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.

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

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

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.

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

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

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

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

Thanks.

Dave

1. Panasonic TH-37PW5UZ. 37" 5th gen ED.
2. a. It was one of the few which fit the space provided.
b. I could see no motion artifacts.
3. Picture quality.
4. The composite and S-Video are not active at the same time. (Brain dead design.)
5. That #4. be fixed.
6. Fix #4
7. a. That SD looked so cruddy. (Calibration is way off, needed VE/AVIA.)
b. That I didn't use 4:3 mode.
8. Brightness gradient. (Top of screen is brighter than bottom. <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=1727942#post1727942>)
b. Burn in beginning to show <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=3260495#post3260495>.
9. Don't know, depends on your finances.
10. The problems are minor the picture is great.

1. Panasonic 42" PWD6UY

2. Excellent reviews + excellent PQ + excellent price

3. PQ is incredible

4. Nothing yet

5. Multiple component inputs. But, I could buy a blade for that. :)

6. Keep up the good work

7. The PQ...blows me away everytime I watch a movie.

8. None. (hold on, I'm knocking on wood)

9. Absolutely.

10. It's a beautiful thing, our plasma, and I wish more people would research them before just listening to the bogus stories and believing them. It's tiring to have to repeatedly defend your purchase to friends/family, when they all own 50" + RPTVs.

-JR

Originally posted by cheridave
1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PHD6UY.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Panasonic reputation, 720p suppport. The ED vs. HD decision was made based on viewing distance (8'-9') and my intention to run lots of HD content via PC, XBox and HD cable. I chose the 42" HD rather than the 50" HD because the 50" was probably too large for the viewing distance, and much more expensive to boot.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Image quality!!!
Also the build quality of the Panasonic is great. DVI-HDCP is a good thing for the future (unfortunately).
Did I mention the image? WOW!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Burn-in paranoia :). Overscan issues from PC (not really the Plasma's fault, but I don't want to gush too much ;) ).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
720p / 1080i stretch for 4x3 pillars.
Some have mentioned Dolby noise reduction as a nice feature, although I've never noticed a need for it.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
More input options via expandable cards would be nice (i.e. an DVI / S-Vdeo
input card).

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Just how good it looked out of the box and after a DVE calibration. Simply stunning! It's hard to even put into words how gorgeous it looks.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Juggling inputs between all the devices I have took some effort. Having a few more inputs would help, but I've been saying that about every TV I've bought for the past 15 years.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
$4,000+ isn't cheap for anything but a car. On the other hand, I use my plasma for video games, computer games, web browsing, DVD, SD and HDTV. Unless I'm sleeping or out of the house, I'm usually using the Plasma. I feel like I'm getting my money's worth from it.

Further, the lifetime on the newer sets means I should be able to use my plasma for many years to come. I expect I'll have something better in a few years, but my plasma can go into the bedroom or guest room (or office as a monitor :D) when that happens. I did buy a 4-year extended warranty (5 years total coverage) to make sure my plasma is still working when the time comes.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I've had my plasma for almost 2 months. I consider it a great deal. I was hesitant at first to spend so much money (especially over the Internet), but Visual Apex made the purchase great.

I can understand anyone's reservations. It's a lot of money for most of us and not to be taken lightly. I debated for months on getting a plasma before finally pulling the trigger. I'm glad I did. I suspect most home theater enthusiasts would be equally satisfied with a good plasma purchase.

1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH42PWD6UY
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Price, Contrast Ratio, Black Level
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-The great picture
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Not enough discrete codes. Not happy with the remote control. Of course, I bought the non-consumer version so those complaints aren't exactly valid.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
See #4
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
See#4. Continue to improve PQ.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
That 'Justification' mode is watchable. I had planned on being a grey pillar guy.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Switching picture settings. I have different settings for SD, HD, DVD, and video games and changing them is a slight inconvenience. It would be remedied with discrete codes that let me go directly to a specific picture setting.
9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.
It was absolutely worth the money for me, but prices need to keep dropping. If the 50" had been less than $5k I would have bought it instead.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I wish I would have visited the plasma forum earlier- it would have saved me a year of trying to decide between a DLP or LCD RPTV when I wasn't happy with the PQ on either of them.

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

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

Fujitsu P50XHA30WS


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

Fujitsu's build and service reputation, dealer's choice, black levels, the handeling of "noise", color accuracy, smaller footprint than Pio, AVS Forum members very rarely have reported any problems and love it, and warranty

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Of all the things I like best about the Fujitsu, I have to say the AVM and the handeling of video "noise"

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

I wish it was fan-less

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

I wish it had another DVI input

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

Add another DVI/HDMI Input and make it fan-less

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

Just how good it looks even with SD channels. I hardly notice the stretch or zoom mode


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 think it is a total luxury, and getting the Fujitsu even more so. For me, in for a penny, in for a pound...there is no better plasma on the market today IMHO

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

Please see my thread for my detailed review and story:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=367381

I know all you readers want to know what is the best and what is the best value for the money and how X compares to Y. There is no substitute for going out and using your own eyes. For me, when I compared the Pioneer, Fujitsu, and Panasonic they were all right next to each other with same lighting, same video feed, same connections. Fujitsu won hands down, but I don't think you can go wrong with any of those purchases. I am lucky to live in a competitve area and I can dicker and deal and have many options for purchase to allow me to do that.

Cheers

Prof Dave

1. Hitachi 42HDT50
2. After much research and reading many reviews and finally seeing the set in person next to some others I were considering.
3. Picture quality and general appearance of the panel.
4. Nothing yet
5. Nothing that I have missed to this point. Maybe another DVI input for future considerations.
6. I just hope the quality of the product is as good as everything has been to this point.
7. Seeing the HD feed for the first time made everything worth it. Also, viewing 4:3 content in stretch mode has been much better than I anticipated. (It took virtually no time to get use to it)
8. No problems, set up and use has been a breeze. Also, although I had concerns and questions regarding burn-in, it seems pretty much as a non-issue for me. The few changes to my viewing habits has been very easy.
9. Although I love my set and would do it again in a minute, IMO, $5k+ is still a lot for a TV.
10. Have fun in your research. I took my time and in the end, couldn't be happier with my decision. Just walking by the plasma gives me a good feeling.

1. Panel: Pioneer Elite 1110HD

2. Purchased because: excellent PQ, 2 HDMI inputs, and packaging with rest of Pioneer Elite AV equipment (55Txi receiver, 59Avi DVD), not to mention a Pioneer salesman twisted my rubber arm really hard.

3. Like best: High Def PQ, particularly bright, outdoor scenes

4. Like least: The famous Pioneer "crappy blacks", but becoming less of an issue as time passes.

5. Would like: An OSD to tell me the carrier & native frame rates of the incoming signal so I know if pulldown is active or not.

6. Suggestion to manuf: Work on those blacks.

7. Biggest surprise: The surprise was not from the panel itself, but from me. I have become very, very picky about the minutia of PQ. Before getting the panel, I simply watched a DVD. Now I study every scene so intently I sometime forget to follow the plot.

8. Problem. I mucked around in the service menu and threw off the PQ. I felt like that night in 1994 when the Leafs missed going to the Stanley Cup finals because of a blown call in overtime. Took me a while to get everything back to factory settings. Still not over the blown call.

9. Prices. Still very high, but I wasn't going to wait any longer for prices to drop.

10. Additional info: IMHO latest generation of plasmas are *almost* perfect. The next generation will probably have the best PQ a plasma can get before switching to one of the newer, emerging technologies.

Ross

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 503CMX

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

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

Price / Performance. Upgradability. People are amazed when I tell them it cost half the price of what they see in the store.

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

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

[Homer Simpson voice] Mmmm... High Def

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

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

It is currently in the local tv repair shop getting a new power supply.

The bezel could be a little nicer. But that's what you get when you get the commercial model.

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

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

DVI. I can buy a new card (see #2) but don't want to bite the bullet yet.

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

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.

How quickly I got used to 50 inch. My previous tv was a 36 in. CRT.

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

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

I had the buzzing problem others have noted. It seemed to disappear at some point. I swear I didn't just get used to it.

Two weeks ago something related to the power supply blew. It's in the shop (under warranty). I wonder if the 2 problems are related. I always felt the buzzing sounded like a transformer/power buzz.

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

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

It's all relative. If you have the money it's worth it.

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

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

Don't keep reading this board after making a purchase. You'll soon want the next latest and greatest.

1. Panasonic TH-42PA20

2. Best combination of picture quality and price

3. Picture quality, especially with DVDs

4. Although I haven't had the shutdown problem, it is sometimes worrisome.

5. I wish it swiveled on the pedestal stand.

6. I would suggest to Panasonic to be more proactive about issues such as the shutdown problem.

7. I wasn't sure how SD programming would be, but it was a pleasant surprise.

8. Minor DVI issue in that the picture was shifted left a couple of inches when a 1080i signal was received. Was easily fixed by a technician who made a couple of EEPROM value changes.

9. I think today's prices on the Panasonics are very worth it.

10. 7 months later and I still marvel at it everytime I watch it. Absolutely no buyer's remorse. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 61XM2/S

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

Size. I could not see one. Trusted AVS and other reviews of
the Marantz and similar plasmas.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Size, Color is magnificent, and size.

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

4096 shades of gray and their processor still manages
to create banding in dark and light areas. It can be
tuned to be OK, but processing is not as good as
my 503CMX.

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

- Accept 1368x768 dot for dot and throw away 3 pixels
- Separate gray bar settings for each input
- Discrete codes to changing picture modes
- Better scaling
- .2 Nit black levels like the Pannys

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

Put numbers on the screen adjustments.
Make many more settings input based and resolution based.
Support dot for dot 1365 or 1368.

See #5.
Please. We know you are Japanese and all, but we can handle
firmware updates. I promise...

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

That 4096 shades of gray seems to be mostly marketing hype.
Posterization and banding are worse than my 503CMX, although
they are acceptable.


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

The idiots delivered on lying flat. Menus were intermittent and
I had to get it replaced. New one is great

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

I must have since I spent the money :)

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

I really like my Plasma. I will probably be buying a the new Lumagen scaler to get better processing and an extra DVI unput.

-- Rich

1. The "Model" you have.

TH-42PWD6UY

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

Great reviews from knowledgeable on this forum.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture Quality is just awesome. I had people come over my house who
never showed interest on TV or Video equipment and they just keep talking
about my plasma. They come into my home and they are totally fixated on
how the shows they watch on their TVs look totally amazing when viewed
on my plasma.

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

Lack of Closed Captioning option on the industrial model. I didn't want
the consumer model but I wanted closed caption.

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.

See #4

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

I'm surprised every day when viewing anything. I can't believe I missed so
much detail on my previous sets.

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

None.

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

Worth it, can be debatable. It's a fairly recent technology (compared with
other TV sets) and the cost of producing it - it's fairly high. If you can afford
spending some money in AV equipment, then it's worth it. I don't recommend
going into debt or taking a loan just to have one.

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

If you are looking for a small form factor TV set that can give you an astounding
picture quality, look no further than a plasma.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PWD6UY

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

After trying a few RPTVs I was getting pretty discouraged about finding a new display that worked right in my house. After reading all the good reviews of the Panny I decided to check one out and was surprised at how great it looked. After 4+ months of viewing different models and a lot of AVS reading I got one.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

It's like looking through an open window - the pq is incredible.

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

DNR would be nice, although I don't know if I would use it. It would be nice if it had come with DVI, but not a huge deal since it's a commercial model. In home warranty would be a good thing too.

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

See above. DNR would be a bonus.

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

Die overscan die. There has to be some way this can be right out of the box.

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

How much heavier it was than I thought it would be lifting it into the mount. :D

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

Not yet, knock on wood!

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

Depends on the person I guess. If I was still a University student I'd probably laugh at spending $3k on a TV. I'm not anymore so I can afford it and it suits my needs perfectly, so yes.

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

Make sure your mount is level the first time. :D

Originally posted by Picus_H
Die overscan die. There has to be some way this can be right out of the box. Your broadcasters and other content prroviders are going to have get this right first, or they'll get lots of complaints. You can usually eliminate overscan if you want to, when I tried I got ragged edges.

Originally posted by btwyx
Your broadcasters and other content prroviders are going to have get this right first, or they'll get lots of complaints. You can usually eliminate overscan if you want to, when I tried I got ragged edges.

I know - I'm just making an unreasonable demand. :D

I did get rid of overscan on all my inputs with the help of AVIA, looks fine now but it would be nicer if I didn't have to!

1. Panasonic TH-42PWD4UY (older model so some of the stuff I'm talking about has probably been resolved or made easier).

2. After reading about several models it was between that and the NEC MP2 (?, don't remember now), but couldn't see one of those in a store, but could see the Panny before ordering.

3. Good clarity, nice colors. Nice source material really shines with this display, but enough adjustments are available to do some dressing up of poorer sources. Very tweakable. Gives a larger picture without taking up too much space (I have a small living room). Really like the overall PQ. HD looks really good on it (it's an ED panel, the only flavor Panasonic had when I bought mine). Fleshtones look really good.

4. It's too easy to reset it back to defaults by accidentally hitting the "normalize" button. Sometimes shows banding. Blacks are nice and dark but at the expense of a bit of detail loss in some dark scenes.

5. More component inputs (right now have 4 sources using component so using a switcher). In addition DVI would be nice, but to upgrade I'd lose component.

6. Don't ship them out in torch mode. Toss in a calibration disc with each display. Make the wobbler on/off a single button instead of having to go though easter-egg hoops with the secret menu.

7. It looked so big at first my husband and I kept laughing at it. Also like others here I've gotten pretty picky about the quality of sources.

8. See #4.

9. Prices are much lower now than when I bought mine.

10. Can't think of anything right now.

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

- 50PHD6-UY

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

- Price was only slightly higher than the Pio 503CMX
- The AVS Forum convinced me it's the 2nd best panel available. The AVS Forum says the Fujitsu is only slight better.
- Seems best bang for buck

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

- "Finding Nemo" and "Toy Story 2" look 3-D while watching. This panel has GREAT PQ.

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

- It's not ISF calibrated, but the standard settings are very close to DVE calibration.

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

- DVI / HDMI inputs

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

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

- Very subjective, but I wish I could have 50" quality and price in a 60" panel.

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

- You won't be disappointed with the Panny 50"

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PWD5UY

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
PQ and reputaion

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ

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

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
No DVI

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The PQ was better than what I had seen at the stores

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Have had no problems or issues

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

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

1. TH-42PWD5UY

2. I was convinced solely on the recommendation of Forum members. I used to think Sony was the best at pretty much everything. Then I took a good hard 20 minute look at the Panasonic PDP against others, and I was convinced.

3. I like how thin it is and how cool my friends think I am for having one

4. how delicate it is, how awesome it makes my livivng room look.

5. I wish it had PIP

6. have a whole mess of inputs without having to buy additional cards

7. How much better DVDs and HDTV looks on it compared to all other types of displays, especially the "glow".

8. Mounting it was tricky.

9. Yes, the online prices are worth it.

10. hang out on AVSforum for the best deals and info, nothing else to be said.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cheridave
[B]I want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

*****Fusjitsu P42HVA20US

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

*****Warranty and local availability at competitive price against Panny

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

*****PQ, "Wide" mode (can't even see where the pic is stretched.

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

*****Lack of screensaver and single 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.

*****see #4.

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

*****The PQ is beautiful on both SD and HD sources.

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

*****None.

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

*****It was worth it to me. YMMV.

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

*****Absolutely no hint of burn-in and have never seen any ghosting either. The Wide mode is so good I don't feel it is necessary to watch anything in 4:3.

jack

1. Pio 1110hd

2. I was able to compare against all of the popular brands locally and "I" felt like this was the best one for me. I bought the unit from a local dealer for $300.00 less than the very best price on the net and got free delivery and setup.

3 The PQ is outstanding better than anything I looked at. The blacks are not a problem as some people have stated and there are no problems with the so called green push. This TV is a lot " Classier " than anything else out there.

4. Nothing YET

5. Has everthing I want or need.

6. Nothing

7. The PQ. Its so good its scary.

8. None yet

9. The price I paid was fine. I may have got more bang for the buck, but I don't think I will even try to second guess myself on this one.

10. I have been an Audiophile for 50. Years of chasing the Holy Grail never found it. With that said I feel like this was a purchase I will never regret. The PQ is as close to perfect as you can get at this state of the art. The media box is a great big extra and even the speakers and sound quality are good enough for the time being. In closing this was the right TV at the right time at a SUPER price

1. Pioneer PDP-433CMX

2. Picture Quality, bright colors, crystal clear - well defined image, price from Dell

3. Fantastic HiDef picture, decent SD picture. I also like the fact that it can be upgraded with a card to receive and decode DVI/HDCP content making it "future proof". This was a big factor in my decision since other models like the then current Panasonics could NOT be upgraded.

4. Wish I would have bought a 50 inch model like the Pioneer PDP-503CMX.

5. Two component inputs would have been nice.

6. Keep making commercial models available through the Internet.

7. Can' think of any surprise(s).

8. None - black levels are fine and NOT a problem for my wife and I.

9. Probably still too high for most consumers.

10. If I had it to do again, I would get a 50 inch model.

1. TH42PW5UZ, 5th gen consumer model.

2. Selected this model because it was generally considered the best performing >40" ED display and I really could not justify the expense of an HD panel. Paid slightly more for the consumer model to get in-home warranty service.

3. Picture quality, especially the black levels.

4. There's not much I don't like. The limited number of inputs forced me to upgrade my receiver to a model wth component switching, but that also helped reduce the number cables to the plasma.

5. Now wish it were 8" larger. I'd now seriously consider a 50" plasma, probably will do that eventually and move the 42" to the bedroom. Also, PIP would have been nice, but it's already been added to the 6th gen.

6. Don't skimp on quality to reduce prices! It seems that Panasonic has been cutting some corners in some of their products lately and this has caused some problems (e.g. Plasma shut down issue, H02 error in DVD players, etc.). If they want to keep me as a customer, they will need to improve/maintain the reliability of their products.

7. No stuck or dead pixels and the black levels were better than I expected.

8. None.

9. Absolutely. At this point, I'd never consider going back to an RPTV and don't have the room for FP.

10. My only regret is not pressing my wife a little more to let me buy the 50" model. She's actually very happy with the 42", but at our 11' viewing distance, I think the 50" would be a lot more theater-like.

-Steve

It has been great to see how you guys responded to this thread. It appears that "Picture Quality" is the main driver in peoples purchase decisions. I hope that some of the other folks will contribute to this thread.

Thanks.

Dave

< Bump > to see more opinions. :)

Great thread to bump BruZZi. :D

-JR

1. Panny TH-42PWD6UY
2. My viewing distance, content, price
3. PQ
4. No complaints
5. Automatic input sensing (?)
6. ??
7. PQ better than I expected
8. None
9. Yeah ... $2500 was the magic PP for me
10. No regrets buying an EDTV plasma ... this Panny is awesome!

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny 50PX20

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Research on AVS and 50% off promo at CC
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality on HD
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No DVI (has 1 HDMI) and the buzzing sound.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Multiple DVI inputs
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Reduce the buzzing sound and increase the DVI inputs
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The size and clarity of the picture. I initially went with a 42" and exchanged it for a 50".
I am glad I did!
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
The prices could be lower.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I bought the panny as a "second tv" to view as a stand alone and now
feel the need to go out and get a second sound system because I am
watching it all the time.

The "Model" you have.

---Fujitsu P63

What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

---Always liked Fujitsu (replaced a P50): looked at several 60+ plasmas

What you like best about your Plasma.

--- PICTURE QUALITY

What you don't like about your Plasma.

---slight fan noise

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

---longer warranty on the glass


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

---Pleasantly surprised there was no sacrifice of picture quality with the much larger screen even though the resolution was the same as the P50: in essence, the P63 is just a larger P50

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

---No problems but first unit received with busted plasma glass

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

---Prices are still way too high for large plasma displays

Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

---If you have a large room and a viewing distance of at least 12 feet, this is one heck of a nice display

1. The "Model" you have.

NEC 61XM2/S

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

Size, Affordable Price, Various reviews of NEC Glass

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The WOW Factor. PQ, Size…I still cannot believe PQ improvement over my previous Pioneer 503CMX and how much bigger it is. HDCP compliance.

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

Odd NR resolution (1365 x 768). When displaying NR it only displays 1360 x 768 leaving 5 rows of pixels unlit. The software is just OK. It gets the job done, but this is the one thing I wish I could take from the Pioneer, especially the picture settings savings on a per signal input basis.

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

A second DVI input. Better software control - Numbers to let you know exactly what adjustments have been made to a parameter instead of just clicks. They are plenty of picture memories (presets, that can be changed and saved), but no direct access, no memory on a per signal input basis

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

I will echo RichB again, a firmware update of the software control would make this great Plasma even better and hard to beat at its price.

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

How big it really was. I bought it sight unseen and knew the specs, but once it arrived and it was on the wall, WOW it was huge. I had to adjust the mounting plate by about 11” to bring it down to optimal viewing height. I was also surprised how much better it was than my Pio 503. I differ from RichB here as we have different sources feeding the plasma. The lack of noise compared to the Pioneer and overall black level improvement was a big improvement.

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

It does not always synch correctly with the cable box via DVI. This is more a cable box problem reading the EDID information. It locks into 480p instead of switching to 720p or 1080i. A shutdown of both the cable box and the plasma fixes the issue.

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

Tomorrow’s price will most likely be better and it is all relative to what you want and when you want it. I cannot complain as I am still trying to figure out how I got the deal I did. I was able to get the dealer to take the Pio 503 on trade and the difference I paid for the NEC was like buying a new Fujitsu 50”, so I am very happy.

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

With the Pioneer I was using an HTPC for DVD’s and feeding it NR via DVI. This was a huge improvement with the Pioneer. With the NEC I am using STB DVD Player feeding 480p. I thought this would be the one area where I would be really disappointed, but I am not. The PQ is head and shoulders above the Pioneer in this area. HD via DVI is a wonderful experience. I cannot say enough good things about Discovery HD and PBS HD. Family friends watch with their mouths open. I am still considering a video processor in the future, but nothing seems just right, yet. In the meantime, I do not feel like I am lacking anything in PQ like I did with the Pioneer 503.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PHD6UY

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Research on AVS .
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality on HD and DVD performance.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Reflection of screen in my very bright viewing room. Did not notice this in viewing this display at least 3 times before purchase.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Composite and S video connection work at the same time. I have to use one or the other.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Reduce the Reflection of screen.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How nice this set looks on my wall the thin black frame.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Reduce the Reflection of screen for day time use.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
The prices could be lower.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Outstanding set everything that folks on this site said it would be. 3D like with HDTV deep rich black and vibrant colors.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PWD6UY 42" ED plasma

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

Auditioning against Pioneer (Fujitsu was out of the price range, other makes were inferior in PQ in my eyes), specs comparison, reviews (this forum included). My viewings are 99% DVD, this and superior PQ convinced me in ED vs HD. Price, black bezel and absence of unneeded tuner/speakers convinced me in commercial vs consumer.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Overall PQ with good source.

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

Color banding and flesh tones posterization, visible with some lower quality DVDs. I can't actually blame the plasma for this, but it's still annoying. I used to be sometimes distracted by screendoor effect, but not anymore (no, I didn't get any glasses).

