Double Journey

I’m pretty much decided on the TV I want. I’m going to get the 50″ Panasonic. Now if I could only order the stupid thing.

I want to order from Amazon for numerous reasons. First off, they offer the TV at a great price. Second, I don’t have to pay tax or shipping. Finally, they have a pretty liberal return policy if for some reason I don’t like the TV. So that being said, I’ve waited patiently for them to have the TV in stock. They recently put up an “in stock” date of May 28. Well staring two days ago, they have moved the date one day later each of the last two days.

It reminds me of a problem I’m dealing with at work. We for some reason have an issue with hitting dates. We will set a date for some deliverable, not meet that date, set the date again, and still not hit that date. That is a big problem (and one I’m working to address). Here is the thing. When it comes to deadlines, if you have to slip, you slip only once. The next time you set a date, you better be damn sure you can hit the date or don’t provide a date at all.

So here I am, sitting and waiting for them to get the TV in stock. The current release date is “May 30″ but I know tomorrow they are going to move it to “May 31″.
Sphere: Related Content

I’ve debated a long time over what type of TV to get. As I said in an earlier post about my which HDTV I want to get, I’ve gone back and forth. For a long time, I was sold on a Sony SXRD television. It has great picture quality and is more affordable than the flat panels at the very large screen sizes. As I never plan on hanging my TV, it was a logical choice.

But because Sony decided to move away from that technology I looked elsewhere. The obvious choice was LCD. LCDs are much more popular than Plasma TVs. I’ll be the first to say the probably look better in the store because they are much brighter than your general plasmas and thus a person’s eye is drawn to them. They also tend to be lighter (and thus easier to hang) and use less energy. But I tend to think those are secondary considerations for most people. For a long time, they were the only choice under 42″. Most people would buy those as most people are not in the market for a TV bigger than that.

For me, it came down to a few things. The most important thing by far was how good the picture looked to me. Like most, I was drawn to those big bright screens at my local Best Buy. But after watching a few LCDs in dark rooms, I realized there is such a thing as too bright. So I went back to try and understand what makes a good picture. I like deep saturated colors and great detail. In my opinion, LCDs win in the sharpness department, but Plasmas win in the color and detail department. In the end it came down to two things for me.

• Black Levels - By the very nature of LCD technology, they can’t get as deep a black as Plasmas. This is by far the most important thing when it comes to picture quality. Think of it as the canvas by which all other colors must be painted. You want to have as clean of a canvas as you possibly can get. Most LCDs are a dark gray when the screen is completely black and it really bothers me. New LCDs are getting very close, and it is one reason I have seriously considered getting one, but they still don’t beat the best of the plasmas.
• Motion - This one too is getting close, but its not quite close enough. The main thing I watch is sports and I can see the motion blur that is inherent in LCD technology. Not everyone is sensitive to it, but I am, and it distracts me when I’m trying to watch the Lakers.

There were some other things that favored one over the other. Price was somewhat of a consideration, but only a small one. LCDs are slightly more expensive at this size. But I’m considering two TVs, the Panasonic 50PZ800U I discussed before and the Samsung LN52A650. The price is a wash between the two TVs so it doesn’t really factor.

I still haven’t bought the TV yet, so it isn’t certain that I will go with the plasma. However, I did finally see the Panasonic 50PZ800U first hand in the store today. More on that later …
Sphere: Related Content

I am obsessed with my imminent HDTV purchase. I find myself constantly looking for information on the TV I think I will buy, the new Panasonic 50PZ800U. It’s been a long road. I’ve been thinking about getting an HDTV for over five years, and it has never happened.

But now I’m pretty certain. The big problem is that there were just too many choices. Normally, choice is a good thing. But most people only want the illusion of choice. They really want three or four choices, anything more than that and people face decision paralysis.

So how did I come to the decision on the TV I want to buy? Here was my thought process

DLP, LCD, or Plasma? - I originally was going to buy the 60″ Sony SXRD but Sony decided to stop making them, so I started looking around for another solution. So the choice came down to an LCD or Plasma. I could go on, and I think I will in another post, about why I chose Plasma. But in the end I thought it was the best choice for me given the type of watching I do which is mainly sports.

Which brand to Buy? - There are so many to choose from. Vizio, Samsung, Panasonic, and Pioneer to name a few. Pioneer supposedly has amazing TVs in their Kuro line, but they are just too expensive for too small of a difference. Vizio is too low on the other side of the scale. So it comes down to Samsung or Panasonic. Panasonic is a little bit better reputation wise, but the Samsung Plasmas, PN50A550 and PN50A650, look to be strong competition. I may eventually swing over to the Samsung side before I buy.

How Much to Spend? - I’ll be honest, this wasn’t that important. I just wanted the best TV for the best value. I wanted something I would be happy with for ten years. Whatever price point that was was going to be how much I spent.

Which Model to Buy ? - A couple of problems here. Panasonic was coming out with new 2008 models as I was making my decision. Did I wait or buy the older models which were going on sale. In the end, I decided to wait. Might as well get the latest and greatest technology considering my criteria for keeping it for ten years. Next, I had to choose between the 85 model and the 800. I’m still out on this one. The 800 supposedly is a better picture, better sound, but I’m not so sure it is worth the extra $500. I’ve been waiting to see, but haven’t been able to find one yet.

So I find myself constantly looking for information about this set and trying to find places which have a good deal. In the end, I’m sure it won’t make that much of a difference, but just given my personality, I just want to make sure I’m very happy with my choice.

How about you? Do you have an HDTV? If so what type and you happy with it? Any advice for a first time buyer?
Sphere: Related Content