baboya96

It's getting close to two months that I've been trying to make up my mind on which TV I'll be purchasing but still I don't know what I'm going to do. Parents bought Samsung 50" Plasma (HP-S5053) from Circuit City during Labor Day weekend for $2499.99 plus tax. Before their purchase I was strongly leaning towards the Samsung 50" DLP (HP-S5086W) simply b/c it was significantly cheaper than Plasma but obviously seeing their new tv, I guess I wanted one for myself. Doesn't look like Circuit City will have any huge sale on those Plasma anytime soon so getting it for the price that my parents got seems very unlikely within few weeks. About two weekends ago, 50" DLP was on sale for $1400 on their website but I managed to find extra coupon which took another 10% brining it down to $1260. But once again I couldn't make my mind then so I missed this opportunity and now it's going for $1500-1600 depending on where you look at it.

I personally look at buying TV as 'one time purchase'. So I want to make sure I'll get something that I'll be happy with for at least next 5 years. Money is def an issue but if I find Plasma to be worth it then I wouldn't mind spending extra $1000 for it. Plus hearing about all these DLP where you have to replace their bulbs every 5000-10000 hrs of usage costing nearly 200 to 300 bucks doesn't seem very economic decision in long run. I also looked at Samsung 56" DLP (HP-S5686W) simply to justify that if i can't get plasma tv, mind as well I'll go little bigger. But then since this past weekend, I started looking at those 1080p models (HP-S5087W) which is going around for high 1000's close to $2000 sometimes.

I feel that I've done my research and know the main difference between DLP and Plasma but still can't make up my mind. I'm not even so sure if I'll have my TV hang on the wall. Anyways, if ppl with DLP and Plasma can give me their pros and cons, it woudl be MOST helpful. Also, anyone with experience ordering their TV's from amazon.com please do share. They are relatively cheaper than circuit city but I've read a few reviews on their shipping method and seems like there were many issues with this and some dont find it worth the trouble for saving couple hundred bucks.

For those who might ask, I do not have HD Service but am willing to order it once I get the TV. I usually spend my time watching anything from sitcoms to sports. I do enjoy watching aLOT of movies but hardly ever play games.

yunginTL

make sure u get an HD upconverting, dvd player since u do watch alotta movies,
also it really comes down to ur personal preference...DLP has a very bright image, they do require some type of stand to put it on, and u do have the bulb as a maintenance issue.
plasma will have more glare because its a glossy surface, u have a slight chance of burn in, picture is AMAZING, blacker blacks, wall mountable/space saving...

it really just comes down to u though and where ur putting it and what u watch...

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

If you are looking at this purchase as a one-time purchase that will last you for years and years then you have to look at a 1080p set.

Now, considering 1080p plasmas cost an arm and a leg I think that makes the decision much easier. With a DLP you can get a larger screen and 1080p for less then a good plasma set (even a good 720p set).... so go for the 1080p DLP and you'll be set for a long time. Add in the extended warranty for a few hundred bucks which covers bulbs and anything else that may go wrong for 4-5 years and you're golden...

fdl

If money is no object, then the Plasma is the obvious choice. Its better in every way except price.

baboya96

I've decided to go with plasma instead. I don't believe I would ever invest my money on those devices that support 1080p (BlueRay, PS3.....) so spending extra money on those capabilities doesn't seems smart choice to me. Plus I watch cable on TV more than anything.

Now Amazon has is as low as 2190 as of today from this third party electronic store. I guess I'm just trying to make a decision on whether to purchase something this big over internet. The whole shipping and no return policy does scare me a bit.

Anyone with amazon.com experience on these tvs?

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

^ Many people have purchased TV's from Amazon.com and had no problem. Several member's on this board have as well.

For me personally, I shy away from purchases like this online. I like the warm and fuzzy feeling of being able to bring it back to the store if I don't like it, plus a local extended warranty from the store where I know I will never have a problem with a warranty call. This is the main reason I did not buy a 1080p DLP mentioned in the other thread. I'm going to wait until the price drop hits the stores instead of buying it online...

Interesting decision to go plasma. What size plasma are you looking at for that price?? Is it the 50" plasma mentioned in your original post?

baboya96

I'm looking at 50" S5053 model. If you read my original post, my parents purchased theirs during labor day weekend for $2499 plus tax at Circuit city. Obviously they don't seem to come to that price anytime soon but Amazon.com DOES have one at $2190 as of last night. But then i think they are chargining somewhat of $100 for shipping so I'm not sure if it's such a bargain.

