Topic: The Plasma Thread

[vtec3]

impressive talaga yung Pioneer. maganda yung noise filtering pati yung black level ang ganda din. actually did a side by side comparisson with Hitachi using The Replacement, yung hair nung negro na kulot sa Hitachi kita mo lang itim while sa Pioneer you can really see the curl.

hopefully pagbalik ko bumaba pa na konti yung price nung Pioneer  or benta ko na lang yung aking RPTV which is very seldomly used. Pati kahon nito intact pa  and dagdag ko na lang para maka bili ako ng Pioneer 

if only puwedeng magbitbit ng Plasma from the US 

[dB10]

impressive talaga yung Pioneer. maganda yung noise filtering pati yung black level ang ganda din. actually did a side by side comparisson with Hitachi using The Replacement, yung hair nung negro na kulot sa Hitachi kita mo lang itim while sa Pioneer you can really see the curl.

hopefully pagbalik ko bumaba pa na konti yung price nung Pioneer  or benta ko na lang yung aking RPTV which is very seldomly used. Pati kahon nito intact pa  and dagdag ko na lang para maka bili ako ng Pioneer 

if only puwedeng magbitbit ng Plasma from the US 

i think that will be a better plan, save up for the better unit since meron ka pa naman magagamit 

[barrister]

impressive talaga yung Pioneer. maganda yung noise filtering pati yung black level ang ganda din.

Personally, I like Pioneer as a company.

Pioneer recently suffered heavy financial losses due to a bad business decision, but the quality of its plasma TVs is still top-notch.  The Pioneer plasma division's vision and strategy remain unchanged --- it still wants to maintain its status as the high-end player in the plasma market. 

In 2004, Pioneer paid 40 billion yen for the plasma display panel manufacturing operations of NEC Corp., which at the time had Sony Corp. as its biggest plasma panel OEM client.

When Sony discontinued its plasma TV line, Pioneer faced overcapacity problems at a time when plasma TV prices were declining rapidly.  That's when Pioneer's financial difficulties started. 

But Pioneer is bouncing back.  This fiscal year, they report an operating profit of 12.49 Bln. Yen, reversing a loss of 16.41 Bln. yen the year before.  According to Pioneer, the reversal was due to sales of plasma displays, car navigation systems and DVD drives overseas and domestically, and also a weak Yen.

The good financial news came just after Pioneer recently announced their new 8th Generation Project Kuro line of plasma TVs, with a 20,000:1 contrast ratio that will be leaps and bounds ahead of the technology of its plasma arch-rival Panasonic.

Things are looking very good for Pioneer.

[dB10]

another admirable decision of Pioneer is that it has disapproved Pioneer Australia's suggestion to acquire OEM LCD panel and brand/badge them Pioneer in order to boost their sales and profit as this is the industry trend, they would rather stay in the red and do cost cutting and other profit enhancement rather than selling something that they actually did not have control producing thus in the end it may actually hurt their reputation of quality should these LCD sell(like hotcakes for sure with a pioneer badge) but conk out unexplicably.

[bowler]

Finally got the Pioneer 427xg last night after months of soul searching. It was calibrated by an ISF certified Pioneer technician. I am very pleased with the result. Now I can use my Helios h4000 upconverting player to play my dvds in 720p. Although the Pio was more expensive than the Viera pv600h ( my first choice which has an sd card slot and dual tuners), what made me finally decide was the 3d like picture quality of the Pioneer and its impressive noise filtering. Many thanks to all the Pioneer plasma owners in this forum who pushed me in the right direction!

[barrister]

Finally got the Pioneer 427xg last night after months of soul searching.

Ay salamat ... di ba it was only 3 weeks ago when you were seriously considering the Hitachi 9500 plasma?

I hope the warnings from our concerned members dissuaded you from making a potentially disastrous decision.

Congrats!!

