Purchased a Samsung Plasma

[ThunderThor]

Samsung PN42A450P

Manufacturer: Samsung

Part number: PN42A450P1DXZA

Short Specs:

Product type: Plasma TV

Diagonal size: 42 in

Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1000000:1

Image contrast ratio: 2000:1

Resolution: 1024 x 768

Image aspect ratio: 16:9

I had been looking to purchase a newer HDTV for a little while, but have not decided for sure when I wanted to buy one. Recently I was in Best Buy and started looking and decided to make a purchase. Although this TV is only 720p the image quality is unbelievable :whistle: . I currently have my TV connection (HD Comcast) connected via HDMI, as well as my DVD player. The picture can be easily seen from nearly anywhere with a 175 degree viewing angle. I really was leaning towards an LCD however comparing the two TVs (Sammy LCD vs. Sammy Plasma), I thought the plasma had a better picture.

I know there are debates on what size you will notice the difference between 720 and 1080, however both my wife and I could not tell comparing TVs in this size range.

I really have not tested the internal speakers, due to having a surround sound system. I had it on for maybe 30 seconds before turning them off from the internal menus. If anyone is curious about it let me know and I'll re-enable them to test.

This TV also is 3D Ready, it requires an optional piece but from what I read it gives you the benefits of both a flat-panel set and 3D movie viewing and gaming. I don't know if I'll purchase the add-on but I'm curious about how this works.

I give it a :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: rating . It is a great plasma HDTV for the money and I am very happy with it. I bought the service plan for a low price and I recommend it.

I'm leaning towards mounting it soon to my wall but I have to figure out where in the living room I'm going to move everything prior to fixing it for good to the wall.

If anyone would like any additional details let me know, or to see a image let me know and I'll snap some.

Full Specs:

VIDEO

Screen Size 42"

Resolution 1024 x 768

Contrast Ratio 1000000:1

Viewing Angle Over 175˚ (H/V)

DNIe? Yes

Digital Noise Reduction Yes

Brightness 1500 cd/m?

FilterBright Yes

Screen Aspect Ratio 16:9

Number of colors(expressed) Natural True Colour (18bit)

Grey Level(Gradation) 262144

Cinema Progressive (Film mode) Yes

Silhouette Editor (False Contour Reduction) Yes

Digital Comb Filter Yes

Edited July 29, 2008 by J0HN

[Srugie Veteran]

Looks nice! Use it well.

[ThunderThor]

Looks nice! Use it well.

Thanks, I still am watching out for burn in although Samsung states there is no break in period for this TV. Just to get piece of mind i did get the warranty w/ it so it covers all but me physically dropping it.

[TruckWEB]

Short Specs:

Product type: Plasma TV

Diagonal size: 42 in

Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1000000:1

Image contrast ratio: 2000:1

Resolution: 1024 x 768

Image aspect ratio: 16:9

Ouch, 1024x768, that's even lower than most 720p LCD... Mostly they are 1368x768.

[ThunderThor]

Ouch, 1024x768, that's even lower than most 720p LCD... Mostly they are 1368x768.

Yeah :/ ; although so where many other plasmas from different brands when i was shopping around. It seemed either TV Brands that were cheaper brands; or the price was more costly had the 1368x768 resolution. Its still a great looking picture and price wise was a good deal

[TruckWEB]

Mostly when you look at 1024x768, you think about 4:3 ratio, like the PC monitor.

Now you take that same resolution and extend it to 16:9.... I know that Plasma don't have the same pixels size than LCD, still, it's weird.

[ThunderThor]

Yeah like i said some other ones had it; actually more than i thought at circuit city and best buy.

Most 42-inch plasma HDTVs have a resolution of 1024x768; 50-inch sets have typically had 1366x768 resolutions, but some new plasma TVs have a still-higher resolution of 1920x1080.

Best Buy tried selling this package for $300 that they said it calibrates the TV. From what the sales guy said it adjusts colors to get a better picture and to save power.

