

Individual source buttons on the remote instead of the scroll and enter.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

SD is better than expected. It is as good as delivered from the Cable provider.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Hmmm. Yes in my case, I got a really good deal on mine or would not have purchased. Prices are falling like rain.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I really like this TV. If you are not going to wall mount, the remote controled power swivel base is a must have. Fantastic TV.

HM924
06-25-06, 10:24 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP-5060HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture/sound Quality, Media Receiver, PC input

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture/sound Quality, Media Receiver

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
MR generates heat

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
can't think of anything

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
make them faster, I waited five months for mine

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Sound quality is great, has a bit of surround effect to it

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Saw some burn-in within the first few days. Switched to always using full screen, which is annoying

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
You get what you pay for, but would be nice if plasmas were cheaper

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Auto-filling the screen is useless if you're using a cable box.

Junior6
06-27-06, 08:34 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42hp66

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price/Brand/PQ

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ is very nice with the new LG screen. Very Hi-res and hi-contrast.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Tuner could be faster to switch channels.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Can't use the TV as a center channel speaker.
ATSC tuner doesn't show signal strength

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Keep up the quality and price competitiveness

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Great PQ with just SD and Excellent PQ with a 480p DVD player(Philips dvp642).

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
NONE.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
They are getting cheaper but I think they are nearing their low end.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Judged with the Panny 60u and normalized for the default high brightness/contrast/sharpness levels, this Toshiba compares very well. I was seriously considering the Panny until I saw this and the price was $700 lower for the 42". The PQ in the store was not normalized and so I knew out of box the Panny 'seemed' sharper but after tinkering with them, it was not hard to get a good PQ on either.

TubaSaxT
06-28-06, 12:07 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 42PF9630A.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Seemed to be the best available in my price range.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Two HDMI inputs, good off-air reception, the ambilight.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Can't adjust external speaker output with volume control (or perhaps I just haven't found the way to enable it yet). Contrast ratio not quite as good as similar models.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Onscreen guide--looking through the thread on this model, it seems it may have had one at some point, not sure of the details.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make it with an all-black frame.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Easy to setup.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
External speaker output referenced in #4.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, this is one of my best investments.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I think these models are about out of stock, at least at BBs. I really like it, good price, decent features, I'd go for it if you find one.

Emig5m
06-29-06, 01:12 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Maxent 42" MX-42HPM20

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price to performance ratio (best bang for buck) for what I was looking for- a 42" HDTV Plasma Monitor that was affordable and performed good as well - And it seemed to get good reviews at the few sites that reviewed it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Colors are so bright and vivid without being over-saturated! (reason I chose to stick with plasma for my movie veiwing even with plasmas other known downfalls)

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Speakers not removable, and not all black color casing (it's black and silver)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More aspect ratio and zoom control.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make it all black, make the speaker removable and more aspect ratio control and zooming features.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
None really. I researched it thoroughly online before buying it and it performed to expectations and what the review sites said. I knew you really couldn't judge the PQ at the store because of thier degraded signal that spanned over 30 or so displays combined which I think is good actually for the general population (not the avid/hardcore theater freaks that really need to see it at it's full potential before they buy) since they wont get it home after veiwing a deticated properly setup HD signal on it at the store then a potential unproperly setup SD signal/lower grade connection and be disapointed in it and want to return it. (I've seen freinds go through this)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
My credit card debt is higher. :D None, actually. Works great.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes and no. This plasma, the price I paid for it (I bought it at one of the membership wholesale warehouses) and price-to-performance ratio, or actually, my real personal issue- price-to-downfall ratio of this particular model, it was worth it. What I mean with price-to-downfall ratio is paying multi-thousand dollars say on a bigscreen TV and having to deal with tech issues such as color banding, non-true blacks, burn-ins, fast motion distortion (I notice this mainly on the LCD screens), all the different aspect ratios and formats that's out there etc, etc, I think is what makes it not worth it over actual prices.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Peeking through the vents in the back reveals that this plasma uses LG electronics inside.

PatMcNJ
06-30-06, 03:21 PM
Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have. Panasonic TH42PX-6U (COSTCO ONLY model)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Had to return a Phillips that had black screen issue to BB, went with this Panasonic instead for better reliabilty.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Great picture! Plus, 2 HDMI inputs, and loads of other input choices. HAs a TUNER as well, wanted that to get the Tivo running.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Aspect ratio seems to default to 4:3 when you change input sources, I am not sure if I can change that

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. I would like to be able to change aspect ratios while using remote on DVD or any other mode (I use "VCR" for my Tivo.) Switching back to "TV" to do this is annoying.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Make the bezel all black, but not shiny black. (this TV has a medium gray bezel, with lighter silver speaker below)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. Fantastic picture, easy setup.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. NONE!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Yes..... prices are falling, I never had a high def before, never had a large screen, we LOVE it

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. Make a list of the features you want, read this forum, and look at ALOT of TVs before you decide what to buy

schwett
07-05-06, 12:29 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP-5060HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
picture quality, aesthetics, media receiver

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
picture quality and aesthetics

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
the broken 'zoom' mode for 2.40:1 content drives me crazy

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
see above, would also like a back panel vga input

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
they've already disregarded my 'advice' heheh and took a huge step back with the 5070, imo.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
the first one arrived shattered. that was a nasty surprise. i had never really seen a good quality HD signal before, and i was blown away by it.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
at one point it refused to turn on, because of the order things were disconnected.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
[B]it looks amazing, the room looks so much better than with an RP or CRT TV.[/B

Frost147
07-05-06, 07:01 AM
SAMSUNG HPC 4252 - Canadian Edition

Lots of researching, lots of reading and comparison shopping to stay within a few hundred $$$ of budget

Best: PQ through SD, HD and DVD playing.

Could do better: Remote is a bit "wacky" in both design and execution.

Wishlist: More than 1 HDMI input would be appropriate

Biggest surprise: The weight of the unit. Not having to do anything to adjust the picture. This set was A-OK out of the box.

Price: Hey, it is what it is. This particular set gave me a fantastic picture and more features for less price than either the panasonics' or the pioneers' of the world.

Final Word: This set will definitely give your friends "TV Envy".

dpastor
07-05-06, 02:31 PM
My first post, here goes.
I recently purchased a panasonic 50hd8uk hooked up to a denon s301 for sound. This has been a outstanding purchase for both viewing and audio. My only problem is this. I have not been able to get the hdmi imputs to work on the plasma. The set has two slots, one for the cable and the other for dvd or whatever. My question is, has anyone else had this problem and if so were they able to get the issue resolved. I have the cable running on component which seems fine but I would like to have the option of running hdmi if I want. Thanks for any respones.

Pdogg320
07-05-06, 02:48 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PX60

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Tons of research and loads of good reviews by you people and all around, thanks all of you!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-The picture quality is amazing!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-Well nothing other than having to baby it at first so i dont get IR, but thats for plasmas in general and i find its all worth it for the amazing picture.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-A feature that automaically adjusts the aspect ratio to each channel but i dont even think its possible.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
-Keep up the good work :)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-The size!! it looks so much bigger in my living room than in the B&M store.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-Nothing *knock on wood*, no dead pixels, no hum or buzz.. its perfect!!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
-Yea i wish it was cheaper but needless to say its still worth it!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-Anyone still on the fence about what tv i highly recommend this tv, it is so amazing and the quality is very good even on non hd sources, no jaggies or anything!!

