Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater sxrd vs plasma

I am trying to decide on which tv would be best for me and am having a hard time. From all of the reviews that I have read it seems that in terms of picture quality the Pioneer PDP-5080HD Kuro is the best one out there. Unless of course you get the 1080p version of the Pioneer instead of the 768p, but I can't afford the 1080p model. The pdp-5080 even beat out all the 1080p models it was competing against in the most recent issue of home theater magazine. The Panasonic 1080p plamsa came in a close second place and the sony a3000 sxrd came in a distant third place. The only downside to the Pioneer (or even the Panasonic) is that it is a plasma and is susceptible to burn in. The Pioneer, however, has a feature to help decrease the chance of this happening with its orbiter feature. The orbiter moves the image back and forth one pixel at a time or something like that? Anyway I read a review online where someone was saying that they have been watching television a couple hours a day and most of the channels have the icons in the lower corner and he hasn't had any burn-in issues with the Pioneer even after 4 months of doing this.

My viewing habits: I only watch dvd's or play video games. There is a lot of 2:35 movies and 4:3 tv shows on dvd that I watch and a little bit of 16:9 material. One concern that I have is that my wife will sometimes watch a 4:3 tv on dvd show and she will fall asleep and the menu screen will be the only thing on screen for about 20 or 30 minutes. But, my biggest worry is about playing video games on the Pioneer set. Some days I will play video games for nearly the entire day and I have read how this could be a problem if there are backgrounds that don't change much for a long time or if there are icons on the screen that don't change much. For example, suppose I race a 100 lap race on Gran Turismo 3. The race takes about an hour, so for the entire hour the RPM gauge is in that same spot on the screen. This could be a problem. I am hoping that I can go with the Pioneer since it has the best picture available that I can afford, as long as I can still play any video game that I want and even if I want to do it all day. But, if the burn-in is still that big of a problem then I may have to go with the distant third place Sony a3000 sxrd so that I don't have to worry about it.

Can anyone comment on Plasma burn-in with the Pioneer's with the orbiter feature on or even without it on?

Is it true that burn-in isn't a concern after about 100 hours or so?

Will the orbiter feature prevent any burn-in as long as I can stomach having this feature on?

thanks in advance for any replies, Nick

I have a Pioneer Elite Pro-1130HD plasma. I Really like it. I use it for everything form Tv, Movies, and Games. I havnt had any burn in problems. I have had some retention every once in awhile. Like when i was playing Zelda Twilight Princess for wii. The only time I noticed it is when you had a bright white screen. But the Retained imaged did go away over time. Id say it was completely gone within a few weeks. Even games Like Metroid Prime Echoes with its full HUD display on never left any burned in image. There was one day I played Zelda for 11hrs. With no problems. So really I dont think there is much of an issue with burn in with these sets. Just dont watch CNN or QVC all day long. Those situtations may give you burn in. The thing is if your going to fall asleep just shut the tv off. The Kuro Sets are great.

I have the a2000 and the pic quality is great. Keep in mind that Sony will be droping the rear projection line soon. I don't really think that plasmas have much chance of burn in these days.

Hi Nick,

I struggled with this choice a few months ago. I ended up with the JVC HD-ILA LCOS (like SXRD) and am very pleased with my decision. The picture is stunning.

You really have to go LOOK at some sets and not rely solely on reviews.

I'm really glad I didn't settle for 768p, especially relative to displaying computer or gaming images.

Read my journey of angst here

Image retention, aka burn in on plasma is still possible, but not unless you are really careless with the set. I would say set the pic mode to stretch for 4:3 programming just to be safe.

It also seems that watching varied programming initially and in full screen can help prevent burn in, as will properly calibrating you set and turning down the brightness.

My overall impressions are Pioneer is the best plasma, but I would never pay the large premium for the piano black finish and any slightly better pic than the Panasonics.

