PostmanPot
Honorary Master
Well you'll have some change leftover... ;-)
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LCD and Plasma Bargains and Discussions thread
- Thread starter PostmanPot
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Well you'll have some change leftover... ;-)
Broke down and bought one yesterday my WHS server saw it instantly when i plugged it in to my switch and the menu on the TV came up with every thing for multimedia on my server .
Very happy with this purchase
Dolby
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Whether the D550 plasma is just a bad example, I'm not sure - but certainly not great.
Even my 2 year LCD has better a black level the D550 plasma. I went through to Dions Wired Woodmead and the one they had was grey as well. It was actually horrible compared to the LED next to it that had real blacks!
Lupus
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Not forgetting that odd blockiness to the picture, not sure if anyone else actually notices that, but the picture seems to be pixellated even from a good viewing distance. Every one I've seen at the shops just seems to be blurry while the LED's are crystal clear, cannot be source as they were all running the same thing. Even at Vodaworld at the one shop there, the LG plasma wasn't as clear as the LED next to it. Oh well, perhaps it's my eyes.
Bona Botse
A little insight goes a long way
I have a PS51D550 that I'm looking at right now, and I have no idea what you guys are on about.
My blacks are black and not grey (in fact, sometimes I think they're too black), and there's no "blockiness" either.
Dolby
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Well ... apart from using my eyes, I checked up on a website that measures black levels.
The D550 is 0.08cd/2 or something ... that is horrible for a plasma screen.
If you're near Woodmead, go to Dions Wired and take a step back and compare it with the LCD and LED around it. It's not as deep as even those and most reviews put the black levels at below average to average. All I'm saying is he should look ... because going by the prop plasma folk here, one may blindly believe it to be the best out there
Dolby
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http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-ps51d550-201109221412.htm
When we viewed the Samsung PS51D550 in a darkened room, we could tell that the darkness of its blacks wasn’t up to the market-leading standards of the Panasonic Plasma TVs, although we weren’t really troubled by the image on offer. In other words, the black level quality was adequate, although not class-leading. Imagine our delight when we used our Klein K-10 meter to get the hard data on the PS51D550′s black level quality, and found that it performed almost identically to Samsung’s top-end Plasma TV for 2011, the D8000
Erk - quite poor then!
When we viewed the Samsung PS51D550 in a darkened room, we could tell that the darkness of its blacks wasn’t up to the market-leading standards of the Panasonic Plasma TVs, although we weren’t really troubled by the image on offer. In other words, the black level quality was adequate, although not class-leading. Imagine our delight when we used our Klein K-10 meter to get the hard data on the PS51D550′s black level quality, and found that it performed almost identically to Samsung’s top-end Plasma TV for 2011, the D8000
Erk - quite poor then!
Bona Botse
A little insight goes a long way
I'm not so sure I'd call it "poor" though. Maybe not as good as LED and Panny plasmas, but "poor" is a poor word to use to describe it, because even that website and others say that they're happy with the black levels. And also, those tests are conducted in a dark room, so how do the results differ in a not-so-dark room?
Dolby
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I reckon very similar?
I think it's poor for a plasma - but yea, maybe 'poor' is wrong. That said, it's similar to the top end Samsung plasma ... which is poor then!
However the perception that plasma is superior in the black levels died about 2 years back and yet is still mentioned daily on this forum. It's incorrect.
PostmanPot
Honorary Master
No idea what you guys are on about re poor black levels and blockiness.
Also don't forget that when you see black measurements they are PEAK black measurements so there very well will be mid-high end LCDs that will have higher PEAK black levels. Problem now is that LCDs since using a backlight suffer from backlight bleed and inconsistent black levels. Since plasma is self illuminating there is no backlight bleed and so much more even black level, overall higher contrast, etc.
As far as I'm concerned, faffing about LCD peak black level in light of inconsistent non uniform black levels is silly.
As per the exact models mentioned by the OP, put a D550 LCD and D450 plasma in a dark room and then we talk.
So in 2012 you're getting a D550 plasma that performs similarly to Samsung's 2011 top end D8000 plasma for a fraction of the price - and you're moaning?
And you're not even a plasma owner, in fact vehemently against it.
:wtf:
Still haven't a clue. Would recommend those interested in fair debate to ignore these posts.
Also don't forget that when you see black measurements they are PEAK black measurements so there very well will be mid-high end LCDs that will have higher PEAK black levels. Problem now is that LCDs since using a backlight suffer from backlight bleed and inconsistent black levels. Since plasma is self illuminating there is no backlight bleed and so much more even black level, overall higher contrast, etc.
As far as I'm concerned, faffing about LCD peak black level in light of inconsistent non uniform black levels is silly.
As per the exact models mentioned by the OP, put a D550 LCD and D450 plasma in a dark room and then we talk.
So in 2012 you're getting a D550 plasma that performs similarly to Samsung's 2011 top end D8000 plasma for a fraction of the price - and you're moaning?
And you're not even a plasma owner, in fact vehemently against it.
:wtf:
Still haven't a clue. Would recommend those interested in fair debate to ignore these posts.
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PostmanPot
Honorary Master
It's not incorrect. It's about consistent black levels.
Not, measuring the peak black level in the center of the screen and then ignoring the POOR black levels at the edges...
Bona Botse
A little insight goes a long way
I haven't seen a D8000 plasma review where the reviewer said the black levels are poor. The most negative sentiment I can find is that they're not as good as Sammy, which doesn't translate to being poor.
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-ps51d8000-201107011257.htm
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-pn59d8000/4505-6482_7-34468622.html
http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1310639416
PostmanPot
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Dolby
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The entry level plasma - considered average - shouldn't be the same as the top of the line in my eyes. If I was purchasing the top of range, I wouldn't want it to have the same black levels as the smaller version ... and especially one that's only average at that.
I'd probably also not like the fact that my neighbours old LCD has deeper blacks after reading that plasma is the ultimate in black levels.
Just me though
I'd probably also not like the fact that my neighbours old LCD has deeper blacks after reading that plasma is the ultimate in black levels.
Just me though
Bona Botse
A little insight goes a long way
Sure, but if you were purchasing said entry level plasma, how would you feel? Still disappointed?
If I were buying top of the range, I would have opted for a Sammy, or even LED.
To me it's obvious though that at R9k and 50"+, the PS51D550 is untouchable.
PostmanPot
Honorary Master
But the old LCD would have been mid-high end and costed like R15k for 40".
My friends' 5 year old mid-high 720p Sammy LCD destroys their new late 2011 Sony 46" CX520 at black level and PQ.
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Dolby
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All I'm saying it's the blacks aren't black - and the poster should look.
No use spending R10,000.00 on a grey, dull screen that is prone to retention - when a R12,000.00 LCD has no issue. I guess I'm just a little more pedantic on equipment and would pay a little extra to get something a little better
PostmanPot
Honorary Master
You're the laughing stock of PS51D550 owners...
Bona Botse
A little insight goes a long way
See now that's were we disagree. My blacks are black. I only ever notice image retention at the end of a cricket match, and for a second or two at that, and this after hours of displaying the static scorecard.
I've read most of your posts regarding your plasma experience and I can say that none of your experiences ever apply to me, with my current D550 and my previous C430 that was destroyed by lightning.
But look, I know where you're coming from. You were burned by a crappy plasma, and that's cool. I was burned by a crappy Mede8er and now I won't go anywhere near them, even though they come highly recommended.