# Increase in HDTV size from 46" to 50"



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Posted Today, 05:51 AM

This post was moved from another forum.

We currently have a 46" Sony Bravia KDL-46HX750. I view from 9.5 feet and my wife 8 feet. Placement space is limited. It would be very difficult fit in a 55".

1. In your opinion, is it a true benefit and worth at least $900 (sale price of the Sony 50" KDL-W800B Premium LED HDTV) to gain an additional 4" in screen over our current 46" KDL-46HX750O?

2. Comparison Data -
A. Sony BRAVIA 50" KDL-50W800B (http://t.store.sony....s/27-KDL50W800B). NOTE: Touch or click on "Specifications" 
B. Sony BRAVIA KDL-46HX750 (https://docs.sony.co...HX750_HX751.pdf). NOTE: Go to page 33 of the pdf for "Specifications".

3. Not interested in 4K.

4. We have owned only Sony TV's since 1983 yet should additional brands be considered?

5. Would we only benefit by moving up to a 55"?

Truly appreciate your help, additional comments and/or suggestions.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

If you can accommodate a unit that is 46.6" wide, and since you're not interested in 4k, you might want to take a look at this 51" Samsung plasma at Best Buy. I currently own 3 plasmas and have yet to see an LCD display that offers better picture quality than what I'm using. Just my .02.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-51-class-50-3-4-diag--plasma-720p-hdtv-black/8240051.p?id=1218866284933&skuId=8240051

When I "added it to my cart", the price for that unit at the Best Buy nearest me was $400!

This is the Samsung product page: http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/PN51F4500BFXZA

*EDITED TO ADD:* There's also a 1080p Version of that display available for $550.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-51-class-50-3-4-diag--plasma-1080p-hdtv-black/8239047.p?id=1218866283709&skuId=8239047

At 8' away, depending on her vision, your wife may see the difference between 768p and 1080p. According to the calculator on this page, the distance after which you probably won't see a difference is 9.3'. So if you have 20/20 vision, you're right on the cusp at 9.5'.

Samsung product page: http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/PN51F5300AFXZA


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

1953 said:


> Posted Today, 05:51 AM
> 
> This post was moved from another forum.
> 
> ...


All opinions are just that. What you want is a consensus that agrees with what you already think and you may or may not get it.
My answers are above.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Steve said:


> If you can accommodate a unit that is 46.6" wide, and since you're not interested in 4k, you might want to take a look at this 51" Samsung plasma at Best Buy. I currently own 3 plasmas and have yet to see an LCD display that offers better picture quality than what I'm using. Just my .02.
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-51-class-50-3-4-diag--plasma-720p-hdtv-black/8240051.p?id=1218866284933&skuId=8240051
> 
> ...


While I agree that plasmas are fantastic (and cheap), one thing to keep in mind is that they aren't always best depending on the room. They aren't always as good in a room that gets a lot of light, like a living room with a lot of windows during the day.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> While I agree that plasmas are fantastic (and cheap), one thing to keep in mind is that they aren't always best depending on the room. They aren't always as good in a room that gets a lot of light, like a living room with a lot of windows during the day.


Agree. Depends on the display's reflective coating and/or placement. My Panny 65" is in my living room, which has southern exposure and lots of windows perpendicular to the screen. No issues here. We routinely watch it during the day. Good news is if *1953 *opts to go that route via Best Buy, he can use it for a couple of weeks and return it, if that turns out to be an issue.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Unfortunately there are eight floor to ceiling windows in and around the living room. Glare is of great concern so I'm sorry to say that plasma hdtv's will not what out. I was amazed and very pleased by the low prices. Any special reason they are so much affordable? Thank you for such a thorough reply Steve.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

1953 said:


> Unfortunately there are eight floor to ceiling windows in and around the living room. Glare is of great concern so I'm sorry to say that plasma hdtv's will not what out. I was amazed and very pleased by the low prices. Any special reason they are so much affordable? Thank you for such a thorough reply Steve.


