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ST30 vs D7000

post #1 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 
Searched and didn't find a good thread devoted to this.
It seems these are the models from Panasonic & Samsung competing for the 'value buyer' of plasma in 2011.

I'm struggling on which way to go. Here is how I see it:

ST30
Pros
- Less Fluctuating Brightness (FBr)
- Better reliability

Cons
- Less customization of picture quality (ie, no CMS)
- Limited light output (could be factor for bright rooms)

D7000
Pros
- Better color accuracy

Cons
- Quality control issues (eg, peeling screen)
- Some FBr


I'm leaning toward ST30, as I have a 50B450 in bedroom that is a lemon.
And QC issues seem like a dealbreaker for D7000--otherwise, I think D7000 beats ST30 in picture quality.

Any other thoughts?
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post #2 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:20am
QC issues for both manufacturers are minimal.
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post #3 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:53am
i'm actually going through the same process as you between both sets. i'm also considering the d6500 since it seems to be the same set as the d7000 without the RBF (and therefore no potential peeling issues).

this will be in a room without any direct sunlight, therefore the RBF wasnt a real deal braker for me.

when i saw in the store, d7000 had better pic, but it was also in the Magnolia section of BB and it was in a dark room. they had the st30 set up for 3d viewing under store lights (seemed to be a good sign that pannasonic made this tv their "face" of 3d at best buy). so needless to say the 2 units i viewed were not viewed in the same conditions.

st30 seems to be ~$400 cheaper than d7000 at amazon when you factor in $150 amazon GC with pannasonic.

does anyone else concur that EITHER set will give me a better pic than my 50a2020??? and also both sets will make a non pro user happy
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post #4 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:55am
I own the 50 inch st30 & iam really happy with it. the PQ is stunning with blu-ray moives.Also i hve been runing slides iam over 100 hours. and i have watched a few moives i have no Fluctuating Brightness and no buzzing this tv is the best bang for the buck
i was going to get the d7000 but its not worth the extra money
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post #5 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:57am
I was leaning towards the ST30 early in the year. I then started looking towards the D6500. I compared the two at best buy and played with the settings on both TV's. The ST30 did not impress me at all. It wasn't as sharp and no matter what it appeared to have a pinkish hue to it. The D6500 looked beautiful and blew the ST30 out of the water. They had a GT30 as well and the D6500 looked just as good as that. Granted this isn't the best way to compare the two, but even after playing with the ST30's settings I couldn't get it to look right.

Ultimately I ended up getting the D7000 and will be taking delivery in the next day or two. My vote is for the 6500. It has a beautiful picture.
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post #6 of 30
6/13/11 at 1:09pm
more feedback from the others here would be appreciated
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post #7 of 30
6/13/11 at 1:41pm
I think the recent CNET reviews comparing the Panasonic vt30 to the d8000 should make this a pretty easy decision for you. The d7000 and d8000 are identical panels (same PQ), and the d8000 rated higher overall than Panasonic's flagship vt30. (Pany had marginally deeper black levels, Samsung had marginally better color and 3D, PQ was essentially the same between the two, but the d8000 was cheaper).

So, if the d7000 is basically as good as the vt30 (at a fraction of the cost), why on earth would you opt for the third-tier st over the d7000?

The d7000 is an outstanding plasma. I just upgraded from a Pany 50v10 to the pn64d7000. This is a no-brainer.
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post #8 of 30
6/13/11 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

i'm actually going through the same process as you between both sets. i'm also considering the d6500 since it seems to be the same set as the d7000 without the RBF (and therefore no potential peeling issues).

this will be in a room without any direct sunlight, therefore the RBF wasnt a real deal braker for me.

when i saw in the store, d7000 had better pic, but it was also in the Magnolia section of BB and it was in a dark room. they had the st30 set up for 3d viewing under store lights (seemed to be a good sign that pannasonic made this tv their "face" of 3d at best buy). so needless to say the 2 units i viewed were not viewed in the same conditions.

st30 seems to be ~$400 cheaper than d7000 at amazon when you factor in $150 amazon GC with pannasonic.

