42" 720p Panasonic Plasma TV #TH42PX80U @ Boscov's ($599)

It's like 720p, but better!

This is a fantastic price if you're looking for a 42" plasma. No PC input on the 1080p model kind of sucks, though.
 
[quote name='albino_hippo']Great deal, but this belongs in the "Other Deals" forum. And it's most likely 720p, not 780p.[/quote]

I thought I put it in there...My bad.

And yes, it's 720p...Got my 80's and my 20's crossed.
 
How good are Plasmas for gaming? Are the new models less susceptible to burn in or do they still have a high risk of permanent burn in?
 
[quote name='BaboonSqueezer']How good are Plasmas for gaming? Are the new models less susceptible to burn in or do they still have a high risk of permanent burn in?[/quote]


I have 2 plasmas, and have zero burn in, FWIW.
 
I have this exact 42" TV and it is a terrific buy. It is CNet's #5 TV in their Top 5 HDTVs list.

Plasmas are great for gaming, and burn-in is not an issue if you don't leave a static image on the screen for 2 hours or more.:applause:
 
[quote name='malio']IPlasmas are great for gaming, and burn-in is not an issue if you don't leave a static image on the screen for 2 hours or more.:applause:[/QUOTE]
But isn't that something of a challenge if you're playing games such as Fallout 3 or sports games which have a HUD constantly on display in a fixed position throughout the entirety of the game?
 
42" Plasma probably uses like 550 Watts of power have fun with that Electricity bill each month. Plus Surround sound system 300 Watts or more, Plus Xbox 360 203 Watts

Ouch.

why I don't like Plasmas draw too much power create too much heat, If your in apartment building or condo the lights will flicker for everyone when you power that bad boy up.
 
That's pretty insane, power consumption wise. I was really, seriously thinking of getting a plasma instead of an LCD (I'm not terribly enthusiastic about the image quality of LCD), but now I'm having second thoughts because of how much of an energy hog it can be.

I'll probably need to start taking a look at DLP.
 
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[quote name='sTaTIx']But isn't that something of a challenge if you're playing games such as Fallout 3 or sports games which have a HUD constantly on display in a fixed position throughout the entirety of the game?[/quote]

I've played Fallout for 10 straight hours on a weekend and I didn't see any burn-in whatsoever. From what I've read, even if a ghost image appears, it will disappear after a few hours of use. I tend to have infrequent but very long gaming sessions and I've never had a problem with my Panasonic plasma.
 
[quote name='sTaTIx']That's pretty insane, power consumption wise. I was really, seriously thinking of getting a plasma instead of an LCD (I'm not terribly enthusiastic about the image quality of LCD), but now I'm having second thoughts because of how much of an energy hog it can be.

I'll probably need to start taking a look at DLP.[/QUOTE]

Plasmas today are undervalued for the superb performance they give. The amount of money saved over buying a LCD equivalent far exceeds the slightly higher electrical bill by many years.
 
My 32 inch vizio is a energy star rated product and didn't jack up my bill at all. Plus it was $80+ cheaper then a LCD.
The burn in was temporary as it went away over time. Ghosting or whatever its called.
 
[quote name='BaboonSqueezer']How good are Plasmas for gaming? Are the new models less susceptible to burn in or do they still have a high risk of permanent burn in?[/QUOTE]

Modern plasma's have a break-in period where you need to be more careful with them (most recommendations I've seen fall around the 150 hour mark). After that you should be ok unless you leave the same image on the screen for a couple of days.
 
I just got the 50" version of this model and games look AMAZING on it. I'm still in the break-in period, so I'm trying not to do too much gaming, but the colors in Gears of War 2 looked really good... much better than my 32" Toshiba Regza LCD, which is also 720p. I don't know how the 42" compares to my 50", but I'm sure they must be fairly similar in picture quality.

I use 1080i output for all my gaming on both of these. Some people say you can't really tell the difference, but I personally think that 1080i looks better. By the way, the 50" has pixel shifting, which is supposed to help with image retention / burn-in. I'm assuming this would have it to, so make sure to turn the feature on if you're worried. Also helps to keep your brightness and contrast down as low as it will go for the first 100-150 hours... just to be safe.

