So I've been looking into getting an HDTV for a couple months now, but the problem is that the more I "research" the more confused I get. I've gotten to the point that I think i am looking at getting a 50" plasma....problem is...I don't know what's good...and what is bad.

One I've kinda been looking at is the Samsung HP-T5064...
found on circuitcitys site...can't post the link yet

is this tv at least a good starting point in my "looking and comparing" stage? what are the pros/cons of this tv or similar samsungs...should I not be looking at samsung for a plasma?

I'm sorry this is all kind of a stupid question...I've just managed to really confuse myself with my search, and I need some direction!

Thanks for the help!

~O'Jay

Try not to obsess over the decision. I was in your shoes a year ago and went with a Panasonic plasma but everyone has their preferences. You pretty much can't go wrong with Pioneer, Panasonic or Samsung plasmas. I promise you will be very happy with any of these brands.

A year ago I was also overwhelmed and got more and more confused the more research I did. I finally just made the decision to get my Panasonic 42px60u. After selecting a model I waited another month or so until the price got to where I wanted, during that waiting time I ceased all research and just felt at peace.

Good luck on your search.

So I've been looking into getting an HDTV for a couple months now, but the problem is that the more I "research" the more confused I get. I've gotten to the point that I think i am looking at getting a 50" plasma....problem is...I don't know what's good...and what is bad.

One I've kinda been looking at is the Samsung HP-T5064...
found on circuitcitys site...can't post the link yet

is this tv at least a good starting point in my "looking and comparing" stage? what are the pros/cons of this tv or similar samsungs...should I not be looking at samsung for a plasma?

I'm sorry this is all kind of a stupid question...I've just managed to really confuse myself with my search, and I need some direction!

Thanks for the help!

~O'Jay

If you don't mind waiting a week, get it from Amazon. No shipping and No Tax.... And a great price...

Try not to obsess over the decision. I was in your shoes a year ago and went with a Panasonic plasma but everyone has their preferences. You pretty much can't go wrong with Pioneer, Panasonic or Samsung plasmas. I promise you will be very happy with any of these brands.

A year ago I was also overwhelmed and got more and more confused the more research I did. I finally just made the decision to get my Panasonic 42px60u. After selecting a model I waited another month or so until the price got to where I wanted, during that waiting time I ceased all research and just felt at peace.

Good luck on your search.

Agreed. Any of those 3 brands will do you good. I was also in that situation too. First figure out what your preferences are in order. Mine was: 1-price; 2-physical looks; 3-PQ; 4-connections; 5-features. Then go visit your local store to check out the sets in person. I had it narrowed down from there: vizio, pani, sammy. Then do all your research from there. The vizio prices were good, wasn't so hot on the looks. Down to the pani and sammy. Could have gone either way since most of everything came close to being equal. The price of the sammy won out.

Don't obsess over every brand, every feature, etc. You'll end up in the crazy house for sure.

So I've been looking into getting an HDTV for a couple months now, but the problem is that the more I "research" the more confused I get. I've gotten to the point that I think i am looking at getting a 50" plasma....problem is...I don't know what's good...and what is bad.
I think the other posters are right, you can't go wrong with Samsung, Pioneer or Panasonic. The last poster suggested some things to consider (price, looks, features, etc). Also consider the glare/reflections and viewing angles. Plasma sets have more glare/reflection problems but have wider viewing angles.

I went with a Panasonic plasma and our living room has thin sheer curtains. The glare is really only a problem for an hour or two in the late afternoon and the only time we're watching TV in the late afternoon is Saturday or Sunday. I appreciate the wide viewing angle, as the set looks great from our couch (which sits at a 90 degree angle to the set).

So I've been looking into getting an HDTV for a couple months now, but the problem is that the more I "research" the more confused I get. I've gotten to the point that I think i am looking at getting a 50" plasma....problem is...I don't know what's good...and what is bad.

One I've kinda been looking at is the Samsung HP-T5064...
found on circuitcitys site...can't post the link yet

is this tv at least a good starting point in my "looking and comparing" stage? what are the pros/cons of this tv or similar samsungs...should I not be looking at samsung for a plasma?

