Best HDTV 1080p?

[MKaneJeeves]

Hey dudes,

I recently got Dawn and Day on Blu Ray and was wondering what TV can I watch this on to get the maximum experience out of these? I don't want one that looks like a soap opera and gets rid of motion blur like some of these HDTV's do; I want one that would show me the crispiest clarity and contrast and be like a film in a theater. Any good models or brands you would recommend, expecially at a decent cost?

[Eyebiter]

Depends on much do you want to spend and what size of TV do you want? Do you want a TV for a room that will receive direct sunlight or a darker home theater area? Lot of choices now that plasma and LCD are mature, and LED sets are on the horizon.

[krakenslayer]

Good points, eyebiter, and just to expand on that:

Plasma has richer, more cinematic colours and a far deeper, better contrast ratio than either LCD or LED. It is usually considered the best choice for a cinema fan. If you go into an electronics store and look at even a cheaper set from a decent company like Panasonic and compare it to an top-of-the-line LCD, from say Sony, you will notice that while the Sony will have brighter, more vivid colours (arguably better for watching sport or games or cartoons) the Panasonic will have richer subtle colour detail and a far more cinema-like look. Also, the bright panel of LCDs has a tendency, even in the best TVs, to bleed through in dark scenes, causing blacks to look more like dark purples and killing some of the gradation detail.

There are several drawbacks to Plasma too, however. Here is a quick run-down of the pros and cons of each technology:

Plasma

Pros:
Better colour quality
Better contrast quality
More cinematic-looking picture
Very high refresh rates for smooth motion
At larger screen sizes (42"+) plasma is usually cheaper than an LCD/LED of the same size


Cons:
Have glass screens and are therefore more reflective and less suitable for bright conditions such as in front of a window
Are more sensitive to shock than the other technologies; gas tube can be severely damaged by a bumpy car ride home if loaded incorrectly
Tend to be heavier, bulkier and produce more heat
Are susceptible to both temporary and permanent screen burn when displaying static images (or parts of images, e.g. a game's HUD) for long periods; new plasmas counter this somewhat, but plasma is still not really for gaming
Have a reputation for dying quicker than the others (although this has pretty much been evened out with current technology)

LCD

Pros:
Cheaper at smaller screen sizes
Less reflective screen
Brighter picture, better suited to daytime viewing in a bright room
Brighter colours (not necessarily more realistic or satisfying, though, depends what you're watching)
Sharper image; objects have somewhat clearer edge-definition
No risk of screen burn, better for gaming
Lighter and thinner than Plasma

Cons:
More expensive at large screen sizes
Less accurate colours
Shallower contrast ratios
Backlight bleed in dark scenes
Tend to have poorer in-built sound as smaller casing means less room for decent speakers

LED

Pros:
Same as LCD, except...
Usually the thinnest, lightest type of TV
Better contrast ratios than LCD (never as good as Plasma)
Sometimes better colour than LCD (again, never as good as Plasma)
Extremely low power consumption
Some sets with "selective dimming" feature can make dark scenes look almost as good as Plasma

Cons:
Mostly the same as LCD (apart from the above-mentioned benefits), but also...
Very expensive all around
Still an emergent technology, so it's difficult to be sure about product lifetimes
Integrated sound in the most slimline sets is often absolutely atrocious


I hope this helps :)

[MikePizzoff]

If you're on a budget, I must recommend an INSIGNIA (Best Buy's brand). I got a 42" model on sale at Best Buy and it's pretty awesome. Not the best picture I've seen, but far better than most HDTV's, especially in it's price range. From what I've gathered, they're actually LG TV's: produced at the same plant, with the same exact parts/specs, only they're put in a casing that says INSIGNIA instead of LG - guess Best Buy worked out a deal with the manufacture.

[SymphonicX]

When looking for a brand of telly - just pick the one with higher numbers...simple as that - except for the price, that should be the lowest. Find a balance between high specs and price - typically the best things to look out for are:

It does true 1080p output - and doesn't have a native resolution of 1378x766 (or whatever the number is)
High contrast ratio - low is 7500, high is infinite
High refresh rate - start at 200mhz
Lots of HDMI inputs and if its your thing, VGA so you can plug you monitor into it (or use a DVI to HDMI cable and get even better output)
In built set top box to get Freeview or whatever your digital terrestrial services are locally.


Can't really think of anything else - krak said it far better than me!

[Neil]

Look at the Panasonic Plasma G20/G25s... They are just being phased out in preference to the new 2011 models, so you may find some good deals!?

