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Noob seeking plasma advice...Pioneer worth premium? Benefit going commercial?

2K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  optivity 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone-

I am a projector guy and spend most of my time in the projector forums...but I am in the market to replace my living room plasma and am seeking some advice.

I was circling around a Pioneer PDP-4270HD 42" because of historical (and admittedly unfounded) bias for Pioneer's...but I have also been considering some of the fairly inexpensive Panasonic consumer and commercial grade 42" models.


I have two questions:

1) Is the premium for Pioneer panels still worth it? (I might be wrong here but in the past I thought it was)


2) What are the advantages with going with a commercial/industrial model vs the consumer line? Panasonic has some really inexpensive 42" consumer models right now, but I know that the commercial grade panels have always been highly regarded. Once you add the stand, HDMI inputs and potentially speakers (I don't need them now, but this tv may end up in a bedroom at some point) you are really starting to pay a premium for the commercial models. What are the advantages?
 
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#4 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


2) What are the advantages with going with a commercial/industrial model vs the consumer line? Panasonic has some really inexpensive 42" consumer models right now, but I know that the commercial grade panels have always been highly regarded. Once you add the stand, HDMI inputs and potentially speakers (I don't need them now, but this tv may end up in a bedroom at some point) you are really starting to pay a premium for the commercial models. What are the advantages?

For me, I went with the Panny commercial model for several reasons. I think it looks a whole lot better than the consumer models, or even than the Pioneers. The simplicity of the unit is really handsome. I didn't need/want speakers, as I was buying with a 5.1 sound system in mind. I only needed one HDMI, as everything is going through my AVR, so there's only one cable going to the monitor. I was also mounting it, so I didn't care about the stand. When I bought in December, it was cheaper than the corresponding 600U model.


As to the picture quality difference between consumer and commercial models, the main issue seems to be more opportunity for tweaking on the commercial model. In a review at AVrev.com, Kevin Miller statges that the commercial model has superior pq. ( http://www.avrev.com/equip/panasonic_50phd9uk_plasma/ ). The review listed his e-mail, so I sent him an e-mail asking why. He very graciously replied (and I assume he wouldn't mind my sharing his response):


"Glad to hear you are an AV Rev reader! Actually the industrial models are better because they have more flexibility in the calibration setup process allowing technicians like myself to fully calibrate each input/source, which translates into a more accurate picture for all your sources. The consumer version also has inferior color decoding. Enjoy it!"


Hope this is helpful,

Bryan
 
#5 ·
I was faced with the same decision and I also use a projector for my main home theater. I chose the consumer version for my living room for the reasons you stated. This TV may start out in a location where I have surround sound and all kinds of inputs but sooner than I think, it's going to end up in some room that isn't wired for surround sound or all kinds of connections. It's not just the wiring, it's also the location, size of the room and the flexibility I'd have with a self-contained TV. As you stated, you also get all the tuners you need in one unit too.
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


Hi Everyone-

I am a projector guy and spend most of my time in the projector forums...but I am in the market to replace my living room plasma and am seeking some advice.

I was circling around a Pioneer PDP-4270HD 42" because of historical (and admittedly unfounded) bias for Pioneer's...but I have also been considering some of the fairly inexpensive Panasonic consumer and commercial grade 42" models.


I have two questions:

1) Is the premium for Pioneer panels still worth it? (I might be wrong here but in the past I thought it was)


2) What are the advantages with going with a commercial/industrial model vs the consumer line? Panasonic has some really inexpensive 42" consumer models right now, but I know that the commercial grade panels have always been highly regarded. Once you add the stand, HDMI inputs and potentially speakers (I don't need them now, but this tv may end up in a bedroom at some point) you are really starting to pay a premium for the commercial models. What are the advantages?

1) Whether the pioneer premium is worth it is really up to the buyer. Can you go look at these in the store? The pioneer is going to net you better SD processing power, more variety in stretch modes, less reflection due to only 1 layer of glass, and has a few more bells and whistles. Pioneer, IMO, has a better overall color to it, while the panasonics are a little sharper with a little bit better blacks. With the current prices online for the pioneer 4270hd/5070hd, most feel the pioneer to be worth the extra few hundred dollars.

2) The commercial versions to not have a tuner or speakers. They do tend to have more knobs for adjusting the picture, so if calibration is important to you, a better job can be done. The panasonic 9UK would need a blade in order to get all of the desired outputs you want, and the pioneer 427cmx would need a video card to add inputs and give you the processing power that rivals the elite line of pioneers.


My end decision came down to the panasonic 50px9uk and the pioneer 5070hd. I ended up going with the pioneer for the following reasons (please note this is a personal opinion):

-I liked pioneers overall color more than the panasonic. You just seem to get a lot more pop. My black levels are a little worst than a panasonic, but they are still extremely black and look great, so IMO it was an excellent trade off.

-I just couldn't bring myself to settle on speakers and a reciever yet, and did not want to power on the surround sound every time I watched TV.

-The extra bells and whistles on the pioneer line, (cable card, tons of inputs without needing to purchase a blade, glossy black bezel, better stretch modes, much better SD processing power).

-My wife thought the panasonic frame looked cheap, and "pushed" me towards the pioneer
.


Dustin
 
#7 ·
Thanks much for the replies guys -

I'm closing in on the Pioneer I think. With a stand and boards I'll need for my current setup, the Panny commercial is fairly close price wise to the Pioneer and it lacks all of that connectivity and speakers that I will need when this tv inevitably moves into a bedroom, basement, etc.


I like the look of the Pioneer's much more than the consumer Panasonics...so I guess my decision is pretty much made.


(edited...price is close when I factor in HDMI and stand)
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


Thanks much for the replies guys -

I'm closing in on the Pioneer I think. With a stand and boards I'll need for my current setup, the Panny commercial is running slightly more then the Pioneer and it lacks all of that connectivity and speakers that I will need when this tv inevitably moves into a bedroom, basement, etc.


I like the look of the Pioneer's much more than the consumer Panasonics...so I guess my decision is pretty much made.

Great choice. Either way you can't go wrong, as they both have superb picture quality, but I don't think you are going to regret your decision for a second.


Dustin
 
#9 ·
Tough call, I thought the Pios looked great but I didnt feel they were worth the rather huge premium they cost over the Pannys. Others disagree and thats cool.


With prices falling as new models come out, either brand will have killer deals on their 2006 models which for both Panny and Pioneer are top rated so its kind of like do I drive the Porsche GT3 today or the Ferrari Modena.....


*Real* tough choice....
 
#11 ·
I would say if the Panasonic TH-42PH9UK is running the same price as the Pioneer PDP-4070HD you are looking in the wrong places. Might want to look at the closeout Pioneer PDP-425CMX too. You could save yourself alot of cash.........
 
#12 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


When do the 2007 models start shipping? For projectors new stuff generally hits in the fall...is it different for TV's? (I've been out of this game so long
)

New 8th generation pioneers are hitting shelves in later summer to fall, and the new panasonics are reportedly pushed out until June. Both will be at a high premium over the last years models that they are phasing out now.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


Noob seeking plasma advice...Pioneer worth premium?

IMO yes, think of it as a long term investment into a superior deinterlacing & scaling processor which will enable your Pioneer PDP to render a better overall picture than Panasonic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vigga /forum/post/0


Benefit going commercial?

None really these days, unless you're heavy into some useless picture tweaks that don't compare to an ISF calibration.
 
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