As for RPTV, yes Sony is discontinuing the SXRD as they had problems with it. I consider the XBR series of SXRD to be better than the Grand Wega (A2000, A2020, A3000, etc.)

JVC had been doing LCOS based RPTV longer than Sony and that is what I chose 1.5 years ago. I heard feedback from an ISF calibrator at the time that its videoprocessor was better than the A2000 sony and on par with the XBR's...I'm extremely pleased with the set and have had no issues.

My reccomendation is for plasma the Panny is a great set and better value than Pioneer, but if $$ is no object go with the Pioneer.

For RPTV, JVC isnt sexy and doesnt market their products well, but they have more experience with LCOS and their HDILA sets the past 3 years seem to be very reliable and the performance is great.

I compared the Panny plasma's side by side with the JVC HDILA and Sony XBR and really couldnt say one picture was significantly better than the other.

Re: Burn-in - don't beleive the hype.

Just be careful about how you view. I have my computer hoooked up to my plasma, and ocassionaly, I get careless and leave a window open for too long (read: hours) and I woudl get image retention at the top and bottom of the screen, where the windows bars are. They go away in a matter of minutes, though, with some other active viewing (motion and color changes across the whole screen).

With regard to image quality - these days, the pictures are all getting so good that it is hard to really make a choice. A few years back, a couple of brands were more advanced than others (Sony, Pioneer and Panasonic) among them. Others have since caught up. I have a Pio ("older" (circa 2006) 720p version), and think the image is smooth, clear, bright and just down right awesome. A buddy has the 1080 Panny and he pretty much thinks that it is the tits, too.

Tough choice, only because you can't go wrong nowadays. Think price, form factor and functionality as your main considerations. All of those sets will display HD beautifully and will do a really greaty job with DVD. With standard def cable going digital in a lot of places, even SD TV looks really good, too.

Enjoy

I agree with the capn. You should probably be concentrating on other features such as 24fps and faster refresh rates.

Faster refresh rates are really not an issue with plasma or LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicone) sets. SXRD was just Sony's version they called (Silicone Xrystal Reflective Display). this is mainly with LCD direct view that you will get motion blurring due to slow response time and refresh rates.

As for 24fps conversion. Its a process called inverse telecine and if you google Gary Merson- are you getting all the resolution you expected....you will see where he does 3:2 conversion tests and evaluates which TV's properly do this.

ctown,

Not being able to display a 4:3 program its correct aspect ratio is a deal breaker for me. I cannot stand to watch anything that is not in its correct aspect ratio. You really think that the 4:3 aspect ratio might be a problem with burn in?

- Nick

vassillios,

Between the Sony and the Pioneer 24 fps is not even an issue since they both can display those frame rates. This was one issue that I took into account when I narrowed it down to these two sets. The Pioneer is a 72 Hz set and the Sony is a 120 Hz set.

- Nick

tomtuttle,

I would have just went with the new JVC LCoS but they made the depth very shallow to compete with flat panel displays and as a result geometry is off. The previous JVC LCoS was supposed to be very good in comparison to the Previous Sony sxrd, but I don't know how it would compete with the new Sony. Since there aren't many stores that carry JVC it is hard to do a comparison. So the JVC is out. I would love to have a JVC since they are supposed to have one of the best processors though.

- Nick

I have had the Panasonic 50pz77 for almost a month now and notice no issues with burn in. I think for the price that it's a great bargain compared to the Pioneer plasmas. The Pioneers may be slightly better but i didn't think the difference in price was worth it.

I wasn't aware that JVC had a new, ultra-thin product line. Thanks for the update. It seems like you should still be able to find previous generation models somewhere. Hmmph.

I was pretty impressed with the Panasonic plasmas when I was shopping, but I got a bigger screen for less money this way. Like others have commented, I don't believe the premium for the Pioneer is worth it.

Yeah, it'd be a deal breaker for me, too...I don't understand how people ruin the picture like this so lightly. It seems to 99% of the people in the world that watching oompa-loompa shaped people is no big deal.

