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60" Plasma Upgrade and Purchase Concerns

4K views 33 replies 8 participants last post by  chunon 
#1 ·
I was going to top one of the couple threads I see on the warehouse store Samsung F5350s but I'm hoping to get some general advice too so here goes:


I just came across the Samsung F5350s for sale in-store at local Costcos and I'm really considering it but pretty torn.


A couple questions:


I've been in the market to upgrade my 42" Panasonic GT25 (TC-P42GT25) to a comparable 60" for a long time now and was finally ready to bite the bullet on a VT60 because I saw them for sub-$2k. But now that they've been discontinued I see they've essentially hit collector's market prices and I'm at a loss for what to do. When it comes down to it the panel and PQ are my main concerns but the Samsung definitely seems like a downgrade in every way other than size. Would the panel at least be same or better PQ than my Panasonic?


Second, the ones I saw in store were marked as being PN60F5350A. I understand that the F5350 is a warehouse store model but I wasn't sure if the A was a different version on top of that. Maybe with an AR filter? Was anyone ever able to confirm for certain that that F5350 has one or not?


Thanks for any and all advice! Basically I'm really wanting to upgrade to a 60". My budget is somewhat limited and I'm willing to sacrifice some bells & whistles from my current set but would prefer to stick with a mid-to-high end set. I'm mostly just really bummed that its looking like I've been priced out of buying a Panasonic again...
 
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#2 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Downpresser  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24438211


I was going to top one of the couple threads I see on the warehouse store Samsung F5350s but I'm hoping to get some general advice too so here goes:


I just came across the Samsung F5350s for sale in-store at local Costcos and I'm really considering it but pretty torn.


A couple questions:


I've been in the market to upgrade my 42" Panasonic GT25 (TC-P42GT25) to a comparable 60" for a long time now and was finally ready to bite the bullet on a VT60 because I saw them for sub-$2k. But now that they've been discontinued I see they've essentially hit collector's market prices and I'm at a loss for what to do. When it comes down to it the panel and PQ are my main concerns but the Samsung definitely seems like a downgrade in every way other than size. Would the panel at least be same or better PQ than my Panasonic?


Second, the ones I saw in store were marked as being PN60F5350A. I understand that the F5350 is a warehouse store model but I wasn't sure if the A was a different version on top of that. Maybe with an AR filter? Was anyone ever able to confirm for certain that that F5350 has one or not?


Thanks for any and all advice! Basically I'm really wanting to upgrade to a 60". My budget is somewhat limited and I'm willing to sacrifice some bells & whistles from my current set but would prefer to stick with a mid-to-high end set. I'm mostly just really bummed that its looking like I've been priced out of buying a Panasonic again...

The Samsung should be very comparable to your GT25 in black level. I'm reading 0.0083 fL for the G25 and 0.004 fL for the GT20. However, you may want to think twice about going with a 60 inch F5300/F5500 though. It uses pentile array. And no F5300/F5500 ever came with an anti glare filter. If you want one with no pentile array, and an anti glare filter, go with the 64 inch H5000.
 
#3 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KOF  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24438861



The Samsung should be very comparable to your GT25 in black level. I'm reading 0.0083 fL for the G25 and 0.004 fL for the GT20. However, you may want to think twice about going with a 60 inch F5300/F5500 though. It uses pentile array. And no F5300/F5500 ever came with an anti glare filter. If you want one with no pentile array, and an anti glare filter, go with the 64 inch H5000.
That's why I always thought the text on that thing is pixelated. Kind of like the pentile display on the Samsung Galaxy phone. My eyes are sensitive to pentile display, lol.
 