After 10 years, Samsung, LG and Panasonic all figured out how to make plasmas inexpensively that are both energy efficient and burn-in free... up to 1080p. Unfortunately, the cost to make a 4k plasma is prohibitively high. Panasonic discontinued plasmas in 2014 and I believe LG and Samsung will discontinue them this year, if they haven't already. It's a shame, because at normal viewing distances, where resolution is not a factor, they still have arguably the best PQ out there.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

1953 said:


> Unfortunately there are eight floor to ceiling windows in and around the living room. Glare is of great concern so I'm sorry to say that plasma hdtv's will not what out. I was amazed and very pleased by the low prices. Any special reason they are so much affordable? Thank you for such a thorough reply Steve.


Plasmas are affordable because unfortunately they are going the way of the dino. There are several reasons for this, including that in the standard big box store like Best Buy, they don't look as good as LCD (in torch mode), with all the lighting etc. Customers look at that, even though it is not realistic in a home environment. Best Buy Magnolia helps this as that's separate and more setup in a home looking environment.

Plus at least early on there were some misconceptions on Plasma, like they needed the plasma replaced, among other things.

There also are some areas of the country where Plasma is at least not recommended. Denver is fine, but other parts of Colorado are above the altitude limit.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Steve said:


> After 10 years, Samsung, LG and Panasonic all figured out how to make plasmas inexpensively that are both energy efficient and burn-in free... up to 1080p. Unfortunately, the cost to make a 4k plasma is prohibitively high. Panasonic discontinued plasmas in 2014 and I believe LG and Samsung will discontinue them this year, if they haven't already. It's a shame, because at normal viewing distances, where resolution is not a factor, they still have arguably the best PQ out there.


I bet a lot of people still think Plasma has issues with burn-in. Of course many also don't know the difference between burn in and image retention.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

It is a shame plasma's are going away.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Brand leadership comes and goes. What was once the best may end up being a bottom dweller (or go away in the case of Mitsubishi) if they don't keep up.

Sony was making some pretty sucky TVs just a few years ago (in between LCoS and second generation LED) and their flagship still doesn't feature quantum dots (color correction to obtain a less bluish white from LEDs).

Each year there's something new to consider and it usually depends on where the manufacturers are in their respective cycles.

Heck, even Toshiba may make a comeback or people will stop dismissing Sharp.

The other view that I take is that even the best TVs probably won't "last" for more than five years. If they last longer, it is bonus time.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

1953 said:


> It is a shame plasma's are going away.


Such is life in a world where going green is valued.


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## satcrazy (Mar 16, 2011)

I haven't heard much about Panasonic since they dropped their now famous plasmas [ If you can still find one the price is not cheap]

They threw the towel in on oled's and supposedly their lcd's aren't as popular as their plasmas.

Are they making 4k's?


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

harsh said:


> Brand leadership comes and goes. What was once the best may end up being a bottom dweller (or go away in the case of Mitsubishi) if they don't keep up.
> 
> Sony was making some pretty sucky TVs just a few years ago (in between LCoS and second generation LED) and their flagship still doesn't feature quantum dots (color correction to obtain a less bluish white from LEDs).
> 
> ...


I have had a Sharp, 32" 1080p that I got on sale at Best Buy last year and I like it. No Complaints.

I think the TVs made today will last 10 years or more.
I do not have any statistics to back it up. But, when you compare the heat generated from the old CRT TVs and what all it took for them to work compared to how few parts there are in the new LED TVs I think they should last longer than the old CRTs.
Most of the CRTs that I bought in my many years of buying TVs lasted 10 years or a little more.

I know that as soon as you state how long you have had something it usually then breaks. I have a Vizio LCD, Samsung LCD and a Mitsubishi LCD that will be 6 years old in March coming up.

I agree with the first part of your post.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

jimmie57 said:


> I think the TVs made today will last 10 years or more.


I hate to jinx myself, but I'm still using two Panny 42" plasmas, one 8 years old and one 9 years old, and they look as good as the day I bought them. I think they're spec'd at "30 years to half brightness", and they're still set at the same brightness level determined by the original calibration I did on each one. I think the electronics will fail long before the screen does.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

We have a model year 1983 19" Sony Trinitron that was still in daily use in our master bedroom until a couple of weeks ago. It is now setup in one of our guest bedrooms. Replaced it with a 32" Samsung HDTV.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I switched from Sony to Sammy five or so years ago, and have a plasma in a fairly bright LR. Not a problem, but ceiling lights or floor lamps across the room do reflect, so I just keep 'em off. 

A few inches more is not worth a large premium. Steve has good ideas.


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