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50" plasma - resolution question (1 Viewer)

Daniel P

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Mar 1, 2002
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Well, I was all set to get the Panasonic 50" plasma, which has 1366 x 768 pixels, until I saw the new Pioneer 5000-EX 50" advertised, which has a full 1080p resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels!
I know this is not news around here, but now I am stuck...

Do I buy the panasonic for $5,000 (AUD), or wait for the higher resolution plasmas - $15,000 (AUD) - to come down in price?

Realistically, how long might I have to wait to get the 1080p plasma for around $5,000 (AUD) you reckon?

Would the differences with HD-DVD and HDTV be dramatic between 1366 x 768 and 1920 x 1080 pixels? Dramatic enough to wait for the prices to fall anyway?
 

Nick:G

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Jun 17, 2006
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Real Name
Nick Gallegos
I would say to buy a good 720p plasma and not worry so much. The picture will still look great. In addition, your standard definition material will look WAY better on a 720p native set than it would on a 1080p native set (less upscaling going on).

So considering that quality 50" plasmas currently demand about $3,500+ USD (almost $4,600 in Australian currency), it might be a couple or so years before you actually see a 1080p native plasma come in anywhere close to that price. It all comes down to manufacturing economics. When a manufacturer fabricates a next-generation PDP (plasma display panel), the percentage of failure is normally a lot higher in the process. This means that more panels are thrown away before they find one that meets or exceeds QC. That's why some 60+ inch plasmas for example, will demand over $10k USD retail. Smaller/older designs will have a much lower margin of error, meaning that at the end they can sell you a smaller plasma at a reasonable price.

If you really think you need 1080p now, DLP or LCoS is the best way to get it without spending an arm and a leg.
 

Daniel P

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 1, 2002
Messages
217
Hi Nick,
Thanks for the reply, and you helped me out with my decision. I think the SD material looking bad on a 1080p set is the decision maker. I have hundreds of SD discs, and no HD discs as yet...

Again, thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Daniel
 

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