Plasma HDTVs Still Relevant, Hit Record High

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BlazePC

February 18, 2011 at 2:12pm

110103_global_lcd_tv_market_to_grow_31_in_2010_slowing_to_13_in_2011

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BlazePC

February 18, 2011 at 2:10pm

A recent report by displaysearch_dot_com shows the more complete picture.  CCFL backlit LCD in continued decline; plasma holding on to 5% - 10% of the overall market.  What stats like this don't convey is WHY people keep buying plasma and if you become educated to plasma pricing during 2010 vs the previous three or four years, you'll grasp why.  Plasma is for purists (even though the newest sets don't hold water against previous generations) and for bargain hunters.  I'd like to see just how many of the projected 18 million sets sold were actually purchased by the purists...

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danhughes

February 07, 2011 at 4:01pm

No plasma for me. In my living room there is a window behind me, and with a plasma screen I see the window on my TV, not the picture.

With my LCD there is no reflection at all.

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p309

February 04, 2011 at 9:46pm

Samsung 42" Plasma purchased 4 years ago. It's a great tv, and I haven't experienced any of the silly things that people say: "You have to replace the plasma in them every 2 years ( I love that one)", umm, it's getting dimmer as it gets older is a new one. I haven't touched the setup since I set it up initially, and it's the same great picture as day one.My old eyes would've noticed.

 I have an LCD in the spare room, and its on the same service, DirecTv, and it looks pathetic compared to the plasma. Granted, it's an off brand (General Electric, I think), that used to be a name brand, but no more. GE set is a cheapie. I've seen the Vizios too, my kids have those. They also have some Honeywells that were sold off cheaply on NewEgg a couple of Christmas's ago. The Honeywell LCD is better than the Vizio or GE, but none of them have the vibrancy and deep blacks that the plasma has.

My two cents, my experiences, your mileage may vary. Time to go shake out the plasma, it's getting dimmer and needs changed out.

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Arclite

February 04, 2011 at 6:42pm

 All the research pointed me toward it: better blacks, better refresh, more saturated colors, better or equivalent price.

 

Unfortunately, I had to settle.   I live in a small apartment and with small kids, needed to hang the TV on the wall.  The walls are not weight bearing and the studs inside are aluminum, and not that strong.  The Plasma I wanted was over 100 pounds, and the LCD was half that.  Even so, I worry about the lateral force on the studs or what happens if one of the kids decides to climb on it.  Also, I have a small car and you can't lay down a plasma to transport it.  They have to be transported upright.  I was also about to enter the hospital and needed to set it up in a hurry so I could watch it during my recovery.  I could install the lighter LCD myself, which would have been impossible with the Plasma.  Also, my TV wall faces a very bright window, and the diffuse LCD screen is easier to watch in the daytime.

 

We don't have cable, we watch DVD and BRD, so the TV is on about an hour per day, if that.  The extra power draw wasn't really concern, nor was burn in.  Unless you've got your TV on in 

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Nyarlathotep

February 04, 2011 at 1:07pm

Last month I finally ditched the 27" CRT I've had for the last ten years. I did a ton of research on what to buy before I settled on a 42" 720P plasma. I originally was against plasmas but after doing the research I found I was basing my opinion on invalid preconcieved notions. I have had it for about a month now and as long as it lasts a few years I will be more than satisfied.

The one thing that really surprised me while doing research was that everyone I asked opinions of said I definitely did not want a plasma because of burn in, poor veiwability in high ambient light areas, short life span, ect. They do look worse than LCD's when they are side by side in stores under harsh flourescent lighting. If you're shopping around do not base your decision on this.

Google "AVS forum" if you want some good information and opinions on how current tv technologies compare (amongst other products).

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LilHammer

February 04, 2011 at 11:49am

Until LED LCD TVs hit the black levels of good plasma TVs, and at a more reasonable price point, plasma will win for those more concerned with picture quality.  Unless Al Gore were to tell everyone how he owns 43 LCD/LED TVs - then I would buy 100 of the most power consuming TVs I could find... and invite him over to watch my ComEd meter spin faster than he can spin the truth.

50" Panasonic Viera Plasma FTW

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theriot72

February 04, 2011 at 11:06am

I have a 60" LG plasma 60PK750 downstairs and it is amazing. Also upstairs I have a pioneer 42" that is about 8 years old and still looks amazing. And they said plasma's didn't have much of a life span!!!! I would go plasma over LCD or LED any day. The picture is so much more true to life in color and motion.

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BlazePC

February 04, 2011 at 3:28pm

Go to a "big box" store that has demo units on display for 6 months or more.  We have Fry's Electronics out here on the left-coast.  The only plasma sets that look good are the fresh ones, like the newest Vieras recently put up on display; all the others look worn out, tired and dim.  There's no better place  to check longevity of any TV tech than your local retail display area, where long hard "real" power-on hours supplant "projected specs" or wishful thinking.  Plasma set do have tech improvements that mitigate burn-in, but mitigation doesn't equate to elimination - the mere fact that plasma gas cells are charged and discharged leads to degradation and burn-in over time.  All the experts agree that plasma & CCFL sets lose output luminance over time.  The jury is still out on just how quickly LED's do the same...

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Slugbait

February 04, 2011 at 3:38pm

This is a classic example of FUD. What is more likely to have happened at BlazePC's local store is that the newer plasmas are still in Torch Mode, while the older sets were changed to Standard, Cinema, or THX modes.