[dB10]

Finally got the Pioneer 427xg last night after months of soul searching. It was calibrated by an ISF certified Pioneer technician. I am very pleased with the result. Now I can use my Helios h4000 upconverting player to play my dvds in 720p. Although the Pio was more expensive than the Viera pv600h ( my first choice which has an sd card slot and dual tuners), what made me finally decide was the 3d like picture quality of the Pioneer and its impressive noise filtering. Many thanks to all the Pioneer plasma owners in this forum who pushed me in the right direction!

Congratulations! reviews naman dyan! i recommend Batman begins, LOR 3 ROK and Jurassic 3 (actually any title really comes alive with this pio )

[barrister]

I recommend Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Casino Royale. 

They're my latest demo clips.  Both high contrast and high saturation.

[bowler]

I watched LOTR Return of the King yesterday and the isf settings were a little softer on the eyes, which provided as Sir Barrister said, a more film-like picture. The stock movie settings have a lot less detail. The dynamic settings area little too bright. I programmed the user settings as advised by one of the aussie forums and used it for my cable viewing. Btw, cable viewing with Destiny, split into countless tvs, was pretty good. As clear as my father's 34 inch crt, but a little less so than my 29 inch LG 100hz Lafinion. I'm getting used to the size of the screen which is more than twice the size of my old 29" crt. All in all, I'm very satisfied with the Plasma, while it may not have the detail and clarity of the 1080p lcd's, it can more than hold its own when it comes to viewing dvd's and cable! What made me finally decide against the Hitachi was the horror stories that our fellow forum members had with their service! Also playing a large part in my decision was the side-by-side comparison of the 3 units I had in mind, Pio 427, Viera pv600, and the Hitachi 9500. We know as buyers that Pioneer is coming out with its 8th gen plasma the second half of this year, but I feel the chance to get the current model at half it's introductory price which was around 279k was too hard to resist!

[dB10]

wow that's quite a line up you made there on the side-by-side duel, care to give us the run down why you came to your decision and also the prices of each unit

[bowler]

The Panasonic Viera 42PV600H (dual tuners and sd card slot) was 125k cash. The Hitachi 42pd9500 was 90k cash. The Pioneer 427xg was 135k cash. So basicaly I chose the Pioneer over the other brands which had better features because of its picture quality. Another thing that made me choose the Pioneer was that it has a maximum consumption of 293 watts, as compared to the Hitachi and Panasonic at about 380 watts. This means that the Pioneer is more energy efficient and should in all likelihood run cooler. Hope this helps other forum members in making their decisions.

[dB10]

those are fantastic prices, specially on the pioneer what store did you get these prices? i assume this comes with local pioneer warranty?

[bowler]

The prices are from the Listening Room in Megamall. The Pioneer and Panasonic comes with local warranty. The Hitachi comes with the store warranty only.

[dB10]

OMG what else can you ask for? good price and good pq with local warranty, thats big price drop from what i paid for the pio427 at Avant G4, go forth and enjoy your new tv!!! Sarap sa mata talaga

its good that nobody there was able to convince you to get an LCD instead 

 

[jvm]

Just to update my co-plasma enthusiasts

I ended with an LCD, Samsung 40S81. The deciding factor was Samsungs reputation of good customer service. I considered Sharp's new PX series and also Samsungs R81. But their 40-in are 20K+ more expensive and I can't shell out that amount anymore.

The R81 and PX5M have deeper color rendetion and better black level than the S81. But the S81 is not that far, not as far as the 20K in price difference. The S81 already have good black rendetion, not the dark gray that I use to see when I was auditioning for LCD early this year. I say better than the early Bordeaux series.

Personally, I still prefer the PQ of plasma. But I will get use to the PQ of LCD.

At least for now I can feel more assured that if, just in case, I need some servicing I will receive a good service from Samsung. But I pray I will not need any servicing for the life of my LCD.

[nukee]

Hi,

I'm really new to this... I bought a hitachi 42pd9500ta. As i've gathered a lot of people here hate the product because of the bad after sales serive that the company has. I bought this tv before knowing all your reactions from this thread as i've only discovered this forum today. I'm quite happy with the plasma tv, i bought it a little before february i think. I bought it because i needed a upgrade from my sd tv to accomodate my ps3. This was the only 1080p capable set that time that was in my budget.