That or wait for 4-6 months for all the new models to drop in price... Samsung and Panasonic have some good new Plasma's appearing!

[DjfunkmasterG]

The Panasonic Elite Series Plasma's are the BEST of the BEST, but they come with a price tag, if you wanna stay under $1500.00 the LG series are a great buy

[krakenslayer]

Good advice there. Only thing I can add is if you don't want to all out on the Elite series, but still want to shell out for more than a mid-spec LG, you would always be better go for a low to mid-range Panasonic plasma, as opposed to a top-of-the-range LG at about the same price.

Don't get me wrong, LG are very good TVs if you are on a budget, but a Panasonic plasma of the same screen resolution will always give a better picture, regardless of cost and other factors.

There is actually one brand of TV that outstrips Panasonic in every way, and was once a household name for video and audio equipment (at least I know it was in the UK). But it now lies beyond the financial reach of most ordinary consumers and rarely tends to appear in mainstream electronics shops. I'm talking about Pioneer. A guy at my old work had a Pioneer plasma from about 2003 and it was still better than almost any TV we had in the store.

[Neil]

There is actually one brand of TV that outstrips Panasonic in every way, and was once a household name for video and audio equipment (at least I know it was in the UK). But it now lies beyond the financial reach of most ordinary consumers and rarely tends to appear in mainstream electronics shops. I'm talking about Pioneer. A guy at my old work had a Pioneer plasma from about 2003 and it was still better than almost any TV we had in the store.

The Kuros? Panasonic bought up Pioneer no doubt to get their hand on the technology they were using! Hopefully some of this tech is in the new 2011 Panasonic models coming out soon!

[krakenslayer]

I wasn't aware that Pioneer were owned by Panasonic now! Interesting.

Even so, I think you will continue to find that the Pioneer brand will be living up to its namesake, pioneering new specs and technologies long before similar things end up in mainstream electronics, simply because when they're selling for £5000-£6000 (and up) they don't have to worry about waiting years for the cost of the newly invented components and tech to drop before marketing them.

[Darksider18]

Well It all depends on your budget really. but i think ive found one that might peak your interest.

i floundered the samsung site for a while and noticed one that has high end features at a relatively low price. but il let you be the judge of that. lol. i cant see any bad things about this tv apart from the technology flaws, which are minimal. and i will include a link to the tv aswell.


Samsung LE37C530 Full HD LCD TV

* 37" is perfect for viewing HD Material believe it or not . mainly because any higher, the pixels would start to stretch which would create grainy and less perfect picture quality.

* LCD technology dwarfs the capabilities of Plasma (LED being absolutely useless towards creating enhanced cinema style experiences. besides the fact that it has a blacklight. lol.). it has better colours and contrast (but somewhat limited due to lighting), and even though plasma offers depth in detail, LCD offers sharpness and more enhanced refresh rates. this one being less than 380 pounds, has a decent 50hz. (50 cycles per second).

* Plasma is too fragile because you could be battling for a replacement if you are prone to watch more than 2 films at one time, leave it paused for more than an hour, play games for more than an hour due to most having HUD Displays (the same effect as pausing) or drop it/load it incorrectly when driving it home or elsewhere.

http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-le37c530-37-full-hd-lcd-tv-05037928-pdt.html?srcid=867&xtor=AL-78&istCompanyId=4be69b13-f6de-4a80-8d9b-22e0185f57a7&istItemId=mripqwi&istBid=t

hope this is helpful. :).

[C5NOTLD]

Are susceptible to both temporary and permanent screen burn when displaying static images (or parts of images, e.g. a game's HUD) for long periods; new plasmas counter this somewhat, but plasma is still not really for gaming
LCD

Plasmas are stunning for watching HD films and gaming. Especially Panasonics. The Dawn Bluray looks amazing on it.
Highly Recommended especially if you have a darker room.

Burn in (is permanent) and Image retention (is temporary) are two separate issues. Unless you leave a new Plasma TV on with the same static image for 24 hours then you won't get burn in. You really have to abuse a monitor to get burn in today.

Image Retention (IR) can happen if you watch a news channel with a scroll/lower third at the bottom for an extended period of time. I've played COD on xbox 360 for 5 hours straight and received no image retention on my Plasma.

If you end up with any IR just push the Anti IR button and it will clean it up. Or watch a full screen movie which erases the IR. Whatever you do don't buy HDMI cables in your local store as that is a scam. Monoprice.com has the best price. Best Buy had them for $90 each or I could order them from Monoprice for $4 each.

