Home Video Asylum

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more to consider

Plasmas aren't going away anytime soon. As a matter of fact, by mid to late 2009 you will see performance and capability in a consumer display matched by no other (search for "extreme contrast concept"). The next step for plasma is 10-lumen tech and it's going to seriously make an impact when it reaches the showroom floors.

Plasma glass is made by Panasonic (Matshusita), LG, Samsung and Funai. Pioneer is making their last plasma glass this year: next year Panasonic will handle their glass manufacture and Pioneer will use their own electronics.

You can get a 58" Panasonic 1080p consumer model (1920x1080) for $3005 delivered. The 720p broadcast model (1366x768) can be delivered for $2468 (no speakers -- you provide your own which can be much better than what comes attached to today's consumer displays, no stand -- you can purchase the appropriate stand or get a wall mount for around $100, no tuner -- you use the tuner in your VCR/DVR/cable box/satellite receiver/etc). There will be a 1920x1080 broadcast model later this year.

Plasma's color accuracy is better than LCD as it's based on the phosphor technology of CRT. Today's plasmas leave the factory with 60 - 100,000 hours to half-brightness (60,000 = 6 hours a day for 27 years). That's not lifespan, which is even longer.

If you talked to a salesman at CC or BB, the 120Hz refresh rate they are referring to is the "live" or "fluid motion" interpolated picture I mentioned: it's not the proper 120Hz refresh that shows each frame 5x (ie, a multiple of 24Hz). Again, make sure your eyes and the eyes of anyone else watching will be able to handle that look for extended viewing if you want that type of picture.

Samsung is facing a class action lawsuit due to their lack of support and downright pathetic customer service with regard to their Blu-ray players. During the first 2 years they produced DVD players with digital video outputs, the returns were close to half of the sales (think about it) at CC and BB. They're a second rate company producing second rate products. They don't invent: they copy and do it poorly.


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  Kimber Kable  


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