Plamsa TV Thinking Of Buying One Need Advise

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> "Samsung HLP 5063W" </font>

That's the current model number for the TV I have. FWIW, I really like mine. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[kensfarm]

My buddy owns and runs www.plasmacity.com

 

[TresCrows]

I think people are not taking the life limit in perspective. Because they are known to have a limit folks freak out about it. Everything has a limit if only by becoming obsolete. The 25,000 hour life is until the picture degrades sufficient to be noticeable--washed out, dimmer. So I have been told. Let's see, 25,000 hours divided by 4 hours of viewing 365 days of the year equals 17.12 YEARS of useful life. That is a lot of TV watching /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. Even if it is only 20,000 hours that is still way over 12 years and I read that some plasmas are up closer to 30,000 hours when played at reduced brightness or average brightness. The things are bright. They are bright enough to be viewed in daylight. In the average home when watching a movie in dimmed lighting the brightness is adjusted way down. I think some have an auto function that maintains a set brightness over ambient that is selected by the owner. In any case 20,000 hours and upwards is not really that bad a deal.
I know a fellow who has a home theator. His projector type unit drops out of the ceiling and projects to a silver screen that also rolls out of the ceiling. It is only used for movies and sports etc. The main TV for getting the news and weather is a 32 inch built into the same wall and of course they have several other CRT TV around the house. Do you really need to watch the local news on a big screen--NO.
I have emancipated my self from TV watching long ago but when I do watch a movie or such I want it to be in the bright and clear and colorful display of a plasma TV.
My thought on a plasma may be to build it in so that it rises up from a cabinet when in use and then dissappears otherwise. I am tired of having large electronic items taking up my space. Hideaway integrated systems using plasma and LCD screens are the future. Dedicating an entire wall to the display of amps, cassetes, tapes, VCRs, DVDs, more amps, tuners, turntables and more wires and more wires and cables and then huge partical board TV sets with plastic screens--all in the required (for some reason unknown) black coloration is old fashined and dated.
When you have to check the load capacity of your truck to bring your new partical board vinyl wood grain and black TV home you know you have a problem. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. J

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I am not too far away from buying a video projector. Models with the same resolution as the best TV's can be had for $1500-$2000. You can't touch a picture that fills your whole wall!

Granted, I would not want that for every day TV, just movies. I'd still want a descent CRT TV for the news and such. The cost of this stuff just keeps falling. In 2 years I think it will be time to buy.

 

[PBMAX]

TresCrows, 30K hours sounds about what I've heard as well or 7yrs which ever comes 1st........ /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My biggest problem is the bite on the wallet based on the old news Tube Tv's most of us grew up with.

For ex./

I have a (@ the time $800) 27" 500 line per in rez from 1990 and a newer version of the same tv from 98 ($400) @ 800 lines per in Rez. and a 35" flat tube from 99 @ ($800) . 1080 per ine rez.

At those prices if I get 10yrs to 12yrs out of the other 2 I'd be content.
But at 3k to 10K. I think most of figure we should be able hand it down to the grandkids in 2O + yrs... Who knows it may just happen.... Tubes have been around since the 1920's. That maks plasma an infant still and growing up fast...

What many don't relize is the expected life of the older projection TV's was 7yrs +/-. Not that the Tv would fail after 7yrs, but that it would be cheaper to buy a new Tv than to fix the old one at that age.

I like the DLP projectors either screen or projection TV because you get very near the image of Plasma on the largest of screens 50" or bigger (I got My EYE on a 65" at the moment) for several K less than the plasma and if the image dims just buy a $150 bulb. Try getting new plasma.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Also if the plasma fails since they are Pixal per-in, screens like pc monitors, you will not only get a more dim image, but also tiny balck dots. Which one here and there is not bad but get them in clusters and it would get noticeable.
(I have seen that on plasmas at an airport somewhere, but keep in mind many of those are 1st gen and run 24hr/7days)

I think it was you (maybe not) that mention LCD as the real market fto TV in the near future. I happen to feel the same. Someone today mentioned a new factory being built in Korea and the company plans to sell 42" LCD's for just under 1K.
Figure 3yrs from now unless they build the factory in record time over there...

 

[TresCrows]

Paul, I had not heard of the time factor you mention but only the cumulative play time as my information indicates that the plasma cells (for lack of a better term), that the reactive plasma cooks off slowly when the TV is operating. I was unaware that this process ocurrs while the TV is not operating. Where do you have a source for this info--just curious as I would like to read it myself.
Yes, I agree that LCD TVs are a future wave and there is another technology out there that uses layered LCDs I think to provide faster response and brighter picture (I think this is true) and of course plasma will continue to improove. What I hear on the plasma front is that future plasma screens will operate at lower temps thus increasing their useful life. Since, as I said, plasmas are already priced below 2,000 dollars for 42 inch screens (EDTV) we are beginning to get into a price most people can afford to pay. I don't think anyone really expects to hand down obsolete TVs regardless of the technology to grand kids--that is a old fashioned and quaint idea. Technology nowadays advances much to rapidly for the grand kids to have any interest in your 20 year old plasma, CRT, projector or what have you /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. They will be watching holograms from a crystal projector /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. J

 

[PBMAX]

TresCrows, the time factor I used of 7 yrs was for the 1st gen plasma and was a rough estimate I read in Pm or PS mag and or maybe it was on Tech TV way back when they 1st hit the consumer market. 7yrs being the estimated point for the start of a possible failure, not that it will fail in 7yrs.