Also worth noting that the 50" version has popped up in a couple of recent deals, usually under $900 (it will be $899+tax at BB on Black Friday). Might be worth considering the larger version for the extra money, especially if it pops up again in the mid $800 range.
 
How are the black levels in plasma, generally? I've heard that flat-panel displays like plasma and LCD don't go as deep, true black as other technologies. This is important for instances such as during dark, shadow-replete games (survival horror), as well as fades and transitions in films.
 
I bought this same TV (42'') from Circuit City a few months back for $799 (w/$40 off coupon) so $759. This is by far the best TV you can buy out there for the price. My family has the 50" model of the same television, and I've gamed on both for hours on end with no burn in. The electric bill hasn't taken a big jump either, so that hasn't been a problem. Even if it costs a little more per for energy, you're paying 1/2 or even 1/3 for a similar LCD TV, so you're better off getting the Plama. The 720P looks amazing either...don't bother spending the extra money for the 1080P. This 720P TV has a better image than any 1080P I've seen hands down. Honestly, if you're in the market for a large gaming television, you'd be crazy to pass this up! BUY NOW! :p
 
My family owns 2 older Panasonic Plasma's and from my experience Plasma's have a better picture quality when compared to LCD's, especially the black level's. However, I do experience image retention on the tvs if played for over an hour. The image retention will disppear after watching tv for a little bit but im scared that it will become permanent.

Due to the anxiety of ruining the plasma's I purchased a 32' LCD for gaming only. The LCD picture quality isnt nearly as good but I dont have to worry about watching the clock and playing the game too long.
 
I've had this exact model since 2006 and love it. Great picture quality compared to comparable plasmas! I've got 3 systems hooked up to it and they all work just fine on any game you can throw at it. Never had a problem with long term burn-in, it refreshes quickly if it looks like anything is burned in.

One of the benefits of plasma vs. LCD is richer dark tones, which are great for bluray movie viewing. If you're in the market for a 42 inch tv, you can't go wrong with this model. Just a great TV for gaming overall ... and at this price, it's a steal

Ps. The only down side is that it doesn't have a digital connection if you want to hook up a pc to it, although you can always get an adapter I suppose.
 
[quote name='sTaTIx']How are the black levels in plasma, generally? I've heard that flat-panel displays like plasma and LCD don't go as deep, true black as other technologies. This is important for instances such as during dark, shadow-replete games (survival horror), as well as fades and transitions in films.[/quote]

Plasmas generally have perfect blacks on par with CRTs, not sure where you read different. They dont have a "response time" you have to worry about either which is nice.

[quote name='GaveUpTomorrow']The electric bill hasn't taken a big jump either, so that hasn't been a problem.[/quote]

Going from a 32" CRT to a 40"+ plasma i noticed a significant jump. Either you replaced something that drew as much power or you have a magical energy regulator. :lol:
 
Problem with Plasmas is that even if you have Burn in pixel shift protection, that helps a bit but if you fall asleep with the TV on And we all have the next morning your TV is ruined.

Also why a 42 inch or 40 inch LCD use 200watts vs a Plasma same size use DOUBLE the power 400 Watts or more.

2009 Models of LCD's will use the new Energy Star 3.0 Spec and the Watt usage will be Way way down. Maybe 80 Watts for 40 inch LCD vs 240 watts for a 2008 model.

Also Standy by power or off will be 0.3 Watts vs. 2 Watts or 5 or 10 on some LCD's Plasmas when off.

What happens is when you have Your PC LCD off your SDTV off your HDTV LCD or Plama Off Printer off Sound System off.

All combined OFF its like 120 Watts OFF for the average home all electronics.

I just don't like Plasmas They create too much heat. And After the First 500 Hours of Life the Gases Reach Peak Luminosity and its gets dimmer and dimmer from that point on its all down hill.

Plasmas do have noticeable better Blacks and more accurate and brighter colors.
As well as The Handle SDTV standard resolution Channels better than LCD's

But for the Money and quality I will go with LCD and reliability.
 
[quote name='qwerty1']Plasmas generally have perfect blacks on par with CRTs, not sure where you read different. They dont have a "response time" you have to worry about either which is nice.
[/QUOTE]
The people in this thread seem to generally agree that plasma doesn't have black levels that come close to CRTs (which remains the reference standard for black levels and perhaps image quality overall). I would like to ask you instead where you read that plasmas, or any other current flat-panel display, have "blacks on par with CRT."
 