Macfan424
07-05-06, 03:47 PM
My first post, here goes.
I recently purchased a panasonic 50hd8uk hooked up to a denon s301 for sound. This has been a outstanding purchase for both viewing and audio. My only problem is this. I have not been able to get the hdmi imputs to work on the plasma. The set has two slots, one for the cable and the other for dvd or whatever. My question is, has anyone else had this problem and if so were they able to get the issue resolved. I have the cable running on component which seems fine but I would like to have the option of running hdmi if I want. Thanks for any respones.
dpastor, You might have better luck posting this question on one of the Panasonic threads. There are several, but this one is dedicated to your model (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=576903&highlight=50hd8uk), so it looks like a good place to start. (It's very long, but you can skip to the end.) Good luck.

bruss
07-07-06, 10:48 AM
I pulled the trigger yesterday and picked up a new set

The "Model" you have.
-Hitachi 42HDs69

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Lots of reading and learning on AVS

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Awesome Picture. i was VERY surprised at the SD picture quality..

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Remote Response is sub par

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Still looking for one, better remote

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
buy one get one free?

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Again the SD picture quality is very good. Havent moved my lss-3200 DTV box to the new set yet.. SO i have yet to even see HD on it.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-Nothing

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.I paid exactly what i paid for my 65" RPTV 3 yrs ago.. I was happy with the price

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Read a ton and get what you want..

fogarmj
07-07-06, 03:48 PM
The Model you have.
Samy HP-s4253

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Great PQ. I compared it right next to Panny and was amazed how good the samy looked for HD and Blew the panny away in SD (IMHO). the case is drop dead gorgeous.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD PQ is fantastic, case is beautiful

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
extra zoom modes

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

zoom modes in HD

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
how great CSI Miami looks in HD

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-Nothing

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

before you buy a Panny because of the reviews here, take a good look at the new Samsungs. they are nice and way better than previous models. trust your own eye. ;)

Holla.

Peter Grant
07-08-06, 04:22 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PX600U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Lots of reading this forum, and seeing the 60u model in stores (actually purchased sight-unseen).

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-The size of the screen and the colours!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-The location of the digital audio out on the set is a real pain. Who thought of that? Viewing pictures is quite poor (slow and small). The pedistal stand is a little too siler for my liking. Set picture more than makes up for any of this of course.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-The aspect ratio is a pain all right.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
-It's an amazing product - keep it simple.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-How easiy it was to get out of the box and get everything set up. How much roomier our place looks with the thin TV. (Our old 36" Sony CRT took up a LOT of room.)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-Nothing yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
-Yes, I've been researching and watching for years. The price point for 42" displays has been good for a while now - the point for 50" displays today is great.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-I keep being unsure, second-guessing myself, etc. As others have said, if you're looking for a 50" display, now's a great time.

03roadstar
07-09-06, 12:09 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Samsung SP-S4223

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

PQ for the price.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Ease of setup and PQ when viewing DVDs.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Speakers.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

The ability to change the color of the side black bars and built in test patterns.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

See # 5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

See #3.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I would say so. A color TV in the late 50s to early 60s was about $480 to $600. They were really expencive sets back then.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

I wished the MFGs would do away with "F" connecters and go to BNC style.

bobby515
07-09-06, 10:45 PM
i have a 32 lcd samsung LNS3251 , i have comcast cable the hd is great the reg. cable channels are fair, i can still take the tv back this week , any idea about lcd, vrs plamsa , 1 could go 42" i seen a pani 37" plamsa for $1700 but am afraid of getting the same cable problem, the samsung is a great tv , but its the reg. cable channels that make me pissed..i paid $1500 for this tv which was a nice price at bestbuy...buy if i need top spend a little more i will. this tv is used for a computer/bedroom
bob

kubebot
07-11-06, 07:22 PM
[QUOTE=dealsteve]1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PX60U


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Having problems plugging my PC DVI to HDMI and well.. ya so what if it's not supposed to.
I'd like it to have a better sound system.. the 600 has the strips down the sides.
[QUOTE=dealsteve]
I have the same set, I connected my PC DVI-HDMI (HDMI INPUT 2) no problem. My GFX card is a NVIDIA 7800GT, custom resolution @ 1240x700. 1280x720 creates overscan. What seems to be the problem?


[QUOTE=dealsteve]
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
OMG.. HD 50" is incredible.. do they make porn in HD?
[QUOTE=dealsteve]
Yes there is some HD Pr0n but not much.... ;)

drexp2000
07-13-06, 10:58 AM
Panasonic TH-50PX60U


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Having problems plugging my PC DVI to HDMI and well.. ya so what if it's not supposed to.
I'd like it to have a better sound system.. the 600 has the strips down the sides.
[QUOTE=dealsteve]
I have the same set, I connected my PC DVI-HDMI (HDMI INPUT 2) no problem. My GFX card is a NVIDIA 7800GT, custom resolution @ 1240x700. 1280x720 creates overscan. What seems to be the problem?

Try 1366 x 768 resolution. Thats native for our Panny 50PX60U.

Conflicted1
07-13-06, 04:50 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 50XR5
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Nothing better on the market

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Everything

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
a TWIN

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
None

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The beautiful picture

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Definately

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Chris from Cleveland Plasma is Great to buy from!

Lyca
07-13-06, 10:29 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Samsung HP-S5053

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Comparison in stores (many - they all have different signals, canned programs, etc.).

3. What you like best about your Plasma. The picture quality ( detail, color, overall richness and smooth movement).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Make this "any plasma": I'm overblowing it but I'm scared of Burn-In.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Official DVI/HDMI conversion & support for PCs.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. See 5 above; also need control over black area when broadcasts don't cover entire screen (need to be able to make these areas light gray, etc.).

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. How good the digital receiver is and how many sub-channels you get over the air! I am using an Antennas Direct 8 Bay UHF antenna and I'm getting so much "free" programming that I can't see going to Sat. or Cable. I absolutley love HDTV!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. I have to say yes for today but if one waits a few years when HDTV technology matures and becomes "old hat", prices will probably become more reasonable.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. This TV is great! We have been buying "Wide-screen" videos for several years now and finally have something cool to watch them on. We sit about 15' from the screen and the effect is fantastic.

kubebot
07-15-06, 01:13 AM
Panasonic TH-50PX60U


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Having problems plugging my PC DVI to HDMI and well.. ya so what if it's not supposed to.
I'd like it to have a better sound system.. the 600 has the strips down the sides.
[QUOTE=dealsteve]
I have the same set, I connected my PC DVI-HDMI (HDMI INPUT 2) no problem. My GFX card is a NVIDIA 7800GT, custom resolution @ 1240x700. 1280x720 creates overscan. What seems to be the problem?

