x10 vs. B550

[fcz_]

which one you think is better?
what are pros and the cons for on or another?

 

[arfster]

Not really a fair comparison - the 550 is a good bit more expensive. Very roughly:

X10 - 450
S10 - 550
G10 - 650
V10 - 850

There are a lot of differences though, and which is better depends on your uses and preferences. Do you watch mostly SD, or HD? How much light/sun glare falls on your screen? Do you prefer deep blacks, or better colours? How far away do you sit from the set, and how sharp is your eyesight?

 

[fcz_]

Ok, let's compare it to B450 then.

-I would watch maybe 70% SD and 30% HD.

-In the first half of day there would be pretty much sun on tv.

-Well, i would like good colors and deep blacks, if possible. So, which one is more balanced in this matter?

-I watch tv from 7-10 feet. I wear glasses.

 

[arfster]

-I would watch maybe 70% SD and 30% HD.

The scaler on the x10 and the 450 are both fairly average. For a step up, the 550+ are better (maybe 530+ with the US models?)

-In the first half of day there would be pretty much sun on tv.

The anti-glare coatings on the x10, s10 and 400/500 models are pretty basic. Any possibility to rearrange the viewing room a bit? This can have a major hit on pic quality for plasmas, even the expensive ones with top end coatings.

-Well, i would like good colors and deep blacks, if possible. So, which one is more balanced in this matter?

Samsung better colours, Pana better blacks. Which has more importance in your perception of pic quality seems to be very much an individual thing.

-I watch tv from 7-10 feet. I wear glasses.

Assuming your glasses bring you up to 20/20 (not always true if they've not been done recently!), at 8 foot a 50" 1080p would be ideal. However, if you're going for a 42", you'd need to be around 6.5 feet away to see the full benefit of 1080p - ie if you're further away at that size, a 720p set is much the same. This is doubly true if you're watching mostly SD anyway.

 

[fcz_]

And is there any difference when it comes to retention/burn-in?
Is it true that Panasonics are less prone to these?

 

[arfster]

Burn-in..... don't think so, but nobody really knows since these are 2009 models.

Panasonics are definitely better for IR though. Samsungs you have to run for maybe 1000 hours to get to acceptable levels on that front, and even then they're still mildly susceptible.