Does anyone here know anything about this; or has had it done. I declined it because I thought it was a waste to have someone adjust colors.

Any Samsung people (LCD/Plasms) or Plasma owners did you just leave the normal settings or change some. I've messed around for a while last night seeing if I could get a better picture but I dunno if im just better off leaving it alone.

[jerzdawg]

Does anyone here know anything about this; or has had it done. I declined it because I thought it was a waste to have someone adjust colors.

Any Samsung people (LCD/Plasms) or Plasma owners did you just leave the normal settings or change some. I've messed around for a while last night seeing if I could get a better picture but I dunno if im just better off leaving it alone.

check over at the AVSforums... there are dedicated threads on how to calibrate certain model tvs... if not check around the web for the settings... I know CNET had the exact calibrations for my tv that i just got... if all else fails... there is a dvd you can buy to calibrate your tv... will cost ya.. but not the $300 ...

[ThunderThor]

Has anyone else here done this with their Samsung? Any concerns I should be addressed with doing this?

[Menge]

ouch man... 1024x768 on a 40" can't really be that good :\

our 32" LCD is 1366x768 and it's great. my dad's 40" LCD is also 1366x768 and the pixels start to get quite big.

i'm sorry but you can't really call what you have a HDTV. it's something between EDTV and HDTV. and you're missing about 150,000 pixels to get close to 720p :\

[ThunderThor]

ouch man... 1024x768 on a 40" can't really be that good :\

our 32" LCD is 1366x768 and it's great. my dad's 40" LCD is also 1366x768 and the pixels start to get quite big.

i'm sorry but you can't really call what you have a HDTV. it's something between EDTV and HDTV. and you're missing about 150,000 pixels to get close to 720p :\

So Samsung labeled it wrong then?

Link to Samsung

As far as every article I've read High Definition usually refers to 720 vertical lines of video format resolution or more.

Also comparing LCDs to Plasmas is not "apples to apples"

Most 42-inch plasma HDTVs have a resolution of 1024x768; 50-inch sets have typically had 1366x768 resolutions, but some new plasma TVs have a still-higher resolution of 1920x1080

Edited July 31, 2008 by J0HN

[Menge]

unfortunately for their labeling theory, videos are composed of two dimensions. the whole 720p/1080p only refer to the lines because it's assumed that anyone going for the standard will implement a 16:9 aspect ratio on their resolution.

so, HDTV is 1280x720 and 1920x1080 AT LEAST.

if you were to have a screen that's 900x800, you couldn't call it HDTV because even though it's 800p, it lacks significant horizontal resolution. a result of this is that any hi-def video played on this screen would have a significant portion of its vertical lines simply cut off. same happens to your TV. HDTV is at least 1280 in vertical lines and you only have 1024. your TV will display the horizontal lines perfectly (even better than the 720p standard) but the vertical lines will be lacking.

[HawkMan]

ouch man... 1024x768 on a 40" can't really be that good :\

our 32" LCD is 1366x768 and it's great. my dad's 40" LCD is also 1366x768 and the pixels start to get quite big.

i'm sorry but you can't really call what you have a HDTV. it's something between EDTV and HDTV. and you're missing about 150,000 pixels to get close to 720p :\

nah. 720 (proper anyway, lot of plasma chat with the horizontal rez at 50 and below) is enough for 42 inch an below, unless you sit right in front of the TV ich you aren't supposed to, it's not a cinema screen. at normal viewin distances for a 42 inch and living room you won't notice a real differnce between 720 and 1080. once you hit 50 I probably would want 1080 but I could live with 720 if I had to since size is more impressive anyway :p

[ThunderThor]

Alright well I'm just posting this for posting sake, and then hoping someone will answer my question about the calibration.

Your evidence of this supposed gaff was that the my TV question featured a resolution of only 1024x768 pixels, when "everyone knows" that the minimum resolution of HDTV is 1280x720 pixels (a.k.a. "720p"). But your argument was flawed based on a couple of bad assumptions: a.)that all pixels are the same shape and b.)that the ATSC standards of digital television broadcasts have anything to do with whether a set can be called an HDTV.

