OK! Your Plasma! You Tell Me! Got a new one? post it here - Page 5

Can't read the yellow text with the AVS White forum display.

1. The "Model" you have.
Sony 42'' FWD-42PV1/B EDTV Plasma

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Uh, got it for free!

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Playing games on it. God it's almost orgasmic...

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Non-standard inputs (BNC over component Sony, are you retarded?). No stand or speakers included (can't have everything I guess... currently using ghetto fabulous styrofoam packing to hold it up and hooked some Kenwood speakers up to it).

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Features are all good. 720p and 1080i look fan-fu**ing-tastic on this EDTV display.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

Um, standard inputs and a easier menu interface please. Oh, give the remote some more range dammit.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
42'' looks a LOT bigger than you originally thought when you get it into your house...

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Overscan sucks. Doesn't save last current User correction mode when you turn off your TV (it saves them, but generic "Vivid" video mode always pops up first when you power TV on).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Looks damn good, but not MSRP $2100 good.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
SD looks fabulous. I was highly expecting it to look like junk but it looks A LOT better than my 27'' SDTV Sanyo hooked up via component, that's for sure.

Gamers, this thing kicks ASS. Even though it is EDTV, it gladly accepts HDTV resolutions. I tried every 720p/1080i game I had and noticed A TON of differences between them and 480p. Strech modes are also fairly decent.

As with any EDTV plasma, sitting up close results in very noticable aliasing, especially for games. Sit back and relax at around 8-10' and you'll be VERY happy (believe me, with a TV this large, that isn't a compromise at all...).

Highly recommended... especially with that 10000:1 contrast ratio

You have a commercial unit. It wasn't intended for consumer use. Not that it won't work fine in the home, but BNC connectors and the menu are appropriate for commercial applications, and are not a design fault.

I was looking at the various B&Ms pricing for a plasma to go in a gameroom for a new home I am currently building. I wanted at least a 50" HD but my price comfort level told me 3-5K. As I'm looking, I come across a 55" Viewsonic HDTV display set up as a demo that was priced at $2,456.40. I thought to myself this couldn't be right. Asked a salesman...he had no clue (go figure). I finally find a salesman with a clue who reacted with disbelief when I told him of the price. He checks on it and sure enough, it is legit and he states that if they have one in stock NIB he could let me have it for the same price! After searching his inventory to no avail, he tells me the store across town had one. An hour later, I was headed home with my new plasma.
I cannot tell you much about the display b/c I haven't had it out of the box. The one they had set up as a display was being feed some analogue Bose demo loop that looked like crap. From what I can gather the screen is made by Hitachi and is basically a rebadged Hitachi 55HDM71. I can't wait to get it on my wall and get my ISF guy to do his magic on it!

Dozer, can u PM me the store?
thanks

yes Dozer, please do share. That is a great deal!!

1. The "Model" you have.

Zenith Z42PX2D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Received it for some web design work

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

5000:1 contrast ratio .. BLACK blacks, great color and awesome PQ
Has lots of AV inputs, built in tuner and a Cable Card slot. Nothing more for me to buy.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

speakers are not needed for my setup

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

maybe a little "less" feature packed and more streamlined

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.

none

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

I wanted a Panasonic, but after receiving this unit I was very surprised that the new Zenith has PQ equal to the Panny.

oh yeah and my wife didn't kill me

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

none

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

I wouldn't actually pay today's prices .. but getting it for work trade off is nice

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Can't really add much .. there aren't many reviews on this unit so you'll have to go see it for yourself. I am extremely happy with this set.

Here are a few pictures, one is of the baseball game on ESPN and the others are from HDNET

1. The "Model" you have.

Zenith Z42PX2D

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".

Direct comparison with PD50U and Sammy 4232...was able to get 95%+ of Panny PQ with bonus of greater connectivity. Also the model had just received a decent price reduction. Was unable to adjust Sammy to my liking even though it had greater adjustment parameters. Also did not like the glossy Bezel.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.

HD reception is superb

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.

Using CableCard creates minor audible noise in the set. Cause suggestions involve a possible fan connection with CableCard usage. But the noise is very slight and never heard with content...only in a dead quiet room.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.

PIP/POP, Black level adjustment like Panny

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the Manufacturer about your Plasma.

Perhaps a Darker bezel although the black screen border is very helpful, better sharpness control and range

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.

The look on my wife's face when she came back home after a trip to find the Living room redesigned and 'almost' everything in place.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.

none so far

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.

Yes...and they continue to drop. Will be adding to the collection in 3 years with an HDTV of larger size and likely similar cost to this unit.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.

Was a toss-up between PD50U and this set. Always thought it would be Panny but the lack of true PC input, Cablecard, ISM technology, etc. to name a few, sealed the deal once the picture was adjusted through standard menu so closely to the Panny. It did require high contrast levels to do this so I will have to see if this display works out long-term.

