Most of those problems are rumors or only occured in the earlier generations.
Sure he can wait longer for better TV’s to drop in price but then everyone will say to wait a couple more years until 1080P’s get cheaper. There will always be something better in the future.
Most CRTs last 10-15 years. Come back and talk to me about it then. Plasma is based on the same technology as fluorescent light bulbs, and look what a pain in the ass those are after a few years… :gotme:
Hmm, they seemed pretty evident in the sets I looked at right after xmas…
Eh, TVs are disposable now. Your lucky to get 10-15 out of them. Doesn’t matter what make or technology it is. I’m sure Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, etc. could make a TV last forever, but its not gonna happen. Bottom line is they want your hard earned dollars every couple years.
saw that in best buy… it was a 720p
42 inch plasma
you guys really need to do some research, plasmas last as long as any other tv out there, no more 5 year dead time with plasmas.
The lifespan of a plasma TV, contrary to rumor, is great. Also, the technology is ever advancing to produce better televisions that will last even longer. Most manufacturers will give an approximate lifespan of 60,000 hours for their plasma televisions. That’s 20 to 25 years of normal viewing before the screen begins to noticeably dim. This is a new number that reflects the improvements made to the technology in recent years. In the infancy of the plasma television, the lifespan was only 30,000 to 40,000 hours; a substantial improvement. After the television begins to dim, many models give you the option of replacing the light source, which renews the life of the unit.
Flat-panel LCD screen displays have a lifespan approaching 60,000 hours. The lifespan of an LCD display is generally longer than that of similar-sized plasma displays. Some manufacturers even claim that their LCDs can last upwards of 80,000 hours when used continuously under controlled conditions (e.g., in a room with “standard” lighting conditions and 77° temperatures throughout). Just how realistic such claims are is debatable. After all, whose living room has no windows and remains at a perfectly comfortable 77 degrees year-round?
Funny, was talking about this somewhere else today…
I love retards that read something once and assume it is true forever.
Oh and FWIW, my next TV will be a Pioneer Plasma… currently have a sammy DLP
thanks for the feedback fellas…
Bryan I will shoot you a PM later too…
im taking kevin tv shopping with me…
he even said he would buy it 
nice link walter.
My only problem with that link is the giant “Sponsored By Pioneer” at the top.
Anyone have some good independent testing? Doesn’t really matter to me because my 4 year old set still looks perfect and I can’t justify 2 grand to replace a perfectly good 51" 1080i set.
Crutchfield has a pretty good deal on a Sammy DLP.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-bbueg5p3KOz/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=147350&I=305HLS5688&search=Samsung+VENDORID305&SearchDisplay=Samsung
pioneer makes excellent plasma displays. the contrast and color are really incredible. but you will pay for it. i didnt have the flow to do that right now so i went with an lg pc3d. i love it so far, and for the price i got it, minus the 400.00 mail in rebate, i am at the price of an lcd, with a warranty for 3 years etc etc.
if anyone is looking for a tv go to speaker shop on main st. my friend matt is THE most knowledgable person when it comes to home audio/video. he will be competitive with price and at the very least can steer you in the right direction with what you are trying to achieve. i would not go aywhere else to buy something, even if it saved me 100.00 because i trust him 100% and know he wouldnt steer me wrong.
the lg rebates are on till the end of the month.
:funny:
Resorting to namecalling is a sure sign that you don’t have any good arguements in a debate.
Let me enlightnen you about how I came to the conclusion that plasma technology is not a wise purchase at this time:
As you are probably aware, the technology is based upon the same principle that is used to make florescent lightbulbs and neon signs. This is a fact, and I obtained this information right from the various manufacturers themselves.
In an effort to save money, I replaced all the lightbulbs in my apartement with compact florescents. Figure on 15 bulbs. Three of those bulbs died within the first year, and one other does not illuminate fully every time the light is turned on. Seems like a pretty high failure rate for a bulb that is supposed to last five years, doesn’t it? It also doesn’t speak very well for the quality control on these bulbs.
I’m sure you’ve also seen plenty of flickering or otherwise non-functional florescent lights in grocery stores, offices, etc. Do you think that you’ve seen two million bulbs in your lifetime? How many bad ones do you think have you seen? What I am saying is that in a plasma TV, you are looking at roughly 2 million florescent light bulbs. The odds of one or more of them failing early in their lifespan is quite high. It will also be quite visible when it does fail, and worst yet, can’t be fixed without replacing the whole screen.
For someone who seems to pride himself on making sound financial decisions, I can’t see how you could consider dropping a few grand on a plasma TV when it seems to be nothing but a gamble with really bad odds. :gotme:
brett, you have to see that you are comparing apples to oranges with your flourescent light bulb example. the technology might be the same…but, well let me put it to you this way.
subaru 2.2l motors kinda suck long term right? dont really hold their seals past a certain mileage, compression, blah blah blah…so since all combustion engines run on that technology then they must all suck long term right?
yes the technology is the same but to compare the longevity of a plasma screen to that of household lightbulbs is taking it a bit far. you might have reservations about spending as much money as they are going for these days, but for longevity, as long as you do your research and DONT CHEAP OUT JUST TO SAY YOU BOUGHT A PLASMA, then it is safe to say you will be wanting a new tv…just for the sole fact that you want to look at something different, long before any (quality) plasma dulls, fails, or pops. you pretty much measure plasma tv longevity in half lifes (lives? bah)
Apples, meet oranges.
I’d put more faith in the consistancy and quality of a tv over a $30,000 car. Know what kind of miracle it is that systems that complex continue to function as long as they do?
I also hardly consider a disposable item, that costs about as much as it’s packaging does to manufacturer, a fair comparison for a television, but continue on.
There are plenty of arguments why not to spend big bucks on TVs, but I don’t happen to think yours hold much merit, although I’m sure they would be appealing to the people that keep making the “OMG THE GOVERNMENT IS BEHIND 9/11” threads…
You have a point there, but in your example, we are also dealing with two known quantities…
With plasma TVs (and DLP, too), people can’t really give a MTBT number because they have not been around long enough to figure it out. LCDs have been around for quite a while longer.
Look how long it has taken for technology to come up with something better than a CRT (and some would argue that were it not for size limitations, a CRT still works better than any of the new technologies in most aspects). Early adoptors of plasma are taking a gamble that they will withstand the test of time. I’m taking the under on that bet…
I’d agree with that statement, especially working in the automotive industry, but you want to talk apples and apples, how about comparing a CRT-based TV to a car. Both have been around long enough to establish some trends. Plasma TVs have not. Comparing a plasma TV to a car would require that car to be a hybrid… another technology whose longevity I don’t trust. 
Ok, normally your posts make a lost of sense, but this one is the exception. How can you take something that cost the manufacturer maybe .30 to make and sells for $5 and compare it to a plasma TV. Sure, the technology maybe loosely related, but so is the technology behind a $100 chinese knockoff gas powered remote control car and a Civic Si. Sure, they both have gas motors, 4 wheels, and they move by rolling, but when the toy breaks in a week I don’t think you can make the logical jump to calling the Civic junk.
Back on topic, what’s the word on plasma v lcd v DLP? From what little reading I’ve done I think I’d go DLP if tomorrow my TV blew up. I don’t care about viewing angles, I have pretty decent control over the bright light coming into my living room, and I want to keep a 50+ screen. I’ve seen several LCD’s and when they pan fast they seem to trail artifacts. Plasma seems great, but the cost per inch over DLP doesn’t seem worth it for me. From the sounds of it the rainbow issue has been solved on DLP if you make sure to find a set with a newer chip.