Author Topic: plasma tv question 42PD7800? (Read 452 times)

eagl · « **on:** June 25, 2005, 12:15:39 PM »

Any reason to not get an Hitachi 42PD7800? I can get a decent price I think.

1024x1024 resolution, 6 inputs, yadda yadda. No I probably won't run AH on it, but that would look neat I think

Anyhow, any reason to not get this model?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:20:59 PM »

Plasma does suffer from burn-in. They run hot and need a lot of cooling.

EDIT: Also figure to replace it in 5 years or so. They do not hold up well.

eagl · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:32:29 PM »

Those are reasons to not get plasma, not a reason to not get this model

Hitachi is advertising a 20 year life. It'll be in a well ventilated area and turned off when not in use.

Some of the reasons I like this model are the resolution, the gazillion inputs, and it is both multi-voltage AND multi-system so I can ditch my 2 tvs (one US, one UK) and replace with just this one.

At work we have had wall mounted 52" plasmas showing our flying schedule in a grid / spreadsheet format for a year, running 12-14 hours a day, with no burn-in, so I'm fairly certain that with my viewing habits I won't ruin the tv too soon.

The cost is just a bit under $3600, which is pretty decent for this one. A sony at the store using the same screen is $4500.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:35:39 PM »

Ok, just was not sure if you knew about the burnin issue.

I have no first hand experience with anything from Hitachi. Quite fanky, I personally would not have considered them when looking for TV's.
Doe snot mean they are not good product, I just do not think about them when I think about consumer electronics.

Nilsen · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:35:45 PM »

burn-ins are mostly a thing of the past ive been told. One guy at the mac forum i visit had left it on all night (6+ hours) with a static desktop-computer image on.

After a few times of "cleaning" the screen it was all good again. A Sony 42" i belive it was.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:41:30 PM »

I can beleive they have improved it, but there is no way to get rid of it. It's phosphor, it will degrade.

But, I bow out of here as I cannot be of any help to eagl on this one.

eagl · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:45:27 PM »

Skuzzy,

What do you have or recommend? I don't want a projection because I move so much, it'll just get ruined, and I don't have the room for a really large conventional tube tv. I almost bought a nice sony 32" flat tube tv but I'd have to darn near remodel my house to even get it in the door, let alone find a place to put it. A flat panel display like a plasma would fit even better than the old 29" tube I am using now.

I did almost buy a regular projection tv for about $1700 but I wasn't completely satisfied with the off-angle viewing plus the moving thing. Sure they all have automatic alignment and calibration now but when I know I'm going to be shipping it every 2-3 years, I'm fairly sure it wouldn't last. One plasma screen at work was literally kicked around for 6 months while we were remodelling it's room, and it still works just fine.

Nilsen · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:46:53 PM »

eagl

i just read a test (in norwegian) that gave the 42PD7200 a 6/6

here is a link to the test, but its prolly no use to you. http://www.dinside.no/php/art.php?id=213210

I dont know the diff between this tested model and the 7800, but if it is a number higher i bet its even better.

go for it

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:51:03 PM »

What about LCD? Black levels as not as good, and brightness is close, but no burnin, and they are quiet as they require no cooling fans. For moving, they are also lighter than plasma.
Price-wise, I am not sure how they compare.
I am not saying plasma is bad, by the way. I have known some folks who bought in early and got burned (pun?

) and the industry has been desperatly trying to recover from that.

Nilsen · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:55:58 PM »

In general the plasmas are better in darker scenes and fast moving action (movies and console gaming). They are also cheaper at the same size.

I belive the LCD wins in the rest of the categorys.

Imo 42 is too big unless you sit abit away from the screen, cause they will all look fuzzy if you sit too close and 42 is too big for me.

I would look for a good quality 32/37" LCD tv and not a 42" plasma or LCD.

eagl · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2005, 12:58:34 PM »

Yea.

The 7800 is new/big in Australia I think. The 7200 and 7800 may be almost the same thing but with diffs for europe/asia/aus.

If I was going to stay in the same place for 10+ years, I'd probably go with LCD or DLP, maybe a projector.

I can't get an LCD this size for anywhere close to this price. Even a huge projection tv with LCD costs more I think.

Bodhi · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2005, 05:05:22 PM »

Do not buy an plasma or LCD screens for atleast another year... prices are going to change dramatically.

eagl · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2005, 06:07:55 PM »

How so bodhi? They're already about 2/3 of what they were a year ago... What's coming out that will drive down the prices?

Nilsen · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2005, 06:17:08 PM »

new production lines are popping up and also the way the panels are made is changing. Most of the brands also really wants to drop production of CRT tv's and for them to do so they need to offer more and cheaper LCD's.

If i was to buy a tv NOW i would go for a good 32" crt, but you dont have that option.

Ofcourse one can always wait forever because something new is around the corner.

Chairboy · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2005, 06:40:58 PM »

With some of the modern thin DLP designs, there aren't really any great reasons to go with Plasma anymore, methinks.

That aside, the specs you listed are not HDTV. It's the bastard standard half-way definition TV.