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Are there any websites that have reviews of flat panel/plasma tv's?
Follow Ups:
Go to BB, CC, and other stores with a notebook and a pencil, or pen. Then when you find the models that you like the best do searches for specific information and reviews. Like the other people say quite accurately the web forums are a source, but not the best source. I spent a few months of research, and many trips to the showrooms. I was leaning towards the new 61' Panasonic when I found a great price on my 60" Sony. Also use streetprices.com, and bottomdollar.com for price shopping when you narrow down your model for a good price. The same KDF60WF655 I bought for $2,327 + $150 for shipping was $3,699 at BB, Sears, and CC at the same time we bought our's on 7/6/06. The markups are prolly at least 40% on these sets to be sure. Then you will want a stand around 19" high if it is not to be mounted on the wall. The Sony stand was $500, we paid $215 for a new 58" 2 shelf glass and metal stand that went together easily in 1/2 hour. I was going to drive to Brooklyn to hump our new TV home. But the low shippng from EE where I got mine saved me over 400 miles of driving. Also use American Express if you have it. AmEx doubles the 1 year standard warranty to 2 years for free. Then you want a 5 year service plan that kicks in when the factory one ends. I paid $359 for that on line from another store. Do not buy a store warranty as they are a rip off. Some people do not buy extended warranties. Those people scream the very loudest when their set fails in 2 years after their 1 year warranty ends and they pay big bucks for in-home service. If my TV fails and can not be fixed my warranty will pay for a new 60" replacement set. Lastly buy a dedicated UPS to plug your HDTV in. This is cheap insurance. If we get a blackout, or a brownout which we get more than a few times each year the cooling fan will not come on ehen the set goes out. That will reduce the $275 dollar bulb life these Sony sets use. My Dad lost the power supply on his one day old 30" HDTV in his bedroom. BB replaced it for free. He now has a UPS on the 3 HDTV's in his home. Have fun with what ever set you buy. They all are set WAY too bright at the factory for the "ooooh and ahhhh factor" for the show room display floor. So you will want to reduce the brightness, and some other minor tweaks. There are a few DVD's to help you do this yourself.A professional ISF calibration is ~$500 for our 60" Sony. That is for later on in a few months. Keep in mind that most of these HDTV's have a sweet picture with HD feeds. None of them really look the best on analog signals. You can copy these links below and paste them into your browsar to start your search for information. Good luck and find a good set. John C.http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/index.php?s=
http://www.highdefforum.com/
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/idealbb/
http://www.agoraquest.com/
http://www.dlptvreview.com/dlptvreviews/reviews.html
http://www.avsforum.com/
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/index.php
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/main.html
http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2004/09/home_theater_ca.html
.
.............. The only valid review is the one you do yourself.However, even that is not easy.
When auditioning different brands/models it is very important to be able to ascertain if the set is calibrated correctly/optimally.
FWIW IMHO I have found, in the current models of plasma panels available, the Fujitsu has the best picture of the 50inch models I saw.
Good luck
Smile
Sox
...
Then I'll let my eyes make a decision.
.......... ..then go to the website of each to see the current models. If in any doubt telephone or email their customer service department.IME because the models are changing so rapidly over the last few years you will find many shops selling brand new panels but they are in fact old models.
Plasma displays have improved dramatically over the last few years.
Good luck
Smile
Sox
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/
Its not really complete, but its a start. It also has links to other sites that may be of interest.
Jack
nt
is www.avsforum.com. It may not be as structured but it seems much less biased and more up to date.Kal
Yea, everyone already knows about avsforum.Those aren't reviews, as much as "My TV is great, and much better than any other brand" raves. More up to date, but certainly not less biased. I have a hard time wading through much of that site due to the biases and the REALLY LONG threads (some 20 some pages, one over 100 pages) just to find the negatives (if there are any) to balance out the raves.
I did some research there, when I went shopping for 50" TVs a while back. If you don't like Panny plasmas or Sammy DLPs, you're are pretty much SOL.
That's not to say there isn't good info there, because there is, but it has its biases.
Jack
Well, there is a wide range of biases on display at avsforum but only one set dominating the presentations at plasmaTVbuyingguide. In addition, you can ask the experts (as soon as you can distinguish them) at avsforum and expect useful responses. PlasmaTVbuyingguide never responded to any of my queries.Also, one should be careful to note the dates on all posts. When I was shopping, I learned a fair amount of background technical info from plasmaTVbuyingguide but their reviews are very dated and didn't cover current models. So, in the future, I might consult them but wouldn't rely on them. However, having spent time on avsforum now, I would know who to rely on there.
Kal (who didn't buy a Panny or a Sammy. Feh.)
It is dated, unfortunately-I wished it was more recent. It does have some basic info and some links. There is also CNET, but they don't review much either. The truth is, that its hard to find good video reviews.
Jack
Yeah. Fortunately for me, I could call up a number of industry people (retail and press) for personal consultation.Kal
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