Tagged Products - plasma+black+hd

Pioneer KURO 60" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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Samsung 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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makes the whole screen show up correctly, whereas with "16:9" - the edges get clipped.

Using that setting, you can output anything you want from the PC to the TV - games (Halo, for instance, ran great), DVDs from the PC, or even HDTV from the PC (using the PC as a "DVR"). Highly recommended!

Samsung 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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shipping box and transport it with just the styrofoam (risky, but we were only driving a few miles).

Some have complained about the sound- I find the speakers more than adequate and the sound fills the room. Of course they won't compare to surround sound theatre systems- what would? Some people just like to whine about these supposed shortcomings.

I believe the contrast ratio is better than the similarly outfitted Panasonic model. I have heard worries about Samsung's longevity- but don't know that anyone has anything more than anecodatal evidence of that (knock on wood).

But at $750, there is no buyer's remorse here. A great HDTV at a tremendous price. We did buy it from Circuit City so that it could be picked up the next day and take advantage of no interest/no payments specials.

We have a Comcast HD box and there seems to be no problems whatsoever in the signal; the HD channels look fantastic. We're awaiting an upconverting DVD player and HDMI cables to complete the purchase.

I am sure there are finer points to the $2-3k hdtv's and for some bigger is always better. But I can't imagine expending that kind of money in this economy and I can't imagine that the marginal improvement is at all worth the cost.

Update: After the first 100 hours, we turned up the brightness and contrast (leaving the mode as "movie", which seems to be the best unless there is a glare), and the picture is great.

Panasonic 58" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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shipping box and transport it with just the styrofoam (risky, but we were only driving a few miles).



Some have complained about the sound- I find the speakers more than adequate and the sound fills the room. Of course they won't compare to surround sound theatre systems- what would? Some people just like to whine about these supposed shortcomings.



I believe the contrast ratio is better than the similarly outfitted Panasonic model. I have heard worries about Samsung's longevity- but don't know that anyone has anything more than anecodatal evidence of that (knock on wood).



But at $750, there is no buyer's remorse here. A great HDTV at a tremendous price. We did buy it from Circuit City so that it could be picked up the next day and take advantage of no interest/no payments specials.



We have a Comcast HD box and there seems to be no problems whatsoever in the signal; the HD channels look fantastic. We're awaiting an upconverting DVD player and HDMI cables to complete the purchase.



I am sure there are finer points to the $2-3k hdtv's and for some bigger is always better. But I can't imagine expending that kind of money in this economy and I can't imagine that the marginal improvement is at all worth the cost.



Update: After the first 100 hours, we turned up the brightness and contrast (leaving the mode as "movie", which seems to be the best unless there is a glare), and the picture is great.

Samsung 63-inch Widescreen Plasma HDTV-Samsung 63? widescreen plasma HDTV PN63A650

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shipping box and transport it with just the styrofoam (risky, but we were only driving a few miles).





Some have complained about the sound- I find the speakers more than adequate and the sound fills the room. Of course they won't compare to surround sound theatre systems- what would? Some people just like to whine about these supposed shortcomings.





I believe the contrast ratio is better than the similarly outfitted Panasonic model. I have heard worries about Samsung's longevity- but don't know that anyone has anything more than anecodatal evidence of that (knock on wood).





But at $750, there is no buyer's remorse here. A great HDTV at a tremendous price. We did buy it from Circuit City so that it could be picked up the next day and take advantage of no interest/no payments specials.





We have a Comcast HD box and there seems to be no problems whatsoever in the signal; the HD channels look fantastic. We're awaiting an upconverting DVD player and HDMI cables to complete the purchase.





I am sure there are finer points to the $2-3k hdtv's and for some bigger is always better. But I can't imagine expending that kind of money in this economy and I can't imagine that the marginal improvement is at all worth the cost.





Update: After the first 100 hours, we turned up the brightness and contrast (leaving the mode as "movie", which seems to be the best unless there is a glare), and the picture is great.

Pioneer KURO 50" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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also played with "Movie" mode, in which you get about 50% of the controls on the picture that a typical high end TV might have.

Aesthetically, this TV looks perfect. The plain back bezel that is very small for this size of TV is exactly what I was looking for. Some of the Sony's for the past 4 years and most of the LGs and Samsungs have just got too much going on. I want a perfect picture and a minimal "TV". In addition, this TV is very thin for a 50" plasma, it is only 3.7" thick. My 40" LCD was 5.5" and the new sony XBR8 LED backlit LCD is almost 6" I believe.