[quote name='sTaTIx']The people in this thread seem to generally agree that plasma doesn't have black levels that come close to CRTs (which remains the reference standard for black levels and perhaps image quality overall). I would like to ask you instead where you read that plasmas, or any other current flat-panel display, have "blacks on par with CRT."[/quote]

They are not on par with CRTs, but they are generally much better than LCDs.

He is right about response time though, as the response time for Plasmas is lower than on LCDs.
 
[quote name='sTaTIx']The people in this thread seem to generally agree that plasma doesn't have black levels that come close to CRTs (which remains the reference standard for black levels and perhaps image quality overall). I would like to ask you instead where you read that plasmas, or any other current flat-panel display, have "blacks on par with CRT."[/quote]

uh, call me silly, but I read the linked thread and then noticed 2007....
 
[quote name='Ice Cold']Problem with Plasmas is that even if you have Burn in pixel shift protection, that helps a bit but if you fall asleep with the TV on And we all have the next morning your TV is ruined.

Also why a 42 inch or 40 inch LCD use 200watts vs a Plasma same size use DOUBLE the power 400 Watts or more.

2009 Models of LCD's will use the new Energy Star 3.0 Spec and the Watt usage will be Way way down. Maybe 80 Watts for 40 inch LCD vs 240 watts for a 2008 model.

Also Standy by power or off will be 0.3 Watts vs. 2 Watts or 5 or 10 on some LCD's Plasmas when off.

What happens is when you have Your PC LCD off your SDTV off your HDTV LCD or Plama Off Printer off Sound System off.

All combined OFF its like 120 Watts OFF for the average home all electronics.

I just don't like Plasmas They create too much heat. And After the First 500 Hours of Life the Gases Reach Peak Luminosity and its gets dimmer and dimmer from that point on its all down hill.

Plasmas do have noticeable better Blacks and more accurate and brighter colors.
As well as The Handle SDTV standard resolution Channels better than LCD's

But for the Money and quality I will go with LCD and reliability.[/QUOTE]

Oh wow lots of exaggeration there. Burn-ins are hardly a factor in today's plasmas. Even if there is some burn-in they will be wiped out after an hour or two. And who falls asleep after pausing the video anyway?

It takes over a decade for you to notice any reduced luminosity. By that time the tv is already outdated.

Plasma has a higher maximum watt usage but on average they only use a bit more than LCDs. LCDs draws the same amount of power in projecting either black or white images since the back bulb is mostly constant, whereas plasma uses far less power in darker images due to lesser phosphor excitations.

I haven't heard so much about the upcoming new LCDs that have grossly reduced power consumption, though the specs you gave sounds exactly the same as the Philips "eco tv" that has already been released, which looks like it was made just to shut the environmental hippies up as they're hardly manufacturing much, no prolonged promotion or awareness, and hardly any retailers carry it. Even Philips own website downplayed its energy saving feature, which tells you their commitment on supporting this type of product. Plus the reviews state the picture quality is poor compared to other LCDs.
 
Just wanted to point out that there are a few misconceptions going on here with plasmas:

1) That power rating you are seeing is rated at maximum brightness (usually a blank white screen) Your new series of plasmas only use slightly more electricity than the same size LCD. Unless you are going to stare at a blank white screen with your contrast and brightness maxed out, I wouldn't worry about your electricity bill. I own 2 Panasonic 50PZ800U sets, and the bill has not spiked at all.

2) Most modern plasmas have so many technologies to avoid burn-in, that the hazard of this happening is mostly a non-issue. (pixel-shift, screen-dampening, screen savers, auto-off, etc)

3) Image retention (not burn-in) has also greatly diminished. Even for games with static maps or stats in the corners, this is usually not a problem and on the higher end plasmas it is a complete non-issue.

4) Modern Panasonic plasmas are rated to have 100,000 hours until panel half-brightness. The peak luminosity is reached far, far past the 500 hours quoted on this forum earlier. You'll be on to your next TV before you need to worry about this.


Bottom line- anyone looking to buy one of these plasmas for gaming should feel absolutely safe doing so. Panasonic is a superior company.
 
