I'm looking for a new TV, preferably around 55" and $1400, to be used primarily for TV and movies as well as the occasional game. Given that the Panasonic Viera ST50 fit my size and expense criteria as well as being the best bang for buck in 2012, I was set on that. But I've never owned a plasma before and the thought of image retention is giving me doubts. If I were to record a show or movie, would I have to be careful about the network watermark considering I'd just fast forward through commercials? Would subtitles in a movie cause problems? What about the HUD in games, or the Windows logo and taskbar?
Buying an HDTV - Is plasma right for me?
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
I have a Panasonic TX-P50G10, a mid range Viera model from about 3 years ago. Do not worry about image retention, it's not an issue on modern plasmas. I often leave it on with a static image, sometimes overnight, in the morning I change the channel and you can slightly see the retained image for about 30 seconds, then it clears itself. You will not get problems with channel logos. I have over 5000 hours use on this TV and never had any problems. Panasionic plasmas are awesome, if you are a fan of plasma over LED then you will never regret buying one.
Honestly in the 55" to 60" range, I'd be looking moreso to LCD/LED HDTVs....
Much thinner, lighter, and less power consumption than plasmas with an excellent picture and viewing angle.
Prices on LEDs has been dropping dramatically in the past year or so... (although plasmas still go for somewhat cheaper than LCD/LEDs).
Much thinner, lighter, and less power consumption than plasmas with an excellent picture and viewing angle.
Prices on LEDs has been dropping dramatically in the past year or so... (although plasmas still go for somewhat cheaper than LCD/LEDs).
Quote:
Quote:
from what I've read, image retention has actually gotten worse since then in Panasonic models.Originally Posted by BiG_LiG
I have a Panasonic TX-P50G10, a mid range Viera model from about 3 years ago. Do not worry about image retention, it's not an issue on modern plasmas. I often leave it on with a static image, sometimes overnight, in the morning I change the channel and you can slightly see the retained image for about 30 seconds, then it clears itself. You will not get problems with channel logos. I have over 5000 hours use on this TV and never had any problems. Panasionic plasmas are awesome, if you are a fan of plasma over LED then you will never regret buying one.
Quote:
could you recommend any?Originally Posted by DarkFury
Honestly in the 55" to 60" range, I'd be looking moreso to LCD/LED HDTVs....
Much thinner, lighter, and less power consumption than plasmas with an excellent picture and viewing angle.
Prices on LEDs has been dropping dramatically in the past year or so... (although plasmas still go for somewhat cheaper than LCD/LEDs).
Joined
·
1,098 Posts
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1459732/avs-roundup-of-the-best-reviewed-flat-panel-tvs-of-2012
Image retention really is not a problem anymore like what Big Said. I have a G20 and don't have any problems with it. However, I still would not be leaving a static image on the screen overnight.
Also, Plasmas are not near as power hungry as they once were and have a much better picture in general.
That said, can you tell us how bright your room is? If it is a really bright room with direct sunlight you should probably look into the LCD/LED. If you dont have much direct sunlight and all the windows are shaded/dont have the sun shining directly inside, then you will get more for your dollar with plasma when it comes to size and picture quality.
Image retention really is not a problem anymore like what Big Said. I have a G20 and don't have any problems with it. However, I still would not be leaving a static image on the screen overnight.
Also, Plasmas are not near as power hungry as they once were and have a much better picture in general.
That said, can you tell us how bright your room is? If it is a really bright room with direct sunlight you should probably look into the LCD/LED. If you dont have much direct sunlight and all the windows are shaded/dont have the sun shining directly inside, then you will get more for your dollar with plasma when it comes to size and picture quality.
Joined
·
4,390 Posts
Image retention is an issue with the newer plasmas. I believe because they have become brighter with higher contrasts.
I have a panasonic 55" vt50 and I love it. For your budget I would go with plasma. To try and match the picture quality of the st50 or vt50 you would have to buy a full array LCD LED like a sony or sharp elite and those are $3-$5,000 or even higher.
The ST50 is very close to the vt50 minus a filter for glare and some video processing features. Also the design is different.
The ST50 is one of the best tv's from last year and especially for the price.
The blacks are amazing and the screen blends with the bezels in a dark room. I could not stand watching a LCD LED in a dark room.
That being said I can see image retention being a problem for some. I don't use mine to game because I have a dedicated gaming monitor. If you want to game on it for days at a time then it might not be for you.