I have a fair collection of 4:3 shows on DVD; if I decide to work my way through a 22 episodes of a full season, I want to know if that's going to be an issue when looking for a new TV.

As mentioned above you might get image retention from the black bars on either side of a 4:3 picture. The new sets have a variety of stretched modes so that the display no longer looks like everybody is short and fat if you stretch the pic. If you still dont like that, I would then probably stick with something other than plasma.

Yes JVC has a newer HDILA with a shallower depth cabinet as everybody wants a set that isnt as deep.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/484466-REG/JVC_HD65S998_HD_65S998_65_HDILA_TV.html

I havent seen it, but that being said, you can probably still pick up the FH97 or FN97 which is last years model on display somewhere if you like the deeper cabinet.

I think the fact that Sony is dropping SXRD because of costs of class action lawsuits due to light engine failure might be a reason to steer clear of buying one new. Not to mention the purple haze or blob issue you hear of with those sets. In the end, its up to you.

I used to own a corvair and loved it despite it not being safe at any speed.

Nick,

The thread Tom provided has some good info. Let me just drop some points here I have picked up over time and by doing some research when I was shopping for my plasma.

Sony has decided to discontinue the SXRD/LCOS technology. Great PQ, but controlling consistency with their colors has been problematic. Don't know much about the JVC.

LCD/LCOS is better for a room with lotsa sunlight (plasma screens are more reflective).

Plasma burn-in is pretty much a non-issue. They manufacture in technology that causes the individual pixels to "wobble" to avoid the burn-in. You won't see the wobble with your naked eye. In fact, to get burn-in, you will need to work to get it.

Pioneer and Panasonic are the best plasma TVs (electronics, glass, reliability). In fact, they OEM plasma glass for most other sellers. Those other folks then use their own electronics.

Search the internet on "720P vs 1080P". What you will find is this - 1080P is nice, but only comes into play if you will be sitting really close to the screen. Otherwise, a TV that does 720P/1080i is good enough. This comment will likely cause a sweaty discussion, but see if you can find a 720P and 1080P TV sitting side by side showing the HD stuff. Stand back 8-10 feet and see if you can tell the difference. Then look at the price difference and determine if it is justified for you. The above is pretty much general consensus and the battle rages. Not quite as severe as the debates about speaker wire, but spirited nonetheless.

Panasonic vs Pioneer. From what I have been reading, the new Pio Kuro ("kuro" means "black" in Japanese). achieves better black levels than Panasonic. I honestly don't know since I haven't gone to look. Hopefully it's not one of those things that a dog can appreciate with their senses, but a human can't appreciate. Take your eyes for a test ride with these two brands if you are doing plasma.

Hope it helps.

Ray

Ray, JVC actually pioneered LCOS and has been implementing it successfully for years. Sony introduced SXRD and did a great marketing job with a non perfected product IMO.

[/quote]
LCD/LCOS is better for a room with lotsa sunlight (plasma screens are more reflective).[/quote]

LCOS gives a great film like pic in dark rooms as well. Plasma sets now have anti reflective coatings also that limit light reflection.


[/quote]
Plasma burn-in is pretty much a non-issue. They manufacture in technology that causes the individual pixels to "wobble" to avoid the burn-in. Ray [/quote]

That wobbling is interesting, I never knew that. But if there are dark bars on both sides of a 4:3 image....what good is wobbling them to another dark pixel next to it. Seems to me the phosphor wear would be the same because its the same colour pixel. I could be wrong on that, but it just seems logical.

The wobble thing is usually a setting to turn on. It's not a perfect solution, but the line where the bars live won't be the issue that the large dark space might be.

I haven't spent much time being concerned enough to chase down the details because I don't watch much 4:3. If I am forced to do that over a couple of hours in a row, I'll usually change the channel during a commercial to a full screen and eliminate the possibility.

nick: I would strongly suggest that you go and spend some time watching some of the various HDTVs side by side. I don't think that the trades are 720 vs 1080 or plasma vs sxrd.