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

Minor - closed captions support. Major - advanced image processing to produce smoother picture even with some inferior source, to eliminate or at least mask the color banding and flesh tones posterization. I know I'm dreaming... :)

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

Make the bezel for commercial plasma even thinner. And, for more distant future, use this cell carving glass production technology to incease fill ratio, since fill ratio is (IMHO) much more important for the overall PQ then the resolution.

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

That I can lift a 42-inch TV by myself. :)

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

None so far (knocking on everything even remotely reminding wood).

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

Good question... Honestly, yes, I think yes it's worth it. I had stretched pretty thin to get my plasma, but I still believe it's price is more or less right - by comparison with other TV types. It's the right end of the price/performance curve, and, luckily, in TV displays market we get what we pay for, which is not true in DVD players world :(.

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

Contrast ratio and fill ratio are more important for overall PQ then resolution. That's why Fujitsu and Panny lead the PQ race. I'm strong believer in this... and I'd like to know I'm not alone.

1) Pioneer PDP-4330HD

2) It was given to me by a freind after it was struck by lightning. I had it repaired for $830.00.

3) I like that for one, it was a steal at $830.00! But I am also very impressed with the quality of the picture, and of course, nothing is as impressive as having a large, flat, thin T.V.

4) I don't like that I can see motion artifacts at certain times. I guess that all plasmas are prone to this in one way or other. Since this is not our primary movie watching T.V. I can easily overlook this issue. Besides, it really isin't all that bad.

5) A feature I wish my plasma had would be the ability to move the on-screen menues around the screen. This became an issue when I was calibrating the set using "Video Essentials". The Pioneers on-screen display boxes tend to cover a lot of real estate making some adjustments difficult. Another feature I feel every HD set should have as standard is an HD OTA tuner built in.

6) My only advice would be to add more features - ala HD tuner as standard.

7) My biggest surprise was a 2 shock bash. 1 - I was so impressed with the picture on cable as most reviews said watching cable channels was "unwatchable". Cable viewing is very good - certainly as good as my Mitsubishi 35" direct view. My 2nd surprise was the fact that we have a very nice 43" plasma in our home!!! That is soooo cool!!

8) I have had no problems or issues with my set since it came home from the hospital about 2 months ago. (Knock on wood).

9) I DO NOT think that plasmas are worth the amount that is being charged. Plasmas have sooo many inherent flaws in the technology that justifying $8000.00+ is ridiculous. The goal is to get a picture as close to the medium as possible. With plasmas, as with MP3, copy-coding, etc, we are taking a step backwards for convenience. Plasmas are cool, and definetly convenient. But the picture quality still leaves a lot to be desired for the price. There is definetly a trade-off, a compromise, to have the "cool" factor.

10) I think we all have the same views on plasmas in general. There is a compromise. They need to improve picture quality. They need to drop the price. They need to make them more reliable. No doubt over time manufactures will meet these criterias, that is unless another display technology surpasses plasma.

1. Model- Fujitsu P42VHA20US.

2. Purchase decision- Stellar rep for picture quality, close out price, available four year in home service plan.

3. Like best- Great picture quality on standard cable and DVD. It also frees up a lot of space compared to direct view.

4. Don't like- no tuner, had to add another piece of equipment to my crowded rack (cable comes straight in from pole, no box).

5. Desired feature would be tuner. I actually like the fact that there are no speakers though.

6. Suggestion- did I say tuner? Otherwise keep up the good work.

7. Surprise- how good it looked out of the box. With a little tweaking it is great, I haven't even got around to running Avia set up which is really out of character for me.

8. Problems- none

9. Price worth it? I probably would have gone with the Panasonic if I had to pay full list of 4K plus for this set.

10. I'm glad I spent a little more for the Fujitsu, despite comment above I am very happy with this set. I am really glad that I didn't jump on one of the el cheapo 42 inchers when I was still saving for a set.

Also for my table top application I am really happy with a set of Gallo Micro speakers I picked up for times I don't want to fire up the full HT system.

1. The "Model" you have.

****Pioneer Elite 910HD

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

****The look of the set when it was off, the vibrant colors, and most of all the energy star rating. PQ wasn't a big issue to me. I read all the forum posts and look at all the models in person. I didn't notice anything to my eye (I was only looking at high end HD models). I want to enjoy my movies and am not going to study the PQ.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

****The look of it when it is off. The external media box is a plus.


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

****Haven't had it long enough to have any dislikes.

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

*****I don't know...maybe one more component input for the back. I'd like to have three for component inputs.


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

****Don't know.

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

****That the TV comes with handles in the back and is remarkeably light.

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

****Figuring out what to do with the huges boxes the plasma came with.

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

Personally, I'd like to see price go up so that more people will be impressed that I have a plasma..LOL. Don't we all want $1K HD plasma sets?

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

installation is so damn easy that paying somebody to do it for you is like throwing money away.

Originally posted by JuiceRocket
Great thread to bump BruZZi. :D

-JR

Yup. This is definitively a great thread by Cheridave. :D

I am amazed at reports of dan noise on the Pio Elites. I have no fan noise from my media box.

The "Model" you have ?

TH-37PWD6UY

What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model" ?

That's my Third Panasonic Plasma

Panasonic = Black Levels and overall PQ
Plasma Size= Budget and Excellent PQ due to smaller pixels for my viewing distance of 7 feet.

What you like best about your Plasma ?

Excellent PQ due to the smaller pixels. Great for closer viewing distances.

What you don't like about your Plasma ?

The size. I want a 50" Display :D

What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had ?

Yup. DNR

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

DISCRETE CODES FOR THE INPUTS.
More Inputs since many more people are buying the Industrial Model for home use

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

How great HD sources look on a ED Display.

What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma ?

Had a problem with the video board on my first plasma (TH-42PW5UZ) after only 8 hours of viewing. :(

Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it ?

Prices are still a bit high IMO.

Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

No Comments.

1. The "Model" you have ?

Panasonic TH-37PX25
High Definition Plasma Television
NTSC, ATSC/QAM, CableCARD, PCMCIA, SD-card.


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

It was a decision between a Sony XBR(42) and the Panny. Because of all of you guys, I went with the Panny. Thank you is all I can say. Besides that, the built-in ATSC/QAM and CableCARD capabilities were the key features that led me to buying this particular Panny. Compatibility for the future in an HDTV were very important when investing this kind of money.

3. What you like best about your Plasma ?

The PQ is great, even on NTSC OTA viewing.


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

I shoulda got a 42!!!! The 37 really isnt that much smaller than the 42 though. Also, i wish that using the built in ATSC tuner for OTA was simpler. I still haven't been able to figure it out.


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

Dual ATSC's.


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

Multiple DVI/HDMI inputs would prove to be useful in the future.


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

That despite what everyone says, analog TV looks surprisingly good. Also that the JUST mode only makes people look *slightly fatter. :) We never use the 4:3 mode. Also, turn down the brightness, it's set on "vivid" out of the box. It's a little too bright.


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

CAN'T TUNE INTO OTA HD SIGNALS!!!!!!!! It has nothing to do with the tv, i just haven't figured it out yet. (I've only had it for 2 weeks) Also, *slight rolling lines when using component DVD input. Again, I blame it on myself, as I still have not worked out all the set-ups and stuff. It might even be my AR cables.


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

Worth it? No. Once you have it, of course it is worth it, but parting with that cash was a little tough.


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

A calibration DVD would certainly be nice. And another thanks to all the members of this great forum for helping me select this amazing television. I genuinely appreciate your information and opinions.

1. The "Model" you have ?

Panasonic 50PHD6UY w/ DVI card and table stand.


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

Lack of tuner & speakers were a big plus. I wanted a 50" for maximum enjoyment. I chose Panasonic for the contrast ratio and overall picture quality. I did not like the way the consumer panel looked.

3. What you like best about your Plasma ?

Overall picture quality. Looks good in room, takes up less space.

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

Occasional pixelization & blotchiness. Still unsure whether Picture setting is working correctly.

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

ability to change aspect ratio on 1080i & 720p.


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

More DVI inputs for future expansion without sacrificing composite.


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

How good SD programs looked from my old TiVo. How bad Six Feet Under looked in HD.


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

Pixelization on some programming. In addition to Six Feet Under, I'm seeing a lot of pixelization in Finding Nemo in shadowy areas.

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

Absolutely.

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

Just to say that my six months of research in this forum was invaluable. I don't think I would have been able to make as educated a decision otherwise.

1. The "Model" you have.

Fujitsu P50XHA30WS

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

PQ and form factor.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

CR

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

Paranoid about burn-in (ya ya ya, I read the thread)

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

a) Access to finer adjustment of grayscale. As mentioned in the The Perfect Vision Issue #55 article, "...adjustments, unfortunately, do not allow control of both the high and low ends of the grayscale; they are simply overall gain adjustments for red, green, and blue."

b) Ability to stretch/zoom 720p/1080i signals input via DVI for 4:3 OAR material watched on HD channels (e.g., ATSC HDTV transmissions at 720p/1080i).

c) Pillar bars

d) Multiple DVI/HDMI inputs

e) Not "lose" memory setting when DVI is disconnected. I'm using a Dtronics 4x1 and when changing inputs on the DVI switch, it is necessary to "recall" the memory setting. Also, it would help if one could directly access a memory instead of cycling through (to ease programmable remote macro creation).

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

See 5 above and 1080p.

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

My previous display was a Toshiba 57HLX82 LCoS RPTV. I don't miss the extra resolution at all. Contrast ratio beats resolution!

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

None.

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

I bought it, didn't I?

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

I built a HTPC just for the Fujitsu and am b l o w n a w a y by WMVHD. Mpeg artifact free 720p/1080i is a sight to behold! Too bad people are so afraid of MS, there really is no need to wait for Blue ray/HD DVD.

1. The "Model" you have.

pioneer elite 1000hdi.

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

got a good deal, really liked the colors, shiny black bezel had big 'wife appeal'

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HD PQ is phenomenal

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

no NR via DVI, what's up with that?

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

better and more sensetive settings, "this one goes to 11" :)

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

work on those black levels, see #4.

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

that after the investment it was never just 'watching TV' again, now it was a hobby/obsession.

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

pink blooming in corners, was able to calibrate this away.

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

yes and no, for whiz-bang appeal yes. for what you actually get no, see below.

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

i think plasma displays should have better ability to be upgraded away from black boxes. wouldn't it be great to have the manufaturer offer you a choice of scalers, deinterlacing chips, and various other technologies upon order, or at least provide the ability to have expansion standards across manufactures. with this i would also really like to see more uniform standards for connections. also easier installation. is this really too much to ask? :)

What a GREAT thread!!! I really enjoyed reading it and found it very informative. Thanks.

Wow! Great thread here. As a complete AVS newbie my expertise pales in comparison to most of the folks here, but not seeing my model represented in any of the responses here I feel compelled to jump in "in defense" of my choice of plasma display. It's a...

1) Samsung HPN5039

2) Lots of things. PQ was definitely high on the list... I looked at a lot of 50" displays and for the money (which was also a consideration) it more than held its own in the picture department. The big selling point for my wife was the cabinet style... we found the simple, small grey frame around the display much more pleasing to look at than the larger (and flashy) silver frames around several of the other units we looked at. Oh, and the DVI input was also a factor (though a lot of units had this feature). Last but not least - Samsung's 2 year warranty played into the decision.

3) PQ, and appearance when turned off (see #2 above)

4) Hard one... not much, really. Probably the location of the inputs is my only complaint. They're in back, facing down, but not too far up the backside of the display. Makes it hard to conceal the cabling. I had to slide the boots off the Canare connectors on my AV cables in order to turn them sharp enough to keep them routed behind the display. Just a minor point, really.

5) More than just contrast and brightness adjustment on the DVI input... nature of the beast, I know.

6) See #4

7) How heavy it was! Just kidding... but it was a bear to get up and mounted on the wall bracket. Other than that, no real surprise.

8) None to date (knock on wood).

9) The price is what the price is. I bought the set when we moved into our new ("used") house, and the family/HT room layout dictated going with either FP or a flat panel display. Cable routing issues (would have had to fish everything through a finished plaster basement ceiling to feed a projector) drove me to plasma. At that point I was sort of "stuck" with what they cost. If I had the option I likely would have gone with a RP set, but I just didn't have the space.

10) I read the "Official HPN5039 Thread" on this forum, and would appreciate receiving additional info from other owners of this unit. I'm very happy with my choice so far, though it's definitely not the "plasma of choice" for most of the folks on this site.

YMMV

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42PWD6UY

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

Space available (recessed installation), viewing distance (12'+), stellar reviews from this forum, R Harkness's photo gallery.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Out of the box picture quality. Quiet operation. Lean appearance. Panasonic's Just mode is surprisingly watchable (unlike my Samsung DLP's panorama mode - unwatchable).

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

No discrete IR codes (except PC input).

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

Discrete IR codes (:))

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

Discrete codes for everybody! :D

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

The back panel was not conducive to the kind of mount I wanted to use.

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

Possibly cooling, but I'm still working on it, so the jury is out.

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

Well, having purchased one of the lowest priced plasmas available, I'm probably not qualified to answer this. But, I would say that for my own purchase, I place its cost to value ratio at the upper end of my own threshold of pain... ;)

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

No regrets, not one. Visual Apex did me right, and AVS Forum help was, and continues to be, invaluable.

Let me bump this great thread one more time. :D




.

Well, let's see:

1) toshiba 42HP84
2) Great looking picture, nice looking set.
3) It's mine.
4) Does not have ASTC tuner.
5) ASTC
6) Include ASTC (if they were still making plasmas)
7) No big surprise.
8) No problems so far.
9) Not until there is more HD content on TV.
10) Need more HD content and reduce the prices for HD cable and HD dish services before widespread acceptance.

1. Panny TH50PHD7UY

2. After reading reviews here and elsewhere, this model provided the best PQ per $$$ per square inch.

3. All media inputs (DVD, HDTV, SDTV) look great. HDTV is stunning!! DVD is great!! SDTV is clear and very watchable. (not as bad as some ppl have been saying) Most of the SDTV I've been watching is almost equal in PQ to my old CRT set.

4. Unable to adjust color saturation on HDTV signals via DVI input. Some HD channels produce overly vivid colors that provide that WOW factor, but are unrealistic in nature and the DVI menu doesn't allow adjustment.

Although "burn-in" isn't suppose to be an issue anymore, I still think about it and have been following the 100-1000 hr break-in advice.

5. The picture menu for the DVI/HDCP slot to have color saturation control.

6. Keep up the good work Panasonic!...You have a winner here,

7. How glad I was I got the 50" instead of the 42". Based on my viewing distance of 7-9 ft, the 50" to me IS NOT overwhelming at all.

8. "knocking on wood" It's only been less than a month. No issues to speak of.

9. Once the prices for a 50" went under 4K, that seemed to be the turning point for me to pull the trigger on this unit. The joy and happiness this TV
is providing for me, my family, and friends, is worth every penny.

10. Visual Apex has done well by me. A week after I rec'd my PDP they lowered the price on this set $150. I called them and they immediately issued me a $150 credit. That's what I call service!!!

1. NEX 50XM4

2. Bright colors, decent blacks, inputs, handling of SD and Stadium strech mode.

3. Quality of SD. I knew HD would be awesome (and it is), but I feared that after spending over 4K, my viewing experience during inevitable SD programming would suffer.

4. Faint Image Retention is short lived but cheesy.

5. 2nd DVI input

6. Sell them in stores. I bought mine based on reviews on this forum without ever seeing one in person. Most people will not do this.

7. The quality of newer DVDs on my 4 year old nonprogressive scan DVD player.

8. None

9. Yes, I waited until I could buy a quality 50" for around 4K.

10. If you are on the fence between a 42 and 50 model, go for the 50!

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

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-42PD50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
This set is a good balance between PQ, size and cost to get into wide-screen

3. What you like best about your Plasma. – PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. –
After a 3 weeks, really can’t find anything wrong. I don’t seem to be getting the “green push” others have reported.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. –
A second HDMI port. No PIP or Cable Card slot is important to me.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Increase production and lower prices

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How well it displays 480i SD satellite broadcasts. I was prepared to upgrade to HD Satellite service and now delaying the extra expense to upgrade. I’m blown away how well this Panny displays SD. The PQ is wonderful and 480p DVD viewing is totally amazing.

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

9. Do you really think that today’s "Prices" are worth it.
It’s relative. I was able to afford a reasonably priced TV to meet my viewing needs.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Viewing Distance is important to consider – if you watch from 10feet or greater, an ED set may be a better decision than an HD set – you’ll loose HD detail if you don’t have a LARGE enough HD Set (Screen Height X 3). Price points for HD sets (IMHO) are too high given the amount of HD content available today. 90% + of all viewing (OTA, Cable, Satellite, DVD) are 480i and 480p and best matched for ED sets of today. In a couple of years, I think HD content will become dominate AND the cost of HD sets may drop to today’s ED prices. In the meantime I’ll enjoy my ED set till then and move it into the bedroom.

For me the jump from a 27” Sony (non-XBR) to the 42” ED Panny was a huge. For the cost, I didn’t think it was worth it and reports have indicated that watching SD (480i) signals on HD isn’t as good as ED. The store I got the Panny at moved it away from the HD sets because HD sets weren’t selling. The PQ of the PD50U is that good…

Good luck in your search. I like your approach….Steve

1. Panasonic TH-42PD25UP

2. Cablecard & ATSC tuner, PIP, PC input, HDMI

3. HD PQ just floors me. Particularly bright outdoor scenes. DVDs via HDMI are so filmlike I finally prefer to watch from home.

4. "Limited" 10-bit color processing. If I had to do it over again, I'd hunt for a 12-bit display. False contouring on DVDs/SD is admittedly minimal, but it's my only gripe.

5. I wish it had an on-screen program guide, HD stretch modes, a "negative" setting to remove uneven wear

6. My advice to Panny is to bring back a loaded ED like the 25U and use only clean black bezels. All I hear are complaints from people about silver or multi-toned units. Also, keep the PC inputs on the back of the unit and offer separate picture memory settings for each input on consumer units as well.

7. My biggest "Surprise" was SD PQ via CC. JUST stretch took only a few hours before I didn't even notice it and the clear, noise free picture via CC shocked me.

8. Only problems I've had is a slight uneven black level on analog inputs (which Panny service is seeking to correct), red push on SD, and minor false contouring on SD cable and DVD.

9. Today's ED prices are well worth it to me. I've gotten a great deal of enjoyment out of my set over the last 6 mths. Life's too short to sit and wait years for prices to hit the floor and around $2k was my comfort zone.

10. I've learned the two most important specs on a plasma are it's color palette and black level. Panny has CRT level blacks which are a joy to watch in the dark. I watched a Pio Elite and found it's grayish blacks very distracting. When Panny finally offers 12-bit processing, I'll be hard pressed to find a fault in their PQ.

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 433CMX

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
During the time, it was "upgradable" where you could add a DVI input card.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The Color on the Picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Size, wish it were larger. (I sit about 12' back)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I bought the A303 DVI card, wish it had two DVI or a DVI and HDMI.

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.
SD (via DirecTV) looked better than expected.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
So far so good.
Some SD channels got blotchy, but I expected that.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I bought mine about a year and a half ago and I thought they were worth it.
IMO, today's prices (especially commercial versions) are worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Based on what's commonly asked.
43" looks good at 12' but 50" would look even better.

1. The "Model" you have.
FUJITSU P50XHA40US

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Fujitsu's reputation.
Always wanted one.
Warranty.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Almost everything.
PQ is PHENOMENAL, more so after ISF calibration.
Black level.
Discrete codes.
Did I say PIC quality?!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Silver bezel. Though it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

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

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
DVI!
For the amount of $$ they charge, bezel color options would have been nice.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How much brighter it was compared to my previous RPTV.
Silver bezel didn't bother me as much.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Sure, life is short.
You get what you pay for.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Do your homework before buying.
Viewing distance is very important with ALL PDPs.
If you keep waiting for the next best thing, you'll miss out!

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-37PWD7UY
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Research, info on this forum, saw the consumer version at Best Buy. Physical size perfect for our area. Familiar with Panny industrial gear.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality on DVDs, and physical appearance of the unit
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Some times hard to get good flesh tones. Although SD quality is surprisingly good, video tape playback is an issue
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More picture settings memories, discrete IR commands for each setting.
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.
That my wife was so satisfied with the PQ! She is normally VERY critical of PQ. Also amazed at the difference progressive scan made with DVDs.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none, really.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes!
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Bought from Visual Apex, they were great! Wish I had remembered to tip the delivery driver! As someone else pointed out, I do get tired of defending my purchase to the "plasma experts" who know things like "the gas has to be changed out" and "plasmas can't be repaired." Sigh.

[i]
1. The "Model" you have.

Vizio 42HDe

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

a) price, b) AVS forum members' experiences with this model, c) Costco's liberal return policy

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ and lots of possible adjustments to fine-tune picture

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

a) occasional brightness shift, b) limited inputs

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

better burn-in protection

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

fix 4a & 4b and 5

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

a) great PQ, even of SD broadcasts; b) detachable speakers are of better quality than expected

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

brightness shift in dark scenes

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

Only for early adopters; price and set-up hassles [and limited availably of HD content in some regions] keep me from recommending HD for everyone

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

For enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer's living in areas where HD is readily available, prices for required equipment have dropped to an enticing level

Joe-



[/B]

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 657UY

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Black Level and Size.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Size and Black Levels do not disapoint. This can
can produce a huge stunning picture.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The gradients sometimes show banding and some color shift.
Not a huge problem, but I am a perfectionis.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I would like to run 2 DVI's and one HDMI.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make an HDMI board that can take native rate. Support 72H or 48HZ for
film mode.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
It is huge and heavy.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Bad S-Video board, but I hear they fixed that problem.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I bought it didn't I :)

This is a great Plasma. Let's hope the prices and black levels keep falling.

-- Rich

1. The "Model" you have.
TH-42PX25U/P

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Liked plasmas, exhaustive research, Circuit City deal popped up and I jumped on it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Bright HD scenes (Discovery HD/Hi-Def sports) look fantastic.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Despite how much everyone raves about Panasonic black levels I think this is the weakest part of this set. "Black" is at best a really dark grey - better than most RP sets I've seen, but not black. My $250 CRT blows it away as far as black levels go. Also I'm starting to see burn slight burn in from watching about 40% SD, non-stretched :(. Gotta start stretching all the time now.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Native 720p support.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Support 720p natively on all plasmas.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How crappy SD looks especially games (PS2, GameCube).

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Burn in starting, gotta stretch 100% of the time now.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Not to the average consumer, but for me I guess.

10. Still waiting for inky blacks...

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

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.

TH-42PD25U/P

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

User reviews, this forum, viewing

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

SD Picture and HD picture quality are fantastic. HD Pic quality on this ED set is better than on my 55 inch RP HDTV.

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

Nothing so far. Aggravated a little with an uneven black level when using Component input.

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

Remote should have seperate buttons for each input type versus scrolling through them.

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

Tunr down brightness out of box.

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

SD picture quality and HD picture quality

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

Uneven black level on Component input.

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

ABSOLUTELY

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

Thanks.

