[HMArndtGolf]

I'm currently considering the purchase of a Panasonic 50" plasma television set...mainly because I can seemingly get the most 'bang for the buck' going this way because I can come under my $1500 budget by $200 or so. The one huge thing keeping me from it is the fact that I'm fearful of burn-in because I play a lot of video games.


I've considered LCD but have been told (and read) that I should make sure I get 120Hz if I'm going to get an LCD set (which also means I have to go 1080p) and with my budget where it is, this is not an option right now.


Right now my 32" tube is working fine but after seeing the amazing picture on some of my friends HD sets, it's tough looking at the 32 inch screen.


Anyway, how long do you think it will be before a quality LCD 1080p/120Hz 52 inch television drops down to $1500?

It may be a long long time and seem like a crazy question, but I know that some of the 46 inch 1080p/120Hz sets have come down as much as $1700 in the last 8 months.


Thanks for any help and input.


HMArndtGolf

 

[LilGator]

These posts are pointless. If you have a tight $1500 budget, make the best of it (40-42").


If you're set on 52" (1080p, 120Hz, yadda yadda) expand your budget and drop the change.


Waiting, and waiting, and waiting only yields new, better products and discontinued ones you won't want.


There's a difference if you were asking about 1080p FP perhaps 3 years ago dropping from $10K+ to something reasonable, but LCD's are at prices where they are being bought. Supply/demand, not technology costs.

 

[HMArndtGolf]



Quote:
Originally Posted by LilGator /forum/post/14306843


These posts are pointless. If you have a tight $1500 budget, make the best of it (40-42").


If you're set on 52" (1080p, 120Hz, yadda yadda) expand your budget and drop the change.


Waiting, and waiting, and waiting only yields new, better products and discontinued ones you won't want.


There's a difference if you were asking about 1080p FP perhaps 3 years ago dropping from $10K+ to something reasonable, but LCD's are at prices where they are being bought. Supply/demand, not technology costs.

I'm not sure why I would want to settle for a 40" LCD tv if I can wait maybe 5 months and get a 52" like I want....or even get a 40" LCD when I can get a 50" plasma $200 under my budget right now. That's why I was hoping someone might chime in and give me their opinion on how long I might have to wait.


I agree waiting and waiting will yield new, better products but when they discontinue the one I want maybe it will be discontinued in my price range.


With the price of some 52" 1080p/120Hz set (ie: Samsung LN52A650) dropping as much as $1650 in some places since March, obviously the demand wasn't great enough if they've dropped the price an average of $400 a month.


HMArndtGolf

 

[LilGator]



Quote:
Originally Posted by HMArndtGolf /forum/post/14306972


With the price of some 52" 1080p/120Hz set (ie: Samsung LN52A650) dropping as much as $1650 in some places since March, obviously the demand wasn't great enough if they've dropped the price an average of $400 a month.


HMArndtGolf

That's typical of any of these products- margins are tight upon release, and weaken over time to compete for attractive realistic prices.


You can nit pick over $300 or whatever all you want, but the fact of the matter is, $1500 will buy you more of a tv in 6months than it will now, but it will buy even more of a tv a year from now.


At that point, the $2300 TVs will STILL be more attractive and what you want to buy at that point in time will change.

 

[DickMcMuff]

with what you want to spend you may want to look at a dlp, you can get a couple different samsungs for under a grand.


or settle for a 46in lcd. but there is no way you will get a 52in 120hz lcd for that price anytime this year or next, sorry.



now i will sa that 120hz is not needed for games and is over rated, i have it and it is nothing special, someone lied to you



I suggest looking at a samsung 46A550 or a sony 46V4100. these 2 are close to your budget and you will be happy with them..... hint - the sony is better for gaming.... this will keep you at your budget and only sacraficing 6 inches.


or if you really want 120hz you can look at sony 40W4100 (this is what i have) or samsung 40A650... this means going quite a bit smaller than you want and also going over your budget a little..... again, the sony is better for gaming



If you want a descent tv you are going to have to either up your budget or lower your wanted size, but dont think you will get a tv for the size you want with the options you listed at that price any time soon.




And i can gaurantee a 50in plasma for 1300 is not a plasma i would want, lol, sorry but be willing to pa more for something that you will enjoy more

 

[westa6969]

This obsession with 120Hz has become assinine on this forum but do you understand where these prices were in the past and now complaining of $1500 for everything? Learn to live within your budget or sacrifice something.


I view a $6500 57" Sharp that is nearly two years old and it has no friggin 120Hz and I game on 360 and never had an issue at all with 60Hz, I can certainly afford a 120Hz and will go that route when I go larger in the future but I've been enjoying my four LCD's all these years without waiting.


