Which Plasma TV should I buy?

Sahil · 18th July 2005, 01:37

I am getting a 42inch plasma tv in the next few days and am very confused on what to go in for. I checked out the LG and Samsung plasmas which cost approx the same as i belive Samsung has bought over LG. My dad has a soft corner for Sony which cost a little less than double of the Samsung, I am not sure its worth the money just for a Sony. I checked around on the net and review sites such as CNET claim that Panasonic is the best, the price of these are also around the same as Sony.
If any of you guys own Plasma or have knowledge of which model is good along with the prices would be great. Need help asap as i have to buy in the next couple of days. Thanks!

BlacK_PhantoM · 18th July 2005, 02:36

Panasonic is Ok... not too bad, you want to get top of thew range you must look at Pioneer. The best picture quality. Better than Sony. As far as Sony is concerned the picture quality is the same as Sansui and LG and Samsung. If you're looking for quality go for the pioneer. If you are looking for price, nothing better than Sansui.

S600BENZ · 18th July 2005, 09:14

Pioneer or Hitachi. Picture quality is great on both.

EVO6 · 18th July 2005, 12:15

Well asa serious advice ... There are only 2 options that you really have ...
1. Hitachi ... They have plasma in 42" ranging from 2 lacs to 3.75 lacs .. Depends upon what resolution you choose...
2. JVC ... Similar situation ..
You can choose a VGA version which is around 2 - 2.25 lacs or a XGA version which is between 3.00 - 3.75 lacs ...
I am using a JVC and a Hitachi but I think terms of picture quality the JVC is kick a$$ ... Looks wise Hitachi is much much better ...
So if u are looking for a combination of aesthetics and performance then Hitachi is the deal ...
I am talking about these 2 brands if because they are available officially with bill and warranty and service back-up ..
Pioneer doesnt have a sales service backup and Panasonic I think has yet to introduce Plasma's in India ...
Trust me with a Plasma u will want to have warranty no matter what as the chances of the panel going bad can be high ... If something has to happen to the panel it happens in 5 months else rarely does it go wrong ...
Cheers

normally_crazy · 19th July 2005, 10:36

just got a 42 inch philips plasma - will give u guys the repots on a few days ! and yeah its with bill and warranty !

intial feel- awesome !

satish_appasani · 19th July 2005, 11:37

I read somethere Sony is quitting the production of Plasma. They want to concentrate on LCD tv.

Rtech · 19th July 2005, 12:08

Is it true that Plasma's have a life of a few hundred hours (or is it thousand hours)?

artofzen · 19th July 2005, 12:54

Even i have heard Plasma TV's are not that reliable.Is it true?

mohit · 19th July 2005, 13:00

Panasonic: States (not publicly) that the monitor is good for 20,000 to 30,000 hours. They also state that these plasma displays measure 50% brightness (phosphor ignition may be a better term) at 50,000 hours.

Fujitsu: States that the panel lasts 20,000 to 25,000 hours

Pioneer: States that the 50" PDP 502MX (or 505HD) measures half brightness (phosphor ignition) at 30,000 hours of use. They also state the newer model 503CMX (or Pro 1000HD) with a deeper pixel structure will last even longer though they do not have numbers.

Sharp: States that plasma panels only last 10,000 to 20,000 hours and that LCD monitors last longer. Figures they would say that.

For consumer use these numbers should be comforting. Plasma Displays are now about equivalent in longevity to CRTs, which typically state 25,000 hours or so life. Let's put these hours in perspective. The average U.S. household watches 4 to 6 hours of television per day. Staggering. Taking a mean time manufacturer stated longevity of 22,500 hours of usage, times our average 5 hours per day we come up with over 12 years of usage. And that is on the low side of estimates. At 4 hours per day and 25,000 hours we are looking at 17 years.

Ref Plasma TV Buying Guide

EVO6 · 19th July 2005, 13:41

Well explained Mohit ...
The first gen plasma's had shorter life and lots of problems with the panels but now the new generation plasma have a life of anywhere between 20000-35000 hrs and thats a lot ...

Difference Between LCD and Plasma ...
There is no significant difference but Plasma works better for moving pictures where as LCD is more accurate and designed for still pictures ...

But now a days the LCD guyz are trying to get it to work with moving pictures as well ... So there is marginal difference now between the two ...