In a store I compared this TV to the Samsung A950 series (LED backlit LCD) and the Sony XBR6, both 46" models. The Pioneer was cheaper and just looked better hands down. I went back on 3 occasions to confirm this was the case.

Some people will discuss buzzing with this particular unit. From what I have found out, all plasmas buzz. On this unit, if you put your head behind the tv, you can hear some electronic buzz. If you put your head in front of the TV, you can not hear anything, even with the TV muted. If you move your head about 5' back from the TV and have the TV muted, a slight buzzing becomes audible. If you turn on any volume whatsoever, you can not detect the buzzing. Actually, the fans and hard disk in my DirecTV HR21 DVR are louder than the buzzing!

I have been using power save mode 2 (the highest power save mode), which makes it meet the energy star requirements of the future, and it has plenty of brightness! We'll see how this holds up as we move through the break in period.

The big question many of you are probably asking is should I order from amazon and save almost $1000 over best buy or other big box store? My first HDTV I purchased from a locally owned specialty retailer. It gave me the confidence I needed since I knew little about HDTVs at that time. They offered a 15 day no questions asked return policy. For this Pioneer purchase, I went with amazon.com and saved $1000. Shipping was free. Amazon will contract this to CEVA, who will contract the delivery to your home by another local delivery agent. My TV arrived within 3 business days. It went from Ohio to Chicago in the first day I ordered it, and then was in Milwaukee to be delivered the next day and an appointment was set up. However, when the delivery guys showed up, I asked them to remove it from the packaging so I could plug it in and make sure it worked before I accepted delivery. The bezel was cracked and the screen damaged before we even got it out of the box. So I easily refused shipment and the delivery guys took it back. I contacted amazon and once you get beyond the india help desk and to a real agent who specializes in electronics returns I was all set. A new unit was sent 3 days later (with a total of about 1 week delay) for no charge. I think in the future I would order online from amazon.com again for the cost savings they provide. Although it was a hassle to be at home twice to have the TV delivered twice it was worth the savings for me. I believe you can also return to amazon within 30 days as well if you change your mind, but shipping cost is yours to pay.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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also played with "Movie" mode, in which you get about 50% of the controls on the picture that a typical high end TV might have.



Aesthetically, this TV looks perfect. The plain back bezel that is very small for this size of TV is exactly what I was looking for. Some of the Sony's for the past 4 years and most of the LGs and Samsungs have just got too much going on. I want a perfect picture and a minimal "TV". In addition, this TV is very thin for a 50" plasma, it is only 3.7" thick. My 40" LCD was 5.5" and the new sony XBR8 LED backlit LCD is almost 6" I believe.



In a store I compared this TV to the Samsung A950 series (LED backlit LCD) and the Sony XBR6, both 46" models. The Pioneer was cheaper and just looked better hands down. I went back on 3 occasions to confirm this was the case.



Some people will discuss buzzing with this particular unit. From what I have found out, all plasmas buzz. On this unit, if you put your head behind the tv, you can hear some electronic buzz. If you put your head in front of the TV, you can not hear anything, even with the TV muted. If you move your head about 5' back from the TV and have the TV muted, a slight buzzing becomes audible. If you turn on any volume whatsoever, you can not detect the buzzing. Actually, the fans and hard disk in my DirecTV HR21 DVR are louder than the buzzing!



I have been using power save mode 2 (the highest power save mode), which makes it meet the energy star requirements of the future, and it has plenty of brightness! We'll see how this holds up as we move through the break in period.



