Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

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CA_Steve
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Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:58 am

No longer just a bad rumor. What a shame.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by faugusztin » Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:25 am

If it is a bad news depends on one thing - how low will the price of true OLED displays drop next year. I will not cry after plasma if that means bigger push for OLED to be in acceptable price range (55-60" for <=€1500).

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:27 am

Considering 55" OLEDs are currently selling for $9-10K (Amazon)...I think it'll be a few years before they are reasonably priced. Plus, they still need to resolve the limited lifetime of the organic material....good enough for a cell phone that's self-obsoletes in 2 years...not so good for a TV you want to keep around for 10 years.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by laststop » Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:05 am

Yea when I read this it saddened me. I got a Panasonic 60vt10 that I was still happy with but I'm going to get a 65st60 with my christmas bonus money and keep it brand new sealed till the v10 dies. It's already 5 years old so who knows when it could go. Just like the brand new sealed pioneer's sky rocketed in price years down the road I think the panasonic will increase in price too for the true videophiles that want a nice set. So either way it's a good investment I think. This way I'll be covered as long as I need to be until a 65 inch oled is affordable.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Nov 11, 2013 6:49 am

..and keep it brand new sealed till the v10 dies.
That's rolling dice. It might be dead on arrival. Or, it might suffer from infant mortality. But, by then it would be out of the warranty period.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by laststop » Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:10 am

true, should probably test it out first. Could still sell it as brand new you can check the panel usage hours in the service menu to prove it's new. Might just sell the v10 and start using the 65 incher anyways. I kinda want to step up the size anyways. I didn't really want to buy a tv now but panasonic is forcing me to. Who knows how many years it will be till oled is in the 2500 price range for 65 inch

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:22 pm

Mentally they gave up on plasmas long ago. When they tried to make them more green (lower power consumption) their defaults settings made for a dim picture. I can't spot the plasmas at BB right away, really dim in comparison. If the sales people had any brains they would have put them in Cinema Mode, at least the sets would have a fighting chance, but in a place as bright as BB they are the first sets to be ruled out. You can blame the government if you want, but marketing failed here.

Another problem was cracked screens, the ones that cracked from the inside-out. Not the consumer's fault, but not covered under warranty. Piss on you customer!

Circuit boards designed as minimalistically as possible (every hear of potting buzzing coils & transformers?) and made by the lowest bidder run in too hot environments leading to marginal product life didn't help matters much either.

If I ever did buy a set like a 50 inch ST60 I would find one with a busted screen and buy it too, so that I can get all the damn circut boards that are not only grossly overpriced for what few parts they actually have, but they take forever to get them from the factory. And if support sucked while the TV was being made imagine what will happen when production stops.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:45 pm

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel. :)

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:17 pm

Well the total lack of support of all electrical appliances scares the bejeezus out of me.

On the other hand you can find 34 inch 16*9 Sony XBRs on Craigslist for $200, sometimes for free, if you're willing to pick it up and deal with the 300 pound weight. If I could find one of the last ones with the extra fine dot pitch I would consider it.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:40 pm

I turned my back on all Sony products 10 years ago after a warranty fiasco. So, we all love to hate some consumer product companies.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:24 pm

Botched support is being replaced with zero support across the board.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Wed Nov 13, 2013 5:34 pm

Costco isn't offering any plasmas this year. As their employees tell, they only sells products that actually sell.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:55 pm

Panny TC-P50ST60 was a grand about 6 months ago, still a grand.

Black Friday sales my a$$.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Sun Dec 01, 2013 6:18 pm

This was an interesting development of the Holiday. The Samsung PN51F5300, a 51 inch 1080P plasma wth no frills, dropped 20% in price to $529. The 42 and 43 inch 720P plasmas didn't budge and don't expect them to either.

Given plasmas rather limited life expectency this may hold some of us over until OLED becomes viable. Speaking of which are the OLED sets all 4K? What about having some in the current HD resolution?

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Dec 01, 2013 7:58 pm

aristide1 wrote:Given plasmas rather limited life expectency this may hold some of us over until OLED becomes viable.
Heh.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by Zolishoru » Mon Dec 02, 2013 8:15 pm

aristide1 wrote: ...
Given plasmas rather limited life expectency this may hold some of us over until OLED becomes viable.
...
My Pioneer PDP-V402(manufactured: October 1999) after 24,000 hours of usage has a different opinion...

