Video Asylum

Posted by Rich H (R) on June 22, 2003 at 18:07:02

In Reply to: Plasmas posted by RFGumby on June 18, 2003 at 12:51:53:

"Q #1: Is it worth the extra $1-2K for full HD versus ED?
I don't care about regular TV in HD,"

Unfortunately, this is one only you can answer. I had the Panny 42" ED model. I can only give you my perspective. When the Panny 42" HD model came out I auditioned it thoroughly, to see if it would be worth trading in my ED model (the dealer was going to let me do so).
I found:

1. HDTV on the HD model looked a bit sharper, with tiny details being held into the far background. The Panny ED model looks incredible on HD, definitely giving you the "window on the world" HD experience. I'd guesstimate that it gives me about 85% of the true HD model. Also, it's nice that the HD model has more discreet pixels, so you can sit a bit closer without seeing them (if that is your want). If you know you'll be viewing from 7 1/2 feet or more away, the difference between these two models does indeed get to be a close call with HD signals. From my viewing distance of 8 feet pixel structure of the ED model mostly vanishes, looking terrifically smooth and sharp.

2. I also don't care all that much about standard fare in HD. Mostly because I don't watch too mutch broadcast TV, and chose the plasma mostly in the basis of how it looked playing movies (DVDs). I do have quite a bit of HD content available to me, and I occaisionally flip the channel to them just to think "wow, neato." But it doesn't sustain me, like watching DVDs does. One big plus is that the Panny ED model looks wonderful with NTSC signals - better than any RPTV I've seen, and in fact better than most of the digital CRT HDTV tube sets as well (in my comparisons). Very good for the WAF factor - you don't want to buy such an expensive display only to have the wife complain it looks worse (on normal broadcast) than the cheapo unit you replaced. My wife, who doesn't give a darn about picture quality, readily concurs the plasma beats the pants off our Panasonic Tau CRT for regular TV watching. The Panny HD model looks a bit softer and noiser than the ED model with NTSC. This is true of just about every HD plasma I've seen, presumably because of the need to scale NTSC to a greater number of pixels. I find most HD displays look "processed" with NTSC. FWIW.

For DVDs, the Panny ED model is truly hard to beat. In fact, it has perhaps the most solid, rich and most artifact-free image with DVDs that you are likely to see anywhere around it's size. Most people who have compared the Panny ED model to others concur.

Watch out for the Sony models. I've demoed them quite a bit. Especially the "ALIS" panels (ones that do HD res by a form of interlacing). They look bright, colorful and very sharp with the right material. But man can they suck with anything challenging, such as scenes with lots of black or shadow detail. The Sony's wash out those details, and take on a rather silly solorized look. Price/performance ration for Sony plasmas is, in my and many other people's view, the worst bargain out there.

For 42" plasmas I suggest looking at the Panasonic models, which can't be beaten for rich black levels. The new Fuji 42" is based on the Panasonic glass, and offers the same black level performance with a few other user perks, but at a higher price. People have been very happy with the performance of the Fuji 42" (and it offers another set of component inputs over the Panny's single input, which is great).
The Pioneer 43" model is HD res and many love it (the commercial version is cheaper than the Elite version, with the same performance).
Pioneer has a brighter, more vivid, and some may say slightly sharper look than the Panasonic plasmas. The trade-off is that the are slightly less smooth looking (more visible dithering or pixilation to the image), and the black levels are not quite black, which can bother some people.

Hitachi is another nice 42" plasma (ALIS based, I believe), but pricey too.

I prefer going the "monitor" route myself, as I like to control my choice of all associated components - and the pathway to my plasma.
With the majority of the "do-it-all" plasmas these days, like the Soney that come with a media box, you pay a price in ultimate picture quality. Putting everything through a media box tends to compromise the images a bit - very easily illustrated by the Pioneer 43" models, which are offered with and without media boxes. The one with the media box has the inferior picture, being noisier, slightly softer and less acceptable black levels.

That's all I have time to spew :-)

For now, why don't you join me on a "Virtual Plasma Tour," and take a look at screen images of movies playing on my Panny ED plasma. Just click the link:

• Plasma DVD Screen Shots Gallery