[TheFerret]

Ok, can someone outline what the major differences were/are between the eight generations of plasma that I keep hearing about in this forum? Has plasma been out that long, or is this just an annual or semi-annual marketing gimmick?


Ok, so who can outline the differences between all eight generations? In annual terms, my butt is on its 40th generation--no new improvement, either.

 

[ld100]

1 decent

2 good

3 better

4 better

5 better

6 better

7 much better

8 much much better

 

[wojtek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ld100 1 decent 2 good 3 better 4 better 5 better 6 better 7 much better 8 much much better

my list:


1 real bad

2 less bad

3 OK

4 pretty good

5 pretty good

6 pretty good

7 pretty good

8 hopefully real good

9 hopefully very good


PS - not to hijack ferret's thread, but 1st generation SED panels, in relation to this list, have the potential to be:


In a Different Ballpark

 

[Ou8thisSN]

does anyone here own a first gen PDP? 42PWD1UY?

 

[BruZZi]

Don't remember reading any info about a Panasonic Commercial Model prior to the TH-42PWD3U.


I think one of the first Panasonic Plasmas was the Consumer PT-42PD1-P.



.
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[R Harkness]

The 3rd Generation ("3UY") Panasonic plasmas is when plasma TVs took the leap to "excellent."

It was the one that got me hooked (first got those black levels). I was going to buy the 3UY but held off for the 4UY model due to promises of things like an orbiter (for burn-in) and a DVI connection. Turns out I never use the orbiter and the digital connection never worked for DVDs.


But PQ-wise I don't believe there was any real difference between the 3 and four generation, and I see little difference between my 4th gen Panny and the 7th gen. Haven't seen the 8th gen yet.

 

[Macfan424]

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Harkness The 3rd Generation ("3UY") Panasonic plasmas is when plasma TVs took the leap to "excellent." ...But PQ-wise I don't believe there was any real difference between the 3 and four generation, and I see little difference between my 4th gen Panny and the 7th gen. Haven't seen the 8th gen yet.

Ah, the sweet voice of reason.


With so many posts about how one generation "blows away" its predecessor, it good to see one of AVS's most respected voices point out the emperor has no clothes.


Not that progress isn't being made, but for some time the annual improvements have been subtle or largely cosmetic, a little like with automobiles, sometimes two steps forward and one step back.


Recent efforts have concentrated on improving longevity and reducing manufacturing costs, worthy goals to be sure, but not resulting in dramatic improvements in PQ. Shadow detail and false contouring continue to improve, too, although not all viewers have been bothered by either. Other changes, like (apparently) tweaking the color decoder to increase saturation, are largely marketing driven. Whether they are improvements or not is a matter of taste.


The original question was not brand specific. To my knowledge, only Panasonic has seen fit to introduce 8 "generations" of plasma panels. The next highest, I believe, is Pioneer with 6. Everyone else seems to be in the 3-5 range.

 

[R Harkness]

I should add that it's pretty difficult for me to ascertain whether there have been significant advances in PQ in the newer Panasonic plasmas vs the 4th gen that I own. When I saw the 7the gen I did have the impression sometimes that they were a bit brighter and more color-saturated. Unfortunately, without seeing them side-by-side with my 4the gen it's really tricky. Maybe the color was just turned up vs my settings. Are they brighter and more vivid? The problem is that judgement can be highly variable depending upon the surrounding lighting and how light may or may not be hitting the plasma. Minor adjustments of lighting in my home can change the apparent vividness, punch and brightness of my plasma.


I can only say that if there are improvements, and there may well be, they don't seem to be "must upgrade to the new model" sized-improvements. At least from what I've seen.

 

[TheFerret]

Rich, this is what I am getting at. Why of these generations coming down the line if there hasn't been a fundamental evolution in the glass? I was hoping that it was more than a marketing gimmick, but I get the feeling of late its nothing but a gimmick. Digital input has nothing to do with the PDP technology, its only a means to eliminate the DA-AD process to get the video signal to the display's imager. I wouldn't call that n+1 generation achievement.

 

[Macfan424]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFerret ...Why of these generations coming down the line if there hasn't been a fundamental evolution in the glass?...

Evolution, yes; revolution, no.


Plasmas have become more burn-in resistant, have longer life expectancy, and cost much less to produce than a few years ago, but there wasn't a big jump with each new "generation." PQ may have improved, but if it takes side by side evaluation to notice it, there is no compelling reason for present owners to dump their sets and trade up.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Yes, there *are* differences, if small. The Panny 8 series is reported to be 15% brighter than the 7's. Not earthshattering, but still real.