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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 4 Registered: Mar-05 | Hey, So whats the consensus on Vizio Plasmas? Its all I can really afford in the Plasma realm, otherwise I would just go for a Samsung DLP. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanx! |
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Bronze Member Username: EhdmiPost Number: 65 Registered: Mar-06 | I've read good reviews on it. c|Net had fantastic reviews on it. I have the 37" LCD and absolutely love it, it's been a great deal! Kenneth http://www.eHDMI.com |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 530 Registered: Jul-05 | New Panasonic Plasmas are available on line for 1295--are the Vizios less expensive? I have no idea. |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 5 Registered: Mar-05 | Marc-1295!? Which model and where? |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 532 Registered: Jul-05 | visualapex.com. I just checked and the Panasonic PWD428UY or whatever that model number is is indeed selling for 1295 like I mentioned. This is an industrial model with no built in speakers or built in tuner. This is a non-issue if you use an A/V receiver for sound or even if you just have two speakers and you use a cable box/sat TV tuner. The industrial models are built better than the consumer ones in my opnion by the way. |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 6 Registered: Mar-05 | Marc, I appreciate the link and info, but thats an EDTV; not an HDTV. Its only capable of doing 860x480 resolution-and quite a low contrast ratio as well. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 533 Registered: Jul-05 | Steven- The Panasonic ED TV is light years beyond any Vizio product. The black levels on the panasonic ( contrast ratio) are far superiuor to all Vizio Products. There is no standard math for calculating contrast ratios, so interbrand comparisons are meaningless. Dont be fooled-- the true contrast ratios from panasonic are the industries best. AS far as resolution-- if you watch DVDs and Standard def TV/Cable/Sat signals-- an ED TV gives a better picture than an HD TV. The only material that looks better on an HD TV is true 1080 P content on a true 1080P display-- which Vizio does not make. 1366 x 768 resolution is not true HD, and that HD TV can't display 1920 x 1080 in its native resolution. And DVDs have to be upscaled to fit something like a Vizio HD display, giving a sub optimal result. DVDs are basically native 480i/P signal, and ED display, particularly from Pansonic is the best option. When High Def DVDs take hold, the story could change, but the message here is that if you think an HD TV is "better" than an ED TV, you have some more reading to do. Visit over at avsforum.com, and search the term " ED vs HD or similar in the plasma forum and read on. Its hard to imagine that something cheaper is better-- but HD displays in their current form dont match up with EDs for the majority of material viewed. And ED displays will display an HD signal wonderfully. |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 7 Registered: Mar-05 | WOW. Thanx for that info Marc, much appreciated. I am not questioning your knowledge here-but I hear very good things about the Vizios. As for SD, every time ive seen an ED it looked very grainy/pixilated (dont know if those are the right terms). What is exactly is the downside to ED then?? |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 535 Registered: Jul-05 | First off-- its all about you and what you want-- so I am just sharing knowledge--but in the end--you choose what you want--- These are worn discussions for me as I have viewed multiple plasmas at the same time same source 100s of times over the last 3.5 years, been to the last two Consumer Elctronics Shows in Vegas, am part of the Houston HT group here, and red most of the mags and websites--we are only touching the tip of the iceberg here. I truly recommend you pose questions to to others at avsforum and do a search on posts of subject interest to you. That aside-- if I take an HD signal--lets say from ESPN-HD or discovery channel in HD-- and I feed it simultaneously to an ED display and HD display same brand same lighting same time and stand back at least 8 feet ( normal viewing distance for a 42 inch display) there is a 10% difference in detail enhancement with the HD looking 10% better than the ED. The bowl of fruit in the back for instance will look sharper-- as you move further away--those differences disappear-- as the human eye cannot resolve resolution differences as we move further away from the source. But our eyes are very sensistive to contrast, or black levels00 take a dark movie like Sin city and compare. Look at the details of that coat in a dark scene. How well does grey on blak detail come out of the display? Panasonic in a dimly lit room will win almost everytime. Now in a brightly lit room you cant see those differences- thats why best buy isnt always the best place to make these choices, as a bright display grabs you, but isnt so good when you get it home. Anyway, viewing source material ( DVDs, Sat-HD wahetever) lighting, seating distance, and CALIBRATION OF DISPLAY are all key factors in deciding and getting the best out of a plasma. HD at this point is hype, since very little 1920x 1080 material is out there. Cable sat/HD is 1024 x 1080 by the way --1920 x 1080 is too much bandwidth to give away. Intestingly, this maskes 1024 displays, advertised as HDs, a winner for sat/cable HD channels--such as an Hitachi--an excellent display BTW). When plasmas and DVD players truely send and receieve native 1080P signal without any or minimal conversion-- thats the time to go for HD, assuming DVDs are someones bag. ED can do HD well, but HD makes SD signal look awful and doesnt quite keep up on SD dvds ( todays common ones.) Just my