Dave

sticky :)

1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PHD6UY

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Price, Contrast Ratio, Black Level.
-Reviews on this forum
-Didn't need speakers, tuner, so commercial model was perfect and cheaper.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-Brightness, color saturation, HDTV picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-False contouring, solarization, Color banding on every fade
-Not enough gray scale steps

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-Discrete remote control of the various inputs
-Programmable names for the screen settings. I could rename them to something meaningful, instead of dynamic, cinema, etc

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
-Fix the grayscale problems to get rid of false contouring
-Black levels or contrast still needs to be better.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-Looks pretty good on SD digital sources,
-Spectactular HD from HD video sources

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-None, no warranty work yet

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
-Yes, price has dropped a lot in the last 1 1/2 years

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-Plasmas have problems with false contouring and its not talked about on the forum. I don't think it can all be blamed on DVD mastering..
-Broadcasters need to do a better job with their HDTV quality, some shows are so oversaturated you have to adjust the set to get the skin tones right

Sony KDE 50XS955
Looked the best in the show room and had all the features that I wanted.
HDTV Picture quality both via cable and OTA.
Some older DVDs don't look as good as on my RPTV.
Features I wish I had? Separate input box (like the Pioneers).
More comprehensive manual, and better, more detailed information on Sony website (knowledge base).
OTA boradcasts are incredible.
No problems.
Prices are too high.
Don't knock the Sony Plasmas. They're every bit as good as Panasonic, Pioneer, etc.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic th-50px50u

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

Price and picture quality

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture quality

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

Only1 HDMI input, not a lot a flexibility in adjusting user settings.

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

2nd or 3rd HDMI input

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

Fix the green tint issue

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

Visual impact of the picture

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

Had to do a lot of adjusting to get rid of the overall green tint and "Neon green " coloration

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

Yes

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


__________________
Azarby

Originally posted by markrubin
sticky :)

Thanks Mark. :)

1. The "Model" you have. -- Panny HT42PD50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". -- Looks great in store. Read lots of good things here. Great price in store.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. -- Has to be the picture. Very clean and comparable to the 34" HD Sony CRT I just returned. Remote lites up a cool red.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. -- Menu system it a little odd: page down to get more Picture features, etc. Built in speakers aren't necessary. Can't change inputs with just one push - have to go into menu and then select DVD or Cable input.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. -- A 3rd Component input

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. -- Ship it with the table stand installed.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. -- how light it is.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. -- Did notice the logo on the floor of the UFC octagon would switch between lime green and bright yellow as the camera angle changed.

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

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

1. The "Model" you have. -- Panasonic HT42PD50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". -- Best picture for the price; looked better than sets costing much more; good reviews for Panasonic ED plasmas.

3. What you like best about your Plasma. -- Doesn't get very warm like other plasmas; picture quality and picture size (the TV it replaced was a 25 year old Hitachi 27").

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. -- Confusing to get it to switch from TV source to DVD to Xbox.

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

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. -- I think a black bezel would be better for viewing, but the silver looks fine when it's not on.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. -- How cool it runs.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. -- None yet. Except my kids (teens) have forgotten to turn it off a couple of times.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. -- I got a great price. It wasn't any more than a high-end HDTV tube set.

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

I was really worried about the extreme green push I saw on some display models in stores and even more so when I read on this forum that other folks had seen the same problem. It doesn't seem to be a problem with my unit. Only once on a recent HD cable broadcast of a CSI episode did a cornfield seem too bright green. But this was the only time I've noticed a bit of a green push, and it wasn't annoying. The CC saleswoman [surprise! actually knowledgable!] told me just to bring it back in 30 days and they'd give me my money back or exchange it if it was too green, knocked some more $$ off the sale price, and I bit. Mine was made in March 2005; maybe Panasonic figured out what the problem was by then.

Overall, I'm very glad I bought it. Except now I have a house full of teens playing Halo after school. I hope Panasonic is right when they say they've got the burn-in problem pretty much solved... Plasma + teens = ???

1. The "Model" you have: Panny th-50px50u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model": price/Panny reputation

3. What you like best about your Plasma: the beautimous picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma: I have to break the *&^%(* thing in before watching programs with static images (BB games, Sportscenter, etc.)

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had: more inputs (i.e., RGB)

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma: Do NOT set color management 'on' by default. In fact, it should be gotten rid of completely.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma: PQ was better than expected.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma: HDMI connection.....it's mostly a H10 issue. Researching/solving green issue.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it: The new Pannys, yes.

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

Thanks: np :D

1. The "Model" you have - Pioneer 5050

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". Price and reviews.

3. What you like best about your Plasma - Sleek black bezel and removable speakers.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma - I wish it was a 55".

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had - Media card viewer.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma - Get rid of "burn-in". It's something that should have been solved by now.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. How awesome HD looked. I thought I was in heaven watching DVD, but HD is incredible.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma - None yet except for a slight, slight buzz.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it - Definitely. Technology being what it is, it will come down in price but I wish it were a couple grand less...

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged - Make sure you buy any high-priced plasma from an authorized dealer that will work with you if you have issues. It's worth the extra price.

About 65-70 degrees and Sunny.

After a wet spring the flowers are in full bloom(I've been planting some in my yard today). Everything is green(usually a short window compared to somewhere like Portland). Birds are chirping...beautiful.

I'm going mt. biking in a bit...and skied over 2 feet of fresh snow on Wednesday.

AND I'm about to order a Panny 42" 7UY.

Love it!

:D

1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 50PF9956

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
HD, Employee discount, Need fore new TV

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
HD PQ, DVD PQ, Looks great

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Claims it had PIP but it does not!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PIP, More HDMI connectors

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Include PIP and split screen, faster menu

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The remote, Its silver metalic and looks hot

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yea definately, Prices have gone down in the past year.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
When you buy a TV. Always take a look at it in person. Everyone has different likes and what people recommed online might not be what you really wanted.

Thanks to everyone who helped me find a new plasma for my family room. I've been using the Pioneer 1000HD for the past 2 year or so and then decided to move the plasma to my office and "upgrade" the family room. After a great deal of research I decided on the 55" Fujitsu and I couldnt be happier.

The picture is outstanding, and more importantly moving to a 55" from a 50" is a significant upgrade. I didnt expect the 5" to make that big a difference but it did.

I find the new piture quality to be more "life-like" it doesnt seem as overtly bright or exaggerated as the pio. But I must say at 2 years old the Pioneer still has a fantastic picture.

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 4312 (Costco)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Costco guarantee is worth a lot to me. Picture quality was very nice when viewed in person, and comments here in AVS forum pushed me into the Pioneer camp.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Not enough inputs, has 1 dead pixel

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
More inputs. The AV receiver helps in this regard, but I with there was another HDMI or component input.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Include a connection to AV receiver for better remote useage (they have htis with the TV displays) and integration in the home system.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
No surprises since I had researched this well.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Other than the dead pixel, nothing. Doesn't bother me enough to haul the panel back to Costco.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
$3000 in 2005 dollars is not too bad, considering I paid more than that in 1996 for my old Mitsu 40" TV which weighs 250 lbs.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Anyone considering taking the plunge: do it, It was worth every penny to me and I am enjoying my Pio a lot. But be prepared to upgrade everything else in your system, too. I just got a Pioneer 1014 receiver, and soon I will have to get a better DVD player, an HD DTV receiver and/or DVR, and/or DVD recorder.

1. TH-42PWD7UY

2. Price, great reviews, Panasonic Support.

3. Aesthetics, PQ , Component using VGA port works great!

4. Nothing.

5. Minor - Better Remote.

6. Keep up the good work, make it better and keep the prices low.

7. How amazing the PQ actually is, black levels, skin tones and color vibrance.

8. None

9. 5 year warranty, 30 day pixel guarantee and shipping all for less than 2K from TV Authority, well worth it.

10. I am amazed at the picture quality especially when watching Comcast HD. My friends come over and are in awe at the PQ. I find myself watching Discovery HD just for the WOW factor and to see what color of the spectrum I have never seen before ;)

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PD25/U (ED model)


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

a) Outstanding picture, confirmed by great reviews, here and elsewhere.

b) Complete, deluxe feature set, including ATSC tuner, PIP, Cable Card, HDMI, front inputs, “Auto” picture mode, and more.

c) Excellent price from local B&M with great customer support.

After a year and a half of research, choice narrowed to this and the Sony KE42M1. In the end, PQ seemed equal, but Panasonic’s extra features and lower price won the day.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

a) Picture quality, which is absolutely stunning on the best HD input (I still haven’t gotten over how great the Super Bowl looked, and Cubs/Sox games are gorgeous).

b) PIP. I had never had it before, but now I’m addicted.

c) “Auto” mode. My room varies from extraordinarily bright in the day to much darker than normal at night. The set adjusts beautifully.


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

a) Loss of detail in shadow areas.

b) Uneven black on external inputs.

c) Styling. It’s not bad, but I like many other plasmas better.


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

a) Detachable speakers. I don’t use the built-in ones and would prefer a more compact cabinet.

b) Learning remote that integrated better with DirecTV and could turn entire HT system on or off with one button.

c) Additional HDMI inputs.

d) Separate memory for each input.

e) Direct input selection via the remote.

The latter three are minimal problems for me at this point, as I run external sources through an iScan Ultra, but will become more important when I ultimately add HDMI devices that don’t go through the processor.


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

Return a full featured ED set to the line. It shouldn’t be necessary to have to move up two steps in the HD line to get things like PIP, etc. ED is all some people want or need. I love the fact that my set “feels” like a luxury unit, not one that has been stripped of features, even though it was at the low end of the plasma price spectrum.


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

a) Crystal clear HD OTA pictures from my 40 year old rooftop antenna through my built-in ATSC tuner in an area where analog pictures are unwatchable due to multipath.

b) My best picture (confirmed by DVE) came using factory settings (“Standard” or “Auto”). I spent a month trying everyone’s recommendations and was never quite satisfied. After the first 100 hours, I decided to recalibrate, and tried the factory settings (which I never had before! :rolleyes: ). They gave me colors that were nearly perfect, except for green (which looks fine, even if it doesn’t test perfectly).


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

a) Loss of shadow detail in dimly lit HD scenes.

b) Uneven blacks. To correct this, I darken the output from my DVD player, but that leads back to the same loss of shadow detail I have in HD.


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

I wouldn’t have bought one if I didn’t think they were. “Today’s” prices are even better, of course, than what I paid at Christmas time. This purchase was a stretch for me, but I haven’t regretted it for a minute.


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

a) My PQ is excellent to good from all sources (OTA HD, DVD, Laserdisc, DirecTV SD, and videotape) although my iScan Ultra deserves part of the credit.

b) Now that I’m past the first 100 hours, I tend to watch SD in 4:3, not because the distorted shape bothers me, but because it looks sharper to my eye. For the most part, it looks as good as it does on my 32” Sony CRT.

c) I’ve had my Plasma for five months, and still get a thrill out of it every time I see it, on or off. :D Even though prices continue to tumble, I’m not sorry I didn’t wait any longer.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PWD7UY

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
price, great reviews from here, all the features I need.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The picture!!!! I just got it setup this afternoon. Picture from Dish thru s-video is very good, dvd's thru component are simply incredible!!

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

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

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.
How amazing the picture was just with factory settings. Have to run my DVE calibrations this weekend.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Nada, only been on for a few hours.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Most definitely, I have been watching and investigating plasma monitors for a year now. The price is finally where my budget could afford it and I am more than happy with the purchase.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I simply can't believe the difference between a showroom and my living room!!! My whole home theater setup is now complete. Anyone sitting on the edge trying to decide if they should buy now....DO IT!

Originally posted by cheridave
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 50PF9956

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". PQ and Size

3. What you like best about your Plasma. Overall Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma. The owners manual is pathetic, i

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. More HDMI inputs, or at least a DVI input.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. Learn to write an owners manual.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The weight, 127 lbs.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. Hooking it up to all of my stuff.

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

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. Television features, finish is excellent. Remote is really nice.

Thanks.

Dave

1. Hitachi 55" 55HDT51

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I wanted to buy local, and this is the biggest one our local Rex had. They gave me a
good deal, and I had read good things about this set from professional installers online.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
I am really impressed with the picture quality, and the quality of computer graphics (I
am using it for my main computer monitor as well)

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

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
I can't really think of a thing I would want unless I could say even bigger screen.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Oh, I just thought of one thing... A discrete code for selecting the RGB input. I have all
the other discretes...

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How much I had to reduce the contrast and brightness once I got it home. Now I
understand why torch mode will cause burn in.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Hmmmm, that's a hard one to answer. Obviously I think it is, cause I paid it, but I do
think the prices are outrageous. That's what you live with when you are an early
adapter though.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I love this set, and recommend it to anyone in the market for a plasma. Have fun
shopping.

Mark

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42PX50U


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

Panasonic reputation, good SD stretch modes, great picture quality, relatively low price. Almost everything i own is Panasonic or Technics and i fully trust the brand.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The excellent picture quality, the black bezel, and lots of inputs.


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

A. Lack of stretch modes when watching 4:3 programming on the digital/HD channels.

B. Lack of Variable Audio Output. The TV's volume control has no effect on the audio outputs so those of us who connect all their video sources to the TV can't control the audio being sent to the HT Reciever using the TV's volume control - we must use the Reciever's volume control instead. They took this away on these new models. I refuse to use my HT Receiver as a switcher as i like my components connected directly to the display and send one audio signal to the reciever instead. For most people this isn't a problem though.

C. Lack of individual input settings memory.

D. The center of the table stand is open and exposes the cables (i prefer the solid center of the commercial stand which would hide the cables).

E.. Funky "either/or but not both" ATSC/QAM tuner and only one RF input.

F. General removal of several handy features found in earlier models. The equivalent Samsung models have WAY more features and flexibility for the same price

G. Too much silver plastic, but the black bezel on the HD models at least makes it tolerable. I think i'm going to paint the table stand satin black sometime down the road :D


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

A. Stretch modes on the HD channels (see #6A below)

B. Variable Audio Output like they had on earlier models (see #6B below).

C. More color adjustability (like separate red, blue, and green settings)

D. Separate tuners for OTA and QAM and a separate RF input for each. As it is you either have to set up the internal tuner for either OTA or QAM, but it cannot do both together on these new Pannys which is absurd when paying this much for a display.




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

A. Give us stretch modes on the HD inputs with 720p and 1080i signals. 4:3/non-HD programming on the digital channels looks fantastic, but the TV locks these signals in 4:3 mode and displays black bars left and right which invites burn in when watching 4:3 shows on the HD channels. Enabling stretch modes would make owners of these displays very happy i'm sure. My HD cable DVR (SA8000HD) can be set to zoom or stretch the 4:3 image on the HD channels, but the TV only allows this to occur within the pillarboxed 4:3 area on the screen so there's just no way to remove the black bars left and right no matter what i do. If i want to watch it in full screen, i have to tune to the corresponding analog channel so i can stretch it but then i don't get that clean digital picture quality. It's my biggest disappointment with this unit. My only hope now is that broadcasters start to transmit all 4:3 programming in widescreen on their digital channels.

B. Give us individual input settings memory so we can fine tune the TV's settings for each video component connected to the TV.

C. When you have Audio Output jacks on the back of the unit, give us the option of selecting Fixed or Variable Audio Output so we can choose the setting that works best with our particular setup. Previous models had this feature but they've taken it away on these new models. Bad move.

D. Have separate ATSC and QAM tuners, each with their own RF input. The way they do it now is stupid and semi useless.

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

How good SD looks. I knew it wouldn't be as good as my 32" Panny HD-ready tube TV, but after fine tuning the settings SD now looks a little better than it does on the tube TV.


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

Green push. It was real bad for the first few days before i found the right settings to make it go almost completely away. It's still slightly there on some scenes and some channels but tolerable.


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

The price gap between HD and ED models seems a bit too large, but prices are coming down enough that more of the masses will choose plasma over RPTV. But i do get the feeling that Panasonic has taken away or left out features to increase their profit levels while still keeping it price-competitive with the other brands. I'd be willing to spend a hundred or two more to get the features that they've taken away or chosen not to include.

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

This is my first plasma and even though i thought the picture quality looked good in stores even with what looked to be good feeds, it looks even better in my home.

After a year of information gathering, I finally bought a Pioneer 5050HD. I cannot be more pleased with my choice. Here are some details for other prospective buyers.

Vendor: I bought it from Satellite and Sound of Tempe, AZ. They are one of the authorized online vendors for Pioneer plasmas, and the TV was priced quite attractively. On top of that, Dave Getz is one of the most professional mail order vendors I had the pleasure of dealing with. He promptly and clearly answered all my questions prior to the sale and never pressured me into buying anything. He also provided tracking info and packaging/inspection/delivery tips which turned out to be very useful. I'm a completely satisfied customer and I'd recommend them without reservation.

Shipment: I ordered the TV on a Friday late afternoon, and the TV was shipped from Dallas on Monday. It arrived in the Bay Area on Wednesday and I took delivery on Thursday (I was out of town on Wednesday). The shipper was Watkins Motor Freight, which turned out to be a superb outfit. They were able to bring the TV over within an hour of the initial phone call. The 5050 is shipped in a VERY LARGE carton that sits on top of a wooden crate (total weight ~ 198 lbs). Per Dave's suggestion, I asked the delivery person to help me unpack the large carton which he gladly agreed to do (I had no room to store the large carton and no use for the wooden base). Inside the large box, there are a total of four boxes (the PDP, media receiver, speakers, and tabletop stand). The delivery guy helped my move the smaller boxes inside the house. He also took the outer box and the wooden crate away. In these days of computer-optimized delivery businesses, it is great to see that companies such as Watkins are able to deliver a superior customer experience and still remain viable.

Setup: Our viewing distance is about 10 ft. The 5050 is connected to the following video sources:
-- Comcast Motorola 6412 twin-tuner HD DVR (connected via DVI->HDMI and component (for A-B comparisons))
-- Harman Kardon DVD25 DVD player (connected via component)
-- Comcast digital cable (via cable into antenna A)
-- Powerbook G4 (occasionally via the DVI (analog) port out of the Powerbook into the media receiver's HD-15 PC in port)

Ergonomics: The Pioneer desktop stand is very appealing to the eye and quite functional (it swivels and tilts). Despite reports to the contrary elsewhere, I find the media receiver to be exceptionally quiet. Perhaps it helps to have it open to air circulation. The only time I hear a buzz from the PDP is with a mostly-white screen with audio on mute. Not a concern.

Image Quality:
As mentioned here many times before, the 5050 has exceptional color rendering. Blacks are the usual Pioneer black, which is a dark gray. It's perfectly fine with me as long as the colors are rendered correctly. The biggest surprise for me was how good the deinterlacer and scaler were. A second big surprise was how good analog cable looked on this TV.

-- Analog and digital SD cable: One of the reasons people shy away from PDPs (especially larger sizes) is how bad analog and SD channels look in showrooms. Fear not (as long as you have a strong cable signal at home -- satellite dish owners, your mileage may vary). Reception on analog channels is very good through the built-in tuner. All the network channels are also available as digital simulcasts on the HD network channels when the programming is not in HD. These digital simulcasts have slightly better picture quality than analog, but you lose some flexibility in sizing the picture (e.g., cinema mode not available for SD broadcasts on HD channels). In any case, I found analog and SD programming quite watchable.

-- HD DVR: I set the DVR to 1080i for HD sources and to 480i for SD/analog. As expected, the picture quality is definitely better through the DVI output compared to component. On component, there is visible staircasing and loss of sharpness. The DVR is a mixed blessing; it has a great feature set but it appears to be rushed to market with bugs and all. In any case, I'm glad that I don't own the DVR and that I can go to the local Comcast office and swap it for another one whenever I need to (in fact, I already did once). The playback quality for recorded HD programs is identical to live broadcasts -- excellent.

-- DVD: Perhaps my one disappointment is the quality of DVD pictures. The Harman Kardon is three years old and it was a highly-rated DVD player at the time. I found that the deinterlacer in the Pioneer does a better job than the deinterlacer in the DVD player, so I just let it pass 480i instead of 480p. The DVD picture quality is similar to a very good analog 480i broadcast (not surprising, perhaps, since both are 480i). Perhaps I was expecting sharper video from DVDs or perhaps I'm spoiled by the great HD material on TV. Trying to decide whether it's worth investing in a DVD player that can output via DVI or HDMI. The full-digital path inside the TV (through the HDMI ports) might make a difference. Opinions welcome!

-- Computer: The TV only accepts computer connections up to 1280*768 - 60 Hz. That's unfortunate, because my Powerbook synchs up with an NEC 50" PDP at work at native resolution (1366*768). As a result, the picture has slight black banding. In any case, the picture quality is excellent.

Summary:
-- Am I glad I bought the Pioneer? Absolutely. The feature set is hard to beat, and the picture is exceptional.
-- Am I glad I bought a 50" instead of 43"? Absolutely. As my wife pointed out, there are lots of people who buy 42-43" TVs and wish they bought a larger size; there's probably nobody who bought a 50" and regrets it. My only worry, analog/SD picture quality, turned out to be a non-issue.

Thanks to all the forum members for their valuable contributions -- this forum turned out to be a great asset in searching for the right TV.

Congratulations on your new purchase.

You mentioned buzzing. You mentioned, it does not bother you, but is it annoying to anyone else in the house. Because some people have very sensitive ears, & some prople don't.

You also did not like Pio black level. Did you adjust or DVE yet?

Thanks for your input.

I only heard some buzzing (during white scenes with the sound muted) because I was paying extra attention to it. Nobody else complained about anything (and I have the most sensitive ears in the house). Certainty no reason to replace the set. Re: the black levels, so far I adjusted one of the inputs using DVE. I eyeballed the other inputs.

1. The "Model" you have.
TH-50XVS30

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
PQ, Black bezel


3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing so far


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Wish the Photoview feature supported Compact Flash cards. It only supports
SD and PCMCIA (up to 1 GB).

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 standard base is quite hefty (~ 32 lbs). Now have it mounted on a Peerless articulating arm.

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

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

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

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42PX50U 42" plasma

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

Price, performance, quality

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Great picture, ease of use

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

Short warranty

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

PIP

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

Design a screen that could be warranteed for 24-36 months by you

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

Nothing really. It looked good out of the box and did what is was supposed to.

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

None

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

Yes, if the product continues to work for 8-10 years. Otherwise, I can buy a big CRT that will last that long for less $.

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

I am wondering whether the Circuit City extended warranty is worth it. I'm not a worrier and it seems to be a "peace of mind" kind of thing mostly.

Chip Gallo

Yay! I purchased a Pioneer 61" PDP-614MX commercial monitor, which shares certain attributes with the Pioneer Elite consumer line according to posts here (I sure hope they are right). It is wall mounted.

Unlike the Elite line, the 614MX lacks speakers (and has a black instead of silver bezel) so I purchased the side mount Pioneer brand speakers that fit it. Piece of cake. And I'm tone deaf anyway.

I do not need a tuner (also lacking in the 614MX) since my H-10 HD DirecTV box handles OTA HD channels. My H-10 HD DirecTV box is connected by component cable; I tried using it's HDMI output but component was sharper.