I don't believe I would purchase extended warranty at CC. I never purchased for other electronic products and so far *knock on wood* I haven't had any problems with anything that I purchased from there.

Ideally, if CC can match the price of my paretn's TV, I would buy it right away but then they wouldn't budge in. Oh well, it's either to wait till they come down or take the risk of ordering it online thru amazon.com

I think ultimately i would be happy with Plasma. As stupid as it might sounds, i think being able to say the phrase 'I have 50" plasma' does somewhat play in role when deciding what I want. Believe me, I understand those who really look into specs and capabilities of tvs, but as for me I don't believe that my eyes would even tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at this point. Let's just hope I can make the call sometimes soon.

yunginTL

if u cant tell the diff between 720p and 1080p u must be blind..

baboya96

let me ask u this, can you tell a difference between 14k and 18K gold when you first look at it... it's all about what you know about the products... I've worked at jewelry store for so long I can do that in a second.. just be i can't tell the main difference for viewing pleasure between 720 and 1080, i need a comment like that from you... be serious and keep the comments like that to yourself b/c it doesnt do anyone good.. got it/?

baboya96

anyone knows a better deal than what's amazon.com is offereing on 50" samsung plasma??? I thinkt he trick is that it's not actualyl coming from amazon.com warehouse but this third company located in somewhere new jersey... seems little scatchyif u ask me

yunginTL

no seriously if you look at 720p and 1080p side by side you will see a big difference

csmeance

don't plasma need to be re-oiled or something like that like every year?

Ashburner

The thing keeping me away from Plasma in my main room is Reflection.

doopstr

2001AudiS4

I just installed a 50" Samsung plasma today. Very disappointing. I have installed a 42" and a 50" Samsung now, and cannot understand where the high remarks come from. Lousy image, what looks like poor build quality, and on this tv tonight, even the damn Samsung logo on the front was not level. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make a tv look level when the stupid logo is off level? I say pass

baboya96

okay.... i did it.... bought Samsung 50" plasma S5053 on amazon.com for $2300. Now despite all these reviews that i've read about their third company being so late on shipping, let's sincerely hope i wouldn't have to go through that. It's expected to be here in two weeks. Apparently Amazon.com offers mathing price twice weeks after the date I receive. If their prices happens to go down they'll credit me back for it. Anyways,can't wait for it. I know DLP would have been somewhat better choice as far as money-wise but I must say having a plasma tv will justify itself ina long run.

fdl

I agree on 50 inches you can begin to tell the diff. On 42 inch or below the diff is negligable.

yunginTL

i can agree to that

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

^ That's accurate. On a 50"+ screen the difference is easy to spot. On something like 42" or smaller, even side by side it's hard to tell. However, the larger you go, the more difference you'll see.

As for the Sammy plasma... AudiS4... you sure it wasn't just a bad set? We have the 42" and we love it. PQ is amazing and build quality is very good. Everything aligns perfectly and the set feels very solid. Those "high remarks" from everyone are not flukes. The set is very well liked across the board for many reasons... so maybe you just got a bad one...

Titand19

720p

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

How exactly? For less money you could have not only purchased larger DLP, but it could have been a 1080p set.

2001AudiS4

I have installed several now, and none of them impress me. The quality of picture is average at best. There are several other sets I would get before ever considering one. I do not think the high remarks are flukes necessarily. However, in most of these cases, people base their opinions solely on this one set they have purchased. I see on average 10-15 different plasmas per week of various brands, in different settings with different equipment. I base my opinions basically on what I see on a day to day basis. I like when people are happy with their purchase, it's all that matters. My point is simply there is better out there, and the price difference is not that big.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

^ That's surprising. We looked at several plasma sets and decided on the Sammy, and I'm very picky with my sets and have been known to borrow the neighbor's van to return TVs I don't like. It just seemed to me like the PQ on that set was the best out of the other sets in the price range.

But I guess everyone likes different things for different reasons!

2001AudiS4

I agree. For me, I like good picture quality

baboya96

I agree for MUCH less money I could have bought larger DLP or even 1080p but with the replacing bulb issues every 2-3 years I think that it will justify the difference in price in long run.

