Any suggestions for a Plasma TV buy? Experiences?
Thanks
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
What price range? Do you prefer HD, non-HD? what size? What brand do you prefer?
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
^ Mahnoor is our resident Plasma expert!
After a lot of research, I have decided to stay away from Plasma, and instead go for LCD. "Burn in" problem is the deal breaker for me. Viewing angles don't bother me. Nor does blacks. Price difference is also sweet. Just FYI.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Stay away from plasma and here's the reason why:
Plasma is not a perfect technology, and its weaknesses should be taken into account when deciding on a display. Plasma screens are fragile. They must be shipped standing up, and as they are mostly glass, they must be handled with extreme care. They are heavy, and the wall mounts must be properly set. They should never be installed where they could be knocked over or bumped into.
-Potential Burn-In: Because of the phosphor technology in Plasma TVs, it is possible for traces of an image to be 'burned-in' to the display. This is generally a concern where images are displayed for long-periods of time. Those that watch stations that offer news tickers may also need to be careful. Burn-in can generally be avoided by making sure that you do not keep a constant image on the screen for extended periods (sometimes as little as 20 minutes), either by turning the television off, or changing the channel.
-Lower Brightness: Although still considerably brighter than rear-projection TVs, direct view and LCD TVs often are able to provide a brighter picture. This is generally only readily noticeable if watching in a very brightly lit room. Latest generation Plasma TVs have improved on the brightness issue considerably, and our only real warning would be to those that plan to do the majority of their viewing in a room exposed to afternoon sun.
-Not the Lightest or Slimmest: Although Plasma TVs are MUCH lighter and thinner compared to direct view and rear projection TVs, a lighter, slimmer technology does exist: LCD TVs. LCD TVs use the same technology as used in most laptop computers. However, it should be noted that LCD TVs are not generally available in the same sizes as Plasma TVs, and in those rare cases that they are, they generally cost considerably more.
-Price: Yes, this is a biggest disadvantage. Although Plasma TVs are considerably expensive than comparably-sized LCD or LCoS TVs and they do cost more than direct view and rear-projection TVs.
-Shorter Life: Compared to other television technologies, Plasma TVs do generally have a shorter life span, and there is no option to repair a burnt out tube or backlight. Most Plasma TVs have a life span of 20,000-30,000 hours based on manufacturer's estimates. This life span is commonly referred to as the Plasma TV half-life, as it is the number of hours over which the Plasma TV will loose approximately half of it's brightness.
Of course, we should note that a Plasma TV with a 20,000 hour life would allow you to watch 4 hours of TV per day for approximately 13.7 years. Even at 8 hours per day, your Plasma TV should provide you with nearly 7 years of enjoyment. So, for most of us, this should not be an issue, and a Plasma TV is a worthy investment.
-Fragility: Plasma TVs are a very fragile technology, and the units are quite easy to damage. Extreme care must be used when moving them, as even laying the Plasma display on it's side can have adverse effects, possibly damaging the unit irreparably.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
If you can... go for Sony's SXRD (for some reasons 70" is $10K more than 60") and you won't regret it. Just bought 60" one last month and am lovin it
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Wow! Thanks for the input from all of you.
Todd: A Qualia is out of my budget. I want to keep as close to 5K mark as is possible.
Despite the disadvantages that you mentioned, I am going for a Plasma. I have my own reasons and justifications. 
During the last couple of weeks, I have narrowed my range down to the following three:
Panasonic TH-42PV500 (US $ 4100)
Hitachi 42PD7800TA (An asian model US$ 3900)
Pioneer PDP436XDE (US $ 4600)
I had always believed in Sony as one of the best TV manufacturers but in the recent reviews I learnt that other manufacturers have managed to catch up to Sony and many have infact overtaken Sony’s quality levels. I am sure Sony will hit back soon, but at this moment (apart from the Qualia luxury series), there are better options out there.
I am inclined towards the Panasonic at this moment. They are offering a sweet deal at this moment as well. They will add a DVR-ES10 (DVD Recorder) along with the deal.
I am definitely going after HD (42/43 in.) and I am aware that all these above models do not support 1080p.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Good Luck :k:
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Panasonic, Pioneer and Hitachi are all pretty good brands. Good Luck. I prefer a discount on the TV rather than getting a cheap DVD recorder. What brand is the DVD recorder? When we bought our Sony LCD, they were giving away a DVD/VCR combo by some cheap brand, we simply asked them to take the amount off of which the combo was worth. Also, If you're in US, mostly all big electronic's stores price match, so if you see the same TV somewhere else even a dollar cheaper, they will give it to you for that amount and take extra 10% off. Good Luck!
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Todd: Thanks!
No I am not in the US. No one can beat the US deals; the market is so big and such actions can be justified.
Well! They are patching in a Panasonic DVR which is a basic model with HDD. I do plan to sell that one out and buy a Pioneer one with an HDMI out.
I have finally made up my mind on Panasonic.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Panasonic’s the way to go for Plasma :k: .. best price/performance ratio
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
np 
… go for maximum warranty, either in-store or thru manufacturer…
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Yes! I am going for the 3 years extended warranty. The dealer is claiming a 60,000 hours half life.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
^ That's good... so that would be a total of 4 years, right? including manufacturer's 1 year
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
^ I don't think so. When we got extended warranty on our LCD, it started the day TV was purchased. Manufacturer;s warrant hardly covers anything. We spent around $ 600.00 on the warranty, but it covered, parts, labor, In home service, replacement/repair and much more. For plasma, the warranty might be more expensive as plasmas are hard to repair, most of the time they have to replace them(from what the salesperson told us)
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
panasonic all da way!
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
That is exactly right.
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
Yes! It is for me as well.
Panasonic MX-300 Camcorder
Panasonic FZ-20 DC
Pansonic PV-D4745K
Re: Plasma TV? Any suggestions?
No matter which brand you buy you will love the experience, also keep in mind that you will need a good sound system to enhance the viewing pleasure. I didnt buy the detachable speakers that came along with the monitor (one reason why I didnt go with Sony as I would have been stuck with the speaker that I had no intensions of ever using).