# Replacement for my Hitachi P50X901?



## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

After waiting a month tech service came back with a repair estimate of $700+, so time to buy a new one. Big fan of Plasma, have looked at LED a bit but cost is up there for something I'm not sure I like. So sticking with plasma, would like to go up to 55" but not sure I want to pay the extra bucks. Other decisions are 3D or not and what brand is best? It's a toss up on the 3D and I am looking mostly at Panasonic and LG for brands. Recommendations?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

For plasma - Samsung D8000 or Panasonic VT30.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

sigma1914 said:


> For plasma - Samsung D8000 or Panasonic VT30.


If it helps, I've got seven Panny plasmas, I tried Sammy and Phillips (really crappy) plasmas and even a Pioneer (didn't see why the cost was so much more than the Panny for about the same PQ).

I watched a Sammy plasma in a restaurant a few weeks ago, it was next to our table, and I liked the PQ on that one. But I've had very good luck with the Pannys and I tend to stick with what I'm familiar with. I don't care about 3D, but the 3D Pannys have an outrageously good picture in 2D. And the prices are dropping like rocks.

Rich


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

A Panasonic VT30 will make you forget all the bad things you've heard about 3D with glasses, especially with your DIRECTV programming.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

FHSPSU67 said:


> A Panasonic VT30 will make you forget all the bad things you've heard about 3D with glasses, especially with your DIRECTV programming.


Fred, know anything about the Panny TC-65PST34? Price is only $2199.99 at Costco.

Rich


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

Found this:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1351900&highlight=65st34


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## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

FHSPSU67 said:


> A Panasonic VT30 will make you forget all the bad things you've heard about 3D with glasses, especially with your DIRECTV programming.


Looks like I'd have to go to 55" for the VT and the price is a little much for me right now. I was veering toward the ST versions while considering the GT. And Rich I admit I was already leaning toward the Pannys, I see a lot of good things about them so good to hear that you are pleased with so many of them.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

BosFan said:


> Looks like I'd have to go to 55" for the VT and the price is a little much for me right now. I was veering toward the ST versions while considering the GT. And Rich I admit I was already leaning toward the Pannys, I see a lot of good things about them so good to hear that you are pleased with so many of them.


The Panny and Sammy are the 2 best current plasmas...you can't go wrong with either. Rich is a Panny fanboy.  

What's your budget?


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## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> The Panny and Sammy are the 2 best current plasmas...you can't go wrong with either. Rich is a Panny fanboy.
> 
> What's your budget?


Rich is also a Yankees fan & I'm not sure I should be taking advice from him! :lol:

I'd like to stay under a grand but would go as high as $1200 if I felt it was worth it. So far I've been leaning toward these 3: P50ST30 (top choice price wise), P50GT30 & P55ST30 (barely in the budget). I need to research the Samsungs more, hadn't really looked hard at them. Probably wander over to Best Buy & Sears just to look.


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## e4123 (Jan 31, 2011)

Panasonic. No question.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

FHSPSU67 said:


> Found this:
> http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1351900&highlight=65st34


I had looked at the manual for the 34 and compared it to the 30, just thought you might have tried one or dug deeper than I had. Like the folks on your link, the only real difference I saw was the computer input, which doesn't really matter to me. What scares me about buying a TV from Costco is my experience with trying to get info from Sony about a model only Costco was selling. Took me a few phone calls to Sony and I finally got someone willing to talk about that set, which was produced for Costco and only Costco. His words as remember them: "Don't buy it."

He gave me nothing more than that and that was sufficient. The only thing I like about Costco and TVs is the 90 day return policy. Nobody else in our area has a return policy that comes anywhere near that except for Sam's Club. And Sam's Club also sells TVs made for just them.

So, when buying a large screen TV, you're really at the mercy of the retailer. Most of my seven Pannys were bought at local 6th Avenue stores at a considerably cheaper price than Costco's. But returning one to them is damn near impossible unless you're willing to buy a more expensive set.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BosFan said:


> Looks like I'd have to go to 55" for the VT and the price is a little much for me right now. I was veering toward the ST versions while considering the GT. And Rich I admit I was already leaning toward the Pannys, I see a lot of good things about them so good to hear that you are pleased with so many of them.


I'm very pleased with my Pannys. I had a bias against all things Panasonic before I bought the first TV and I still have that bias. Except for the TVs. Several years ago, I would have gone for a Sony plasma, but they don't seem to exist. I've always had pretty good luck with Sony products. They made the best VCRs and I had Sony TVs for a long time. Never had one fail.

Except for my latest Panny, a 42" 1080p set, I just took them out of the box and never changed a setting. I had to fiddle with the settings on the newest one and it doesn't like component wiring at all. But the PQ is great now that I've figured out the settings. And, after all, isn't that what a TV is all about?

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

sigma1914 said:


> The Panny and Sammy are the 2 best current plasmas...you can't go wrong with either. Rich is a Panny fanboy.
> 
> What's your budget?


