NEC new plasma thread!!! - 42xr4, 50xr5, 61xr4 - Page 17

Thanks so much for the response. I called NEC, and they can't seem to answer much in regard to the generation of glass they are using in this model. But they did say it is their newest. I would agree it is far more "current" than the Pioneer. My biggest hesitation is not being able to see the screen, so I'd be going off others testimony's. Looks like as big as this forum is, no one owns one of these baby's yet.

does anyone have the newest 50" they compared to the Pioneer Elite Pro-1130? or the Panasonic Top of the lines?

thanks all for your help. Buying sight unseen is nuts! LOL .. by the way, I've gotten some very good pricing from Plasma Concepts. anyone have any experience with them, or could you recommend anyone else?

Several people in this thread have purchased from Chris from Cleveland Plasma. I, for one, can definitely recommend Chris. I would buy from him again.

I agree with you - buying something this expensive sight unseen is seriously nuts. I am so pleased to be FINISHED with my decision!

I don't see anything that would suggest that it isn't open to the public....

Unless I hear otherwise I'm in!

What random timing! I'm seriously about the pull the trigger within 48 hours.

Swwweeeet.

Based on some previous posts it looks like the 50XR5 uses the same glass as last years 50XR4 model. I also believe this might be the case with the 61XR4 but I have heard that the 42XR4 is all new and it shares the same glass technology as the latest Pioneer. However as long as it competes well in areas such as black level with the Panasonic or Pioneer, I don't really care what generation glass it has.

However this is too new a product and such a big purchase, that I definitely wanted to see the unit myself. But finding a dealer that has the NEC on display proved to be very challenging. NEC plasmas are not carried by any large retailers like Bestbuy or CC, but there are numerous professional AV and Home Theater Installers that do. I must have called over 12 of these type of dealers and none had, or even planned, to have one on display. I finally got a hold of the local distributor and he knew of only one dealer that had it on display but it was about 100 miles from where I live in Seattle. Anyway, I made an appointment to see it this coming weekend and feel the trip will definitely be worth the trouble. My recommendation is that if you want to see one in person, call the NEC local distributor in your area. Maybe NEC customer support will tell you who that is or you call some of the local dealers listed on the NEC site to find out who is the local distributor.

If the 50XR5 ends up being as good as the owners are saying, it sounds like NEC could sell 10 times more that they are currently just by getting some larger retailers to handle the product.

So, did you see the plasma or not yet? if so, did they have other brands to compare it to? what are your thoughts?

I don't know why so many people are fired up about the Panny Plasmas. I disliked everyone I've seen and I'd never buy one. Best one that I've SEEN is the Pioneer by far. So, after reading this thread I'm hoping the NEC's are more comparable to them than the Panny's. Please someone tell me they are.

NEC just does n't do that .
I am not sure why ?
Even there computers are hard to find in B&M stores.
Not too many people know that NEC even makes cellphones.

http://www.dynamism.com/nec-l1/gallery.shtml

Sorry, I edited my post to make it a little less confusing. I won't see it until this coming weekend. However even I my feedback is positive, wouldn't you still want to see one yourself? That was my problem, there hasn't been one bad review on the 50XR5 yet in this thread, I still need to see one in person to make that final judgement.

Also the dealer only has the the 50XR5 on display. However I have already played some of my own demo material on a Pioneer 5060 at another dealer, which I will also play on the 50XR5 to make a comparison. Not as good as a side by side comparison, but it is the best I can do.

mHfnet,

You are one heck of a patient man !!
I could not resist and pulled the trigger, without seeing it . At that time this thread was only 3 pages old.
You prolly already own a big screen TV , and that may be a reason.
I do respect your decision of spending your money wisely & carefully and something like
picture quality in a TV is very subjective also.
Online research and unbiased customer reviews are gradually replacing the need to see these things in person.
That said , i do not regret my decision of buying without seeing and will encourage me in the future .

Oysterhead,

I've had my 42xr4 for the last 3 days. Based on strong recommendations from other AVS users, and an endorsement from a local installer, I ordered it without previewing it in person.

And although it's currently "mounted" on two dining room chairs while I await the arrival of a stand, it is a phenomenal set. The black levels are impressive compared to a friend's commercial 42" Panasonic (sorry, don't know the model), and there has been no hint of an afterimage or burn-in, even with extensive use of the menu system.

SD quality, as others have stated, is much better than I thought an HD set would deliver, and the "stadium" setting distorts 4:3 signals less than other HD sets I've seen. The screen seems much less reflective than other plasma displays, although this is pretty subjective given the variety of lighting situations out there.

I concur with Lisa's glowing recommendation - this set is a keeper. Thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences with these new NEC sets - you definitely helped me make an informed decision.

Good luck.

So after having decided on the Panny 8UK, I found this forum and am just about ready to jump on the 50xr5. There is just one concern I have that I would like to ask first: I plan on using it with an HTPC (using mostly for movies and tv). I would definitely want to play video games on it, althought that would not be its primary usage. I've read the forum and issue of "burn in" and "after image". I'm not too worried about "after image" but "burn in" is a bit scary.