opinion. |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 8 Registered: Mar-05 | Marc-thanx again for all the help. You quite literally have saved me nearly $1000. After you schooled me on the ED vs. HD debate, I went out to do a little due dilligence of my own and found that all the high-tech sites concurred exactly with what you initially said. Furthermore, many went ahead and said that ED in many instances is superior. So ive decided on exactly the model you suggested (the industrial Panny-ED)and will hook it up to my own sound system. How important is the HDMI connection? Will I notice a huge difference b/w it and Composites? I guess I can always upgrade to an HDMI external connector later on... I figure I will pick up a budget HTIB along with the TV. I know this is not the forum for it, but any suggestions for me or advice on what to look for in a DVD player/HTIB to maximize my picture with the new EDTV would be most appreciated. Thanx again for your time. Steve |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 536 Registered: Jul-05 | The interesting part is that I doubt Panasonic will make the ED models for much longer-- the profit margins are small compared to HD displays. Anyway--on HDMI now you are getting into some techncial discussions. Bottom Line-- on this display-- I recommend using a component cable connection. HDMI is going thru version changes. Version 1.3 was just adopted last week. Get this-- all current HDMI plugs are not even physically the same plug as the new v1.3 plug!!! So everyone out there now with a new HDMI connecton type set will need adaptors!!! ( there are NONE yet-- but v1.3 devices arent out yet either). Just make sure whatever you get has component inputs and outputs. The coll thing about the Panny you are buying is that the blades can be switched out-- ie-- you can take a current HDMI blade and when the v1.3 comes out, Panasonic will make a blade with it so you just unplug one and plug in the newer one. Also, Panny ED commericail units use a BNC connection instead of RCA. BNC is superior to RCA plugs. Visual Apex will send you RCABNC adaptors for free with your plasma but its even better to get native BNC endings on one side of the cable and RCA on the other for your DVD player or whatever. Composite is to be avoided at all costs ( one yellow connection). S- Video is decent. Component is excellent. HDMI has the potential to be the best but is a consumer plague in many instances right now for reasons beyond the scope of this discussion. DVD players are interesting- the best players for this plasma are no longer made ( unless you spend big bucks). Research is somewhat at a standstill as companies are devoting resources to HD-DVD and Blu Ray players. Good available choices include the Panasonic s 77 and the Panasonic s 97 if you can get them ( these ARE available.) Stay away from Oppo players for now. One or more of their ighly scored models cannot deinterlace when using component cables, only HDMI. The key website for DVD player research is the Home Theater Secrets DVD player shootout. Read up and you will learn much. Kris Deering knows what he is doing,, and all dvd players worth their salt are compared there. Secrest DVD shootout into your search engine. Find it. HTIB-- well-- I dont like this solution not becuase of quality alone but because of surpirse dissapointments in connections etc. If you give me a budget I might be able to make some recommendations for home theater ( high fidelity musical listening is a different ball of wax and should be avoided as it tends to drain the bank account!) |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 9 Registered: Mar-05 | Marc- good info once again. As for HTIB's/DVD Players my budget for the whole system is $400 max. I know thats a pittance in the world of High End A/V products, but wer'e talking about a 450 SF apartment in NYC where im looking for basic 5.1 surround and a solid DVD players. Considering my circumstances, im more of a "headphile" and am very into headphones as oppossed to stereo sytems. Ive heard good things about the Panny sc-ht740 and 940. I have no idea what to look for in a DVD player but I will read up on that article you mentioned. The only issue ive heard concerning the Panny HTIB is that lack of digital outs? or is it ins? I would say im looking for clarity of sound over power/wattage. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 537 Registered: Jul-05 | I know the HTIB you are considering. It has soime limitations in connectivity/outputs/inputs etc. Since the whole budget for everything incvluding a DVD player is 400 dollars however, I cannot disagree with that set up as a reasonable choice for the money. My only other thought is to buy a used receiver cheap on ebay our audiogon.com and put lower end Klipsch or Athenas in for speakers and just go wwith a 3.1 setup ( no surrounds). Its certainly easier to just get a HTIB set up but the audio/video result wont be optimal. That plasma can do wonders with a decent DVD player and some general self calibration. SOund and Vision had a comparison of lower budget HTIBs, including the Panasonic about 6 months ago. |
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New member Username: KwitelPost Number: 10 Registered: Mar-05 | Hey-could you post the exact link for the "home theater secrets DVD"? I cant seem to find it. Thanx marc-ill let you knwo what i end up getting. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 538 Registered: Jul-05 | now thats a tough link to post. Lets see. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 539 Registered: Jul-05 | easiest thing to do: 1. Go to google.com 2. search " DVD shootout Home Theater Secrets" 3. Click on the link that says " DVD Benchmark" 4. It should come up number one. 5. You are there. 6. The base web link is www. hometheaterhifi.com--but its a tough navigation from there to get to the right sport. |