I think that you would be better served looking at the contrast ratio, how the color edges merge into one another, and how you like the over picture quality.

I don't think that plasma burn in is as much of a problem today, as it was a few years ago.

I have 2 Sony SXRDs. One is a 60" and the other is about 32." I am very pleased with both.

SXRD is (silicone xrystal reflective display) a projection technology of Sony that is/was used for rear projection TV and front projectors. Its a variation of LCOS(liquid crystal on silicone) The smallest SXRD was offered in 50"

If you have a 32" Sony it is probably a flat panel LCD, not rear projection. You probably mean its a 32" XBR.




The OP has stated he is a gamer, so direct view LCD is probably not his best bet unless its a newer unit with faster response time similar to that of plasma or a projection(LCD, DLP or LCOS). Also, depending on the system he is using, it may have 1080P output, so why not go with what will be the new standard in displays in the very near future.

Generally speaking, if you cant control the lighting in your room and its subject to lots of light, LCD or Projection are what you want. Within those 2 classes, the projection is generally better for fast moving scenes.

If you can control the lighting then you can go with anything, plasma, LCD or projection. Image retention will be more of a factor on plasma, than LCD or RPTV, but as Alan Loftt has mentioned, plasma pictures seem to have a nicer punch to the display.

My suggestion is if playing 4:3 for extended periods of time is an issue without changing the programming to full screen, or switching to a commercial to prevent image retention of the black bars, then go with RPTV. Yes, get a Sony XBR SXRD while they are still making them this year. The Grand Wega's (a2000 series) use Sony's DRC version 1 while the XBR uses version 2.5, so you will get a softer pic, especially with SD in 4:3. Or if DLP appeals to you, the Samsungs are beautiful. If the geometry of the new JVC's dont work, then pass on them.

I love the pic of plasma, but it sounds like the fear of the wife watching too much 4:3 will cause too much anxiety.

good luck with your decision.

rat - nice job. My mantra is usually "trust your eyes/ears" to make the decision and I sometimes forget that advice.

I must remember to bring you along Al. The next time I am going out to get a new flat screen. It will save me alot of research!

Re: 4:3 issues and burn in.

2 points, both of which have been touched on above:

1.) Watching 4:3 in its original aspect ratio does not pose a serious risk of "burn in" after a reasonable period of break in has occured (a month or so). The main concern, really, is reverse burn-in. That is, the pixels in the center of the screen will lose their brilliance faster than those on the edge of the screen over time. First, this is a bit of an absurd scenario and would require the watching of tons of 4:3 content and close to no widescreen material. This, of course, begs the question of why an HDTV is necessary. If all you are going ot be doing is watching sydicated re-runs or 4:3 encoded DVDs, then you won't gain much advatange (aside from the slim profile) of an HDTV. Second, considering that plasmas fade to about half their brightness in about 10 years (source: ?), perceiving a noticeable decrease in mid-screen brightness b/c of watching 4:3 material is not a real concern (at least of mine).

2.) There are a number of very well done "stretch" modes on HDTV's these days that combine side to side stretching, vertical zooming and parabolic lens shifting near the screen edges together to create a very convincing widescreen image from 4:3 material, with minimal loss of on-screen information and very subtle vertical "smooshing". I watch most of my 4:3 material this way (which includes Simpsons re-runs, cooking shows, and other low-def material on cable). While I guess I am not a purest, this is a very good compromise, in my mind, for getting a picture to fill the screen (as preferred by my wife as well).

I think that I have finally decided on a set. I am getting my taxes prepared on Saturday morning and will probably put all of that money toward a new TV. I decided on the Panasonic TX-50PX75U. I will be sitting about 8 feet away from the TV so from what I have read 1080p is a waste of money for a 50 inch set. Although, I can’t check this out for myself since all of the stores feed their TV’s with a 720p signal.