#4 ·
Downpresser :It will be a worthy upgrade as 42" to 60 is a major upgrade.


the PQ will be better on the 5350 because it has cms white balance and 10pt white balance as well. being a panasonic owner i worried about i.r on this samsung well im happy say I.r does not appear. very very happy.


and Sound this i was very worried as well as i have very bad hearing
choose sound mode standard then sound effects turn on dts tru surround then go to equaizer


balance dont change

100hz dont chane

300hz move 7 clicks to the right

1khz dont change

3khz max it out

10khz 9 clicks to the right



and yes the af means anti reflective filter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Downpresser  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns/0_100#post_24438211


I was going to top one of the couple threads I see on the warehouse store Samsung F5350s but I'm hoping to get some general advice too so here goes:


I just came across the Samsung F5350s for sale in-store at local Costcos and I'm really considering it but pretty torn.


A couple questions:


I've been in the market to upgrade my 42" Panasonic GT25 (TC-P42GT25) to a comparable 60" for a long time now and was finally ready to bite the bullet on a VT60 because I saw them for sub-$2k. But now that they've been discontinued I see they've essentially hit collector's market prices and I'm at a loss for what to do. When it comes down to it the panel and PQ are my main concerns but the Samsung definitely seems like a downgrade in every way other than size. Would the panel at least be same or better PQ than my Panasonic?


Second, the ones I saw in store were marked as being PN60F5350A. I understand that the F5350 is a warehouse store model but I wasn't sure if the A was a different version on top of that. Maybe with an AR filter? Was anyone ever able to confirm for certain that that F5350 has one or not?


Thanks for any and all advice! Basically I'm really wanting to upgrade to a 60". My budget is somewhat limited and I'm willing to sacrifice some bells & whistles from my current set but would prefer to stick with a mid-to-high end set. I'm mostly just really bummed that its looking like I've been priced out of buying a Panasonic again...
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike2937  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24512598


Does the pn60f5350a have internet connectivity,wired or wifi?


thank you!

I'm not sure about the connectivity, I don't remember it having an ethernet port so I would guess not.


Cross posting this info here to try and get some more opinions:


Hey guys. I posted a thread a couple weeks ago regarding my frustrations with Panasonics hitting collector's market prices right around the time I was ready to upgrade. After a lot of searching I finally came across some floor model 65" VT60 and ST60s.


I was able to haggle down the VT60 to around $1500. That what would be an incredible deal if brand new but I'm obviously nervous about a floor model plasma that has a LOT of hours on it. It seems in perfect condition otherwise and I couldn't detect and IR/burn-in.


What do people think?? Here is a camera shot of the version menu to give people an idea of the amount of time on it:

 
#8 ·
^^^^ I bought a floor model 65" recently have no regrets thus far. 3300 hours. I sucessfully registered it on the Panasonic site for the warranty. Really no comparison between the VT60 and F5350, I used to own a GT25 and the VT60 is a huge upgrade
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KOF  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560450


Wow, almost 4000 hours.
My S64 hits 930 hours BTW. I got it last November and I've already accumulated this much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560455


^^^^ I bought a floor model 65" recently have no regrets thus far. 3300 hours. I sucessfully registered it on the Panasonic site for the warranty. Really no comparison between the VT60 and F5350, I used to own a GT25 and the VT60 is a huge upgrade

Yea, I'm kind of feeling like I just need to do it, regardless of the hours. I don't anticipate being able to buy another in the near future in any condition. Like I said, no problems with the image that I can see and I'll get a full warranty as if buying new, in addition to likely buying a SquareTrade on top of that.
 
#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560489


If it is IR free that is amazing, mine has ESPN IR that is slowly fading. This is a 60" or 65" ?

I'm going to ask them to take it down from the shelf it's on so I can look closer but it seemed fine.


It's a 65". All they have left are 65" floor models for a VT60 and an ST60.
 
#13 ·
65 inch one for $1500?
I would buy it in a heartbeat! Yeah, the hours are kinda high, but knowing Panasonic's reliability, I don't suppose it's so much of a concern? My S64 has been trouble free all the time and I think phosphor trailing has got better.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560518


Run the screen wipe the IR will show up on that if there is any, that is in the picture settings menu. That's one heck of a price better by about $200 hundred than what I paid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560518


Run the screen wipe the IR will show up on that if there is any, that is in the picture settings menu. That's one heck of a price better by about $200 hundred than what I paid.

