Plasma TV help

Drizzid · 04-19-2007, 09:54 PM

Hey guys,

I need some help but as of right now I have very little info to pass on but I thought I would take a shot with all very smart people that are in this fine community.

So here is the skinny, my wife's beautician has a friend who was trying to flip some townhouses and he bought a bunch of Sony 60in Plasma TVs at a discounted rate to furnish the townhouses. Well he still has a few and is looking to get rid of them. Now my wife didn't get a model number as of yet but we do know it is a Sony and supposedly a Plasma and 60inches. He states that the TVs are still under warranty and are brand new and he is asking $1900.00 w/o wall mounting brackets but does have a stand.

So if anyone has extended knowledge in this field I would appreciate any help you can offer. What questions to ask, what should I look for in terms of specifications of the model etcetera etcetera

Thanks in advance

**Grunt 70** · 04-20-2007, 04:31 PM

I did a ton of research before buying my current TV a year and a half ago. I bought a SONY 42 inch rear projection HDTV. Quite pleased with it.

All bets are off until we have a model number. This year Sony makes only one 60 inch model...click here for the linky

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...tv_size_50to80

This is a rear projection tv, not an LCD. As I said...I'm very happy with my rear projection tv. It took some time to get used to. Standard def signals looked not as I expected (worse than, in fact, my smaller, older CRT screen) The new tv's are like thoroughbreds. You really have to feed them a quality signal or you'll be looking at an average picture at best.

I eventually went with Dishnetwork and upgraded to their HD package for an additional 20 a month. Honestly..the best images come over the air from my local tv stations. I had to buy an antenna to get them in HD but it was well worth it. Dish now carries local in HD (where available)

Dont buy this on impulse @!!

Oh yeah...forgot to add...I wish I waited one more year. The tv technology out now is better than a year and a half ago, for less money--IMO

Lucky Shot · 04-20-2007, 04:54 PM

Do some reading about TV formats going in...

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-....html?tag=tnav

Sony makes some dynamite TV's, but no plasmas that I know of. They make Projection TV's and LCD's (thin tv's). Sony is a safe brand and do have varying quality throughout their product line.

When I purchased my tv I made sure it was 1080p even though I recognized the rarity of any source (cable, satelite) existing currently. Currently, traditional tv operates at 480p and current High def is broadcast between 720p and 1080i. This is a gut check in that I wanted a tv that would last for a long time (Projection allows for replacement of the bulbs allowing for a longer life then LCD or Plasma).

I sense that HDMI will be the USB of the future but have nothing but a hunch to back that up. HDMI allows you to send a high quality picture and sound through one cable instead of using 2 sets of cables (DVI for Video, Component for sound). I made sure my TV had at least 2 HDMI inputs. This allows for my Upconvert DVD player (Takes normal DVD's and adds quality) or for future HD DVD players/Gaming Systems.

Find out what it is and do some research before hopping in.

Lucky Shot

**WhiskeySix** · 04-20-2007, 05:08 PM

Yeah - get a model number and then we can help. For $1900, you can get a REALLY nice plasma in smaller size. I paid a few hundred less than that for Samsung's top of the line 42" plasma (S4273), and it's absolutely stunning. I'd much rather invest in a high quality display at a smaller size than a low quality display at a larger size.

My personal opinion is to go for the best quality you can afford. The best size for you is determined by how far you'll be sitting from the set. Buy too big and you'll be really disappointed with the quality because you're eyes will pick out every pixel. Buy too small and you're eyes won't be able to discern the all the detail in the HD feed. Here's a good guide for seating distance vs screen size. (You want to look at the 720p column.)

What to look for when evaluating? Well - a lot of it is personal preference, but the most important thing to me is picture quality ... Contrast, Color depth, Black Levels, and what scaling modes it has (how does it expand 4:3 SD content across the 16:9 screen). The most important things (with any thing) are simply the features/mode's you'll use the most. If you'll be watching a lot of standard-def stuff, give more weight to what SD looks like on the set. If you'll be doing more HD stuff, then give the zoom-modes less weight. Also - A lot depends on where you watch it. How bright is the room? How far is the couch from the TV? Are there windows behind your seating area?

Here's a great forum for doing research:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Let us know what model number it is and we can help you out!

Good luck!

**Twisted_Firestarter** · 04-20-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky Shot

I sense that HDMI will be the USB of the future...

[rant on]
Although that statement is unfortunately likely true, not for the reasons you give. HDMI is bascially a DRM platform and is Defective By Design. The poorly video protection scheme has many known implementation issues. For example, I regularly have to reset my HD TiVo because the HDMI DRM will trip and stop sending a video signal to my TV. It's not TiVo's fault, they have no control over how HDMI works. There are many known bugs in the HDMI design--not to mention the fact that it doesn't actually stop any pirating.

So, yes, although I agree it is nice to have a single cable to carry both HD audio and video I hope in the future the de facto standard will not be HDMI.
[/ rant off]

**WhiskeySix** · 04-20-2007, 05:16 PM

Plus, if you use your receiver for the audio (most HD channels come in 5.1 surround sound), then HDMI is really just a digital video feed - and to me, the quality isn't noticeably better than with component video.