I guess my question is that having tried playing 1080p games with my ps3 and i know this isn't full 1080p hd tv set, so what am i missing in terms of picture quality over the full 1080p sets? I find my picture quality with my ps3 games fine. And it says it's playing 1080p. What is the difference?

[gearhead]

whoah.... for the quoted prices around here, you can definitely afford this one,
the HP PL5060N. 50" of plasma glory for only Php105k:



http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=66556.0

this has an LG panel, but reviews have been quite good, like here:

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-and-plasma/hp-pl5060n-50-plasma/4505-6482_7-31846217.html

and here: http://www.ultimateavmag.com/flatpaneldisplays/207hp5060/

Despite a few issues I'll get to a bit further on, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed watching this 1366x768 plasma, particularly considering the extended time I've spent lately with 1080p LCD displays. LCD has come a long way, and seems poised to do even better as manufacturers find ways to improve its biggest remaining weakness: blacks.

my only problem is how to mount this behemoth. weight is at 52kgs. even my HT rack (now with a 29" 40kg crt) might not be able to carry this much load.


anyway, got this quote from another forum:

LCD displays suit bright showrooms because their poor contrast ratios are hidden in bright conditions .. When lights are on LCD blacks actually look pretty close to black and the difference between plasma and LCD is less noticeable.

However. Be-warned .. Once you get an LCD home, into your living room, turn down the lights to watch a movie, the horror will be very visible ..

Even I have been caught by this and I should have known better .. I got sucked into buying a LCD being told that the black / contrast levels had been fixed. That claim looked pretty reasonable in the shop. Got it home, switched off the lights .. Different story ..

any thoughts from the gurus? agree or disagree? does it still apply today?

[dB10]

Just to update my co-plasma enthusiasts

I ended with an LCD, Samsung 40S81. The deciding factor was Samsungs reputation of good customer service. I considered Sharp's new PX series and also Samsungs R81. But their 40-in are 20K+ more expensive and I can't shell out that amount anymore.

Personally, I still prefer the PQ of plasma. But I will get use to the PQ of LCD.

At least for now I can feel more assured that if, just in case, I need some servicing I will receive a good service from Samsung. But I pray I will not need any servicing for the life of my LCD.

jvm,

well at least tapos na ang problem mo, have a happy transition! keep us posted on the new find

[jvm]

jvm,

well at least tapos na ang problem mo, have a happy transition! keep us posted on the new find

Oo nga bro.

Masasanay din ako sa LCD.

Thanks.

[jvm]

anyway, got this quote from another forum:

LCD displays suit bright showrooms because their poor contrast ratios are hidden in bright conditions .. When lights are on LCD blacks actually look pretty close to black and the difference between plasma and LCD is less noticeable.

However. Be-warned .. Once you get an LCD home, into your living room, turn down the lights to watch a movie, the horror will be very visible ..

Even I have been caught by this and I should have known better .. I got sucked into buying a LCD being told that the black / contrast levels had been fixed. That claim looked pretty reasonable in the shop. Got it home, switched off the lights .. Different story ..

any thoughts from the gurus? agree or disagree? does it still apply today?

Because there is always light leakage in between pixels. So it's more noticeable in a dark viewing room.

What you can do is to adjust backlighting or use energy saving modes. And don't watch in a totally dark room.

[jvm]

LCD displays suit bright showrooms because their poor contrast ratios are hidden in bright conditions .. When lights are on LCD blacks actually look pretty close to black and the difference between plasma and LCD is less noticeable.

However. Be-warned .. Once you get an LCD home, into your living room, turn down the lights to watch a movie, the horror will be very visible ..

Even I have been caught by this and I should have known better .. I got sucked into buying a LCD being told that the black / contrast levels had been fixed. That claim looked pretty reasonable in the shop. Got it home, switched off the lights .. Different story ..