Check out a Samsung 550 52" as it's getting close to your target but expecting a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy Malibu is what you seem to be seeking. They are getting closer and it shocking that you can get any 52" LCD for under $2K but the fact is you can if you shop smartly but you may not get every featureset you desire.


I'd prefer a Mercedes or a Porche but instead I drive an Infinity G37 as my excellent compromise and TV's work the same way. BTW make sure you don't have a sunny room if you shoot for the plasma - I owned a 50" Panny and it was a POS with daytime washout, reflections/glare and dirty whites - plasma needs a light controlled environment to perform IMO.


Also, those touting this theory that there is no bottom to the pricing of these panels is ridiculous. At some point the concept of "Moore's Law" reaches it's bottom and you reach a bottom. Even in PC's that law is now at a bottom despite the shell game the PC makers advertise shockingly low prices well often your buying outdated processors and they taken away software, and lowered warranty coverages. This idea that pricing has no bottom is pie in the sky and posting here MSRP and retail as reality is false - nearly every panel outside the LED's have started at 20-25% lower than MSRP within 30 days. Ask Fujitsu, Pioneer, Olevia if pricing/profitability hits a bottom where you eventually leave, subcontract or go bankrupt.

 

[HMArndtGolf]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DickMcMuff /forum/post/14308240


And i can gaurantee a 50in plasma for 1300 is not a plasma i would want, lol, sorry but be willing to pa more for something that you will enjoy more

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...00000000005702


HMAG

 

[HMArndtGolf]

Thanks for everyone's input....I guess I just saw how much 52" LCD televisions sets have come down over the last 6 months and was hoping they would continue to do so until they came into my budget.


I appreciate all your help, especially concerning the 60Hz vs 120Hz. I really couldn't tell a difference in the store between the two but all my 'buds' keep telling me you gotta have 120Hz.


So now let me revise my question to involve realistic possibilities: How long before a quality 46" 1080p/120Hz LCD tv falls below $1500?


HMArndtGolf

 

[Nthstar]

Also check out the 2008 Samsung HL61A750 LED DLP and see if that might be an option

I have the HLS6188 and I love it. the 61A750 is a 61 inch DLP with a 60,000 hour LED

light that you wont have to change out and its 120 Hertz. mine is an 06 model and if

this tv is better then mine,its one hell of a tv. Nthstar


P.S. Think about a DLP they will be more in your price range. also check here for a refurbished model to save money.Thats where I bought mine www.secondact.com

 

[lonewulf70]

My two cents...

The samsung 52a550 is at a very good price, within a few hundred, at the big river...

Its not 120Hz, but is 52" and 1080p, so thats 2/3 of your wants.

Now, samung has just released info on the 52A630, thats going to be 120Hz, 1080p and is 52"...

the msrp for the a550 is 2399...and the 630 msrp is 2699, but you can bet your dollar that it will drop by/before the end of the year to somewhere around the current big river price of the a550.

Can you wait that long? Thats your choice...and my two cents.

see the thread on these forums - dont worry its not all glossy vs matte - there is some real info on the a630 in there...especially later posts :
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1043609

 

[Adult Beverage]



Quote:
Originally Posted by westa6969 /forum/post/14308629


This obsession with 120Hz has become assinine on this forum but do you understand where these prices were in the past and now complaining of $1500 for everything? Learn to live within your budget or sacrifice something.


I view a $6500 57" Sharp that is nearly two years old and it has no friggin 120Hz and I game on 360 and never had an issue at all with 60Hz, I can certainly afford a 120Hz and will go that route when I go larger in the future but I've been enjoying my four LCD's all these years without waiting.


Check out a Samsung 550 52" as it's getting close to your target but expecting a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy Malibu is what you seem to be seeking. They are getting closer and it shocking that you can get any 52" LCD for under $2K but the fact is you can if you shop smartly but you may not get every featureset you desire.


I'd prefer a Mercedes or a Porche but instead I drive an Infinity G37 as my excellent compromise and TV's work the same way. BTW make sure you don't have a sunny room if you shoot for the plasma - I owned a 50" Panny and it was a POS with daytime washout, reflections/glare and dirty whites - plasma needs a light controlled environment to perform IMO.


Also, those touting this theory that there is no bottom to the pricing of these panels is ridiculous. At some point the concept of "Moore's Law" reaches it's bottom and you reach a bottom. Even in PC's that law is now at a bottom despite the shell game the PC makers advertise shockingly low prices well often your buying outdated processors and they taken away software, and lowered warranty coverages. This idea that pricing has no bottom is pie in the sky and posting here MSRP and retail as reality is false - nearly every panel outside the LED's have started at 20-25% lower than MSRP within 30 days. Ask Fujitsu, Pioneer, Olevia if pricing/profitability hits a bottom where you eventually leave, subcontract or go bankrupt.

I LMAO when I read this.

