Might need to replace my 50" Panasonic plasma (1 Viewer)

I'm going to give it a good dust out tomorrow, but if that doesn't fix it, I'm looking at finding a replacement. Plasma seems non-existent in the usual spots like Best Buy and Costco, so I guess I'm "stuck" with LED. 50" is about the maximum I can go and front projection is not an option. I'd also like to keep it under a grand. Quick look at Best Buy shows my options would range from $500-$600.


Suggestions? Is this like someone asking about the best point-and-shoot camera and I have to tell them they're all equally crappy?

I'm curious to see what answers you get, Cameron! I've been wondering myself about what's best out there now after the death of Plasma.

I recommend “The Best $500 TV (so far) | The Wirecutter”
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-500-tv/

What happened to plasma?

From the start, The Wirecutter has always recommended plasma TVs for their excellent picture quality and value. However, Panasonic, Samsung, and LG, the three companies that made plasma sets, have all ceased production. It’s a bummer for sure. And that leaves us with the best of the rest.

The natural successor to plasma is the OLED 4K television. I hope my plasma lasts until prices come down.

Keith Cobby said:

The natural successor to plasma is the OLED 4K television. I hope my plasma lasts until prices come down.

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Same here!

From that article...

Sharp has announced that they are leaving the US TV market and selling their production facilities to HiSense

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I was in WalMart yesterday and saw a brand I'd not seen before. IIRC it was HiSense. So this may be a more standard brand going forward next year.

My daytime TV is a circa 2005 Samsung 55" 720P DLP rear projector. What it gives up in pixel resolution is made up for by high motion resolution and other attributes. But if I have to buy another $140 bulb I'd have to consider junking it for a new set. There's too much to go wrong in a 10 year old DLP set, e.g. spinning color wheel.


That set was IIRC $2300 at Costco back then, when flat panels were in the $4K - $5K range. It's shocking how cheap 1080P sets have become.


It's hard to keep on top of models since even videophiles no longer buy them every few years. Most anecdotal reports at HTF aren't all that helpful anymore with the rapid change of models.

Keith Cobby said:

The natural successor to plasma is the OLED 4K television. I hope my plasma lasts until prices come down.

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Amen. If prices drop, and (please, please, please) anyone other than LG starts releasing 4K OLEDs, I'll consider giving up my 2011 plasma. For now it's running perfectly, thanks to a combination of careful use and daily sacrificial offerings to the Gods.

I sympathize Cameron and recommend buying one of the 1080p LCDs in Dave's link as a stop-gap until OLED.

My plasma is a Panny and I see that they are entering the OLED market in addition to LG. Good news as I had feared that OLED would not achieve lift off.

Dennis Nicholls said:

But if I have to buy another $140 bulb I'd have to consider junking it for a new set. There's too much to go wrong in a 10 year old DLP set, e.g. spinning color wheel.

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Hmm....


Looks like DLP bulb prices have cratered. I can get a bare-bulb for about $30. I'm glad I checked. Maybe I can hold out for a couple more years for cheap OLED models.


I checked my records. I paid $173 for a replacement lamp assy. in March of 2007. Fortunately I boxed up the failed unit, so I can now buy a bare-bulb and insert it into the factory housing. Maybe for $30 I'll get a bare bulb, install it in the OEM housing, and put it in the set. IIUC these bulbs may get dim and off-color with age.


I hadn't realized that my bulb was now 8 years old.

I also had a 50 inch plasma. I found a wall and got myself a projector. the best plan for no more plasmas in the stores. size does matter for watching movies a least for me.


Jacob

We have an older, wall-mouunted 47" LCD in the bedroom, that I've considered moving to the living room and then getting a 42" for the bedroom. It would save a couple hundred dollars going that route, but ultimately I think I'd prefer having the newer set paired with my AV equipment.


EDIT: I did the actual cost comparison and the savings is negligible for the benefits and the extra work it creates. Part of the reason being I'd likely have to get another wall mount for the living room as I'm not sure where the stand for the older LCD is at.


The 48" Sharp in the Wirecutter article is also available at Costco.com.

You can get this Samsung 50" 4K Tv for under $900 the next model up is just over $1000. If you don't want to buy from Amazon, Best Buy will match as long as it is sold by Amazon not a 3rd party. This is the way I got my 85", $2500 off. I love my Samsung great picture. I would do 4K even though at 50" it doesn't mater that much. I think overall the picture quality is still better.


http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN50JU6500-50-Inch-Ultra-Smart/dp/B00TWFHJWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1442077739&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+50%22&refinements=p_89%3ASamsung%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A7688788011

Dennis Nicholls said:

I hadn't realized that my bulb was now 8 years old.

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I'm glad I read this thread. It kept me from buying an "interim" LCD set if my bulb burned out, and had me buy a cheap $30 shipped bare bulb to restore my original bulb intensity and color. It will be interesting to A/B compare the 8 year old bulb with a new one. I wasn't able to do this last time since the old bulb had blown.

FWIW, Cameron...


Tomorrow's Best Buy flyer (for next week) has a:


Vizio 55" LED 4K UHD set (M55-C2) for $849.99


Samsung 48" LED 4k UHD (UN48JU6400FXZA) for $799.99


Samsung 55" 1080p HDTV (UN55J6200AFXZA) for $749.99


Samsung 60" LED 1080p HDTV (UN60J6200AFXZA) for $899.99


Sony 49" LED 4k UHD (XBR49X830C) for $999.99


Sharp 65" LED 1080p HDTV (LC-65LE654U) for $999.99


along with a bunch of other sets Over $1k and under $700.

I had a Samsung LED LCD from about 2009 that I was very happy with. I ended up getting a different TV a few years later because I wanted something that did 3D, but that Samsung is still living a happy life in the spare bedroom of my father's house, still looking good to me. My take is that if you don't want to wait for an OLED, and end up with a Samsung LED model, you might like it. Amazing that the prices today are half of what they were when I had picked mine up.

The thread title has now changed from "might" to "definitely."


Near as I can tell, I need to replace the plasma's main board, but the part is basically unavailable. I guess that's what happens when a company stops making a product.


I will more than likely get the 48" Sharp from Costco. It helps that they will deliver and includes a two-year warranty.

Best Buy delivered mine for free too... I felt sorry for the guys having to try to get it upstairs no small feet.

Yeah, small feet would make that job so much harder.

Having to tow the line is no small feat......