This is bad time to talk about money. I realize that the economy has a lot of people hurting and I've been quiet about my financial situation out of respect for those folks who are hurting. I'll just say this, I can afford any TV (within reason) and I keep buying Pannys. I've considered LCDs, but we decided that the restricted viewing angles don't fit into the rooms we watch programs in for many reasons. So, plasmas it is, and Pannys still seem to be the best as far as we're concerned. But, remember, this is just our opinion.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BosFan said:


> Rich is also a Yankees fan & I'm not sure I should be taking advice from him! :lol:
> 
> I'd like to stay under a grand but would go as high as $1200 if I felt it was worth it. So far I've been leaning toward these 3: P50ST30 (top choice price wise), P50GT30 & P55ST30 (barely in the budget). I need to research the Samsungs more, hadn't really looked hard at them. Probably wander over to Best Buy & Sears just to look.


I see 50" Panny plasmas for less than $1,000 all the time. Just saw several places selling them for around $800. Received an email from Panasonic regarding a deal they have with the corporation that my wife works for and the pricing was really good. Amazon also has good pricing.

Even comparing them in the stores doesn't work as well as you'd think it would. In well lit stores the LCD PQ blows away the plasmas. When you get them home, it's another story. I rarely see Pannys and Sammys side by side in the stores. And the darker the rooms in the stores, the better the plasmas look.

By the way, one of the very best Pannys I have is a 50", 720p set. I have that in the master bedroom and I can't see much difference, if any at all, in the PQ of that set and my 50" 1080p set, which is the set my wife and I watch most of our shows on.

It's really confusing, isn't it?

Rich


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## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

rich584 said:


> This is bad time to talk about money. I realize that the economy has a lot of people hurting and I've been quiet about my financial situation out of respect for those folks who are hurting. I'll just say this, I can afford any TV (within reason) and I keep buying Pannys. I've considered LCDs, but we decided that the restricted viewing angles don't fit into the rooms we watch programs in for many reasons. So, plasmas it is, and Pannys still seem to be the best as far as we're concerned. But, remember, this is just our opinion.
> 
> Rich


Rich, this is a good point, I am thankful to be gainfully employed, after several big expenses this year I didn't need this but lucky to be able to afford it. Thanks for all your input, I think I have settled on the P55ST30 at this point, so far looks like Amazon has the best price. Unfortunately I guess I missed the 2 free glasses deal.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BosFan said:


> Rich, this is a good point, I am thankful to be gainfully employed, after several big expenses this year I didn't need this but lucky to be able to afford it. Thanks for all your input, I think I have settled on the P55ST30 at this point, so far looks like Amazon has the best price. Unfortunately I guess I missed the 2 free glasses deal.


Have you tried the 3D on the Pannys? As soon as you put them on your picture gets so much dimmer. The only reason I'd consider buying a 3D Panny plasma is the 2D PQ, which I think is out of this world. I wear plastic prescription glasses and I've already had one set of my glasses ruined by the Panny 3D glasses. But that 2D picture! Wow! One of our members got a 3D Panny and promptly sold the two extra glasses on eBay. Offset the cost of the TV.

Rich


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## BosFan (Sep 28, 2009)

rich584 said:


> Have you tried the 3D on the Pannys? As soon as you put them on your picture gets so much dimmer. The only reason I'd consider buying a 3D Panny plasma is the 2D PQ, which I think is out of this world. I wear plastic prescription glasses and I've already had one set of my glasses ruined by the Panny 3D glasses. But that 2D picture! Wow! One of our members got a 3D Panny and promptly sold the two extra glasses on eBay. Offset the cost of the TV.
> 
> Rich


I did at Best Buy and Sears. Didn't really notice it except maybe at BB where it was next to a Samsung LED 3D. But the 2D quality is better and the only way to get to 55" in the Panasonic models is to go with 3D. I'm not getting a 3D bluray though, so only time the 3D would get used is watching one of the channels on D*, thinking mostly the kids will use it.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

When Panasonic 3D kicks in the brightness automatically goes up to compensate for each eye only seeing 1/2 of what it sees in 2D.
[edit] One other thing: If you get the Panny and you have DIRECTV, you "will" watch 3D programming


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BosFan said:


> I did at Best Buy and Sears. Didn't really notice it except maybe at BB where it was next to a Samsung LED 3D. But the 2D quality is better and the only way to get to 55" in the Panasonic models is to go with 3D. I'm not getting a 3D bluray though, so only time the 3D would get used is watching one of the channels on D*, thinking mostly the kids will use it.


Kinda hard to buy a "top of the line" TV today without getting the 3D feature (and paying for it).

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

FHSPSU67 said:


> When Panasonic 3D kicks in the brightness automatically goes up to compensate for each eye only seeing 1/2 of what it sees in 2D.
> [edit] One other thing: If you get the Panny and you have DIRECTV, you "will" watch 3D programming


I was watching a Panny in a 6th Ave store and it had a D* feed. Still seemed pretty dim compared to the 2D.

Rich


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