Side By Side Comparison: 55ES7100 and P55ST60

[bloodshoteyes]

I am new to the forum but thought I would share my opinions. I am fortunate to have the new Samsung 55es7100 and the Panasonic 55st60 side by side.
One of them has to go back soon...but which one?

Both tvs have a lot of + and - . I also have older 53" Toshiba DLP, which I love, and a 46" LG plasma for comparison purposes, if anyone is interested.

Both tvs are installed in a moderately bright room. Windows are on the same wall as tvs so no significant back reflection on either screens. Reflection when off on both units is about the same and not a big issue. Heat from plasma is no issue.

FIRST IMPRESSION: The ES7100 is stunningly brighter and delivers a sharper picture than the ST60 overall, but the st60 is easier on the eyes. I did not notice significant differences in blackness depth between the two. In fact, the ES7100 at times seemed to produce excellent blacks. Depth of image was bettter on the ST60, which makes the plasma look more natural, but it lacked the detail I wanted. The picture didn't 'pop' and the whites were not white. The ES7100 on the other hand can be quite an intense picture, but it can also be better controlled.

I calibrated both tvs (I will try to share the settings in a later note), to a picture that I thought was virtually equal on both sets. This required cranking the settings on the ST60, and reducing backlight and sharpness on the ES7100. The equalized picture was realistic on both sets, but I prefer a little brighter and detailed image, which the ST60 could not quite deliver. I expected the ST60 to have a much greater range of settings for brightness and sharpness. This has always been the main knock against plasmas, and may be the reason why OLED is the next direction for Panasonic.

So my overall first impression in comparing these two units is that there are trade-offs to be made for each one....which upsets me because all I want is what everyone else wants...a great picture that's easy to watch and doesn't require adjustment all the time.

Today it's comparing the es7100 and st60 in daylight. Which set will give me a headache?

 

[ramdrive]

I have compared the VT65 and DT65 and had similar observations, blacks were closer than I though they would be, but what sold me on the DT65 was the significant extra detail and pop to HD images, you just cant get this on Plasma's.

DT65 will be with me on Friday!

 

[Scooby2000]

Not meaning to be pedantic, but you 'didn't' calibrate either set by using an image.
Calibration requires at least the correct patterns an for a proper calibration, a meter.

Im surprised the ST60 lacked the detail you want and what do you mean by white? Are you used to bright LCD bluish white?.

 

[bloodshoteyes]

Not meaning to be pedantic, but you 'didn't' calibrate either set by using an image.
Calibration requires at least the correct patterns an for a proper calibration, a meter.

Im surprised the ST60 lacked the detail you want and what do you mean by white? Are you used to bright LCD bluish white?.

I calibrated based on the controls provided by the manufacturer. I have lots of experience determining what a great picture should look like. If I have to meter a new 2013 tv just to see whether it can approximate a suitable picture, then I consider the product not worthwhile investing in.

 

[bloodshoteyes]

The Panasonic P55ST60 went back to the dealer. As hard as I tried (I refuse to go to the trouble of putting it on a calibration meter), it could not deliver a detailed enough picture in either daytime or nighttime viewing vs the Samsung LED, although dark room viewing did improve the picture comfort.

I really wanted this product, as I had good luck with my LG plasma, plus there's been a lot of hype about panasonic plasmas, including the ST60 series. Granted it's 3rd-level down in their product line, but I am still amazed that in 2013, plasma tvs in this price range are still not able to deliver a sharp picture out of the box. Even after much tweaking, including a few different published & suggested settings, the Samsung LED picture looked clearer, crisper, and of course brighter than the cranked Panasonic.

I'm keeping the series 7 Samsung. It provides far superior control flexibility, and I love the look of it's thin bezel on the wall.

 

[Lin3ar]

Sometimes it just comes down to some people preferring the look of an LCD picture. Personally I much prefer the plasma image as it looks far more natural to me.

