Plasma HDTV discussion

[FJLA]

Hey boss MDs (i.e. attendings, the money makers, etc.),

Any suggestions on a good plasma HDTV to buy? Anyone have any thoughts about that Philips Ambi light technology... you know, the one that lights the wall with different colors behind the TV while you watch? I'm thinking of investing in one, and most CA-1's wouldn't want to spend their cash the same way. (Yep, I'm a movie junkie.) Anyhow, any suggestions?

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[Carm]

The quick and easy answer is Panasonic makes great plasma's. I treated myself to a graduation present and have it hanging on the wall above our fireplace.

When you decide to buy, make sure you look online. You can literally save hundreds if not close to a thousand bucks this way. I would go to bestbuy or whatever and browse in person, then purchase online.

 

[jetproppilot]

Hey boss MDs (i.e. attendings, the money makers, etc.),

Any suggestions on a good plasma HDTV to buy? Anyone have any thoughts about that Philips Ambi light technology... you know, the one that lights the wall with different colors behind the TV while you watch? I'm thinking of investing in one, and most CA-1's wouldn't want to spend their cash the same way. (Yep, I'm a movie junkie.) Anyhow, any suggestions?

I went LCD...70 inch Sony Wega....Denton receiver, Klipsch surround...

pop in Top Gun, volume 60%, beer in one hand, computer-flight yoke in the other, and I'm flyin' that F-14 baby!!!

"ICEMAN, FIRE OR CLEAR!!!"

(jet cranks yoke to left, swigs beer, commences fire...)

 

[Carm]

I went LCD...70 inch Sony Wega....Denton receiver, Klipsch surround...

pop in Top Gun, volume 60%, beer in one hand, computer-flight yoke in the other, and I'm flyin' that F-14 baby!!!

"ICEMAN, FIRE OR CLEAR!!!"

(jet cranks yoke to left, swigs beer, commences fire...)

Can I come over and watch the playoffs on that ridiculous system.

 

[nedflanders]

deleted

 

[FlindersGrad]

LCD is the way to go! Plasma TV's have a lifespan of about 6 years, and that's with routine maintenance (every 3 months). After that they simply burnout and are useless. LCD's are bulb TV's. Great quality and they last longer than plasmas. Also, stay away from Philips! They look nice, but they are poor quality.

 

[InGasWeTrust]

I have a 43" Pioneer Plasma, and a 37" panasonic.

Pioneer makes an incredible panel, very bright and good blacks. In addition you get a media reciever box, which makes connections easier.The only downside is they are pricey compared to other panels. Just a few words, LCD's are nice and bright, but standard def looks like crap on them, secondly they are very pricey.

Panny is not a great panel, but a solid value.

Two good websites are tvauthority.com and visualapex.com

Good luck, and let us know which panel you deciede to go with.

 

[canjosh]

LCD is the way to go! Plasma TV's have a lifespan of about 6 years, and that's with routine maintenance (every 3 months). After that they simply burnout and are useless. LCD's are bulb TV's. Great quality and they last longer than plasmas. Also, stay away from Philips! They look nice, but they are poor quality.

Wrong...many plasmas now have stated life expectancies of 60,000 hours...same as LCD. The 'old' technology circa 1999-2000 had lifespan issues. Those have been fixed. The half life of current plasmas is over 3 years...if you leave it on 24/7 it will be half as bright after approx 39 months.

Don't know why you think Philips is poor quality, you could get far worse without trying very hard. Panasonic is currently king though. LCDs above 32" are cost prohibitive, but new technology will close that gap pretty soon.

BTW, I'm just an unwealthy paramedic who likes American Express. When I make PGY-1 pay I'll be in heaven!! 😀

 

[FlindersGrad]

Wrong...many plasmas now have stated life expectancies of 60,000 hours...same as LCD. The 'old' technology circa 1999-2000 had lifespan issues. Those have been fixed. The half life of current plasmas is over 3 years...if you leave it on 24/7 it will be half as bright after approx 39 months.

Don't know why you think Philips is poor quality, you could get far worse without trying very hard. Panasonic is currently king though. LCDs above 32" are cost prohibitive, but new technology will close that gap pretty soon.

