My head is spinning...

post #1 of 13

9/13/07 at 5:33am

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126 Posts. Joined 7/2005
Location: Long Island, NY
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Here is my dilemma...
I would like to get a 50" Plasma for my den.
My den has seating such that I am about 9 ft. from the screen. Others could be as close as 5 ft. but most are 6-8 ft. I have read that at that distance a 1080P set would be better. However I have also read that contrast, brightness etc are more important contributors to quality than resolution.

If I am trying to stick to a budget of $2,500 or so... am I better off getting the Pioneer 5080HD (720P) or the Panasonic 50" 700 or 750U (1080P) sets???

The Pioneer seems better on many fronts but does not have the resolution...

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
RA

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post #2 of 13

9/13/07 at 5:44am

Nuance
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Location: Wisconsin
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Quote:

Originally Posted by radamo

Here is my dilemma...
I would like to get a 50" Plasma for my den.
My den has seating such that I am about 9 ft. from the screen. Others could be as close as 5 ft. but most are 6-8 ft. I have read that at that distance a 1080P set would be better. However I have also read that contrast, brightness etc are more important contributors to quality than resolution.

If I am trying to stick to a budget of $2,500 or so... am I better off getting the Pioneer 5080HD (720P) or the Panasonic 50" 700 or 750U (1080P) sets???

The Pioneer seems better on many fronts but does not have the resolution...

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
RA

1080P would be nice from 6 feet, but more than likely won't be noticed from 8-9. However, as you mentioned, contrast ratio, color saturation and brightness are more important picture quality attributes than resolution.

I recommend comparing the two TV's and picking which you prefer. Take both TV's out of their "Torch" modes and use Movie or User mode. Tweak from there until the picture on both sets pleases your eye. Then compare and choose the winner.

You are going to get your Pioneer fans and your Panasonic fans telling you what to buy. But their opinion don't matter; yours does.

P.S. I own the 5080HD but am not going to say it's the best TV on the planet because that is a subjective statement. But to me, in my home and to my eyes, it's amazing!

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post #3 of 13

9/13/07 at 6:20am

37 Posts. Joined 6/2007
Location: Indianapolis Indiana
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RADAMO,

I was in the same position as you and considered the same panels.
The panny and poi and excellent choices and I ended up placing an order for the Samsung 5084.
It fit all the criteria and looks fantastic.
Good luck....

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post #4 of 13

9/13/07 at 8:33am

148 Posts. Joined 8/2007
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My head did the same thing with the same questions.

My viewing range is 9 foot (wife) and 12 foot (me).

After chewing on the 720P vs 1080P issue I finally decided,
"What the heck, I can't make a mistake by getting
the 1080P other than spending a little more money".

I bought a Samsung 5084 and couldn't be happier.

dxr

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post #5 of 13

9/13/07 at 12:45pm

Thread Starter

126 Posts. Joined 7/2005
Location: Long Island, NY
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Thanks for the responses... The only place locally to compare these sets is a Best Buy. The 5080 was on the wall with majority of the plasmas and it looked ok. But when I was there the feed was crap to all sets... Except the 700U which was set up separately with a Blu Ray DVD player and lowered lighting. So it blew all the other sets away. I need to find a place where I can compare the 700U, 5080 and now the 5084 to see how they each look against one another and to compare at differing distances...

If anyone knows of a store on Long Island that this is possible please let me know.
Thanks,
RA

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post #6 of 13

9/13/07 at 12:47pm

2,373 Posts. Joined 11/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
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5080HD many happy users out here

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post #7 of 13

9/13/07 at 4:00pm

9,775 Posts. Joined 6/2005
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorxring

My head did the same thing with the same questions.

My viewing range is 9 foot (wife) and 12 foot (me).

After chewing on the 720P vs 1080P issue I finally decided,
"What the heck, I can't make a mistake by getting
the 1080P other than spending a little more money".

I bought a Samsung 5084 and couldn't be happier.

dxr

You are right about that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by radamo

am I better off getting the Pioneer 5080HD (720P) or the Panasonic 50" 700 or 750U (1080P) sets???

Panasonic are rolling with a $200 mail in rebate that may apply in your situation.

Cleveland Plasma Insider

» Get the latest news and updates at the Cleveland Plasma sponsor page.

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Cleveland Plasma Insider

» Get the latest news and updates at the Cleveland Plasma sponsor page.

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post #8 of 13

9/13/07 at 5:30pm

5,151 Posts. Joined 12/2004
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Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanInvision

5080HD many happy users out here

Man, you find a way to pump the 5080D in every thread. Pioneer having a reseller spiff?

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post #9 of 13

9/13/07 at 5:41pm

330 Posts. Joined 5/2007
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Quote:

Originally Posted by radamo

Here is my dilemma...
I would like to get a 50" Plasma for my den.
My den has seating such that I am about 9 ft. from the screen. Others could be as close as 5 ft. but most are 6-8 ft. I have read that at that distance a 1080P set would be better. However I have also read that contrast, brightness etc are more important contributors to quality than resolution.

If I am trying to stick to a budget of $2,500 or so... am I better off getting the Pioneer 5080HD (720P) or the Panasonic 50" 700 or 750U (1080P) sets???

The Pioneer seems better on many fronts but does not have the resolution...

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
RA

I was in the same position as a few above and decided to place an order for the Samsung 5084; I currently have a panny 720p that I will be exchanging. It came down to the pio5080 and Samsung5084 and ended up going with the samsung. I sit 10' away so resolution was not the deciding factor... The pio had slightly deeper blacks, but I thought the sammy had better detail and slightly better colors. Plus the 2yr warranty is nice... I also figured that the resolution may come into play someday if I decide to move the set. Good Luck

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post #10 of 13

9/14/07 at 6:58am