Like was mentioned by others, the Pioneer is just not worth that extra money. The Panasonic is about $1500 and Pioneer is about an extra $1000 for a little bit deeper blacks. I would like to get the Panasonic 77U which has the antiglare coating on the screen but it seems that Crutchfield is out of stock of that set. I’m planning on buying the set from Crutchfield since they have very good customer service like Axiom and a reasonably priced 5 year warranty plan (only about $189) that seems to be better than the ones offered at Best Buy or Circuit City.

I would have just went for the Sony sxrd but with so many people having problems with this technology and Sony getting out of making them all together because of this it just doesn’t seem to be worth the risk. If I were to buy it from Crutchfield and bought the 5 year warranty plan from them I do think that they would take care of me if I did have problems with it though.

But, it looks like the Panasonic is the better set though picture-wise. Furthermore, I don’t think that burn-in will be an issue on the Panasonic. At audioholics.com they tested burn-in on a new Panasonic by leaving the set hooked up to a computer for six hours with the screen saver off and the screen displaying the desktop. Apparently there was no burn-in at all after this much abuse.

- Nick

I'm not sure about the Price of the Panasonic. I'm sure it's a nice set. I personally have the Pio 150FD 60". I bought it over the phone from an "authorized" pioneer dealer in Colorado called:

http://www.axxisdurango.com/Welcome.html
( ask for John Marty- Owner )

I read all the information about them and got several references from the AVSforum.com guys. Anyway, I paid 5500 shipped for the 60 ". If you really want the Panasonic then I say get it. If you haven't called AxxisDurango, you should to compare the prices. Might save you a few $$ or allow you to get the PIO. It's a very nice picture, no burn it, etc..

Sorry if this adds to your confusion, but I thought I'd give you one more option before you throw down the cash.

PM me if you have questions specific that I might can help with.

- JD

jfdawson,
Thanks for that link, I'm looking at 50' plasmas myself, that's a great price you got for the Pio 150FD 60" I shot axxisdurango an e-mail for a quote on the Pioneer PDP-5010FD Plasma TV.

The best price that I found online when I did a pricegrabber search for the Pioneer pdp-5810hd was for $2000. These were from some of those internet only companies that you have to be a bit cautious about. Especially when I have been watching prices in brick and mortar stores that won't drop below $2500. Once I add in an extended warranty that takes me a little bit out of my price range. With the Panasonic and the extended warranty from Crutchfield it comes in at a little under $1700 with free shipping. If I could get the Pioneer for about $2000 with an extended warranty then I would definitely do it. But, I don't see that happening.

- Nick

Nick, the reliability data(e.g., Consumer Reports)indicate that both the plasmas and the LCDs are now very reliable and make the purchase of an extended warranty inadvisable.

Good luck with it. I'd still give Axxis a call to see if they can beat your price.

- JD

Axxis returned my e-mail and quoted me better prices than I could find at any of the reputable dealers online. I've got to get out this weekend and have a look at some of the sets I want since I'm basing what I want on reviews. On my shortlist are the Pioneer 5010FD and 6010FD. Hopefully by Monday I'll be able to call Axxis and place my order.

Sorry, but you read incorrectly. 1080P is even worth the money on a 42" set, if you were sitting around 6 ft away. Take a look at the attached link and you will see that optimal seating distance for a 50" @720P is 10 ft, so at 8 ft you would benefit from a 1080P set.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hitech/1137/maxing-out-resolution.html

Also, you say that most stores only show 720P on their sets. I really dont know how true that is. Most broadcast standards are 1080i, so if a store is displaying a satellite feed, then its most likely 1080i unless they change the STB to show 720p. You could ask them to show 1080i to see what it looks like.

50" on a 720P set at your distance of 8 ft will likely make the picture look softer and you may even be able to see the pixel structure of 768x1024 pixels.

