Hi Guys,

Looking into a new tv either 63 or 65 inch. Here is what I know:

I am 152 inches from my current 46" tv which is obviously it's to small at that distance. I could bring the tv maybe 8 inches closer to my seating position but that's about it. The reason why I am now this far ? well if you read my other thread called " bass reduction when sitting down" you will see that to fix my audio problems I had to move my seating position all the way to the back wall. Now I am 152 inches from my tv and want to get a big A$$ tv to replace my 46" one.

I have a Samsung LCD now, series 750 and I think it's awsome. But I think my next one will be plasma.

So far I am looking into Samsung 63" C8000 model and the Panasonic VT 65".

I don't want a projector / screen. Would a 58" be enough at that distance ? I don't want to pay more than $5K for my tv, less is better, but PQ quality is paramount.

I know that the Pioneer Elite are the best, but a: they are over my budget and b: they are discontinued so I am not looking to go there.

sugestions, comments welcome as always,

Cheers,

Steph

First i would suggest going with a projector but you have ruled that out so:

Pioneer Elite sold their technology to Panasonic I believe and that is part of the reason they are now regarded as one of the top plasma manufactures. I have 1 pany now and am getting a 2nd next week. I have their lowest line of plasma the S series and going up to their G series. If i remember correctly their T series is what is now using the pioneer elite technology but im sure someone can correct me if im wrong.

5K should definately buy you whatever you need in a TV. Take your time finding one especially with that budget but i would see what Pany can offer you at the 60" plus size. Being that far away go as big as you can IMO. I sit 104" away and think 50" is almost not big enough. Best of luck keep us informed of your own research as well.

Thanks Nash..

What I am finding anoying is all that 3D stuff.. don't need it, won't use it, etc.. I just want a HD tv that has excellent / top video quality with none of the fad of the year "features".. but that's life..whatever sells to the masses right ?

I think it will be between a Panny or Samsung..unless there is something else out there that is as good / better for less money ... Sony ? Sharp ? Hitachi ?

What about LED ? what makes it better than LCD or Plasma ? I have not seen any 60+ LED tv yet..but I'm just wondering about the tech...

Samsung also has a 65" LCD that looks quite interesting...


More research required I think.

Riker,

From what I have seen, read, and talked about LED is too fake for me. The only "real" picture that i appreciate has been plasma. This really applies to the 60 120 or 240 hz claims which are all BS IMO. If you want an accurate picture plasma or projection has been the winners. Its similar to Blose speakers, they might sound nice to the average bloke but to me they sound faker than Paris Hilton. I am not trying ot put down LED or LCD or Blose because all of the above have their place but if you are able and willing to spend 5k on a tv you simply want the best and IMO at this time its Plasma.

Walk into a showroom and everyone states how bright and vivid the LED's are, this is artificially done and is not accurate at all which is why i stay away.

600hz > any artificial motion enhancement of LED and LCD especially when considering 55+"

Sorry for the double post.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+65%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+3D+Plasma+HDTV/9903382.p?id=1218192433921&skuId=9903382

this is from Best Buy, i know you stated that yuo didnt want 3D but the crappy part of fads is the companies spend the most money in devoloping them. Their 50" got rated as the best 2d television but is also a 3d. Their T series like this is developed from the pioneer elite.

If cheaper is better is the route,

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Panasonic+-+VIERA+/+65%22+Class+/+1080p+/+600Hz+/+Plasma+HDTV/9904381.p?id=1218192431680&skuId=9904381

this will work and you can buy two and send me one. :-)

Thanks Nash.. in Canada, the 58" VT25 is $4K.. just $300 less than the 65" VT25 in US !!!

And the Best Buy in Ottawa, Canada, does not even carry the 65".. just the 58" at $4K.

Which means that the 65" is probably at or near $5K in CA.

If I can get it that is..

What sucks is the price difference is not in line with the dollar value.. companies like BB and FS are just raking in the cash even though the CA dollar is almost at par (97.5)with the US dollar. But I bet you there is close to $1000.00 difference between your price on the 65" and mine..

Cheers,

I want a front projector at some point, but I know why most people wouldn't want to get into that whole hassle. I'm hesitant to get into it myself, especially when the ideal front projection technology has yet to surface.