I also purchased the NeuNeo HVD2801 DVD player, which upconverts not only to 720p and 1080i, but 1080p. While the 614MX cannot take 1080p, when I output 1080p from the 2801 (in a test using component connection as 1080p is not supported through HDMI), the 614MX recognized the output signal as 1080p on the screen, so the 2801 is actually upconverting to 1080p. The 2801 is connected by HDMI from the DVD player to the DVI connection of the 614MX. The 2801 also reads HVD format high definition discs recorded in native 720p. I purchased one HVD of a documentary of birds flying all over the place. At native 720p, I honestly do not care what I am watching.

I had stupid adventures getting my non-HD DirecTV channels sharp based on the myriad of screen size permutations that are available when considering both the 614MX and H-10 each have multiple screen size options, as well as getting my 16:9 DVDs to play full screen on my 16:9 monitor. Harder than it sounds.....

I got a new Marantz 42" Plasma. It rocks on HD signals but I am disappointed on regular stations. I have both cable and dish at the present time. Dish is somewhat better but my old Sony CRT kills it on regular stations. On the plasma on just the regular stations everything looks like you are looking through heat

Greetings to all, my first post.

Last Sunday I purchased the Panasonic TH-42PX50U.

I drove up to Kennewick, WA and purchased the set at CC. I checked out both CC and BB. I was underwhelmed by BB. The selection was poor, some of their display sets had what looked like burn-in. They had sold the display model of which ever Panasonic they carried. The sales clerk knew very little about plasma tv's and he looked like a tweaker.

CC was a different story. Knowledgable sales clerk (Ryan), and a good selection. They had the 42 inch Hitachi with the swivel stand there too. I really liked the styling of it, but the Panasonic picture was much crisper. I was suprised how big the box was, but it fit in my Honda Element just fine. After I drove it home, I could see why it was so big, It was very well packed.

I was suprised how heavy the set is! People really mount these on the wall? The stand will do fine for me.

I am dutifully breaking it in now. The picture looks great. I will be signing up for Dish Network HD soon. I hope that being way out in the country doesn't mess that up.

Hooking up my DVD player, X-Box and Dish receiver was an adventure, mostly because of my klutzy audio/video skills.

I can see that I will wish the 42PX50U had another HDMI input.

So far I really like my new toy. My friends are blown away by it.

This forum has been really helpful to me in making my decsion on which plasma to buy. I will continue to follow this forum to maximize the enjoyment I will get from
my new TV.

The following four 50" plasmas were evaluated to decide which one would replace my nearly 3 year old Pioneer Pro 1000HD Elite 50" plasma.

Fujitsu P50XHA40US

Pioneer Pro 1120 and Pro 1010

Panasonic TH50XVS30


The Fijitsu won. Had the best blacks and overall picture quality.

(Remainder of previous post from a different thread deleted).

Good post. Of course, I can't help but agree with your assessment. :)

:)

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer PDP 5050HD


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

It's PQ, and it's aesthetics. Just beautifull inside and out. Media Reciever a big plus as well, since all equipment is remote located. I purchased the pioneer 10M extension cord as well.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Looks stunning in HD, but I am impressed with it's SD quality. Moving from a nice 36" CRT to theis 50" beast concerned me since 95% of my cuyrrent viewing is SD. It looks great, and it's internal de-interlacer or line doubler or whatever the heck is in there is doing a great job. Very minimal jaggies.

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

Remote is like a foot long, but honestly I use a harmony so that isn't too big of a deal.

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

Tell me that this source is 720p, I just cant get a "confirmation" that the source is HD, perhaps I haven't found it yet. Also, come with a "Break-In" setting for contrast and brightness that folks can just select, and provide a timer. Automate this for me.

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

Describe the technology in the manual, I have to read press releases to know what the unit does frolm a technology standpoint.

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

SD quality.

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

None, very well packaged. almost overkill.

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

Yup, nice to be the only one on the block too.

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

Truly a great set.

Post #1000 in 2.5 years....never thought I'd get that many on any forum, but that just shows me how much this stuff kicks ass....1/2 in the plasma forum, 1/2 in the HDTV forum listening to "real" HDTV owners tell me I'm not watching HDTV on an ED plasma...looks pretty real to me...more real than theirs...shhhhhhhhhh.

1--Model--Daewoo 42SPM--see gallery
Probably the lone Daewoo posting here (it's the NEC plasma 1 generation behind the current Pioneer ED by NEC)
2--Convinced because NEC glass and price
The $1999 Compusa special Superbowl week in 2004, + I got a 5 year EW on my Visa CC for $189 (low because it was under $2000 TV)
3--LOVE colors and mounting
When viewing 1080i stuff (CBSHD NFL) Still in awe of the USAF Thunderbirds special on INHD....so damn real, and I've seen them live too. The family room it's mounted is one of the sweetest homes for a plasma. We bought this model knowing the plasma was going over the FP, I've always been the guy with the "sound system" / technology stuff, so it fits me pretty good. I had a poor boys home theater that rumbled pretty good in my fraternity house in the early 90s.
4--Didn't like the Daewoo badge, and the silver bezel
When I repainted the bezel Gloss Black, I popped off the Daewoo badge---still find myself defending the Daewoo plasma and explaining the "glass by NEC" part, and that Daewoo doesn't really manufacture the plasma.
5--I wish it was 50" (this is my 2nd Plasma 1st Sampo 42S6)
Now that I have children it might be a long time....but I dream of a Pio 504CMX.
6--Change warranty policy
When viewing 480i material, I get a darker band down the left side of the screen about 4" thick, and they want me to take it down and ship it back--hence I still have the band...never with HD stuff or 480p DVD.
7--Surprised at PQ
Still amazed at how goddamn good a budget "Daewoo" plasma looks...awesome contrast and colors over my older Sampo, and on par with my best friends Pio 43HD--it ain't Daewoo that's good, it's NEC.
8--Problems see 6
9--Todays prices definately worth it
The Sampo 42S6 (Gateway ED) was $3900 after mount and deliver, this one blows it away everywhere and was almost $2K cheaper, now the Pio ED is a few hundred under this with a billion colors.!

Ordered the Sony KDE42S955 from onecall tonight and should be here in a few days. I wish to thank all of you who took the time to answer my questions and for your informative posts. Today, I am a man :D LOL I'll let you know how delivery and installation goes. Anybody with calibration info or a thread they think helpful please reply. Thanks again to all

Ordered the Sony KDE42S955 from onecall tonight and should be here in a few days. I wish to thank all of you who took the time to answer my questions and for your informative posts. Today, I am a man :D LOL I'll let you know how delivery and installation goes. Anybody with calibration info or a thread they think helpful please reply. Thanks again to all

XS955?

That's a great looking unit with a great looking picture :cool:

New Pioneer 5050HD

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

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer PDP 5050HD


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

It's PQ, and it's aesthetics. Just beautifull inside and out. Media Reciever. Competitively priced.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

SD as well as HD great PQ.


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

Nothing.


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

Simplified owner's manual.


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

Describe the technology in the manual, I have to read press releases to know what the unit does frolm a technology standpoint.


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

How nice it looks.


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

None, very well packaged.


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

Yes, I got very good deal from authorized internet dealer.


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

Truly a great set. Waiting for new Sony dvd changer with HDMI.

ell me the following:

1. Mitsubishi PD-6130 61" Plasma monitor

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

Wanted a plasma to mount over fireplace for a large great room, so I wanted big. Ultimate Electronics store was having a going out of business sale and had a floor model that was 50% off....thought it was a good deal....and it was the last one. I had a 50" rear projection Mitsubishi for 9 years prior and had no problems with it, so I was comfortable with getting another Mitsubishi product.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Size and picture quality....jaw dropping video from HD broadcasts running at 1080i.

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

Nothing yet.

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

Has only one DVI-D input....which is connected to the HD cable box. Might like another for DVD player.

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

Additional DVI-D inputs.

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

none

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

none

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

I paid $7,500 which includes a 5 year extended warranty that cost $750. I think the plasma prices have become reasonable if you watch for a sale.

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

I really wasn't ready to purchase a plasma.....hadn't done a lot of research on what exactly I wanted. But when I saw the 61"....all logic flew out the window..

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 37" HD Plasma

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

Reasonable price. Best picture for the money. ATSC/QAM tuner.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Fantastic colors and black levels. ATSC/QAM Tuner! w/Cablecard. Sharp looking black/silve bezel!

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

Not all that keen on the resolution 1024x720. I wish it was true 1900x1080.

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

Maybe two HDMI or a straight DVI in addition to the 1 HDMI it has.

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

Higer Res.

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

Good onscreen menu system. Sucky remote.

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

IR receiver is on the left lower corner. It get hidden by my couch arm. Wish the receiver was on the top center of the bezel, or bottom center.

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

$2700 was "reasonable" compared to the competition.

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

Excellent set considering I was choosing between this or a 34" Sony XBR960 direct view set.

Surprised how watchable SD content is on this set! Much better than some other PDPs I've watched.

I was going to Costco today to buy the Pioneer 5050 , but I called to make sure they had it and they said it was model #5040 instead of 5050. Can anyone tell what the difference is between the two??

Jay in NC

1. The "Model" you have.

Viore 42” HDTV Plasma

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

What appears to be a great picture.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Great colors and features.

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

The time it takes to display an HD signal when switching from a 480i signal.

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

Internal HD tuner.

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

Nothing yet.

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

Six inputs and solid construction.

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

None yet.

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

For my plasma, yes.

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

Great product so far, along with the great policy from Sam’s you can’t go wrong.
I am also extremely blown away by the HD picture 1024x1024.
;)

awesome thread, it's sooooo helpful cuz i'm a noob. i was looking into a samsung or a phillips but you guys are making me look into a panasonic now. good job guys :)

This may be redundant with all the other reviews out there, but I got my Panasonic 42PD50U today and figured I'd relay some first impressions. (I'm upgrading from a 27" Sony KV27V20 CRT viewed at 10 feet, so I don't have any real Home Theater experience or expertise.)

The set came blazing in Vivid mode with Picture at +20, and sharpness at +15 (I think.) The settings I ended up with as my first-day halfass eyeball "calibration" were picture +11, brightness -2, tint -2, color -1, sharpness 0, black level "dark", color temp normal. I turned Color Management off. Like others have posted I noticed some green bias, on one of my DVDs with yellow subtitles, the subtitles have a slight greenish tint to them.

In general, the DVDs I've tried look great; the HD channels I've sampled look exquisite. It's incredible sitting here on my sofa and thinking how much this looks like a movie screen (heck, probably better than the average theater).

SD cable quality seems OK, but not as sharp as my old 27" Sony CRT. The stretch modes make the picture look softer than it does in 4:3 mode. I was hoping the "Just" mode would be more effective at simulating 4:3, but it looks almost the same as Full mode. Perhaps some more experimenting with settings will get my SD a little crisper without increasing noise. Videotapes are watchable, even crummy EP speed ones.

One thing that concerns me a little, that I wasn't expecting, is that black levels don't seem to get very black (compared to my old CRT). If I reduce the brightness setting below about -2, the picture loses detail, but the background brightness level doesn't really drop. Even a totally dead or blank input has some luminance to it. Where on my old CRT, black bars or a black screen were very very dark, even with the lights off. Maybe my contrast is set too high? But it doesn't look *overly* bright at +11.

Welcome to the world of plasma. You are not going to get the crt level of black on any current plasma. Maybe the next generations will finally close the gap. I see that you have the black level set to dark. Your current settings look like most others who have the current gen of Pansonics except for that black level setting. So far, everyone on this forum has it set to light as dark kills the details in the low light areas. It also looks as if you have the green tint issue that others have posted. You may want to use to service menu to correct that.

I'd recommend switching to light from dark on the black levels then readjust picture and brightness as your preference. I'm getting outstanding black level performance on my PD50.

Im gonna recomend a Pioneer elite, 43" can be had for 4999. I don't own one, I sell them. The piccture is amazing, but get a HT AVS by monster or something. Plasmas can last a good while, but there biggest issue is over heating which causes the panels to separate., If power goes out the screen gets hotter as the fans cant turn on to cool it. Just be sure to factor that in your budget. Otherwise I say enjoy the awesome picture.

$4999 is waaaay overpriced for a plasma that size, HD or ED doesn't matter, it's still only 43".

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42PX50U


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

Panasonic reputation, good SD stretch modes, great picture quality, relatively low price. Almost everything i own is Panasonic or Technics and i fully trust the brand.


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The excellent picture quality, the black bezel, and lots of inputs.


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

A. Lack of stretch modes when watching 4:3 programming on the digital/HD channels.

B. Lack of Variable Audio Output. The TV's volume control has no effect on the audio outputs so those of us who connect all their video sources to the TV can't control the audio being sent to the HT Reciever using the TV's volume control - we must use the Reciever's volume control instead. They took this away on these new models. I refuse to use my HT Receiver as a switcher as i like my components connected directly to the display and send one audio signal to the reciever instead. For most people this isn't a problem though.

C. Lack of individual input settings memory.

D. The center of the table stand is open and exposes the cables (i prefer the solid center of the commercial stand which would hide the cables).

E.. Funky "either/or but not both" ATSC/QAM tuner and only one RF input.

F. General removal of several handy features found in earlier models. The equivalent Samsung models have WAY more features and flexibility for the same price

G. Too much silver plastic, but the black bezel on the HD models at least makes it tolerable. I think i'm going to paint the table stand satin black sometime down the road :D


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

A. Stretch modes on the HD channels (see #6A below)

B. Variable Audio Output like they had on earlier models (see #6B below).

C. More color adjustability (like separate red, blue, and green settings)

D. Separate tuners for OTA and QAM and a separate RF input for each. As it is you either have to set up the internal tuner for either OTA or QAM, but it cannot do both together on these new Pannys which is absurd when paying this much for a display.




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

A. Give us stretch modes on the HD inputs with 720p and 1080i signals. 4:3/non-HD programming on the digital channels looks fantastic, but the TV locks these signals in 4:3 mode and displays black bars left and right which invites burn in when watching 4:3 shows on the HD channels. Enabling stretch modes would make owners of these displays very happy i'm sure. My HD cable DVR (SA8000HD) can be set to zoom or stretch the 4:3 image on the HD channels, but the TV only allows this to occur within the pillarboxed 4:3 area on the screen so there's just no way to remove the black bars left and right no matter what i do. If i want to watch it in full screen, i have to tune to the corresponding analog channel so i can stretch it but then i don't get that clean digital picture quality. It's my biggest disappointment with this unit. My only hope now is that broadcasters start to transmit all 4:3 programming in widescreen on their digital channels.

B. Give us individual input settings memory so we can fine tune the TV's settings for each video component connected to the TV.

C. When you have Audio Output jacks on the back of the unit, give us the option of selecting Fixed or Variable Audio Output so we can choose the setting that works best with our particular setup. Previous models had this feature but they've taken it away on these new models. Bad move.

D. Have separate ATSC and QAM tuners, each with their own RF input. The way they do it now is stupid and semi useless.

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

How good SD looks. I knew it wouldn't be as good as my 32" Panny HD-ready tube TV, but after fine tuning the settings SD now looks a little better than it does on the tube TV.


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

Green push. It was real bad for the first few days before i found the right settings to make it go almost completely away. It's still slightly there on some scenes and some channels but tolerable.


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

The price gap between HD and ED models seems a bit too large, but prices are coming down enough that more of the masses will choose plasma over RPTV. But i do get the feeling that Panasonic has taken away or left out features to increase their profit levels while still keeping it price-competitive with the other brands. I'd be willing to spend a hundred or two more to get the features that they've taken away or chosen not to include.

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

This is my first plasma and even though i thought the picture quality looked good in stores even with what looked to be good feeds, it looks even better in my home.
WHAT MODEL AND UNIT WOULD SATISFY ALL THE ISSUES YOU HAD WITH YOUR PANA 42PX5OU AMONTH AGO?

1. The "Model" you have.

Hitachi 55HDT51

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

I felt the picture was good enough for me and it was the best bang for the buck.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Size...55" is nice. :-)

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

Black levels could be better.

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

I haven't come across anything its lacking yet.

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

Why no marketing? I had a tough time finding information about this unit and a REALLY hard time finding someone locally that carried it so that I could view it.

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

The weight...man its heavy. Manual says 122 lbs but it feels heavier.

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

Nothing yet.

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

I question that...I felt I got a great deal vs. the competetion, but its still alot of money for a TV.

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

I'm really happy with this panel. There is very little information about it on these forums and elsewhere and I think it is a hidden gem....especially for the cost.

WHAT MODEL AND UNIT WOULD SATISFY ALL THE ISSUES YOU HAD WITH YOUR PANA 42PX5OU AMONTH AGO?

Many of the issues he posted would be resolved by getting the commercial unit instead.

All of the issues would be solved if he waited and spent twice as much on a Hitachi 42HDS52

D. Separate tuners for OTA and QAM and a separate RF input for each. As it is you either have to set up the internal tuner for either OTA or QAM, but it cannot do both together on these new Pannys which is absurd when paying this much for a display.


Not sure what this really means, but will this be a problem for me if I plan to use OTA HD in combination with DirecTV HD DVR?

Not sure what this really means, but will this be a problem for me if I plan to use OTA HD in combination with DirecTV HD DVR?

No.

Originally Posted by RandyWalters
D. Separate tuners for OTA and QAM and a separate RF input for each. As it is you either have to set up the internal tuner for either OTA or QAM, but it cannot do both together on these new Pannys which is absurd when paying this much for a display.

Not sure what this really means, but will this be a problem for me if I plan to use OTA HD in combination with DirecTV HD DVR?

When you first set up the PD50/PX50/PX500 models, you have to choose whether to set the internal tuner up for use with cable or for use with OTA. It has to be one or the other - it cannot do both. Since you don't have cable it doesn't matter; just connect a suitable HD antenna and put the tuner into OTA mode then scan for all the local digital channels.

This tuner system is screwy cause if you set it up for cable, you cannot simply change to an OTA channel as the tuner remains in cable mode at all times. Same if you set it up for OTA - you'll only have access to the OTA channels and none of the cable channels. If you want to switch from cable mode to OTA mode or visa-versa, it will have to scan for all the channels for that mode again and overwrites the previous modes channels. This takes upwards of a half-hour to accomplish.

Some other plasmas (like the new Samsungs for instance) have separate ATSC and QAM tuners each with their own RF input so it's capable of tuning both banks of channels.

As you can by the number of my posts, I have been on the search for a widescreen TV for some time. Started more in the DLP camp due to budget, but then the Plasma technology really started to see price reductions. When the 42" Panny 25U hit an MSRP of $2999 Sept 2004 I really started researching Plasma TVs heavily. Still above my WAF budget, but I knew the time was coming...

1. The "Model" you have.
42THPD50U - Panasonic 42" ED

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I carefully looked at all available 42" ED, including specs on the upcoming 2005 Hitachi and new Toshica 42"ED. Hitachi looks like it will have a DVI input, wanted HDMI. Toshiba does not appear to have a tuner, unknown glass or if HDMI and first generation. WAF ruled out any plasma with black glossy bezel. Limited to width of 44" so needed bottom speakers or no speakers. Fuji 42" ED out of my budget. Last year NEC consumer did not come out until Oct, so did not want to wait for 2005 NEC model to see if HDMI included.

Pannasonic consistently had the best PQ, silver color had WAF. I liked that the shiney black edge of the glass is covered by the bezel - so less reflections. Model has tuner, speakers and HDMI.

3. What do you like best about your Plasma.
Picture Quality - and the best black reproduction of plasmas.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No per input memory settings for picture, possibly no 3:2 pulldown (I wish it were documented one way or the other for sure).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cablecard, second HDMI, HD Zoom

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Add HD Zoom + other items from 4 & 5.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Analog SD stations looked as good if not better than my existing 32" CRT.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
They are still a little high. When MSRPs hit $2000 (for 42" ED) I think the value of the TV outweighs waiting for additional price reductions.

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

I received my Panasonic TH42PD50U yesterday. All that analysis paralysis was somewhat for nothing - extremely satisfied with the plasma. I thought the limitation of effectivly three memory settings (Standard, Cinema and Vivid) would be too limiting - but I am finding the settings are actually close enough for both the DVD and SA8300HD. Using standard setting for the most part, but have set up vivid to punch up some of the NTSC stations.

First comments from the wife was how big the screen was. The delivery person gave her a look like your nuts lady. Although using a table top stand, I placed the TV at the furthest part of the TV cart. As we get used to the size I can bring it closer.

While hooking up the TV, Battlestar Galactica came on in HD. I thought the PQ looked great out of the box, although I know from reading here it will get better with calibration. The cablebox was on zoom, the PQ improved (obviously) even more when I took off the zoom.

Watched parts of Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Spiderman for 1:85 movies during break in. Spiderman is a great test disc for eyeball calibration, until I get a copy of AVIA or DVE.

Pleasantly suprised at the quality of the analog stations. When leaving in 4:3 mode the PQ as good if not better than my 32" CRT. During first 100 hours, using the ZOOM to eliminate black bars. Maybe after time and I can get used to JUST mode, not there yet.

HD looks outstanding. Using the PVR SA8300HD, watched "The Insider". Lots of dark suits, happy with the black levels on the TV.

JCPZero

When you first set up the PD50/PX50/PX500 models, you have to choose whether to set the internal tuner up for use with cable or for use with OTA. It has to be one or the other - it cannot do both. Since you don't have cable it doesn't matter; just connect a suitable HD antenna and put the tuner into OTA mode then scan for all the local digital channels.

This tuner system is screwy cause if you set it up for cable, you cannot simply change to an OTA channel as the tuner remains in cable mode at all times. Same if you set it up for OTA - you'll only have access to the OTA channels and none of the cable channels. If you want to switch from cable mode to OTA mode or visa-versa, it will have to scan for all the channels for that mode again and overwrites the previous modes channels. This takes upwards of a half-hour to accomplish.

Some other plasmas (like the new Samsungs for instance) have separate ATSC and QAM tuners each with their own RF input so it's capable of tuning both banks of channels.

Randy, thanks! Once concern I have is the guys who are going to be doing my HD install (I live in a condo bldg. with DTV satellite dish & OTA antenna on the roof, shared by all the tenants of the bldg.) said they're going to run one line into my DirecTV HD DVR and that one line contains both OTA HD & DirecTV HD. I just want to make sure this won't be a problem for me.

...Once concern I have is the guys who are going to be doing my HD install (I live in a condo bldg. with DTV satellite dish & OTA antenna on the roof, shared by all the tenants of the bldg.) said they're going to run one line into my and that one line contains both OTA HD & DirecTV HD. I just want to make sure this won't be a problem for me.

The Panasonic internal tuner will not affect your DirecTV in any way. The DirecTV HD DVR has it's own internal OTA HD tuner. Your installer could make it possible to use your TV's internal tuner as well, if you wish, but it is entirely separate from your D* box and would just give you an additional input.

The issue is only of concern to those who want to watch both cable and OTA, and only affects those of them that want to do so without a STB.

<<<The PX50U tuner system is screwy cause if you set it up for cable, you cannot simply change to an OTA channel as the tuner remains in cable mode at all times. Same if you set it up for OTA - you'll only have access to the OTA channels and none of the cable channels. If you want to switch from cable mode to OTA mode or visa-versa, it will have to scan for all the channels for that mode again and overwrites the previous modes channels.>>>

I'm a newbie so bear with me.
My cable system is Adelphia. Their lineup starts with...
CBS-Channel 2
Discovery - Channel 3
NBC - Channel 4
KTLA (local) - Channel 5.
etc.
Are you saying that if I want to go from Channel 2 (CBS) to Channel 3 (Discovery), I'd have to switch from OTA mode to Cable mode? That's horrifying.