What I gathered from several different sources is that life span on plasma tvs are roughly around 20,000 to 30,000 hrs. That's about 7 to 10 years assuming i'll watch average of 8 hrs of TV everyday (365days). I admit, I'm not including any possible mainteinance issue (*knock on wood*) with plasma set but with DLP set, you KNOW that you have to replace those bulbs every 2-3years costing anywhere from $200 to $300 each time. Some might say it'll cost less if you do your own labor but then again I'm just talking about doing repair work by professionals only. So yea, the way I looked at it, if I have to do this maintenance every 2-3 years, you are looking at roughly $700 to $900 maintenance cost that you KNOW you'll have to pay in future. As I mentioned before, I'm looking at this one ONE TIME PURCHASE and as you might say there's clear difference between 720p and 1080p, to me the difference isn't going to kill me when I enjoy watching my movies on my PLASMA TV hanging on my wall. Plus, face it... having Plasma on a wall can somewhat look better than most arts you'll hang (at least in my opinion).

baboya96

I can admit that there are MUCH better plasmas out in the market currently but then again price can be VERY different. Will you agree that products from Pioneer are superiror in every aspect when compared to other brands? but then again I've seen a few where it does cost around $8000 to even $9000. I don't know about you but paying $2300 for 50" plasma with reputable brand (samsung), I'll be happy with it. Plus I understand you're in the industry where you do get to compare many different brands but as for myself I would never be able to justify spending that much even more than $4000 for same size Plasma tvs unless I start wiping my ass with some benjamins. Thanks for your input though.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I understand your logic, but I think it's quite skewed. When you buy a DLP you purchase the warranty through the store which is typically 4 years and not that expensive. That should be good for two bulb replacements plus anything else that may go wrong, meaning if you keep your set for say, 8 years, you're only on the hook for two bulbs. Bulbs can be found on eBay for as little as $150 and they take about 2-3 minutes to swap out (four screws on the side, old one out, new one in). In addition, each time you replace your bulb, it's almost like getting a new TV. So while other technologies (LCD, plasma, etc) may fade over time until they eventually die, with a DLP, in theory, it can go forever b/c all you need to replace is the bulb and presto, it's like a new set.

Another thing with plasma you're not considering is that it uses MUCH more electricity then an LCD or DLP set. Typically the plasma is anywhere from 2-3 times more expensive to run. The average for a DLP set is about 0.11 to 0.15 watt per square inch to run whereas the average plasma is 0.30 to 0.39 watt per square inch... so, as I said... between 2-3 times as much to run.

That means that over the course of the life of the TV, the plasma will actually cost you significantly MORE in the long run then the DLP and its bulbs. Plus, as mentioned above, there's nothing you can do to a plasma to "make it new again" as you can with the DLP.

As the owner of both a plasma and DLP (as well as some LCDs) I know they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I just found it odd that you stated:
when in reality the opposite is true and the plasma will not only cost more upfront, but also in the long run. Plus, 2-4 years down the road when you decide to get that HD-DVD or BluRay player you won't be able to fully appreciate them since you won't be able to run 1080p without buying another TV.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking your choices... just saying, some of the reasoning does not make sense...

baboya96

I never plan to purchase their extra warranty, I never will and I never have. All the electronic materials that I've purchased from Circuit City have given me no problems so far. *knock on wood* Plus you are talking about how easy the installation would be but once again I did state that I'm only talking about when the repair gets done by professional so technically it will cost more than $150.

Also just for this conversation sake, let's say S5086W will cost me about $1500 at Circuit City and S5087W will be about $1900 which I think is fairly true may be more if that. On top of that if you actually plan to purchase their extra warranty it would be roughly around $200 and probably more for 1080p model since it's based on the price of unit. So that means out the door it'll cost you about $1700 to $2100. Agree? Okay now the plasma that I purchased would have been about $2500 from CC b/c I did state that in my orignal post that's the price that my parents bought theirs for and they are willing to match price for another unit. So roughly I'm spending about $800 more for DLP 720P unit and $400 for DLP 1080P TV right? So say in next 8 years, with these DLPs I would have to spend anywhere from $250 to $300 which will bring the price to $2000 to $2400 for both units where for my plasma I won't have to spend anything. Keep in mind we are both assuming that there won't be any repair issues other than replacing bulbs on DLP and nothing with Plasma. In 8 years, if I sit back and look at how much more I spent more on Plasma which would be roughly $500, you know what I'll be MORE than happy with my decision.

Hope that makes more sense to you. This is pretty much how I made my decision.

