Crikey! - Which 50" Plasma?

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I want to buy a 50" Plasma that gives me the best picture quality with HD-DVD and Sky HD but the 1080p sets are clouding my judgment. My budget is up to £3,500.

If you go into most shops their demo's are not representative of what you can expect when you get it home. I've learned this from past purchases. This forum seems to be the best place to gauge what the plasmas out there are like.

From what I can make out the best affordable plasma in terms of PQ is the Pioneer 508 but it's not 1080p.

The 1080p sets are:
Panasonic PZ700
Samsung P96FDX

I've not heard great things about the Panny but the Samsung sounds pretty good.

Is it the wrong time to buy? Is it worth waiting until more 1080p plasmas hit the market?

I'd be very interested to hear from people in a similar postion to myself and what they are planning to do.

Thanks.
 
I would say wait till there are more of the larger plasmas, prices will then tumble on the 50" plus 1080P for 50" will become the standard and will again reduce prices. Before the end of the year I reckon £1000 for a 1080P 50".
 
The Samsung P96FDX is a thing of beauty. It's going to be about £1600 I think, but well worth it for such a large, 1080p screen.
 
Im in a similar position but with a lower budget of £2000. I was just about to go for the Samsung before hearing of the imminent Panasonic 50PZ70 which sounds very interesting. It should be available any time now from what I hear, the thing is I was sold on the Samsung until I heard this.
By all accounts Panasonic plasmas are superior to Samsung, but then there is the 24fps issue which I think Samsung handles but not sure about the Panasonic, its all too much!!!!!! Anyone care to agree/disagree? any thoughts welcomed..
 
Im in a similar position but with a lower budget of £2000. I was just about to go for the Samsung before hearing of the imminent Panasonic 50PZ70 which sounds very interesting. It should be available any time now from what I hear, the thing is I was sold on the Samsung until I heard this.
By all accounts Panasonic plasmas are superior to Samsung, but then there is the 24fps issue which I think Samsung handles but not sure about the Panasonic, its all too much!!!!!! Anyone care to agree/disagree? any thoughts welcomed..

Do you already have a 42 inch panel? If so the answer is simple.....if you want 1080p and 24fps then wait, put your money in the bank and wait :devil: I suppose it's easy to say that if you already have a large screen telly, if you're moving from CRT to flat panel for the first time then money is burning huge holes in your pockets and your just dying to get out there a buy something.

As for the Samsung .... don't want to annoy those that have bought them but I would avoid...they've not had a long enough run of good products and their aftersales support is chronic.
 
Do you already have a 42 inch panel? If so the answer is simple.....if you want 1080p and 24fps then wait, put your money in the bank and wait :devil: I suppose it's easy to say that if you already have a large screen telly, if you're moving from CRT to flat panel for the first time then money is burning huge holes in your pockets and your just dying to get out there a buy something.

As for the Samsung .... don't want to annoy those that have bought them but I would avoid...they've not had a long enough run of good products and their aftersales support is chronic.

I do have a 42" plasma at the moment, had it for nearly 2 years. About a week after I bought it I wished I'd bought a 50".

I fell into the trap of people convincing me that 42" would be too big.

Anyway, looks like the sensible thing to do is to wait until Jan/Feb/Mar 08 to see what's around then.

Scorrado123, I'd be interested to hear what you end up buying.

Thanks for all your responses.
 
Id save your money,you could get 2 quality sets with that budget.people on these forums reckon 1080 is pointless at the minute anyway as not much HD content broadcast at that resolution yet and a 1080 screen merely fills in the pixels (IT GUESSES APPERNTLY).Spending more money doesnt always mean a better product.Make your mind up quick before it drives you mad.
 
Id save your money,you could get 2 quality sets with that budget.people on these forums reckon 1080 is pointless at the minute anyway as not much HD content broadcast at that resolution yet and a 1080 screen merely fills in the pixels (IT GUESSES APPERNTLY).Spending more money doesnt always mean a better product.Make your mind up quick before it drives you mad.