I'd reconsider either getting a smaller TV, changing your seating distance or looking at a 1080P set.

Nick, remember that a 1080P set shows 1080x1920 pixels, so over 2 million pixels. A 768x1024 set shows 786,432 pixels...so less than half of the 1080p set. So the pixels would have to be twice as large on the 720 set than the 1080 set and that is why you have to sit farther away.

If you buy a 720 set and the input is 1080i broadcast standard, the videoprocessor will convert the 1080i down and show it at 720p.

If you buy a 1080p set and the input is 1080i, the videoprocessor will hold half of that interlaced signal(540P lines) for a split second and show them all at the same time as 1080 progressive.

The processing of merely holding 540 lines for a split second is very easy, which is why I never listen to the pimply faced salespeople at BM stores that say "1080p is a waste because there is no 1080P signal being broadcast".

The fact is that you can sit closer to a larger TV that is 1080P than you can with the same size TV that is 720P.

Not quite accurate... A true 720p set would have a resolution of 1280x720=921,600 pixels. (They're usually 1366x768=1,049,088, for some bizarre reason) A 1080p set at 1920x1080 would be 2,073,600.

Exactly!!

But one site I looked up said the Panasonic set that the OP is looking at has specs of 720x1024, so the math I did was accurate for that specific set. I see another site says its 768x1366.

The fact remains that the 1080P set will have more than twice the # of smaller pixels and allow you to sit closer without seeing them.

Well, I'll let you guys know when my 60" Pioneer 1080p Plasma shows up next week

Congrats on upselling yourself Homedad!!!! Let us know your impressions when you get it.

I'm jealous of your choice.

Don't forget to check out these etailers (they may not show up in a search): Visual Apex, Cleveland Plasma, New Egg. They all have good/great prices and excellent customer service/relability.

HomeDad, did you end up buying the Pioneer 6010FD? I've had mine since August when it was first released, and it is fantastic. Hi-def DVD and cable look amazing. We have it mounted in our family room, and it always draws oohs and aahs.

As to the original question, I also own the Sony KDS-55A3000 SXRD set which we have in our basement. This is also an excellent TV, but I do frankly prefer the Pioneer plasma, which I should considering the price difference (about $3,200 in my case).

The Pioneer has a beautiful picture, very rich 3-dimensional image, deep black levels, amazing viewing angles both horizontal and vertical, and can obviously be mounted (which we did and it looks great--and keeps it out of reach of the kids).

The Sony has a beautiful picture also, but suffers a bit from silk screen effect, obviously loses out to the plasma as far as viewing angles are concerned, obviously can't be mounted, etc. But for our purposes in the basement, getting a 55" 1080p HDTV for about $1,400 was too good to pass up.

In the end, the Sony SXRDs really provide a big bang for the buck, but the Pioneer plasmas are in another league imho.

Just called it in a couple hours ago, I should have it before the Superbowl. Glad you are enjoying yours, can't wait to get mine. The reviews were so good I couldn't pass it up

I have seen this graph many times. The reason that I said that 1080p doesn't make much difference on a 50" display from 8 feet away is because of the shoot-out in this month's Home Theater magazine. The 50" Pioneer 5810 being 768p was the only non-1080p display and it won the shoot-out. Nobody was able to notice the difference when viewing from 4 times the screen height. They said that if you are not sitting 6 feet or closer to the set then go with the 768p Pioneer. When viewing less than 6 feet from the display they were able to tell that it looked a little bit soft in comparison to the others. The Pioneer beat out the sony 60" sxrd, Mitsubishi diamond series RPTV, Panasonic top of the line 50" 1080p and a couple other lcd's. The explanation that the reviewers gave as to how a set with half the pixels as the others ones looking like it has as much details as the others was the contrast ratio. The Pioneer's contrast ratio is so much better than all the other display's that if fools the eye into thinking that there is more detail than there actually is. Being as I can't compare 720p vs 1080p in the store's (I have tryed but all the stores feed the sets a 720p signal), I have to take the word of the home theater reviewer's.