Try 1366 x 768 resolution. Thats native for our Panny 50PX60U.
I've tried but my drivers wont except 1366x768. At 1240x700 it looks native, with no over or underscan, so Im fine with it.

abzy2004
07-15-06, 04:42 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer -5071HD
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Features + Black border + PQ
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Looks + PQ in HD
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I actually wish it had a media receiver. Gives a lot of flexibility in wall mouting. At least could be optional. PiP should be usable via external inputs as well.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Stop mucking with HDMI!
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
SD PQ
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None so far
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Well.. this question is a loaded for Electronics :).. Buy when you think you can afford and want and stop looking at prices once you buy
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

RareWS6
07-16-06, 01:52 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
PANY TH50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
consumer reports review, online reviews, store visits

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
size

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
sturdier stand

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
move video mode options

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
include wall mount; include setup dvd, include video dvd

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
size

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none so far, except calibrating picture quality

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes

specie
07-17-06, 10:48 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
PIONEER 5070

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
THIS FORUM,STORE VISITS

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PICTURE QUALITY, FAMILTY ROOM IS NOW THEATRE (even w/o HD DVD or extra speakers)

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
NOTHING (except now i know for sure my comcast cable is a piece of crap)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
NONE (i'm a very simple person)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
IT IS STILL KINDA HEAVY

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PICTURE QUALITY AND WEIGHT

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
NONE

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
IT'S A FIAT DOLLAR - LITTLE PIECES OF PAPER WITH INK ON THEM. THEY ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE. I WOULD GLADLY TRADE THEM FOR A GREAT VIEWING EXPERIENCE

retexan599
07-17-06, 10:09 PM
[QUOTE=specie]1. The "Model" you have.
PHILIPS 50PF9631D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
THIS FORUM,STORE VISITS

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PICTURE QUALITY

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
NO COMPLAINTS

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
EASIER CLOSED CAPTIONS

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
IT PUTS OUT A LOT HEAT

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PICTURE QUALITY BLEW ME AWAY

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
NONE

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
SO FAR SO GOOD

phail
07-18-06, 05:18 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Hitachi 42HDT79

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
THIS FORUM, Other Forums, Magazines, CNET Reviews,

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PICTURE QUALITY, Power Swivel Base, 3 HDMI inputs (yeah that's right- not a typo!)

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
NO COMPLAINTS

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Power Swivel option for wall mounting

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Keep up the great work! First 42" Plasma with 1080 x 1080! GO HITACHI!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

The picture was amazing in SD and was way more than expected in HD!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I think the price point is just right for me anyways. I was willing to pay alot for my CRT years ago and I'm willing to pay alot for my Plasma today.

sparetire
07-21-06, 12:46 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panny TH-42PX600U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Avs forum, panasonic name

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The colors, how it handles dark scenes and no red push

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Remote is a little slow.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

True 1080p :p


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Dvds look really good when paired up with oppo 971.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far. I hope it stays this way.

bigbucky
07-24-06, 12:45 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Toshiba 50hp16 (Costco)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Price, Costco return policy, features (2 HDMI and PC input)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Price, features, Pic quality on HD DVD and Xbox 360

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The size really shows off how poor the HD material is on DirecTV. It wasn't quite as noticeable on my 46" DLP

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A second ATSC connection/tuner so I can run basic cable and OTA HD at the same time.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

None

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

Again, it really shows off the compression in the DirecTV signal. Also I was pleasantly surprised that the set "remembers" the custom picture settings for each individual input!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yep, I paid $700 less now for this TV than I did 3 years ago for my Sammy 46" DLP.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Doing side by side auditions of the 42" version of this set at BB versus the Panasonic and Samsung sets really showed me that there is very little (if any) difference in picture quality between these sets. I'm surprised that there is not much discussion going on regarding the Toshiba plasmas.

baw659
07-27-06, 02:10 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Pioneer PDP 5070HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Previously owned a PDP 5040

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. I think I miss the Media receiver

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Back lighted remote

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Offer with or without media receiver and light the remote like the old ones

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. Beautiful to look at

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

avjeff
07-31-06, 12:49 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50PX60U 50" Plasma TV

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I loved the Panasonic 42PD60U I had a couple months ago, but it was too small. I exchanged it for a Samsung DLP, and then a SONY LCD RP, and was dissatisfied with both those sets, due to SSE (silk screen effect) mostly, and poor standard definition performance. I finally decided plasma was the only technology I found satisfactory, and convinced my wife that the expense of the 50" was worth it. (Circuit City was REALLY cool about letting me exchange three sets before finding the one I loved).

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
High definition content is amazing, but even more importantly, the standard definition content looks excellent as well. This is very important to me, seeing as 80% of what I watch is standard definition.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The remote is pure fromage. Very plastic and cheap looking. I also wish each input had its own settings, instead of having Vivid, Standard and Cinema settings persist across all inputs.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
It would be nice if it had a pixel orbiter function, and maybe a white screen sweep function for dealing with any image retention.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
Add a pixel orbiter function, and maybe a white screen sweep function for dealing with any image retention. Also, an all-black case would be nice too.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Only 96lbs, and the thing is massive. It's thin and sleek, but that is a big, big screen. And the standard definition content looks excellent.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I think plasmas are over-priced. But they are complicated units and likely not cheap to build. If you have over 3k to drop on a TV, I would say the 50PX60U is definitely worth it. Brilliant high definition, excellent standard definition, great size and form-factor... can't go wrong.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Be sure to turn down your contrast (picture) and brightness to 50% or lower for the break-in period, or you'll be blubbing in the forum about screen burn.

pbenjamin
07-31-06, 05:05 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Pioneer PDP-4271

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Previously owned a Pioneer PDP-4304 monitor. Knew I wanted Pioneer or Panasonic, couldn't tolerate silver bezel.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Having issues with Harmony remote.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Screen saver, screen management, etc.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma. Lose the silver trim.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. The improvement in displaying black is remarkable (over the PDP-4304).

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. Seemed to more or less reboot itself once during a TV Guide session.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Yes

TomSlick
08-02-06, 12:34 PM
Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50" Monitor.

I purchased it because it's the first 1920X1080 flat panel display I could get my hands on.

Best picture that I've ever seen on any display (and I've been installing Custom Electronics for 22 years).

Price is on the high side ($6K wholesale), but worth it.

nadanvy
08-03-06, 08:57 PM
1. Samsung HP-S4253

2. This particular unit had all of the features we were wanting that met our budjet.

3. INCREDIBLE Picture Quality, in both areas (Satellite (High Definition and Standard Definition); and DVD.

4. Initial black levels. Have not done any adjusting of Picture Setting (Still in 100-hour break-in period).

5. DVI Input or 3rd HDMI

6. The biggest thing I could recomend is USE YOUR OWN EYES and RESEARCH YOUR UNIT! Anyone can say anything they want about a particular screen. Do the work, and rely on your own perceptions.

7 The High Definition Picture Quality and the Up-Converted Video coming from the DVD player.

8. None at this stage

9. The prices of today are a bit high; but, once the deadline for providing Digital broadcast approaches, the prices will fall, drastically.