But I have a few friends who don't like my GT50 when comparing it to their LCDs.

Though when I watch the football at their houses I feel I need to put on my sunglasses to stop getting eye strain.

 

[arenaman]

The answer is the Samsung F8500, it's like a hybrid, LED brightness with plasma blacks and uniformity, well worth a look

 

[Scooby2000]

I calibrated based on the controls provided by the manufacturer. I have lots of experience determining what a great picture should look like. If I have to meter a new 2013 tv just to see whether it can approximate a suitable picture, then I consider the product not worthwhile investing in.

My point was calibration is about calibrating to a standard, have a good eye myself and sure you can improve a picture to your liking by eye but its not calibration.

Some people prefer the brightness of LCD and that's fine, Im just surprised you found it lacked detail is all as the resolution during motion is higher than LCD for a start and I can see a huge amount if detail on them, content dependant of course.

One things for sure the can't go anywhere near as bright as an LCD, maybe that's why you perceive a lack of detail. As said the F8500 is worth a look but you may well just prefer the more processed looking LCD picture.

 

[VierraFan]

I didn't make any in-depth side-by-side comparison, but plasma overall looks 'softer' to me as well. It would be hard to prove that with measurements. Maybe it's also because of dithering - although I can't see dithering from normal viewing distance, it probably has some influence to viewing experience. Anyway, overall, I still prefer plasma, mostly because I don't like bluish LCD whites and I don't need very bright picture because I'm watching it during night time

 

[davidcrofter]

The Panasonic P55ST60 went back to the dealer. As hard as I tried (I refuse to go to the trouble of putting it on a calibration meter), it could not deliver a detailed enough picture in either daytime or nighttime viewing vs the Samsung LED, although dark room viewing did improve the picture comfort.

I really wanted this product, as I had good luck with my LG plasma, plus there's been a lot of hype about panasonic plasmas, including the ST60 series. Granted it's 3rd-level down in their product line, but I am still amazed that in 2013, plasma tvs in this price range are still not able to deliver a sharp picture out of the box. Even after much tweaking, including a few different published & suggested settings, the Samsung LED picture looked clearer, crisper, and of course brighter than the cranked Panasonic.

I'm keeping the series 7 Samsung. It provides far superior control flexibility, and I love the look of it's thin bezel on the wall.

Buying a plasma and then trying to crank the settings up to make it look like LED is never a good idea. It sounds like you just prefer LED and the forced slightly processed look they produce so no point worrying about it as each to their own ...

 

[OrigamiNinja]

This thread to me seems like nothing more than a poorly disguised LCD v Plasma thread.

Not sure what it brings to the table.

How is it any different from me saying I went into a Panasonic store last weekend and all the plasmas looked better than the LCDs?

 

[Scooby2000]

This thread to me seems like nothing more than a poorly disguised LCD v Plasma thread.

Not sure what it brings to the table.

How is it any different from me saying I went into a Panasonic store last weekend and all the plasmas looked better than the LCDs?

The difference is that would be far less likely lol.

People just need to research and demo, pros and cons of both LCD and plasma are well documented on here.

I am surprised at the lack of detail comment, but we all see things differently, certainly if you push a plasma to far upping contrast too high and sharpness you will loose detail, if people want an over blown image only LCD can deliver that.

 

[bloodshoteyes]

I probably wouldn't have started this thread if i hadn't been able to place both units side by side and evaluate under similar lighting conditions and source inputs. I thought that feedback would be beneficial to some. I have an LG plasma that I still like watching. I'm not one for bright or unnatural picture. Clarity is first and foremost. I am very happy with the series 7 LED, primarily because I have greater flexibility in dialing in the picture I want vs the plasma. The series 7 backlit is easier to control than the pixels of the plasma imho.

Everyone who commented that it's personal taste is completely correct. That's why we have choice. I just had to evaluate firsthand what the ST60 hype was all about (ie: best 2013 price value, etc...).