Plasma TV's? Good, bad or ugly?

[JOE G]

My samsung has a Anti Glare screen, it works, well If there is direct sunlight on the screen in may be a bit annoying, But I still would go Plasma over LCD.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Did you mean "burn in", which refers to the screen being damaged by a static image. The static image gets "burned in" to the screen.
And yes this is a great thread. I am in the market for a 50" TV. I had flip flopped from LED to plasma but now it's leaning back to LED. Glare will be an issue and at certain times of the year direct sunlight will also be a concern.

Someone mentioned that their TV had a bulb that burned out that was expensive to replace; a different concept from the "burn in" phenomenon on a plasma. I still don't know what the problem is with having to keep the plasma screen upright as opposed to storing or transporting lying down.

 

[Grateful11]

Brin, in all fairness, the audio was the weakest mark for reviews when doing my research. That said, that was the same complaint of all flat panel TV's since they don't have the room for much speaker. In practical experience, however, I have not had any complaint about the standard speaker in it. I have a Yamaha surround sound in my bonus room on my older Sony 40" 1080 Bravio (Tube), so I know what I'm missing and yet the only TV I want to watch is the Panasonic, so apparently it is not that bad. It's not Bose quality, but plenty loud by itself and doesn't sound tinny or anything. I don't have room or access to put in surround sound in my living room unless I go wireless and just haven't fooled with it.

Without looking, I know it at least has two HDMI inputs and all kind of audio output options. I had to purchase two 12' HDMI cables and have the Geek Squad run them from where my receiver and blu-ray player are to the TV through the walls around the FP (attractive installation). Those cables were $100 each for the high quality ones. That was what struck me funny; they are very expensive compared to the falling prices of the electronics.

I've yet to hear a Flat Panel TV with decent sound whether it was $300 or $3000. The Vizio soundbars get excellent reviews from even the big audio video magazines. Ours was around $200, the sound puts the built-in speakers to shame and the wireless subwoofer is very convenient.

 

[coobie]

How does the remote for the Vizio sound bar work for you? Mine works like crap, a common problem according to the Internet.

Love my vizio sound bar,remote operates flawless.It sounds great,of course they make a few different models.coobie

 

[joshuabardwell]

Someone mentioned that their TV had a bulb that burned out that was expensive to replace; a different concept from the "burn in" phenomenon on a plasma. I still don't know what the problem is with having to keep the plasma screen upright as opposed to storing or transporting lying down.

It's DLPs where the bulb burns out. LCD TVs either have fluorescent tubes or newer ones have LED backlights. The fluorescent ones may get dim over time, but I have never heard of one burning out. The LED ones have such a long life that you're unlikely to ever wear one out. Plasma has no bulbs whatsoever. The screen itself gives off the light.

 

[tractorshopper]

I've yet to hear a Flat Panel TV with decent sound whether it was $300 or $3000. The Vizio soundbars get excellent reviews from even the big audio video magazines. Ours was around $200, the sound puts the built-in speakers to shame and the wireless subwoofer is very convenient.

Thanks Grateful. I may just have to check out that soundbar soon. Did the wireless sub cost a lot? Do they run through the same receiver?

 

[redberankubota]

I went through the same issue a few years ago , I have never had anything but a tube tv in the main room my entire life (43) . I have a visio lcd 32 in. in the bedroom that rarely gets watched..decent pic. but blurry at times.

I did all the typical research on every type out at the time and was going to go with an LED but they were new and still pricey for me.

I ended up with a Samsung 51 in Plasma and am more than pleased. I don`t know if I got lucky or not , but I get zero glare and it`s by two windows and a large sliding glass door. Picture quality is awesome , no blur with anything , viewable from any angle , great colors...and we got the tv and soundbar with wireless subwoofer for right at 1k bucks out the door which at the time was much less than any other tv alone.

I think they are around 500 now.

Yes it gets hot , but soo what? I`m sure it uses more power than say an LED , but I would doubt if it would even be noticeable in my monthly power bill.


Just my 2 cents...

 

[redberankubota]

sorry double post for some reason

 

[deezler]

Plasmas may have a nice picture, and rich, deep blacks, but! They suck! Energy, that is.

Plasmas, at the same screen size, use over twice the energy of LCDs and 3 times as much as LEDs. You can help the electronics industry recognize our demand for energy-efficient products by paying attention when you make a big purchase like this.

Down with energy-hog plasma screens! I had a 50" plasma for several years - it sucked down 500 watts. It ran real hot, and on the hottest days of summer, the A/C would have to work that much harder to keep the house cool. Do the math, and if it was on for 4 hours a day, thats $73 a year; more if you include extra A/C needs. Might as well save 40+ bucks per year on your electric bill, reduce our collective energy foot print, greenhouse gas emissions, and demand for foreign energy. Go LED!

 

[foggy1111]

Owned a 50" Plazma for many years now. Has surround sound and has had a wonderful pic. Now doing research on a TV(s) for our new home.....and at this point leaning toward LED/LCD 60" w/ surround sound.....and it will be a SMART TV that can stream from the web.

Things have changed allot since I last looked. Screen sizes are bigger, prices are lower, energy is less, LED exists, features are numerous and the internet is now a bigger part of the deal.