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:09 pm

I would expect your plasma to be built far better than anything made today.

My mistake, I meant to say your plasma is built better than everything made today.

Aris

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Sun Apr 20, 2014 2:46 pm

OMG, there's 1 Panny 50 inch ST60 left at the local Sears. I wonder if I can get them to give it away?

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Apr 20, 2014 3:34 pm

:D

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:58 pm

Well your chance at a new plasma is all but finished. A few 60" inch LGs and Samsungs are available here and there, the last of the 51" 5300 series are all pentile sets. I need not their history of failure nor cost of ownership.

I settled for a Samsung H6350. The brightness is superb, I don't understand the complaints about black levels. I got a 48", assuring myself I would win the "Samsung Panel Lottery" (Google it). It's a PVA panel, not IPS, stay in front of it and you're good. I hate the soap opera effect so all processing is off. It handles motion better than most, I don't have blur but on occasion a little judder.

Some people had issues with updating the "Smart" apps. My way around it? Hook it up directly to the router via Cat 5e. It updated in less than a minute. I'll never use them.

Settings, no calibration but a mix of suggested settings from rtings.com and a THX Cert DVD that came with Alien 3 fancy shmancy edition.

Longevity - What a joke, looking at YouTube videos you routinely see banks of capacitors millimeters away from the feeble heat sinks used. Looks like planned obsolescence tick on to me, so its off to my pc tool box and a few stick on heatsinks in the most critical places. Yeah I purchased a Square Trade Warranty as well.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Dec 14, 2014 4:05 pm

Congrats on your purchase. May it live long.

Glad you didn't buy an LG.

One annoying habit my few year old Samsung LCD has is wanting to update the frigging apps when I want to watch something on Netflix. The short term solution was to delete every app that I could. MLB app - begone! Hence, less updates :D The longer term solution was to remove the network cable and connect an older Macbook for my streaming needs.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:53 pm

May it live long?

Any company that places capacitors next to scorching heat sinks is not ignorant, it's planned obsolescence.

The government has spent a decade getting the public to accept Social Security is going away. Flat panel TVs manufactures have spent a decade getting the public to accept that the lifespan of a TV is now just 3 years. Complain and none of them give you the time of day.

Anyway I'm going to open it up in a few weeks, locate the hot spots, and place heat sinks in strategic locations. And the stand is rickety. The self tapping screws are too short and often pop out of the holes. Yes, really, pop!

Thanks though.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by CA_Steve » Sun Dec 14, 2014 8:56 pm

I went with wall mount. Monoprice has a decent selection.

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Re: Panasonic stopping all Plasma TV production

Post by aristide1 » Thu Dec 18, 2014 1:11 pm

Yes, Monoprice is the bomb for accessories.

Observations, this using a Sony BD player about $60.
DVDs are more juddery, halos with fast movement.
Facial hair is there when still, as soon as there is any movement it goes, as if the camera loses focus.
While Blu-rays are smoother they also are not perfect.
All of this doesn't tell me which device is struggling, the TV or the player. Probably both.
Watching Pitch Black several scenes under the "blue sun" literally stop, which did not happen with my CRT.

I've watched DVDs through my PC to my CRT TV, motion was always better, more fluid and relaxed.

DVD - Alien 3 Fancy Edition has THX Cert disc, which told me as bright as my pic is on my new set it is not bright enough to discern the blackest blacks.

Then The Dark Knight DVD, egads what a transfer. This is as close to Blu-ray as any DVD I own. Oddly the brightest scenes almost seem too bright, while the darkest scenes flirt with pure blackness. The first half of The Joker's interrogation is very dark, his face barely visible, as if done with a couple of candles.

Also having a hard time blowing off processing flaws and simply enjoying the movie. All too aware now which actors have acne scares, excessive makeup, beard stubble, and camera misfocusing. It reminds me high end audio. As they used to say more accuracy means more information, warts and all. Be careful what you ask for.

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