I will always buy Plasma for movie watching and gaming. Ordered my last one from BeachCamera.com and save $400 over Best Buy and received in room delivery and 5 yr extended warranty in house.

[LouCipherr]

if you wanna stay under $1500.00 the LG series are a great buy

This. You'd never convince be to buy into plasma, so I would agree with Dj and say check out the LG series of LCD's.

Sorry, I'm a bit late to the game, have been busier at work than Michael Jackson at a day care center. :shifty:

I picked up an LG55LD520 (55" LCD) and personally I think it's the best looking TV out on the market at the moment under $1500. The ONLY thing that sucks on that TV is the tru-motion setting. It's good for some things (Pixar movies and animated films in particular), but if you're watching movies on film, turn that shit off and enjoy the way it was meant to be. Either way, that TV was $1299 and worth every single penny.

Also, I would never recommend Plasma to anyone nowadays. Ever hear of Plasma fade? Read up on it if you're looking into getting one. Between that and plasma "burn-in" I would stay far and away.

[MikePizzoff]

Apparently plasma burn-in takes an absurd amount of time to happen... so, unless you're a fool, it won't ever happen to you.

Also, plasmas have a life span of roughly 40,000 hours before they start to fade/burn out. If you watched TV 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would take 13 and a half years before it started to fade. Who really watches that much TV? Also, this day and age, most people don't go that long before buying a new TV anyway... especially with the way technology is moving.

I think it's safe to buy a plasma.

PS - Long time no see, Brian.

[C5NOTLD]

Also, I would never recommend Plasma to anyone nowadays. Ever hear of Plasma fade? Read up on it if you're looking into getting one. Between that and plasma "burn-in" I would stay far and away.

Before never recommending one please take the time to get your facts straight.

Again, Burn in doesn't happen during normal use of watching movies, gaming, or watching regular tv. Unless you die while having a still image on your plasma screen and they find your body 7 days later with the still image still on the tv, you won't get burn in.

Plasma fade? Oh brother... "Will my plasma "fade out" in only a couple of years? (http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/plasma_microsite/faqs.asp)All displays (TVs, computer monitors, LCD, plasma) lose brightness over time. Believe it or not, that old tube TV you have in the den isn't as bright as it was when you bought it 10 years ago. Panasonic plasmas have a projected life of 60,000 hours before they're only half as bright as when they were new. That's 20+ years at 7 hours a day."


Plasma Burn in and Plasma fade are two things you don't have to worry about owning a Panasonic Plasma.

[LouCipherr]

Before never recommending one please take the time to get your facts straight.

My facts are straight. Plasma fade & burn-in is proven fact. Where did I say it happened in a week, month, or year?


Plasma Burn in and Plasma fade are two things you don't have to worry about owning a Panasonic Plasma.

Oh, that's great - one manufacturer has fixed the issue. How about all the other people who don't own Panasonic plasmas?


Since you seem to know everything about it, why don't you ask Dj about plasma fade and burn in. Dj - how long have you had your plasma downstairs? How much burn-in and/or fade is there already on the tv? It sure as shit didn't take more than a couple years to cause it and it's extremely noticable.

But that's right, I don't have any idea what I'm talking about. Even though I've seen it first hand. :rolleyes:

[bassman]

Again, Burn in doesn't happen during normal use of watching movies, gaming, or watching regular tv. Unless you die while having a still image on your plasma screen and they find your body 7 days later with the still image still on the tv, you won't get burn in.

Seven days? Hardly. I've witnessed first hand a plasma TV left on the same network overnight. Keep in mind....with commercial breaks and changes in programming. Take a guess what was burned into the plasma the next morning? The logo of the network in the bottom right corner. After just six to eight hours and with the image coming and going.

It's a whole lot easier to get than you're making it out to be.

[LouCipherr]

Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a class action suit filed against Panasonic just last year due to the fact that they had faulty firmware that increased brightness to counteract the effects of aging/fading plasma? It was 'faulty' because it began increasing the brightness much sooner than needed, but even Panasonic themselves is aware of plasma fade and actually programs it's TV's firmware to counteract that fade.

Panasonic Sued Over Plasma TV Picture Quality (http://asia.cnet.com/panasonic-sued-over-plasma-tv-picture-quality-62061625.htm)

AVS Forum Discussion (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1167339)

So perhaps before recommending a Panasonic plasma as the way to go, you should check the facts yourself.

