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Best TV to get out of these?

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The LG over the Panasonic as it has the better contrast ratio.
The Samsung doesn't mention the contrast... so you'd wanna check that out, but I'm not a big fan of Samsung myself anyway... anything Samsung for that matter.
The LG also because it has the razor edge (slim line outer edge around the screen).

If I had to choose based on not seeing them in person against eachother, I'd definitely go the LG.

That's my 2cents worth :)
 

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I personally wouldn't buy anything from any seller that fails to list model numbers along with their electronic equipment. For all anyone know those are last years models they have left over trying to unload them at the current models prices. Since they seem to have stores all over the country there, that should be easy enough to find out.

None of those TVs are 3D.

Don't be fooled by manufacturers contrast ratio listings. There is no industry standard used by them and they all have their own formula. It's a non-issue amongst most of the top brands.

Out of those three:

After looking at them in the stores for several hours over a month long period, I went with Panasonic, albeit mine are last years model. I was impressed enough to buy two, a 42" and a 58". Got it so cheap, I paid the $250 for professional calibration on one of them for the first time ever - the adjustments made from the factory shipped made it a totally wasted $250. Panasonic is generally held to be the leader in plasma with Pioneer out of the picture now.

LG would be my second. I have no issue with their quality &/or customer service - at least here in the states.

Between those two, (discounting the fact I have liked Pannys for a lot of years) I'd be looking pretty much solely at: 1) price, 2) appearance if less than $50 apart. You should be happy with either. And a heads up - looking at the picture in the store does no good whatsoever. The brand with the most profit for the seller, will be the one that they "might" have spent time adjusting for a good picture in store. With TVs today, you have to turn to reviews to make any sort of educated decision.

That other one, no question they make good stuff. Just pray to god you never have to call their customer service. It is the absolute worst in the industry.
 
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Panasonic Plasma's are the best there is, so I'd go with that.
 
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I have 3 Samsung TVs. The most expensive one just went out - and I found exactly what Bob said - their customer support is horrible. It is so bad in fact - when I tried calling for repair - the repair guy had to give me a special number to call - so I could get the TV looked at. Anyway - any TV can fail - but after my experience with customer support and Samsung, I am hesitant to buy anything from them anymore.

Also - their debug process consisted of me checking my cable connections and bypassing my UPS and Surge protector and plugging directly into the wall. Surprise - that didn't do anything. Anyway the actual lcd panel is out so I am looking around as well (It's basically the cost of a new TV to get it replaced)
 

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Personally I would NOT buy a Plasma TV!!!

First let me mention that I do have a 50" plasma TV...so I'm speaking from experience...and I would be saying..."Jeez...I probably shouldn't have purchased a $1200 plasm TV." Hey sometimes you make a mistake.;)

Also...you can visit many websites comparing the pros & cons of LCD vs. Plasma TV's...and for the most part...those "Pros & Cons" would be valid.

So why no plasma TV?...here's why...screen burn in! My plasma TV is a somewhat recent model...and it was supposed to have all the latest & greatest "anti-burn-in" technology. I still get screen burn-in (or maybe through my VERY diligent efforts)...screen "shadows or ghosting" as opposed to actual screen burn-in.

Here is what happens or what I have to deal with on my plasma TV:

- if you switch from an "HD channel" to an "SD channel" you get the "bars" on each side of the display. In my case my bars are black. If I watch an SD channel for like 10-15 minutes...then switch to an HD channel...at the interface between the "black bar" and the edge of the SD channels broadcast video...when on the HD channel...I get a VERY prominent vertical line where the "black bar" used to be when viewing the SD channel. This line...takes hours & hours to go away (even using the anti-burn-in features of the TV). To get around this...whenever I watch an SD channel..I have to change the aspect ratio of the SD channel to "wide-screen" which stretches the SD channel broadcast horizontally to almost fill the entire screen with the SD video. Of course the downside to this is the SD video is distorted & you don't get the correct 4:3 proportions.

- You know those little logos in the bottom right of the screen that each channel has...those burn in (or create long lasting shadows) on the display. Which again can take hours & hours to disappear.

- if you use your cable companies "channel guide" for more than a couple minutes...this will leave burn-in/shadows on the plasma display.

- if you pause a TV program while you go to the bathroom, go to the kitchen to get a drink or food, or answer the phone...you will get "burn-in or shadows" that take a long time to disappear.

- if you like to play video games on your TV (PS3, Xbox, etc.)...this will leave BIG TIME shadows or "ghost images" on the TV!!! Again...even with all of the anti-burn-in features on a plasma TV this happens.

So I'm recommending do not buy a plasma TV for this one & only reason. I have absolutely no other issues with plasma. If I was able to do my Big-Screen TV purchase all over again...I would definitely get an LCD TV.

HTH,

- Nick
 

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This can be an issue with plasma TVs and is definitely something to be aware of.

Although, Have to say - I get none, as in zero, nada of those issues on either of my Pannys. And I have my 58" connected to my Win7 HTPC where I've had it sit on the desktop for several hours at a time while listening to music.