[quote name='Ice Cold']42" Plasma probably uses like 550 Watts of power have fun with that Electricity bill each month. Plus Surround sound system 300 Watts or more, Plus Xbox 360 203 Watts[/QUOTE]

You posted the max draw for pretty much everything. It would never happen in a realistic situation.

For one thing, only the original 360s had a PSU rated for 203 W, and I've never seen one even go near 200 W. The new Falcons are at low 100ish W.

Again, 550 W would be the max draw for the TV, which would probably never happen. Typical range for this TV would probably be around 200 W. CNet had theirs at 190 W after calibration. My 32" LCD uses 130-150 W.

And there's a semantics problem in this thread. Burn in is permanent. Image retention is temporary. Burn in is not an issue anymore with modern plasmas. There might still be some image retention (especially if your settings are at torch mode), but it'll go away quickly when watching something in motion.

There is also no real need to do break in anymore for modern plasmas.
 
[quote name='sTaTIx']The people in this thread seem to generally agree that plasma doesn't have black levels that come close to CRTs (which remains the reference standard for black levels and perhaps image quality overall). I would like to ask you instead where you read that plasmas, or any other current flat-panel display, have "blacks on par with CRT."[/quote]

With all due respect to the people in that thread, they either dont know what they're talking about or they're talking about something that was true years ago much like how people insist on bringing up the topic of burn in, even today, when essentially all Plasmas dont suffer from it and havent for the last couple years. Likewise for those that mention ghosting in relation to someone asking about modern LCDs. These are problems that just dont exist today compared to how bad they were years ago. The technology has significantly improved. I know some of the newest (and quite expensive) Plasmas reviewed lately even have black levels that RIVAL that of CRTs. Just do a google search and remember you're in 2008 so any information you gather should at least be from this year. Regardless the black levels of a Plasma are far far better than that of an LCD so its really silly to compare the two.

[quote name='Cloggerdude']as the response time for Plasmas is lower than on LCDs.[/quote]

Thats an understatement. A Plasmas response time is basically indistinguishable. Most are less than 1ms.
 
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I still say go with a plasma for the better color and what not. Burn in isn't a issue unless you fall asleep with the TV on, and you should slap yourself for that. Theres also screen savers/protectors as well as auto turnoff for the 360 and what not if you ever happen to do that. Also, after watching a movie for a few hours after gaming for a good week or so straight all the temp burn in disappears regardless.

LCD imho is too slow from what I've bought in terms of gaming on non-HDMI sources. Ghosting everywhere. Granted the PS2 and previous generation systems are best on a CRT TV, but it's good to keep in mind I've had better performance with the Wii and PS2 on a plasma over a LCD tv. Even on HDMI theres slight ghosting and you won't see that at all on Plasma tvs.

Buy a plasma now, and in 6+ years when you need a newer tv then you can get a OLED. They are already on the market. $2,500 for a Sony 10 inch OLED and they are the future. In 7 years they will probably be 1 grand or less for a 32 incher, and I'll pick one of those babies up by then.
 
Yeah, I forgot to add that I've got the older model of this tv, and I absolutely love it.

The only LCDs that I have seen that even come close to my set cost a heck of a lot more than this tv, even at it's normal price.

For this price, the tv is basically a steal.
 
Thanks OP! Picked one up this afternoon; 4 other people were in the checkout line with me waiting to be rung up, all buying this same tv. The sales people were pushing the extended warranties HARD, especially on the older couples.
 
[quote name='Monsta Mack']LCD imho is too slow from what I've bought in terms of gaming on non-HDMI sources. Ghosting everywhere.[/quote]

If you have ghosting on a reasonably new LCD you should probably check the inputs and cables rather than outright blaming the monitor. I havent actually read ghosting being an issue on an LCD in almost 3 years. When it comes to LCDs its a bit backwards as well. The cheaper TN panels, and thus the cheaper TVs, usually have the faster response times. When you look at higher end LCD panels/tvs the response times generally increase significantly, though they still work/look superbly for gaming. See the whole Sony Bravia line. Sony doesnt even make a Plasma anymore. Course their prices reflect the quality of the LCD which are usually twice that of most other brands for the same size.
 
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