plasmas

[Wedgie]

Last night I installed a Blu Ray Combo on my PC and I also got a Blu Ray Home Theatre for my new Plasma a couple of days ago.
I wanted to compare picture quality of a Full HD LCD v Full HD Plasma.
I can tell you there is NO comparison!
I expected a better picture on the 23 inch LCD since it was smaller but from afar or even close up the picute quality is markedly better on the Plasma and I'm not talking a little bit, I'm talking about a huge difference!
Tested TV shows,movies and sports out and got the same results. Sports especially!
I thought it might be the quality of Blu Ray players so I hooked my LCD up to the home theatre and my pc up to the Plasma but got exactly the same result.
Unless you can afford a LED backlit LCD then I can't stress enough if you want the best possible picture then go Plasma.
Only thing my experiment didn't take into account is the different brands as my plasma is a Panasonic and my LCD is a LG but the large difference in quality I noticed would probably at least cover any quality difference in brand name alone.
And to think I almost bought a LCD TV! So glad I changed my mind after seeing them side by side.

[Bum Crack]

We have a 52 inch LG Plasma and it has awesome picture.

[devilsadvocate]

Ha ha, ended up listening to my own earlier advice and went the plasma, full hd 50 inch Panasonic Viera http://panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=5413

Just couldn't bring myself to buy a LCD because of the screen quality especially with sports, even the 200hz screens, the plasma **** on it as far as quality goes. After looking and looking and looking I basically could only choose between a Plasma and a LED LCD. Got my plasma for low 2000s (got it for $140 less than cost!) but woud have had to fork out between 4 and 5k for a same sized LED LCD so no brainer in the end. Same screen at JBs was $3291!

Teaming it up with a new Panasonic Full HD Blu Ray sound system with wireless rear speakers to match the TV. ($260 cheaper than the already marked down retail figure)

Another nice buy of the day was a Belkin 8 way power board surge protector, price tagged at $249, I got for $54 (cheapest on the net is $80).

Retail is for suckers!

Mrs very happy, will be a big improvement on the old 68cm!

Now to ring up Foxtel and get the IQ2!

Should have looked this thread up last week!!!
I've been shopping around for a TV and have had to make the call between a Plasma, LCD and LED.
Went to JB's and compared all three and was initially keen on the Sony Bravia 52" Z series LCD. I immediately ruled out the LED based on price and bugger all discount for cash. I compared the Panasonic Plasma and Sony LCD based on an animated movie initially and the LCD was marginally better. Then I asked the sales guy to switch it over to the cricket and bloody hell is the Sony poor.

End of the day, I went for the exact same TV as you've got Wedgie. I did toss up over the Panasonic V series with the swish glass border, but the G series is exactly the same technology, just with a placstic border and about $500 cheaper. I eneded up paying cash and got it for $1,800 with a free Wii which I was planning on buying anyway.

Can't wait to get Foxtel IQ2 and HD hooked up when we move into our place in Jan. Watching the EPL in HD on a 50" plasma screen is going to be like sex for my eyes.

[Wedgie]

Great decision mate, full HD sport on it is sensational.

[Bum Crack]

I went and had a look at TV's last weekend and cannot believe how cheap they are now. We got a 52 inch plasma a couple of years ago and it cost us $5,500.00. Now you can get them for $2,000.00. Unbelievable

[Dutchy]

I went and had a look at TV's last weekend and cannot believe how cheap they are now. We got a 52 inch plasma a couple of years ago and it cost us $5,500.00. Now you can get them for $2,000.00. Unbelievable

Im hearing ya, Im almost at the stage of giving the kids my 42 inch full HD LCD I bought 2 years ago for their lounge room/gaming and getting a 50+ LED!

[devilsadvocate]

Great decision mate, full HD sport on it is sensational.

HD Sport is a must for both footy seasons and world cup football.

[devilsadvocate]

I went and had a look at TV's last weekend and cannot believe how cheap they are now. We got a 52 inch plasma a couple of years ago and it cost us $5,500.00. Now you can get them for $2,000.00. Unbelievable

Im hearing ya, Im almost at the stage of giving the kids my 42 inch full HD LCD I bought 2 years ago for their lounge room/gaming and getting a 50+ LED!

The LED technology is still overpirced IMO. Of all 3 technologies, it's the cheapest to produce, yet there is virtually no discounts even for cash. I was looking at the LG LED 54" (I think) which was priced at about $4,100. I asked the sales guy for a cash price and he explained that they wouldn't go far below $4k because those TV's are so popular and are flying out the door at virtually RRP.

I'd say if you can sit it out until this time next year, there will be a massive price reduction.

But LED is the way forward. Everything about the technology is outstanding. Great picture, super slim and light TV, great wall mounting system (on the LG model anyway), super low power consumption and it's just a generally beutiful looking piece of equipment. I want one too, but not until 2012.