Edit: now after break-in period has elapsed the picture is outstanding with no burn-in encountered and Contrast/Brightness levels are a non-issue

first timer, wanted to ask if anyone has an idea what a great working Hitachi 402HDU 42"plasma unit is worth today. we used this unit, just for corportae events at various locations. The unit has limited hour played and is still in it's box in a special wooded create for shipping. I've read where home theater mag? or AVI? voted the Hitachi 402HDU as they only model to get 5/5 stars... it been great for us. now we are looking to sell it.

thanks,

tneve

I just got my Panasonic TH-42PX50U over the weekend. I absolutely love it. I originally got a Samsung DLP but swapped it due to some pretty severe lag when playing my Xbox on it. I am judiciously going through the break in period on the plasma before hooking up the Xbox. Can't wait to do some gaming on it.

1. The "Model" you have.
-Panasonic TH-50PX25U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
-Read good reviews about this set. I bought it as the floor model at Sears since it was being discontinued. I paid just over $3k for it.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
-HD content looks amazing, looks great on the wall, HDMI input.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
-Burn-in and high electric bill worries. DVD and SD picture not as sharp as I thought it would be (have not calibrated yet). The blacks seem a bit grainy. It's a 50" set, so I know it exaggerates the pixels. It could be the DVD player too. The speakers do not produce voices very clearly. Forced me to upgrade from basic cable to HD service.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
-Ability to program the remote to control my TWC HD set top box.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacturer" about your Plasma.
-Improve speakers. Able to set a channel to a specific input and automatically switch it so I don't have to keep switching inputs manually between analog, digital/HD.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
-How heavy it is.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
-None so far.

9. Do you really think that today's "Prices" are worth it.
-42" are very reasonably priced. 50" are not worth it at MSRP.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
-Can't wait til all channels are HD.

Won't happen in our lifetime . . . .

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PX50U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
AVS Forum reviews, Price and 50" size

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
No way to adjust and save picture mode for each single input

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A fix for the above #5. One additional HDMI input. Better remote

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See above #6

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PQ, especially on SD

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
YES

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Pull the trigger and don't look back

Gman

Anything to report now that you have had this for awhile? I just ordered one today and was wondering if you put in a HDMI card or ordered the speakers, etc. What , if anything, did you do to calibrate it? Appreciate anything you can tell me. Thanks, Dr. V.

Anything new to report? What, if anything, did you use to calibrate it? Did you order the speakers, HDMI board or anything optional? Thanks, Dr. V.

Dr. V:

I've only had the plasma for about 3 weeks now. I don't think adding an HDMI card is an option for the consumer models. No calibration yet either. I had a tech from TWC come out and he basically replaced my ghetto cable splitters with higher quality ones and made the cable out to the plasma the first to exit the splitter network. SD picture quality is much improved. As far as speakers go, I'm getting used to it. My living room is fairly large with tall ceilings (22' x 11') so their seems to be a lot of audio loss. I have Harman Kardon HKTS 14 speakers for watching DVDs. They're pretty decent. Hope that helps.

I recommend you start a new topic for this question . . . .

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 4350

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Appearance. Reviews, and Price.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Its look and PQ

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing yet

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
None

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Lower the price

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
It's so light.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None yet.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yah, definately. My dad bought 40" Mitsu tube 10 years ago for this price.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Pull the trigger and you won't regretted

1. The "Model" you have.
Panny TH-50PX500U

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
AVS Forum reviews of Panisonic was always consistent, Price: newer models actually dropped in price, 50" size is perfect in my setup

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ, unbelievable in HD

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing sticks out yet, only on my second week.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Better remote, but I figured on getting an all in one soon anyway.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
See above #5

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
PQ, especially on HD. Also how it opened up my room space-wise.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
YES, considering you really won't be buying too many in a lifetime. The residual cost hast to be considered too. When you get the plasma, you need the components to drive it. Also, getting the sound quality to now match your PQ is not cheap.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Do your research, PQ is a personal preference, but some brands seem to be consistently at the top. Go see store displays, it helps. Shop for the a good price from a reputable seller. Sit back and enjoy knowing your hard work has paid off!

I want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Costco Maxent 42"
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Price and picture
3. What you like best about your Plasma.
PQ is very good
4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
slow to change inputs
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
a cable input, a tuner, PIP, better zoom features
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
see 5
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Looks a lot bigger in the room than expected. Dark scene performance is better than expected.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Can't get picture with DVI to HDMI adapter. Maybe a SA STB issue. Slight picture flickering in a few scenes and certain conditions, noticeable false contouring, especially with digital SD.
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
yes, or I would not have bought it. Compared to the $3400 spent on my 40" Mitsu tube in 1996, this is a bargain. Compared to flat screens of 5 years ago, too.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
Bought the Pioneer 4312 a few months ago for much more money, but I have been happy with it and it has more features and a better picture. For the Family Room, better is good, but for a bedroom, the Maxent does just fine.
The bedroom had a Proview 32" LCD, but it was inferior in several ways, so it got the boot and the Maxent took it's place.
Thanks.