I'm nearly ready to be sectioned! Are there any tablets I can take to stop me being totally consumed by all things AV? :rolleyes:
 
For £3500 you'll soon be able to buy a 60"+ TV.

That'll be the next thing on my mind Enblerbro1. I've got plasma envy.

I'll not be happy until I can fill my gable end (ooh er) with plasma.
 
I try not to buy technology when it first comes out. First runs can sometimes have flaws which get ironed out in second and third waves and, obviously, you pay a premium for having something hot out of the factory. The Pioneers/Panasonics are meant to be pretty super duper but I know I'd kick myself, the cat, the mother in law, someone else's mother in law, the cat's mother in law and the mother in law's cat if I spent £3500 now only to find, 6 weeks down the road, that I could get a bigger/better TV for the same money or less.

:)

... but when would you ever buy anything if you always waited for better/bigger/cheaper?
 
hay mate, i work in currys and from time to time a few of us stay all night and play with all the tellys, various sources such as blu ray and sky hd.
Firstly i would stay well clear of 1080P. I have ps3 and would love a 1080p set but there is no way i would waste the cash. I currentely have a panny 37pv500 in the bedroom and a 42px60 in the livingroom so im ok but really want 1080. Nothing except pioneer in my opinion looks any better than what i have at home, but we have seen massive motion problems on the new 428. Although it is 24fps, and ps3 and bluray looks great, any HD football from sky looks a mess. Keep your money in your pocket and wait for the new philips range. Seen them a few weeks ago at a training day and they look awsome.
 
Iv'e been doing my head in the last few weeks trying to decide which way to go (1080p or 720p/1080i) Sammy or Panny.

Well yesterday went along to my local curry superstore:rolleyes:and had a play with the sammys for a good hour.

After much deliberation I have gone with the Sammy PS50Q96HD,why you ask, well apart from the superb online price from currys £1065 less a £100 coupon I have paid £965 delivered.

However apart from the price the other reasons were that at my viewing distance of 9-10ft I will not see any difference in image quality of 1080p over 720p.

Also 1080p sets are generally not as good with sd pictures as 720p sets(due to scalling).Lastly apart from when watching HD-DVD's (about 1-2 a week when I get a player)the rest of the time I will be watching sd untill I get Sky HD or whatever and they only broadcast in 720p/1080i anyway.

So I have decided to stop all my deliberations and get a set that will satisfy my current/medium term viewing and in the process save myself at least £500 and forget about 1080p untill there is sufficient broadcast 1080p material out there to warrant a 1080p set(a few years yet I bet).
 
I try not to buy technology when it first comes out. First runs can sometimes have flaws which get ironed out in second and third waves and, obviously, you pay a premium for having something hot out of the factory. The Pioneers/Panasonics are meant to be pretty super duper but I know I'd kick myself, the cat, the mother in law, someone else's mother in law, the cat's mother in law and the mother in law's cat if I spent £3500 now only to find, 6 weeks down the road, that I could get a bigger/better TV for the same money or less.

:)

... but when would you ever buy anything if you always waited for better/bigger/cheaper?

:rotfl: Too true. We'd all be sat in an empty room.

The Pioneer PDP-LX508D 50" Project Kuro 1080p Plasma Television seems like the one that I should be looking at. I've just sent an email to John Lewis to ask when they will be getting it in and how much it will be.

All the best.

Scott
 
Iv'e been doing my head in the last few weeks trying to decide which way to go (1080p or 720p/1080i) Sammy or Panny.

Well yesterday went along to my local curry superstore:rolleyes:and had a play with the sammys for a good hour.

After much deliberation I have gone with the Sammy PS50Q96HD,why you ask, well apart from the superb online price from currys £1065 less a £100 coupon I have paid £965 delivered.

However apart from the price the other reasons were that at my viewing distance of 9-10ft I will not see any difference in image quality of 1080p over 720p.