...Are you saying that if I want to go from Channel 2 (CBS) to Channel 3 (Discovery), I'd have to switch from OTA mode to Cable mode? That's horrifying.

Not if you are getting them all from your cable system.

You would, though, if you were switching from actually receiving Channel 2 OTA (not via cable).

What's up everyone I am new to the forum. I purchased a Sony KDE-50XS955 last week and I absolutely love it.

new here!

just picked up a Panny 42-PWD5UY, earlier model, it is practially brand new! & the price was a once-in-a-lifetime deal!

i am absolutely in LOVE!

1. The "Model" you have.

Hewlett Packard PL4245N

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

Price, Style, Connectivity

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Purity of color, Aspect and Zoom modes, Dual component connections plus DVI/HDCP and VGA

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

Speaker brackets off spec causing a small gap between bezel and speaker.

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

HDMI

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

include a file for the brackets

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

White is white, black is black and a rainbow of colors in between.

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

None.

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

under that magic $3000

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

Model - Panasonic 42pd50u
Why? - price, PQ, reviews, ED for D* SD
Like best - saw my first HD on it last night - WOW - love true colors
Like least - break-in, noise in SD, having to stretch to avoid burn-in, silver bezel
Feature(s) missing - PC input, other connectivity
Advice for MFG - work on design - like the look of the Pio's and Samsung's better, more detail owner's manual (manually programing sub-channels)
Biggest surprise - watching crap I would never watch just because it's in HD
Problems - lack of programming and HD options
Worth it? - hard to say. I'm keeping it but my Sony 32 CRT had a great pic and and was about 1/4 the price - when more HD programming comes out it will be worth it.
Additional info - Thanks to AVSforum for all the info and advice!

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 37PX50U

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

Needed width less than 41 inches with built-in tuners/speakers for ease of use for family. It was basically LCD vs. this model vs. Dell 4200. The LCD picture quality didn't measure up to plasma and was more expensive. The Dell lacked a QAM tuner.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

QAM tuner brings in a ton of digital channels including local HDTV and some pay-per-view with just an analog cable subscription. The digital picture is a huge leap over my previous 27 inch analog TV. HDTV seems to be a smaller leap in quality over digital but I haven't seen much of it (only Lost on ABC).

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

Wish I could crank up the brightness from the start but will wait at least 100 hrs.

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

I haven't used this feature, but a VGA computer input would occasionally be useful for family gatherings/ showing photos

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

Add PIP/POP and VGA input and built-in DVR option with an HDMI out for DVD recorders would be nice for Cablecard users.

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

QAM reception

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

None

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

Paid $2250 plus $200 shipping from Onecall.com. It arrived in perfect condition. I still think >$2000 for a TV is a bit much but the free digital/HDTV from my QAM is saving me $400/year from upgrading my cable service.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Plasma still seems the best for 37 - 42 inch displays despite press that LCD is improving. I'd like to see more objective reviews of TV from reliable sources but this site has been a great resource, if a bit unwieldy sometimes.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-65PHD7UY
iScanHD+

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
It was the biggest one that I could afford! The Fujitsu was so much more expensive. After many weeks of following the discussion on this forum I decided that this was very probably the device for me. I had a very hard time tracking down one on display, but I found one in the end.

3. What you like best about your Plasma
Picture quality - but I am still adjusting it. Variety of input options.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
So far nothing, but I have only had it working for 6 days

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cablecard.
At home warranty service; this plasma has carry in service only. Luckily there is a Panasonic Select Service Center just a mile from me, but even so, it weighs 190lbs and is very big!
Service manual - most people buying this 'commercial' version are going to tweak it.

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.
My wife saying, "You know it's not that big really".

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Not really an issue with the plasma, but it took a long while to get 1:1 pixel mapping with the HD+

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Worth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I thought it was.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Be prepared that you will have a very poor SD picture and there is practically nothing you can do to make it look good. The 'least worst' picture is the best that you can hope for.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-65PHD7UY
iScanHD+

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
It was the biggest one that I could afford! The Fujitsu was so much more expensive. After many weeks of following the discussion on this forum I decided that this was very probably the device for me. I had a very hard time tracking down one on display, but I found one in the end.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality - but I am still adjusting it. Variety of input options.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
So far nothing, but I have only had it working for 6 days

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cablecard.
At home warranty service; this plasma has carry in service only. Luckily there is a Panasonic Select Service Center just a mile from me, but even so, it weighs 190lbs and is very big!
Service manual - most people buying this 'commercial' version are going to tweak it.

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.
My wife saying, "You know it's not that big really".

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Not really an issue with the plasma, but it took a long while to get 1:1 pixel mapping with the HD+

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Worth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I thought it was.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Be prepared that you will have a very poor SD picture and there is practically nothing you can do to make it look good. The 'least worst' picture is the best that you can hope for.

Can't read the yellow text with the AVS White forum display.

1. The "Model" you have.
Sony 42'' FWD-42PV1/B EDTV Plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Uh, got it for free!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Playing games on it. God it's almost orgasmic...

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Non-standard inputs (BNC over component Sony, are you retarded?). No stand or speakers included (can't have everything I guess... currently using ghetto fabulous styrofoam packing to hold it up and hooked some Kenwood speakers up to it).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Features are all good. 720p and 1080i look fan-fu**ing-tastic on this EDTV display.

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

Um, standard inputs and a easier menu interface please. Oh, give the remote some more range dammit.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
42'' looks a LOT bigger than you originally thought when you get it into your house...

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Overscan sucks. Doesn't save last current User correction mode when you turn off your TV (it saves them, but generic "Vivid" video mode always pops up first when you power TV on).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Looks damn good, but not MSRP $2100 good.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
SD looks fabulous. I was highly expecting it to look like junk but it looks A LOT better than my 27'' SDTV Sanyo hooked up via component, that's for sure.

Gamers, this thing kicks ASS. Even though it is EDTV, it gladly accepts HDTV resolutions. I tried every 720p/1080i game I had and noticed A TON of differences between them and 480p. Strech modes are also fairly decent.

As with any EDTV plasma, sitting up close results in very noticable aliasing, especially for games. Sit back and relax at around 8-10' and you'll be VERY happy (believe me, with a TV this large, that isn't a compromise at all...).

Highly recommended... especially with that 10000:1 contrast ratio ;)

What you don't like about your Plasma.
Non-standard inputs (BNC over component Sony, are you retarded?). No stand or speakers included...standard inputs and a easier menu interface please.

You have a commercial unit. It wasn't intended for consumer use. Not that it won't work fine in the home, but BNC connectors and the menu are appropriate for commercial applications, and are not a design fault.

I was looking at the various B&Ms pricing for a plasma to go in a gameroom for a new home I am currently building. I wanted at least a 50" HD but my price comfort level told me 3-5K. As I'm looking, I come across a 55" Viewsonic HDTV display set up as a demo that was priced at $2,456.40. I thought to myself this couldn't be right. Asked a salesman...he had no clue (go figure). I finally find a salesman with a clue who reacted with disbelief when I told him of the price. He checks on it and sure enough, it is legit and he states that if they have one in stock NIB he could let me have it for the same price! After searching his inventory to no avail, he tells me the store across town had one. An hour later, I was headed home with my new plasma.
I cannot tell you much about the display b/c I haven't had it out of the box. The one they had set up as a display was being feed some analogue Bose demo loop that looked like crap. From what I can gather the screen is made by Hitachi and is basically a rebadged Hitachi 55HDM71. I can't wait to get it on my wall and get my ISF guy to do his magic on it!

:D

I was looking at the various B&Ms pricing for a plasma to go in a gameroom for a new home I am currently building. I wanted at least a 50" HD but my price comfort level told me 3-5K. As I'm looking, I come across a 55" Viewsonic HDTV display set up as a demo that was priced at $2,456.40. I thought to myself this couldn't be right. Asked a salesman...he had no clue (go figure). I finally find a salesman with a clue who reacted with disbelief when I told him of the price. He checks on it and sure enough, it is legit and he states that if they have one in stock NIB he could let me have it for the same price! After searching his inventory to no avail, he tells me the store across town had one. An hour later, I was headed home with my new plasma.
I cannot tell you much about the display b/c I haven't had it out of the box. The one they had set up as a display was being feed some analogue Bose demo loop that looked like crap. From what I can gather the screen is made by Hitachi and is basically a rebadged Hitachi 55HDM71. I can't wait to get it on my wall and get my ISF guy to do his magic on it!

:D
Dozer, can u PM me the store?
thanks

yes Dozer, please do share. That is a great deal!!

1. The "Model" you have.

Zenith Z42PX2D

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

Received it for some web design work

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

5000:1 contrast ratio .. BLACK blacks, great color and awesome PQ
Has lots of AV inputs, built in tuner and a Cable Card slot. Nothing more for me to buy.

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

speakers are not needed for my setup

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

maybe a little "less" feature packed and more streamlined

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.

I wanted a Panasonic, but after receiving this unit I was very surprised that the new Zenith has PQ equal to the Panny.

oh yeah and my wife didn't kill me

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

none

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

I wouldn't actually pay today's prices .. but getting it for work trade off is nice

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

Can't really add much .. there aren't many reviews on this unit so you'll have to go see it for yourself. I am extremely happy with this set.

Here are a few pictures, one is of the baseball game on ESPN and the others are from HDNET

1. The "Model" you have.

Zenith Z42PX2D

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

Direct comparison with PD50U and Sammy 4232...was able to get 95%+ of Panny PQ with bonus of greater connectivity. Also the model had just received a decent price reduction. Was unable to adjust Sammy to my liking even though it had greater adjustment parameters. Also did not like the glossy Bezel.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HD reception is superb

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

Using CableCard creates minor audible noise in the set. Cause suggestions involve a possible fan connection with CableCard usage. But the noise is very slight and never heard with content...only in a dead quiet room.

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

PIP/POP, Black level adjustment like Panny

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

Perhaps a Darker bezel although the black screen border is very helpful, better sharpness control and range

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

The look on my wife's face when she came back home after a trip to find the Living room redesigned and 'almost' everything in place.

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...and they continue to drop. Will be adding to the collection in 3 years with an HDTV of larger size and likely similar cost to this unit.

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

Was a toss-up between PD50U and this set. Always thought it would be Panny but the lack of true PC input, Cablecard, ISM technology, etc. to name a few, sealed the deal once the picture was adjusted through standard menu so closely to the Panny. It did require high contrast levels to do this so I will have to see if this display works out long-term.

Edit: now after break-in period has elapsed the picture is outstanding with no burn-in encountered and Contrast/Brightness levels are a non-issue

first timer, wanted to ask if anyone has an idea what a great working Hitachi 402HDU 42"plasma unit is worth today. we used this unit, just for corportae events at various locations. The unit has limited hour played and is still in it's box in a special wooded create for shipping. I've read where home theater mag? or AVI? voted the Hitachi 402HDU as they only model to get 5/5 stars... it been great for us. now we are looking to sell it.

thanks,

tneve

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.

Panasonic TH-42PX50U

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

Good reviews and a great price through my UPS employee discount program.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

The overall picture, black levels and wide viewing angles.

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

Having to go through the break in period before gaming on it.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

2 HDMI inputs, more aspect ratio options.
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.

How thin it is.

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

None.

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

I would not have paid retail.

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

Thanks.

Dave

I just got my Panasonic TH-42PX50U over the weekend. I absolutely love it. I originally got a Samsung DLP but swapped it due to some pretty severe lag when playing my Xbox on it. I am judiciously going through the break in period on the plasma before hooking up the Xbox. Can't wait to do some gaming on it.

1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PX25U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Read good reviews about this set. I bought it as the floor model at Sears since it was being discontinued. I paid just over $3k for it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-HD content looks amazing, looks great on the wall, HDMI input.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-Burn-in and high electric bill worries. DVD and SD picture not as sharp as I thought it would be (have not calibrated yet). The blacks seem a bit grainy. It's a 50" set, so I know it exaggerates the pixels. It could be the DVD player too. The speakers do not produce voices very clearly. Forced me to upgrade from basic cable to HD service.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-Ability to program the remote to control my TWC HD set top box.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
-Improve speakers. Able to set a channel to a specific input and automatically switch it so I don't have to keep switching inputs manually between analog, digital/HD.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-How heavy it is.

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

9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.
-42" are very reasonably priced. 50" are not worth it at MSRP.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-Can't wait til all channels are HD.

-Can't wait til all channels are HD.

Won't happen in our lifetime . . . .

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
AVS Forum reviews, Price and 50" size

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No way to adjust and save picture mode for each single input

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A fix for the above #5. One additional HDMI input. Better remote

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PQ, especially on SD

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.
Pull the trigger and don't look back

Gman

Anything to report now that you have had this for awhile? I just ordered one today and was wondering if you put in a HDMI card or ordered the speakers, etc. What , if anything, did you do to calibrate it? Appreciate anything you can tell me. Thanks, Dr. V.

Anything new to report? What, if anything, did you use to calibrate it? Did you order the speakers, HDMI board or anything optional? Thanks, Dr. V.

Dr. V:

I've only had the plasma for about 3 weeks now. I don't think adding an HDMI card is an option for the consumer models. No calibration yet either. I had a tech from TWC come out and he basically replaced my ghetto cable splitters with higher quality ones and made the cable out to the plasma the first to exit the splitter network. SD picture quality is much improved. As far as speakers go, I'm getting used to it. My living room is fairly large with tall ceilings (22' x 11') so their seems to be a lot of audio loss. I have Harman Kardon HKTS 14 speakers for watching DVDs. They're pretty decent. Hope that helps.

first timer, wanted to ask if anyone has an idea what a great working Hitachi 402HDU 42"plasma unit is worth today. we used this unit, just for corportae events at various locations. The unit has limited hour played and is still in it's box in a special wooded create for shipping. I've read where home theater mag? or AVI? voted the Hitachi 402HDU as they only model to get 5/5 stars... it been great for us. now we are looking to sell it.

I recommend you start a new topic for this question . . . .

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 4350

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Appearance. Reviews, and Price.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Its look and PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing yet

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

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.
It's so light.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yah, definately. My dad bought 40" Mitsu tube 10 years ago for this price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Pull the trigger and you won't regretted

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
AVS Forum reviews of Panisonic was always consistent, Price: newer models actually dropped in price, 50" size is perfect in my setup

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ, unbelievable in HD

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing sticks out yet, only on my second week.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Better remote, but I figured on getting an all in one soon anyway.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See above #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PQ, especially on HD. Also how it opened up my room space-wise.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
YES, considering you really won't be buying too many in a lifetime. The residual cost hast to be considered too. When you get the plasma, you need the components to drive it. Also, getting the sound quality to now match your PQ is not cheap.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Do your research, PQ is a personal preference, but some brands seem to be consistently at the top. Go see store displays, it helps. Shop for the a good price from a reputable seller. Sit back and enjoy knowing your hard work has paid off!

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.
Costco Maxent 42"
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price and picture
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ is very good
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
slow to change inputs
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
a cable input, a tuner, PIP, better zoom features
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.
Looks a lot bigger in the room than expected. Dark scene performance is better than expected.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Can't get picture with DVI to HDMI adapter. Maybe a SA STB issue. Slight picture flickering in a few scenes and certain conditions, noticeable false contouring, especially with digital SD.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes, or I would not have bought it. Compared to the $3400 spent on my 40" Mitsu tube in 1996, this is a bargain. Compared to flat screens of 5 years ago, too.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Bought the Pioneer 4312 a few months ago for much more money, but I have been happy with it and it has more features and a better picture. For the Family Room, better is good, but for a bedroom, the Maxent does just fine.
The bedroom had a Proview 32" LCD, but it was inferior in several ways, so it got the boot and the Maxent took it's place.
Thanks.

Dave

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 42PF9630a/37

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality, connectivity options, price, unit appearance

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality with all formats is great. Tons of connectivity options and software updates can be done by the user in under 30 seconds using a USB microdrive available everywhere.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing very satisfied!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cant think of any does everything I need and a whole lot more if I choose.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
None, has so many connectivity options it isnt missing anything.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Its performance and picture quality. Even SD is awesome!

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 feel I got a real bargain, and even bought from a B&M.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
My biggest concern when I was looking for a Plasma was to make sure it could display all formats. HD, DVD progessive and SD. And this panel does just that. Especially SD was important because my spouse enjoys watching those channels also. Our EX TV, lol, did a great job on SD and I didnt want to go backwards when I bought this panel. Well we were not disappointed it looks even better than it did, the pixel plus2 technology really works. Outstanding picture in SD, DVD and of course HD.

Dave

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 614MX

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I'm a fan of the Pioneer electronics. It is a 'bargain' in the 60+" range.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture is phenomenal. I love the fact that I can drive it pixel perfect with my htpc.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Glare. I had put a custom non-glare screen on my previous RPTV and forgot what glare really looked like.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A second digital input for my HD cable box.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
I'd suggest a nice wire cover on the right side.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How easy it was to dial in decent colors. Also, how easy the htpc dvi connection worked out.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
One dead green pixel. I only notice it on large green fields (baseball outfield).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
It's still a bit steep to get into 60+, but this is a pretty nice price. Dave at Satellite and Sound took good care of me.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
61" really isn't all that big :). Mounting it yourself really isn't difficult, just take your time, do your home work, and get a really big friend to help lift it up! Man it was a monster.

I'll post pictures after I all the wiring cleaned up, closet components all mounted, etc. I'm keeping a step by step picture history as well.

Hello All!

After much lurking and learning, I took the plunge this morning on a Pioneer PDP-424MV from DTVCity

I thought I would start this thread to provide some feedback on DTVCity as well as the Pio I'm getting.

DTVCity was actually my third choice, however 1st choice had hidden insurance charges and outrageous prices for the stand and an extended warranty.

My second choice (Plasma Concepts) was out of stock.

Order was placed around 10:00 this morning, will update with more info as this goes on

Thanks to everyone who posts on here - I have gotten a great education and feel like I am making an informed choice

Does anyone have the more current Panny 50PX50u or 50PX500u? Is there still a problem with a buzzing sound? I live in Denver and need to consider high altitutde as an issue. I may need to purchase an LG instead.

UPDATE: After commiting to me that they had the Pioneer in stock, DTVCity waited 48 hours and then called me to tell me that not only was the TV NOT in stock but that the lead time was at least 2 weeks. :-(

I went back to Plasma Concepts, whom I should have gone with in the first place.

Beware of DTVCity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, this is just the sort of sleazy stuff I was worried about

1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio P50HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Coupon discounted price and excellent performance

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Very good brightness and contrast control, vibrant color, excellent picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Fan noise is clearly audible at the viewing distance when sounds are muted.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Smart or better handhaking with HDCP output

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Picture quality is much better than expected.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Fan noise, blank screen when switching from SD to HD channels using HDMI connection.

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

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
What is this survey for?

I JUST PURCHASED IT TODAY !!!! With the newly dropped prices I couldnt resist. CC had it on sale at 10% off the newly dropped price, so I got Best Buy to match that and a 300 best buy rebate to boot. Plus another 150 in reward zone bucks !!! My wife was wanting the 42ED model and I could see her point with the price difference betweeen the 42HDand the ED, but with all the discounts I had to make the jump. Oh ya I got a Direct TV HD receiver too for $120 off with buying a HD tv. Hope I made the right decision. Any inputs on the deal would greatly be appreciated. I also have 30 days to decide on a Extended 4 year warranty. Should I make that move too ?

Troy

Congats!!! what do you think of it? I am just about to do the same thing but I am still of the fence. Later

Just hooked it up tonight with a DVD and I love it !!!! I havne tmessed much with the colors yet ( seem pretty good already ) I will tinker later , but I popped in Gladiator and Finding Nemo and I likey !!!!!! Planning on hanging it on the wall but the stand works nice in the mean time. Good Luck with your purchase. I am glad now I now went with the 50" thought it might be a little big in the room im using but having the 42" would not feel much different than my old 36" CRT. It has a cinema feel now.

Troyman.......I also went the Best Buy route too. Had them price match CC plus 10%. With the rebates and reward points, what a deal!!!!! I also got the 50px50u. Bought the Direct TV with the discount too. I'm also thinking of the extended warranty. Having it delivered Saturday, and the satellite hookup Saturday too.

Well....my 42PX50U arrived yesterday and it is.....phenomenal! I had a sammy dlp-HLN507W(exchanged after multiple repairs-thanks CC advantage) that was actually a little too big for my apartment living room.Now,the sammy had great HD PQ on bright content,but no matter how much tweaking in the SM I did,I could never get any shadow detail,and like most DLP's,the colors gave off an almost cartoonish feel at times.My new Panny gives a much more realistic/colorful picture.
DVDs look great,even with my sammy DVDHD841.The panny even managed to make
movies on HBO-HD from my HDTivo look great.The yanks/A's ass whpping on INHD last night looked absolutely amazing,best looking HD baseball game I have ever seen.I do not have any hint of green push,and no buzzing from the pdp as others have reported.
My viewing distance after rearranging my living room is about 7-8 feet,perfect.I was worried that it would look too small,coming down from a 50",but at my new viewing distance that was no problem.My old living room setup actually looked kinda ridiculous,for me to get far enough back from the Sammy,one of my sofas was practically in the dining room-haha.
Another satisfied PANNY owner!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank ALL you AVS forum members for all the great info that helped in my latest purchase, the 50" 50U Panasonic plasma.
Had it not been for so many on this forum I would have not know about Panasonic slashing their MSRP's on Aug. 28th. I purchased my Panny plasma at C.C. on Aug. 13th with that knowlege I made sure that I and them were clear on the 30 day price guarantee. I have never really bothered that much with price guarantee's and chances are I might not have ever known about Pannys price slash had it not been for the info on this forum. C.C. honored the lower MSRP and refunded me Pannys $1000.00 MSRP price cut plus their standard %10 and that does not even include the rebate I also got, (I wont talk dollar amounts as I don't wish to break any forum rules). Other info that helped me on this forum is about the new 65" 1080 Panny plasma coming out in Nov. , I was originally going to get the 7th gen. 65" last month but now the new plan is to sell the 50" in November and get the 65" 8th gen Panny come Nov. Anyhow, I just wanted to thank my fellow AVS members for saving me a ton of cash and always being their to help me make good choices on all A/V gear I have purchased over the years (mostly projectors and screens purchased ONLY from AVS sponsors, TVA and V. Apex, they both rock).

Thank you very much EVERYBODY !!!!!!!!!

Davyo

Daveyo,
This forum is a great place to call home. Myself as well ,have learned alot from lurking and recently starting to post and help others.

thanks to all the regulars here.

Purchased the Panny 50px50u at cc last night. Bought Sony's new 50" rplcd(kdf-e50a10) about three weeks ago, but it never looked right to me. With the price drop and price match of a local chain(BrandsMart) it was in the price range I could justify. I couldn't be happier!!

All of the elements that I didn't like about the Sony have now disappeared. The Sony to me, had too much sse and I felt that I was always looking through the screen to the picture, instead of at it.

