SystemShock
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 168
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Aurgghh. Been shopping around for my very first HDTV (though I actually know a lot about 'em already, having worked in the video game industry with HD sets for years), and I've kind of hit a brick wall in terms of choices. Basically, I'm torn pretty much dead-even between two sets. One that appeals to my sensible, frugal, bang-for-the-buck side - a Panasonic 42" 720p plasma (PX80U) which can be had for the ridiculously cheap price of under $700 on Amazon right now, and has quite good picture quality. Bang-for-the-buck is off the charts. And the other set, a 46" Samsung 1080p Series 6 or 7 LCD set (PN46A650/750) that costs about double that ($1500-ish on Amazon), but which does have exactly the kind of picture quality I really like. And objectively, overall, probably does beat the Panny's PQ out by a bit regardless. Now, before you say, "Just get the Sammy, then", it's not so simple. The Panny is very good too - I'd say that the pic quality on it is about 85-90 percent as good as the much more expensive Sammy LCD, to my eyes anyway. The Panny's picture is just more subtle, for lack of a better word - a little darker, a little softer. But better blacks than the Sammy, and better handling of motion. So, the Panny's really good, especially considering the price. Just a steal, honestly. The Sammy, though, is just exactly my *personality/preference* when it comes to pic quality - bright, sharp, colorful, in-your-face instantly impressive. But I do wonder if I'll eventually tire of that, or if I'll appreciate it even more over time. Some ppl say that the more 'realistic/true-to-life' picture of plasma sets wears better over time. Tough to know what's what on that one. It's just a really hard call to make. The overall pic quality difference between the two sets isn't that huge at all (but it is noticeable), and 720p vs 1080p isn't really an obvious determining factor for me either, though I did notice a bit of the 'screen door effect' if I sat closer than 6 feet to the Panny... not really an issue though, since I'll be sitting 9-11 feet away at home, and could not discern any SDE at all at those distances in the showroom. Anyone else seen a lot of these two sets, and have any impressions to offer? Or are familiar with the "85-90 percent of the performance for half the money" dilemma?
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