The big question many of you are probably asking is should I order from amazon and save almost $1000 over best buy or other big box store? My first HDTV I purchased from a locally owned specialty retailer. It gave me the confidence I needed since I knew little about HDTVs at that time. They offered a 15 day no questions asked return policy. For this Pioneer purchase, I went with amazon.com and saved $1000. Shipping was free. Amazon will contract this to CEVA, who will contract the delivery to your home by another local delivery agent. My TV arrived within 3 business days. It went from Ohio to Chicago in the first day I ordered it, and then was in Milwaukee to be delivered the next day and an appointment was set up. However, when the delivery guys showed up, I asked them to remove it from the packaging so I could plug it in and make sure it worked before I accepted delivery. The bezel was cracked and the screen damaged before we even got it out of the box. So I easily refused shipment and the delivery guys took it back. I contacted amazon and once you get beyond the india help desk and to a real agent who specializes in electronics returns I was all set. A new unit was sent 3 days later (with a total of about 1 week delay) for no charge. I think in the future I would order online from amazon.com again for the cost savings they provide. Although it was a hassle to be at home twice to have the TV delivered twice it was worth the savings for me. I believe you can also return to amazon within 30 days as well if you change your mind, but shipping cost is yours to pay.

Panasonic 58" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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CNET's THX settings:

CNET's THX settings (completely dark room):

Picture: 100
Brightness: 55
Color: 56
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Warm
Cats: Off
Color Man.: Off
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light


Or try My THX Settings (for a dimly lite room):

THX MODE:

Picture: 95
Brightness: 62
Color: 50
Tint: -8
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Normal
Cats: Off
Color Man.: On
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light

While I use my Custom settings occassionally - tweaking the THX settings are much more important for everyday use. I use THX 90% of the time. The Custom Mode I created, I generally use ONLY for broadcasts made for TV. Remember THX is a movie standard and does not technically apply to TV shows (although some of these TV shows may also look better in THX).

Here are my custom mode settings again (already posted). Use these settings for TV shows and/or movies shown in a bright room:

CUSTOM MODE:

Picture: 85
Brightness: 50
Color: 34
Tint: -7
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Normal
Cats: Off
Color Man.: On
MPEG NR: Off
HD Size: Size 2
Black Level: Light

Pioneer KURO 60" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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with Amazon was a joy with regard to this order. The problem I had was with CEVA when they called to schedule delivery. I asked them to verify the White Glove Service and they did NOT show that in their files. A quick call to Amazon fixed everything, no problem. I would recommend checking to see if White Glove Delivery has been selected.

Secondly, the two guys who delivered my set were excellent unlike some other reviews I've read here. I've found in life if you treat people nicely with respect, often times you'll receive better service. The old adage of attracting more flies with honey as opposed to vinegar. They brought the set in, removed it from the box, placed it on the table where I wanted it, and powered it up (even though I had read the online Pioneer manual weeks ago). All I did was offer them a few sodas for their trouble.

One final thing to remember is that the speakers are packed below the set. I hooked my 6020FD to some speakers that I installed in the wall and almost let the delivery guys take the box away as they were leaving. Am so glad I didn't as they would have been throwing away the Pioneer speaker enclosure for the set. Don't make this same mistake!!!

I'm now in the market for another plasma that will be placed in our game room. Shall be ordering from Amazon again without a doubt.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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with Amazon was a joy with regard to this order. The problem I had was with CEVA when they called to schedule delivery. I asked them to verify the White Glove Service and they did NOT show that in their files. A quick call to Amazon fixed everything, no problem. I would recommend checking to see if White Glove Delivery has been selected.



Secondly, the two guys who delivered my set were excellent unlike some other reviews I've read here. I've found in life if you treat people nicely with respect, often times you'll receive better service. The old adage of attracting more flies with honey as opposed to vinegar. They brought the set in, removed it from the box, placed it on the table where I wanted it, and powered it up (even though I had read the online Pioneer manual weeks ago). All I did was offer them a few sodas for their trouble.



One final thing to remember is that the speakers are packed below the set. I hooked my 6020FD to some speakers that I installed in the wall and almost let the delivery guys take the box away as they were leaving. Am so glad I didn't as they would have been throwing away the Pioneer speaker enclosure for the set. Don't make this same mistake!!!



I'm now in the market for another plasma that will be placed in our game room. Shall be ordering from Amazon again without a doubt.

Samsung 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

with Amazon was a joy with regard to this order. The problem I had was with CEVA when they called to schedule delivery. I asked them to verify the White Glove Service and they did NOT show that in their files. A quick call to Amazon fixed everything, no problem. I would recommend checking to see if White Glove Delivery has been selected.





Secondly, the two guys who delivered my set were excellent unlike some other reviews I've read here. I've found in life if you treat people nicely with respect, often times you'll receive better service. The old adage of attracting more flies with honey as opposed to vinegar. They brought the set in, removed it from the box, placed it on the table where I wanted it, and powered it up (even though I had read the online Pioneer manual weeks ago). All I did was offer them a few sodas for their trouble.