Made a verification about this last night, I turned off all lights and watched. The effect is not as horrible as the quote would like to tell us. The effect is just like turning down Contrast a few notches down.  So tama lang, kasi for me pag gabi ako nanonood at patay ilaw sa sala, binababa ko rin talaga ang Contrast. With my LCD now, I even use the energy saver and set it to Medium, to get a comfortable brightness level.

Siguro nga sa mga new LCD's now di na issue eto, lalo na at matataas na mga contrast ratio ng mga naglalabasang models.

[barrister]

That's good to know, sir jvm.

I watch cable in normal lighting conditions, but I like to watch movies in the dark.  Since response time is  a non-issue for LCDs these days, it's fair to say that the LCD-plasma difference is now closer than ever.

With proper calibration, you observed good black levels on your LCD even in a dark room.  Please comment on black level details.  When contrast, brightness and backlight are turned down in a dark room, do you lose shadow detail? Or OK lang ang details?

[jvm]

That's good to know, sir jvm.

I watch cable in normal lighting conditions, but I like to watch movies in the dark.  Since response time is a non-issue for LCDs these days, it's fair to say that the LCD-plasma difference is now closer than ever.

With proper calibration, you observed good black levels on your LCD even in a dark room.  Please comment on black level details.  When contrast, brightness and backlight are turned down in a dark room, do you lose shadow detail? Or OK lang ang details?

In a dark room, you can still achieve good black level detail. Although LCD's black in a dark room is more of dark gray na due to the effect of light leakage. Kung hahabolin mo yong black talaga, nawawala na ibang detail. Pero comparing it with my former plasma, di naman na ganon kalayo. Nagiging narrow din viewing angle ng LCD pag dark room, pero di naman issue ito kasi directly in front lang naman tayo nanonood.

I really can say, mas improved talaga black level ng bagong Samsung ngayon. I used Sin City to test black levels. Mas black talaga ngayon kumpara sa mga na test kong dating mga LCD ng Samsung, Philips, Toshiba, Sharp, etc.

Besides the Contrast and Brightness settings, I also use the Backlight, Energy Conservation function, Black level settings ng Samsung LCD para makuha ko ang gusto kong picture quality.

Depende rin sa modelo ng LCD. Sa tingin ko yong Samsung R81 mas magiging maganda black level detail nya sa dark room. Kasi noong nasa store pa lang ako namimili, kahit taasan mo Brightness ng R81 di nagiging washout ang picture. May pagkakaiba daw yong panel ng R81 sa S81.

Sa bright viewing room, black talaga tingin ko sa black ng S81. As most of us know, dito naman lamang and LCD kumpara sa Plasma. Dati pag nanonood ako sa Plasma during the day, naglalagay pa ako shade sa bintana para mabawasan lighting. Pero mas maganda gray scaling ng plasma.

===========================================================================================

Atty, paki post naman ang ginagamit mong bias lighting. Try ko nga kung makakatulong sa LCD pag dark room viewing.

[barrister]

Thanks for the detailed review, bosing.

Atty, paki post naman ang ginagamit mong bias lighting. Try ko nga kung makakatulong sa LCD pag dark room viewing.

Nakakahiya naman, jologs lang talaga ang bias light ko.... 

As you know, I do not like high-end gear.  For me, setting up a good AV system at the lowest possible cost is more fun than spending unreasonable amounts on the latest and greatest.

I use a 3-watt night light, Gartim brand, available at hardware stores in malls and at supermarkets.  Price is about P100.  Color is white, color temperature is 6,900 K. 

It's bluer by only 400K above the recommended color temp, so the color is acceptable.  Besides, my back wall is orange colored wallpaper, which is far from the recommended neutral-colored wall (white or gray), so a 400K difference would not be significant. 

Quality is hit or miss.  My yellow bulb (2,700K) is OK, but my white bulb flickered after less than 10 hours of use, when it's supposedly rated at 10,000 hours.  I got a new white bulb, and it's working just fine now.

