Opinions on Panasonic TC-42PX14 42'' plasma

[millerman 3732]

I'm looking to replace my humongous 60'' Sony SXRD with some thing alittle more room and decor friendly, our local Sam's club has the Panasonic TC-42PX14 on sale for $598 and at that price it seems to me like a great deal to me, but I really don't know alot about plasmas and I know alot of folks here seem to really like them, so any info or opinions on this particular model would be appreciated.

Specs:
# Picture/Display: Model Type: Plasma
# Screen Size: 42" Class (41.6" diagonal)
# Display Resolution: 720p
# Contrast Ratio Native: 15,000:1
# Aspect Ratio: 16:9
# Native Resolution (Number of Pixels): 786,432 (1,024 x 768)
# Moving Picture Resolution: 720 lines or more
# Shades of Gradation: 4,096 equivalent
# Screen Coating (Filter): New AR (Anti-Reflective) Filter
# Progressive Scan: Yes
# Deep Color: Yes
# Motion Adaptive 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter: Yes
# Sub Pixel Control: Yes
# Motion Pattern Noise Reduction: Yes
# VIERA Link™: Yes
# VIERA® Tools: Yes
# Pixel Orbiter (Anti-Image Retention): Yes
# Menu Languages: English/Spanish/French
# V-Chip Program Lockout: Yes
# Built-In Closed Caption Decoder: Yes
# Timers: Yes
# Video Input Label: Yes
# Video Picture Memory: Yes
# Remote Control IR
# Receiving System: ATSC/QAM/NTSC

[fireshoes]

You should be able to find the TCP42X1 for about the same price ($599-649ish) at other electronics retailers. It will have higher contrast, 3 HDMI inputs instead of 2, and game mode. Also I've seen the TCP42S1 (1080P version) for $799 with a free Blu-ray player recently, so I would say there a better deals to be had.

[dvran]

Bestbuy has Panny Plasmas for dirt cheap, plus 2 year no interest financing. I've seen 1080p/600hz/50 inch plasmas there for like $989. HHgregg has some good deals too, plus you can actually negotiate with them on price. I got a 1700 plasma for about 1300.

~Dan

[Conradicles]

+1 HHGregg will drop their prices insanly if you haggle with them.

[bevo]

I got HHgregg to drop my tv from 2400$ to 1700$. There are definitely deals to be had there. They also knock 50$ off the stand I bought, and 90$ off the HTIB. That was before I started my HT, and really didn't know the difference a good system could make. I did buy 2 tv's though so that might have had something to do with it.

I will not shop at best buy. I bought a tv for my mom there around 6 years ago. It was a 60 inch rear projector, and for some reason the picture would lag when you watched it. If you were watching boxing it would skip frames, and sometimes you wouldn't see a punch thrown, or in baseball the ball would just magically be at the plate.

It took me almost a year to get it replaced. I bought the warranty but since the first year was covered under a manufacturers warranty, best buy made me deal with the manufacturer. They said after 3 completed repairs, if the tv still had a problem they would replace it. Well they cam 3 times and never fixed the problem once. They claimed since they had never fixed the problem, that it didn't count as a completed repair.

I had to go to best buy, and luckily there was another person there having problems with a warranty on their item being fixed. We both threw a fit together and they finally agreed to replace our items. Mine was probably 2000$ more then hers, but price doesn't matter when something has a warranty.

Anyway, there is no way I would pay more then 100$ for something at best buy that's electronics, because they will do everything they can to screw you.

Hgregg sold me a floor model tv for a great price once, and when something went wrong they had someone there in 2 days to fix the problem. HHgregg is the only place I buy tv's now.