Re: Plasma panels - what to choose?

[Richard Malcolm-Smith <rich@xxxxxxx>]

Paul Gordon wrote:

> Thinking of buying a 50" plasma, what are the current
recommendations eit=
her=20
> to buy, or to avoid?
>=20
> I see there is actually quite a choice of 50"-ers around now, -
unbeatabl=
e=20
> has panels by LG, Samsung, Pioneer, Panasonic, Toshiba, Fujitsu,
and=20
> Phillips.
>=20
> Prices seem to range from about =A35000 ish to =A37000 ish...
>=20
> I must have a PC input, preferably to XGA res (1024x768) and would
prefer=
a=20
> silent fanless panel if possible. I don't mind too much if the tuner
unit=
is=20
> onboard or external, but I'd like it not to be at extra cost!
>=20
> Also, looking around there seems to be some wildly different contrast
rat=
io=20
> figures being quoted: - for instance the Hitachi CMP5000WXE quotes
700:1,=
=20
> whereas the Panasonic TH-50PHD5BX quotes 3000:1 - thats quite a
differenc=
e?=20
> - is there some hidden story here? - are they really that different? -
is=
it=20
> noticeable?
>=20
> Also, what's the deal with PC resolutions? - 1024x768 produces a
normal 3=
:2=20
> aspect ratio image, so how do the panels display this? - with black
bars=
=20
> either side, or does it stretch the image horizantally to fill the
screen=
,=20
> or better still, are there PC drivers which can give proper
widescreen=20
> desktop resolutions?

Playing with one (hitachi), the PC supports 1280x768, but the analog
sampli=
ng of=20
the panel tries to lock on at 1024 pixels/line. This means that some
pixels=
are=20
spread over 2 of them, the mouse shimmers when moved etc.

Apparantly DVI solves this.

The contrast ratio is basically how black the blacks are - more ratio
means=
less=20
greyness.

I find the hitachi I have used totally unacceptable for TV/dvd in a dark
ro=
om,=20
there is crap all shadow detail. I dunno if all plasmas are like this but
i=
m=20
sticking with CRT for now.

All recent video cards I have used support the widescreen resolutions..


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