does anyone else concur that EITHER set will give me a better pic than my 50a2020??? and also both sets will make a non pro user happy

you should consider the D550 since it is 100% the same panel as the d7000 and 6500..

it has full CMS and 10 point calibration that has been unlocked now..

the only thing it's missing is the AR filter... and if you are in a light controlled room with no direct light.. it's a steal
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post #9 of 30
6/13/11 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macleod52 View Post

I was leaning towards the ST30 early in the year. I then started looking towards the D6500. I compared the two at best buy and played with the settings on both TV's. The ST30 did not impress me at all. It wasn't as sharp and no matter what it appeared to have a pinkish hue to it. The D6500 looked beautiful and blew the ST30 out of the water. They had a GT30 as well and the D6500 looked just as good as that. Granted this isn't the best way to compare the two, but even after playing with the ST30's settings I couldn't get it to look right.

Ultimately I ended up getting the D7000 and will be taking delivery in the next day or two. My vote is for the 6500. It has a beautiful picture.

what made you decide on the d7000 over the d6500?
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post #10 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eXgo View Post

you should consider the D550 since it is 100% the same panel as the d7000 and 6500..

it has full CMS and 10 point calibration that has been unlocked now..

the only thing it's missing is the AR filter... and if you are in a light controlled room with no direct light.. it's a steal

also missing the built in wireless it seems, for those that need this feature. but great to know it can be hacked to perform on par with the higher end units.
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post #11 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

also missing the built in wireless it seems, for those that need this feature. but great to know it can be hacked to perform on par with the higher end units.

yes, true. but it does have a dongle i believe.. i would rather have it hardwired anyways.. better speed and streaming higher bitrate videos would be better..

again.. it's kinda moot too because the media player system on it sux.. and it's better to just use the PS3.

also the d550 doesn't have any smart tv functions.. *yet*
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post #12 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:24pm
60ST30 is about $90 more expensive than the 59D6500. from all of my reading and the specs the D6500 should perform very similarly to the D7000/8000 in controlled lighting conditions with the same calibration options. I really would not think the ST30 is even a question vs the D6500. plus, free blu ray 3D, free glasses, 5 free movies....need I go on?
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post #13 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

what made you decide on the d7000 over the d6500?

Real Black Filter. I have a window that on my current CRT makes it near impossible to watch when I get off work. I'm hoping the RBF makes a world of difference. I just didn't want to take my chances with the d6500 and be disappointed if the glare was too much.
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post #14 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:34pm
so by controlled lighting are we talking about a cfl on top of the tv or a cfl behind the tv??? is controlled lighting anything other than actual sunlight hitting the tv screen?? i ask because i doubt i need the RBF on the d7000
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post #15 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

so by controlled lighting are we talking about a cfl on top of the tv or a cfl behind the tv??? is controlled lighting anything other than actual sunlight hitting the tv screen?? i ask because i doubt i need the RBF on the d7000

No, they're just asking whether you're in a room with lots of windows where glare could potentially be a problem.
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post #16 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

so by controlled lighting are we talking about a cfl on top of the tv or a cfl behind the tv??? is controlled lighting anything other than actual sunlight hitting the tv screen?? i ask because i doubt i need the RBF on the d7000

controlled lighting is just that.

curtains, blinds, shades.

lights on. lights off.

the ability to make it completely dark. and or control the amount of light where and when and how in the room.
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post #17 of 30
6/13/11 at 2:59pm
yes please go on........... about the 5 free movies . was not aware of this promo


Quote:
Originally Posted by eXgo View Post

you should consider the D550 since it is 100% the same panel as the d7000 and 6500..

it has full CMS and 10 point calibration that has been unlocked now..

the only thing it's missing is the AR filter... and if you are in a light controlled room with no direct light.. it's a steal

