Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasonic Plasma

[justcynn]

Ok, so the Sony LCD that is 5 years old has blue spots all over the picture, and it is getting worse...so at $2500 new and 5 years use, did not turn out to be a good investment...(Yes I got socks for Christmas and looking for something just a little bit cooler)

My local HyVee has a 42" Panasonic Viera Plasma 720P for $498, Seems like a great deal - Reviews seem favorable on the net, does anyone have a similar TV that can share any information or feedback on this TV?

Merry Christmas to all, thanks

 

[ianoconnor]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

I have this and love it: Amazon.com: Samsung PN50A450 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV: Electronics

 

[clones_jer]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

Ok, so the Sony LCD that is 5 years old has blue spots all over the picture, and it is getting worse...so at $2500 new and 5 years use, did not turn out to be a good investment...(Yes I got socks for Christmas and looking for something just a little bit cooler)

My local HyVee has a 42" Panasonic Viera Plasma 720P for $498, Seems like a great deal - Reviews seem favorable on the net, does anyone have a similar TV that can share any information or feedback on this TV?

Merry Christmas to all, thanks

I'm thinking above ~ 36" you'll want 1080p

 

[farmerbrent]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

I got a Panasonic Viera 50'' Plasma 3 years ago. I love it. It's worked great. It does put off a lot of heat, so it must use a lot more electicity than an LCD. Great picture though. That deal at HyVee sounds pretty good. I may have to go get one for my room.

 

[cyfanhood]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

Plasmas always give off way more heat. Get 1080p if you will be able to get HD channels.

 

[jumbopackage]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

Plasmas always give off way more heat. Get 1080p if you will be able to get HD channels.

A. Thats not necessarily true. LCDs put out a lot of heat as well, and I would argue that the difference isn't really tangible.

B. 1080p is almost totally useless for OTA/Satellite/Cable. Almost all content is 720p. 1080p over the air/satellite/cable isn't coming anytime soon because the difference is mostly intangible and the bandwidth required is prohibitive.

The only thing that 1080p is really somewhat marginally important for is Blu Ray, and some VoD stuff.

In fact, having to upconvert 720p to 1080p may actually hurt picture quality depending on the quality of the scaling system in the TV.

I have no qualms about recommending 720p, and I sincerely doubt that most people could really tell the difference anyway in screens that people are typically looking at.

 

[Angie]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

A. Thats not necessarily true. LCDs put out a lot of heat as well, and I would argue that the difference isn't really tangible.

B. 1080p is almost totally useless for OTA/Satellite/Cable. Almost all content is 720p. 1080p over the air/satellite/cable isn't coming anytime soon because the difference is mostly intangible and the bandwidth required is prohibitive.

The only thing that 1080p is really somewhat marginally important for is Blu Ray, and some VoD stuff.

In fact, having to upconvert 720p to 1080p may actually hurt picture quality depending on the quality of the scaling system in the TV.

I have no qualms about recommending 720p, and I sincerely doubt that most people could really tell the difference anyway in screens that people are typically looking at.

1080p is also more recommended for gaming purposes, which is relevant to probably 80% of the male population between 14 and 40. It was valid advice.

Hopefully someone will have some advice for the OP on this particular TV!

 

[ianoconnor]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

I have a 720p plasma and play xbox on it every day. It works great and I doubt I would notice much of a difference if I had a 1080p instead. It wasn't worth the extra money to me.

Justcynn, I'd recommend looking the TV up on amazon and reading through customer reviews.

 

[justcynn]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

Thanks, I just read a lot of reviews on the TV, looks like a great buy - fully researched the 720 vs 1080 issue as well, since we haven't had a TV HD source yet, I think I will be fully satisfied with the 720 and Directtv HD (coming tomorrow)...now somehow I must convince the wife we need to buy this NOW, there is no hope for the ever expanding Sony Blue Dot tv that it will replace, Must have it before Dec 31!!!

Off to Alvin and Chipminks movie now, woo hoo

 

[CyPride]

Ok, so the Sony LCD that is 5 years old has blue spots all over the picture, and it is getting worse...so at $2500 new and 5 years use, did not turn out to be a good investment...(Yes I got socks for Christmas and looking for something just a little bit cooler)

My local HyVee has a 42" Panasonic Viera Plasma 720P for $498, Seems like a great deal - Reviews seem favorable on the net, does anyone have a similar TV that can share any information or feedback on this TV?

Merry Christmas to all, thanks

I have owned a Panasonic Viera 1080p plasma HD for 1 year now. 46" Excellent so far. Will have a better picture than an lcd, at least the ones compared to the ones i saw at costco. i bet the 720 p won't make that much of a difference. i have seen those in hy vee as well. can't beat the price, i don't think. i'd say go for it. they will use more electricity, however. i have noticed that in my electric bill.

 

[aauummm]

I have one

Thanks, I just read a lot of reviews on the TV, looks like a great buy - fully researched the 720 vs 1080 issue as well, since we haven't had a TV HD source yet, I think I will be fully satisfied with the 720 and Directtv HD (coming tomorrow)...now somehow I must convince the wife we need to buy this NOW, there is no hope for the ever expanding Sony Blue Dot tv that it will replace, Must have it before Dec 31!!!

Off to Alvin and Chipminks movie now, woo hoo

I have the 42" plasma Panasonic Viera 1080p (basically the same as the 720p). I've had it for 3 1/2 years and love it. Just hooked it up to a new Sony Blu-Ray player this past week and the Blu-Ray discs look great. It was top rated by Consumer Reports at the time I got it. Good luck with yours, it sounds like a great deal!