[C5NOTLD]

My facts are straight. Plasma fade & burn-in is proven fact. Where did I say it happened in a week, month, or year?



Oh, that's great - one manufacturer has fixed the issue. How about all the other people who don't own Panasonic plasmas?


Since you seem to know everything about it, why don't you ask Dj about plasma fade and burn in. Dj - how long have you had your plasma downstairs? How much burn-in and/or fade is there already on the tv? It sure as shit didn't take more than a couple years to cause it and it's extremely noticable.

But that's right, I don't have any idea what I'm talking about. Even though I've seen it first hand. :rolleyes:

Overnight is likely not burn in but image retention. Two entirely different topics that people can learn about if they chose at the avsforum which has a excellent thread on the topic. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=949107) If it's a first generation set (manufactured long ago) then burn in was possible then. Not a common problem on modern Plasmas, no matter how hard people try to convince others it is, on the new ones (2007 and newer) unless it's abused or if the owner choses not to go through the 100 hr break in period. IR is easy to get rid of. If you have burn in then you got a lemon. Lemons happen with all tvs. You can find complaints about any of the tv brands. The lawsuit complaint with Panasonic is only over a handful of models. You won't find a brand or model of tv without some complaints.

If you spent some time on the avsforum or researching these tvs then you would know that Panasonic wasn't the only manufactuer to fix the burn in problem from their early sets. The other majors all have.

Lou, I was referencing Panasonic but other modern Plasmas made today (since 2007) are a different breed than the early generation sets and since you enjoy the avsforum then you should already be aware of the Plasma myths (burn in and Fade are common problems on Plasmas) that some people like to continue on about - They are the exceptions when it comes to Plasma not the rule. There are plenty of posts over at the AVSFORUM already stating what I have. Witnessing one set first hand is hardly an indictment of the entire line for any tv.

I would feel completely comfortable in buying other Plasma sets other than ones made by Panasonic (especially Toshiba and Sony) - Pioneer Kuros are excellent. Unlike the Plasma haters, Sony LCD and Toshiba LCD are also very good. and people won't be disappointed if they buy those. Someone in this thread mentioned Insignia LCDs which are pretty good and less expensive. I own some of the Insignia LCDs as well.

Anyone shopping for a new tv should spend some time researching them over at www.Avsforum.com (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=167) for unbiased truth from actual users of all the different models and brands. There is even a section devoted to Plasma Burn in/IR (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=949107) so anyone new to the technology can take the time to learn what they are really about today rather than going back over common issues from early generation sets.

---------- Post added at 12:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------


So perhaps before recommending a Panasonic plasma as the way to go, you should check the facts yourself.

Panasonics are typically rated among the best tvs.

[DjfunkmasterG]

My facts are straight. Plasma fade & burn-in is proven fact. Where did I say it happened in a week, month, or year?



Oh, that's great - one manufacturer has fixed the issue. How about all the other people who don't own Panasonic plasmas?


Since you seem to know everything about it, why don't you ask Dj about plasma fade and burn in. Dj - how long have you had your plasma downstairs? How much burn-in and/or fade is there already on the tv? It sure as shit didn't take more than a couple years to cause it and it's extremely noticable.

But that's right, I don't have any idea what I'm talking about. Even though I've seen it first hand. :rolleyes:

My SAMSUNG which is 3 years old this month has major screen burn problems. three things have caused it. 4:3 channels, 2.35:1 movies, and those fucking logos at the bottom of TV Stations. While the set does have a screenburn repair feature, it really hasn't helped much lately because the TV is now 3 years old.

As far as Fade... my PQ has dropped drastically. The fade is getting bad, and I give the TV 2 more years at best.

[LouCipherr]

If it's a first generation set (manufactured long ago) then burn in was possible then. Not a common problem on modern Plasmas, no matter how hard people try to convince others it is, on the new ones (2007 and newer) unless it's abused or if the owner choses not to go through the 100 hr break in period.


My SAMSUNG which is 3 years old this month has major screen burn problems. three things have caused it. 4:3 channels, 2.35:1 movies, and those fucking logos at the bottom of TV Stations. While the set does have a screenburn repair feature, it really hasn't helped much lately because the TV is now 3 years old.

As far as Fade... my PQ has dropped drastically. The fade is getting bad, and I give the TV 2 more years at best.