In the year 2000, in an attempt to standardize the terminology and usage of the term "HDTV," the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) defined four criteria that must be met in order for a display device to be called an "HDTV."

These criteria are:

• The ability to receive ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions and decode all ATSC Table 3 video formats
  
• The ability to display vertical scan lines of 720 lines progressive (720p), 1080 lines interlaced (1080i), or higher
  
• The ability to display an image in a widescreen 16:9 (width:height) aspect ratio
  
• The ability to receive, reproduce, and/or output Dolby Digital audio
  

If a set meets these criteria (which the Samsung does), then it's an HDTV. Period.

Just taking into consideration the set's resolution (1024x768) you would think that it has a 4:3 aspect ratio (non-widescreen), but this would only be the case if the plasma pixels were square in shape. They're actually not - they're rectangular as are the pixels of 95% of all the 42-inch HDTV plasma panels on the market today. 42-inch Plasma HDTV models made by Pioneer, Panasonic, Vizio, Philips, Samsung, Magnavox, etc. all feature the same 1024x768 resolution.

Larger size plasmas (50 inch and up) use square plasma pixels and offer resolutions of 1366x768 pixels or 1920x1080 pixels (1080p). But in the 42-inch size, 1024x768 is the most common HDTV resolution. To date, only Panasonic has come to market with a 42-inch plasma panel with more pixels, and they pushed it all the way out to 1080p (1920x1080 pixels) with the TH-42PZ700U.

The overall image quality has less to do with the exact number of pixels then it does with other factors such as color accuracy, contrast, moving image reproduction, color depth, and the quality of the set's on-board video processor which converts the incoming HD and SD resolution sources to the native resolution of the panel.

Anyway, back to my question from before....

Has anyone else here done this with their Samsung? Any concerns I should be addressed with doing this?

[TruckWEB]

So, if you have a 42" LCD HDTV that can do FullHD 1080p 1920x1080 and a 42" Plasma HDTV at 1024x768, from the same sitting distance, we are to understand that both picture will look the same? No missing details?

Even if you forget about black levels and color saturation, you still miss something...

1920 * 1080 = 2073600 pixels

1024 * 768 = 786432 pixels

Missing pixels on the Plasma display = 1287168...

You only get 38% of the total pixels offered by FullHD.

[ThunderThor]

So, if you have a 42" LCD HDTV that can do FullHD 1080p 1920x1080 and a 42" Plasma HDTV at 1024x768, from the same sitting distance, we are to understand that both picture will look the same? No missing details?

Even if you forget about black levels and color saturation, you still miss something...

1920 * 1080 = 2073600 pixels

1024 * 768 = 786432 pixels

Missing pixels on the Plasma display = 1287168...

You only get 38% of the total pixels offered by FullHD.

First what you are comparing are completely two different things. A 1080i LCD vs a 720p plasma. Most 42" plasmas are not going to have higher res. than what I have. I knew that going into it. Secondly; I would have loved to go 1080, however to find that in a plasma, let alone a Samsung plasma would have increased the price a lot more than what i was willing to spend.

Yes i didnt have to go plasma or prefer to go with Samsung, but I believe Samsung makes one of the best TVs out there; so dont look down on someone because they bought a better brand tv rather than going with a completly crappy brand to get a 1080 res.

one reason i preferred to get the plasma over an lcd was one; we watch a lot of movies and with football season coming of course that. Second, again personal preference I prefer the colors better on the plasma (i.e. black levels, high contrast, bright colors)

Okay; tell me my TV vs 720p LCD at 10 feet away (which is my couch distance) your going to notice the difference. I dont think so.

Secondly i know people love lcds; but between that and plasmas are two diff. technologies.