Especially after reading so many posts from you where your only advice was to spend significantly more than posters said thier respective budgets would allow. For sets much larger than their spaces would allow. Combine that with your opinion of all plasmas based on briefly owning one, how many years ago? Comedy gold. Nuggets from heaven. We are so blessed.

 

[Stereodude]



Quote:
Originally Posted by westa6969 /forum/post/14308629


...but expecting a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy Malibu is what you seem to be seeking.

Yeah, but the difference here is that the Mercedes and the Chevy are both dropping in price every few months. So, sure the Mercedes will always been more expensive than the Chevy, but it will at some point fall into his price range.

 

[Stereodude]



Quote:
Originally Posted by HMArndtGolf /forum/post/14306619


Anyway, how long do you think it will be before a quality LCD 1080p/120Hz 52 inch television drops down to $1500?

Well, currently they're about $700 off your target, so they'd have to lose about 33% of their selling price to get there. My wild guess is that you're looking at maybe 6-9 months for the market price to get there. However, it might be possible that some retailer will sell a few on Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving) at that price as part of their special 5AM doorbusters.

 

[Ledzep77]

Earlier this year I purchased one of the new 50" Panny Plasmas and I play PS3all the time with no burn in issues. I finished GTA4 and play Rockband for hours no problems. It is the best bang for the buck. I have the 720p model and everyone thinks its a 1080p based on PQ.

 

[planobry]

Glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this decision!


I had my heart set on the Panasonic TH-50pz85u (little better than the one you linked). My ideal price is like yours, $1500. A certain retailer from time to time has this set for a couple of hundred above that. I have a "Big Box Electronics" credit card and they have no interest financing for 36 months on the panasonic plasmas (pricematch) which makes it even more tempting. However, after doing more research, the Samsung ln52a650, being LCD, 120 hz, better viewing in the daytime, keeps me from pulling the trigger. I want to make a decision before football season and hope the price at "Big River" keeps coming down (it is getting closer it seems by the week). If it gets to 2 grand I might just pull the trigger.


Am I splitting hairs between the Panny and Samsung? My primary viewing is daytime, PS3, and sports. My wife also loves to leave the DVR paused for ~15 minutes at a time and I get worried about burning in the little pause icon on the tv. I also have 3 boys who like to leave their games paused without turning off the set.

 

[planobry]

Well, after reading more posts in this forum, it might be worthwhile to wait for the 630 that has a matte screen (better for daytime) and a little less expensive. Hopefully, under 2 grand but would love for something comparable to be around $1500.

 

[Jon V]

My perception (not backed by any real data) is that the rate of price decline is beginning to moderate. Shipping costs are up significantly in the $130-140 oil world, the value of the dollar continues to slide against many currencies and raw materials costs are up a lot in the past year. I'm starting to wonder when the price decline curve will reverse course.


I second getting LCD over plasma due to reflections if you don't have significant light control. I have a 42" plasma in the bedroom, where i have decent control, but i can't watch with the bedside reading lamp on.


With respect to 1080p/120 hz, unless you are a serious aspiring videophile you are probably allowing your buddies' tech dreams to influence your personal decision too much. The plasma mentioned above is a 480p resolution Fujitsu which i watch from 12'. HD looks spectacular on it and at the store i couldn't see a difference in picture quality comparing to the equivalent 720p/1080i model - so i bought the cheaper one and have been enjoying it for 3 years. No tv will ever be perfect, next year's will always be better, but many are really good right now. Best of luck.


Go watch some fast moving sports on side by side 120hz and 60hz units at a local store. If you still can't see the difference, why wait?

 

[jayIT]

46in at 120hz, for $1500, will probably be available Jan 09.


that said, you can buy some 52in 1080p sets right now for somewhere between 1500 and 1700. they are only 60hz, but with your budget, does it really matter?


The Sony 52W3000 is 1690, and the Samsung LN52A550 is only 1539 on amazon.com. Those are both solid TVs for your budget.


oh, and like people have said, when it comes to gaming, 120hz and 60hz are nearly impossible to tell the difference. 120hz makes the most difference when trying to read text on the screen while in motion, some enhanced clarity during fast moving sports, and mostly in films.


bottom line, you could go with the 52in Sony or Sammy TODAY, and be happy.

 

[clpollard53]

The Philip's 52PFL7403 will be on coupon at Costco B&M starting August 18th for just 3 Benjamin's over your limit. This set looks nice for the price point.


-CR

 

[babrown92]

the 46a650 can be had for $200 more than your budget at big river. With the free shipping and no sales tax, that pretty much makes up for the difference if you were looking to spend $1500 at a B&M store.


The 46a650 is 120hz, 1080p and a great LCD. That is the route I would take. It may be a little more than you are wanting to spend, but if I could afford to spend $1500, chances are $200 more wouldnt kill me.