Buying a new plasma. Will anything compare to my Pioneer?

What model is your Pioneer?

check out panasonic VT series...it's the latest with some Pioneer tech in it. the double glass thing is only in the low-mid range. higher models like VT series only have 1 layer

He's wrong - most of the current mid-to-high end Plasmas now have one layer of glass (the actual plasma panel itself). G25, VT25, Samsung C7000 & C8000, etc. All of these should look a lot better than a 4270HD. The stores are the worst possible place to judge the picture quality on a Plasma TV so don't go by what you see there.

Never judge how a Plasma looks in stores...

Are you going to be watching it in a store with dozens if not hundreds of huge lights above you

With that said, I don't think Pioneer has been matched yet.

huh, so am I the only one who installed ten 1000 watt halogen spot lights on the ceiling in my living room?

-David

I have a Pioneer 50" 5020FD, and recently purchased a Samsung 58" PN58C8000.

I'll be as brief as possible ...

Black levels seem to be as good as the Pioneer from what I can tell. The anti-glare is slightly better on the Samsung somehow without crushing blacks. The Samsung is *much* brighter than the Pioneer without crushing whites.

In terms of features, obviously the Samsung wins hands down. Supports active shutter 3D, playing all kinds of video files (incl. MKV) off USB, internet connection with netflix, apps, and tons more. No comparison here.

The Samsung also has more color settings, though I'm fine with the default color settings on both sets when they are in "Movie" mode. Both sets have a 0-overscan, 1:1 pixel mapping option which is very important for me.

It's amazing that the Pioneer has maintained such a reputation years after their last TVs shipped. However, I am happy to report that plasmas have moved on, have gotten better, and are much less expensive. I recently purchased my PN58C8000 + 3d bluray player + 3d starter kit for hundreds less than I paid for my 5020FD a couple years ago.

The Pioneer shall be retiring to the bedroom, while the Sammy is taking over the living room. Both are absolutely great sets and I'm fortunate to have them.

Best of luck!
Mani

Best plasma TV right now is the VT25 series from panasonic. 58" or 65". If that is over your budget then consider the LG 60PK950. D-Nice and Chad B recommended me the VT25!! So I will go for it in a few weeks.

I had a Pioneer 5070 for the past 4 years and just recently purchased the Panasonic 65V10. I bought one of the last ones from Amazon. I've had it for exactly a month today and I will say that overall, it provides a better picture than the 5070.

The blacks are blacker, that's what I immediately noticed. Well actually, the size difference is what I first noticed. The 65 makes my 50 incher look like an elf (not Buddy). I knew that the upgrade in size would make the biggest impact and I had the same concerns about, "What if the picture quality on the Panny isn't as good as my Pio?" But I ultimately decided that even IF the Panny's picture isn't quite as good as the Pio, I would be happy because of the size difference.

Well after a month, I have no regrets about getting the Panny. (However, after 1,000 hours I might have regrets if the black level rises significantly ) The size difference just makes such a huge impact on the viewing experience. If I could, I would have gotten the Panny 65VT25, but I couldn't swing it.

I'm still debating on whether or not to have my Panny calibrated for another $300. I'm pretty happy with the current picture. I have Directv, Xbox, and a PS3 connected to it and all of them provide an excellent picture. The only thing I've been scratching my head at is that when watching sports, the close up shots look way better than the zoomed away shots, especially on ESPN.

For instance, before the snap of a play in a football game, the camera will usually pan out so we can see both teams lined up. On those shots, the players aren't perfectly clear. There's minor dithering (I'm not sure if that's the term) above the player's heads. It's kinda like a watery pixel affect which I don't remember seeing on my Pio. But then when the camera zooms in on the players, the picture is perfect. I'm not sure whether this is a Directv issue or some setting on the TV.

I guess my main point is that you'll be happy with the plasma displays these days, especially if you're going from a 42 to a 60 incher. Whether Panny or Sammy is another issue. I have just over 100 hours on my Panny so I'm hoping the picture will get even better as the phospors age.

That's true of the 2008-2009 Pioneer Kuro models, but the OP's 4270HD is an old 768p Pre-Kuro model and all the current brands are better.

Pretty much any plasma will beat the 4270 these days. The salesman was wrong. Every Samsung plasma uses a bonded filter/single glass design like Pioneer, as well as the Panasonic G and VT series plasmas. All of them have better picture quality and black levels as well.

A lot of people try to sell any pioneer plasma for big bucks just based on the name. If you look on ebay or craiglist you can see people asking close to $2k for sets that are 5+ years old when pretty much any current gen plasma will mop the floor with them. The 8G and 9G sets are the only ones that are really worthwhile over newer sets, and even then at the prices most seem to try to charge for them unless you're going for one of the 60" kuros (since you're less likely to want to upgrade later), you're probably better off getting a 2010 set. LG 60" plasmas sell for ~$1k-1300 and 50" VT25's are around the 2k mark. I also tend to think extended warranties are a good call on expensive purchases so it doesn't make sense to me buying a used set that would practically be out of warranty by the time you're getting it anyway with no easy/cost effective way to extend it.

Pioneer 8/9G s are great sets if a) you can find them new b) you can find them used w/an extended warranty already on them c) you can find them used at a low price. None of these three are typically the case anymore and I would not shell out big bucks for a set with little warranty left and whose ownership history you don't know (in terms of how it was treated etc...)

Apparently I am not the only one going through the quandry of having to find another plasma after being spoiled by Kuro. I have a Pro-111FD and am now looking for 60/65 inch plasma for the living room. Having a heck of a time trying to decide though.

My calibrator, who tuned my Kuro to be perfect and whose opinion I respect, doesn't think too highly of the Panny VT25 series. He thinks LG 55LX9500 does a decent job but I am not sure if I can live with LCD and I do see some mention of issues with this set.

What's a man got to do??? Any consensus here as to what is emerging as a viable contender to the Kuro? What might CES 2011 bring?

I would wait for CES 2011. Kuros are getting scarce and people are charging stupid prices for used ones. 9G 50"ers are the price of a 65" VT25 and 8G IMO isn't really worth it. I'd wait and see what next year brings. LG, Samsung bother should improve their sets incrementally yet again, and maybe Panasonic will realize there's greater shame in churning out a crap product than using a better design they own patents for which originated from a different company. I was looking to get a kuro this year for my parents' house, but now I may just sell mine and upgrade to whatever top of the line set is out next year. Love the display, but an extra 15" would be huge. You can tell I'm trying to talk myself out of selling my kuro... either that or I'm trying to talk myself into selling it not sure which