I broke mine in with different colored slides for 200 hours and I am careful to make sure I watch different things and don't keep a logo on for 3-4 hours.
I would definitely not keep a static screen on overnight.
If you are careful and just use common sense you will be fine with a plasma.
I have a panasonic 55" vt50 and I love it. For your budget I would go with plasma. To try and match the picture quality of the st50 or vt50 you would have to buy a full array LCD LED like a sony or sharp elite and those are $3-$5,000 or even higher.
The ST50 is very close to the vt50 minus a filter for glare and some video processing features. Also the design is different.
The ST50 is one of the best tv's from last year and especially for the price.
The blacks are amazing and the screen blends with the bezels in a dark room. I could not stand watching a LCD LED in a dark room.
That being said I can see image retention being a problem for some. I don't use mine to game because I have a dedicated gaming monitor. If you want to game on it for days at a time then it might not be for you.
I broke mine in with different colored slides for 200 hours and I am careful to make sure I watch different things and don't keep a logo on for 3-4 hours.
I would definitely not keep a static screen on overnight.
If you are careful and just use common sense you will be fine with a plasma.
Joined
·
4,390 Posts
Watch a blu-ray on a panny st50 or vt50 and you will be blown away.
Also you can definitely game on them I was just saying if you play like 3-4 hours a day all week on the plasma you might have a problem.
Just switching up your content is enough to keep image retention away.
Just don't be fooled by people saying image retention is gone because it has actually gotten worse.
If you want a plasma that is very good with image retention then go with a samsung plasma. They are very nice but the blacks are a little lighter. They are cheaper and don't really have image retention problems.
CNET accidentally left a static image on a samsung plasma overnight and they were able to get it to go away.
Also you can definitely game on them I was just saying if you play like 3-4 hours a day all week on the plasma you might have a problem.
Just switching up your content is enough to keep image retention away.
Just don't be fooled by people saying image retention is gone because it has actually gotten worse.
If you want a plasma that is very good with image retention then go with a samsung plasma. They are very nice but the blacks are a little lighter. They are cheaper and don't really have image retention problems.
CNET accidentally left a static image on a samsung plasma overnight and they were able to get it to go away.
Joined
·
1,098 Posts
Quote:
Plasma displays are not near as dark as they used to be, the bright lights in Best Buy wash out the color and picture without question, however, it is more of a problem that you are seeing all the LED/LCD displays being shown on their brightest setting sitting next to a Plasma that makes them look so dim.
Doesnt have to be a dark room really, I have an older plasma that does not get as bright as some of the newer ones and have windows all around my family room. However, I dont get any direct sunlight in the room but it is still quite bright.Originally Posted by CasperGS
Plasma in a dark room or mostly dark. LCD or LED for a bright room. Since we always closed the curtains to watch tv we got a plasma. Less strain on the eyes.
Plasma displays are not near as dark as they used to be, the bright lights in Best Buy wash out the color and picture without question, however, it is more of a problem that you are seeing all the LED/LCD displays being shown on their brightest setting sitting next to a Plasma that makes them look so dim.
Joined
·
211 Posts
I agree that image retention can still be an issue. Modern plasma TVs have features which try to negate this such as pixel shifting but I would still be careful with static images.
Plasma will give the best black levels and colors and are excellent for Blu-ray. Screen glare can be an issue in bright rooms since they have a glass panel. I am a fan of Panasonic but Samsung makes some nice models as well.
For modest gaming I think it will be okay. If you plan to game heavily I would suggest an LED/LCD. I am happy with the Samsung in my sig for both movie and games. My only complaint is that in very dark scenes you can seen the LED bleed in all four corners since it is edge-lit.
Plasma will give the best black levels and colors and are excellent for Blu-ray. Screen glare can be an issue in bright rooms since they have a glass panel. I am a fan of Panasonic but Samsung makes some nice models as well.
For modest gaming I think it will be okay. If you plan to game heavily I would suggest an LED/LCD. I am happy with the Samsung in my sig for both movie and games. My only complaint is that in very dark scenes you can seen the LED bleed in all four corners since it is edge-lit.
I actually went with the ST50 for $1300 from Amazon. It should be arriving later today, and I plan on running D- Nice's aging slides from the AVS forums for 100 hours.
it should work well, I'd say my living room is average to bright but there will be no direct sunlight on it, no windows in front or behind it and I can always just close a few blinds.
it should work well, I'd say my living room is average to bright but there will be no direct sunlight on it, no windows in front or behind it and I can always just close a few blinds.
