Any Doper with a plasma TV out there?

Factual Questions
1

They’re coming down in price and I’m awfully tempted. I’ve read a lot, but the one thing that kind of bugs me, is malfunctioning pixels. If I’m gonna pay $3.000 for a TV, I want it to last 10 years. A normal TV will do this and it doesn’t matter that the warranty is only for a year or two.

But then I read something about pixels (or the cells or whatever they’re called) giving up, making little tiny holes in the image. If more and more show up, eventually, the screen will be worthless, no?

So anyone with experience or at least unbiased knowledge about this? The store just wants to sell me a really expensive insurance, while saying that “it’s hardly ever a problem.”

2

Can’t help with your question about the pixels, but one thing to keep an eye out for is what resolution you’re getting. I’ve noticed that a lot of the displays in the $3000 range are not HDTV. So while you get a cool looking flat tv, you don’t have the ability to watch HDTV shows, or hook your computer up to it. Just something to keep in mind.

3

We have a 42" Panasonic Plasma. We love it. Sevral problems arise right off the bat that you should be aware of. If not sitting infront of or less than 45 degrees away from the front of the screen, there is major distortion. Blackouts we call them.

Our couches and recliner are all reletively infront of the screen so we have no problem, but if you are putting it in a small room and have couches that are fixed in their place, you may want to reconsider a plasma tv.

Check this cite for more details on the plasma TV’s.

BTW, we didn’t pay the 4K for the TV. My wife got it in a silent auction at her work for 1500. Still a lot for a TV.

4

Caveat: this is based on a friend’s assessment of plasma TVs but as he’s an engineer who deals with that sort of technology, I trust him on this. Apparently plasma TVs will burn out in like 4 years, and that’s just the state of the technology at this point, so that pesky extended warranty may be worth it in this case. My fiancee really wants a plasma tv, but we’re waiting for the price to come down a bit more.

There’s also the problem mentioned above by Phlosphr that if you won’t be able to see the image well unless you are more or less right in front of the screen. All the bigger plasma tvs have this problem with the exception of this one company that I can’t remember the name of. This company makes the little tv screens for minivans and they’ve managed to solve this problem. Other than that, their equipment isn’t that good.

5

Hmmm, that’s not what I’ve be hearing. Are you sure you are not thinking about ‘rear projection’

From this site - http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/whyplasmatv.html

Wide viewing angle
Plasma displays offer a viewing angle of 160 degrees (top to bottom and left to right) – much better than rear projection TVs and LCD displays. This allows a larger number of viewers to enjoy proper image reproduction from a wider variety of locations throughout the room.

6

My parents have an ancient rear projection tv and they have this problem. But … dunno… we’ve also noticed some distortion (for lack of a better word) with plasma tvs in stores. It’s not as bad as rear projections, of course.

7

Thanks guys. Those links really helped.

The thing is, I have a ten year old 22" NOKIA* 4:3 set, with a killer soundsystem, DVD and everything else. I’ve been upgrading the stuff slowly and now it’s time for the actual TV-set. So I started checking out 32" and 36" 100hz widescreens. The better brands start at about $1k here for 32" and with flatter screen, and prepared for digital reception, we’re talking $2k.

The SAMSUNG I’ve checked out will do all of this, for $1k more, which is pushing my limit some, but hten again, the CRT models are big, bulky and ugly. I’ve been wanting to get a plasma since they were $20k and now it’s within reach. But it’s still so much money, and it means I’ll not get a vacation trip this year, so I want to make sure I don’t go and buy something that’ll burn out in a year or two. Reading the links and doing some math tells me a plasma should last me 15 years. The only problems seems to be burn, as with old computer monitors, but I have a screensaver in the DVD, so no probs there.

Again, thank you. If anyone else has something to share, I’ll be a very happy person living in a tent.
*Didn’t know thay made TV sets, did you? :slight_smile:

8

I knew, of course. I also know they made tires. :slight_smile: Haven’t they gotten out of the TV business though?

9

You might want to wait for the NEW versions. I read that there is already a Dutch/German group making the first ultra thin, roll up televisions that will be better quality, for far less money. I couldn’t find the exact article, but I was able to Google the following:

"Roll-up television screens?

We’re talking about organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and, apparently, the attraction isn’t the roll-up screen’s characteristic, but its thinness and operating efficiency. Seiko, Epson, Philips, DuPont and Osram buy the technology for applications in their products.

As the technology matures, CDT says it will develop full-color screens and begin replacing laptop-type, liquid-crystal-display (LCD) screens (which require backlighting) and the 70-year-old cathode-ray-tube (CRT) technology. Aside, CDT is going head-to-head with Kodak on the development and marketing of OLEDs.

More news. Seiko-Epson (SEC) and CDT have united three technologies to “create a first of a new generation of displays.” CDT brought its light-emitting polymers (LEP) to the table and SEC its active-matrix and inkjet-printing technologies.

Combined, the technologies allow inkjet printing of the display’s active picture elements (pixels) directly on top of the active matrix’s pixel-switching element. Once done, the thin, flat-panel display can display a full, television picture.

LEPs are electroluminescent, meaning they generate light when electrically stimulated. Easily deposited in various patterns, they feature fast response times, a wide color range, an unlimited viewing angle and low power consumption. LEPs work well when mounted on thin glass or plastic substrates."

10

I worry alot less about pixels & blackouts. I sweat the real trivial stuff: asthetics.

I’m supposed to pick one up this weekend. I raised my electric and cable boxes 42" so you don’t see the cords, but still haven’t exactly figured out where to put the DVD player without having unsightly cables and wires strung across the walls. I think I’m going to mount a glass shelf above the TV

11

I saw a model last weekend with pretty cool aesthetics. It had a horizontal compartment built into the stand with a darkened glass door. (So your remotes would still work)

12

I’d probably by mine from Costco they have a very liberal return policy for tvs. You’d also want a wall mount, these are bit more $.

13

Borrow one from rent a center for a bit. :slight_smile:

At a nominal fee of course, but then you wouldnt have to worry if it blew it’s picture quality.