Hello,

I'm looking into the purchase of one of three plasmas, and I would like to know your experience with the anti-glare of each of these (I haven't seen them arrive in stores yet):

1) Pioneer PDP-5080HD
2) Pioneer PDP-4280HD (same screen? ^)
3) Panasonic 42PZ700U

I recently saw a Panasonic 50PX77U in the store and I was highly impressed, I mistook it for an LCD at first, with its nice matte finish!

In my living room, I have some lamps directly in-line behind the TV and it will become very distracting to any viewer if there is significant glare. Thanks!

While I don't own any of these displays, I have seen the 5080 and the 50PZ700u (same display just 50" instead of 42) and also a 42PX77U in stores.

77U completely blows away the other sets to my eyes, no questions asked. With the 5080 and the 700u, it was hard to tell because they weren't set up next to each other. They are close to the same with the edge maybe going to the 5080.

That being said, I recently purchased a Vizio VP50 (which doesn't have any Anti-Glare) and it is about a 50% increase in glare reduction in comparison to my old RPCRT.

I have a setup similar to yours it sounds. I have a lamp at like an 87* angle to the set, so basically directly in line behind the TV. Even with no Anti-Glare, it isn't really that distracting. It used to bother me so much, and the reflection was so strong in my RPCRT that I had to shut the lamp off. With my VP50, I actually forget it is there, and have to look for the reflection. The picture shows through that good. So in my opinion, any of these that have some kind of "Anti-glare" will be fine. I would still stick with the 77u series if you want the best Anti-Glare of the plasma world.

Hello,

I'm looking into the purchase of one of three plasmas, and I would like to know your experience with the anti-glare of each of these (I haven't seen them arrive in stores yet):

1) Pioneer PDP-5080HD
2) Pioneer PDP-4280HD (same screen? ^)
3) Panasonic 42PZ700U

I recently saw a Panasonic 50PX77U in the store and I was highly impressed, I mistook it for an LCD at first, with its nice matte finish!

In my living room, I have some lamps directly in-line behind the TV and it will become very distracting to any viewer if there is significant glare. Thanks!

The 5080 and 4280 and 700u might have some anti-glare, but they're still not close to Panasonic's LCD like plasma. That thing was a light fighting machine.

Here's the current CRT TV we own. You can see the lamp (off) and me (blue shirt, lower right) as I took the photo:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/SpinDoctor15/Entertainment%20Center/Apt03.jpg

Overall though, that's the only light in direct view. The rear sliding glass is almost directly to the left of the TV, so we're sitting perpendicular to any reflection from outside.

Here's the current CRT TV we own. You can see the lamp (off) and me (blue shirt, lower right) as I took the photo:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/SpinDoctor15/Entertainment%20Center/Apt03.jpg

Overall though, that's the only light in direct view. The rear sliding glass is almost directly to the left of the TV, so we're sitting perpendicular to any reflection from outside.

Hah, one of my roomies has that same exact TV. :) Are you only watching in the daytime? How are you dealing with the glare on that TV at the moment?

When the glare gets to be annoying ('said' lamp is on), then we just turn the lamp on. I think my fear of glare is due to the fact that when I showed my wife the Pioneer 5070HD in Best Buy, the first words out of her mouth were not that it looked great, she said "absolutely not, I can see the whole store in the reflection!" Needless to say, she's pensive about me purchasing a plasma...

When the glare gets to be annoying ('said' lamp is on), then we just turn the lamp on. I think my fear of glare is due to the fact that when I showed my wife the Pioneer 5070HD in Best Buy, the first words out of her mouth were not that it looked great, she said "absolutely not, I can see the whole store in the reflection!" Needless to say, she's pensive about me purchasing a plasma...

Yea, hmmm. You might have some troubles with the plasmas not named Panasonic 77u. From what I can tell, the Pioneer 5080s anti-reflect (as well as the 4280) is only slightly improved from the previous gen. It's not bad, but it seems any type of reflection in your situation is gonna set off some fireworks.

Same goes with the 700.

Yeah...based on your wife's reaction, pretty much your only choice is the 77U series from Panasonic (in plasmas).

Yeah...based on your wife's reaction, pretty much your only choice is the 77U series from Panasonic (in plasmas).I agree, but make sure it's the PX77U and not the PE77U (which doesn't have the amazing Anti-Glare screen).

Here's a thread with pics i took showing the reflectivity of my old Tube TV and the Plasma that replaced it . . . .

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9182361&&#post9182361

Cool, great comparison info and pics! I'm going to check out some sets today. Purchase pending within the week!