10. Get a warranty with your unit; get the unit professionally installed; and adhere to the initial break-in period. If you have the means, get your plasma ISF callibrated; at the least, get yourself one of the Video Callibration DVDs that are available.

delphi96
08-06-06, 09:23 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Hitachi 42HDS69

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Best 42" inch image quality and highest resolution.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Outstanding picture quality, gorgeous color, highest resolution of 42" displays.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Remotes lag before menu comes up and #5

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Manual adjustment of 16:9 cropping. One 16:9 mode shows all the original image but one channel shows giberrish on one edge from too much of the image being shown. The other 16:9 mode crops 5%.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma. See #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. See #3 First words were Holy #@$*!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. No problems.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Yes, it is an awesome tv with the best picture you'll see in a 42" plasma.

brady239
08-08-06, 10:28 AM
1. The "Model" you have. Panasonic 42PWD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Read a lot of positive reviews, seemed to be the best "bang for my buck" within my price range. With my viewing distance (9'+) and programming (mostly digital TV & DVDs, small amount of HD), produces a great picture. With the 9UKs coming soon, I got a great deal.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. The picture is great. Even with the settings knocked back a little for the break-in period. HD programming is superb even though this is an EDTV. HD looks better on this set than other HD model I viewed in stores.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Wish you could adjust aspect of HD source. This feature is said to be included with the 9UK ED model, but for the price difference I can deal with it.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. See above.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. None at the moment.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. The quality of HDTV on the ED monitor.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None so far.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Price I paid for this Plasma was well worth it. Saved a lot over the consumer EDTV (42PD60U). Even with the seperate purchase of the stand.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. Will add more once 100 hour break-in period has passed.

loveoldtrux
08-08-06, 03:02 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
HP PL5060

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Employee discount

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
It's BIG, it's BOLD, it's BEAUTIFUL and the wife loves it

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I wish it didn't run so hot..... good for winter heating bills but in

summer, it adds to the heat

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
It's got all we wanted

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your

Plasma.
Get a better shipping department

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How heavy it was
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Shipping was awful

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
It WAS a liitle "steep" even after the employee discount

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Great TV!! I love the built-in features and programming for the TV

Brock Strongo
08-09-06, 06:53 AM
1. LG 50PC3D
2. $1600(Canadian) cheaper than Panasonic 50px60u. Also, 2 year warranty.
3.Great price/performance ratio.
4.Only one hdmi input.
5.One more hdmi input. :rolleyes:
6.Add one more hdmi input.
7.The sound. Absolutely great for a tv. I'm almost hesitant about hooking up my surround system. Almost. Regular cable looks very good as well.
8.None so far. Only my second day.
9.If it lasts as long as I hope it will then yes it was worth the price.
10.So far so good. Easy set up and after some minor tweaks looks great.

jaymac8888
08-11-06, 07:47 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Panasonic TH-42PX600U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". I was set on a panasonic 42 inch plasma, and this was the best one out there for me when it came to quality, features, look, etc. Plus I got an amazing deal thanks to my friend who researched it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Outstanding HD picture. Like out of control. Also, the look and the speakers are very good.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. The fact that I have to treat it more delicately than a newborn baby.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. After a week or so, there are no features that I'm yearning for. I guess that "pixel shifter" thingy or whatever they call it would be nice. Maybe it does have that and i dont know about it.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Be more open about the burn in/image retention issue. Also, I would ask them to go into more detail about what features the TV has to combat image retention, i.e.: white screen, pixel shift, etc.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. How good standard definition tv looked. I mean its not amazing, but so much better than I had anticipated.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. I wish they were cheaper, but you really do get a great picture. Whether or not its worth it, is debatable.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. I'm watching pre-season football as I write this and the picture (even with my settings low for break in) is phenomenal. I can't get over how nice it is. Only problem is that they always have that damn scoreboard up on the screen. You would think TV companies would be sensitive to the concerns of plasma owners.

waitsone
08-12-06, 02:17 PM
1. 42HDS52 -Hitachi

2. Been saving for 7 months for it, plus circuit city had excellent reviews for it and loved all the features I read about it.

3. HD channels are mind blowing. The design of the TV is sleek and just plain looks good.

4.It is heavy, and that it can be easily damaged, have to treat like a baby.

5.Maybe a extra HDMI port, it has two though, that's enough.

6.More help with ways to prevent burn in.

7.How good it looks with videogames, how neat the auto swivel is.

8. It has this slight ghost image during dark scenes, not bad, only I have noticed it so far.

9. Its normally priced at $2,500, but I got at a discount, end up being $1,400, its still worth it compared to other plasma's.

10. I watched World Cup Soccer on ESPN HD, I don't like soccer but I couldn't help it cause it look so good on this TV, can't wait till NFL football starts. This TV is one of the best on the market, my opinion its atleast the best 42inch out there.

x43x
08-15-06, 03:55 PM
1. The "Model" you have - Pioneer PDP-5070HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - The ability to except a 1080p input, picture quality, and design.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - See # 2

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - I watch too much tv now!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - One more HDMI input

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma. Keep up the great work

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma - Holy crap! My 46" Mitsubishi projection set sucks ass!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - None so far

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - Yes. I was going to wait for more 1080p monitors, but with my 10' viewing distance and the sale price I received, I saved a few thousand and can wait for SED :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/x43x/DSC01152.jpg

montl
08-15-06, 04:37 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 42PF7220A/37B

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Refurb price at Philips Outlet - Plus reviews seemed ok and looking at a new one at Costco the unit was great.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The Price - Oh, and I like the Picture - Can't wait for more HD and NFL 2006

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
VESA 800x400 Mount is more expensive than I thought - and you cant realy flush mount it do to heat...

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Center Channel Speaker Input - More than a 90 Day warrranty - Convinced that at day 91 it will fail!

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your
Plasma.
Get a better shipping department - EGL was so hard to get information from

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
As a refurb unit it still looked new enough - wasn't dented or beat up! That was a good surprise - I was expecting the worst!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Digital Channels pick up hundreds of channels off of a unused cable line - 76.2346 76.1 76.2 76.34 etc...

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I was able to get it at a great great price - my 25 cent Royal flush paid for it!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
n/a

TommyRays
08-17-06, 06:23 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH42-PX600U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Features like PIP, SD card photo

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The picture quality and sound is pretty good

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
TV Guide always off 1 hour ahead, and a popping sound when the comercials switch from local commercials to national commercials, typically at night

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Aspect Ratio Lock - Pick 1 aspect ratio and stay on that aspect ratio and to do a better job controlling my Panasonic DVR from the tv's TV Guide

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your
Plasma.
Do a better job at Customer Service- after all, these TV's are not cheap. We demand better service and to be treated with more respect. Panasonic should have the ability to conference Customer, Panasonic Tech and Service center tech together to resolve the issue with TV.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Ease of setup, Picture quality of Dvd's look amazing- it also helps when your dvd player up scales to 1080i.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
poor reg tv reception, TV guide always 1 hour off, Customer service is very poor. Cannot talk to real Panasonic technician about problem, service technician did poor job trying to fix TV Guide problem and now TV Guide doesn't work at all- ya think they would have tried all the features at the shop? Panasonic allegedly told the service tech to replace the wrong board(DT Board). Tv now going back to service center for a 2nd time and now looking battered instead of looking new. Panasonic later tells me they could of trouble shot the TV Guide problem without taking tv out of my house....OUCH!!!!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Pricey, yes...Wifey got good deal from an employee partnership discount, but paying it back in service problems as previously stated above.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Sorry, I have B***ched enough. So, no.

gt9450
08-17-06, 03:01 PM
Pioneer Pro-930HD

LG 50PY2DR

tbanks
08-19-06, 07:42 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Pioneer 5070hd

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Stunning HD Picture Quality and Super SD Quality

3. What you like best about your Plasma. HD Quality, Black Piano Finish, Inputs

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Does not Clone Itself

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. none at moment

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Side Speakers rather then Bottom


7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. SD Picture Quality

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None Yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Yep

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. Purchase mine from Chris from Cleveland Plasma. Could not have been a better service ;) thanks
Chris

badkolo
08-19-06, 09:07 PM
Just got my hpr 5052 replaced today for the new Hps 5053 for free today.