I was aware of this but from my opinion whether others may disagree, based on their manufactur default setup with contrast and whatnot, I find Plasmas to display brighter screen. Therefore I'm OKAY with higher electricity bill although I honestly do not believe that it would make such a drastic impact on my bill.

Obvisouly you seem more tv-junkie than I am. I believe I've said this before but my main reason for purchasing this tv is to watch cable TV and some movies. Last time I checked BluRay player runs about $1000. Honestly, I don't see that price coming down to anything reasonble anytime soon. Samething goes for cable TV. I dont' know what company you have in your area but as for me, it would take them at least 3 to 4 years to even start offering better signal (1080p) to cover all their service regions. So yea, it's not my priority to have the top of the line TV.

baboya96

One more thing, do you honestly believe that by the time HD-DVD or BluRay decides to bring their price down to somewhat reasonable for most consumers that TV manufacturers will not come up with more TV's advertising that they can do something better than 1080p? As you and I both know, technolog will change constantly and if I'm buying something to prepare myself for next 3-4 years chance is, when those 3-4 years do come then i'll be considered someout out-dated on my electronic equipments. I personally think it's a cycle that you can't always keep up with unless you REALLY have some money to upgrade every single time.

dom

Just an FYI. You can get a Blue Ray player by buying the upcoming $550(?) PS3. Or get an HD-DVD player add on for you Xbox 360 for $200. You may not be a gamer, but just though I'd mention it.

I too went with a 720p TV a few months back. I guess as long as I don't know what I'm missing with 1080p I should be ok.

baboya96

Hahaha funny but very true.. believe me once I get my plasma, I'm never going back to TV section at Circuit City or at least for next couple of years. Sometimes you just gotta be happy with what you got rather than always envy something else.

fdl

Modern plasmas are 60,000 hours to half brightness, so i wouldnt worry about them fading or needing replacement.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Fair enough on your first reply to my last post. It's good to see people really doing their research before taking the plunge

As for HD-DVD and BluRay, yes, I do believe they will be reasonable in the near future. In fact, the first HD-DVD player was around $800. I've seen ads where you can get them for like $300 if you buy any TV over $1500. So while the player alone may take longer to drop in price, incentives will start getting these things in houses very quickly. Also, factor in the number of PS3's that Sony will sell. Each one of those is a BluRay player... so by this time next year you're looking at almost 1 million BluRay players in US homes. And a PS3 will start at $499, so for $499 you're getting a BluRay player and a next-gen console. Additionally Microsoft is releasing a HD-DVD add-on for the 360. Price, $200. Kind of makes you wonder if dedicated BluRay and HD-DVD players won't be dropping in price much sooner then everyone thinks.

In addition, you said it yourself above, it will take several years for networks to start broadcasting in 1080p. I agree with this. But b/c of this, it will also be a very long time before 1080p is replaced by another technology. How long has 1080i/720p been king? Gotta be at least 8-10 years or so.. if not longer. So 1080p is here for a long time. If you wait until the networks catch up with the TVs, then you'll be OK. Me personally, I'll be getting a PS3 eventually, so I like the 1080p aspect of things (and don't want to upgrade again in 2-4 years), so that's why I always recommend going 1080p when people ask.. however, you're right, you will love your purchase. As mentioned, we have a Sammy plasma and we love it... so I'm sure will love yours just as much!!

BTW, one side note. I read an article estimating electric costs for TVs. Rear-projection sets (which include DLPs) ranged on average from $65/year to $85/year. Plasmas ranged from $125/year to $165/year. So, depending on the exact sets you're comparing, it can be quite a bit more to run a plasma which over time, adds up much quicker then bulbs.

Side note #2, I agree with not getting the warranties, however, paying $300-$400 for a warranty on a DLP set is a steal which is why many who buy DLP buy the warranty. One bulb at a technicians price and you're pretty much covered already. Everything else after that (additional bulbs or if something else goes wrong) is just gravy.