What I have not read is what is the start point of possible failure for a tube TV? I bet we might be suprised....


I've been told by one of my High tech Guru's (engineer type) yesterday afternoon. That many of the newest Plasma's are rated at 50k hr and the pixal failure is no longer supposed to be an issue. He was showing off his new 32" viewsonic (Model# N3020W)LCD/TV ($1900+/-) and I pestered him with ?'s about the new 42" Veiwsonic Plasma (VPW4255) still in the box for his house by the front door (He paid around 3K for it. the best I could find on google quick search was $4400) . I pointed out in the comments about the plasma at the airport, followed by ( the older 1st gen comment ). Because I figured there had been at least some improve ment since 1st gen plasma. I just have yet to see any hard points on the life of them lately... I did mention the 42" plasma would fit better in my explorer than his ragtop Porche.....

They actually did show on Tech Tv a plasma on their set that had the bad (burned out Pixals from heavy use on thier show) I was trying last night to find the episode but had no luck so didn't want to mention it till I at least tried to find that one. But I remember being supprised by it. But even they pointed out that they run theirs at mega hr run times and that the average consumer is not likely to see this effect.

As for passing down Tv's to the next genreation I think you might be supprised.
The older 27" tv I mention was 6/8 yrs old when it was given to me. While 20 yrs may or may not be unrealistic for Tv's. I know a few folk that still watch old console TV's!!! fron the 70's... I know I would even today take an older projection tv still in good working order if offered as I at this time can't afford to part with 3.5K to 5K for the Tv I want...

I suppose I should say.... I love Plasma and the way it works. It's just at this point my prefference for DLP is because of the cost of the size of the plasma's in comparison to the same size DLP that I want. The fact that the plasma will get dimmer with time still blows but at 12-17yrs I suppose I could live with it... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I want a 65" for my den when it is finished.(hopefully by next xmas).
Pricing I found:

Pc Magazine:
Panasonic Shows 65-Inch Plasma Display TH-65DX300-$18,845

Random google: Zenith P50W26B 50" Plasma Flat-Panel HDTV-$7,999

BBY
Samsung - 50" HD-Ready DLP-Projection TV - Silver/Black HL-P5063W $3,323.99

at BBY,, I aslo recently priced a 65"DLP Mitsubishi (I think) at $5400..

So having seen them side by side at different stores as well as my father-in-laws home set up, (very nice 7point saround) 52" Optoma DLP,for now my $$$ would have to go DLP....

I'll try to find out more on t 50 k hr life span and the LCD factory...
Here is a link for any that are interested in the diffintions of EDTV/HDTV/Progressive scan and so on. HDTV,EDTV,

 

[boustany]

I study this stuff professionally.

I would not buy plasma unless it was much cheaper than DLP.

The issues are:

1) Plasma picture quality is very poor. It is inherently unstable (well - I did see a $35,000 unit that was pretty good, but for anybody who has any picture quality sense most of them are pretty awful).

2) they are inherently unreliable. besides pixels failures (which are common but 'maskable' with a felt pen) the biggest problem is 'burn in' which will happen, its just a question of how long it'll take and whether or not you notice. I visited a company to watch a technology demo of image processing technology and they wanted to show it on their new plasma screen. As soon as they switched it on, I noticed a burnt in 'V' (I have an eye for these things). I asked, and they told me it had happened in 2 hours when somebody left a logo on the screen.

Still don't believe me? check out the sets at the store: if they aren't burnt in (many are) its because they stretch the image (4x3 -> 16x9) to delay the inevitable.

3) They are inherently irreparable. The plasma display itself cannot be repaired. Pixel failures are annoying, but entire lines or columns can go. When that happens you have a $5,000 table top. Just for a laugh, ask how much an 'extended warranty' costs: remembering that extended warratnies cover the period during which the fewest failures occur, think of what that price is telling you.

4) many aren't even HD quality: a lot of the 'affordable' plasma screens only do 480P, only the higher end ones do 720 and above. Of course, if a lot of people can't tell how bad plasma image quality is, so they may not notice the difference between HD and DVD, but thats a different issue.

So, in summary, plasmas are very expensive, unreliable, and irreparable, with short useful lives and provide a sub par picture. They are, however, thin.

Buy a DLP, of even the triple LCD projection systems (even though the contrast is relatively poor). LCD panel quality is very good, but they cost more than plasma, and are also irreparable, but they don't burn in. They are also thin.

Most DLPs are pretty good. I got a Samsung, but it was the only one on the market at the time. The only one I'd avoid is RCA: the picture quality is horrible, probably because of poor optics.

My 61" DLP set is 16" deep. Its light so I could mount it on a shelf, or even recess it into an internal wall. The size of a set is determined by the size of the room. So, if you don't have and extra 11 or 12" depth in a room, you probably don't have a very big room.

A couple years ago I wrote an unpublished paper on dsiplay technology. If anybody wants an unedited version, they can send me a PM.

 

[Alan L.]

I'll chime in on the DLP. Best picture I've seen, especially for the money when compared to plasma. Plus, they should last longer and can be made good as new with the bulb. They also do not have the "burn-in" problem other TVs have.

I have researched for awhile, but haven't bought yet. Still waiting for the DLPs to get cheaper - $2000 or so.