While my only experience with DLP has been improperly calibrated sets at stores several years ago (which didn't impress me at all), I'm still interested in the technology, even if consumers as a whole seem to have written it off. The Mitsubishi LaserVue sets are intriguing (65" model going for $4k on Amazon.com right now), but I'm not really willing to cough up that cash for something that I just want to tide me over until the front projector I want comes along. Maybe one of the non-LaserVue sets is what I'll go for. A 73" for $2500 seems pretty good. But I have other things to buy before I replace my 60" Sony SXRD, so here's hoping the options are better by the time I get serious. I wish you luck, and let us know what you decide to get.

Bestbuy, Future Shop, Visions and Sears all carry the 65" VT25 (maybe not stocked at some locations). The C8000 and VT25 are the hottest plasma tvs out right (for 2D and 3D). The C8000 is cheaper and almost matches the VT in PQ, however they also suffer from buzz issues. I just picked up a 65" VT25 from Memory Express for $4200 so deals can be had in Canada on this tv. Memory Express has the 58" C8000 on for $2900.

This late in the year I think I might be willing to wait for a good Xmas sale and see what you can comeup with.

As far as LED vs. Plasma when properly calibrated they both look very good but I still give the nod to the Plasma it looks a little smoother(fast sequences/sports etc) , but only by just a little, IMO, could be my bias for Plasmas playing tricks on me too

Thanks SDBADD for the info.. and Jay you have a great point about xmas deals comming up. Come to think of it, that's what I did for my current Samsung 46LN750, I got it on boxing week and payed 2K for it when it was 2.7K just a few months prior.

Cheers,

2001 audio video in Canada had the panny 65 inch for 2699 currently .

Hi PT,
I am seeing it at $4999.99 ?

http://www.2001audiovideo.com/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=5953

Well, after using several online distance / screen calculators I might be re-thinking my position on a projector.

The various standards ie: THX, SMPTE etc..tell me that from my distance of 12.2feet for optimal experience I would need a screen size of 128" ! and a minimum of 95"..

Given that the 65" panny VT24 is $5K in my town, I might be better served with a projector and screen!

Comments ? I have zero knowledge of projector at this time and I know less about screens !.. more research !

I've heard a lot of good things from Carada for screens and Panasonic and Epson for Projectors.

Hey Riker,
Having both a Panny plasma at home and a huge 128" projector screen (Panny PT-4000) at my in-laws place I would take the clarity of a plasma anyday. The projector is good, but the detail in a direct view set can't be beat. That being said, a huge screen does have an impact when watching movies.

If you go the projector route, mounting becomes very important - especially in the basement. The ceiling you mount to will move when people walk directly over head, I suggest going with wall mounting to avoid the bouncing image issues.

My 2 cents for the day.

We do good work here. Anything else you need help on?

Ya i know , there website is done by some kid and not updated regularly.

Toronto Sun add this morning had it for that price.

If you haven't checked it out already, you might want to take a look at Costco. LG plasmas, although not quite as good as Panasonic(they sell them as well), are a good bang for the buck and still a pretty good picture. I saw one the other day, Model PK550 (60 in.) for $1699! I don't know about Ottawa but in recent times around these parts anyway, Costco seems to be really expanding their television line and getting in to some bigger sets at excellent prices.

If your heart is still set on the Panasonic and want to look at another alternative, you might want to check with "Higher Definition"(HD.ca), an online company in Oakville, Ontario(just west of Toronto). Shipping is free.

Thanks Casey, much appreciated. I am a Costco member but what I have seen there is mostly the low to mid range sets, I'll take a closer look next time I'm in, and also check out that web site. Thanks again,

Cheers
Steph

+1 here. I am yet to see an LED that doesn't alter the image source in a really weird way. I still can't put my finger on it, but the foreground and background elements appear to move at different rates. It's jarring and fake looking - nothing like the movies.

My opinion, to the extent it hasn't already been stated above is go AS BIG as you can afford and/or the space (or wife) will allow. Avoid LED. I prefer the look of Plasmas still, but LCD are fine. Avoid the 3d hype just yet. That tech is no new that what you pay today for future-sh!t tech will be surpassed in the next couple of years (possibly made obsolete) at half the price.

Wait, LED is just a change in backlight illumination instead of fluorescent, right? I haven't noticed any weird artifacts on my laptop screen, and I watch stuff on there all the time.

I have decided that I am going to wait for sales arounds xmas time and get either the Samsung 63" C8000 or the Panny 65"VT25. I'm leaning towards the samsung but could go either way.

Here's one recent article from Buzzle.com about LED vs LCD vs Plasma.

Riker,

Please feel free to resurrect your own thread should you purchase something around black Friday so we can all be jealous.

Maybe my issue was with 120hz tv?

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/12/help-key-why-hd-video-looks-weird/