First off samsung in new york has the best service possible. When my 5052 started having red dot problems in the middle of the screen , they came to me 3 days after the call to samsung, they fixed it but it happened again and once again they where there in 3 days repairing it with new boards, problem still persisted and immediatly they offered a full exchange for a new one, No headaches , No mess. I called and they solved the issue in a prompt manner.

I didnt choose the panny or pioneer for reasons that are just mine, such as panny 60u has a cheap cabinet and power button, no pip and looked same as the samsung in PQ, the pioneer has a REAL NICE canibet(bessel). but was to much money, it did have a nice PQ but nothing to drastic from the Samsung. It came down to the fact that the Samsung offered more for the money and HAS BURN PROTECTION AND GAME MODE. Most of these plasmas Dont have burn in protection and pioneer suck at that, my friends pioneer 50inch plamsa is ruined because of the Xbox360 but the samsung handles static images well and has pixel shift etc.......

The PQ of the samsung 5053 stinks in sd signal but so does the pioneer and panny and I dont judge plasmas on this basis, I know better.

In hd the samsung looks as good as the panny and comparable to the pioneer and alot better then any lg, phillips,hp or sony available at the moment.

Now with the Xbox360 this thing simply rules. Plasmas and Xbox360 and PS3 dont mix, I dont care how much of a videophile you guys are they simply dont mix but with the samsung this is not an issue, it wasnt an issue with the hpr5052 and its not an issue with the 5053. You can play the 360 and not worry.

My only dislikes is the speakers dont sound as loud as the 5052 exposed ones did but hey no biggie because the hidden speakers are cool and the design is incredible, very pioneerish.

Dvd's look stunning and I havent fully tweaked my settings yet.

Theres no clayface on the 5053 and dile can be truned off so that issue is no longer an issue.

In the end the Samsung HPS 5053 offers more bang for your buck with more options and features((minus the cable card slot, I dont need it)).
You get a PQ as good if not better then the panny and as good or close to the pioneer. END OF STORY.

tpham
08-19-06, 09:47 PM
See inside quote

Cheers,
TP.

I want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Elite PRO-1130

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Great picture quality

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Noise media receiver

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More HDMI input

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Assign Component & HDMI seperately and get rid off PIP

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Not big enough ;-)

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Noise media receiver & intermittent sparkling/static noise when changing from SD to HD channels.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
NO

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Thanks.

Dave

lrstevens421
08-21-06, 01:44 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio P50 HDM

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price & online reviews

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The price I paid for it, picture quality and cosmetics.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Slight contouring problems in dark scenes (due to gray scaling).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
1080P.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Improve the gray scaling.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The picture quality out of the box.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Unable to set macros due to Vizio's input mode on the remote

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
On this model - Abso 'freakin" lutely !!!!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Despite the minor issues with this set it is WELL worth the $$$$$

crazymoogle
08-23-06, 05:53 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH42-PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
SDTV looks amazing, particularly with PS1 and PS2 games, and outstanding black levels. Lots of things I like about this TV but it's ability to handle gaming of many eras was key.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Large screen, yet looks fantastic. Has eliminated any positive to my old TV set. Doesn't hurt that it's stacked with ports on the back too.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Image Retention is definitely an issue, hopefully one that calms down over time. It's not really bad but I'd prefer not to be running the burn in DVD every night for the next ten years. :D

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Per-input customization would be nice. As would something capable of handling underscan more intelligently. Well, okay, native 1280x720 would be nice, too. But you can tell there's not a whole lot to demand of this TV.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your
Plasma.
Maybe focus on the consumer a little bit more considering this is a consumer display. Vivid being the factory default color setting is bizarre, and the things it does to colors just don't even seem to warrant being there. Likewise, helpful little stuff to keep IR under control would be nice.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
I had no idea it could downscale 1080p60. Nice! :) The biggest surprise though, really, was just how cool it looks on a mount. There's a certain in-store impression you get but it's not the same as seeing it in your own home.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
IR, mainly. It's not really bad or anything but even careful 4:3 use seems to bring it out in minor doses. Also had a weird remote issue but it cleared itself up when I pressed the TV button. Probably thought I was trying to control a DVD player or something.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
If I didn't, I wouldn't have bought it. But it's definitely a tight line. I can't justify a pio for $1500 more unless there's 1080p on the table, even then not likely.

metalsaber
08-26-06, 07:04 PM
Just bought the following today at CC:

1. The "Model" you have. -
Hitachi 42HDS69

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reading some good things about the picture. 1080i display along with 3 HDMI ports. So I should be set for High Def DVDs, and gaming.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The picture quality at CC was really nice and the price was pretty decent. They even matched a price I got from Pricegrabber. Save a few bucks.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Too Small lol. Nothing to report yet. I'm just running the break in DVD.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Probably just wish it had 1080p. Can't thing of anything else atm.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Again too early to report anything or just add 1080p stadard.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Too early to tell.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Too early to tell.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Well IMO no, but its a want rather than a need.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Got it at CC, great customer service. Got a DVD upconverter as well. I got the price down a few bucks with a price match. Got 10% of cables and the DVD player. By doing that I ended up with basically a free 3yr warranty on the TV.

So far so good. Now the waiting game to break it in.

colin6969
08-29-06, 10:50 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PH9UK (9th Gen 50" Commercial)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Best and most natural plasma picture available
Sexy minimalist bezel
Terminal board flexibility/expandability

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

It's appearance both on and off (especially compared to the consumer models)
Resistance to IR/Burn-in
Black level depth and detail
Color accuracy
DVI Board allowing NR

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Total inputs possible (not a big deal at all)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

A single terminal board with 2 or 3 HMDI's or DVI's
Zooming/Scaling abilites with HD feeds

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

More HD feed scaling/zooming
Maybe 4 terminal board slots versus 3

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

It's out of the box accuracy

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Ya, I think plasmas have finally hit that price accessible by the masses

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

This panel is jaw-dropping. I've seen the 60u/600u's in-store, and although they're similar in many ways, you have to see the sexy 9UK's to believe em.


Colin

DigsMovies
08-30-06, 01:33 AM
1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer PDP-5071HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

IMO, the best of the mainstream 50" plasmas. I've compared it head to head with the panny many times, and the Pioneer simply has a better picture to my eyes. A bit more $$$ but worth it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Rich vibrant colors, very sharp picture, and good SD performance. A good looking set too!!! Love the all black appearance.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Happy so far. It's new so I'm still learning all the "Ins and Outs". I'm sure I will find a quibble here or there. Glare is an issue with any plasma in a bright room. While my room is fairly bright, the TV does not get much direct light on it, and I do most of my viewing (and all of my "critical" viewing) at night.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

I would like to see a plasma with a very high quality speaker system that could be used as the center channel in a home theater system. There is no way to mount a sizable third party center channel speaker on a plasma. Why not add (or have as an option) a high performance high power speaker system that could handle the output from a surround receiver?

