Need 42" Plasma HDTV input

[RaysR6]

I have a budget with a cap of 2500$ to spend on the TV it's getting wall mounted above a gas fireplace. I've been looking at a samsung HP-R4262 BJ's has it for 2369$. Any input welcome....

[mantis]

Look into Panasonic. there tv's are the best bang for the buck. I have installed many 3k and under plasmas and I feel Panasonic has this price point owned. For your budget , forget the Samsung, I don't think there that good at all. Even there DLP sets are only fair. Go Panasonic.

Dan

[gregure]

Look into Panasonic. there tv's are the best bang for the buck. I have installed many 3k and under plasmas and I feel Panasonic has this price point owned. For your budget , forget the Samsung, I don't think there that good at all. Even there DLP sets are only fair. Go Panasonic.
Dan

I have a little higher regard for Samsung's DLP, but I agree with everything else Dan said. Have you actually WATCHED the Samsung plasma set? They truly don't look very good-blotchy, poor color schemes, a total lack of refinement, and poor video processing. Good cosmetics is all they have going for them.
Panasonics are truly great sets for the price, and I would recommend a TH42PX50U. You should be able to find one for the same price as that Samsung, and be getting a much better unit. Just make sure to not watch anything in VIVID picture mode.

[sealin]

I agree with Mantis. I'm not a huge fan of Samsung plasma. I like Panasonic & Fujitsu (Just picked a 50" woo hoo!).

[John K.]

Ray, as Dan and Greg indicated, the 42" Panasonic plasmas are within your budget and should be the set of choice.

[Willow]

No offence but I think above the fire place is wrong.

1- it's to high makes my think of sitting in the front row of a movie theatre
2- don't think the heat generated from the fire place is a good thing for the TV.

As far as which one couldn't tell, plasma was not an option for me.

Good luck

[RaysR6]

Putting it above the Fireplace is NOT my idea hopefully once it's up there for a little while I'll be able to move it somewhere better.

Thanks for the input, and No I haven't actually watched the samsung yet, but did think they looked nice. Oh well thats why I asked.

Anybody now how the Panasonics did in consumer reports?

[RaysR6]

I looked around online bestbuy has it for 2850 and circuitcity has it for 2700. Where do you guys see it for 2500? Also will it be cheaper to wait till around the first of JAN to buy it?

[brettw22]

Those plasmas will even make ya not need to light a fire. Every time I've ever gone up and touched a plasma those things have a warmth that can be felt before you're even touching them.

[MacLeod]

I subscribe to Consumer Reports.org. I think for the info I get its well worth it.

In the ratings for plasma tv's, the Panasonic 42" (TH-42PX50U) took 2nd place and the 50" (TH-50PX50U) model took 1st. Both have an "excellent" rating on all picture quality fields.

Pioneer took 3rd, Sony took 4th then another Panasonic took 5th and 6th.

Samsung came in 20th with a "fair" rating on all picture quaity fields!!!!

Panasonic it is.

[ND13]

Panny is very hard to top in the Video arena. They the top ranked tvs when I sold electronics. Their top of the line then was the Prism series.

[PolkThug]

Listen to the Mantis.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Here's a screen shot of the ratings on consumerreports.org

[Willow]

Those plasmas will even make ya not need to light a fire. Every time I've ever gone up and touched a plasma those things have a warmth that can be felt before you're even touching them.


I thought my LCD gave off enough heat...I hear plasmas have more !

[gregure]

I agree with most of what's been said, except the reliance on consumer reports as a reliable touchstone for deciding upon a purchase. They're as vulnerable to marketing and advertising as much as many of the mags out there. These reviews are not always to be trusted. After selling electronics for many months, I'm very surprised to see that Fujitsu is not high on their list, if not #1 or #2. There is no way in hell that Panasonics entry level plasmas are better than Fujitsu's units. This places Consumer Reports findings highly under suspicion as far as I'm concerned.
Don't get me wrong, I think Panasonic units are excellent for the money, but the best? No way. Not that it's in your budget, but Pioneer Elite and Fujitsu are the best plasmas I've seen, and people who can afford them are very happy with them.
By the way, Pioneer Elite puts off a bit less heat than other plasmas, given their greater power efficiency. But all plasmas give off more heat than LCD's.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Anyone relying on just 1 source like ConsumerReports for a purchase like this shouldn't be allowed to own something that nice...

Having said that, Consumer Reports does serve it's purpose, and while not the final authority on anything they review, I find their information at least useful.

[donahue]

One of the guys I work with is also looking into the Panasonic. However, he is looking at their commercial plasmas which are scaled down versions of the retail models. I am attaching a PDF here for the 42 inch model, in case you might be interested. Basically, they are the same TVs without speakers, and have plug-and-play slots for input (i.e. you can add an HDMI card by simply plugging it in the back of the unit). Hope this helps.

Ray

[RaysR6]

You Guys rock that was the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks PolkManiac for the Consumer reports info. It is a Gas fireplace with a blower so hopefully it wont add to much heat to the TV. But I dont think it will be above the fireplace for long.

Still
1:will waiting till right after the first get me any good on sale prices?
2:Who has the best price for the panasonic?