wordy but worthwhile- I hope!
Nakdoc said:
Pioneer plasma folks. Take it from a pro who fixes HD sets.
I thought I’d weigh in on this issue. As one who has spent the last 6 months searching, reading and generally agonizing over what brand model will provide me the most satisfaction over the long haul. 2nd consideration was newly renovated den and space available to place TV.
NO wall mounts or floor stands, though I have a built-in bookshelf wide and high enough to fit a 50” and hide all the cabling behind it and associated source equipment in lower compartments with doors which close over.
PIONEER PLASMA IT IS!!!!!!!
For starters, I eliminated those “types” which have inherent performance issues relative to where the TV will be placed in the viewing area.
LCD: Already owing a Sharp Aquos, LCD’s are prone to “mouse trailing” in action sequences and fast movement giving the impression of bluring. They have very narrow severe viewable areas, limiting off side viewing angles of any type. Not acceptable to multi person viewing.
Rear Projection: Already own a Sony 53” xbr… just too large, cumbersome and ominous in viewing area. Picture is fine but not bright enough, Lenses need cleaning every year or so. Just old technology… Put it in the basement for general TV watching…enough said
DLP: Some Sony sets are fabulous.. But the old bugga-booh about “rainbow effects” caused by the color wheel still occurs. Also large in comparison to Plasma. Image still not as vivid as wither LCD or PLASMA. SONY models now offer true 1080P, though image is still does not approach the better Plasmas or LCD. Cost effective , if $$$ is the issue. Not designer friendly at all….
Plasma: The field is wide and treacherous!
For starters, TRUE HDTV BEGINS AT 720P (1280x720 progressive<720p>)
There are 2 HDTV standards – 1920X1080 Interlaced<1080i> and
1280x720 progressive<720p>. So in order for a Plasma TV to be considered truly “HD” it should have at least the same amount of pixels as a 720P signal or more. Anything less is ED (extended definition) where more pixels are added to the smaller screens but not as many as true HD display.
Keep in mind that virtually EVERY SET can be aligned to make some improvement over out of the box performance. YOU SHOULD DO THIS ANYWAY, AS MOST SETS OVER SATURATED AND MUCH TOO BRIGHT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. ( keep in mind the term ISF).
See:
HTTP://WWW.HDtvexpert.com/pages_b/shopping.html
FYI- HDTV signals vary between 720 p and 1080i. FOX puts out 480p, CBS puts out 1080i. The better the signal, the more bandwidth the network needs. And it costs$$$
Drum Roll please!
So what did I buy you ask?
I filtered my choices down to three 50” models:
PIONEER PRO1140HD - Elite
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=720961
PIONEER PDP-5070HD
(42” PDP-4070HD) almost as good)
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/pioneer-pdp4270hd-plasma-review.html
PANASONIC TH50PX600u
(42”TH42PX600U: identical performance wise just as good and highly reviewed and rated by multiple magazines and sites)
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/panasonic-th42px600u-review.html
Remember my earlier comment about “ISF” Imaging Science Foundation.
http://www.imagingscience.com/
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=586330
Of these units only the Pioneer ELITE line allows ISF calibration at the manufacturer level – not just the “USER LEVEL”. This level overcomes the general limitation of most user controls and gets down into the brains of the monitor previously only available to the manufacturer. That’s not say that ISF calibration technicians can only be performed on Pioneer Elite. These certified technicians can improve virtually any quality TV’s image.
Financials: The Pioneer Elite line is about 20-30% more costly then the Regular line. WORTH EVERY PENNY. Though discounting is found on the internet, PIONEER website and Customer Service confirm if you purchase the ELITE unit online from a Internet seller- the warranty is void!!! Exceptions are authorized PIONEER dealers—(you have to phone call to make the deal which I found will negotiate with you) .You can find out authorized Internet dealers by going to the Pioneer site directly.
Ok heres the good news:
I bought the PIONEER PRO1140HD from BESTBUY- Magnolia There new High end room. These folks will deal if your ready to hold your ground and flash your green!!!!
Paid $4000 taxes, delivered, unboxed and tested. Saved under a $1000 off list!
Next choice would have been the PIONEER PDP-5070HD and you can get that on the internet anywhere from $2500 and up….from authorized dealers.
Final choice would have been the PANASONIC TH50PX600U this can found on the net or generally anywhere for about $2100 and up. This model and its little sister have been highly reviewed and touted by many as having the best black imaging of any consumer Plasma. I confirm that in my search. Not that the Pioneers are slouches, I wanted more than the Panasonic could offer…in terms of controlling picture controls at the studio level.
http://plasmatvbuyingguide.com/
Please remember cost in and of itself was never a consideration, and not the primary issue for ME (maybe the wife). Any of these TV’s are the best consumer Plasma units out there today (notwithstanding the new Pioneer PRO-FDH1 1080P unit, which absolutely stunning using a blu-ray player…also $6000!).
Though with so little 1080 material out there and so few sources, including Satellite cable feeds, DVD players and FIOS this new PIONEER is ahead of the curve.
I hope my lengthy dissertation was of some value to you.