Joined
·
4,276 Posts
Which year's ST50? My buddy has the ST50-30 or 40 from a year or two ago. He now has a slight image retention issue from the National Geographic logo being bright and static. He does watch a fair amount of this channel, but it is not on 24/7. This is only really noticeable in scenes with white or solid bright colors near where the image is stuck. It looks "ghosted". He's gone through the normal DVD/Bluray for days at the start, as well as tried fixing this retention issue doing the same and using the multi-colored test patterns but has not had any success clearing it.
He did send a note to Panasonic, who recommended not leaving images static for more than something like 2/3 or 3/4 of the viewing. He also sent a nastygram to NatGeo but obviously did not hear back.
That said, I purchased the current model GT50-50 back in December. I'm still going strong with no issues, but have been very careful about trying to prevent this in the first place.
He did send a note to Panasonic, who recommended not leaving images static for more than something like 2/3 or 3/4 of the viewing. He also sent a nastygram to NatGeo but obviously did not hear back.
That said, I purchased the current model GT50-50 back in December. I'm still going strong with no issues, but have been very careful about trying to prevent this in the first place.
Joined
·
39 Posts
Quote:
I have a 2010 samsung UN46B8000 and has horrible input lag with games (game mode on). So be careful choosing a LED/LCD TV, because they have fake refresh rate thing and make games run with unpleasant latency. LED provides very sharp with deep blacks image and has almost zero glare even in direct sun light. And i never countered screen bleeding. Even to this day with this TV.Originally Posted by Yeti Poacher
I agree that image retention can still be an issue. Modern plasma TVs have features which try to negate this such as pixel shifting but I would still be careful with static images.
Plasma will give the best black levels and colors and are excellent for Blu-ray. Screen glare can be an issue in bright rooms since they have a glass panel. I am a fan of Panasonic but Samsung makes some nice models as well.
For modest gaming I think it will be okay. If you plan to game heavily I would suggest an LED/LCD. I am happy with the Samsung in my sig for both movie and games. My only complaint is that in very dark scenes you can seen the LED bleed in all four corners since it is edge-lit.
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
I'm just curious as to which 55'' inch plasma is the best buy for 2013.
Here's panasonic's 2013 linup. http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us2013_plasma/
and a comparison: http://shop.panasonic.com/compare/?itemNbr=TC-P60VT60&itemNbr=TC-P60ST60&itemNbr=TC-P60ZT60
I'm thinking of getting this one.
Here's panasonic's 2013 linup. http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/us2013_plasma/
and a comparison: http://shop.panasonic.com/compare/?itemNbr=TC-P60VT60&itemNbr=TC-P60ST60&itemNbr=TC-P60ZT60
I'm thinking of getting this one.
Joined
·
1,677 Posts
Whatever your choice, just keep in mind that there are 3 technologies on the verge of becoming mainstream:
1. OLED: significant improvement to color, contrast, blacks, and lower power consumption for LCDs
2. 48p: current films are recorded at 24 frames per second, save The Hobbit. This higher frame rate will begin to become more common-place.
3. UHD: higher resolution than 1080p
1. OLED: significant improvement to color, contrast, blacks, and lower power consumption for LCDs
2. 48p: current films are recorded at 24 frames per second, save The Hobbit. This higher frame rate will begin to become more common-place.
3. UHD: higher resolution than 1080p
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
Quote:
Quote:
When will 55'' oled be afforadble though?Originally Posted by Electrocutor
Whatever your choice, just keep in mind that there are 3 technologies on the verge of becoming mainstream:
1. OLED: significant improvement to color, contrast, blacks, and lower power consumption for LCDs
2. 48p: current films are recorded at 24 frames per second, save The Hobbit. This higher frame rate will begin to become more common-place.
3. UHD: higher resolution than 1080p
Quote:
Quote:
Joined
·
1,677 Posts
Quote:
As with anything, they make rich early adopters pay for the R&D before they start putting out mainstream units at affordable prices. As far as manufacturing and materials are concerned, OLED are cheaper to make than LED.
Ahh, the million dollar question
As with anything, they make rich early adopters pay for the R&D before they start putting out mainstream units at affordable prices. As far as manufacturing and materials are concerned, OLED are cheaper to make than LED.
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
SO it's basically either a $500 55'' LED TV... or a $1500+ Plasma
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