I have the 42" connected to my PS3. Nope, have not had a single issue with it either.

Could be a big part of why they're rated at the top in the market at this time.
 

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This can be an issue with plasma TVs and is definitely something to be aware of.

Although, Have to say - I get none, as in zero, nada of those issues on either of my Pannys. And I have my 58" connected to my Win7 HTPC where I've had it sit on the desktop for several hours at a time while listening to music.

I have the 42" connected to my PS3. Nope, have not had a single issue with it either.

Could be a big part of why they're rated at the top in the market at this time.

If this is the case I would REALLY like to know what I'm doing wrong. One of the anti-burn-in features on my plasma TV is "pixel shift". With "pixel shift" you have multiple choices on:

- how often to do the "pixel shift" (I have mine on the most frequent pixel shift setting)
- and there's a setting for the distance of the pixel shift...I have mine set for the most "pixel shift"

There may be other anti-burn-in features as well...I would have to check my settings again. But there is certainly no question...I get screen burn-in whenever I do what I mentioned above (pause the program, channel logos, play video games, etc.).

I'm VERY unhappy when it comes to my plasma TV!!!:(

- Nick
 
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Not a huge fan of plasma TVs either. Beyond the technical issues that Nick brought up, don't they run hotter and use more energy than the newer LED TVs?

We bought a 42" Samsung LED TV with internet and it's awesome, very happy with it.
 

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Don't really know what settings I've used on mine. I was pretty concerned about this when I got the 58" and freaked out every time I saw one of those stupid logos sitting on the screen for the first month or so. Just never did see an issue which is why I upgraded the bedroom TV about 3 months afterwards. What brand is it?

Plasmas do run a little warmer and are not as energy efficient as an LCD. LCD black levels and a couple of other nit picky items have not caught up with the plasma, but for the most part, the LCDs of today are very good and I've got no issue with someone making the choice of LCD over plasma. Once you get passed the point of straining your eyes to see the difference and settle down to just enjoying, you'll never really notice the difference between them unless you've got them sitting side by side. Got mine because the price was too good to pass up when I was looking for a replacement. Picked up the 58" under $1300 just over a year ago. It was a steal at that time.
 

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What brand is it?

Ok...don't freak-out when I mention the brand...but it's a Samsung.;) I get the feeling that the Samsung brand is not "well-loved" here at Mac-Forums...but I'm not really sure the brand should effect the plasma anti-burn-in technologies.

But if I'm wrong...and there is something inferior regarding Samsung's anti-burn-in technology on their plasma TV's...I would love to hear about it. Since it's really frustrating to hear that other folks have no burn-in issues...and I got them in big-time.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to play my PS3 on my plasma TV without burn-in or ghosting fears!

- Nick
 
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Not a huge fan of plasma TVs either. Beyond the technical issues that Nick brought up, don't they run hotter and use more energy than the newer LED TVs?

We bought a 42" Samsung LED TV with internet and it's awesome, very happy with it.

+1 for LED TV
 
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Really interesting to read Nick's issues there.
I have an older Hitachi plasma (4-5 years now), which has a lot of burn prevention tricks, and I can honestly say that I have never suffered screen burn and some of the channels we watch have particularly lary icons on screen. Nor do I get the issue with aspect ratio changes either.
I really can't understand it, as nearly all Plasma's have had this virtually eradicated now.
 
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This can be an issue with plasma TVs and is definitely something to be aware of.

Although, Have to say - I get none, as in zero, nada of those issues on either of my Pannys. And I have my 58" connected to my Win7 HTPC where I've had it sit on the desktop for several hours at a time while listening to music.

I have the 42" connected to my PS3. Nope, have not had a single issue with it either.

Could be a big part of why they're rated at the top in the market at this time.

Reiterate the above... Have 2 Panasonic 42" Viera(s)...3 years old...As good as the day they were purchased. I'm not a gamer though...but no issues whatsoever... Panasonic makes a **** good plasma.
 

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Really interesting to read Nick's issues there.
I have an older Hitachi plasma (4-5 years now), which has a lot of burn prevention tricks, and I can honestly say that I have never suffered screen burn and some of the channels we watch have particularly lary icons on screen. Nor do I get the issue with aspect ratio changes either.
I really can't understand it, as nearly all Plasma's have had this virtually eradicated now.

My plasma TV is probably 2-3 years old....and was the most current model Samsung had at the time (it wasn't some really old model that had less burn-in technology). All the info I could gather when I made this purchase, said that early plasmas had burn-in issues...but that these issues had been eliminated by the time I made my purchase.

I just can't figure out what's wrong...there is just no question I'm getting some sort of burn-in or ghosting on my plasma TV. I obviously didn't wait for this thread to "pop-up" on Mac-Forums to investigate this.;) I've done research from time to time...but really couldn't find anything that said that my plasma TV was setup incorrectly...or any other solution to solve the problem.

