Many professionals I know in the entertainment biz use the Panasonic Pro plasma displays or the Panasonic consumer plasma TVs.
In the market for a plasma.........suggestions?
I've been researching plasma tv's for quite some time now and would like to hear any suggestions which brands to check out. My sitting distance is around 12.5' from couch to wall where I'd like to wall mount the plasma. The screen size would either be a 42 or 50 inch. Been reading over on avs forum and it seems many people are happy with the Panasonic and Hitachi displays. I've looked at the Panasonic th50px60u and Hitachi 42HDS69 and really liked them. Apparently though with the Hitachi, many people were having macroblocking issues in dark scenes. Do all plasma's have problems such as the Hitachi? I'd like to keep the purchase under 3k. Thanks for your help.
Showing 11 responses by tvad
Why do you assume you need a power conditioner? If you want a good surge protector on a budget, consider a Powervar ABC 1200-11 unit often sold on Audiogon (or E-Bay), or the Brickwall PW8R15AUD. Each is around $250. |
Your suggestions Tvad look great and I was wondering if you compared the powervar to the brickwall and with what results.I have not owned a Powervar. I do own a OneAC, which is a transformer based conditioner similar to the Powervar. I find my OneAC hums, so I use it elsewhere now. The Brickwall is dead quiet. |
When it comes to TVs, I look for what the pros use, and the pros use Sony or Panasonic reference monitors in their broadcast centers. While side by side comparisons are helpful, I believe it's highly unlikely that all the displays are properly calibrated in dealer showrooms. This is a problem with TV shopping in general. |
And to Tvad, the "pros" use those because they likely get them for little or no cost; that's the way this industry works.Yes, the networks get the gear at attractive prices, but that's only part of the story. I promise you the people responsible for generating and sending out the programming from the broadcast centers are fanatical about the quality of the picture and audio. Network equipment buyers do not procure gear that gives them less than the reference picture quality necessary to meet their standards. Wouldn't you think NBC, which is owned by General Electric, would use GE TVs in their broadcast centers if all they cared about was the bottom line? NBC uses Panasonic. In any case, mine is just an observation that one may or may not find helpful in making their decision. |
11-01-06: Dawgbyte And what brand of video monitors were used? Dawbyte, my credits are comprised entirely of network television production, and although I've never worked at a TV station except as a college intern, I'm sure the buying decision has much to do with what you say. Is your point to discredit my example of the use of Sony and Panasonic by NBC, CBS and ABC simply as a matter of discussion and debate? Surely, you are not suggesting that Sony or Panasonic displays shouldn't be near the top of a buyer's list? I've never seen Hitachi, Philips, Pioneer, GE, Sanyo, Sansui, LG, Daewoo or Samsung in the production or post production facilities at any of the Big Three networks in Hollywood. Is it because Sony and Panasonic gave their products away in sweetheart deals, or is it because they are leading innovators of video production and post production equipment? Perhaps it's a mixture of both. As I say, the buyer should buy what he/she likes, and feel free to throw out my observation entirely. Cripes, this isn't life or death. |