Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Buying a SAMSUNG PLASMA PN50A450 720p HDTV - Is it a good TV

Dec 2, 2008 7:15AM PST

Hi Mr. Samsung and other owners of the PN50A450 720p HDTV and other Samsung Plasma TV's. I am planning on buying this TV online tomorrow from http://www.fotoconnection.com. Has anyone ever purchased from them or heard about that store before? I don't how reputiable that store is. Any advise would be highly appreciated. They said its supposed to be a brand new factory sealed unit, and not a refurbished unit with a 1-year warranty.

Here is my really worry /concern. I have heard alot of negative stuff about Plasma TV and also 720p, and so I am really skeptical and confused. I just want to make sure that I am not making a bad or foolish decision in buying this TV, since its a Plasma and secondly since its only 720p compared to 1080p. I need to get confirmation on the below items to make sure that this TV is definitely worth buying:

1) Picture Quality of Plasma compared to LCD or 1080p
2) Contrast and brightness levels on this TV.
3) Does Contrast /Dyanmic contrast ratio really matter?.
4) IR or Burn-in issues while gaming or slow moving video.
5) Screen glare issues with Plasma TV
6) Durability of Plasma TV's compared to LCD or DLP.
7) Is Extended Warranty required?.
Cool Plasma vs. LCD Technology (Which is actually better)?
9) Is it really worth buying the 1080p?
10) What are the pros for the PN50A450 (bells & whistles)?
11) Is this a discontinued or older model with any known issues?
12) How does this model compare to the other PN50A400 model?

I would really appreciate if you can reply back ASAP, as I plan to make a final decision soon, but don't want to regret that I purchased the wrong TV...

I just want some kind of definite reassurance that this is a good TV and is a good investment that's definitely worth my money and will hopefully last me a good 7-10 years.

Thanks in advance.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
feedback
Dec 3, 2008 7:30PM PST

this is the top of the line tv, plasma is more stable than before if you use the burn in protection mode in the user settings, I recommend a LCD over plasma, it is more viable than plasma, and will not get image retention, LCD is the work horse of tc's , especially for gaming

- Collapse -
Lots of answers
Dec 4, 2008 12:15PM PST

pabraham73,

Well, I sure have my work cut out for me here. Happy I'll make this as painless as possible, and if you have any questions, let me know and I'll get on them ASAP.

Pre-questions:
1. No, I haven't heard of that store, and I can't make any recommendations for where to purchase. Forum members here can, but I'm prohibited (naturally!) of endorsing one retailer over another.

In most cases, we will cover the unit for a year after purchase. If you log in and register the product online, we will also provide an additional 3 months.

Now: Onto the world of plasma televisions.

1. A 720p panel is a good panel. Consider the fact that the only sources for 1080p would be a Blu-Ray player. In some cases a game console will max out at 1080i. Television will max out at 1080i. If Blu-Ray is a top consideration for this purchase, you might want to consider 1080p. For most people 720p will provide an excellent picture that looks great.

I recommend you take a look at a 1080p and 720p at a local retail store if you have the ability to do so. You'll get to see the difference and it's an opportunity to make the best decision for what is right for you.

2. 1M:1 contrast ratio, which is pretty impressive overall. Many of our higher tier models also have 1M:1 contrast ratios.

3. What really matters is how it looks.

4. IR or Burn in: I'll refer you to my post here that gives a pretty exhaustive explanation of our technologies that actually prevent IR and burn-in issues. The important thing is to be most careful with your panel for the first 200 hours or so.
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146&threadID=314194&messageID=2894857&tag=forums06;posts#2894857

5. Screen glare - well, plasma panels are made of glass. However, so is every television most people have owned for the last 50 years. We do have FilterBrite technology that reduces some of the ambient glare.

6. Durability: Plasmas can last in the range of 60,000 hours before the screen is considered "half life". In comparison, LCDs generally work 60,000 hours before it's half-life rating as well. DLP lamps will last 6,000 hours (traditional based lamp) or at 30,000 hours (LED lit DLP units) respectively.

At 5 hours a day, it could last technically over 25 years. (Also dependant on how it's treated, conditions, etc)

7. Extended warranties aren't required. If you do decide to get one, know the terms and conditions, limitations and the rest of it. After the first year and 3 months, you will likely rely on whatever program they have, and you'll want to know exactly what you'll be getting.

8. Both technologies have their merits.

9. See answer #1

10. Here are the specs for that particular unit.
http://www.samsung.com/us/system/consumer/product/2008/03/11/pn50a450p1dxza/PN50A450_spec.pdf

For plasma, there is a 4, 5, 6 and 7 Series that you can compare by clicking the televisions you'd like to compare and see the difference in features here:
http://www.samsung.com/us/system/consumer/product/2008/03/11/pn50a450p1dxza/PN50A450_spec.pdf

11. This is a current model.

12. The PNxxA400 model was a limited run unit, and availability is limited.

Hope this answers all of your questions. Please let me know if you'd like clarification on anything. I'll be as timely as possible.

Regards,

--HDTech

- Collapse -
PN50A450 is good IMO
Dec 4, 2008 5:51PM PST

well if u really look around the web u may can find this tv for 899-999 at a well known retailer. may can even find for 799

this is my first hdtv and I love it. did research on tons of models and waited for yrs and now im glad i did

I mainly watch sports and movies so plasma are best for those. if u play a ton of games and have a really bright room where the tv is, get a lcd

if money is no issue then get a 1080p...but u can save 400 bucks or more and get a 720p and may not even notice the difference

i did not buy any extra warranty. to me they are not worth the price especially if u can get this tv for price mentioned above. if it lasts me 3-4 yrs (im sure it will last well longer) i will just go buy another one. no telling what new technology may be out by then anyway