Also 1080p sets are generally not as good with sd pictures as 720p sets(due to scalling).Lastly apart from when watching HD-DVD's (about 1-2 a week when I get a player)the rest of the time I will be watching sd untill I get Sky HD or whatever and they only broadcast in 720p/1080i anyway.

So I have decided to stop all my deliberations and get a set that will satisfy my current/medium term viewing and in the process save myself at least £500 and forget about 1080p untill there is sufficient broadcast 1080p material out there to warrant a 1080p set(a few years yet I bet).


That sounds a great deal. I must say that the Sammy is the one I've been keeping my eye on and it does seem the sensible option. I think I will have a good look at the Sammy and the new Pioneer 1080p to see how they compare. Basically work out whether the price difference matches the PQ difference.

Enjoy your new Sammy. May well be joining you very soon.

Scott
 
Scott

I am sure the Pioneer will blow the socks off the Sammy(or so most Pioneer fans will say)but at what cost?.As you say you will have to decide on the price premium/diminishing returns argument.

But whichever way you go don't be too swayed by the 1080p thing.I think the tv manufacturers are running before they need to walk as with no broadcast 1080p on the horizon is there a need at the momment for these 1080p sets.
 
Scott

I am sure the Pioneer will blow the socks off the Sammy(or so most Pioneer fans will say)but at what cost?.As you say you will have to decide on the price premium/diminishing returns argument.

But whichever way you go don't be too swayed by the 1080p thing.I think the tv manufacturers are running before they need to walk as with no broadcast 1080p on the horizon is there a need at the momment for these 1080p sets.

Great advice about the 1080p thing. £2000+ difference is huge.

Pioneer? Samsung? Pioneer? Samsung? Pioneer? Samsung? Pioneer? Samsung?
 
I think the Samsung punches way above it's price in the 50" TV stakes at the moment. I would say it was better than a PX70 and almost in Fujitsu territory for picture quality. My only concern would be long term reliability so I'd probably still take the Panny.
 
hay mate, i work in currys and from time to time a few of us stay all night and play with all the tellys, various sources such as blu ray and sky hd.
Firstly i would stay well clear of 1080P. I have ps3 and would love a 1080p set but there is no way i would waste the cash. I currentely have a panny 37pv500 in the bedroom and a 42px60 in the livingroom so im ok but really want 1080. Nothing except pioneer in my opinion looks any better than what i have at home, but we have seen massive motion problems on the new 428. Although it is 24fps, and ps3 and bluray looks great, any HD football from sky looks a mess. Keep your money in your pocket and wait for the new philips range. Seen them a few weeks ago at a training day and they look awsome.

Just out of interest how do the pictures compare between the PV500 and the PX60????
 
hay mate, i work in currys and from time to time a few of us stay all night and play with all the tellys, various sources such as blu ray and sky hd.
Firstly i would stay well clear of 1080P. I have ps3 and would love a 1080p set but there is no way i would waste the cash. I currentely have a panny 37pv500 in the bedroom and a 42px60 in the livingroom so im ok but really want 1080. Nothing except pioneer in my opinion looks any better than what i have at home, but we have seen massive motion problems on the new 428. Although it is 24fps, and ps3 and bluray looks great, any HD football from sky looks a mess. Keep your money in your pocket and wait for the new philips range. Seen them a few weeks ago at a training day and they look awsome.


PHILLIPS????

Sorry but in my experience phillips may look good but just don't last...Having had Stereo, DVD player, LCD, I will never touch them again!!! All went back !!!!
My friend has also had 3 YES 3 Samsung 50" plasma's in the last 3 weeks. They were all from Curry's and all had lines across them. He went into curry's today and demanded that they took one of them to the doors so he could show the lines in daylight...(Switched off you can see them !!!)... They were all made in slovakia if this means anything....Needless to say I think he will now go for a Panasonic and hopefully this will be more reliable (maybe not ...who knows.)

IMO!!

Cheers
 

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