One final thing to remember is that the speakers are packed below the set. I hooked my 6020FD to some speakers that I installed in the wall and almost let the delivery guys take the box away as they were leaving. Am so glad I didn't as they would have been throwing away the Pioneer speaker enclosure for the set. Don't make this same mistake!!!





I'm now in the market for another plasma that will be placed in our game room. Shall be ordering from Amazon again without a doubt.

Samsung 42" Class 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

with Amazon was a joy with regard to this order. The problem I had was with CEVA when they called to schedule delivery. I asked them to verify the White Glove Service and they did NOT show that in their files. A quick call to Amazon fixed everything, no problem. I would recommend checking to see if White Glove Delivery has been selected.







Secondly, the two guys who delivered my set were excellent unlike some other reviews I've read here. I've found in life if you treat people nicely with respect, often times you'll receive better service. The old adage of attracting more flies with honey as opposed to vinegar. They brought the set in, removed it from the box, placed it on the table where I wanted it, and powered it up (even though I had read the online Pioneer manual weeks ago). All I did was offer them a few sodas for their trouble.







One final thing to remember is that the speakers are packed below the set. I hooked my 6020FD to some speakers that I installed in the wall and almost let the delivery guys take the box away as they were leaving. Am so glad I didn't as they would have been throwing away the Pioneer speaker enclosure for the set. Don't make this same mistake!!!







I'm now in the market for another plasma that will be placed in our game room. Shall be ordering from Amazon again without a doubt.

Panasonic 50" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Panasonic 42" Class 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Panasonic 58" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Panasonic 50" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Panasonic 42" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

...

just received my TH-50PX80U and the delivery went very smoothly. Picture is incredible and all thoughts of 720p vs 1080p and black levels are gone. Only surprise is the location of the 3rd hdmi port which is in the front. I planned on plugging in my cable, dvd player, and apple tv via hdmi but I don't' want any wires out front. So for now my apple tv is plugged in via component cords which isn't bad actually. If I really want a larger screen in the future, the $2000+ I saved now should be about what the 58in Panasonics will cost next year.

Samsung 63-inch Widescreen Plasma HDTV-Samsung 63? widescreen plasma HDTV PN63A650

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days after ordering the set dropped $250 and has now dropped another $400. I would gladly have spent the savings right back with Amazon on a receiver but I may now go to a big box that will give me at least a 60 day price match windoq on any reductions.

However for $4081, this set should be a no brainer. Buy and enjoy, I certainly am!

Panasonic 58" 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV

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particularly when viewing lots of full-range motion (sports and movies), the panasonic and pioneer plasmas handled the edging the most smoothly. I found the Panasonic set to be very close in image quality with the pioneer but for $1000-$1500 less. I didn't care for the samsung sets because they generated so much heat. The panasonic and pioneer sets both don't noticeably change the temperature of a room.

I setup my panasonic with all my sources being piped through my Denon avr2808ci, which upconverts all sources through it's hdmi out. I have a hd cable box (connected via hdmi), a dvd player (connected via component) and a sony ps3 (connected via hdmi) hooked-up through the denon. The 1080i from the hd cable box looks amazing! The 1080p from the ps3 bluray is flawless and the 480p upconverted from dvd looks surprisingly great as well. In each case, the colors are vibrant and the blacks are so black that the blacks in an image are consistent with the black of the screen when it is turned-off. All in all, I am extremely pleased with my purchase of the panasonic and find it to be the finest television I have owned (The t.v. I replaced was a hd-capable 57" sony xbr rear projection whose blacks were actually dark gray...I bought this t.v. for $1500 more than the panasonic set 7 years ago).

In my particular setup, I had to make sure that all my hdmi cables were hdmi v1.3 cables otherwise the denon throughput no signal to the television. Monoprice.com had excellent hdmi v1.3 cables for about $13 each. I was able to get a great bdi stand for it from dynamichomedecor.com which I also found to be an excellent resource.

I highly recommend the purchase from amazon.com primarily because of the included "white glove" delivery, just make sure at the time of purchase that it is stated. I know that vanns.com and other reputable places may have slightly lower prices, but for me the "white glove" delivery really made the whole process much easier and sweeter.