2001AudiS4

A 61" Pioneer goes for around $5000. A 50" goes for around $3400, sometimes less even. What confuses me is that you seem to be crunching numbers, and admit that a plasma will be more then a dlp. Even so, you still want to have a plasma to a) say you have a plasma b) find the picture to be brighter. I am not saying you won't be happy with a Samsung, but trust me on this, there is no comparison in PQ between the Samsung and the Pioneer. If you want it to be a one time purchase, why get the "inferior" model of the two? As a side note, I am arguing more from a standpoint of playing devil's advocate. You truly may be happy with that set, and that is what the goal is. Just do yourself a favor, NEVER look at a Pioneer or a Fujitsu after you get the Samsung.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I see the Pioneer in one of the high end A/V stores I go in and I just drool. I haven't kicked myself yet though b/c the at the price we got our set for, I'm still ahead of the game, even now. But yes, if I wanted to spend more coin or if this was my primary set, Pioneer all the way...

baboya96

2001AudiS4,

When I was comparing Pioneer products I was referring to Elite models. Once again, last time I saw those products they were WELL above the prices you mentioned above. And yes at the times I believe those were considered 'inferior' in plasma market. My response to juniorbean should explain that I am MORE than willing to spend more money on plasma. Initially, i just couldn't make up my mind to spend more b/c I wasn't sure if the difference in price would eventually make me happy but then again seeing my parent's tv once more got me convinced.

baboya96

Not to get off the topic here but seems like I got some of 'tv-junkies' attention in this thread I would like to ask some questions about connectivity.

It's my understanding the level of connectivity on tv varies like this in the order of worst to best picture quality.

Analog
Red-Yellow-White inputs
S-Video
Components cable
HDMI

Now once I get my new tv, I'm upgrading my cable service to HDTV tuner with a different cable box that supports as high as HDMI connection. At this point, I don't think i would upgrade my cable to HDMI but instead will either stick with S-video (which I already have from my computer set) or throw roughly $50 bucks for components Cable (the one with green, blue and third color that I can't remember). Now my quesiton is this, if I were to connect my new tv with cable box through S-video, how would it receive signal for sound? Also does this apply to component cables set as well? I don't have surround sound system as of yet and it'll be awhile to get me one anytime soon. So what do you guys think it's the best setup for my cable TV ??

Also, i need to purchase a dvd player. I woudl like to keep it Samsung just to make it easy with remote control issue. Any suggestion on single DVD player for less than $150?? I've seen some from Samsung with same color as TV(Black) which I thought it looked more attractive. Thanks

baboya96

well let me ask you guys about that new ps3 console. So it supposely has blueray capability but then do you guys honestly believe it'll function same as the actual blueray player?? I mean this is sorta like when ps2 first came out it could play your DVD's set so ppl start purchasing it to use as DVD player. But then we all know it lacks some of the features that you would find in most dvd players. My point is, from the way it looks ps3 MIGHT have the capability to play DVD in true 1080p resolution but it would still lack all other abilities that you would normally find in MORE expensive player. These manufacturers aren't stupid, you know there has to be a reason why their price is significantly lower than regular player... right?

2001AudiS4

First, let me say that you will NOT receive high definition signal through s-video. You will have to use either component cables or HDMI. Component will suffice, HDMI will clean up the picture further. Now where component cables are concerned, they are no different then your composite cables (the red, yellow, white you mentioned). In fact, you can take a composite cable, and just hook it up to the component terminals on both ends and it will work fine. You would of course have to plug in a set of audio cables as well. Component cables are for video only, consisting of red, blue, and green. An additional set of cables are used for audio, typically red and white, unless you are hooking up with a digital audio signal, then you will be using a digital coax (which again, is no different then the component or composite cable), or an optical cable.

Just so you know, when you order your high definition cable box, it should come with a set of component video and audio cables. I don't know of a cable system that does not include them with your hd box.

Secondly, you mentioned you priced out the Pioneer Elite series. I just want to say that the regular Pioneer Plasma has as good of an image as the Elite series. I actually tend to think it looks better. The elite series comes with a media box that is a pain in the ass to work with sometimes, if you are installing the equipment in a cabinet or closet away from where the tv is. I just did this yesterday actually, (my stupid helper drilled a hole outside the house ) We had to order a 50 foot cable specifically made for the Pioneer Elite series media box, and it was a pain to snake. But that is getting too off topic. My point being that if you want to buy a Pioneer, just look at the regular series, such as the PDP-5070HD rather then the Elite, and you will be both very happy and save some money.

baboya96

well let me make sure i understand this correctly regarding the component cables. You said they are no different than the regular composite cables so does that mean I don't necessarily have to buy COMPONENT cables to hook up my dvd player?? If the HD box comes with component video and audio cables I'm assuming audio isn't for digital audio signal. Only way I could receive digital audio signal would be if I have separate sound system for it. And if so I'm guessing tv and sound system BOTH have to be on everytime I watch tv? That sounds awfully pain in the ass unless i just leave the sound system on 24/7 like i would do with my cable box.