Reliability wise LCD is a better technology than Plasma but LCD has
a size restriction ...

Biggest Prod. Plasma is about 102 inch from Samsung @ $45000
Biggest Prod. LCD is about 57 inch also from Samsung @ $15000

Cheers

Sahil · 19th July 2005, 21:20

Thanx for all the info guys!
One of my family members has order some new 50 and 60 inch tvs which are suppose to be better than plasma, its called LCD-Projection. I dont think its a normal LCD nor is it a Projection tv which are very ****ty in quality, this seems to be some new technology from the name it seems like a combination of LCD and Projection tv. As EVO mentioned LCD are excellent for still image quality where as Projecition TVs are good for moving pictures but the pic quality is not good...so a combination of these two sounds good.
I am waitin for my relatives to get the tv from dubai in the next few days nd check it out before i go in for the plasma. I am gettin the 42 inch Panasonic plasma for 1.55 lakhs at Alfa without bill where as my relatives are getting the 50inch LCD-Projection for 1.5 lakhs from dubai minus the duty and freight.The life of this LCD-Projection is suppose to be much higher than plasmas and so is the quality.

EVO6 · 20th July 2005, 00:30

Well Sahil,
LCD Projection or Projection TV is one and the same ... no diff.... LCD RP(Rear Projection) TV has the worst display amongst any TV's available ... Its a cheap option for people who want to buy large TV's but dont wanna spend so much ... The concept is that it basically has a projector built in which projects from inside onto the tv screen ... The better option than LCD RP TV is DLP RP TV ... But Even the best DLP rear projections TV's done come anywhere close to Plasma/LCD/Tube TV ... I think its a waste of money...

Talking about life .. You are wrong .. Since basically its a Projector inside there is a bulb required to be changed even 2500-3000 hours and cost somewhere between 18k-15k depending which brand TV u buying ..

Please as good advice dont buy PLASMA from Alfa or any grey market... If anything goes wrong with the plasma panel you will repent.. Cost of a Plasma panel to change is about 1.2 lakhs ... So saving 45k for no bill doesnt sound like a good idea .. I am saying this coz one of my plasma had a problem and since there was warranty they changed the panel FOC..

Sahil · 20th July 2005, 02:13

@EVO.... I think i probably got the name of the tv wrong then....its definatly not a Projector TV, its the next step to the plasma and is more expensive than it. I will let u know what the actual name is but i know it involved LCD technology. My relatives should be getting the tvs this week they have called in for a 50 inch and a 60 inch so its gotta be good since they order two in one shot.
Thanx for the advice on the grey market but I will still be buying from Alfa as he is by far the cheapest even with warranty.Since you adviced not to buy without warranty i will most probably go for with warranty and Alfa is giving me with bill for 1.75 which is 20,000 higher than without so its worth it i guess. Where as all over bombay i checked up in heera panna after bargaining they are giving the same plasma for 1.75 without bill.

EVO6 · 20th July 2005, 02:54

Sahil,
Check if they are DLP TV's and if possible get model no. of the TV's
Thanx

Sahil · 20th July 2005, 19:31

The technology that I was talking out thats better than Plasma is called 3LCD.
Here is the link for EVO and the rest that were intrested
http://www.sony-mea.com/grandwega/portal.asp
The biggest advantage this has over the Plasma is its life span. A plasma works for 20-30,000hrs and gradually fades away its brightness. Where as in the 3LCD techonology there is a lamp inside the tv which gives the picture and brightness, this lamp is sold as a spare part and can be replaced when you feel the picture is loosing its quality through the years. Just replace the lamp and you have crystal clear clarity like day one. Drawback is that its not as thin as a plasma and is more expensive too.
My uncles ordered the 50 and 60inch ones of these from dubai, shoudl come in soon....will review it before i decide to get this or a plasma.