The Panny has that, looking through a window picture I was searching for.

I wish it had one more cable input and its atsc tuner isn't quite as good as the Sony's

Just got my Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK a couple of days ago from Visual Apex, so far, it looks and works great. I was able to pick it up from their warehouse near Seattle to avoid the $195 S/H fee. It looks great, and the whole thing was less than 2K. In terms of bang for HDTV buck, I think it's a great deal (although it is ED).

Two minor issues. I didn't get the optional speakers, since I have a DVD player with 5 speakers. However, I have not been able to figure out how to hook it up so that the sound comes through all 5 speakers for both TV watching (through the Comcast tuner), and DVD watching. So I've hooked two of the speakers up directly to the TV, and the other three work when the DVD player is functioning. A temporary solution, but it will work until I can figure it out. Any tips?

Second, I see an occasional tiny green line flash on the screen for a millisecond every now and then. Anyone know what would cause that?

Thanks to everyone in this forum for the valuable posts and input.

SJ

Just got my Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK a couple of days ago......I didn't get the optional speakers, since I have a DVD player with 5 speakers. However, I have not been able to figure out how to hook it up so that the sound comes through all 5 speakers for both TV watching (through the Comcast tuner), and DVD watching. So I've hooked two of the speakers up directly to the TV, and the other three work when the DVD player is functioning. A temporary solution, but it will work until I can figure it out. Any tips?

Unless your 5-speaker DVD player has inputs for your Comcast cable box and is capable of outputting it to the plasma either through the same output that the DVD signal goes through or has a separate Video output you can use, then you're probably stuck with using separate speakers when watching cable TV if you plan to keep your DVD setup.

You can connect a pair of inexpensive bookshelf speakers to the plasma's speaker jacks and it will sound pretty good, while leaving all 5 speakers available for DVD watching. Tell us the exact brand/model number of your DVD setup, or post a link to the owners manual and i'll have a look at the jack pack in case there's a way around this.

Is your Comcast box an HD unit? Which brand/model number is it?

With a commercial plasma, one really should use it with some sort of A/V reciever with suitable inputs and outputs for all your particular video components. That's a topic for it's own thread . . .

1. The "Model" you have.
TH-42PD50U
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I felt it looked similar enough to the HD version Panny and it is so highly spoke of here I figured this many people must be right.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Size (over a 32) and great clarity all around with SD.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Chance of burn-in with network logos and with Xbox360 play.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PIP , cable card, and SD reader.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
Offer an all black version.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The weight was very nice.
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, the new price drop from Panny is amazing.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Unless your 5-speaker DVD player has inputs for your Comcast cable box and is capable of outputting it to the plasma either through the same output that the DVD signal goes through or has a separate Video output you can use, then you're probably stuck with using separate speakers when watching cable TV if you plan to keep your DVD setup.

You can connect a pair of inexpensive bookshelf speakers to the plasma's speaker jacks and it will sound pretty good, while leaving all 5 speakers available for DVD watching. Tell us the exact brand/model number of your DVD setup, or post a link to the owners manual and i'll have a look at the jack pack in case there's a way around this.

Is your Comcast box an HD unit? Which brand/model number is it?

With a commercial plasma, one really should use it with some sort of A/V reciever with suitable inputs and outputs for all your particular video components. That's a topic for it's own thread . . .

Thanks for the help Randy.
The DVD player is a Panasonic SC-HT690. I know it's a good one, since I got it at Costco and Panasonic doesn't even list the owners manual on their website:-). It's very close to the SC-HT680.

Our new Comcast box is an HD unit, Motorola, #GI1524TC105.

Here are some pics of the DVD and Comcast box if it will help:
scottjohnston (dot) com/inputs1.JPG
scottjohnston (dot) com/inputs2.JPG
scottjohnston (dot) com/inputs3.JPG

If I can't have all the speakers working with both the DVD player and TV, I guess I'll have to live with the 3/2 speaker setup until I can upgrade my DVD player.

I just added a Panny PX-50U to my house and my three year old Gateway (Sampo) went down to the basement theater behind my pull down screen. I can't say any more than all olf the others that chose Panasonic- to me "head and shoulders" above the rest...

42" HD model.

1) PQ, price, features

2) Why? My local dealer made a godfather offer. lol

3) Like best; the amazing picture. What else. Also has great specs, build quality and enhancements. (like 13 bit color, dnie)

4) I wish it was all black, but has black bezel. The 4272 looks perfect.
$400 more for black and a CCard input , no thanks.

5) Needs another HDMI input. only has one

6) no complaints.

7) Surprise? The PQ and the deal I got.

8) No probs .

9) No they are high still but I feel like an early adopter so thats the breaks.

Build date on my set is July. So not alot of them have sold but the dozen reviews I found are all very high. The panny 42phd8uk with blade, stand and shipping was 25 % more $$. Big Buck Bang here.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
PQ, features, resolution, and Panny reputation for top quality plasmas. Also the advice of many forum regulars here. Particularly the gamers. They convinced me that burn-in was over-hyped, and they were right. Much thanks To Juice Rocket and others here - gaming on plasma RULES!! :D

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
EVERYTHING!! PQ is amazing for HD broadcast/DVDs/Games. Smooth, rich and brilliant colors, great contrast, and razor sharp image.


4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing really. I suppose a front input would be nice, and the remote has to be aimed directly at the TV, and the sound could be a bit better, but those are minor, quibbling issues. Overall I'm thrilled.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
See above. An extra HDMI input would be nice, but I can always use a splitter if need be.

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 insanely stunning HD broadcasts with the cable card are. The Tonight Show looks like a friggin' carnival! Beautiful PQ...

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Nothing.

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

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
If you're a gamer, disregard all the hysterical bullshit you hear about burn-in. It's over-hyped, and not nearly the issue that many make it out to be. Use common sense, don't abuse your display, and you'll be fine. I would have hated to miss out on this awesome display had I bought into inflated burn-in woes....

1. Panasonic 50PX50U

2. Bought the Panny because of all the great reviews re: PQ. The new Hitachi made me think twice, but 42 was too small and 55 too big (I sound like Goldilocks!)

3. The PQ and widescreen format for HD sports broadcasts is great! No more "bandaid" screen when we watch widescreen DVDs. Very cool.

4. The speakers are pretty lame for a TV that costs > $3k but, like most others buying these units, I have surround sound when I want it.

5. I wish I had a second HDMI input and a set of front inputs for a camera or PC slide show. I could have had that with the LG or Hitachi, but I was willing to give them up in favor of Panny's reputation (vs the LG 50) and the larger screen size (vs Hitachi 42), so I can't really complain because I made the choice.

6. A two-year warranty (LG now offers) would REALLY be nice! I thought long and hard about purchasing an extended warranty ($600!!!) and, so far, have decided against it (have only had TV for two weeks so have another two weeks to change my mind, but I doubt I will).

7. My biggest surprise was cost of component and HDMI cables. I needed 4 meter cables. Good thing my son worked at Frye's for the summer -- he got them at cost!

8. No problems.
Nothing.

9. The recent price drop did it for me. I think they are worth it -- even tho the same unit will probably cost $500 less next year.

10. My advice is to not get too hung up on specs -- contrast ratios, etc. Go with your eyes and mfr rep. If I did not "need" a 50 for my large family room I would have DEFINITELY gone with the Panny 42" EDTV. It's PQ was every bit as good as the HD -- just a bit too small for my application.

DJB64, you can get those HDMI cables from most online places for about $30-$40 with fedex included. :)

Just got a 42" PD50 from CC few days ago.

1. The "Model" you have.
TH-42PD50U
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I have been using a 42" 6UY for a year now. Love the panny. I was going to get a 36XD50U for the basement for games and/or guest, but CC was out of stock. I wanted it quite urgently, so just settled for a 42PD50U instead.
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Big enough. Panny quality!
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The "JUST" mode sucks big time now! It just look like "FULL" mode. The speakers sounds quite poor. It's kinda expected for any buildin speakers. ;) The control of the screen is almost non-existance. I really wish I would have time to get the commercial model instead.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Real service menu like the commercial model!
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
Offer an all black version and give me a real "JUST" mode.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
disappointed by the "JUST" mode. The silver color looks very cheap.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
No menu can adjust the screen sizes.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Will add later when I think of something.

1. The "Model" you have.
Sharp LC-45GX6U
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Separate AVC box, picture quality, clean appearance, largest size from leading mfg.
3. What you like best
Separate AVC box, HD picture quality, clean appearance
4. What you don't like about your display.
SD quality, only one digital RF input. Can not use both OTA & cable card
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your display had.
Additional inputs especially digital
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your display.
Offer more inputs including digital RF
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your display.
Could not use both cable card and OTA antenna
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.
No
10. Thanks to all on the forum who shared there comments and experiences and provided input for the decision.

1. Panasonic 50PX50U

2. Bought the Panny because of all the great reviews re: PQ. The new Hitachi made me think twice, but 42 was too small and 55 too big (I sound like Goldilocks!)

3. The PQ and widescreen format for HD sports broadcasts is great! No more "bandaid" screen when we watch widescreen DVDs. Very cool.

4. The speakers are pretty lame for a TV that costs > $3k but, like most others buying these units, I have surround sound when I want it.

5. I wish I had a second HDMI input and a set of front inputs for a camera or PC slide show. I could have had that with the LG or Hitachi, but I was willing to give them up in favor of Panny's reputation (vs the LG 50) and the larger screen size (vs Hitachi 42), so I can't really complain because I made the choice.

6. A two-year warranty (LG now offers) would REALLY be nice! I thought long and hard about purchasing an extended warranty ($600!!!) and, so far, have decided against it (have only had TV for two weeks so have another two weeks to change my mind, but I doubt I will).

7. My biggest surprise was cost of component and HDMI cables. I needed 4 meter cables. Good thing my son worked at Frye's for the summer -- he got them at cost!

8. No problems.
Nothing.

9. The recent price drop did it for me. I think they are worth it -- even tho the same unit will probably cost $500 less next year.

10. My advice is to not get too hung up on specs -- contrast ratios, etc. Go with your eyes and mfr rep. If I did not "need" a 50 for my large family room I would have DEFINITELY gone with the Panny 42" EDTV. It's PQ was every bit as good as the HD -- just a bit too small for my application.


I too got the Panasonic 50PX50U and for just about all the reasons listed above.
BB matched CC internet price. Coupled with 10% off coupon was enough for me. Extended warranty cost me $400 but was told it's worth it. "Add ons" jack the cost way up. My connection at best buy told me to get a color calibration DVD to adjust the color. I didn't like it (TV) out of the box but my HD won't come till next week.

Question: I keep reading in forums about a break in period but saw nothing in owners manual or Panny web site. What is it, is it needed, how to do it? Thanks

After a year of lurking and a solid 5 months of reading and asking questions. I bought the Panasonic 50PX500U today , Along with a Denon 2910 DVD player and the Denon 2805 Reciever.
I had left a deposit on the Plasma last week,to hold it while I made up my mind on the components. I didn't get back to the store until today. This weekend they are running the "employee discount" program. So the quoted price on the plasma from last week,which I was very happy with was even lower . As well as the 2 components that I didn't really want to spend that much for, both were considerably less than the regular pricing.
I think the salesman was a bit unhappy when I told him my alarm/AV guy was getting me the cables,mount,universal remote, and surge console.All items that he would have made a huge profit on. OH WELL .
All in all a very happy experience.
I'm building my own version of the BDI Avion, tweaking it to my needs.Should be done by next week.
Hopefully everything will be set up in about 2 weeks.

Thanks again to all , I'm sure glad I found this place.

OK , could someone please direct me to a thread with the "break-in" settings .

Rather than just an announcement of a purchase (I believe there is a sticky for announcements only), the thread would become interesting and helpful if you'd describe the process you went through that brought you to the decision to get the Panasonic. What other sets did you consider? What were the pluses and minuses of each set you considered? What was the final overriding factor that make the Panasonic your choice?

Rather than just an announcement of a purchase (I believe there is a sticky for announcements only), the thread would become interesting and helpful if you'd describe the process you went through that brought you to the decision to get the Panasonic. What other sets did you consider? What were the pluses and minuses of each set you considered? What was the final overriding factor that make the Panasonic your choice?

Jerry, agreed .
just a bit excited. I actually and easily narrowed it down to the 50U the 500U and the 5050(Pio). I'm not at all interested in the technical aspects of these 'toys". I just want a great product. I promise I will tweak my set though.
The Pio was ruled out based on price. I still needed the two components so I would have been way over what I wanted to spend if I went with the Pio.
My original intention was the 50U, but I liked the better speaker set-up on the 500U and the PIP feature would be neat as well. The plasma will be used for every day viewing as well as DVD's.So using the stereo speakers for the news seemed silly.

I did a bit of reading on the components,I wanted Denon from the get go, It was just a matter of which one.



I got some great advice from one of the forum members who's been very gracious to answer ALL of my stupid questions.

I'll post some pix of the cabinet when it's finished and the plasma hanging in all it's glory.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Great price for the size and quality.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Amazing picture quality (especially in HD).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The silver speakers at the bottom, wish they could be removed.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PC input as well as CF card input.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Not sure.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
1) How light it is, it's heavy yes, but compared to the size of it as well as some normal TV's we have in our house, it's much easier to transport and set up.
2) The beauty of the picture once we got it all set up.

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 yes yes. We paid 3100 for the unit and it's well worth the price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
This is the first actual NICE TV my family has ever bought and we're so happy to have it. It's not that we couldn't afford one before, we just never decided to get one, until now.

1. The "Model" you have.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The silver speakers at the bottom, wish they could be removed.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
PC input as well as CF card input.

Sounds like you actually want the commercial model that cost even less. :D

1. The "Model" you have.
LG 50PX4DR

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I just liked it more than the other ones. It also had a built in DVR and the others didnt.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Its the nicest TV Ive ever owned... which isnt saying too much. But its the first really nice thing Ive ever been able to buy for myself.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The possibilty of burn-in...

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Im pretty satisfied with it. I dont like how the TVGuide on Screen doesnt display the channels in their numerical order though... so I really do wish it had that.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
To get rid of the little lighted symbols on the right side displaying what device youre using according to what video mode you have on... I dont even own a VCR, and I wouldnt use it as a computer monitor.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
That the guy who sold it to me was a total liar when he said its perfect for video games... then I find out that plasmas are prone to burn-in.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Ive only owned it a little over a week... so nothings really come up yet. Other than the fact that Im totally paranoid about burn-in now... and that when I switch to an all black screen, you can see the difference in picture from watching 4:3 with gray bars.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I didnt have too much problem with the price. I do however think that a TV you cant play video games on shouldnt cost so much. (I know, I keep going back to the video game/burn in thing... its just a big deal to me).

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
None comes to mind.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42" 8U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
features/price

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
fits my exact need. EDTV in my office under $2k

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
it's not HD and i own an HD set and can tell the difference

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
can't think of any
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.
how heavy it is. and how high quality the mount is.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
none. it's awesome.

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

the competitive prices of the 8U can't be touched. i waited a year for it instead of the 7U and i got a great price, so yes.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality intersected nicely with price following MSRP drop. It's an easy decision when the least expensive tier 1 manufacturer produces the best picture IMHO. The desire to use CableCard to maximize SD picture quality moved me to the 500U, to get a TV Guide.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Absolutely stunning picture when fed a good HD signal.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The sound quality is passable, but for a premium model it should have better low-end response. I wouldn't want to use it for home theater sound.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Ability to change aspect ratio on HD signal, better individual color tuning outside of the service menu, 2 tuner PIP (rather than 1).

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
A) Analog cable stations (Time Warner Cable Houston and using CableCard) are surprisingly watchable.
B) The 50" picture doesn't dominate my room (6' - 12' viewing distance). I was apprehensive, but now I'm glad I went big!
C) DVDs played on a non-progressive scan player with composite connections is surprisingly good...close to HD. Must be a good internal scaler.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
CableCard setup has been painful...still not correctly configured after 6 days and a couple of hours on hold. Maybe tomorrow!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Not really, but after 1 1/2 years since my 32" XBR died I finally had to pull the trigger. This November I'll kick myself for not waiting for $500 in further savings, but I'll enjoy every day to that point!

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I studied RPTVs for over a year, waiting for manufacturers to resolve some fairly significant problems with picture quality, and they never did. This plasma is greatly superior in my opinion, and I'm completely happy with the TV.

1. Model: 43" Pioneer 4304

2. Why did I buy? PQ. Was saving up all year via Costco rebate to buy this monitor, then at the moment of purchase was swayed by the bigger is better mentality and bought a 50" Akai. After being thoroughly disappointed with the Akai, I returned it and got the Pioneer.

3. Best attribute of this monitor is the PQ. Mostly watching SD D*TV and DVDs. No line of sight for HD satellite. For the price the PQ blew most others away.

4. Biggest draw back is the lack of digital inputs: 1 HDMI, 1 Component, and 1 RGB/D-Sub. The remote is a little lacking as well.

5. Being a monitor with no tuner, there's no audio out.

6. I'd tell Pioneer to include instructions in the manual on how to access the service panel to tweak settings. It is an advantage over many of their competitors that avid tweakers would appreciate.

7. Not having an audio out was the biggest surprise. I was so engrossed into specs and video inputs that it never dawned on me to check to see if the unit had audio outputs.

8. So far, so good. No problems or issues.

9. Are today's prices worth it? It all depends on what's your addiction. Under $3K for a 43" TV with an outstanding picture is just as good as a trip to the Caribbean (only because I will hopefully get year-round enjoyment from the TV)

I'll be sure to add to my post once I get HD - C'mon D*TV get the ka band on-line.

I promised to post some pictures of my 614mx install and it took me a little longer than expected. I couldn't sort them, but you'll get the idea:

Here... (http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/6627)

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&itemId=93883&catGroupId=24973&modelNo=TH-50PX500U&surfModel=TH-50PX500U&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

They delivered the set yesterday at 8AM I had to leave right after they where done, I could stay....... I returned home @5PM later that day and began to unpack..... alot heavier than I thought, needed my 20 yr sons help, had to lay it on the kitchen table to put the stand on..... that boy is heavy too ! Connected a new panasonic S97 upconvert dvd player thru HDMI, connected a sony 300 DVD progressive to component, connect XBOX to component, connect VCR to composit and B&K 317 to SVID and connect my analog CABLEVISION cable to the RF input and the optical digitial output ...... dropped in NEMO and TOY STORY 2 into the DVD players a HALO 2 into the XBOX and turn it all on and off we go ..... WOW ...... AMAZING .... this is my first plasma and I was very nervous ..... going thru setup set the TV GUIDE info more on this later ..... set the CABLE seach and waited ..... I got all the free analog channels and to my surprize 150 digital channels where found .... now I had to go through the channels and manual delete the ones that where not showing a picture .... that is not an easy task ..... when I was done 30 channels and out of them CBS, NBC, FOX and WB in HD for free ! I have a small 26" crt samsunf with a DH tuner that did not pick these up, I'll have to call samsung ...... I quickly set each input from VIVID to CINEMA and dropped the pic & bright setting ....... the was all the tweaking I did and it was still a WOW ...... the DVD's looked 3D ..... I know I have more tweaking to do after break in, but I'm sold on plasma's ....... my son was interested in XBOX games, he talks and reads a lot of problems other have and he could not see and could not fine any of these problems with several games they where all 480P some WS and other not ....... can't wait to see the XBOX360 with it's native 720P WS formats ....... This Sunday should be a great football day ..... hope it rains all day ......

dukealexan,

Try using the enter key. One press can replace many dots :)

- Rich

1. The "Model" you have.
Just got the Panasonic 42PX500U two days ago.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I have been really researching since February of this year (casual researching since July 2004). Before this site, I had trouble getting straight answers from sales reps at CC and BB. Maybe because I was a girl or they weren't informed. The reviews and chats from some members of this site along with other sites like CNET helped a great deal. The Panny ED was within my budget of $2500 at the time I was looking. I wanted to buy the plasma before this fall season started. I was going to buy the 42PX50U after I came back from vacation in mid-August. Had to wait for my custom made cabinet first. Luckily, I heard about the price drop on 9/1. So, through my friend's company which get a Panasonic discount, I bought the later model in my price range.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
The picture! Since I don't have cable (because I only watch programs on broadcast channels), just a rooftop antenna, the analog broadcast channels actually look very smooth. At first, I thought the picture looked awful but after adjusting the settings, it's actually not that bad at all. I have to research why I'm not getting digital channels (possibly because my condo rooftop antenna doesn't have a UHF antenna attached).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
a) That settings for my TIVO viewing and TV viewing can not be saved separately. Maybe I haven't figured it out yet.
b) There is a SD memory card slot to view photos. What about people who have Sony digital cameras? It would be nice to accomodate the Memory Stick...

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
The pedestal stand to have a hole/slot for center speaker wires if a person (like myself) wanted to be a center speaker in front of the tv. Just an option.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Have the buzzing noise from the fan go away.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
a) How big and heavy (88 lbs) it actually is. When I had my father help me bring it in and place on my cabinet, it was huge...but I got used it as my viewing distance is 8-9 feet.
b) The picture quality for SD channels. Better than I expected. Just hope to get HD broadcast channels without subscribing to cable.

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, especially with my friend's discount.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Must go to the stores to check out the tv's. Although the 500U wasn't available at CC or BB yet, I trusted that the built was the same as the 50U...just more features. I like the PC input feature but I have to get a D-sub 15p to connect since my Powerbook didn't come with one.

That's it for now...

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX50U... a pair of them, in fact

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
forward compatible as (hopefully) HDTV programming availability increases, HDMI in, good user reviews.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture Quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Won't allow me to change aspect when watching HDMI source. Fortunately, both the DishNetwork, Oppo and Samsung DVDs have good zoom features.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
oops, see #4.
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.
The handle grips in the back surface. My daufgter pointed them out.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I paid $2500 each, including shipping. Pretty pricey, but worth it to me in the space savings in my house.

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

1. The "Model" you have.
TH-37PX50U
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I really wanted a 37" model for the bedroom. I'm fairly picky about PQ and in my eyes, smaller is almost always better, plus 37" is PLENTY big for the bedroom. Wanted the ED commercial unit but I couldn't cost justify it ($300 difference after shipping...).
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Right now, I like that I can actually read the direcTv menu from my bed -- we previously had a 12" tv! HD stations are a real treat. Watched the end of the Sox game last night using ancient rabbit ears plugged into the set (which I have to say just seems wrong for some reason)...it was fantastic.
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I'd prefer all black. SD content isn't particularly fun to watch especially in the zoom/stretch modes. The 'break-in' period. :-)
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
It should have two HDMI ports. It should have a complete service menu ala the commercial models. It should remember settings per port. I can understand not having additional ports; that costs money, but why do they dumb down these sets v the commercial model? I don't believe that can save them much if any money.
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.
That my HD Tivo had actually already been activated even though we couldn't set it up because it won't output the setup menus on the composite or svideo out ports (only the component and hdmi ports). No real surprised with the display itself.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
The only thing I noticed was that watching some content (The Birdcage on HBO HD), I was really bothered during a few scenes because of what I perceived to be jittery motion. I've noticed that before. Not exactly sure whether it is related to the tv, the technology, the recording...
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I guess so. I paid $2500 for my last 32" tv (Sony XBR100 over a decade ago). I expect this tv will last quite a long time as well and if it does, then yes, the price is ok. I just wish cable/sat providers didn't compress the signals so much and that DVDs were HD.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I also bought a Panasonic 50PX50U for a friend of mine. It doesn't fit standing up in the box in a Honda Element; it does fit without the outer box on though (the opening to the car is just a little too short -- it would fit inside if it weren't for the opening). The 37" had no problem at all.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Availability, PQ, price, brand reputation,50"!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Size and quality of the picture

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Its speakers & audio quality

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
TV Guide® On-Screen Program Guide, PC hookup

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How big a 50" screen looks

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Sound on some channels flutters loud and soft.