Dj doesn't "abuse" his TV, and as a matter of fact, he tried to take excellent care of that television but the burn-in and fade happened no matter how many times he tried to counteract it with the TV's own "pixel shifting"/screenburn repair program that's supposed to eliminate that stuff. That TV is 3 years old. What is your definition of "modern Plasma TV's" exactly?

The link I provided to the AVS forums showed a person with a Panasonic Plasma, bought in 2009, with 400 hours and he's already having issues (brightness has doubled on its own). To say that "modern plasmas don't do this" is completely wrong. While I realize this is a firmware issue that Panasonic fucked up, it tells you one important piece of information about plasmas: they fade. Why else would Panasonic (and I'm sure all other plasma makers) have firmware to increase the brightness and adjust contrast over the years? Because it's inherent in plasma tv's that they fade over time. That's not me making up shit, that's proven fact. It's just the way Plasma works.

My point of my last post was not to say that one type of television or manufacturer has more problems than others (or that one is better than the other) - to say that would be insane. EVERY manufacturer has it's issues whether it's LCD, Plasma, DLP, LED backlit, whatever. Dude, I owned a 50" Sony Grand Wega rear-projection LCD whose light engine went up TWICE in four years (I go the infamous "purple/pink thumbprints" issue twice, which $ony was sued for in a class action lawsuit). My problem was someone telling me I need to "get my facts straight" - my facts are straight. Burn in and fade are indeed a problem with Plasmas - even "modern" Plasmas as you put it. It's just an inherent issue with the technology. LCD has disadvantages too, trust me - but for me personally, they're a better choice than Plasma, hence I wouldn't recommend one. That recommendation is based on tons of research and first-hand knowledge/experience. It doesn't mean anyone has to listen to me, but I don't appreciate being told my facts are wrong when there is an extreme amount of evidence to the contrary.

[Danny]

My SAMSUNG which is 3 years old this month has major screen burn problems. three things have caused it. 4:3 channels, 2.35:1 movies, and those fucking logos at the bottom of TV Stations. While the set does have a screenburn repair feature, it really hasn't helped much lately because the TV is now 3 years old.

As far as Fade... my PQ has dropped drastically. The fade is getting bad, and I give the TV 2 more years at best.

you know in 3 years mines absolutely fine? i think its because i only use it for the consoles- and the ps3 as a blu ray player of course so theres no channels or logos lingering.

Friend of mine set his so after an hour it whent to 'sleep mode\ which entailed making the scren bright blue with the LG logo in the middle.
....yeah....it always looked like he had a shadow over the middle of the screen.

That said mines lasted, a toshiba regza 52", but picture wise my 3 year old imac blows it the fuck out of the water in terms of sheer vibrant colour. no matter what i do unless its a super high quality version- like the dark knight blu ray it doesnt make it that hd compared to my imac which will even make dvds look nicer so i dont think i would recommend the brand really.

[C5NOTLD]

What is your definition of "modern Plasma TV's" exactly?[QUOTE]

As I said before 2007 and newer.
---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:11 PM ----------

[/COLOR][QUOTE=DjfunkmasterG;261283] My SAMSUNG which is 3 years old this month has major screen burn problems.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

---------- Post added at 04:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:13 PM ----------




To say that "modern plasmas don't do this" is completely wrong. Because it's inherent in plasma tv's that they fade over time. That's not me making up shit, that's proven fact. It's just the way Plasma works.

I understand how Plamsa works and that they fade over time - As I said previously for an example Panasonic plasmas have a projected life of 60,000 hours before they're only half as bright as when they were new. That's 20+ years at 7 hours a day. It's not a common problem and the average user will never experience that. A lot of people replace their tvs every 5-6 years.

---------- Post added at 04:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------


Burn in and fade are indeed a problem with Plasmas - even "modern" Plasmas as you put it. It's just an inherent issue with the technology. LCD has disadvantages too, trust me - but for me personally, they're a better choice than Plasma, hence I wouldn't recommend one. That recommendation is based on tons of research and first-hand knowledge/experience. It doesn't mean anyone has to listen to me, but I don't appreciate being told my facts are wrong when there is an extreme amount of evidence to the contrary.

I can play games for 5 hours, I can leave it on a news channel with lower thirds and bottom scrolls for 7 hours, I watch football games all day, I can leave it on for 8 hours of network tv with logos in the corner and won't get burn in on my plasma.

My initial point in responding to your post was very simple - Burn in and fade are not common problems with modern Plasmas. The average user will never experience that. The plasma experts over at the avsforum state that on a regular basis for new people who show up and ask while researching tv models/brands.