18th July 2005, 01:37	#1
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,354 Thanked: 8,056 Times	Which Plasma TV should I buy? I am getting a 42inch plasma tv in the next few days and am very confused on what to go in for. I checked out the LG and Samsung plasmas which cost approx the same as i belive Samsung has bought over LG. My dad has a soft corner for Sony which cost a little less than double of the Samsung, I am not sure its worth the money just for a Sony. I checked around on the net and review sites such as CNET claim that Panasonic is the best, the price of these are also around the same as Sony. If any of you guys own Plasma or have knowledge of which model is good along with the prices would be great. Need help asap as i have to buy in the next couple of days. Thanks!
	() Thanks

18th July 2005, 02:36	#2
BlacK_PhantoM Newbie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1 Thanked: 0 Times	Panasonic is Ok... not too bad, you want to get top of thew range you must look at Pioneer. The best picture quality. Better than Sony. As far as Sony is concerned the picture quality is the same as Sansui and LG and Samsung. If you're looking for quality go for the pioneer. If you are looking for price, nothing better than Sansui.
	() Thanks

18th July 2005, 09:14	#3
S600BENZ BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 304 Thanked: 12 Times	Pioneer or Hitachi. Picture quality is great on both.
	() Thanks

18th July 2005, 12:15	#4
EVO6 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 488 Thanked: 13 Times	Well asa serious advice ... There are only 2 options that you really have ... 1. Hitachi ... They have plasma in 42" ranging from 2 lacs to 3.75 lacs .. Depends upon what resolution you choose... 2. JVC ... Similar situation .. You can choose a VGA version which is around 2 - 2.25 lacs or a XGA version which is between 3.00 - 3.75 lacs ... I am using a JVC and a Hitachi but I think terms of picture quality the JVC is kick a$$ ... Looks wise Hitachi is much much better ... So if u are looking for a combination of aesthetics and performance then Hitachi is the deal ... I am talking about these 2 brands if because they are available officially with bill and warranty and service back-up .. Pioneer doesnt have a sales service backup and Panasonic I think has yet to introduce Plasma's in India ... Trust me with a Plasma u will want to have warranty no matter what as the chances of the panel going bad can be high ... If something has to happen to the panel it happens in 5 months else rarely does it go wrong ... Cheers
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 10:36	#5
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,305 Thanked: 543 Times View My Garage	just got a 42 inch philips plasma - will give u guys the repots on a few days ! and yeah its with bill and warranty ! intial feel- awesome ! Last edited by normally_crazy : 19th July 2005 at 10:37.
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 11:37	#6
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,114 Thanked: 110 Times View My Garage	I read somethere Sony is quitting the production of Plasma. They want to concentrate on LCD tv.
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 12:08	#7
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,765 Thanked: 371 Times View My Garage	Is it true that Plasma's have a life of a few hundred hours (or is it thousand hours)?
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 12:54	#8
artofzen BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: VOCI-LHR Posts: 735 Thanked: 69 Times View My Garage	Even i have heard Plasma TV's are not that reliable.Is it true?
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 13:00	#9
mohit BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Toronto / Kurukshetra Posts: 677 Thanked: 168 Times	Panasonic: States (not publicly) that the monitor is good for 20,000 to 30,000 hours. They also state that these plasma displays measure 50% brightness (phosphor ignition may be a better term) at 50,000 hours. Fujitsu: States that the panel lasts 20,000 to 25,000 hours Pioneer: States that the 50" PDP 502MX (or 505HD) measures half brightness (phosphor ignition) at 30,000 hours of use. They also state the newer model 503CMX (or Pro 1000HD) with a deeper pixel structure will last even longer though they do not have numbers. Sharp: States that plasma panels only last 10,000 to 20,000 hours and that LCD monitors last longer. Figures they would say that. For consumer use these numbers should be comforting. Plasma Displays are now about equivalent in longevity to CRTs, which typically state 25,000 hours or so life. Let's put these hours in perspective. The average U.S. household watches 4 to 6 hours of television per day. Staggering. Taking a mean time manufacturer stated longevity of 22,500 hours of usage, times our average 5 hours per day we come up with over 12 years of usage. And that is on the low side of estimates. At 4 hours per day and 25,000 hours we are looking at 17 years. Ref Plasma TV Buying Guide
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 13:41	#10
EVO6 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 488 Thanked: 13 Times	Well explained Mohit ... The first gen plasma's had shorter life and lots of problems with the panels but now the new generation plasma have a life of anywhere between 20000-35000 hrs and thats a lot ... Difference Between LCD and Plasma ... There is no significant difference but Plasma works better for moving pictures where as LCD is more accurate and designed for still pictures ... But now a days the LCD guyz are trying to get it to work with moving pictures as well ... So there is marginal difference now between the two ... Reliability wise LCD is a better technology than Plasma but LCD has a size restriction ... Biggest Prod. Plasma is about 102 inch from Samsung @ $45000 Biggest Prod. LCD is about 57 inch also from Samsung @ $15000 Cheers Last edited by EVO6 : 19th July 2005 at 13:43.
	() Thanks

