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Looking to buy a 60+" Plasma in about 3 months

post #1 of 16
9/13/10 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
I currently have a 9 year old 53" Sony KP-53HS20 rear projection TV in the family room. It's time for an upgrade.

The screen size I'm aiming for is in the 60" range with a preference for 65". There would be a mix of watching HD-content and gaming. 3D is not important for me at the moment. I'm trying to keep the cost around $2500. I plan to make the purchase around late November - early December.

Models I'm considering:
  1. Panasonic P65VT25 - Beyond my price range and I don't think it'll drop substantially in the next couple of months (please let me know if I'm mistaken).
  2. Samsung PN63C8000 - Just slightly above the price range at some stores. Looks slick. I've read that numerous users are having buzzing issues so much to the extent that some are considering returning it just for this issue alone. Screen size is 'only' 63".
  3. Panasonic P65V10 - No 3D but not important. Comfortably in my price range and hopefully will drop even further by the time I make the purchase. I'm not really a videophile so I hope the rising black issue won't be a big deal for me.

I also plan to buy an integrated mount/floating TV stand. The Z-Line Designs Sync stand (ZL788-50MvU) looks good and supports up to 150 lbs for the mount. Anyone else have experience with this stand or this brand in general? Any other alternatives out there?

Couple of questions:
  1. Any other major pros/cons and issues I should be aware of for these models? Any other models I should consider?
  2. Can I expect some attractive price drops around November-December?
  3. How exactly does this Samsung buzz sound like? I know it's directional but what sound can you compare it to? I found some audio clips of the buzzing sound and it sorta sounds like an electric razor in my opinion but from the clips it was hard to separate what was buzz and what was background noise.
  4. Is the 63" and 65" difference significant?
  5. Should I consider models outside of plasma?
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post #2 of 16
9/13/10 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyqtix View Post

I currently have a 9 year old 53" Sony KP-53HS20 rear projection TV in the family room. It's time for an upgrade.

The screen size I'm aiming for is in the 60" range with a preference for 65". There would be a mix of watching HD-content and gaming. 3D is not important for me at the moment. I'm trying to keep the cost around $2500. I plan to make the purchase around late November - early December.

Models I'm considering:
  1. Panasonic P65VT25 - Beyond my price range and I don't think it'll drop substantially in the next couple of months (please let me know if I'm mistaken).
  2. Samsung PN63C8000 - Just slightly above the price range at some stores. Looks slick. I've read that numerous users are having buzzing issues so much to the extent that some are considering returning it just for this issue alone. Screen size is 'only' 63".
  3. Panasonic P65V10 - No 3D but not important. Comfortably in my price range and hopefully will drop even further by the time I make the purchase. I'm not really a videophile so I hope the rising black issue won't be a big deal for me.

I also plan to buy an integrated mount/floating TV stand. The Z-Line Designs Sync stand (ZL788-50MvU) looks good and supports up to 150 lbs for the mount. Anyone else have experience with this stand or this brand in general? Any other alternatives out there?

Couple of questions:
  1. Any other major pros/cons and issues I should be aware of for these models? Any other models I should consider?
  2. Can I expect some attractive price drops around November-December?
  3. How exactly does this Samsung buzz sound like? I know it's directional but what sound can you compare it to? I found some audio clips of the buzzing sound and it sorta sounds like an electric razor in my opinion but from the clips it was hard to separate what was buzz and what was background noise.
  4. Is the 63" and 65" difference significant?
  5. Should I consider models outside of plasma?

Well, if 3D is not important then I would rule out 3D plasmas...
look up the samsung buzzing on youtube- its fairly annoying in certain situations...
also, you should consider the 60PK550... it can be had brand new right for for way less than those other sets you mentioned.... and the black levels are really, really good... ChadB gave the 550 an excellent review- the only con is the glossy screen, and I'm not sure about LG quality now-a-days... i have an 07 LG and its still working great
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post #3 of 16
9/13/10 at 4:02am
I was considering the same TVs with the same criteria and ended up buying the P65V10. The P65VT25 was more money than we wanted to spend and we were too concerned about possibly getting a Samsung that buzzed (and the cost would have been more and we would have lost 2 inches of screen size). It was hard to beat Amazon's price with free shipping for the P65V10.

I would be concerned though that there won't be P65V10 left in November/December if that's the way you are leaning. I think they are pretty much at closeout prices now.

Regarding stands, I went with the Walker Edison V60EC1BL which supports up to 165lbs on the mount (P65V10 weighs 135lbs without stand).

Scott
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post #4 of 16
9/13/10 at 5:40am
I have the 60pk550, you can't beat it for the price.
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post #5 of 16
9/13/10 at 8:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Servicetech571 View Post

I have the 60pk550, you can't beat it for the price.

The lower line PK models are excellent values. We know you got yours for $1,200 which is super low. One could make an argument that the 60PK540 is, in fact, a better value.

It depends on the best price the buyer can find on these two models.
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post #6 of 16
9/13/10 at 9:09pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I will certainly take a look at the LG 60pk550. While I was originally willing to pay more for a 65", the savings I'd get for the 60pk550 is very significant and can be used towards something else.

Anyone bought a 60" and wished they went bigger after wards? I have a space in my room that's about 73" wide and 35" deep, perfect for a TV. My initial plan was to fill up the width as much as possible. I see that the 60pk550 is roughly 55" wide, leaving me about 9" of space on both sides which is not bad. It'll make it easier for me to tinker with connections at the back when necessary.

HerronScott, very good point! At the moment, I'm still saving up to make a purchase. I hope by the time I have enough, the P65V10 would still be available. And thanks for the stand recommendation!

