Buying a TV need opinions :)

29 public posts in this discussion.

Post 1

Well back from Japan and I am looking at getting a new TV

I have narrowed my options down to a 52inch Sony EX700 which has an RRP of $3699
EX700 Series : BRAVIA

or a 50inch Samsung 3d Plasma TV which has an RRP of $2500.
3D Plasma TV - 3D Products | SAMSUNG

It will manly be used for games and movie's. I have never had a plasma TV before, is burn in still a problem with plasma TV's and has anyone had any experience with Samsung plasma TV's before?

Not overly concerned with the 3d but the novelty of having it is nice :)

Post 2

I own a Panasonic plasma right now - burn-in can still be an issue in places where the ambient temperature is naturally high like in Darwin or Brisbane. For the most part, it's not really something to worry about.

Samsung make poop plasmas. Lots of messy artifacts and blown-out colours. Fugly. I used to sell them. Or try not to sell them, I should say.

Between those two televisions, you want the Sony, absolutely no question.

Post 3

Silly person asking for opinions on an internet forum.

Considering that 3D TVs are pushing the prices down on everything that isn't 3D, and that 3D TV barely exists, I'd try and pick up something less than 2k.

Sammy series 6/7 LCDs have fully blown media players and the 7's have wireless. If you get over the 3D thing.

I've had personal experience with a Panny 50" plasma, and a 46" sony LCD, they're both very good. The plasma has excellent viewing angle but because I use it for gaming and HTPC, I've got constant paranoia about the burn in, which so far hasn't stayed for more than an hour or so after.

There's been a lot of really cheap TV deals happening because people are obsessing with the 3D fad, I'd recommend picking up a samsung or a sony lcd, depending on what you can get cheaper.

edit: it is an EXCELLENT time to be buying a new TV, don't blow it by getting "top of the range".

Post 4

I wouldnt bother with 3D just yet. They aren't overly expensive sure, but they will drop even more in the near future once there is competition. There is also a standard connection and setup for 3D stuff that lets you share all your 3D equipment with the computer which will come out around the same time as the rest of the 3D TVs hit the market which is another reason not to lock yourself into the Samsung proprietary system.

Take advantage of the cheap prices and pick up a 50"+ screen for under $2k

Harb's advice is good advice here.

Post 5

Eg, you can get a 50" Panasonic plasma for "350 from JB HI-FI.

Post 6

I picked up a 46" series 6 LCD which has been really good, had no problems, and the picture looks great after I calibrated all the colour settings (good guide for it: LCD TV Calibration: Learn to Calibrate your LCD Television).

I haven't tried the built in DLNA client, as I've got the ps3 hooked up to do all of that.

Fyi, Samsung series 6 LCD/Plasma has wireless support, but you need to purchase the dongle, rather than built in.

Post 7

Quote from rec;383411:
Eg, you can get a 50" Panasonic plasma for "350 from JB HI-FI.

Best bang for buck your going to find but if you are going to use it for games you have to go LCD imo. There is no such thing as having a screen thats good for both. LCD for games, Plasmas for movies.

Get a 3DTV when then content is there.

Post 8

Quote from BrAiN DaNcE;383412:
I picked up a 46" series 6 LCD which has been really good, had no problems, and the picture looks great after I calibrated all the colour settings (good guide for it: LCD TV Calibration: Learn to Calibrate your LCD Television).

I haven't tried the built in DLNA client, as I've got the ps3 hooked up to do all of that.

Fyi, Samsung series 6 LCD/Plasma has wireless support, but you need to purchase the dongle, rather than built in.

Thanks for all the replies.

Any chance you could give me the price you bought it for BrAiN DaNcE?

Will pass on the 3d tv's and plasma tv's and will see how much older 50inch lcd tv's cost compared to the Sony I listed in the first post (which comes with a free PS3). If its not that much I will just go for the Sony which was my first choice to begin with :).

Post 9

Sony are doing the free PS3 thing ATM

Post 10

Our telly wasn't the best price we could get.. it was just over 2k from myer.... we did however have about 1300 in myer vouchers however :P

Post 11

Quote from rec;383402:
Samsung make poop plasmas. Lots of messy artifacts and blown-out colours. Fugly. I used to sell them. Or try not to sell them, I should say.

Spoken like a person who has never owned one.

My 63 inch Samsung Plasma is 18 months old now is is as awesome as the day it arrived. Side by side in a store with a Panasonic I'd choose the Pana for sure (and have done in 42").

I'd definitely buy a Panasonic if I was buying something smaller, but at the time I couldn't justify the extra 5k for the 65 inch Panasonic.

As mentioned by other posters however if you plan on using it for gaming, then LCD is a pretty clear choice and I'm somewhat of a plasma fanboy so that kind of hurts to say.

Post 12

No, spoken by a graphic designer who 'owned' 10-odd for most of 2008. Starring at them every day, alongside every competition product. There was Pioneer and Panasonic, then there was everything else when it came to plasma. Samsung is indeed good value for money, but in comparison to the top two brands it didn't come close visually.