- Nick

I have not seen that article, but it sounds interesting. What video sources did they use? Blu Ray? HDTV source?? Any SD programming??

If I understand correctly you are saying that the 768 pioneer and the 1080 Panasonic compare at 8 ft in the review and most atttribute that to contrast ratio of the Pioneer. On the other hand you are going to get a 768 Panasonic and view it primarily from 8 ft as opposed to the 1080 Panasonic which has a different contrast ratio than the pioneer.

Seems like you have done some good research. If you trust the word of the home theatre reviewers in that magazine, then contratulations on your impending purchase and let us know what your thoughts are when you get it setup.

BTW, dont worry too much about not being able to see a 1080i signal in store(1080p would be from a Blu Ray or HDDVD). The TV's have a fixed number of pixels and they always display in their native resolution. Example, if you input 720P into a 1080P set, the videoprocessor just upconverts to 1080P. Likewise if you see a set that says accepts 720P, 1080i, that means its a 720p set and it will scale down 1080i signals and show it 720p.

They used Gladiator and the Fifth Element for SD as everyone does. For high def they used Blue-ray Pirates of the Carribean, HDDVD Batman Begins and something else that I can't remember. This Shootout was perfect timing for me. I am going to try to get a good price on the Pioneer 50" 5080 but if I can't then I'll just go with the 768p Panasonic (that wasn't reviewed in the shootout).

The copy of home theater magazine is probably still on the newsstands. If you are at all interested in purchasing a TV I highly recommend this issue since the shout out covered all of the major brands and all of the different technologies. But, only one technology was allowed per brand. So since the Sony sxrd was reviewed the Sony LCD's were not.

- Nick

The best price that I saw the Pio 5080 at a reputable online dealer was from Onecall for 2150.00 shipping included. You might give axxisdurango.com a call on the sets you are interested in and they may be able to beat the others prices. I just bought my Pio 6010 from them.

HomeDad,
Glad you found my recommendation useful. Make sure you check the set when the driver delivers it. Turn it on at least. I'm sure Axxis would help you out, but....

You're gonna love the Pioneer. I have a Pioneer Elite 64" rear projection 1080i ( living room ) and the Kuro Plasma ( HT room ) blows it away on picture quality. People say 1080p you can't tell,8-10 ft away but I would ABSOLUTELY disagree. At least with a Pioneer Kuro.

I also have the Pio BluRay 95 and Toshiba A35 HD DVD ( 1080p/24 )and they look outstanding. All of it is paired with Denon 3808 and Axiom 80/500 set up, connected HDMI throughout. I also have an Xbox 360 and it's also just amazing....

Good Choice...

- JD

JD
Thanks again for the recommendation, I can't wait to see the picture. We have similar setups, I'm using an Axiom 80/500 with the Denon 4806, Toshiba XA2, XBOX360 and a PS3. As soon as it arrives I'm going to set it up with the settings recommended here Plasma Buying Guide then pop in a 1080p movie and enjoy.

I finally decided on a set and purchased one. I was able to wiggle into the Pioneer pdp-5810hd. Axxisaudio quoted me a price of $2199 delivered with tax. Vans' and One Stop had similar prices. I was kind of hesitant of buying from these companies that I have never really heard of so I went to Best Buy to see if they could beat the prices. I was able to get them to come down to $2100 delivered and Best Buy has 36 months no interest. This 36 months was what sealed the deal since I am a little bit over budget with this even at $2100. The only downside is that I have to wait to get the set until Feb 15! This is going to be a long two weeks. I decided not to go with the extended warrany since it was suggested that it is not worth the money with the newer plasma's. But, I am upgrading to a better surge protector.

I am glad that I went with the Pioneer. If I would have went with the Panasonic I would have always wished that I went with the Pioneer even though they are quite close performance-wise. Thanks to everyone for your help. Also, thanks to jfdawson for getting me to try one last time to see if I could squeeze the Pioneer into my budget.