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

I'm sure many things will come to mind with time. For now- see #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

SD was better than I expected. High Def is just Killer!!!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

None so far. I was VERY worried about bad pixels. I've only got a few hours on it, but so far so good. I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Very pleased for now.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Of course. I don't think anyone would buy one if they did not think it was "worth it." I've been shopping for quite a while. Prices have really come down. Last years Pioneer (non-elite) 50" was in the $5.5K ballpark. BB just recently had it on sale for about $2K less, and they threw in delivery! Loved the idea of being able to return it locally if there was any problem.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Really loving the performance of a nice plasma. LCD's are coming on strong, and will perhaps pass plasma some day. That day is not today (unless in a very brightly lit room where the lack of glare from and LCD is the deciding factor). For movies in a dark room, I don't think anything can match a plasma today.

whityfrd
08-31-06, 01:20 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
PANY TH50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
consumer reports review, online reviews, store visits

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
size

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
sturdier stand

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
move video mode options

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
include wall mount; include setup dvd, include video dvd
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
size

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none so far, except calibrating picture quality

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes

that has to be the best idea i ever heard. Like when you buy a new PC or laptop and the box is loaded with discs and manuals. Seems like you pay three times as much for a tv as you would a pc and you get the set, the manual, the remote, and a credit card statement a month later. I think when plasma prices reach their low end we'll start seeing stuff like this from compeitition. I guess my request from all plasma manufacturers is to find a 6500k setting for the particular set their manufacturing and have it as a standard out of the box setting.

jim9251
08-31-06, 05:04 PM
Originally Posted by RareWS6
1. The "Model" you have.
PANY TH50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture is breathtaking.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
A calibration DVD, a better remote control.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
THE SIZE...it's HUGE!!!!!!!!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None at all

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely love this set. I bought a Toshiba HD-DVD also, and the picture is jaw dropping. Even SD channels through Cox cable are good, and the HD channels especially Discovery-HD are amazing. My only complaint is the remote control. One would think they would have include a nicer one instead of cheap looking plastic.

cirob
08-31-06, 05:44 PM
1. The "Model" you have
Pioneer fhd1

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I had my hddvd of the movie doom and at magnolia I was comparing a panny a fuji and the fhd1, the pio swept me away, in the dark scene there where details not visible in the others dispaly.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
everything from the style to the great pq, the top is football feels like you are there

4. What you don't like about your Plasma
a little on the high side price wise :D

What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
it has it all including 1080p ;)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
avia disc for free :eek:

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
the way it handled sd channels

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I already have a 50xr5 from nec and the price was worth it , a very good display for the money, the fhd1 is a different case, right now it might not be worth it because the only 1080p output is the crappy samsung blueray player , maybe with time blueray gets their act together or maybe hddvd will be in 1080p, still the pq blew me away I had to have it :)

Gabatta
09-02-06, 10:27 AM
1. The "Model" you have: Panasonic TH-50PH9UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model": Reccomendations here and from friends who are professional installers. 1st hand comparison.

3. What you like best about your Plasma: Everything, particularly HD Quality, Black Matte Finish. It looks unreal up on the wall.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma: Nothing specific to the plasma. SD quality is better than I have seen on other sets, but obviously still lacking in comparison to HD.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had: None

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma: Change default out of the box settings.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma: The initial picture after mounting the plasma and tweaking settings for 15 seconds.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma: None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it: Absolutely. The best $$ I have spent in quite awhile.

dudeman135
09-03-06, 06:50 PM
Originally Posted by RareWS6
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Recent price drop, great PQ and consumer reports rating

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Great overall picture, SD is real good, HD is phenomenal

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
1080p for same price ;)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Including a calibration DVD would be great.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Regular SD picture quality is suprisingly great!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None at all

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, especially with recent price drop!!

This set is GREAT! I had originally researched all the Sony SXRD projection sets and was real close to purchasing, but changed my mind and went with this set instead. Am so glad I did and no buyers remorse at all!

PannyManny
09-04-06, 11:41 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Recent price drop, great PQ and reports from this forum!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Great overall picture, SD is real good, HD is phenomenal

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
SLot for my Sony Memory Stiks

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Factory default "6500K color temp" for Standard Pic. mode.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Regular SD picture quality is suprisingly great!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None at all

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, now that there's been a price drop.

lenwink
09-05-06, 11:27 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
TH58px60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
screen size & price drop

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
picture is GREAT & wife loves it.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
nothing yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
slot for Sony Memory Stick & other digital media. Remote to control a/v

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Looks fantastic in our bedroom in addition to great picture.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Paid MUCH more for my first Mits 50"

Googcs
09-05-06, 01:18 PM
1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50" TH-50PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Great price! $2500

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The clairty, size, picture quailty in HD and reputation

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

The sound is weak for a big TV. During DVD play the sound goes high to low.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

PIP, DVI, VGA, 3 HDMI

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

All posted above.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

How light it really is and thin

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

The sound and lack of details in the manual

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

None

CalmyPal38
09-06-06, 05:25 PM
First the picture is just plain awesome. No adjustments. Just plugged it in and instant gratification.

I got this model because of recommendation on the AVS Forum and the fact it had picture in picture, which I use a lot.

I love the dark colors and crispness of the picture. Also I bought the Panasonic
SC-HT16 Home Theater Audio System which has an optical link to the TV for sound.

The one thing I have found is you can't do Picutre-In-Picture when in the HD mode only the Component, composite or coaxial mode. But I have figured a way around it.

This set has all the features I want.

Make their web site easier to access. It is forever screwing up. You can't get to some things.

How light it is.

No problems what so ever.

I paid $3165.00 from HPDirectAV and feel it was a bargain.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

suprasmith
09-09-06, 06:57 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 32PF7320A

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Rebate offering from Costco

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
I've always liked the Philips Brand and that it's an LCD

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No DVI input

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
See #4

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Not sure yet. I have not turned it on/installed it yet.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
See #6

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
See #6

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Can't wait to install it. I'm currently having some issues with the install. I will hope to post pics of the process.

Allin4greeN
09-09-06, 10:57 PM
1. The "Model" you have. Vizio P50HDTV10A.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". The Perfect Vision review, AVS Forum threads, visit to local store for "test drive," price

3. What you like best about your Plasma. It's a plasma, it's a 50", PQ, price.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. The occasional posterization artifacts on poorly rendered source material and extreme dark/light scenes.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. A screensaver.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Add a Screensaver.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. That, once i installed it, it didn't seem too big!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. Fear of burn-in and image retention during the break-in process.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. My plasma was a bargain, it was definitely worth the price!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. I began my HD journey with a 32" LCD panel and quickly realized that I needed bigger and better. My new plasma fits that bill and has been an enjoyable/breathtaking/quality addition to my HT.

tstach
09-10-06, 07:21 AM
1. The "Model" you have. Panasonic TH-42PX60U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". AVS Forum threads and in-store comparisons to Samsung and LG.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. It's a plasma, I love the picture on it - even with the brightness settings turned down (for burn-in as suggested in many threads on this forum). Also, the DirecTV HD deal at Best Buy right ow made the price of this too hard to pass up.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. I haven't found nything yet that I do not like, but I'm still trying to figure out why when my Sony DVP-S9000ES DVD player is displaying a movie over component at an "actual" bit rate of 755p, the display tells me that it is showing 420p. Any experts out there want to help the novice on this one?

