I have to decide between the RUNCO 65" HD (XP-65DHD) model and the Vidikron 65" HD (VP-6500VHD) model for my media room within the next week. I recently saw both screens at the CEDIA show in London. My (basic) understanding is that the panels are the same but that the processors are different. It was very hard for me to evaluate the screens as neither had been properly calibrated and the Runco screen was only showing animation while I was there (Bugs Life). If I had to take the plunge on the spot the Vidikron seemed a little more impressive but like I said, it was very hard to tell which was better at the show.

Does anyone have a view on which one i should purchase? Does anyone own either product and can give me any information that could help me decide between the two? As I mentioned, the plasma is intended for my media room where it will be used to display a variety of fifferent source material (SKY HD satellite, HD DVD (Toshiba), Blue Ray (Pioneer), DVD (Meridian), and VHS (Sony).

Any help that you can provide me would be GREATLY appreciated as although I have a strong background in audio I am not very well versed in the video side of things.

Many thanks in advance for your kind help.

Runco bought Vidikron a few years ago, and Runco just got sold recently. I don' t know if the chassis are the same between the two companies, but at least the companies are related...

go to the plasma forum here and you will get far better advice as well as suggestions for ones that may be objectively better.

The Fujitsu AVIAMO 65" rules the category by a good percentage, look into it.

thanks for the replies.

I will start a thread on the plasma forum as you suggest. thanks.

As far as the Fujitsu is concerned, I just got off the phone with Fujitsu in the UK. They will be selling the 37" LCD and the 65" plasma models in the UK but they are on an order only basis. No retailers will be carying the Aviamo range in the UK. The lead time for orders placed now in the UK is curently running at 8 to 10 weeks. This is too long for my purposes. Its a shame I did not see this product at CEDIA as they had a 65" model there and the price is WAY lower than either the Vidikron or the Runco here in the UK (US$24k for the Fujitsu versus US$31k for the Vidikron and US$38k for the Runco).

I saw them the same day in March and there was no comparison. Search for fujitsu posts from me where I explain why having a computer doing not inly the scaling but controlling the electromechanical functions of the plasma at the same time provides a superior image not achievable by asics, and cetainly not by external scalers.

This is a no brainer, fly to New York to see it, or just take my word , it is in another league, it is built from the ground up not putting together a plasma from someone with a scaler from someone else.

The fact that neither the Runco nor the Vidikrons video controller can perform any of the purge pulse and dischrge pulse control of the phosphors means that the siganl is not as well controlled, when you want black with the runco the scaler sends a 0ire command, the fujitsu does that, but also purges the phophor ignition to achieve it qucker and nimbly.

I don't claim to know much about VAT on an item in this price range but wouldn't our friend Lepin be doing himself a huge favor by shopping in a market other than the UK's for this? Asia comes to mind.

Kind of reminds me of the old gray market European autos that made there way stateside.

Just curious, wonder how the Panasonic Pro TH65PF9UK and the latest & greatest scaling by Lumagen would compare to the Fujitsu. What does it cost (the TH65) in the UK?

you are quite right with regards to the large price differences between the UK and other regions for these units (as well as other AV equiment). However, the problem with a grey market item is service. if i were to import a unit from outside the UK and something was to go wrong I doubt I would receive much, if any, local support from the UK distributor. There is also the issue of the foreign models being NTSC only and the UK being a PAL based territory. lastly, there is the issue of power...I could add a transformer but these introduce other potential problems. I have, for some time now, resigned myself to having to pay the "wrong" price for equipment in the UK.

So fly to the US or Hong Kong ( assuming you do not have close friends in either spot) & send back two Fujitsus or Panny Pro 65's as gifts. Hong Kong & Japan can't be NTSC standard?? Would'nt the input blade be the determining factor?

Screw the blade, input everything in analog RGBHV with an HD-Fury to rid Hdcp/DRM.

One sits in reserve in case of a failure, still cost effective.

I would order the Fujitsu Aviamo and buy a Panasonic as a temporary stand-in screen. Sell the Panasonic or trade it when the Aviamo arrives.

Lepin: Not sure how you missed the big Aviamo stand with the Formula 1 car at Cedia London!

I will probably get an Aviamo or the 103 Panasonic.

The prices of the plasmas are not the problem, it's the 2000 USD per sq foot prices of property in central London :)

Thank you all for your kind comments and assistance.

Cyril, I'm very upset that it missed the Fujitsu stand at CEDIA! However, I only had two hours and had previously scheduled meetings with reps at certain stands. By the time the last meeting was over I was already late so I had to leave right away. By all accounts the Aviamo would appear to be a great product but alas I had set a deadline by which to buy my main viewing screen and did not want to push it back. I find that in the AV field there is always something better around the corner.

I bought the Runco 65" plasma yesterday and hope to have it delivered within the next ten days. There were a variety of reasons that I choose the Runco in the end. Some had to do with service, delivery schedules, and other distributor related matters while others had to do with technology or aesthetics. I came to the conclusion that there was effectively very little between the Vidikron and the Runco from a technology/viewing perspective and thus choose the plasma using "other considerations".

I'll be sure to post again in the next month or so in order to give you all feedback on how the unit is performing.

Have a great day/evening.

Lepin

I have owned the 65" Fujitsu P65FT00AUB for 1.5 months. It is awesome, not just for HD but the scaling of SD and regular DVD's as well.

I don't claim to know much about VAT on an item in this price range but wouldn't our friend Lepin be doing himself a huge favor by shopping in a market other than the UK's for this? Asia comes to mind.

Kind of reminds me of the old gray market European autos that made there way stateside.

Just curious, wonder how the Panasonic Pro TH65PF9UK and the latest & greatest scaling by Lumagen would compare to the Fujitsu. What does it cost (the TH65) in the UK?

Because of Fujitsus internal processing, warranty and build quality I think it is generally considered that a Panasonic + VP is not as good overall and also as a Fujitsu +VP will always be better.

Panasonic +VP is sometimes cheaper and more flexible though.


TH65PF9 is about £4800 or 9,600 USD, the iscan VP50 is £1600 or 3200 USD and Lumagen radiance is not out yet,MSRP £2895, but HDQ is only £1500.

Aviamo 65 in UK is about £11,000 or 22,000 USD
P63xha51ws in UK is about £6000 or 12,000 USD