...Plasma PQ is amazing but i'm also worried about the Image Burn-in issue and how it would behave in bright light. Otherwise was looking at Panny, any Panny users to comment on this and also suggest models i should check for that price.
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I'm also getting tempted by 50inch Plasmas which i saw today at the showrooms
P.S. I have replied to the points mentioned before this oddly they don't seem to appear
Never mind what others say about image retention and reflections. I was plagued by the same issues.
First on Image Retention (IR): When I was checking on plasmas, the guy with whom I dealt finally showed me a 42ST50D which was hung on the wall. He ran the white scroll bar and asked me to find the image retention. We all know that in showrooms, TVs are set at Dynamic/Vivid setting that has 100% contrast, vivid colours and high brightness. They do not take care of the first 100/200 hours. Yet, the scroll bar showed no IR. I checked for nearly 15 minutes going as close as 1'. Now it was quite possible that the set on display was very fresh. But I reckoned that it must have completed at least 100 hours. That fact convinced me. You can run a similar test in the showroom and check for yourself.
Now that I have the TV running for nearly three months and having completed over 600 hours, I run the scroll bar for five minutes everyday to check whether there is IR and to get rid of it just in case it is too faint to notice. At least I can't notice any. In one
another poll thread, I have sent an open invitation to everyone to come and visit my home and check IR.
This does not mean that my case can be generalized and therefore applies to everyone. There are people who have faced IR issues.
But once again check the thread:
Plasma owners: Are you facing the dreaded IR/Burn-In issue?. Those who said that there are IR issues, have mostly said that IR disappears soon enough. This is because IR is temporary.
General public confuse between IR and Burn-in (BI) and think that they mean the same. Those who know about the difference do not bother to correct the perception with others. A few in minority (plasma haters) deliberately mislead. The truth is IR is temporary BI is permanent. Here are some articles on the same:
The Truth About Plasma Screen Burn-In
Is plasma HDTV burn-in a problem?
Search the web and there will be enough articles that state that IR is something to be careful but not get worried about silly.
Now, plasma panel is not alone when it comes to IR/BI.
LCD panels can also suffer the same fate:
White paper - InfoComm
Image Sticking in LCD and LED HDTVs
But in general LCD panel is much less susceptible to IR/BI.
There are ways to prevent IR and many articles/posts have been written so I will not repeat them here.
Second on Plasma panel and reflective surface: I was also in the same dilemma. At this point, I had more or less decided on plasma but I was not sure how the plasma panel would behave at home. With no certainty, I still went ahead and took the plunge. For the first few days, the TV was in my living room where there is a 12'x4' window at 90 to the TV. But covering the window with the drapes presented no issue at all. Then there were two incandescent lamps (with decorative shades) - one directly on top of TV and one directly opposite. Surprisingly the lamp on top of TV was more disturbing than the one in front. Putting on one lamp (in front) presented no issues. The TV was later shifted to bedroom after glass shelf (for STB, BDP, router) was installed. In the bedroom there were two windows. Covering them with drapes solved the issue.
The reflections issue in my opinion is a little overstated. It is not as if the LCD panel is completely non-reflective. I checked and found that they too reflect. But much less in comparison to plasma because plasma surface is glass. But all said and done, the maximum use of the TV will be during prime time evening - say 7 PM to 10:30 pm. So what is the big deal of brightly lit room?
Read my thread
ST50 Owners' Thread - First impressions, Reviews, Tweaks, etc. from start to finish and you will understand the issues/non-issues first hand.
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You will get Samsung 51E550 for 73K while Panasonic 50UT50 will be around 75K. Both are excellent TVs that match your budget, excellent quality and bang for the buck. No LED in that price range will match the picture quality of the above two. The panels have deep blacks as associated with any plasma and natural colours. If you wish to enjoy 3D then this is the minimum size to be purchased. And then consider the size - 51" or 50". The best at that price range is 40HX750 - a whole 10" smaller. That alone should be a clinching factor. I cannot sincerely believe that there is more value for money (VFM) than these two sets.
And if you want stunning picture, at say 20k more, then there is the 50ST50 which
in my personal opinion is probably the best TV in that price range, a notch or couple of degrees better than HX850. I am saying this on the basis of my own test - others may disagree. You do your own tests and compare.
As a parting note, I will post the following video for you.
I would not ever try these on an LCD panel unless protected by Gorilla glass and this feature will be available only on the very expensive top-end LEDs.
Durability Test on 2012 LG Plasma TVs with Protective Skin Glasses - YouTube