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. A screensaver would be nice and a bcaklit remote would be helpful too.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma. Remove that little logo on the top left of the display - whatever it says.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. It was much lighter than I thought and it didn't put out as much heat as I thought it would either.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Definately. After seeing a comparison between LCD, DLP and plasma, based on my personal opinion only, I felt that the performance of the plasma with regard to their current prices made my decision to purchase very easy.


10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. The 42" is nice in the LR right now and will give me the perfect excuse to put it in the BR and buy a larger one for the LR the first time the wife makes issue of it being "too small".

russwong
09-13-06, 12:45 AM
1. The "Model" you have - Pioneer PRO-1140HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" - Network connectivity and got a great deal.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - Picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - not sure I like glossy black yet and kinda cheap feeling remote

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - Auto-configure. Press a button and it some how knows how to set it to the best setting. Receivers have that function, sure would be nice, but I guess ISF calibrators would be unhappy.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma - put a nicer remote for your Elite models

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma - I was pretty happy with the picture quality, I was expecting to be disappointed, because I have been looking for something for 5 years and didn't like plasma's before.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - none yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - I would always like to pay less....

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - I really wanted to wait for SED, but got tired of waiting.

Thanks.

Dave[/QUOTE]

woodinville dave
09-13-06, 02:17 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio 42" plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
price and reviews on this site

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
the price

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
the cost and scared my son will throw a toy at it

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
not sure yet

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
not sure yet

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How good SD looks

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
sure

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Thanks.

Dave

Macfan424
09-15-06, 07:49 PM
...I'm still trying to figure out why when my Sony DVP-S9000ES DVD player is displaying a movie over component at an "actual" bit rate of 755p, the display tells me that it is showing 420p. Any experts out there want to help the novice on this one?...
You may have already asked this in a more appropriate thread, and I don't want to get too OT, but, briefly, it's because they are referring to two different things.

The DVD's bit rate is the rate that information is being processed from the disc. (It will vary by disc, but 755 is about as high as it gets on standard DVD's. Many are lower.)

The display is telling you the number of (vertical) pixels in the picture (signal) it is receiving. 480 is standard for all "regular" (SD) DVD's. ("p" on progressive scan DVD players, "i" on others.) To get true HD, you would have to step up to a Blue Ray or HD-DVD player and matching discs.

bigtvluvr
09-17-06, 10:26 PM
1. The "Model" you have: Philips 42PDF9631

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular: I have tracked the Philips 42" price and quality-wise since about 1998 or so. I read tons of posts on AVS Forum including basically many plasma User Threads on the most popular plasmas. The price fell about 25% the last 6 months and that didn't hurt !

3. What you like best about your Plasma: Doesn't take up much space despite the size increase from my 27" CRT (it's on the same stand as the TV was, right now). I like the features of the Philips plasmas and they've gotten good reviews here and from other sites and magazines. The ability to upgrade the firmware via the web (haven't done it yet but will) is also good for improvements to the set as well as fixes, like (hopefully) the Black Screen Of Death (BSOD).

SD viewing is outstanding -- it's as good or better than watching on my old 27" CRT.

The Automatic function -- which eliminates black/gray bars about 95% of the time -- is awesome. The few times you don't want stretch, you can eliminate it but when it's not important (i.e., when you're watching while on the computer or chit-chatting), it's nice not to have to worry about getting IR or BurnIn during a time when it wasn't must-see viewing.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma: Expense of protecting myself via a warranty, a few times the BSOD has cropped up (goes back on in 5-10 seconds but still scares me). It takes time to learn to maximize the features but the manual isn't that bad and AVS helps.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma: If they included a 3-year warranty for the price of the set, they'd double market share overnight. I think they can still make it profitable for themselves by protecting those of us who might get the occasional lemon, so why not do it? I remember when Chrysler offered transmission/drivetrain guarantees in the early 1980's and that really helped them recover bigtime. Since people are most concerned with a technical glitch in the first few years, cover them during that period. It would probably be needed by only a small percentage (the sets seem pretty reliable) but it woudl make 100% of the buyers feel at ease.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma: I thought the BSOD would be fixed on the 9631 model (as opposed to the 9630) but I guess not. So far, it's not a problem and it may be 100% eliminated once I do a firmware update. The set is pretty heavy for a 42" model -- about 92 pounds, 100 or so with the stand. You'd think it was lighter but it was about 80% of the weight of the bulky 27" CRT it replaced.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma: BSOD has happened about once every other day on average, lasting maybe 10 seconds tops. Channel change using STB when going from SD to HDTV is a bit 'crunchy' but I was told that's normal. I still have to callibrate my set and the color/brightness/contrast were all lower for the first 100+ hours; I just upped them the other day about half-way to the stettings I think they will eventually be at.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. Absolutely -- I paid $800 for a ProScan 27" back in 1995 that is still in use in my bedroom. Add in inflation, and that's about $1,200. For 50% more I got a bigger TV, tons more features, and HD capability. And the SD is outstanding -- I thought it would look mediocre but it's as good or better than the Sony 27" CRT I was viewing before. I I couldn't really justify paying $6,000 for this set 3 1/2 years ago or even $3,500 18-24 months ago. But when the price fell to $2,500 earlier this year and then another 25% a few months ago, even though things are tight, I had to do it. :D


10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged: The 42" is a nice set to go if you are using it in a small room or an apartment. If you move to a bigger house/room, it still can be effective there but if you decide that you want a larger set in those areas, the 42" is still OK for a bedroom. A 42" or 50" RPTV is going to take up too much space in a bedroom unless you don't care. I generally like to buy things bigger in case I 'grow into them' but in this case, given the cost and the likelihood that most of us will/can buy another HDTV in 2-4 years, paying $2,000 for a 42" and then moving it to a bedroom won't kill most of us. Not so a few years ago when it cost $6,000 and it was THE TV in the house and occupied the prime viewing arangement in the house. I guess what I am saying is that for right now, my 42" is awesome (going from a 27" CRT) but the cost and size don't mandate that it be my #1 set for the next 5-10 years. The 42" size can even be used in a (big) kitchen (though I think 37" or 32" is better).

All-in-all, I highly recommend the Philips line of plasmas. The company seems committed to making consumer electronics work for the firm from a profitability POV, so I think reliability and price are in good balance here. Philips is a leader in world-wide patents and research; the brand used to be alot bigger here in the States, so don't think this is just another European manufacturer. It's a good TV, they've had lots of years to work out the kinks, and I'm just hoping my next few years go as well as the first few weeks ! :D

Nate514
09-19-06, 03:53 PM
1. Panasonic TH-42PX60U
2. Lots of research, user reviews
3. It's my first experience with HD, new generation technology. Picture quality is amazing. Watching sports in HD is to die for.
4. Having to be paranoid about image retention and burn in.
5. Built-in IR and burn-in protection, e.g. pixel shift or screen saver.
6.See #5.
7. Biggest surprise was how great the display looks wall-mounted in my newly refinished basement.
8. No real problems or issues.
9. Yes and prices are dropping.
10. If you can afford it, get it.
10

cainath
09-20-06, 09:09 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer PDP 5071

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
reviews on this site

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
the looks of it and the p/q

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
the cost and also that it is not 60''

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
not sure yet

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
lower the price

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How good the movies look on the plasma

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
installation is really expensive

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I think they can be priced a little less

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Nothing

Sai.