We agree to disagree when it comes to Plasmas.

[Kaos]

My initial point in responding to your post was very simple - telling people not to buy a Plasma because they will get burn in is wrong. Burn in and fade are not common problems with modern Plasmas. The average user will never experience that. The plasma experts over at the avsforum state that on a regular basis for new people who show up and ask while researching tv models/brands.

This mantra I have heard for over 3 years yet modern plasmas I have seen have seen severe image retention issues. And out of any hdtv technology still being produced I have exclusively seen image retention on plasma's. What kind of exposure do I have to plasmas? The university I work for has about 25 modern plasma displays all of which suffer from image retention. Every tech has its advantages and disadvantages. And I think there are plenty of folks who have plasmas and are quite happy with them. I suspect the vocal folks at avsforum are in that camp. Based upon your experience you would recommend them, based on my experience I would recommend against them. The choice is ultimately left to the consumer.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Dj doesn't "abuse" his TV, and as a matter of fact, he tried to take excellent care of that television but the burn-in and fade happened no matter how many times he tried to counteract it with the TV's own "pixel shifting"/screenburn repair program that's supposed to eliminate that stuff. That TV is 3 years old. What is your definition of "modern Plasma TV's" exactly?

The link I provided to the AVS forums showed a person with a Panasonic Plasma, bought in 2009, with 400 hours and he's already having issues (brightness has doubled on its own). To say that "modern plasmas don't do this" is completely wrong. While I realize this is a firmware issue that Panasonic fucked up, it tells you one important piece of information about plasmas: they fade. Why else would Panasonic (and I'm sure all other plasma makers) have firmware to increase the brightness and adjust contrast over the years? Because it's inherent in plasma tv's that they fade over time. That's not me making up shit, that's proven fact. It's just the way Plasma works.

My point of my last post was not to say that one type of television or manufacturer has more problems than others (or that one is better than the other) - to say that would be insane. EVERY manufacturer has it's issues whether it's LCD, Plasma, DLP, LED backlit, whatever. Dude, I owned a 50" Sony Grand Wega rear-projection LCD whose light engine went up TWICE in four years (I go the infamous "purple/pink thumbprints" issue twice, which $ony was sued for in a class action lawsuit). My problem was someone telling me I need to "get my facts straight" - my facts are straight. Burn in and fade are indeed a problem with Plasmas - even "modern" Plasmas as you put it. It's just an inherent issue with the technology. LCD has disadvantages too, trust me - but for me personally, they're a better choice than Plasma, hence I wouldn't recommend one. That recommendation is based on tons of research and first-hand knowledge/experience. It doesn't mean anyone has to listen to me, but I don't appreciate being told my facts are wrong when there is an extreme amount of evidence to the contrary.

My Samsung is not 1st generation. It was MFG'd in 2007 I bought it in 2008, I did the 150hr break-in period as described in the manual, even had a Samsung tech give me the proper settings for pixel shifting and I ran the SB protection every night after watching TV for one hour as stated in the manual, and after 4-5 months the SB was so bad I had to have the TV flashed (White Balanced). That cleared it up, I again followed the breakin- period for another 150 hours, and it started happening again, so I began blocking all channels with a LOGO on the bottom of the screen. However, I couldn't block watching 2.35:1 movies, and I hate how the industry is now Pan and Scanning 2.35:1 films for HD presentation on TV, so now I have black bar burn in from that, and of course 4:3 burn in from stations still broadcasting in 4:3, yet they claim to be HD but refuse to use 16:9 as the aspect ratio.

Lately I have simply unplugged from Cable TV, fuck them and their $200 a month fees. I got the NETFLIX stream plan and an HD antenna for my OTA channels. TV bill a month now $10.00, however, I give this TV 2 more years, and I normally held on to a TV for 10+ years. When I have to layout a $1,000+ every 5 years for a TV that will piss me off especially when I paid $499 for a Sony Trinitron that I bought new in 1999 and it is still kicking today, no PQ issues or sound issues.

I love HDTV, but pricing and this pesky burn-in fade problem is BULLSHIT

[C5NOTLD]

The choice is ultimately left to the consumer.

That's definitely the best way.

---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------


this pesky burn-in fade problem is BULLSHIT

Sorry to hear about your experience and can understand how you wouldn't like plasmas (I wouldn't be too happy if that had happen to me) but it definitely isn't typical/common when it comes to most modern plasmas.