- Nick
 
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Ok...don't freak-out when I mention the brand...but it's a Samsung.;) I get the feeling that the Samsung brand is not "well-loved" here at Mac-Forums...but I'm not really sure the brand should effect the plasma anti-burn-in technologies.

But if I'm wrong...and there is something inferior regarding Samsung's anti-burn-in technology on their plasma TV's...I would love to hear about it. Since it's really frustrating to hear that other folks have no burn-in issues...and I got them in big-time.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to play my PS3 on my plasma TV without burn-in or ghosting fears!

- Nick

That's why. I have a 50" Samsung plasma...the one that's a really thin. I also had a Panasonic.

The Panasonic is superior to the Samsung and what you're getting is Image Retention, not burn in. The Samsung just happens to suffer from it more than the Panasonic.

You can leave your TV on over night on a static screen and you'll not get burn in. Samsung just has horrible IR, but it's nothing permanent and it fades rather quickly. It's a small price to pay for image quality.

Plasmas have better picture quality than LCD or LEDs. My next TX is going to be another Panasonic Plasma.
 
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I skimmed alot of this, so sorry for any repeat info:

Plasmas are better than LCDs and LEDs, IMO. The deeper black, faster processing, and high amount of color make them ideal for a movie buff like, myself.

Burn-in is very rare, these days, and limited to very exteme cases. IR, or image retention, as Village Idiot mentioned, is more common, but I've still not had too many issues with my Samsung HP-T4264. The one problem I've had is I fell asleep with a DVD on and the image of the menu was retained. However, I did the whitewash method and it was gone within an hour.

Never had any other issues with IR, however. I will say that Samsung advertises that their TVs are already broken-in, but I suggest using the break-in settings on any new plasma, anyway. The pixels burn hotter and brighter the first 100 or so hours of use, and it's easier to get IR or burn-in during those hours.

I also suggest that you go to the AV Science boards and get the optimal settings for your device (assuming you don't have it professionally tuned). The picture quality is a world of difference.

Some people on here will argue with me, others on AVS forums agree with me (so you know it's likely somewhat even), but I prefer Sammy over Panny. I did months and months and months of research before making my investment, and I felt the pictures looked much better on the Sammy and the features were much better (don't know about current sets. This was '08), and thus I bought the samsung.

I haven't had a single issue, and I've been perfectly happy with my set.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you get a cheap set, do expect IR.

FWIW, I bought a 32" Vizio plasma last year, I believe, and it has the worst IR I've ever seen. No burn-in, luckily, but it has IR even when opening credits pop on the screen for a few seconds. The now discontinued vizio plasmas used LG displays, so I would recommend against those, personally.
 
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My plasma TV is probably 2-3 years old....and was the most current model Samsung had at the time (it wasn't some really old model that had less burn-in technology). All the info I could gather when I made this purchase, said that early plasmas had burn-in issues...but that these issues had been eliminated by the time I made my purchase.

I just can't figure out what's wrong...there is just no question I'm getting some sort of burn-in or ghosting on my plasma TV. I obviously didn't wait for this thread to "pop-up" on Mac-Forums to investigate this.;) I've done research from time to time...but really couldn't find anything that said that my plasma TV was setup incorrectly...or any other solution to solve the problem.

- Nick

The only real setup issue that I can see is calibration. Have you calibrated the screen, or had it done? I never see what you report on yours as far as image retention goes. I pause mine all the time and never have issue, and I always have the guide up for many minutes at a time and never see IR. My DirecTV receiver will go to a screensaver when it is paused, so that helps immensely. The only time that I see any IR is when there are weather or political banners for hours at a time, and those are gone pretty quick afterward. If you are using pixel shift like you say, you should really be OK.

It probably is not the issue, but I suggest to everyone to calibrate their screens. The way they come out of the box is horrid! It will take some getting used to when viewing a properly calibrated screen, but it is well worth it. I have used the Avia disc in the past and it does a great job of explaining all of the ins and outs of contrast, brightness, etc. Give it a try if you already haven't.

Also, some plasma sets have an issue of the power setting to the panel being out of spec once it is broken in. You can sometimes see bluish/greenish ghosting on the screen at times and that is simply a power adjustment. The TV tech adjusted mine in 5 minutes and it was a whole new ball game.
 

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The Panasonic is superior to the Samsung and what you're getting is Image Retention, not burn in. The Samsung just happens to suffer from it more than the Panasonic.

You can leave your TV on over night on a static screen and you'll not get burn in. Samsung just has horrible IR, but it's nothing permanent and it fades rather quickly. It's a small price to pay for image quality.

Yes...I was probably using bad terminology when I mentioned "burn-in" since this really suggests something rather permanent. I did mention "ghosting"...and "image retention" is probably what I meant by ghosting...so thanks for mentioning that term.:)

Yeah...I know that the IR is not permanent (or at least I've learned that over time with this TV)!;) The IR on my plasma really doesn't go away that quickly...especially since the IR can develop in less than (honestly) 15-30 seconds with a static image.

Thanks again,

- Nick
 

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