If plasmas truly looked worn out, tired and dim within a year of shelf life, nobody in their right mind would have ever bought a Kuro.

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bigm0ney13

February 04, 2011 at 9:04am

Panasonic 42 inch plasma floor model bought almost four years ago. Great picture quality. My brother is still gasping when he sees it (comparing it to his DLP).

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Synux

February 04, 2011 at 8:55am

Several months ago I bought a 63" Samsung 8000 series plasma and it is indeed spectacular.  I was looking at the LCDs and was replacing a DLP so this was to be my first plasma and I am so glad I did it.  Yes, it is 3D too but that wasn't a factor for me.  In fact we didn't open up the 3D movie they gave us for about three months after we got the TV set up - simply not interested.  Then we watched it and that was pretty impressive as well.  So win-win.  Now that the power consumption and burn-in issues are all but eliminated the only stand-out is the picture quality which this plasma really delivers on.  Sorry to come off like a fan-boy, I am typically more pragmatic than this but it has been a while since a piece of tech impressed me this much.

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BlazePC

February 04, 2011 at 5:55pm

Plasma from Panasonic, as an example:

Rated Power Consumption

P58-VT25          P65-VT25      

599 W                644 W

P42-GT25          P50-GT25  (newer 3D models)

331 W                445 W

You have to either look at the product label affixed to the back of the panel or dig into the Owners Manual to get the rated power consumption on most plasma sets; Pioneer wasn't bashful but that's sort of a moot point now.  None of these mfg's publish this type of info on their websites; Samsung doesn't even publish it in their Owners Manual.  There's probably one other entity that loves plasma TV even more than you do - your utility company. 

Any UPS that reports wattage at or near zero when a plasma is connected (and not in standby mode) is not reporting power conditions properly.

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BlazePC

February 04, 2011 at 3:35pm

Power consumption gains have been made but plasma sets still can't keep up with LED sets - it's still around 2.5 to 3:1; plasma : LED.  A lot of what made the best of the plasmas, think Pioneer Elite, look and perform so good was their high energy plasma cell technology.  The "Al Gore" versions simply can't compete and is the main factor contributing to peoples dissatisfaction with currently offered plasma sets, with respect to brightness and clarity.

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Synux

February 04, 2011 at 5:34pm

You are correct, the plasma TV draws more power than its LCD cousin.  I have my TV connected to an APC and the TV by itself doesn't even show up as load on the front panel display so while, yes, it draws more power, I see more draw from my PC so it seems relatively minor and since the TV spends more time off than on (unlike my PC) in the end I would wager the harm done by my TV is less than that done by many of the gadgets throughout my home.

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BlazePC

February 04, 2011 at 6:07pm

Any UPS that reports wattage at or near zero when a plasma is connected (and not in standby mode) is not reporting power conditions properly.

You might want to double check that Synux.

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Slugbait

February 04, 2011 at 4:04pm

"The "Al Gore" versions simply can't compete and is the main factor contributing to peoples dissatisfaction with currently offered plasma sets, with respect to brightness and clarity."

When you visit the official G20/G25 thread at avsforum, you'll find 252 pages of people who are more than satisfied with the picture quality of these Vieras. Brightness and clarity can be calibrated on every type of television...what is vastly more important is color accuracy and black level, things which a more expensive LED has difficulty competing with.

A professional ISF calibrator tweaked one, here's what he had to say: "My overall impression was that the G25 is much more the Videophile's TV; it's accurate, and if that accuracy shows up flaws in the picture chain, that's the price you pay for having such a revealing display." http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=18302943&postcount=322

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Peanut Fox

February 04, 2011 at 8:50am

Panasonic Viera plasma display.  I'm curious about DLP.  It seems like Mitsubishi is the only maker who has carved out anything in this territory unless you count projectors.  I got to take a look at one at my friends house a few weeks ago and the one thing the surprised me was how light the thing is.  At 60" it was lighter than the 48" LCD it replaced.

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BlazePC

February 04, 2011 at 8:05am

Pricing has a funny effect on buying habits, especially during economic downturns.  Another MaxPC "according to" story that lacks any valuable journalistic prowess...

Nice work Paul.

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DJ_Smoke

February 05, 2011 at 9:32am

Reading your arguments here blaze, while i disagree completely with you on this thread, at least they come of as educated(but wrong).

But this post is just LAME

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BlazePC

February 18, 2011 at 3:02pm

Right, and next up will be reading a piece by Paul on how, "according to" some other limited contextual link, 720p televisions are still relevant because CBS and who ever else still broadcast in 720p.  LOL

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skrusrnmz

February 04, 2011 at 7:12am

I bought the PN50C8000, a Samsung 50" Plasma 3DTV. Picture quality was tops on my list. The Panasonic VT25 was $1000 more at the time so Sammy won. LCD's didn't even make it in the running. Price definitely helped that because the only LCD option would have been a LED backlit with local-dimming which costs more and still wouldn't have as good a picture quality. My brother-in-law still thinks I'm crazy for getting a plasma just because of burn-in. It's a non-issue. I game and watch sports for HOURS and have no problems. No regrets with my decision.

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ScytheNoire

February 04, 2011 at 6:54am

Panasonic Plasma, better picture than LCD

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