I know this has been discussed, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus. As this would be the only factor that would keep me from getting the NEC over the Panny, I just wanted to check and make sure that I won't have to be paranoid using the NEC.

Thanks in advance!

I think the jury is still out. The XR5 hasn't been out long enough.

Here's the thing though. No matter which panel you get, you will still practice burn-in precautions if you're like me. You will be even *more* careful during the first 100 hours just like I did. It's therefore very unlikely you'll experience any burn-in in the first 100 hours as I haven't . After that, the overall chances of any permanent image retention gradually decrease (but you'll still be relatively careful, no matter what brand you have). So why use burn-in as a deciding factor?

Why would I use burn-in as a factor? I wouldn't unless I knew that I wouldn't have to worry about it with one brand vs the other.

If this isn't the case, then NEC here I come!

Wassy,

I had actually ordered from Bob at Plasma Concepts and had a great experience. I wouldn't hesitate to go to them at all.

From everything I have read at AVS regarding burn-in, it is potentially a factor for all makes of plasma. You need to be careful, particularly during the first 100 hours, regardless of the panel's manufacturer. I strongly doubt that NEC is more susceptible to burn-in than Panasonic, Pioneer, Fujitsu, etc....

I have another question for the 42XR4 owners if you don't mind. What is the noise level like on it? Fan and/or buzzing? I think NEC says the 42 has a couple of db higher noise rating than the 50 so I was just wondering if it is noticable.

I haven't heard anyone complain about it, but my old CRT that just died had an awful buzzing noise that was really annoying during soft sequences so I want to avoid that if possible.

N8G, I just literally put my ear to the side and back of the panel and could not hear anything. I am having problems with my cable box making noise so I am definitely sensitive to it. The NEC is whisper quiet thus far.

LisaM,

I know you've already mentioned the great PQ on SD, but I'm just wondering how it compares to a high quality CRT. I spoke to HDTV techie who said not to buy any plasma if SD PQ is that important to me. He said to expect it not to be as good as any CRT.

I'm a little concerned because due to the limited HD programming available, most of my viewing involves SD. I'd feel pretty crappy if the PQ was noticeably worse on most of the shows I watch.

If a good quality CRT TV delivers a 10 out of 10 in PQ, what do you think the NEC would deliver? I know it's all subjective, of course.

If anyone else gets their 42" NEC XR4, please let us know about the SD PQ. Thanks.

Thanks,
Dave

Dave, I have a good quality CRT (a Mitsubishi Diamond 55 inch) on which SD looks decent. (Caveat: as a rule, I watch only about 10% SD although I have lately been recording old episodes of SVU and Criminal Intent off of USA in SD.) On the 42 inch NEC, I think that SD looks as good - if not better - than on the 55 inch CRT. Of course, part of that may well be due to the difference in screen size with the better picture being on the smaller screen.

I realize this is not important to most folks, but has anyone heard how the 50xr5 add on speakers sound. Not much power on board - 9W x 2. I do not want to have to fire up the HT to listen to the news, etc.

Thanks LisaM,

I'm not too familiar with all the techincal jargon, so correct me if I'm wrong, but your 55" Mitsubishi CRT is a rear projection unit, is it not? I have a 32" Panasonic GAOO, which is a direct-view CRT. My understanding, and I certainly stand to be corrected, is that a direct-view CRT offers better PQ than rear projection units. My SD PQ is amazing and that's what I'll be comparing the NEC plasma to. That's why I'm concerned (maybe overly) about the SD PQ with the NEC.

Nonetheless, I really appreciate your comments, thanks again. I'm hoping someone who gets an NEC 42 XR4 will be comparing the PQ to a high-end direct view CRT.

Again, thanks!
Dave

Sorry if this is a repeat question. Do the NEC 42 and 50 series 4 and 5 have direct access codes for the different inputs?? The remote as I recall only has a input select button. Thanks

Yes, there is direct input access on the remote.

I just wanted to mention that the NEC rep at their display at CES indicated that the glass was the same as the previous models.

I can only speak to the 50"...
Yes.

Jeff

I'm using crappy external speakers connected to the 50XR5, and it works fine for news in the morning - pleny of power.

I'd like to bother anyone with the full hex codes for selecting the DVD/HD4 input on the 50XR5. I have DVD/HD1, 2, & 3 from the 50XR4, but it didn't have DVD/HD4.

Much obliged,


Aaron

Check this pdf from NEC which includes the specific hex for various functions including input DVD4/HD4.

http://www.necvisualsystems.com/Docu...0XR5_IGv10.pdf

Oysterhead and anyone in the San Francisco area: visit House of Music. They have 42xr4 and 50xr4 in stock as of last week. They also have Fujitsu fro comparison.

MG2000, been in there..... 50xr4 are older models, do no look like the NEC xr5 series. And when you go in there ask what they want for them $$$$$... and do not laugh it's not polite.....
db