BTW, I'm just an unwealthy paramedic who likes American Express. When I make PGY-1 pay I'll be in heaven!! 😀

NOT WRONG
I've just investigated all of this stuff myself, plus talked to a lot of sales guys. The life span is still around 6 years for plasma. Plus, the LCD pictures are getting much better. True, you do lose alittle quality with HD in the LCD's, but the loss is pretty minimal. When the LCD burns out....you replace the bulb. Yeah it's several hundred bucks, but cheaper than buying a new plasma!

The problem with plasma is also the maintenance issue. You need regular work on them to keep the quality picture.

The cost difference in LCD and plasma is not as big as you allude to. Check them out. Plus....with maintenance and shorter life span...LCD is better.

I think Philips is pretty poor quality due to past experience. Current Philips TV lasted less than 18 months....plus terrible customer service.

 

[lakerjock]

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Plasma's in the last 1.5 years all come with glass that is rated for 60,000 hours. The average person watching 8 hours per day would take over 20 YEARS for the plasma to "burn-out." There are NO maintenance issues. In fact tv's that require bulbs are a pain because you do have to replace the bulbs and they cost around $250 everytime you do. A classmate has had his DLP for 1.5 years and has already had to replace his bulb. No such issues with a plasma.

Do some research into tv's - I suggest avsforum.com - if you still have issues with life of products. In addition, avoid flatscreen LCD's (not the projecting LCD's like the 70inch described above) if you want to watch fast moving action like sports. Newer LCD's have decent refresh rates, but are pricey.

I highly recommend the Vizio from Costco. It's a 50inch for $1999. I bought it a year ago (it was a grand more then), and subsequently two more of my classmates have purchased it. The name may be unknown, but the glass is made by LG, and the internal chipset is one of the best out there. Do a search on google and I'm sure you'll find some reviews.

 

[RUSD8D]

hey, without a doubt, buy online....................beginning last year when i started senior year, i needed to treat myself bigtime..............i wanted flat screen. after much debate, this is what to do.................go mlook at best buy or circuit city, whatever..then buy online..............i saved like 40%, mint no problems...only shipping cost no tax. I bought 42 inch lcd samsung listed at best buy for 4000$ plus 8% tax in NY (about 4300bucks), and got it online at plasmabay.com delivered brand new for 2600.

 

[Trisomy13]

been nosing around the issue of a new TV also. i'm actually holding off and just getting a big heavy tube for residency. the only LCD or Plasma i would be happy with still hits around the $2000 mark and if i wait a couple of years...
i figure i'll be reading more than watching tv anyway.

but.. great forums for HDTV and display devices (LCD, plasma, DLP, etc.) can be found at:

http://www.avsforum.com

on the left side under "Forums" click on display devices then find the forum you're looking for. lots of reviews, discussions, and the occasional troll (even the TV review forums have their nutjobs).

 

[canjosh]

NOT WRONG
I've just investigated all of this stuff myself, plus talked to a lot of sales guys. The life span is still around 6 years for plasma. Plus, the LCD pictures are getting much better. True, you do lose alittle quality with HD in the LCD's, but the loss is pretty minimal. When the LCD burns out....you replace the bulb. Yeah it's several hundred bucks, but cheaper than buying a new plasma!

The problem with plasma is also the maintenance issue. You need regular work on them to keep the quality picture.

The cost difference in LCD and plasma is not as big as you allude to. Check them out. Plus....with maintenance and shorter life span...LCD is better.

I think Philips is pretty poor quality due to past experience. Current Philips TV lasted less than 18 months....plus terrible customer service.

Your info is wrong my friend. Of course sales people want you to buy LCD...they're more expensive. Whoever told you they need regular maintenance to keep them looking good is not telling the truth. You are correct about replacing the backlight in LCDs, plasma gas is not 'refillable'. But, with 60,000 hour life expectancies, there's no point in extending the life of your ancient display.

http://plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/plasma-vs-lcd.html

 

[dukeybootie]

Last June, prior to moving to NYC for CA-1 year, turned my car into a Panasonic TH-42PX50U (42" HD plasma) after weeks of research on avsforum. Haven't looked back. HD is glorious, plasma tech is beautifully bright and keeps up easily with fast action onscreen, and the Time-Warner HD-DVR is kick-@$$.

The posts about plasma's drawbacks (6yr lifespan, q 3mo. maintenance, etc) are completely untrue. But what do I know, I've only owned mine for about a year. I wouldn't pause a super bright picture on screen and leave it there forever, though...that is asking for trouble.