Any more suggestions?
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post #7 of 16
9/14/10 at 5:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by spyboy View Post

The lower line PK models are excellent values. We know you got yours for $1,200 which is super low. One could make an argument that the 60PK540 is, in fact, a better value.

It depends on the best price the buyer can find on these two models.

Even though I "stole" mine for $1,200 I've seen it on sale for $1,400 and it normally runs about $1,600. $1,400 still a great price for this set.
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post #8 of 16
9/14/10 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyqtix View Post

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I will certainly take a look at the LG 60pk550. While I was originally willing to pay more for a 65", the savings I'd get for the 60pk550 is very significant and can be used towards something else.

Anyone bought a 60" and wished they went bigger after wards? I have a space in my room that's about 73" wide and 35" deep, perfect for a TV. My initial plan was to fill up the width as much as possible. I see that the 60pk550 is roughly 55" wide, leaving me about 9" of space on both sides which is not bad. It'll make it easier for me to tinker with connections at the back when necessary.

HerronScott, very good point! At the moment, I'm still saving up to make a purchase. I hope by the time I have enough, the P65V10 would still be available. And thanks for the stand recommendation!

Any more suggestions?

Just something to think about is possibly going with a 3D TV because, though you don't really care now, it might be something you wish you had a couple of years from now. The 2D quality on the 3D TVs is every bit as good as the best 2D-only TVs. As for buzzing on the Samsungs....I have a PN63C8000 and have zero buzzing. If I had I would have returned it the same day as a defective unit. Folks should not keep these TVs if they're buzzing IMO. My two cents.....
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post #9 of 16
9/14/10 at 9:55am
What about the TC-P65S2? You should be able to find it for less than $2k easily.
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post #10 of 16
9/15/10 at 11:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rcandiloro View Post

Just something to think about is possibly going with a 3D TV because, though you don't really care now, it might be something you wish you had a couple of years from now.

I gave 3D some thought and would rather wait until TVs can produce the effect without the use of special glasses. Although there are many challenges to produce that type of technology, I feel it's achievable in a few years (3-5 yrs probably). IMO, the current 3D TVs along with their special glasses are more of a gimmick and would be obsolete in a couple of years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Schwa View Post

What about the TC-P65S2? You should be able to find it for less than $2k easily.

When I started researching, I immediately looked into the top models of 2010 and 2009. Over the past couple days, I convinced myself that I don't really need a top model. The TC-P65S2 is certainly a nice buy and while it's currently well below my budget, it would be great if the price drops to around $1500-$1600 a few months from now when I actually make the purchase. Thanks for the suggestion!
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post #11 of 16
9/15/10 at 11:22pm
The extra 5" can be substantial, but it really depends on how far you sit from your TV.
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post #12 of 16
9/16/10 at 9:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyqtix View Post

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I will certainly take a look at the LG 60pk550. While I was originally willing to pay more for a 65", the savings I'd get for the 60pk550 is very significant and can be used towards something else.

Anyone bought a 60" and wished they went bigger after wards? I have a space in my room that's about 73" wide and 35" deep, perfect for a TV. My initial plan was to fill up the width as much as possible. I see that the 60pk550 is roughly 55" wide, leaving me about 9" of space on both sides which is not bad. It'll make it easier for me to tinker with connections at the back when necessary.

HerronScott, very good point! At the moment, I'm still saving up to make a purchase. I hope by the time I have enough, the P65V10 would still be available. And thanks for the stand recommendation!

Any more suggestions?

The biggest regret people have is not buying the largest size panel they can afford and that fits their viewing room. The 65V10 or even the 65 S2 would work for you.
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post #13 of 16
9/16/10 at 9:37am
Thread Starter 
I'm definitely leaning towards the P65S2 now. The price point is very attractive and I hope it'll continue to go down around November.

My viewing distance is a huge 16-17' so I'm thinking the "apparent" difference between a 60" and 65" is probably quite significant?
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post #14 of 16
9/16/10 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyqtix View Post

I'm definitely leaning towards the P65S2 now. The price point is very attractive and I hope it'll continue to go down around November.

My viewing distance is a huge 16-17' so I'm thinking the "apparent" difference between a 60" and 65" is probably quite significant?

A 65 inch panel has 17.6% more screen area than a 60 inch panel.

Another thing; if you are going to wall mount the new TV, the screen will be further away from you than the RPTV screen which is ~2 feet or more away from the wall (and closer to your eyes).

So, to maximize the screen size of whatever panel you get, a stand with the panel sitting on it, maybe 18 inches or more from the wall behind it will give you a larger image.

On the other hand, is it possible for you to rearranage the furniture in the room so that you can do a wall mount but have the seating closer to the wall the TV will be mounted on?
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post #15 of 16
9/16/10 at 7:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyqtix View Post

I'm definitely leaning towards the P65S2 now. The price point is very attractive and I hope it'll continue to go down around November.

My viewing distance is a huge 16-17' so I'm thinking the "apparent" difference between a 60" and 65" is probably quite significant?

WOW! That is a long long way away. I wouldn't even think of anything less than 65".

My primary seat is 8 feet from my P65S2 with a 9.5 and 10.5 available.

I sit 12 feet from my 106" FP setup in the family room. 16-17' is in another universe for my viewing habits.
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post #16 of 16
9/17/10 at 12:27am
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I'll try to position the TV so that the panel is roughly where the rear projection screen currently is so no additional distance is gained. I've been watching movies and playing games from this distance on my old 4:3 53" TV so I don't think it would be a major issue. If it does, we can certainly move the furniture around so that the sitting area is closer. The distance is actually the worst case distance to my L-shaped couch. There's some seating starting as close as 12 ft.

I think I'll go for the 65" especially because of this viewing distance. The P65S2 is now my top candidate. Unless there are some issues I should aware of or any other models I should be looking at?
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