[Psyber]

I settled for the S series 50" Plasma: http://panasonic.com.au/products/detail ... uctID=7320
But I got the DMR-XW350 free as part of a bonus deal: http://panasonic.com.au/products/detail ... uctID=7247
I may have done better for cash than the $1941 I paid, but I was using "free money" on a Myer card. Myer matched the lowest published price I could find - JB Hifi..
["Free" because it was part of an insurance claim for flooding of stuff stored in my garage that I had been about to throw out - ah the wonders of "full replacement value" insurance cover.]

[Dutchy]

I went and had a look at TV's last weekend and cannot believe how cheap they are now. We got a 52 inch plasma a couple of years ago and it cost us $5,500.00. Now you can get them for $2,000.00. Unbelievable

Im hearing ya, Im almost at the stage of giving the kids my 42 inch full HD LCD I bought 2 years ago for their lounge room/gaming and getting a 50+ LED!

The LED technology is still overpirced IMO. Of all 3 technologies, it's the cheapest to produce, yet there is virtually no discounts even for cash. I was looking at the LG LED 54" (I think) which was priced at about $4,100. I asked the sales guy for a cash price and he explained that they wouldn't go far below $4k because those TV's are so popular and are flying out the door at virtually RRP.

I'd say if you can sit it out until this time next year, there will be a massive price reduction.

But LED is the way forward. Everything about the technology is outstanding. Great picture, super slim and light TV, great wall mounting system (on the LG model anyway), super low power consumption and it's just a generally beutiful looking piece of equipment. I want one too, but not until 2012.

Yeah will definately wait for 12 months....they will be half the price

[devilsadvocate]

Can't wait to get Foxtel IQ2 and HD hooked up when we move into our place in Jan. Watching the EPL in HD on a 50" plasma screen is going to be like sex for my eyes.

Finally got my new plasma hooked up, Foxtel installed and watched some football this morning in HD (crap result, great viewing experience though). Sex for my eyes was an understatement.

I really can't believe how much better quality the HD is on a big plasma, compared to regular foxtel on an LCD. Night and day. Even when I flicked back to the regular fox sports channel, the difference between that and HD was unreal.

So, if you're tossing ( ) up between getting HD foxtel or regular foxtel for your HD plasma, trust me - fork out and get the HD!!

Football, Aussie Rules, Cricket, Winter Olympics - all in HD. I'm going to be in heaven.

[Wedgie]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

[Kahuna]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Foxtel HD is 720P or 1080i,not so called "full HD".

[devilsadvocate]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Watching the tennis on 7HD last night looked pretty decent though.

Will see if there's a difference flciking between HD and std tonight.

[devilsadvocate]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Foxtel HD is 720P or 1080i,not so called "full HD".

Isn't 1080 Full HD?

[dedja]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Foxtel HD is 720P or 1080i,not so called "full HD".

Isn't 1080 Full HD?

full HD is 1080p

[Kahuna]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Foxtel HD is 720P or 1080i,not so called "full HD".

Isn't 1080 Full HD?

1080P is "full HD" .P is for "Progressive" ie the picture is refreshed using all vertical lines. 1080i (Interleaved) means each frame only shows half of the verticals and the following frame the other half.(in sequence odd lines then even,odd,even etc)

[Interceptor]

Agreed mate and as I understand it Fox show stuff in FULL HD unlike the commercial stations which just show it in HD (ie somewhere between SD and Full HD)

Foxtel have the advantage of being able to deploy boxes that support MPEG4, which can handle the full 1920x1080 resolution more efficiently than MPEG2, which is what FTA broadcasts will be for some time to come. From what I've read, the commercial FTA stations have also dropped their HD resolutions down to something like 1440x1080 to cater for the squeeze in bandwidth due to their extra channels.

[devilsadvocate]

Ah, Ok - thanks fellas. There are some cluey boys on this forum!

And Wedgie - flicking between 7's tennis coverage in HD and std broadcast was hugely different.

I couldn't really notice a difference between 7's HD and Fox Sports HD either. It all looked bloody good to me!

[Wedgie]

Ah, Ok - thanks fellas. There are some cluey boys on this forum!

And Wedgie - flicking between 7's tennis coverage in HD and std broadcast was hugely different.

I couldn't really notice a difference between 7's HD and Fox Sports HD either. It all looked bloody good to me!

I haven't watched any of the tennis but I do agree the difference between HD and SD is huge.
There is just as noticable a difference between commerecial HD and Foxtel HD to me at times though, I haven't come across anything that's looked as good as some of the stuff I've seen on ESPN yet.
Its all good though, Ive only had a 50 inch full hd plasma with IQ2 for a few months after having a 68cm with SD for years.