Quote:
Originally Posted by kheovnien View Post

60ST30 is about $90 more expensive than the 59D6500. from all of my reading and the specs the D6500 should perform very similarly to the D7000/8000 in controlled lighting conditions with the same calibration options. I really would not think the ST30 is even a question vs the D6500. plus, free blu ray 3D, free glasses, 5 free movies....need I go on?
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post #18 of 30
6/13/11 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

yes please go on........... about the 5 free movies . was not aware of this promo

"Through July 30, 2011, get a Samsung Blu-ray Disc player and Megamind 3D starter kit with the purchase of a qualifying Samsung 3D plasma HDTV"

the 5 free 3D blu ray movies are shrek 1-3, shrek forever after, and megamind + the 2 pairs of 3D glasses included in the "Megamind 3D start kit".
dunno if I'm allowed to post a link to the page or not but any major retailer (amazon, best buy, etc.) should honor or know about this promotion. it's a samsung exclusive thing similar to the avatar starter kit for panasonic's 3D plasmas (not a huge fan of pocahontas...i mean avatar).
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post #19 of 30
6/13/11 at 9:01pm
i saw the 550 on display at BB. While not the most optimal conditions, i feel that the glare WOULD bother me.

what model does the AR filter come in, i read that the d6500 has a filter on some posts (maybe i'm confusing the AR filter with the Rel black filter). is the d6500 screen less glossy than the 550's??

ot: prob the most pathetic BB ever, no d7000 and no d8000 on display wtf!
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post #20 of 30
6/14/11 at 5:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post
i saw the 550 on display at BB. While not the most optimal conditions, i feel that the glare WOULD bother me.

what model does the AR filter come in, i read that the d6500 has a filter on some posts (maybe i'm confusing the AR filter with the Rel black filter). is the d6500 screen less glossy than the 550's??

ot: prob the most pathetic BB ever, no d7000 and no d8000 on display wtf!
I think you need to go to the d7000 or d8000 for the filtering. I believe these two models are only at the Magnolia stores, at least that is what it appears in my area.
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post #21 of 30
6/14/11 at 8:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rr6966 View Post

I think you need to go to the d7000 or d8000 for the filtering. I believe these two models are only at the Magnolia stores, at least that is what it appears in my area.

supposedly the D6500 has the same anti-reflective filter as the D7000 and D8000 but only the D7000/8000 has the real black filter. 2 different filters for 2 different reasons (1 to reduce reflections/glare and the other to preserve blacks in less than ideal lighting).
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post #22 of 30
6/14/11 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kheovnien View Post

supposedly the D6500 has the same anti-reflective filter as the D7000 and D8000 but only the D7000/8000 has the real black filter. 2 different filters for 2 different reasons (1 to reduce reflections/glare and the other to preserve blacks in less than ideal lighting).

would like to see this verified (d550 was too mirror like for me). kinda stinks cause i'm basing my decisions on TV's that are either not on display and also they arent side by side and they are not playing the same content. i plan to purchase via online retailer, so no store return options for me
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post #23 of 30
6/14/11 at 10:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 07pilot4me View Post

i'm actually going through the same process as you between both sets. i'm also considering the d6500 since it seems to be the same set as the d7000 without the RBF (and therefore no potential peeling issues).

this will be in a room without any direct sunlight, therefore the RBF wasnt a real deal braker for me.

when i saw in the store, d7000 had better pic, but it was also in the Magnolia section of BB and it was in a dark room. they had the st30 set up for 3d viewing under store lights (seemed to be a good sign that pannasonic made this tv their "face" of 3d at best buy). so needless to say the 2 units i viewed were not viewed in the same conditions.

st30 seems to be ~$400 cheaper than d7000 at amazon when you factor in $150 amazon GC with pannasonic.

does anyone else concur that EITHER set will give me a better pic than my 50a2020??? and also both sets will make a non pro user happy

Great suggestion for D6500. I want the RBF, but I can control light in my living room, so it's really not a must-have. The great color accuracy of Samsung is making me lean that way...unless they get the D7000 peeling issue fixed, I think D6500 might be the answer.