Dave

want to hear from you guys about your Plasmas. This is not a "Mine is Better than Yours" thread. Be thoughtful and honest.

Just got a new display? Post it here ONLY: please do not start a new thread

Tell me the following:

1. The "Model" you have.
Philips 42PF9630a/37

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Picture quality, connectivity options, price, unit appearance

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture quality with all formats is great. Tons of connectivity options and software updates can be done by the user in under 30 seconds using a USB microdrive available everywhere.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Nothing very satisfied!

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Cant think of any does everything I need and a whole lot more if I choose.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
None, has so many connectivity options it isnt missing anything.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Its performance and picture quality. Even SD is awesome!

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
None

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Yes, I feel I got a real bargain, and even bought from a B&M.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
My biggest concern when I was looking for a Plasma was to make sure it could display all formats. HD, DVD progessive and SD. And this panel does just that. Especially SD was important because my spouse enjoys watching those channels also. Our EX TV, lol, did a great job on SD and I didnt want to go backwards when I bought this panel. Well we were not disappointed it looks even better than it did, the pixel plus2 technology really works. Outstanding picture in SD, DVD and of course HD.

Dave

1. The "Model" you have.
Pioneer 614MX

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
I'm a fan of the Pioneer electronics. It is a 'bargain' in the 60+" range.

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Picture is phenomenal. I love the fact that I can drive it pixel perfect with my htpc.

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Glare. I had put a custom non-glare screen on my previous RPTV and forgot what glare really looked like.

5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
A second digital input for my HD cable box.

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
I'd suggest a nice wire cover on the right side.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
How easy it was to dial in decent colors. Also, how easy the htpc dvi connection worked out.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
One dead green pixel. I only notice it on large green fields (baseball outfield).

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
It's still a bit steep to get into 60+, but this is a pretty nice price. Dave at Satellite and Sound took good care of me.

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
61" really isn't all that big . Mounting it yourself really isn't difficult, just take your time, do your home work, and get a really big friend to help lift it up! Man it was a monster.

I'll post pictures after I all the wiring cleaned up, closet components all mounted, etc. I'm keeping a step by step picture history as well.

Hello All!

After much lurking and learning, I took the plunge this morning on a Pioneer PDP-424MV from DTVCity

I thought I would start this thread to provide some feedback on DTVCity as well as the Pio I'm getting.

DTVCity was actually my third choice, however 1st choice had hidden insurance charges and outrageous prices for the stand and an extended warranty.

My second choice (Plasma Concepts) was out of stock.

Order was placed around 10:00 this morning, will update with more info as this goes on

Thanks to everyone who posts on here - I have gotten a great education and feel like I am making an informed choice

Does anyone have the more current Panny 50PX50u or 50PX500u? Is there still a problem with a buzzing sound? I live in Denver and need to consider high altitutde as an issue. I may need to purchase an LG instead.

UPDATE: After commiting to me that they had the Pioneer in stock, DTVCity waited 48 hours and then called me to tell me that not only was the TV NOT in stock but that the lead time was at least 2 weeks. :-(

I went back to Plasma Concepts, whom I should have gone with in the first place.

Beware of DTVCity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, this is just the sort of sleazy stuff I was worried about

1. The "Model" you have.
Vizio P50HD

2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model".
Coupon discounted price and excellent performance

3. What you like best about your Plasma.
Very good brightness and contrast control, vibrant color, excellent picture quality

4. What you don't like about your Plasma.
Fan noise is clearly audible at the viewing distance when sounds are muted.


5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had.
Smart or better handhaking with HDCP output

6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma.
Use a quieter fan.

7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma.
Picture quality is much better than expected.

8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma.
Fan noise, blank screen when switching from SD to HD channels using HDMI connection.

9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it.
Absolutely

10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged.
What is this survey for?

I JUST PURCHASED IT TODAY !!!! With the newly dropped prices I couldnt resist. CC had it on sale at 10% off the newly dropped price, so I got Best Buy to match that and a 300 best buy rebate to boot. Plus another 150 in reward zone bucks !!! My wife was wanting the 42ED model and I could see her point with the price difference betweeen the 42HDand the ED, but with all the discounts I had to make the jump. Oh ya I got a Direct TV HD receiver too for $120 off with buying a HD tv. Hope I made the right decision. Any inputs on the deal would greatly be appreciated. I also have 30 days to decide on a Extended 4 year warranty. Should I make that move too ?

Troy

Congats!!! what do you think of it? I am just about to do the same thing but I am still of the fence. Later

Just hooked it up tonight with a DVD and I love it !!!! I havne tmessed much with the colors yet ( seem pretty good already ) I will tinker later , but I popped in Gladiator and Finding Nemo and I likey !!!!!! Planning on hanging it on the wall but the stand works nice in the mean time. Good Luck with your purchase. I am glad now I now went with the 50" thought it might be a little big in the room im using but having the 42" would not feel much different than my old 36" CRT. It has a cinema feel now.