19th July 2005, 21:20	#11
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,354 Thanked: 8,056 Times	Thanx for all the info guys! One of my family members has order some new 50 and 60 inch tvs which are suppose to be better than plasma, its called LCD-Projection. I dont think its a normal LCD nor is it a Projection tv which are very ****ty in quality, this seems to be some new technology from the name it seems like a combination of LCD and Projection tv. As EVO mentioned LCD are excellent for still image quality where as Projecition TVs are good for moving pictures but the pic quality is not good...so a combination of these two sounds good. I am waitin for my relatives to get the tv from dubai in the next few days nd check it out before i go in for the plasma. I am gettin the 42 inch Panasonic plasma for 1.55 lakhs at Alfa without bill where as my relatives are getting the 50inch LCD-Projection for 1.5 lakhs from dubai minus the duty and freight.The life of this LCD-Projection is suppose to be much higher than plasmas and so is the quality.
	() Thanks

20th July 2005, 00:30	#12
EVO6 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 488 Thanked: 13 Times	Well Sahil, LCD Projection or Projection TV is one and the same ... no diff.... LCD RP(Rear Projection) TV has the worst display amongst any TV's available ... Its a cheap option for people who want to buy large TV's but dont wanna spend so much ... The concept is that it basically has a projector built in which projects from inside onto the tv screen ... The better option than LCD RP TV is DLP RP TV ... But Even the best DLP rear projections TV's done come anywhere close to Plasma/LCD/Tube TV ... I think its a waste of money... Talking about life .. You are wrong .. Since basically its a Projector inside there is a bulb required to be changed even 2500-3000 hours and cost somewhere between 18k-15k depending which brand TV u buying .. Please as good advice dont buy PLASMA from Alfa or any grey market... If anything goes wrong with the plasma panel you will repent.. Cost of a Plasma panel to change is about 1.2 lakhs ... So saving 45k for no bill doesnt sound like a good idea .. I am saying this coz one of my plasma had a problem and since there was warranty they changed the panel FOC.. Last edited by EVO6 : 20th July 2005 at 00:31.
	() Thanks

20th July 2005, 02:13	#13
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,354 Thanked: 8,056 Times	@EVO.... I think i probably got the name of the tv wrong then....its definatly not a Projector TV, its the next step to the plasma and is more expensive than it. I will let u know what the actual name is but i know it involved LCD technology. My relatives should be getting the tvs this week they have called in for a 50 inch and a 60 inch so its gotta be good since they order two in one shot. Thanx for the advice on the grey market but I will still be buying from Alfa as he is by far the cheapest even with warranty.Since you adviced not to buy without warranty i will most probably go for with warranty and Alfa is giving me with bill for 1.75 which is 20,000 higher than without so its worth it i guess. Where as all over bombay i checked up in heera panna after bargaining they are giving the same plasma for 1.75 without bill.
	() Thanks

20th July 2005, 02:54	#14
EVO6 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 488 Thanked: 13 Times	Sahil, Check if they are DLP TV's and if possible get model no. of the TV's Thanx Last edited by EVO6 : 20th July 2005 at 02:56.
	() Thanks

20th July 2005, 19:31	#15
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,354 Thanked: 8,056 Times	The technology that I was talking out thats better than Plasma is called 3LCD. Here is the link for EVO and the rest that were intrested http://www.sony-mea.com/grandwega/portal.asp The biggest advantage this has over the Plasma is its life span. A plasma works for 20-30,000hrs and gradually fades away its brightness. Where as in the 3LCD techonology there is a lamp inside the tv which gives the picture and brightness, this lamp is sold as a spare part and can be replaced when you feel the picture is loosing its quality through the years. Just replace the lamp and you have crystal clear clarity like day one. Drawback is that its not as thin as a plasma and is more expensive too. My uncles ordered the 50 and 60inch ones of these from dubai, shoudl come in soon....will review it before i decide to get this or a plasma. Last edited by Sahil : 20th July 2005 at 19:40.
	() Thanks