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

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
After having a plasma, it's difficult to imagine watching TV on something other than it. I'm not sure if the poor audio quality I'm currently getting is due to the unit itself, the cable signal, or poor adjustment on my part.

:cool:

nC

My setup:

http://www.family-hylton.com/upload/firstblush.jpg

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-PD50-7UY w/dvi blade

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
reviews from cdnet, the look, my location and avsforum

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
incredible picture - wow factor

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
lack of HD programming available

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
none that I can think of

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

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
$400 price drop to the 8uy model that came out 1wk later - not so nice.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I guess so - it's difficult to qualify spending so much, helped that the SO has just bought some Kenmore washing machines for close to the same price as this set

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Was quoted $950 to fish wires, install speakers and mount PDP, glad that I opted to do it myself.

OPPO OPDV971H
SA HD8300
NAD T742 Receiver
NHT Zero 1 front speakers
HSU SVT2 sub
JBL HTI6C in-ceiling rear speakers

Install done by yours truly... :D

grrr - 5 posts finally!

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I guess so - it's difficult to qualify spending so much, helped that the SO has just bought some Kenmore washing machines for close to the same price as this set


Holy smokes...thats some damn expensive washers....you guys run a laundry mat out of your basement :p

Holy smokes...thats some damn expensive washers....you guys run a laundry mat out of your basement :p

We might have to at this rate :)

Kenmore HE4T washer and dryer + custom color + matching pedestals + delivery = cost of a nice PDP!

The good thing - any toys that I might buy seem cheap by comparison :D

Just bought my 2nd Pioneer 50" Plasma...why'd I get it, cause the price was TOO damned good.

1st plasma bought May 2002 for $7100 from Dell - 50" Pioneer 503CMX
2nd plasma bought September 2005 for $3100 (before $500 rebate) returned item with minor defect (not visible while watching video) - 50" Pioneer PDP5051

Also recently picked up a 32" Sharp Aquos for $1000 and 2 Toshiba 26" LCDs for an average price of $1000

Already own a 15" Samsung LCD, 17" Samsung LCD, 23" Zenith LCD and a whole mess of tube TVs

and not that it matters but had to pick up a 4th XBOX to make 'full' use of one of the new TVs, debating about XBOX number 5, especially since the 360 is about to come out...

1. The "Model" you have.
Toshiba 42HP95

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Several things. One it had everything that I wanted in a plasma: internal HD, cablecard, TV Guide, media slots, PIP/Split Screen, ability to connect to external DVR. Plus I saw it several times in a few stores and the picture quality looked fantastic.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Aside from the picture, which looks great, I have to say the sound of the internal speakers, they really are good and create a mock theater sound.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
That it's not 50" :rolleyes:

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Only thing I can say is something that the Toshiba 42hpx95 model has and that is networking ability to stream MP3 and pictures from networked PC's

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Update your damn site and warranty cards, not only isn't the model listed online but on the warrenty card they only give 10 spaces for the serial number and this one has 11 digits! Also, get the word out about this thing!

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How decent SD looked on it.

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.
A little hard to tell, probably not. The last TV I bought before this cost $400 and has lasted me 14 years so far. But for what you get with these TV's it's easier to justify.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Just because this plasma isn't a Panasonic or a Pioneer, don't just shrug it off.

-Jody

1. Model. Fujitsu 50 inch (40US)

2. Picture Quality

3. Great picture. Great looks. Wife likes it.

4. None

5. 1080p

6. Make it 1080p

7. SD looked better than I expected

8. None

9. Still too expensive

10. If you are still thinking about getting HD, go for it. You won't regret it.

1. The "Model" you have.
Maxent MX-42x3

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price/Picture

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
picture quality, rs232 remote control via hyperterminal

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The built in side speakers

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Removable speakers or bottom mounted speakers

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.
The wife actually liked it!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
The color was off slightly on the HDMI input(red push). Adjusting the tint control helped but wasn't the proper solution. This panel has a rs232 service port so I was
able to adjust the RGB gain/bias values individually and correct the problem myself.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
The price/performance ratio is certainly getting better all the time. This particular set was the first one to meet my "worth it" criteria.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Plasma + MCE2005 + 10 OTA stations = A lot of digital entertainment without the monthly bill.
-Phil

Panny THP50HDUK delivered this afternoon from VA. Can't wait to hook it up. :D

My 50PHD8UK arrived this morning. Measured everything for the peerless tilt mount and had it mounted up by dinner time. Fired it up and no dead pixels, no buzzing (knock on wood) and one hell of a gorgeous picture. I cranked down the picture and bright levels to -30 and things still look incredible. My wife and I have been playing through our Pixar library for testing and break-in. Coupled with the new Jamo built-ins we installed we'll never need to go to the movies again.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
picture and price

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
picture quality

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

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
That it came having already been through the 100 hour break-in, DVI/HDMI blade stock.

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 easy it was to mount and that I actually wasn't dreaming when I fired it up.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Nothing as of yet...knock on wood.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, how can you argue with a brand-new generation 50" display with such deep tweaking options for $2900?

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
None at this time.

Should be here in a week. I just got a standard Sanus wall mout with it.

I guess half of the battle is over. Now I have more research on calibration Discs, and a good DVD player.

Finnally gonna have to break down and order the digital cable too...

I just had to make a post cause I was excited.

Thanks to the forum for all the (too much sometimes) information!

I'm thinkin about the same one, it is on sale at CC until tomorrow.....

I'm thinkin about the same one, it is on sale at CC until tomorrow.....
I've been watching prices for a while now. Every TV is on sale at CC off and on all the time. If not on sale, or if on sale for (say) 5% off, you can usually just ask for 10% off. This may not apply for some scarce models, but right now it's a good rule of thumb.

I'm not saying don't buy it if you want it, just don't feel pressured into buying it now if you are not sure you are ready.

Panny 50PX50U. Had it almost a month now.

1. Model-Panasonic 50PX50U

2. Why this make and model-Panny reputation for PQ and black level. Almost went commercial but couldnt' risk the online purchase, liked the deal I got on the consumer, was happy with the consumer model overall so why risk it?

3. What do you like best about it and why- had a rptv lcd before, the blacks on the plasma just make a world of difference. Didn't know what I was missing. Didn't know how much I missed the direct view look.

4. What you don't like about it-Can't stretch HD material as others have said. Burn-in worries me just a little. I know, I know.

5. What would you change-see above, also would like two DVI/HDMI inputs, also would like better adjustability through user menu

6. same

7. What was your biggest surprise after receiving your plasma-it took me a bit to become accustomed to the decreased light output compared to lcd rptv.

8. What problems or issues have you had with your plasma-dithering noise is sometimes visible in dark/red backgrounds. This is inherent to the technology and not a particular issue with my model. LCD doesn't have this, but overall I prefer plasma.

9. Do you really think today's prices are worth it-yes, with the recent price drops, it's now a good value. 6 months ago-no.

10. Additional info: it is not the perfect display. That doesn't exist currently. Don't expect it to be so and you won't be dissappointed. I think overall it is the best display, however.

1. Fujitsu P55/30.

2. Wanted something bigger than a 50".

3. PQ and size.

4. Can't stretch HD material.

5. Ability to stretch HD and a second DVI input.

6. See #5.

7. Worried about black levels but after a calibration the black level is better than expected.

8. None.

9. I think "worth it" is subjective. It was worth it for me so I went for it although it is quite expensive for a TV.

10. The 55" really makes a nice theatre like experience. The CR spec on this model is misleading. It has more than enough Contrast.

Ordered Panasonic th50phd8uk. Need advice on break-in of my plasma. Where I can find a ty-fb8hm board? New member.

1. Model: Dell w4200

2. Reason: Price / # of inputs

3. Like: Price

4. Don't Like: Some darker scenes are grainy

5. Features wish it had: None, it's loaded

6. Manufac suggestions: work on the darks

7. Surprise: It works fine (see other forums bashing this unit)

8. Problems / Issues: The DVI input has had problem with exagerated zoom (may be the E* receiver, still troubleshooting).

9. Price Worth it: Definetly - Great Value

10. Additional Info: This panel not for the videophile but for us everyday joes, it's a good tv if you buy it with your eyes open. (read other forums!!)

Ordered Panasonic th50phd8uk. Need advice on break-in of my plasma. Where I can find a ty-fb8hm board? New member.You guys are supposed to post in this thread after you get your new plasma, and fill out the questionnaire and this is getting off-topic. Once you get your new plasma, go back to your post and edit it with your information :)

Ok

1. Fujitsu P42VHA40US
2. HD/nonHD performance, build quality, size in relationship to room that it's installed.
3. picture performance. 3yr. in-home warranty from manufacturer.
4. manufacturer's optional speakers are mediocre.
5. multiple HDMI inputs.
6. additional HDMI inputs.
7. TV's always look smaller in a showroom than when you bring it home!
8. none so far.
9. subjective question. I say Absolutely.
10. All great toys. Don't skimp on the audio performance with your new plasma!

1. Model: Dell W4200ED

2. Reasons: Price (Dell promotions plus stackable coupons), picture, features, service/return policy, looks.

3. Like Best: Picture quality

4. Don't Like: All the warnings in the manual about burn-in not covered my warranty. Remote control works only when pointed directly at TV.

5. Features wish it had: Option to get wall mount or table stand.

6. Manufact. suggestions: Increase the remote control angle of operation.

7. Surprise: How easy it was to setup and use without even reading the manual.

8. Problems / Issues: One of the two covers that go over the hole after removing the table stand would not stay in place. It's not visible, but disappointing nonetheless.

9. Price Worth it: Definitely - Great Value

10. Additional Info: I like the fact that this TV is sold directly from Dell, eliminating the middleman markups. The built-in dual NTSC turners is a nice feature.

1. Model: Panasonic 42PHD8UK
2. Reasons: Price (VA is incredible), Picture Quality, & Features
3. Like Best: Picture quality
4. Don't Like: All the commotion & worry about image burn-in
5. Features wish it had: Better choice of standard input options
6. Manufact. suggestions: Make all 4 slots interchangable
7. Surprise: How easy it was to mount & install (Sanus VMPL2 wall mount)
8. Problems / Issues: None at all
9. Price Worth it: Yes, with the VA price, I couldn't afford not to buy it.
10. Additional Info: Running DVI from Dish 811 @ 1080i w/ HD Pak to DVI blade and the picture quality is absolutely breathtaking. SD is very good too but I can only watch HD now. Neighbors come over to watch and they can't stop watching it.

1.) th-50px500u sept17 2005
2.)Price and Specs!!!
3.)PQ(picture quality) of course
4.)no pip with hdmi input;only one hdmi input;remote seems slow to react; entire tv is slightly slower than expected to process change of channel (HD channels only) or react to remote. TV guide is useless too me.
5.)two real tuners, for pip only; and maybe it's me, but watching dvd's in wide screen formate still gives letter boxing. According to the manual, I should zoom these away. This ensures distortion of the picture. Help if there is a cure.
6.)Not qualified to advise a manufacturer
7.)overall case!!! It looked much better than all the pictures on the internet. When you peel the protective film off the outside edge, it looks more like the real expensive set's. Way better than the 50u. And of course pq
8.)again, slow process time which by the way could be the cable box instead of the TV. Other than that NONE so far.
9.)Yes, for me it was a fair price through panasonic. In two years I'm sure I'll be embarrassed to tell someone what I paid, but look at all the enjoyment I would have missed.
10.)I owned a panasonic (high-end) CRT I bought when I worked at circuit city 11 years ago. To this day this crt tv beats any I've seen. I'm typically a Sony buyer 1st until convinced other wise. Don't be this way!! Brand Loyalty makes you feel like your part of a team when your not. Buy the best product for you (PERIOD). Too me picture quality is 1st and for most. I bought a tv to watch ballgames and movies, not to scan through cool menu's. I believe this is the best quality picture for the money. Possibly at any price. Navin Johnson ignorance breeds anger

For full review and pictures, go to:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6323993&&#post6323993

Bruce Sprague

1. "Model" - Panasonic TH-42PX500U

2. this particular "Model" - HD 42 inch - Brilliant accuracy & clarity; size fits exactly across room corner (on a stand)

3. like best - Sharpness of picture; ease of handling multiple sources

4. don't like - Only one HDMI input

5. "Feature(s)" you wish - SEVERAL HDMI inputs

6. advice to the "Manufacturer" - Provide much better remote ctl support for related HT equipment

7. biggest "Surprise" - (1) The days it took to balance all the options for an optimal picture quality; (2) the weeks it has taken to set up the full HT infrastructure surrounding the plasma

8. "Problems or Issues" - The remote control is outstanding, but not set up to support PVRs or DVRs

9. todays "Prices" - well worth it - when you get a deal

10. additional information - (1) our stand for the 42 inch plasma has a cable management system in its rear leg; this is absolutely indispensable for the vast array of cables
(2) use only fiber optics for connection of the Dolby sound; the difference is tremendous
(3) consider using quad shielded coax throughout the system; there are so many power lines running in close proximity to the coax segments, the upgrade is probably worth it (but I cannot prove that)
(4) although the cablecard slot in the TV sounded valuable, in practice, the best arrangement has been to use a DVR with a cablecard slot, so that a STB can be used to provide viewing of all channels independent of the DVR's recording activities
(5)... you can see most of my set up from my profile, send me an e-mail if you have specific questions ...

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 50PHD8UK commercial model.


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

Geek/Tweak Factor, price (don't want to pay for features I won't use).


3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture Quality.

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

Nothing.

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

1080p.

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

Not one.


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

Just how good the picture was "out of the box" and how much better it was after tweaking. Waiting 6 months for "break-in" for professional calibration.


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

Not one.


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

Yes. I remember buying my first Sony 20" Trinitron in 1990 for a little under $1000. Now i can get a 50" Panny Plasma HDTV for $5000 MSRP, sounds about right.


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

Take your time comparison shopping and buy only what you think looks good and fits your budget.

I just finished the break in period for my Panny TH42PX500U and thought i'd rave about it a bit.

First I find the picture for my DVDs and Xbox are just incredible. Such great Colour and of course the resolution is so choice. I think the realistic colour was what made me decide on the Panny over the Hitachi and Samsung products.

I bought it for the Xbox 360 really. So i'm looking forward to that and I'm glad i went with a plasma over an LCD for this. In my eyes the LCDs were too "projection-y" to play games on.

Anyways I really couldn't be happier with it and now I'm just waiting for November 22nd to roll around. C'Mon! :P

Court.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny 50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I read this board for a year,found it by accident and it was obvious either the Panny or the Pio.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
It looks great ,HD is great, SD is pretty good.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No Dislikes

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
No complaints

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.
How awsome the picture looked ,righ out of the box.

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.
Do your homework,read,read and read again. Know your product. Don't buy cheap to save $100 bucks, buy from a reputable dealer or local retailer. I love my Plasma !

[I]

FUJITSU P63XHA40US

Recommendation from family member.

Picture is really awesome. Halklife looks great on it.

I like everything about it!

1. Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. The outstanding black levels and the price

3. 50 inch detailed picture

4. You have to aim the remote precisely at the infared receiver port or else it doesn't pick up the command. A small issue though

5. Built in HDMI blade

6. See #4 and #5.

7. How much cables cost

8. None at all

9. Yes. This is a great deal for a 50-inch highly rated plasma.

10. Get one!

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 50PX50u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
The reviews and discussions on this forum.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality for the price (I was also considering the 500u and Pioneer 5060)

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Can't think of anything

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Ability to zoom/stretch/etc. HD signals

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make the tv stand easier to get to when unpacking (see #7 below).

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
That the stand was packaged below the tv (supporting the styrofoam that was supporting the tv itself), and making the unpacking and setup process a bit more difficult for me and my wife.

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, seeing that I got it after the Sept price drops with additional in-store discounts.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I almost went with the 500u, but didn't want to pay the extra $$ for those extra features and the different cabinet/stand. After owning for about 1.5 months, I don't have any regrets about going for the 50u vs. the 500u.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Panasonic quality and research in the stores (BB and CC) and on this forum

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Commerical model has clean look, great picture, good control of display options and picture in picture - watch both ALCS and NLCS at the same time tonight!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
I wouldn't mind a built in speaker, but I prefer the above benefits over this option from the consumer model

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Speaker, but it will be taken care of with bookshelf speakers for the monitor and my other speakers for the receiver

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Allow us to specifically label each input rather than pick from a list - I would like to have more specific labels so when family and others are trying to run the monitor they will have an easier time using it

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The beautiful picture and how much I have enjoyed watching baseball on it

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Right now, the biggest problem is the poor signal of the cable system but it is certainly not the monitor's fault- I'm working on that problem

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, the prices fell to where I am comfortable with my purchase - although it ended up being my wife and my anniversary and christmas present to each other for 2005

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Many thanks to everyone on the forum for thier input and advice.

1. The "Model" you have.
Samsung HP-R4252 - (first one on this thread)

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Salesman - I was looking at a slightly bigger/more expensive LCD (the new Sony A20) - but after watching SD on both TV's (I only get 15 HD channels anyways) - I thought the Plasma was a better view, even though it was smaller - but the fact the salesman owned it was a big ! to me (actually, they owned the ED model, but that little detail reinforced to me the fact that at least he wasn't lying)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
small footprint - thought the size would be too small for me, but I'm cool with it.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
4:3 mode leaves bar retention fast - panorama sucks - having a hard time getting detail out of intense whites/blacks.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
two HDMI inputs - though one and a component will work fine. - I wish it had better SD convertors but I'm running thru coax till I get my HDTV receiver from the cable company, so that may go away.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
leave out the built in cable tuner - no one uses cablecards either if they like on-demand - because I wanted a DVR with my HDTV cable box, I am opting for that for now.

also - get rid of that stupid sliding bottom of the remote that hides a dozen more button, including my fav, the screen type (16:9, 4:3, panorama)

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
that I was able to move it (barely) by myself.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None - slight bar retention on 4:3 mode - it goes away.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, 3K is fine for a good TV I hope to have for years.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Xbox looks great - Only seen a bit of HD content but that looks good - I'd like to find the best calibration guide for it though.

WT

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX50u

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
The picture, and finally being able to get a name-brand HD plasma (I got it in May when they first came out with a 10% Tweeter discount).

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality for the price (I was considering another DLP - I have a Samsung 5065W).

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Can't think of anything

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None. I chose the 50U because of price over the 500U which had more features.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
I can't think of anything.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Nothing

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Who can say? I got it 10% below MSRP. At the time it was good. Now it's much cheaper. Same as any new product. But I have enjoyed it for the past 5 months and I knew that prices would go down later. But I needed (OK, wanted) a TV for my new office and so I went with the best at that time.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
None


Rich N.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH50PX500U. Picked it up tonight from Ultimate Electronics in Edina, MN. I originally purchased the set one month ago, only then finding out about the apparent nationwide shortage of these sets and subsequent backorder. But after 10+ months of researching (mainly DLP and LCOS RPTV's) I finally had my mind made up, so I decided to wait it out. Looking at it right now, i'm glad I did.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Mainly my own eyes, but also the price point to perceived quality, and of course discussion on this forum.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
That it's finally here! Well that, and I'm watching PBS HD right now and it's blowing my mind. I've barely touched the settings yet, either.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
The month of excruciating waiting to get it.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Nothing I can think of at the moment, I consider it pretty full-featured.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Start cranking these babies out! People waiting months on end for a big ticket product they desperately want to buy is bad news, I have no doubt Panny is losing customers over this.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
No surprises so far, looks gorgeous.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet, but it's only been on for an hour.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
If I didn't, I wouldn't have bought it. Versus any 50" RPTV, it was a no contest for me... mainly due to viewing angle and overall picture quality.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
I'll update this post after I get to spend some more time with the set. Right now, I couldn't be happier.

Cheers to all you guys for being an amazing resource.

1. Hitachi 55HDS52

2. PQ, features, design, # of inputs, screen size (big difference between 50" and 55"), price was comparable to 500U.

3. 55" display. Watching this plasma from 9' away is amazing.

4. No external media box.

5. External media box.

6. Bring back the media box. Hitachi needs to work on their distribution. Not too many B&M stores carry their plasmas.

7. It looked big in the store but it looks HUGE on my living room wall.

8. None-picked it up last night.

9. I got it $1300 below MSRP. Price was less than my 2nd choice (pio 5060). Previous TV was a 27" CRT I bought for $300 seven years ago. "Worth it" is a subjective term. If plasma prices drop 50% in the next 6 months (not likely) then today's price seems expensive. But I subscribe to the "life's too short" mentality. I feel I got a good price and the enjoyment I will get from my new TV is hard to put a pice tag on.

10. None.

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 1130 (50")

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

Read a lot on this forum and viewed sets at local B&M's. It ultimately came down to a Panny or Pio. My local AV specialty shop where I've purchased many Audio products, only carried the Pio. I received a trade-in on some speakers from them and that made the decision to get a Pio from them an easy one.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Crisp rendering, 3-D like effect. Real "wow" factor when you're watching hi-def content.

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

Bigger is always better. Would like to see 55" to 60" available in same quality and lower price point. We're probably a couple of years away from that.

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

None that I can think of. This model has lots of bells and whistles. Dual HDMI inputs, RF Remote, ability to remove speakers, etc. Lots of flexibility in terms of how you want to configure and features you want to see.

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

Keep driving prices down.

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

This was my first HD experience. Biggest surprise is how little HD content there is after 4 years of having this technology introduced and only 3 years from elimination of Analog. Local PBS and Fox stations provide best OTA HD content. And I picked up about 5 HDTV channels on premium D*TV package. SD content looks so washed out and flat by comparison - never knew what I was missing.

Also black levels are incredible. I kept reading that this manufacturer's plasmas did not have good black levels. It may have been true about earlier generations, but certainly not an issue with current generation.

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.

Without the trade-in, I could not have afforded this model. Once price point gets to $3,000 with this type of quality - sales will go through the roof.

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

Don't get hung up on waiting for 1080P - there is so little 720P or 1080i content available today, that waiting for 1080P should not really be practical. If you wait another 18 months for 1080P sets to become available and affordable, it will be another 18 to 24 months after that before you start seeing appreciable amounts of 1080P content. Much better to get 720P today at more reasonable price and enjoy for 4 years before you begin to think about getting next latest and greatest, which may not even be Plasma technology at that time.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
The combination of price and performance. It was between this and Pio 4360. I've had 3 DLP tvs and the dark level detail was always a big issue, an area that the Panny excels.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality, especially dark level detail. Watching reference material used on my previous DLP sets showed off this sets capabilities.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Extra HDMI and VGA

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
If you provide a CableCard slot, provide an electronic tv guide of some sort

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The dark level detail. For example, in LOTR, Gandolph and Frodo are talking about Golham in a cave. Previous tv sets showed the background as all black were this set clearly showed the cave walls (same dvd player).