 

[jumbopackage]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

1080p is also more recommended for gaming purposes, which is relevant to probably 80% of the male population between 14 and 40. It was valid advice.

Hopefully someone will have some advice for the OP on this particular TV!

It's probably not going to hurt things, but most screens under 50" really don't benefit from 1080p vs. 720p, even with 1080p content.

Over 50", depending on some factors, 1080p does make a difference, so long as the source material is 1080p (which, as I stated above, is just a handful of sources currently in the first place).

There's also an argument that if you're going to be watching a lot of SD content (i.e. DVDs), 720p is a better option due to some complicated math which basically ends up saying that the 720p has to do a lot less processing, and that means a lot less chance at artifacting.

To each their own, but to dismiss 720p and plasma off-hand because they area bit older than the "new" technology isn't necessarily valid either.

 

[Angie]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

It's probably not going to hurt things, but most screens under 50" really don't benefit from 1080p vs. 720p, even with 1080p content.

Over 50", depending on some factors, 1080p does make a difference, so long as the source material is 1080p (which, as I stated above, is just a handful of sources currently in the first place).

There's also an argument that if you're going to be watching a lot of SD content (i.e. DVDs), 720p is a better option due to some complicated math which basically ends up saying that the 720p has to do a lot less processing, and that means a lot less chance at artifacting.

To each their own, but to dismiss 720p and plasma off-hand because they area bit older than the "new" technology isn't necessarily valid either.

Where did anyone dismiss 720p in this thread? Just curious. Someone just gave advice to him to get 1080p based off of personal experience, then the thread was taken off-topic for a debate that really wasn't relevant to the OP's question.

 

[CyPride]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

It's probably not going to hurt things, but most screens under 50" really don't benefit from 1080p vs. 720p, even with 1080p content.

Over 50", depending on some factors, 1080p does make a difference, so long as the source material is 1080p (which, as I stated above, is just a handful of sources currently in the first place).

There's also an argument that if you're going to be watching a lot of SD content (i.e. DVDs), 720p is a better option due to some complicated math which basically ends up saying that the 720p has to do a lot less processing, and that means a lot less chance at artifacting.

To each their own, but to dismiss 720p and plasma off-hand because they area bit older than the "new" technology isn't necessarily valid either.

i second what jumbo is saying. i think some of the 1080 folks have hawkeye syndrome!

 

[jumbopackage]

Plasmas always give off way more heat. Get 1080p if you will be able to get HD channels.

Where did anyone dismiss 720p in this thread? Just curious. Someone just gave advice to him to get 1080p based off of personal experience, then the thread was taken off-topic for a debate that really wasn't relevant to the OP's question.

He's looking at a 720p TV, and I was just supporting the point that there's no harm in getting 720p. I don't have that specific TV, but I do have a 720p plasma and was just putting that out there as my personal experience, backed up with information to support it

I think it's relevant to the topic at hand. But you're the mod. Banish me if you must

 

[Angie]

He's looking at a 720p TV, and I was just supporting the point that there's no harm in getting 720p. I don't have that specific TV, but I do have a 720p plasma and was just putting that out there as my personal experience, backed up with information to support it

I think it's relevant to the topic at hand. But you're the mod. Banish me if you must

Nobody's banishing anyone, just trying to keep every thread from becoming a "mine is better" peeing contest.

 

[dmclone]

As far as the 720 vs. 1080p. A lot depends on how close you're sitting to the TV.

See here

1080p charted: Viewing distance to screen size -- Engadget HD

 

[CyPride]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

Where did anyone dismiss 720p in this thread? Just curious. Someone just gave advice to him to get 1080p based off of personal experience, then the thread was taken off-topic for a debate that really wasn't relevant to the OP's question.

1. I'm thinking above ~ 36" you'll want 1080p

2. Get 1080p if you will be able to get HD channels.

3. 1080p is also more recommended for gaming purposes

A 'mine is better' contest would be people saying 1080 is better than 720, and the person you are responding to is doing just the opposite - giving credence to the lower resolution television. And I agree with everything he is suggesting.

 

[aeroclone]

Panasonic has a pretty good history with plasma sets, and for anything under 50", your eyes phsically can't see the dif between 1080 and 720 if you are seated at a normal distance. Plasma also has some advantages in pic quality over lcd, namely no motion blur and better colors and black levels.

This is a good deal. I have had my eye on this one as well. I would say at this price point, you won't find anything better. Go ahead and pull the trigger.

 

[Angie]

Re: Need New TV, Low Budget, Panasponic Plasma

1. I'm thinking above ~ 36" you'll want 1080p

2. Get 1080p if you will be able to get HD channels.

3. 1080p is also more recommended for gaming purposes

A 'mine is better' contest would be people saying 1080 is better than 720, and the person you are responding to is doing just the opposite - giving credence to the lower resolution television. And I agree with everything he is suggesting.

If you will read the entire thread again, you will see that this isn't the case at all. There are several jabs about why 720p is better, etc. I truly don't care about the debate at hand, or who agrees with what - as I said in my first post in here, the point is that the OP asked a question that few seem to find it necessary to answer. If you don't have the TV in question or any info on it, by posting you're just trying to make a debate that nobody else is. My point has clearly been since the beginning to try and point the conversation back to the OP's question.