As far as LCD v. plasma, I'm going to stay out of that one. If I were buying a new one today, I'd get the PX60U series in whatever size fits best. Also get the Avia DVD to calibrate the set, no matter what you end up buying. Hope this helps.

 

[vegas]

SHARP (LCD) AQUOUS ....nuff said!

 

[joncmarkley]

SHARP (LCD) AQUOUS ....nuff said!

at costco 50 inch vizio (check out cnet.com for the rating) 2300 bucks fantastic picture, 6th generation (60000 hours) 10,000:1 contrast ratio

i bought it the picture is out of this world

 

[DCBigBAPS]

I actually happen to be quite the audio/videophile.

I prefer LCD, but bang-for-the-buck a plasma may be the way to go as they are larger and cost a little less. LCD's are in general more reliable and have brighter images with darker blacks. However, most individuals don't take the time to really set them up to really get the most out of them either way. If you want bang for the buck.... a plasma will get you a larger screen. And as we all know, size matters.

One of my favorite websites is avrev.com Most of the stuff they talk about is super high end (Runco, Faroudja, etc.) but it's funny because I have heard great things about the Vizio Plasmas. I would definitely take a look into it.

http://www.avrev.com/equip/vizio_plasma50/index.html

My personal preference: Sharp Aquos LCD <-- way overpriced, but still the best LCD on the market right now. Best blacks i've seen and super bright.

If you are really into getting the best out of your picture, I recommend getting either the Digital Video Essentials or AVIA setup discs (about $24) as they can make a $1000 dollar screen look like a $3000 piece of equipment.

 

[MossPoh]

Look at reviews on Cnet and a few other sites. Enter in what you're willing to spend and pick the ones with the best reviews for what you want....look at what the bad reviews from users are. If there is a recurring theme in complains and not just "ThIs Tv SUX cuz its 2 xpensiv" look into it at a store and see if you like it there. Then if you do....find the best deal online and have it shipped to your door. Plasmas and LCDS both have their fair share of problems. Hell...I had an LCD that had screen burn-in...not suppossed to happen but it did with me for some reason.

 

[Noyac]

Funny how this topic comes up just as I started looking for a new TV. I don't really watch much TV but my wife is building a new armoir and we want a TV to fit in it. I looked this week at the Sony WEGA LCD 50" and then the Sony Bravia (?)42". These two had the best pistures to me. The Bravia was the best by a long shot but it didn't come in the 50" size yet. The Bravia also had a better picture when the action was fast moving. I am going with LCD b/c of the glare issues with plasma and the ability to see the LCD's better from all directions. So what are the opinions out there about the Sony's? Too expensive?

 

[etf]

pioneer makes the best plasmas on the market. plasmas are the best tvs on the market. i've got both a pioneer plasma and sharp aquos lcd tv at home, and the pioneer beats it hands down. oh, and philips ambilight is the most useless function...

 

[sevoflurane]

Once a plasma burns out a pixel it's done for... no fixing it. It also consumes MUCH MORE ENERGY. I searched for a while for the best possible picture/life expectancy/energy usage/contrast ratio. Went with a 42 " sony WEGA HDTV and got a sweeet deal. $800 (at the time it was going for around $3000). Got it off ebay from a very reputable dealer who sells big screens that somehow have been damaged by forks when moving them. He repairs them himself and relists as such or lets you pay for the repair. He had mine fixed and it is 100% as new. I save a sh$t load of money this way and lets me invest it on upgrading my entire system. Here is an example of one of his deals.... trust me this dude is legit. 50"kdf HDTV for $500.... 😱 can't freakn' beat it even if you do have to get someone to polish the lens.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...7917&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BID_IT

He usually has better deals than this, but it's still $1200-1500 in savings. 🙄

Now I have a 42" sony wega hdtv that is perfect for my Marantz dts/ultra thx 7.1 receiver and atlantic technology 7.1 thx system (42 speakers firing all at once). It seems like overkill, but I love it. It is my chill spot for when I have a few moments to relax after a long hard day. Recline the movie theater seats, nice Ice tea in the cup holder and watch something off the dvr. 45 minutes of this a day makes me very happy 😀

 

[jetproppilot]

Funny how this topic comes up just as I started looking for a new TV. I don't really watch much TV but my wife is building a new armoir and we want a TV to fit in it. I looked this week at the Sony WEGA LCD 50" and then the Sony Bravia (?)42". These two had the best pistures to me. The Bravia was the best by a long shot but it didn't come in the 50" size yet. The Bravia also had a better picture when the action was fast moving. I am going with LCD b/c of the glare issues with plasma and the ability to see the LCD's better from all directions. So what are the opinions out there about the Sony's? Too expensive?

