Best flat panel HDTV (PLASMA) for the money, right now! | Top Value, and Performance.

I am in the market for a 65" plasma to replace my Panasonic 65V10. At first I contemplated the upcoming 65ZT60, which promises to equal or surpass the quality of Pioneer's esteemed Kuro sets. But after reading CNet's review, plus tons of very positive feedback on other message boards, I think I'll keep the change in my pocket and go for the 65ST60 instead... Amazing value!
 
Panasonic plasmas are excellent. I have one and love it. Good luck with your search.
 
I am in the market for a 65" plasma to replace my Panasonic 65V10. At first I contemplated the upcoming 65ZT60, which promises to equal or surpass the quality of Pioneer's esteemed Kuro sets. But after reading CNet's review, plus tons of very positive feedback on other message boards, I think I'll keep the change in my pocket and go for the 65ST60 instead... Amazing value!

You have the same line of thinking as I Esteban. :) ...If money is growing on trees from your backyard, yeah, go for the ZT Series. But if like me you don't see money growing on your trees, the 65" class from the ST Series would do just fine. ...And me, for me and my entourage, from a wise decision, I'd get that one as well. ...Amazing HDTV 3D Plasma for the money! ...And you can compare it directly with others much more expensive; the top guns from Panasonic and Samsung.

And AVS Forum, the pro video calibrators, they all love the Panny ST60 Series.
 
Thanks for the link Bob. I have a 42" Pioneer Kuro that is absolutely amazing. I plan on getting something bigger, around 60", and I just can't see going back to LCD. I love the film-like quality that you get from a Plasma. When I get ready to purchase I'll give the ST series a look.
 
...By that time though we might be in the OLED Wizard of Oz land. ...And 4K of course.

For right now, and the next six months or so, the Panasonic Plasma ST60 Series is the true King;
performance and tremendous value wise.
 
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Hey guys, this is great info because I'm in the market for a new TV and could not decide between LCD or plasma.

Dave
 
Hey guys, this is great info because I'm in the market for a new TV and could not decide between LCD or plasma.

Dave

When it comes to LCD vs. Plasma, to me it comes down to what your primary viewing is. I know LCD has come a long way but if I'm watching sports the blurring on an LCD screen drives me nuts. A good example of this is watching a hockey puck travel down the ice. If you are a big movie watcher I think Plasma is the way to go. LCD's are great for crystal-clear, vibrant pictures that don't have much motion.

I have both at different houses and every time I sit down to watch something on the LCD I wish it was a Plasma.

What are you leaning toward Dave?
 
Simply put; LED (LCD) HDTVs are best for slides shows. ...You know, family portraits and nature photographs.

Plasma HDTVs are best for moving pictures; like movies from Blu-rays and DVDs (VHS tapes? ;)), and also for watching stuff like Sports, or races (cars, and horses), and tennis, and football, and hockey, and soccer, and golf, and music concerts, and soap operas, and reality shows, and fast commercials, and nature documentaries, and animal kingdoms, and American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars, and everything else that moves, and certainly for games too.
 
When it comes to LCD vs. Plasma, to me it comes down to what your primary viewing is. I know LCD has come a long way but if I'm watching sports the blurring on an LCD screen drives me nuts. A good example of this is watching a hockey puck travel down the ice. If you are a big movie watcher I think Plasma is the way to go. LCD's are great for crystal-clear, vibrant pictures that don't have much motion.

I have both at different houses and every time I sit down to watch something on the LCD I wish it was a Plasma.

What are you leaning toward Dave?

Doug...thanks for the info. I'm leaning toward a Plasma. I have Samsung LCD's and looking to add a 50 or 55" to replace a 37" LCD Samsung. My parents have both and recently bought a LG Plasma and the picture is amazing.

Dave
 
Simply put; LED (LCD) HDTVs are best for slides shows. ...You know, family portraits and nature photographs.

Plasma HDTVs are best for moving pictures; like movies from Blu-rays and DVDs (VHS tapes? ;)), and also for watching stuff like Sports, or races (cars, and horses), and tennis, and football, and hockey, and soccer, and golf, and music concerts, and soap operas, and reality shows, and fast commercials, and nature documentaries, and animal kingdoms, and American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars, and everything else that moves, and certainly for games too.

Bob...thank you for steering me in the right direction;)

Dave
 
Thanks for the link Bob. I have a 42" Pioneer Kuro that is absolutely amazing. I plan on getting something bigger, around 60", and I just can't see going back to LCD. I love the film-like quality that you get from a Plasma. When I get ready to purchase I'll give the ST series a look.

Dug,

I heard the Kuros are killers but can't get them any more. Is that true?
 
Simply put; LED (LCD) HDTVs are best for slides shows. ...You know, family portraits and nature photographs.

Plasma HDTVs are best for moving pictures; like movies from Blu-rays and DVDs (VHS tapes? ;)), and also for watching stuff like Sports, or races (cars, and horses), and tennis, and football, and hockey, and soccer, and golf, and music concerts, and soap operas, and reality shows, and fast commercials, and nature documentaries, and animal kingdoms, and American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars, and everything else that moves, and certainly for games too.