- Nick

How are these plasma screens with reflections?
That is to say, i know their contrast ratios are fine for 'sunny' rooms, but some of the displays have a glossy screen which really picks up glare from the sides. I was looking at a Pioneer in Best Buy a month ago and was bothered by this.
My father just bought a Toshiba laptop that has a nice 17" screen but it has the same effect. It is so bad that in a completely dark room i could still see the glare from the light from the laptop screen off my face.

I'm curious if anyone has some thoughts on this.

Panasonic has released a model with a anti glare coating, that does reduce the amount of reflection. On y regular plasma I don't find the reflection bad at all when all the lights are on but I do not get much sunlight in that room.

My worksite has about 20 plasma screens on site used as informational displays. They are full HD screens but lack the anti-glare coating. They are replacing all of them with the anti-glare variety because some of them get direct sunlight, depending on the season, and people have complained about it.

Unfortunately, since the existing screens were purchased with bond money, they can't leave the site. They'll end up sitting in local storage for another 7 years before they can legally leave the grounds.

What a waste and a shame.

As mentioned the Panasonic's have an anti glare coating that seems to work well. When I was in Best Buy this weekend I couldn't catch any glare off the Panasonic sets, unfortunately they didn't carry the Pioneers in my closest store so I'll have to see when it arrives.
My old Toshiba Plasma does catch some glare during the day off the side windows, and during the evening with some of the interior lights. I don't find it to much of a bother, hopefully the new Pioneer will show some improvement in that area.

Well i'm considering a plasma screen since the LCDs i've viewed in the past (plus the one we own) just have too many issues (lag and terrible blacks being the most obvious). I know the technology is coming along and improving, but i just haven't seen one yet that has measured up to any hype.
The plasmas i've seen have none of these issues, but then there was the glare thing.
I have put off any purchase of a larger screen for one of our rooms while waiting for the issues to improve. Perhaps i haven't seen the right models yet.

I'm in a holding pattern.

I notice the antiglare coating disperses the glare across the screen a bit more and dulls it down, but it is still somewhat noticeable; not to the point of interfering with the picture except when that area drops to black and you notice it isn't black allowing you to see the reflective area. It is pretty much the same as any LCD's I have seen that have a bit of glare.

Yeah, the antiglare coatings are an improvement, but if you have too much light that is not controllable in the room, it still may be an issue.

That's the main reason I purchased a projection as its on the main floor near a south facing 11ft wide picture window. Neat thing is my neighbours across the street can watch the superbowl from the comfort of their own home if they want.

How big is your room and how far away are you planning to sit? I am struggling with the 50 vs 60" Pio elite in a 14x20' room. Think the 60 might be overkill....

The room is 20' by 45', although I'll only be sitting 12' feet away. The 60" was a better value in terms of cost Imo than the 50", and as many on the forum has said "you can't go to big"

Has anyone heard of issues with plasma screens in higher altitudes? I just moved to Colorado and somebody at work cautioned me about plasmas.

That's funny you mentioned that. I purchased my Plasma from http://www.axxisdurango.com in Colorado, they did mention some sets had some issues at higher elevations. Check their website and give them a call if you are thinking of buying a Plasma, they have great prices and service.

I have the Pioneer Elite Pro-1130HD. As far as the glare issue. I only have one window in my room, and its to the side of my TV. But even on a sunny day I never have a glare issue. Im sure the new Kuro sets have an even better film on them. I really dont think that you'll have much problem with glare from either the Pannys, or Pioneers. They are both really nice TV's

How far are you gonna sit away from the screen?? We sit 14 ft away from a 61" set and its great. It looked big at first, but after a couple months my wife commented "we could have gone with the 70" set".

I'd go 50" at around 10 ft, but anywhere from 14-20.....go 60" for sure.