Thanks for the advice! I was wondering how best to check in-store. Would bringing a USB with slides be better or should the built-in wipe be sufficient to see IR?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KOF  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24560713


65 inch one for $1500?
I would buy it in a heartbeat! Yeah, the hours are kinda high, but knowing Panasonic's reliability, I don't suppose it's so much of a concern? My S64 has been trouble free all the time and I think phosphor trailing has got better.

Yup, feeling more and more that way. My GT25 is wonderful and still runs great after 3 years, I just had always intended to buy something 55" or bigger.
 
#16 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24561205


Slides might so less severe ir but screen wipe should show anything obvious at that price it would have to impact viewing substantially before I would pass on the set

Going to cross-post more info I found today:


So I went back and scrutinized this set again today as well as finding another 65VT60 being offered to me at the same price.


Unfortunately, both have what appears to be fairly bad burn-in. The new one I found has about 1K less hours of use on it but they both have an ESPN logo, a line across the bottom from the top of a ticker bar and some faint lines/boxes on the left side that are from a SportsCenter/PTI type show. The set with 1K less hours seems to have less severe burn in that was hard to notice when I had regular programming on instead of the screen wipe.


Needless to say I'm pretty bummed. I know it's impossible to predict but what is everyone's opinion here? Is this not worth it? Is there *any* chance these marks will come out after a couple months, or at least soften considerable?
 
#17 ·
Even with burn in that is in incredible price, I paid 3/4 that for my 42" panel, second hand
. I've not had burn in but if I did I'd try running the scrolling bar or pixel jogger from iBrad (60fps continuous white/black frames) in dynamic mode, panel brightness high, contrast to maximum, brightness to minimum, s-curve gamma, ire(white level) to max and so on.. anything to make the white point extremely bright in contrast with black should tease it out if it can be done
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChadThunder  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24563097


Even with burn in that is in incredible price, I paid 3/4 that for my 42" panel, second hand
. I've not had burn in but if I did I'd try running the scrolling bar or pixel jogger from iBrad (60fps continuous white/black frames) in dynamic mode, panel brightness high, contrast to maximum, brightness to minimum, s-curve gamma, ire(white level) to max and so on.. anything to make the white point extremely bright in contrast with black should tease it out if it can be done
Quote:
Originally Posted by chunon  /t/1520962/60-plasma-upgrade-and-purchase-concerns#post_24563203


That's exactly the ir pattern I have on my set guessing hhgregg ? I do see it on light colored backgrounds but it does not impact normal viewing for me

Damn. Didn't expect people to still be telling me to go for it.



You guys really think the IR will fade over time even with 2-3K hours? chunon, I guess you have my exact use case. I'm going to see if I can compare and contrast some others. Presumably they will all have the same issues, so whichever has the least hours wins.
 
#20 ·
Mine has faded somewhat do I expect to ever go away completely probably not, but considering I paid $1700 for it I am fine with that. I don't see it often and it usually just momentarily on a light background. Only you can decide it is something you can live with. For me the positives of the screen size and outstanding picture quality far outweigh the times I notice the IR.
 
#22 ·
3300 when purchased about 3700 now, I spent alot of time the first two weeks running the pixel flipper and screen wipe it did mitigate it somewhat. I am hopeful it will fade further just with regular varied programming. I also decided it wasnt worth the extra wear and tear on my set and have just resumed my normal viewing habits. Believe me after a pro calibration there are very few sets that are comparable.
 
#23 ·

Hi Chunon,

 

I recently purchased the 65VT60 from hh gregg and have the same IR/burn in issues that have been mentioned previously in this post (ESPN line/logo on the bottom and ticker on the left).  Further, I have noticed that in the upper right-hand corner of the screen I can see the word "Store" faintly.  Whenever I turn my set on, the "Store" logo shows up in that spot.  Do you know how I can turn this off?  

 

Anyone have any luck with further image retention reductions with their hh gregg burn in sets?

 

Finally, were you given the pixel flipper software upon purchase?  If not, where did you find it?

 

Thanks,

NH
 
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