**Grunt 70** · 04-20-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

Plus, if you use your receiver for the audio (most HD channels come in 5.1 surround sound), then HDMI is really just a digital video feed - and to me, the quality isn't noticeably better than with component video.

the audio is one thing I really like about Dish network. All channels, HD or SD come in 5.1 sound...maybe not all of them are true 5.1 but it's nice to flip on my stereo and listen if I want to my tv with clear sound.

04-19-2007, 09:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
Drizzid Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Glendale, AZ Age: 37 Posts: 2,984	Plasma TV help Hey guys, I need some help but as of right now I have very little info to pass on but I thought I would take a shot with all very smart people that are in this fine community. So here is the skinny, my wife's beautician has a friend who was trying to flip some townhouses and he bought a bunch of Sony 60in Plasma TVs at a discounted rate to furnish the townhouses. Well he still has a few and is looking to get rid of them. Now my wife didn't get a model number as of yet but we do know it is a Sony and supposedly a Plasma and 60inches. He states that the TVs are still under warranty and are brand new and he is asking $1900.00 w/o wall mounting brackets but does have a stand. So if anyone has extended knowledge in this field I would appreciate any help you can offer. What questions to ask, what should I look for in terms of specifications of the model etcetera etcetera Thanks in advance __________________

04-20-2007, 04:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Grunt 70 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Massachusetts Age: 43 Posts: 2,494	Re: Plasma TV help I did a ton of research before buying my current TV a year and a half ago. I bought a SONY 42 inch rear projection HDTV. Quite pleased with it. All bets are off until we have a model number. This year Sony makes only one 60 inch model...click here for the linky http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...tv_size_50to80 This is a rear projection tv, not an LCD. As I said...I'm very happy with my rear projection tv. It took some time to get used to. Standard def signals looked not as I expected (worse than, in fact, my smaller, older CRT screen) The new tv's are like thoroughbreds. You really have to feed them a quality signal or you'll be looking at an average picture at best. I eventually went with Dishnetwork and upgraded to their HD package for an additional 20 a month. Honestly..the best images come over the air from my local tv stations. I had to buy an antenna to get them in HD but it was well worth it. Dish now carries local in HD (where available) Dont buy this on impulse @!! Oh yeah...forgot to add...I wish I waited one more year. The tv technology out now is better than a year and a half ago, for less money--IMO __________________ \|TG-22nd\|Grunt "When force is necessary, it must be applied boldly, decisively, and completely. But one must know the limitations of force; one must know when to blend force with maneuver" - Leon Trotsky Last edited by Grunt 70; 04-20-2007 at 05:02 PM.

04-20-2007, 04:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Lucky Shot Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,639	Re: Plasma TV help Do some reading about TV formats going in... http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-....html?tag=tnav Sony makes some dynamite TV's, but no plasmas that I know of. They make Projection TV's and LCD's (thin tv's). Sony is a safe brand and do have varying quality throughout their product line. When I purchased my tv I made sure it was 1080p even though I recognized the rarity of any source (cable, satelite) existing currently. Currently, traditional tv operates at 480p and current High def is broadcast between 720p and 1080i. This is a gut check in that I wanted a tv that would last for a long time (Projection allows for replacement of the bulbs allowing for a longer life then LCD or Plasma). I sense that HDMI will be the USB of the future but have nothing but a hunch to back that up. HDMI allows you to send a high quality picture and sound through one cable instead of using 2 sets of cables (DVI for Video, Component for sound). I made sure my TV had at least 2 HDMI inputs. This allows for my Upconvert DVD player (Takes normal DVD's and adds quality) or for future HD DVD players/Gaming Systems. Find out what it is and do some research before hopping in. Lucky Shot

04-20-2007, 05:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,528	Re: Plasma TV help Yeah - get a model number and then we can help. For $1900, you can get a REALLY nice plasma in smaller size. I paid a few hundred less than that for Samsung's top of the line 42" plasma (S4273), and it's absolutely stunning. I'd much rather invest in a high quality display at a smaller size than a low quality display at a larger size. My personal opinion is to go for the best quality you can afford. The best size for you is determined by how far you'll be sitting from the set. Buy too big and you'll be really disappointed with the quality because you're eyes will pick out every pixel. Buy too small and you're eyes won't be able to discern the all the detail in the HD feed. Here's a good guide for seating distance vs screen size. (You want to look at the 720p column.) What to look for when evaluating? Well - a lot of it is personal preference, but the most important thing to me is picture quality ... Contrast, Color depth, Black Levels, and what scaling modes it has (how does it expand 4:3 SD content across the 16:9 screen). The most important things (with any thing) are simply the features/mode's you'll use the most. If you'll be watching a lot of standard-def stuff, give more weight to what SD looks like on the set. If you'll be doing more HD stuff, then give the zoom-modes less weight. Also - A lot depends on where you watch it. How bright is the room? How far is the couch from the TV? Are there windows behind your seating area? Here's a great forum for doing research: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9 Let us know what model number it is and we can help you out! Good luck! __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

04-20-2007, 05:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
WhiskeySix Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gillette Stadium, Section 309, Row 12, Seat 24 Age: 33 Posts: 8,528	Re: Plasma TV help Plus, if you use your receiver for the audio (most HD channels come in 5.1 surround sound), then HDMI is really just a digital video feed - and to me, the quality isn't noticeably better than with component video. __________________ *PoE2 Version 2.5 Overview \| Get started with PoE2 (for free!)*

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