SalD
09-20-06, 07:13 PM
1. Panasonic 37PX60U

2. Got it after some frustration trying to get my Sharp LCD calibrated. Every calibrator I spoke to told me it couldn't be done, but one highly recommended the Panasonic, which he is going to tweak soon.

3. What I like best about it is that the colors don't disappear when I walk around the room or sit to the side. Also, I can see more of the picture when my room is bright than I could with the LCD.

4. What I don't like about it so far is the lack of resolution compared to the LCD because of the lower pixel count. Too many images involving large expanses of color, like closeups of faces, lack detail and can look too smooth. Other images can look a little rough, especially in close, like an impressionist painting.

5. One feature I wish it had is a color temperature selection between WARM and MEDIUM. The difference is too great. Also, the Standard picture mode should be available for each input with separate adjustments for each. Controls on a color TV should be consistent from model to model. When you pay less money you should get a smaller screen, period... not less control of picture quality. If skimping on controls must serve as another way to get people to spend up, the differences should be cited in the product literature.

6. The set should come in black. It calls far too much attention to itself when it's off. The base shouldn't have to be the entire length of the set. The footprint takes up too much room. Other Panasonics are larger and have smaller stands, so it can't be hard to do.

7. see #3.

8. see #4. (hopefully, the calibrator will be able to do something about this, but I don't know yet.

9. No. Maybe for the smaller sets, but when you start getting up there around $5,000 for a TV set, no matter how big, profit margins have to be going up exponentially. I mean, after all, it IS only a TV set. I think that when all the visible problems are solved and there are fewer artifacts on the screen that interfere with the suspension of disbelief (such as motion blur), then the prices will be more of a value. Until then, I don't think so.

10. I am a little disappointed, overall, with both LCD and plasma now that I've had each in my home following my CRT. I never noticed a single thing in a CRT picture that annoyed me on a constant basis. Now I notice things I never thought I'd have to overlook on a TV in order to enjoy it.

jasonbrown53
09-21-06, 08:48 AM
1. The "Model" you have.
- Samsung 42” (HPS4253)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
- Decision came from lots of reading of reviews and reader feedback from questions I had in this forum: Was also considering the Samsung HPS4233 and the Panny TH42PX60, decision in the end was personal as all three had awesome PQ. Went with the Samsung because it seemed to have a slight edge on the panny with skin tones and detail (panny seemed to have a better grass detail which is secondary to skin tones for my needs) went with the slightly more expensive 4253 because aesthetically it was a world apart from its 4233 counterpart.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
- PQ and asthetics when it’s shut off. The tv is beautiful on or off.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
- price :P was well above what I initially wanted to spend

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
- will check back when I’ve had a chance to test all it features…just purchased it and don’t have it up and running yet

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
- job well done boys, so far, will keep updated

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
- freakn price of cables and size of the box wouldn’t fit in my ford focus wagon.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
- will check back on this in a bit

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
- not yet I don’t but wait until I’ve had a chance to run some HDTV through it and have had the family over to check it out.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
- nothing yet

Floyd R. Turbo
09-21-06, 07:39 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio P42HDTV10a

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Girlfriend saw it at C***co & thought it looked better than other models.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Looks and incredible price.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothin' so far.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More than one HDMI connector.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Nothing.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How great SD channels look!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
YES!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

mikeinHB
09-22-06, 03:18 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PX600U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

I read around here and other forums looking at folks' opinions on the Plasma vs. LCD topic. Then decided on Plasma. Next I read about models in my price range (3k) and this seemed to be the one everyone was happy with.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Multiple HDMI inputs.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Haven't discovered anything yet.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

1080p, although I don't think it'll ever be an issue for me.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Stop putting the damn stickers on the face of the tv with all the 'badges' that the tv carries relating to features. Put them on the box, manual, online ad, etc. but not the $3k item I graciously purchased from you.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

It came with a pedestal! Imagine my joy when I took the wall mount back and got my money back. It works better on my stand than on the wall (window right there).

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

Difficult to contain myself during the 'break in' phase of ownership!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

If you shop around and ask enough questions, looking for the specials to come around, YES the prices are worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Do not buy a plasma if you don't have an HD source already lined up for it. It simply doesn't offer anything to you that a CRT or the like can't give you if you don't feed it a signal worthy of displaying to it's capabilities.
Buyer's remorse is a common thing with these sets. That's why you shop around for quite a while. Do not pull the trigger on a set as an impulse buy.

alwynwilliams
09-24-06, 01:29 PM
Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50" Monitor.

I purchased it because it's the first 1920X1080 flat panel display I could get my hands on.

Best picture that I've ever seen on any display (and I've been installing Custom Electronics for 22 years).

Price is on the high side ($6K wholesale), but worth it.
Hello,I have the same plasma but the uk model 5000ex as a pro. have you any recomendations on settings

guste
09-26-06, 02:31 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-1:1
-The size
-The quality
-the glowing reviews on this forum

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-The fact that I can watch HD television in all it's (http://www.blogofboredom.com/images/plasma6.jpg) glory (http://www.blogofboredom.com/images/plasma5.jpg)!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-The weight. I'm constantly scared it's going to fall off the wall (http://www.blogofboredom.com/images/plasma2.jpg) :eek:

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-1080p, maybe, but it's not a big deal

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
-Nothing

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-How easy and intuitive it was to set up and use.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
I hate having to 'break the set in'. Luckily, my 100 hours is now up!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
-For the price I paid, yes.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
You've spent a lot of money on your set, so don't skimp on the accessories. Get a proper power box (especially if you live in an older house) and mount/stand.

gtthndr
09-30-06, 09:31 PM
1. Pioneer Pro-1140HD

2. A Month of research. Size, reputation, visual stunningness

3. PQ

4. N/A

5. 60 inch 1080p

6. N/A

7. Don't know yet, have received it.

8. N/A

9. I got a great deal. More then I wanted to spend, but I think worth it.

10. Don't wait for the latest and greatest. It'll never get here. Buy what you like. Listen to others 30% of the time. Go with your feelings and desires 70% of the time and don't over analyze.

FEAR
10-04-06, 11:22 PM
returned a samsung 5053 and got a pioneer 5071. wow, what a diff. worth every extra penny.

guyomatic
10-05-06, 03:40 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
Zentih Z50PX2D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Hands down, best value for the money. I watch this beside The Panny at the store for about 1/hr and hour. The Panny had a marginally better picture quality not $1K more worth...And all the reviews I read about it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Love the PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Would like a couple more inputs

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PiP

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
More inputs

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How quiet it was. And PQ

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Buy the biggest TV you can afford. I hear of too many people that buy a TV then wish they got the larger model. I'll never have that thought!!

Roland.

rbdclem
10-06-06, 12:03 PM
1. The "Model" you have.
SAmsung HP-S5053
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
MAny user reviews and the look of the TV after deciding on the quality and features
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
N\A - just got it yetseday
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
THE BUZZING
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The BUZZ
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
The BUZZ
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
They could still come down but getting better
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Frost147
10-06-06, 12:08 PM
rbdclem, take the unit back to wherever you got it from and get another set. Don't try and get the buzzing fixed under warrantee. You paid good coin for a new, trouble-free set. And you should EXPECT one. So DEMAND one.