Question:
Dear Big Picture Big Sound,
I'm finally ready to take the plunge into high definition and am looking for some advice. I've been keeping up with advancements in HDTV design and technology, to the extent that a layman like me can. I've seen the ads for Samsung LED TVs (which are LCD TVs with LED lighting, right?), and the stores like Costco and Best Buy have a dizzying array of choices in LCD TV with a smaller selection of plasma TVs. The old DLP TVs seem to have disappeared along with bulky old tube sets.
So if cost *IS* an object, and I'm looking for good bang for the buck in the 50 inch or 52 inch size, what TV is currently "the one to get?" What would you buy if you were me?
Help!
Sincerely,
-Desperately Seeking High Def, New York, NY
Answer:
Dear DSHD,
While everyone else is chasing the latest LED/LCD technology and getting sucked into the massive advertising campaigns of Samsung, Sony and Sharp, you can pick up a TV today with a better picture than any but the most expensive LCD and LED/LCD TVs, and for a lot less money. Panasonic's 50-inch TC-P50G10 offers full HD 1080p resolution, has one of the industry's best native contrast ratios (40,000:1) and a dynamic contrast that exceeds measurement. This means it can produce deep dark blacks and vibrant saturated colors. Also, as an added benefit of plasma technology, it does not suffer from the motion trails and uniformity issues (uneven panel brightness) that can plague LCD TVs, even the LED-backlit ones. The picture is so good that it earned certification by the image gurus at THX.
The set also features Panasonic's VIERA Cast IPTV capability, which allows you to access YouTube, Picasa and Amazon Video-on-Demand services right from the TV with no computer required (though it does require a wired internet connection). While this may not be quite as cool as Netflix streaming, available from LG and Samsung, it is pretty nifty to be able to watch YouTube videos and rent movies and TV shows instantly from Amazon in the comfort of your living room or home theater.
And to debunk some of the myths out there, a plasma TV isn't likely to burn in or have a shorter lifespan than an LCD TV. Current generation plasmas have built-in anti-image retention technology that prevents so called "burn in" that used to be a problem for early plasma TVs. And as for lifespan, the G10 series is rated at 100,000 hours until half brightness. That's about 42 years of viewing at 6.5 hours per day. If you watch more TV then that, then all I can say is "get thee to a lifery!"
The best part? The list price of the 50-inch G10 HDTV is only $1799 and the street price is more like $1400 (or less). This puts its price far below the current top of the line LED-based LCD TVs on the market today. It's also available in a 54-inch version (TC-P54G10) for about $300 more. And the G15 series, available through select retailers, offers nearly identical performance with slightly different styling for about the same price.
There are certainly more expensive TVs out there, but for me the G10 and G15 series hit the "sweet spot" between price and overall performance.
NOTE: Until 10/31, Amazon has a sale on the G10 models - buy any G10 or S1 series TV from 42 inches to 54 inches, along with a DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player and save $200 instantly (which gets you the player for free with additional cash back). Details here:
More Information/Where to Buy:
50-inch G10 and G15 series:
54-inch G10 series:
Hope that helps!
-Chris