As for thise whole LCD vs Plasma for gaming argument, the single reason LCD was preferred over plasma is because you didn't have to worry about leaving a game menu up and coming back 3 hours later to find it permanently burnt into the screen. As mentioned, that's much less of a worry these days.

In fact, as you most know, the perceivable image latency is still lower with a plasma than it is an LCD, so if you're a twitch gamer and every millisecond counts, plasma would be the better option. But, with an LCD you're getting a sharper picture and you have the 100Hz and 200Hz technologies to really smooth things out which looks amazing for gaming.

I love my Pana plasma but it wasn't a top of the line Pana, so as good as the blacks are, they lack detail. There's also more artifacting than a good LCD, and my next purchase will almost certainly be a Sony LCD - but I'll never be enabling any of that 100Hz or 200Hz stuff as it really pisses me off when watching a movie (games are good though). Turns movies into a handycam production and looks artificial (because most of the frames are indeed artificial). I'll get one of their 3D panels in 12-odd months once the tech has matured. But the primary motive won't even be the "3D", but for the fact it's legitimately 120Hz, not fake 120Hz. Then we'll finally be back to the awesomeness that was CRT, but crisper.

Post 13

Isn't there a 600hz screen atm?

Post 14

There are no 600hz panels. There are a heap that use the term "600hz" in their marketing, but they're not capable of displaying 600 frames a second. It's all marketing bs man.

The new Samsung 3D panels are 120hz and they're the highest, despite what the salesman/Samsung tell you (which will be 240hz... but obviously half those frames are interpolated).

Post 15

I recently bought an LG 42' LED LCD. I'm currently using it as my monitor - it's fucking great :)
Got the salesman to bring it under $2k ($400 saving); just by threatening to go elsewhere. Yay.

Post 16

Maybe the content is closer then I thought...

3D TV Trials On The Way - Smarthouse

Post 17

Ooo... indeed. I thought AU would trail quite a ways behind with this. Perhaps not.

Post 18

Wow - World Cup and State of Origin in 3D this year IN Australia.

Wonder how much the TV manufacterers are subsidising this ;)

Post 19

Ended up purchasing a 46inch Sony ex700, decided the 50inch + versions were to big for the distance they would be viewed at.

It can also more easily be moved somewhere as a 2nd screen once the 3d thing takes off as its nice and thin :).

Won't be in stock for a couple weeks though :(

Post 20

Quote from Tachi;383455:
Ended up purchasing a 46inch Sony ex700, decided the 50inch + versions were to big for the distance they would be viewed at.

It can also more easily be moved somewhere as a 2nd screen once the 3d thing takes off as its nice and thin :).

Won't be in stock for a couple weeks though :(

How much you get it for? where from? what warranty?

Post 21

Buying a TV need opinions :)

Have they processed the sale though? You need to ge the serial to claim te PS3. There will prob be none left in a fortnight.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post 22

Yeah theres no reason to wait for something when you can go somewhere else, price match, and get it today.

Post 23

Most places don't have the 46inch+ versions of that TV in stock.

Got it for $2550 from Harvey Norman Darwin, can get it a little cheaper online if you want the best price. Extended the warranty by 2 years for an extra $240. I ordered other things as well though.

Thanks for the heads up Rec will give them a call tomorrow as there is no serial on the receipt. Would they even be able to get a serial if they don't have any stock of the TV though?

Post 24

Myer could - because once our warehouse placed an order we had the list of serials for all of those televisions, and we could only sell stock if the warehouse had them in or had a pending order.

I guess that facility/possibility will vary from retailer to retailer. But I'd definitely make a bit of a deal about it - obviously missing out on a $400 gift kinda sucks.

Post 25

did they sell you a HDMI cable for "00 too?

Post 26

tachi - if you dont want to wait - give me a call 0431366617
i am the samsung sales rep and can get a shop to sort you out a wicked deal
in this thread unfortunately there is so much crap and false information said its not funny.

first thing - samsung plasmas in 2009 were quite bad. the only thing that was very good was the 'B850' series. This year the C7000 i can hand over heart say are the best plasmas that I have ever seen. What makes them so good is that when you put a light to it, it doesn't refract 3 times like everyone else's panel... a 50" plasma is alot less power consumption, thinner, less heat than last years model.

if it was me, i would definetely go the C7000 series. Skype, PVR, 3D. Already there are 4 movies at the local cinema and there will be approximately 80 by the end of the year... The best thing about it is it will automatically upscale to 3D if you choose so.

If you want it the best price, ask what the rest of the sales people at jb hifi, gg and hn think and they will tell you a series 6. The series 7 does not have built in wifi. You can get a wireless dongle with any series 6 TV and above for approximately "00... The problem at the moment that I face is that the sales people on the floor sell it faster that I can give it to them. Plasma will be out is June.

Post 27

Quote from brownie;383541:
The series 7 does not have built in wifi. You can get a wireless dongle with any series 6 TV and above for approximately "00... .

my bad, I was lied to buy one of the good guys.

Post 28

Thanks for the offer already purchased the Sony one though.

And no Harb will go and buy a hdmi cable for like "0 :)

Post 29

make sure you get a 1.4 cable though