Lastly, I thought we covered this two / three posts ago. How about someone answer my question about calibrating plasmas or lcds for that matter. Its amazing how many threads get like this. Someone asks a question, and the topic gets flipped to something and it keeps going forever. I had stopped posting here a while ago for that reason, but missed Neowin so i came back and made some attempts to re-post.

I am glad w/ the purchase I got, the price was right, the tv is amazing and i feel i made a good choice. If you don't then that is yours.

Now once again, how bout someone keep this back on topic...

Is it worth spending the money to have a plasma / lcd isf calibrated? has anyone here done so. if so any feedback would be great.

Edited August 1, 2008 by J0HN

[Kerm]

aww man that sucks that you got a plasma. I always suggest our customers that it'd be wise to go with LCD. Plasma's might have a better color image to start out with, but it costs alot to recharge them after 5 years of use.

The resolution really does't sound that good. That's what i have on my 19in monitor :p

Still sounds like a nice tv, at least for now. Good buy.

You clearly know **** all about plasma's.

Don't listen to what this guy says.

[ThunderThor]

Yeah I wasn't. I'm one not watching 12 hrs of TV a day, and second didnt this recharge deal die off years ago. I swear the topic of LCDs and Plasmas should be put on that list along side religion and politics.

[deuz]

wait what ....thats so weird havent seen a plasma or lcd in that size range with that resolution for ages.... it mite b a hdtv but with 4:3 aspect ratio rather then normal 1.7something:1...so u might be watching everything in letterbox or ull have huge black bars.... as for the break- in even if they say no need to try not to use any dynamic setting for first 150-200 hrs and limit gaming to >1hr for the first 200 just to be on the safe side :)

and for what you spent on your tv(lookin on the specs)...IMO not worth calibrating, professionally, search up cnet or w/e or buy a thx dvd or something

[QuantumTrickery]

I feel bad for anyone who believes that a DVD calibration even approaches the quality of a professional calibration, especially in the hands of an amateur. This isn't to say you can't get a better than stock quality out of a disc, it nowhere near compares to having it done right. Keep in mind professional services do quite a bit more than adjusting the basics in your picture menu.

[ThunderThor]

everything i watch in HD automatically is shown in 16:9 not 4:3. As i said earlier rectangular as are the pixels of 95% of all the 42-inch HDTV plasma panels on the market today. 42-inch Plasma HDTV model, i think alot of people still are thinking LCDs here.

Anyway, i've changed a bunch of settings testing them out. Dynamic seems really bright so i have that off now; plus just to "break it in" anyways.

deuz, thats what i was debatng on was for spending 300 to have this set calibrated. I wouldnt have a problem doing it myself with a dvd, i saw monster had one for around 30 dollars, however im sure if i pay someone to do it i'd get better results.

Anyone else here calibrate their tvs? If so any feedback, worth the hassle?

[ThunderThor]

i guess that can happen although how many days are you leaving the menu "paused??"

[shockz]

I work with Plasma tv's all day and everyday.

The damn dvd menu's get burned into the screen if you leave them on for even 10+ minutes. and it takes at least an hour for it to fade away.

Apparently i know more than you, thats why you're being an ass head.

haha... ok then... tell me how to recharge a plasma exactly... and how often should you do it. :rolleyes:

Oh and why do they need to be recharged???

I cant wait for the response...

[ThunderThor]

yeah the response should be good. I believe a key point here is i'm not a gamer. nor do i have a desire to hook my pc up to my tv. I have a 17" screen on my laptop which is more than enough.

i worked at circuit city about 3 or 4 years ago, and even then i dont think any of our TV guys told people they'll need to "recharge'

By few years what do you mean? Do you honestly think the ave. person watches 12 hrs of TV a day. I guess perhaps a family throughout the day combined; but we have the TV on maybe 4 hrs a day during the week. A little in the am before work, and little at night.

[Shadrack]

Gratz on the TV upgrade. Don't let people ruin the experience by saying you're missing a few pixels here and there. Most things on TV are crap anyway and you'll enjoy them just the same w/ or w/o the extra pixels.