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

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
I've held off on Plasmas due to the price/screen size ratio. However, I didn't pay much for this set over my 23" LCD 1920x1080 monitor so it is hard to complain.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
By with a credit card that doubles the manufacturer's warranty.

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic 42PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Comparison with similar models over the market and extensive reading at AVS as well as Cnet reviews. In the end it was the picture quality as well as value for money over other similarly priced models from Hitachi and Pioneer

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality, hands down. It was my main deciding factor when going in for the Panny.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing as of now

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

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Would prefer an all black model compared to black and silver.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
The picture quality of SD channels was much better than i expected it 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.
I got a good bargain on the Panny even though i bought it from a B&M store. The recent price drops in Panny's has been a big factor for the purchase

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
None as of now.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK

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

After a long time looking at plasma displays, I concluded that Panasonic clearly has the best picture quality. I opted for the commercial model because of the price and clean look. I didn't have to pay for a tuner and speakers that I didn't need or want.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture quality and clean look.

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

Nothing.

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

I wish it came with a stand. I have it mounted on the wall over my fireplace, but who knows if I might want a stand later on. I can get one for about $175, but I would think that including it with the TV would not increase the price by that much.

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

Allow the user to name the inputs rather than choose from a list.

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

A pleasant surprise. I bought the DVI card and someone had told me to expect that there would be an annoying delay while the cable box negotiated with the DVI card, every time I changed channels. Not true.

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

It was not really an issue with the monitor, but I did have to discover that my cable box required some set-up in order to work well with my new display. Luckily, I found a user manual on the web and, with help from Comcast, I got it right. I had to set the aspect ratio to 16:9 and the output to 1080i.

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

Absolutely.

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

I would highly recommend VisualApex, which is where I purchased my display.

Just picked up a Pioneer PDP 5040HD 50"

I previously had the Champion 42" ED. Same as the Panasonic.

The pros.

Going from a 42 to a 50" made more of a difference then I was expecting.
Also going from an ED to HD also made a bigger improvement then I was expecting as well. This really made my day:)

The picture is very smooth and bright. Nice clean image. For me the separate media box works well.

Even though I have listed a few dissapointments below I am still happy with this set.

A few disapoinments.

The Champion/Panasonic had much deeper black level which gave a better depth of field.
The Pioneer cannot touch the blacks of the panny. The Panny also had richer color saturation which was most likely the result of deeper blacks.

Something else I am disappointed in with the Pioneer. The Pioneer does not have any screen saver or orbit. Im scared to death to watch anything 4x3 or hook a PC up to it.
The Panny had a screen saver/orbit built in. It worked great and I watched a lot of 4x3 and never any burn.
This has a little nervous. Anyone with any experience with this set have any advice on this.

Other then that this set offers a bright clean image. Im happy with it. To me the Panny looked nicer. I do not like the look of the silver speakers that are not full height and not flush mounted against the black frame of the Pioneer but you cant have everything. All in all if I were to do it again it would be a 50HD Panny.

Anyone know of a solution for a screen saver.

Thanks!!

well, i've got two Pioneer plasmas and one of them gets 100% use as a display for XBOX games. No burn-in. My other 50" Pioneer plasma also does not have any burn-in. It's not something, quite frankly, that I worry about with the Pioneers. I have seen burn-in on a new Samsung though, but that guy left a dark screen with a white logo up for two hours and had never dialed down the contrast and brightness.

Thanks llogan for the reassurance. Good to hear from someone with gaming hours on one with no trouble.

My percentage breakdown for gaming 90% Madden 2006, 10% Halo 2 :)
The other plasma is 90% used for the XBOX as well and I've had that Pioneer for 3 years now and no burn-in.

... The Pioneer does not have any screen saver or orbit. Im scared to death to watch anything 4x3 or hook a PC up to it.
The Panny had a screen saver/orbit built in. It worked great and I watched a lot of 4x3 and never any burn.
This has a little nervous. Anyone with any experience with this set have any advice on this...!
Check out this Pioneer White Paper (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe/images/portal/cit_3424/273087528Pioneer%20DTV%20White%20Paper%20-%20FINAL.pdf) that deals with image retention, among other things. It should relieve your mind.

Thanks again everyone.

Also, I just entered the SM and was able to rid the slight green cast. This also helped to drop black level another notch. This set is looking gooood:)

1. The "Model" you have.
panasonic th50px50 picked it up at Bernies appliance in Auburn,MA I was going to wait for Tweeter Ect to have a Customer appreciation sale in Nov. ($400 off retail) I would have had to give them a deposit to hold one "if" they got them.
Went to Bernies last Saturday to see their grand opening and see"The Doug Flutie Band" play outside in cold drizzle. They were great by the way! Ended up telling the store manager that I was going to buy one from Tweeter and looked at all the Tv's in HD. He comes over to me after awhile and says we do have one upstairs, so there it was on the wall, he says i'll sell it to you $500 off retail, it's only been here for a week. I said let me give you a deposit and I'll bring the wife back. She thought it was "grainy" but I still convinced her to buy it.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
what I read about the Panasonic's on this forum from others and the "white papers".

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
That the picture is mind blowing in HD and not to bash DLP, but I don't have to change Bulbs at 900-2000 hrs

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

How hard it is to get one, and the fact that when I went back with the wife to buy it, I told manager I didn't want the extended warranty, but I do want a Onkyo tx603 reciever. He comes back and says I will feel very bad if something happens to your plasma after a year and you don't buy the 4 yr warranty ($500) He says I'll sell you the $3** reciever for $150 if you buy it, I said throw it in for free, he says I can't do that, how about $100. I said ok (thought to myself, I was gonna buy it anyway). So I rationalized it by getting the warranty for $300.

Also wish It didn't have the speakers on the bottom since I don't need them. Couldn't find the model without them.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Nothing I can think of at the moment, I consider it pretty full-featured.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Make more of these and you will sell them all.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How when watching world series or MNF it looks like I can walk right onto the field

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet, Not sure if being a demo model for one week will adversly affect set, I found it in vivid mode, picture at 16 and sharpness at 15, all others were at 0.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, for me well worth it because I can afford it so I will have it.

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

I picked it up a day after they took it off the dealers wall and they packed it up in plastic and corrugated card. They did not include the remote and power cord, had to go back again to retrieve them. Otherwise I thought I got a good deal for my troubles ( three trips) I have it mounted on a sanus vplm2 at 5 degree tilt, I just have to run the wires thru the wall on saturday and then and only then will I post the pictures!

Thanks for reading this , Scott

Finally pulled the trigger on a new Panny 37PX-50U today and ended up getting a SUPER deal! BB had a 12% off (Friends & Family) coupon so that was 300.00 off retail to start with. Their 'rewards program' (cost me 10.00 to join) totaled another 75.00 worth of in store credit. And to top it all off .... when we rang it up at the register, up popped another 200.00 'BB Gift card rebate!!! :eek: Even the sales rep wasn't aware of that one. Needless to say I was a pretty happy camper. I pick the set up Tuesday , can't wait! :)

Where are you located?

What did it cost after all that?

I'm considering that one as well. Where do you get the BB coupon?

Thanks,
Frank

OK! Your Plasma! You Tell Me! Got a new one? post it here

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

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.
>Maxent MX-42X3

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
>has best specs in my price range (i.e., cheap; and I could go to the store and see it before buying...)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
>so far, the picture. This is my first plasma. HD is sweet!

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
>the Picture in Picture feature only works via the HDMI cable. I'm using component from my set top box.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
>this one is fine apart from the PiP thing I just mentioned

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
>Keep it the way it is, maybe drop the price some.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
>I thought the picture was messed up until I found that the cable guy had plugged the "red" component lead into an audio jack. Once I fixed that the color's been great!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
>well, that installation problem, but not much else. There is a distinct flashing or flicker issue when you first power on the monitor, but after a few minutes it goes away. I've ordered a wall mount so we'll see how that goes when I install it. Other than that, no major issues as of yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
>Compared to other units, the price was good. I try not to think about having spent $1800 for a tv. No, I don't think the price is worth it.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
>I looked around for a while trying to find the best plasma HD tv for me. Units with built in tuners are much more expensive than "HD ready monitors" like this one, for no reasone since 9 times out of 10 you don't use the tv's tuner. So, if your looking at this tv but are concerned with its "no name" status, I am happy with my purchase so far.

Thanks.

Dave

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

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

Spent the better part of 2005 comparing models and watching prices drop. Best picture came down to Panasonic and Pioneer; I like the Panasonic's superior definition and sharpness (plus they cost a lot less). Picked the commercial unit because I didn't need speakers or a tuner, and was able to get picture-in-picture at my price point (the 500U was too expensive). Besides which, the consumer versions have that ugly silver bezel. Went with a 50" because it seemed like a waste of effort to upgrade from a 35" CRT to a 42" flat panel. Went with plasma because I've never liked projection screens.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Its FRIGGIN' HUGE screen, flawless picture, small footprint, and flexibility.

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

It still cost too much! ;-)

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

Be nice to be able to change aspect in HDMI (optional blade added).

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

Make the P-in-P source selection more intuitive. Label the inputs so that they can be more easily read once the screen is mounted (almost impossible to read once the screen is up). "Panasonic Auto" aspect mode via the S-video port is inconsistent when watching Laserdiscs (obviously, this is not a major consideration for most people, but it bugs me).

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

Heavier and harder to move than I'd anticipated. Packaging was excellent, though, very well protected and easy to unpack. No tools needed, not even a box cutter. SD looks better than I'd expected, particularly through component inputs, but only in "Normal" mode. "Full" and "Just" are too grainy and/or distorted.

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

None worth mentioning, other than me being too dumb to figure out I needed to change my DVD player's settings from 4:3 to 16:9. Discs look much better now!

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

If I didn't, I wouldn't have bought it. Took a good five years to get down to my price point, though.

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

If you buy one of these and an optional blade (i.e. HDMI or DVI), install the blade BEFORE hanging the screen on the wall. Once the screen is mounted, getting a cover plate off and blade on is a major PITA.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panny TH-50PX50U

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

Reviews, experiences reported on AVS Forum. Wanted to make the leap to a model that would be relevant for years to come. Price was great, around 3K with free shipping (EPP purchase direct from Panasonic).

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

PQ is great, of course. Also like the versatile video connection options.

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

Boy, unboxing and setting up this thing made me nervous. It's just so large that I felt it would slip from my hands at any moment.

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

Two HDMI ports would make this more useful in coming years.
Better handholds would make setup much easier, safer, and less nerve-wracking.
Add more options to the "Input labels" menu (like PC, HTPC, CAM, SAT) and alphabetize them. An option to type in custom labels would be ideal.

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

Keep making great products.

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

I am amazed at how well this set handles legacy video inputs. Playback from my 1997 VCR over composite looks clearer than I could imagine, and my non-progressive Toshiba SD-2300 DVD player looks amazing over component.

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

I ordered from Panasonic's EPP store using standard delivery, which meant it should have been delivered into my house. Instead, I had to be called home because the shipping company only sent one person out to my house and he couldn't move it alone.

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

Yes. Prices will always come down, but right now is a good time to make the leap.

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

I think I've covered everything. I'm quite happy with this set.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panasonic 42-PWD8UK

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

Board reviews, value, the simple look and tweakability of the commercial model over the consumer one.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HD picture is pretty damn solid, nearly as good as any I have seen on HD models save for one or two.

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

I don't think this applies to my plasma in particular but rather plasmas in general...I haven't figured out, even after all the research on this board, how to achieve an acceptible SD picture. I should note here that I have been fortunate to have had an amazing SD picture (pq) with my old panasonic 1st generation super flat crt (since 1992).

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

cable card

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

stretch option for non HD programming being broadcast with black/grey/other bars on HD channels

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

I did an extensive amount of research before buying the panel so I really wasn't surprised by anything in particular with respect to performance. I do like the minimalist look and space saved by having a flat panle mounted on the wall though.

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

Two pixels in the center of the screen seem to be dead or malfunctioning. It is incredibly hard to notice unless there is a zoomed in still image on a bright background (and even then most people probably wouldn't notice). This issue is currently being resolved, i hope, by visula apex.

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

I think the value is there, yes.

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

I really wanted the 50" PHD8UK (HD instead of my ED) but I couldn't justify spending over twice as much at the current time with the limited amount of HD programming as well as my limited budget. However, now I spend most of my time watching HD (because it looks so, so much better than SD) so I would really love to have seen how good the 50" HD unit looked.

Just joined the plasma club - when do I get my matching jacket?

1. The "Model" you have.
Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK. Bought it from Newegg. I have dealt with them for years (almost exclusively buying computer components) and found the price (which has recently gone up) and shipping very reasonable. Shipped the same day it was ordered.

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Reviews and comments from other people. I had never seen the commercial model in action but had seen the consumer version several times and had been very impressed. Figured same glass and electronics, so why not? Also, couldn't stand the silver accent on the consumer model.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Ummm, it's mine - get away from it.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
It's not legal in my state to become married to an object. However, it is legal to marry someone you objectify.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
In-home warranty. Hope I won't need it because it will be h*ll to carry in.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
None, I actually was so impressed, I bought stock in the parent company (seriously - following Warren Buffet's "buy what you know" theory).

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
That 50" is over four feet. :p

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet (knock on wood, thany you merciful god...)

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Pretty close. A fully loaded (HDMI and DVI carded 8UK, with stand, shipped) is still mid-three large. I think if they can break 3 large for this package, it is more than fair.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
If you get one, remind yourself to blink every hour or so...

Seriously, search these pages for help with the initial settings. They are not gosphel, but rather a good starting place.

BTW, thank you to all the contributors and adminstrators of this board. You are an immense help to all of us who are behind on the learning curve. Every post is appreciated.

1. The "Model" you have.

Panny TH-42PX500U

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

General concensus that Panny makes a good value, inputs on the 500 vs the 50, look of the consumer vs the commercial model, and price.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture quality

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

Remote is a bit awkward, cables are hard to reach while wall-mounted. (I have huge hamfists, luckily my wife has dainty hands.)

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

Service menu

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

Include a way to have the remote control all functions of your branded surround-sound systems/dvd players.

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

How much my wife liked it.

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

It sometimes comes up with a screen that appears to want me to upgrade the firmware. Haven't taken the time to fully investigate.

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

The prices for the plasma itself is worth it. Once you start adding all the additional componants, mounts, warranties, cables, A/C filters, etc it is slightly less worth it.

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

1. The "Model" you have.

Pioneer 50A5

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

Tried 2 other plasmas, didn't like-- Pioneer looked great, great features and Costco warranty

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

Picture quality

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

No true split screen(full screen), remote not backlit

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

True split screen

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.

It is actually lighter in weight than the 2 42" screens I had prior.

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

None

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

Yes, unbelievable picture and should last for a long time.

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

1. Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK

2. I wanted to replace the 50" projection TV that was struck by lightning in 1987, and a very nice price from TV Authority

3. Everything looks better then my CRT TV, that includes analog and digital satellite channels.

4. I can't zoom HD.

5. See #4.

6. See #4

7. Analog and digital channels look MUCH better then I had read about on AVS Forum, but that could be because of the signal source I use.

8. None.

9. I think that todays prices make the model I bought quite affordable.

10. DON'T wait for the price to drop, or new "advancements" in picture resolution to come about. If you can afford a plasma buy it, and enjoy it now.

I recently purchased a Pioneer PDP-6100HD 61" plasma display. I examined a large number of displays and fell in love with the Pioneer color and clarity. The 61" Elite was too pricey. I went with the PDP 6100 on the recommendation of a web supplier. I'm very happy with it. The display color and clarity seem identical to that of the Elite display that I auditioned in a store. The price was right at about $6800. Still steep, but a lot less than the best price I could get on the Elite. So far, the only thing I miss is the glossy black frame. The 6100 has a black frame, but it's a dull finish. I'm using it with a Direct TV HD satellite dish/tuner and a Pioneer Elite surround sound receiver. I'm using an older (ten yers?) Sony five-disc DVD player but in the market for a new one. I have four Polk towers in the corners, the two fronts have powered subwoofers, a ten-inch subwoofer, and a Polk center speaker.

I had spent quite a few hours reading about various tv's. The Sony SXRD seemed to be the one, but then I read more reviews from you guys about the plasmas out there. Went to Costco last week and compared the Pioneer plasma to the Vizio plasma. Thought the pictures quality was very close. Since the Pioneer cost about 50% more, I bought the Vizio. We could not be more pleased. You guys are right, there really is something incredible about the hd image on the plasma. My thanks to everyone for your candid advice. My pixels are fine, but I'm stuck on plasma! :)

Installed over fireplace in den of new house, all wiring completely hidden inwall with all components in wiring / AV closet located about 20 feet away. Used Buffalo IR repeater equip, Polk in-wall speakers, Denon receiver handling component switching and sound. Using Time Warner HD DVR box to handling tuning, aspect ratio switching, etc. Inputs are via component, all sound thru Denon.

I researched and this decision for months prior to new house being completed. Didn't want to spend a lot as I plan to install Sanyo Z4 projector in bonus for home theater and wanted the best overal value and a custom installation look for the den. My viewing distances are 9 feet at closest position to 13-14 feet at main couch. My biggest concern was going ED and I really wanted it to work out so I could invest extra $ in projector. Many posters said that beyond 8 feet or so, the pixelation was not visible and HD would look just about as good w/ the Panny ED.

Well, I am absolutely thrilled w/ the picture quality and for me, past around 9 feet I can't see any practical difference over HD. (I work part time doing audio mixing for television in a commerical digital broadcast studio, so I know a little bit)
If I was in a apartment or viewed at 9 feet or less, I'd definitely go HD, but for me it worked out great.

After hearing all kinds of stories about SD quality, I am also very surprised at SD quality when tuning from non-HD channels. There may be something to ED sets having a edge here, not qualified to say, but the combination of the TWC HD DVR and this plasma via component is displaying SD very well. (I previously had a rear proj HD tv, this set is far outperforming it on SD w/ the same cable DVR) Just this morning I turned it on, and I had to check the channel as I was blown away by the SD quality, and I was tuned to a low # standard def channel. (albeit digital)

Also, like many posters have noted, your visiting friends, unless they walk up very close to the set will think it's a HD set when displaying HD. The colors and contrast on plasma are amazing and smooth compared to my previous Toshiba HiDef RPTV.


Used Omnimount U3 Tilt Mount, was very easy to install, very clean look compared to Peerless, and I really like the large pass thru's in the middle of the mount to pass cables thru.

At I live in Charlotte NC, I ordered thru DVDCiity which is in Atlanta GA. Didn't feel like shipping the TV across the country and a friend had used them. Even being close by, the delivery turnaround was great as I had the set in my house in two days. Well packed, tilt indicator a nice benefit, no issues. Used "curb" delivery and driver helped carry to my garage, about 20 feet, so no need to pay extra for inside delivery.

Finally, my wife is totally thrilled w/ how the commerical set looks. The thin black bezel design and in my case w/ inwall speakers and totally hidden components, has a very neat custom install look. The Panny ED silver consumer model would have been horrible looking compared to the PWD8UK.

Hope this review helps anyone in same position.

I just bought the TH-42PHD8UK.... I love it...

Hooked it up with HDMI to the Directivo... HD is simply amazing..
even the regular channels are very nice as well.... but the HD.. OMG !! :D :D :D

I set it up with 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

Going from a 13 year old Mits. 35" Tube to the TH-42PHD8UK is simply an exilirating move.
Purchased from PcConnection and the Service was Spotless, ordered on thursday, and I got my TV on monday. They were fantasic !!!!!!
Thank you PcConnection, seamless transaction, I couldn't be more happy!!!!!

Originally ordered from Buy.com, as they showed they had it in stock, but then they emailed my they didn't.... :(

Got a Pedestal Stand off Ebay, for $5.50 and $30. shipping... Can't Beat That.

CONS: I love this product, other then I can't stretch image unless source is 480p, but I knew that before I got the TV, and I can live with it...

I bought the Hitachi HDM12 42" Plasma last week. The price is really what won me over. For a while, i thought i was going to get the 42PD50U. But i was not content getting EDTV. I did have to sacrifce some things with the Hitachi. Most notably, the absence of tuners and very limited inputs. But with digitial cable with HD signal, i have no need for tuners.

So far i love this TV. Great picture, especially when watching HD picture. Can't wait to play xbox 360 on this baby in a couple weeks.

Just pulled the trigger on the Vizio 50" plasma at Coscto. Was all set to get the Panny 50 when this thing caught my eye, and the price difference was enough to get SWMBO a new mop & snow shovel, plus a few dinners out.

Purchased the Enhanced Definition Plasma "VIORE" from WALMART on Black Friday for less than a grand. Never seen or heard of the brand before....relied on owner comments made by posters here at AVS. Extremely surprise with the picture quality.... DIRECTV-HTL via DVI, XBOX via component. My father bought one...... connected via standard DIRECTV S-Video and again great picture quality. I recommend this unit without any reservation.....for the price.

Happy Holidays!

HI everybody,

Just wanted to brag about my new TH50PHD8UK! Got it on Wednesday just in time for Thanksgiving. (Thanks to great service from DTVCity-- Absolutely superb experience with them!)

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

I have been researching this for several months, reading, watching, and learning. I knew that I didn't need speakers or tuner, so that helped. I especially like that it has a VERY simple black bezel and a relatively small logo. Critical for satisfying my designer wife! As it was, she was a bit pissed that I got a 50 rather than the 42, but now that she sees it set up and in operation, she LOVES it! (Gulp, Phew!)

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

We weren't feeding our 36"XBR Sony Tube an HD signal (no cable box), so actually seeing HD from the TW SA8300HD box in the house for the first time has been super fun! I really didn't know what we've been missing... Anybody know of someone in San Diego that wants a perfect 36"XBR Sony Tube?

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

I have a hard time picking on this purchase, but if there was one thing, it would be that I am supposed to save the GIGANTOR shipping boxes. Arrgh, getting those to fit into the garage and out of the way of the cars took a bit of doing, and it cost me at least 2 hours of TV viewing time!

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

Hmmm, I think its got what I need...

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

Do your best to dispel the notion that these devices are so delicate!

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

The ease with which we could watch it in a rather bright room. Originally, I was quite concerned about the light levels and reflections making it difficult to see however, happily, even with the brightness and contrast dialed down for "break-in" it is quite watchable!

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

Not really a problem or issue with the Plasma, but we have been struggling about exactly where we will hide the cable box, reciever, DVD etc... We found a beautiful articulated arm to mount it on, but I think we will have to do some additional blocking in the wall to support the beast, lest it pull the house down! For now it is set up on a low castered table, and it looks great!

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

Considering that I paid $2500 for the SONY XBR 36" Tube in 2001 and I paid only $750 more than that for a 50" PDP (including HDMI and DVI blades) last week, Yes, no doubt about it. It seems like a big jump in screen size and technology for the money.

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

Don't sit on the fence forever waiting for the next big thing, get what you can now and start enjoying it!

Regards,
Marty

Just bought LG DU-42PY10X