Not gonna get into which is better....plasma vs LCD, Noy....all I can tell you is I'm very satisfied with my Sony LCD.

Back in the crescent city..... 🙁

Yesterday I was casting threadfins at rolling tarpon in Tampa Bay off my brother in law's 30 foot Contender.....

anyways, I'm a Sony LCD fan. And a Denton/Klipsch fan. My humble opinion.

70" Wega in da living room. 55" Wega in da masta bedroom.

I like Wega LCDs.

 

[MTGas2B]

Unless you have to have a huge screen, you should check out the CRT HDTVs. The picture quality is actually better than plasma or LCD. They're a lot cheaper too. Downside, the TV's are huge, and weigh a ton. You won't be hanging it on the wall. I bought a 30" CRT HDTV for less than $600 new. That was more in line with the limits of my resident salary.

 

[jetproppilot]

Unless you have to have a huge screen, you should check out the CRT HDTVs. The picture quality is actually better than plasma or LCD. They're a lot cheaper too. Downside, the TV's are huge, and weigh a ton. You won't be hanging it on the wall. I bought a 30" CRT HDTV for less than $600 new. That was more in line with the limits of my resident salary.

Sorry, dude. I humbly disagree.

Size DOES matter when you're watching TV.

Assuming youve got appreciable picture quality, the bigger the better.

Especially during football season. Or watching the best movie of all time, Top Gun.

 

[Induc(junc)tion]

Edit - wrong post

 

[MTGas2B]

Sorry, dude. I humbly disagree.

Size DOES matter when you're watching TV.

Assuming youve got appreciable picture quality, the bigger the better.

Especially during football season. Or watching the best movie of all time, Top Gun.

Size is a nice bonus, I won't deny you that. But in my resident sized apartment, buying with my resident sized budget, I can still get at least 30 inches of the best picture quality available. Now maybe, sometime in the future, when I'm chillin' in my phat attending home theater room, I'll pony up for 50 inches of LCD or Plasma.

My college roommate and I actually tried to start our own cult/religion, called Gunion. After watching Top Gun at least 100 times one was eligible to join. It was glorious day when one of the local theaters had midnight showing of Top Gun, back on the silver screen, the way I saw it the first time.

 

[jetproppilot]

My college roommate and I actually tried to start our own cult/religion, called Gunion. After watching Top Gun at least 100 times one was eligible to join. It was glorious day when one of the local theaters had midnight showing of Top Gun, back on the silver screen, the way I saw it the first time.

I just genuflected to this post.

 

[etf]

i don't think the "burn-in" effect is even an issue anymore, since the newer models, which i'm assuming you'd be purchasing, all have ways to prevent it. one more benefit of plasma - better viewing angles: you can see the entire picture no matter where you're sitting. but all in all, you can't go wrong either way, so just go with whatever tv "feels" right.

 

[wrx]

funny how this is the only place where you have threads about "plasma tvs", "wallstreet & gas", "2 months vacation"... I wonder what the Peds forum talks about....

 

[Frank Rizzo]

funny how this is the only place where you have threads about "plasma tvs", "wallstreet & gas", "2 months vacation"... I wonder what the Peds forum talks about....

Well-child check-ups.

 

[4424]

Hey boss MDs (i.e. attendings, the money makers, etc.),

Any suggestions on a good plasma HDTV to buy? Anyone have any thoughts about that Philips Ambi light technology... you know, the one that lights the wall with different colors behind the TV while you watch? I'm thinking of investing in one, and most CA-1's wouldn't want to spend their cash the same way. (Yep, I'm a movie junkie.) Anyhow, any suggestions?

by far the best picture (i've seen) is the 50" pioneer. i know panasonic is known for the best but i thought pioneer's were better

 

[cloud9]

I wonder what the Peds forum talks about....

Ethical considerations such as:

When the child is being a little ba$****, is it ok to separate the one vaccination shot into five shots?

Following that thought, is it ok to use said separation as a motivation to cooperate?

Are the female peds docs inwardly smiling and "bwa-ha-ha"-ing when performing circumcisions?

Lots of deep thoughts to consider.