P.S. I think either of these would better your a2020...but I am upgrading from 5080, so a bit of a higher bar
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post #24 of 30
6/14/11 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aghusker View Post

Great suggestion for D6500. I want the RBF, but I can control light in my living room, so it's really not a must-have. The great color accuracy of Samsung is making me lean that way...unless they get the D7000 peeling issue fixed, I think D6500 might be the answer.

P.S. I think either of these would better your a2020...but I am upgrading from 5080, so a bit of a higher bar

my D6500 is being delivered on friday and I will be more than happy to put it through the paces for anti-reflective/glare concerns. i have a window that is behind the couch but a little offset from the tv but my blinds can control the lighting pretty well. i have seen pics of the D550 and it is a mirror with any lighting coming in. i purchased from amazon with the free 3D blu ray player and megamind 3D blu ray starter kit (5 movies + 2 glasses).
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post #25 of 30
6/14/11 at 10:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kheovnien View Post

my D6500 is being delivered on friday and I will be more than happy to put it through the paces for anti-reflective/glare concerns. i have a window that is behind the couch but a little offset from the tv but my blinds can control the lighting pretty well. i have seen pics of the D550 and it is a mirror with any lighting coming in. i purchased from amazon with the free 3D blu ray player and megamind 3D blu ray starter kit (5 movies + 2 glasses).

looking forward to your report
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post #26 of 30
6/14/11 at 11:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aghusker View Post

ST30
Pros
- Less Fluctuating Brightness (FBr)

I was under the impression that the Panasonics suffer from ABL pop just as much as Samsung, if not more.
It's a fact of life with all plasmas as long as brightness is dynamically limited to control power usage.
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post #27 of 30
6/14/11 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aghusker View Post

Searched and didn't find a good thread devoted to this.
It seems these are the models from Panasonic & Samsung competing for the 'value buyer' of plasma in 2011.

I'm struggling on which way to go. Here is how I see it:

ST30
Pros
- Less Fluctuating Brightness (FBr)
- Better reliability

Cons
- Less customization of picture quality (ie, no CMS)
- Limited light output (could be factor for bright rooms)

D7000
Pros
- Better color accuracy

Cons
- Quality control issues (eg, peeling screen)
- Some FBr


I'm leaning toward ST30, as I have a 50B450 in bedroom that is a lemon.
And QC issues seem like a dealbreaker for D7000--otherwise, I think D7000 beats ST30 in picture quality.

Any other thoughts?

QC issues on both sides, Id not let a thread here scare me from the better display. Very well respected calibrators put the 7000/8000 second only too the VT30, and thats just because of MLL. Then look at the Cnet review. IMO, the ST30 is not in the same league as the 7000/8000 when you throw a calibration in.
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post #28 of 30
6/15/11 at 9:23am
i'm about to pull the trigger on a 50st30!

came to this decision after reading the forums, and seeing the sets at BB. ultimately imo the st30 will provide me a picture i will be happy with. and just in case im not happy, amazon has a 30 day free return plan

ST30 from Amzn = $835 after coupons and $150 GC
d6500 = $1080
d7000 = $1215

i guess the price difference can go to the future TV fund

question: considering getting a Mack warranty with the TV, should i be considering another company?? do plasmas have special concerns that i would need to make sure the warranty covers?
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post #29 of 30
6/15/11 at 1:57pm
derp
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post #30 of 30
6/15/11 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by obveron View Post

I was under the impression that the Panasonics suffer from ABL pop just as much as Samsung, if not more.
It's a fact of life with all plasmas as long as brightness is dynamically limited to control power usage.

From the forums I've read here, it's clear ST30 & VT30 have less FBr than GT30.
I think GT30 is giving Panny that reputation.

And I think ST30 has less than D7000/8000--because many VT30/ST30 owners say 'I rarely see any' while D7000 users tend to acknowledge seeing it occasionally. But it's not 100% that this is true, but that' my conclusion so far.

Either way, it's not FBr that is causing my hestiation. It's the screen peeling of D7000. D7000 is clearly greater in PQ than ST30...it's just I don't want to risk the QC issues of peeling screen. Think I'll wait until fall to see if the issue is resolved.
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