Patrick Sun
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 1999
- Messages
- 39,692
Wandered inside a local Goodwill store the other day, mostly just to see what old electronics I might find there on their shelves along the back wall. I was surprised to see a Panasonic TV there, as it's mostly just old LCD TVs from the past decade. I had a hunch, and I used my iPhone to snap a photo of the backside for the model information (narrow shelf made it tough to flip the TV around to directly view the backside of the TV), and found out it was a Panasonic PT-P42U2, manufactured in the fall of 2010. It's a basic 42" 1080p HDTV plasma model from that era (part of me was hoping it was a 3D-capable plasma TV, but wasn't sure if 3D was even an option for plasma models of this vintage).
Found a DVD player in that electronics area, with a LOTR DVD inside the player, and there was a HDMI cable to plug it into the TV, so I gave it a shot, and I was surprised to find the plasma TV operational. Fiddling around with the TV's inputs, found that only one of the HDMI inputs still worked (along with its tuner for OTA channels - I would later attach an antenna and did some magical voodoo dance to pull in all of the prominent local OTA channels in my area with patience valiantly seeking sainthood), but it was like 2007 all over again for me, when I bought my first and only 720p 50" plasma TV - $2100 delivered (I would only own it for about 18 months due to some thieves doing some breaking and entering, and thusly liberating that plasma TV from my domicile over the 2008 Christmas break while I was visiting my parents). I would replace that plasma TV with a Samsung DLP HDTV set, which lasted 12 years of use with one DLP chip replacement until 2020, when I got a cheapo 4k TV (which only last 2.5 years, and I have since replaced it with another 4k TV, but I digress). It was quite a challenge to fit this TV set in the backseat of my sub-compact car due to the awkward stand that was screwed to the TV, but I drove slowly and got it home safe and sound.
I had always liked how plasma TVs displayed black levels, colors, and motion (especially for sports programming). That budget 4k TV I owned was a little lacking, but the size made up for those shortcomings. There is burn-in on mostly the right side of the plasma TV screen, but unless it's a bright scene, it doesn't much bother me, just due to the novelty of having a plasma TV once again. It's been fun to watch some blu-rays on this plasma TV over the weekend. (I'd forgotten how much heat these plasma TVs put out while turned on for viewing). This 42" plasma TV cost me $50, I've spent more on way less useful things in my life, so why not? It's definitley a cheap price to pay to stroll down nostalgia lane of older TV technology
Found a DVD player in that electronics area, with a LOTR DVD inside the player, and there was a HDMI cable to plug it into the TV, so I gave it a shot, and I was surprised to find the plasma TV operational. Fiddling around with the TV's inputs, found that only one of the HDMI inputs still worked (along with its tuner for OTA channels - I would later attach an antenna and did some magical voodoo dance to pull in all of the prominent local OTA channels in my area with patience valiantly seeking sainthood), but it was like 2007 all over again for me, when I bought my first and only 720p 50" plasma TV - $2100 delivered (I would only own it for about 18 months due to some thieves doing some breaking and entering, and thusly liberating that plasma TV from my domicile over the 2008 Christmas break while I was visiting my parents). I would replace that plasma TV with a Samsung DLP HDTV set, which lasted 12 years of use with one DLP chip replacement until 2020, when I got a cheapo 4k TV (which only last 2.5 years, and I have since replaced it with another 4k TV, but I digress). It was quite a challenge to fit this TV set in the backseat of my sub-compact car due to the awkward stand that was screwed to the TV, but I drove slowly and got it home safe and sound.
I had always liked how plasma TVs displayed black levels, colors, and motion (especially for sports programming). That budget 4k TV I owned was a little lacking, but the size made up for those shortcomings. There is burn-in on mostly the right side of the plasma TV screen, but unless it's a bright scene, it doesn't much bother me, just due to the novelty of having a plasma TV once again. It's been fun to watch some blu-rays on this plasma TV over the weekend. (I'd forgotten how much heat these plasma TVs put out while turned on for viewing). This 42" plasma TV cost me $50, I've spent more on way less useful things in my life, so why not? It's definitley a cheap price to pay to stroll down nostalgia lane of older TV technology
