Taking the plunge into plasma

March 27, 2007 8:42 AM

Cold-feet-before-buying-the-plasma-department: How can I reproduce, or come within a stone's throw towards, the rich blacks of a CRT?

After years of lust, I'm committing to a plasma TV in the 55" to 60" range. Problem is, I'm an addict. For the deep, dark, intergalactic-space level blacks of CRTs.

I'm aware that few if any plasmas can duplicate these blacks, but which makers and models -- in your research or personal experience -- come closest?

A 10,000-to-one contrast ratio is often recommended, but are there any other specs I should look at? Or review sites you can steer me towards?

Enlighten me, ye denizens of plasmaland.

posted by Gordion Knott to technology (12 comments total)

Panasonic is known for its blacks/contrast ratio; I have a 50 inch that I have been impressed with for almost 4 years now.
posted by TedW at 8:47 AM on March 27, 2007

Seconding Panasonic, in particular their commercial line. I have a 42" Panasonic Commercial Plasma and get excellent contrast.
posted by nicwolff at 9:07 AM on March 27, 2007

How much money do you have?
posted by tracert at 9:12 AM on March 27, 2007

Actually, most of those are LCD's, sorry. Home Theater seems to like the plasma's a lot more.
posted by tracert at 9:16 AM on March 27, 2007

I have a Pioneer PRO-FHD1 floor model, that I bought for $5k.

It's pretty great.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 9:22 AM on March 27, 2007

tracert, on the money question, I'm aiming for staying under the $4,000 line if I can.
posted by Gordion Knott at 10:30 AM on March 27, 2007

I know you said plasma. It's all over your message. Plasma, plasma, plasma. I fully understand you're asking a question specifically about the plasma technology. As such, I'll try to be constructive and say that of the more inexpensive plasmas I've seen, the contrast levels in Samsung's strike me as the most pleasing of the bunch.

As a fellow high-contrast addict, however, it sounds to me like you actually want a DLP set, not a plasma. Seriously. DLP.
posted by eschatfische at 12:03 PM on March 27, 2007

eschatfische, speaking as someone who owns a DLP - I love it. Love, love, love. It's the best TV ever. But it KILLS ME that I can't hang it. For some people, that's a deal-breaker.
posted by peep at 3:28 PM on March 27, 2007

Wait until SED televisions come out later this year or early next year if you really crave proper blacks. There's no other way. You can get close with the $8000 Pioneer plasma, or you can wait a little bit longer for the next big thing in high-definition. You've waited this long - is another year really going to kill you?
posted by Dasein at 5:27 PM on March 27, 2007

If you look up my previous asks, you see that I asked about my Samsung Plasma a while back.

And 18 months later, I still love the thing. It's colors are nice, I haven't had any burn in problems, and it looks great on my wall! (That's for you, peep!)

My Wii looks terrific through component cables on it, too.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:44 AM on March 29, 2007

Pedantic filter, but my "It's" above should have had an apostrophe. Oh, how I flog myself.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:45 AM on March 29, 2007

DAMMIT!

SHOULD NOT have had an apostrophe.

I'm really in for it now.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:46 AM on March 29, 2007