I'm sorry this is all kind of a stupid question...I've just managed to really confuse myself with my search, and I need some direction!

Thanks for the help!

~O'JayMost AVSF members tend to buy Pioneer or Panasonic PDPs. While everything else may cost a little less... you'll be getting what you pay for too.

So I've been looking into getting an HDTV for a couple months now, but the problem is that the more I "research" the more confused I get.
~O'Jay

OK, so you've chosen Plasma over LCD, I assume you know exactly why.

I'm not going to pussyfoot around...if you have controlled lighting IMHO would go with the best price between the Samsung and the Panasonic TH50PX75U.

If there are large windows in your room, or other sources of ambient light (or in the future the TV may be used in such a case), spend a little more than the 75U and get the Panasonic TH50PX77U with its anti-glare screen.

As mentioned above, you aren't going to go "wrong" with Panny, Sammy, or Pio.

As a Samsung HP-S4273, I can confirm that you can't go wrong with a Samsung. If you are looking at HP-T5064, I'm sure it's among the best plasmas you can find. Subtle preferences among the various brands will help you make your final decision.

Ah yeah, I forgot you mentioned the sammy 5064. I have the 5054 and love it. But like I said, I would have probably been happy with the pani too. So get down to your local store. Nothing beats seeing the sets in person. And narrow your choices down, pick one, buy it, and enjoy!

And not to throw another wrench into your decision making, but if you haven't seen the other threads yet, I sit between 6-9 feet from by tv. Perfect. If you're going to be further back, don't rule out going bigger than 50" :D . I probably could have even done a 60" for my viewing distance - if my budget allowed it. But 50" is much much better than my original intention of getting a 42". Whew.

Juicy, what you describe happened to me and lots of others. We came here to AVS or other website with 3 or 4 questions, got them answered, and then had 10 or 15 new ones.

Here's the checklist you should ask yourself BEFORE you start looking at retailers and specific models:

(1) How much money do you want to spend ?

(2) Where is the TV going to be used and thus what size is best for you (also affected by #1) ?

(3) What is the TV going to be primarily used for: SD viewing, SD and HD viewing, SD and HD with lots of sports, SD and HD with sports and DVD's/movies, gaming ?

(4) If lots of movies, are deep-blacks are a priority?

(5) If balanced viewing, then perhaps just excellent (but not THE best) PQ and blacks are OK, and more FEATURES on the set are best ?

When I went through this mental checklist, I narrowed my choices down to the Philips 9631 and the Panasonic 6/60/600 series, with LG/Samsung/Pioneer down the list for various reasons.

In my case, since this was my 1st HDTV and that last 'nth' amount of PQ and blacks were really not critical (I was coming from a 27" CRT and any good HDTV was going to be a quantum leap in performance), I was looking to get extra features. For me, that meant the Ambilight and PixelPlus features of the Philips (as it turned out, the AUTOMATIC stretch feature of the TV has become a since discovered treasure that owners of other sets also have noticed).

Narrow your choices down to 2-3 TV's....then run down the checklist and also read the User Threads for real-world usage (forget about going to a CC or BB and 'comparing' sets; it's as useful as comparing performances of a Corvette and Porsche sitting in a dealer lot).

Good Luck, and needless to say, check out Philips (my choice which has been a dream) and Panasonic. ;)

Excellent recommendations. ;)

Lest we forget the our cable providers draconian DRM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management) policies

Thanks for all of the replies guys!!! You all have really helped.

50 is as big as I can go for the area I have...so that is set. I've really loved what I've seen with the 64 by samsung....so i think i've made my choice....now like others have said, it's time to not worry about it and look forward to my new samsung!

Thanks for all of the replies guys!!! You all have really helped.

50 is as big as I can go for the area I have...so that is set. I've really loved what I've seen with the 64 by samsung....so i think i've made my choice....now like others have said, it's time to not worry about it and look forward to my new samsung!

You'll be among many happy Samsung owners including me.

hehe....one more question...are there no stores that have the 64? last week when I was looking on the net circuitcity had it up...but now it doesn't seem to. (I've been out of town and haven't had a chance to actually head to the stores yet...)