Panasonic TC-P50X1 50" 720p Plasma HDTV

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1080p + Panny plasma rules

Great deal for a great TV. No LCD in this size/price range will be able to touch the picture quality of this thing.

Oink

plasmas are going to be obsolete soon

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plasmas are going to be obsolete soon

Because we're going to see LCD-only content become available soon?

Riiight. Get a clue.

#25, I think by obsolete he meant there is lesser or no manufacturers producing the product. You can still watch all contents on CRT (given a digital converter and no HD), that does not make CRT not obsolete...

One name brand manufacterer bailed on plasma, Pioneer. Their TVs were ridiculously over priced, it's no wonder they didn't sell. No one else has said anything about plans to abandon plasmas.

You LCD trolls need to get a clue.

Note: my only flat panel TV is an LCD.

Not sure about refresh rates, but the contrast ratio on plasmas still kills LCDs. Samsung is on the right track w/ their LED-based backlight, but it's still a considerable ways off from besting plasmas.

Now if Sony can actually build a big-screen OLED screen that lasts and sell it for a decent price then the competition is in trouble. Others may be working on it, but that technology is way better than what we buy now.

There are other technologies that are also way better, but none have seen the light of day as far as an end product (Sony has actually sold a small TV that uses OLED). Whatever the next "big thing" is, I will likely wait since the early adopters always get shafted.

#27, you're the one should get a clue, you probably didn't know Sony abandoned Plasma few years back, huh? And Vizio is abandoning plasma this year, 2009. I am sure there are more brands I am unaware of.

Vizio, big deal, that's a real loss to the plasma market. They don't make plasmas to start with, never did. Therefore they don't count as a manufacterer leaving plasma.

Lets get into the LCD manufacterers that went bankrupt then like Olevia.

Quote:

#25, I think by obsolete he meant there is lesser or no manufacturers producing the product. You can still watch all contents on CRT (given a digital converter and no HD), that does not make CRT not obsolete...

Obsolete: no longer in use or no longer useful <an obsolete word> b: of a kind or style no longer current : old-fashioned <an obsolete technology>

CRTs would certainly fall under a "style no longer current". LCD/plasma sets (ie thin, direct view panels) are quite certainly of the current style. Watching a downgraded picture through a converter on a CRT does not change the obsolescence of the technology. For all intents and purposes, LCD/Plasma are identical, used in identical ways, and will continue to provide the same level of technology and future-proofness moving forward.

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#27, you're the one should get a clue, you probably didn't know Sony abandoned Plasma few years back, huh? And Vizio is abandoning plasma this year, 2009. I am sure there are more brands I am unaware of.

I tend to buy my electronics based on what provides a superior experience for the value, not how many shitty manufacturers are competing with crappy products in a crowded marketplace. Does the fact that 20 different companies make LCD panels help you sleep better at night?

There are lots of reasons the plasma manufacturer space is shrinking, and almost none of them have anything to do with quality.

1) Pioneer is taking a hike because they're slowly pulling out of ALL consumer electronics markets to focus on their car audio business. This is fact. Look it up.

2) Panasonic has thoroughly dominated the plasma market by making supreme quality products at prices that are hard to beat. They have literally years of experience and generations of products under their belt that other manufacturers don't. They also have economies of scale that are hard for any other manufacturer to beat, which brings up my next point:

3) LCDs have a higher profit margin. In an industry where lots of sales people are paid either directly or indirectly from commissions, it's a no-brainer to point the customer in the direction of the product that provides a bigger win for the store and for your own bottom line. That doesn't make for a quality viewing experience though.

I also debated the 1080p, however I'd like to look into the LED LCD's coming out. Price is too high now, so I bought this today. Figure in a couple years when newer technology is out and they actually broadcast some 1080p content, I'll move my Panny to a bedroom and upgrade!

Click the link and see what you get for free with this TV.

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That makes this a helluva deal.

I've been saving up for a while, I think this might be the perfect time to get a HDTV

I'd pass on the Sonys as well. WAY overpriced and less innovative than the competition. Their heyday was over many moons ago, bout when the WEGA models started having geometry issues and going belly-up.

The CRT I had was a WEGA.

#20, my sony CRT is over 7 years old and still fine, I guess its just the luck of the draw. I also just replaced my 8 year old sony laptop.

I'm having trouble finding a decent surround sound set, or even just external speakers and a sub, for this tv (I have the 42"). Because the TV only has digital audio out and no headphone jack or RCA audio out, everything points to an expensive reciever, unless I am misinformed.

I'm a college student strapped for funds, is there any way possible to connect a <$100 external speaker set to these TVs or am I stuck waiting till I can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a true surround sound system?

Are you sure the TV only has a digital out? I have last year's model and it has RCA outs.

You should be able to get a 5.1 system with digital inputs for around $250, less if you look around. Try craigslist or something like that. One of the local TV stations in my area has online classifieds with surround systems cheap on it all the time.

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