+1 :)
 
Dug,

I heard the Kuros are killers but can't get them any more. Is that true?

Pioneer doesn't make them anymore but initially sold the Kuro technology to Panasonic. The last I heard Sharp released a couple of TV's with the Elite branding back in 2011. The smallest model, a 60" LED LCD, retailed for $6500.00!!!

The website is here is you're interested: Elite LCD HDTVs | Premium LED Backlit, 4-Color, Internet Ready 3D TVs

As much as I love my Kuro, there's no way I'm willing to spend a large amount of money on a TV anymore. I think technology has progressed beyond what the Kuro line had to offer except perhaps in black levels. I haven't kept up on TV technology, and I'm sure Bob (Northstar) can interject some knowledge here, but I'm willing to bet that there are sets available for a reasonable price that are just as amazing as those Kuro's of old.
 
Pioneer doesn't make them anymore but initially sold the Kuro technology to Panasonic. The last I heard Sharp released a couple of TV's with the Elite branding back in 2011. The smallest model, a 60" LED LCD, retailed for $6500.00!!!

The website is here is you're interested: Elite LCD HDTVs | Premium LED Backlit, 4-Color, Internet Ready 3D TVs

As much as I love my Kuro, there's no way I'm willing to spend a large amount of money on a TV anymore. I think technology has progressed beyond what the Kuro line had to offer except perhaps in black levels. I haven't kept up on TV technology, and I'm sure Bob (Northstar) can interject some knowledge here, but I'm willing to bet that there are sets available for a reasonable price that are just as amazing as those Kuro's of old.

I agree with Doug. It would be foolish to spend large sums on a flat panel display nowadays. Things are changing, technology is improving, viewing habits are transforming and companies are going out of business at an alarming pace. Sony announced a 4K display for $25K last year. Now there's one available from a new manufacturer for $1500! See here

The Panasonic ST60 series, just like with the ST50 models from last year, represents the absolute "sweet spot" between features, performance and price. And based on recent reviews from trusted sources, the ST60's are even MORE impressive and cheaper still. They basically replace the old GT series but offer more bang for the buck. Most calibrators over at AVS Forums are stating that they even outperform or match last year's top of the of the line series, the VT50! That is an impressive achievement. A 65" plasma TV with outstanding, near-reference picture quality and 48/96hz refresh rate (only available in the VT last year) for $2500 list (cheaper online) was unheard of only a few years ago. Will the ZT60 be better? Of course. Will it be $2K better? Doubtful. Not to mention, it has a new panel. This could mean great things, but it also could mean horror stories from a reliability point of view. I'd rather go with a proven panel.

The Pioneer Kuro will always be a great TV, and no set at reasonable prices might be able to match its black level performance, at least on paper. Let's also remember they used to retail for around $5K to $7K. They belong to a different retail/consumer world. Sadly, there is a reason why Pioneer's TV division went out of business. But the truth is that Panasonic TV's have better grayscale, better color accuracy, more calibration tools, larger sizes (65" vs. 60" for the largest Kuro) and considerably more features. They also consume significantly less power (this is important to me at least). I do not care for 3D, apps nor any similar gimmick myself. I use my TV as a TV, not a giant computer monitor. I don't even have cable. I am simply a film lover who wants the best possible quality at a reasonable price. And the ST60's give you pretty much 99% of what the Kuro does at a fraction of the cost. In real life, who can actually discern the difference between 0.0001 and 0.001 ft.-L when it comes to black levels? Unless you have a COMPLETELY dark room, you can't. Plus, in Panasonic's case, the manufacturer is still in business (for now, at least!). That always helps. :)
 
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Thx, Doug and Esteban, very helpful and agree with your sentiments, especially with the advent of 4K.

Cheers
 
Great post (#16) Esteban.

______________

Doug, in reference to your post (#15) just above; I just know what I've read. ...But I do read a lot, and not just about Kuros and plasmas, and Panasonic, and Samsung, and Black levels, and 2K, and 4K, and 3D, but also about the world we live in right in the now.

* Kuro plasmas are very nice, but they are now outdated in many departments, and have also their own flaws; one I believe is called Red Color.

We all know that their main advantage (Kuro) is their Black level; but like some members have already mentioned, it is now much lesser if not having the same importance as it used to.

It is almost like turntables, but turntables kept going up and up and up and even higher.
And with HDTVs it is the picture, not the sound, that keeps us pushing towards newer and better technologies.

The high-heeled people, the truly dedicated audio people; the ones with resurrection on their mind, because of their substantial album's investments, are being supplied with TTs that keep pushing the limit of what can be achieved and loved.
And TT's manufacturers are there for them/us.

Hi-res audio downloads are one of the other alternatives; and it too is part of the world we now live in; with all the good and the bad.

But! The good news is this; we all have a choice, and we all love when we play.
The bad news? ...There are no bad news, only human's failures and natural disasters.
...The cataclysm of living on Earth, since the very beginning of times ....
 
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