The bulb is screwed onto a generic socket-switch-wire-plug set.  The socket and push-thru switch look like this:



The assembly is hooked to the rear of the TV using a Command cord clip by 3M:

[jvm]

Atty, Salamat sir.

I'll try this. May Gartim akong night light sa bahay na di naman ginagamit, socket na lang kulang.

[barrister]

You're very welcome, sir.


=======================================================



Matsu$hita, Hitachi join forces in plasma screens
Thu May 24, 2007 5:05AM EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUST2186920070524

[peejabi]

mga sir, tanong lang po. newbie lang po ako dito. im currently looking for a plasma tv na 40+ inches. budget ko po is 100-140thou. ano ba po yung mga highly-rated na pasok sa budget? i would really appreciate it if you can post the pros and cons of the different units.

from my initial research, mukhang maganda yung reviews ng hitachi 42PD9800 sa cnet asia. pero yun nga lang, mukhang nakakatakot talaga yung customer service nila. is this unit worth the hassle ba? 

thanks in advance!

[gearhead]

medyo OT:

As you know, I do not like high-end gear.  For me, setting up a good AV system at the lowest possible cost is more fun than spending unreasonable amounts on the latest and greatest.

haha! my thoughts exactly.... which applies to my other hobby also - computers. i don't have the latest and greatest, more like m.o.r. (middle of the road). as you said, it is more fun that way. it's funny how some people can spend upwards of 10k just to get that few extra points in a benchmark... or 1000 more dynamic contrast ratio from a flat panel.

actually, ang acquisition ko lang na medyo lumagpas sa threshold ko is my harman-kardon avr5500... only becoz me kahirapan i-drive ang diamond 9's ko. (well, not exactly mahirap... but talagang lumalabas potential nya if driven properly). i use gauge 14 (fronts/center) and gauge 16 (surrounds) speaker cables from ace hardware, and audiopro component cables for video. nothing exotic or esoteric for me, mostly because i can't afford them also.

mga sir, tanong lang po. newbie lang po ako dito. im currently looking for a plasma tv na 40+ inches. budget ko po is 100-140thou. ano ba po yung mga highly-rated na pasok sa budget? i would really appreciate it if you can post the pros and cons of the different units.

balik topic tayo.

for me i'm currently eyeing the panasonic 42pv60. there had been good reviews for the 42pw8 and 42pa60 of panasonic, both of which are ED panels. i was really tempted to get either one of them or the toshiba 42wp66, or even the akai/sansui pdp-42td1, all ED panels... given the above strategy and the fact that most sources now are still 480i/480p. what held me though is the lack of hdmi port* and the fact that they are still priced in the 80-85k range, while the 42pv60 was offered to me at ~90k... a very minimal difference at these prices. 5k to upgrade to a 1024x768 panel with hdmi. 42pv60 is just a nudge under the semi-flagship (locally, that is) 42pv600. difference is the SD slot and just a bit better processing.

*well, at the ED resolution, you might not really have much of a need for the hdmi port. but it is something nice to have epecially if you can have it for next to nothing.

[barrister]

*well, at the ED resolution, you might not really have much of a need for the hdmi port. but it is something nice to have epecially if you can have it for next to nothing.

Actually, may silbi din sa EDTV ko ang ang HDMI ---  I use it for non-anamorphic widescreen DVDs.

I zoom non-anamorphic widescreen DVDs to fill the screen because a windowbox format is just unwatchable for me.  The zoomed picture quality improves when upscaled via HMDI.

For most plasma TVs, no zoom function is available for upconverted images.  That's why I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Panasonic 42PA60M can zoom an upscaled input.  

[nukee]

So far, I'm happy with the hitachi 42pd9500ta. It has the same specs as the 429800ta except for the motorized swivel stand, PIP and the card slots. PQ is fine and i enjoy playing my ps3 at 1080p even thought its not a real full 1080p hd panel. But the PQ is already good for me. I'm wall mounting it so there's no reason for me to get the motorized swivel. So far, wala pa ako experience with the horror stories associated with customer service kasi ok pa performance ng unit ko. Hope it all stays well.