Panasonic G15 (or S1) vs Samsung LNB650

[Odin75]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum. Have been a visitor for a long time, but just recently created an account.

So, I did a search around google and here, and didn't quite found the answer I was looking for. I'm trying to decide between the Panasonic G15 (Plasma), and the Samsung LNB650 (LCD). This is going to replace a Westinghouse LVM-37w3se. As you can see on my HT Gallery, it will be used in a HTPC setup. The main reasons I want to replace this screen is because it has bad viewing angles, bad black levels, and motion blur. The viewing angles are not bad sideways, but up and down, which in return mess up the black levels. The motion blur is somewhat obvious, but I notice it more in moving text, there this text feels like it stuttering.

I went to my local stores, after reading the reviews of the G10 (thicker G15) and the LNB650. The first thing that threw me off, was that blacks on the G10 looked gray in all 3 stores I visited. All the reviews I read indicate the G10 has super deep black levels, but when I saw it in person, it was dark gray at best. Aside from that, the brightness was a bit too dim. Perfect for up-close PC usage, but too low for movie watching. I suppose bringing the brightness up is going to mess the blacks even more. I was so shocked that I even went to see the Kuro Elite just for comparison, and while better, the blacks look like an over washed tuxedo.

However, when I looked at the LNB650, those blacks were so deep that it blended right with the frame. I did notice what the reviews say, that the black tend to lean towards blue, but I only noticed this while watching it side-by-side against the S1. By itself is not visible at all, and I feel this can be helped a little by calibrating it somewhat. I understand that nothing in real life looks so deep, because even closing my eyes doesn't reach the level of deepness that screen has (weird uh?), but I assume that if it can do that extreme, it can do the lighter shades with ease. Sorry if I sound a little biased, but that's the deepest black I have seen in my life, not even my piano black PS3 looks so deep.

I was glad to see that neither the G10 nor the LNB650 suffered from viewing angles problems. The Samsung impressed me, because I went hoping for the color to get washed out, but it didn't. The G10 of course doesn't have that problem for being a plasma, and watching it at extreme angles looked just as good.

Unfortunately, they didn't have many commercials with text, so it was hard to judge motion blur. I saw a Panasonic LCD that had a blu-ray with some text, and it looks horrible. The text looked like it was having a seizure, that's how shaky it was. Maybe it was a 60h LCD, I don't know. The G10 had a commercial playing which I'm familiar with, and the motion was very smooth. It did reminded me of the CRT we have in the living room, but not as good. The LNB650 did pretty good too. It sucks that they didn't have text commercials playing, so I could compare motion blur between them.

I care about the Input Lag as well, but I plan to use them in Game Mode for that. My current Westinghouse was no lag at all, so I expect similar performance from this newer models.
Also, I do enjoy the look of Auto Motion Plus, before any of you asks.

So as you can see, I'm really trying to like the G10/S1, but I can't. The price is perfect, because I'm looking for something in the 50" range for no more than $1,300 shipped. The 54" S1 special in Sears is amazing, considering I don't like how deem THX looks on the G10, and I can calibrate it using Cnet or D-Nice settings. The Samsung has a 46", that while not ideal, is better than the 55" that I can't afford.
I'm almost considering getting the 54" S1 from Sears, and then return it if I don't like it. I'm just trying to understand why it looks so difference when I look at it at the store, as oppose to pictures in this forum.

I'll post some video later today, from footage I took in my quest, to show what I mean. I'm really hoping you guys can prove the video wrong, and the blacks are not that gray, because I'm really trying to like the S1/G10.

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the long post.

(If this is not the place, sorry, and can you move it?)

[eclimax13]

damn id love to give you some help but i refuse to read all that...i am a lazy reader...if you can compress that a bit i might have some useful info

[Sonny]

Get whatever is the cheapestestestest... Damn I'm stuffed!

[Darkthrone]

I dont think you will be disappointed with the 54 inch S1...thats a very good deal as well.
But dont take too much in consideration on how the tv looks in the store. Usually they aren't even calibrated. Like you said..if you dont like the S1..just return it and get a different model.

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by eclimax13

damn id love to give you some help but i refuse to read all that...i am a lazy reader...if you can compress that a bit i might have some useful info

Well, basically I was saying why do plasmas have blacks that look gray instead of black. I wen to 3 different stores, and even saw the Kuro Elite, and the blacks didn't look as deep as the LNB650.

Anyways, I talked to some guy in youtube that has the G15, and he explained to me how it works. LCDs get deep the brighter the room, while Plasmas get deeper the darker the room. That's the part I didn't understand, and now it makes sense why the S1, G10, and V10 looked so different. It was not the TV, but more the environment they were in.
I did some experiments myself, by putting a lamp right in front of my LCD, and I somewhat recreated the scene. My blacks got way deeper when I turned the lap on, and went back to gray as soon as I turned it off.

Anyways, The video is uploading as we speak to youtube. It takes a while, but I think it will help someone out there.

Originally Posted by Darkthrone

I dont think you will be disappointed with the 54 inch S1...thats a very good deal as well.
But dont take too much in consideration on how the tv looks in the store. Usually they aren't even calibrated. Like you said..if you dont like the S1..just return it and get a different model.

Yep, It was silly of me to compare the TVs in a store, without fully understanding how each technology works. Read the adobe message, which explains why. Now I see that stores are just a guideline, but not a definitive of optimal potential.

I got the 54" S1 that was in special in Sears. Hopefully I will like it a lot, considering my room is pitch black as soon as I close the door. I'm doing the layaway payment method, but I should have it home in a matter of 3 weeks tops.

Again, thanks for the replies guys. After I'm done uploading the video, I'll post it here. It shows the Tvs I recorded with my digital camera as I was visiting my local stores.

[Odin75]

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uQKRjYFFY

Sorry if it's too long, but I'm sure it will help someone, as it sure helped me decide. Once I saw how each tv behaved in different environments, and knowledge of others, it helped me narrow down my choices. I recorded all this from BestBuy, CompUSA, and Sears. Enjoy!

(if the video looks crappy, give it a few minutes/hours, youtube might still be processing it. I recorded mainly in 720p.)

[lojack1976]

The reason the Samsung looks superior in the store is because Samsung has a very good filter for bright room viewing. This preserves the blacks very well even when direct sunlight hits the set. In a dimly lit or dark room however the Panny and of course the Kuro will produce much deeper blacks.

Panasonic hasn't done much to improve their filters for daytime viewing while Samsung has been constantly improving theirs. Pioneer has a pretty good filter, but Samsung still has an edge there. Since store lighting is much brighter than your lighting at home you aren't getting a true representation of these sets.

I don't know if you have a Magnolia Best Buy in your area, but if you do you should go there and check out the sets in the Magnolia viewing room which is much dimmer and more representative of your home environment. You will then see that the Panasonic produces a much deeper black than the Sammy. The B650 has pretty good blacks, but it doesn't touch the G10/G15 series sets and its nowhere near as good as the V10 or a Kuro.

[CallingMrBenzo]

i just watched the video, and was very impressed with the levels he went to investigate his tv purchase going beyond just reading reviews...

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by lojack1976

I don't know if you have a Magnolia Best Buy in your area, but if you do you should go there and check out the sets in the Magnolia viewing room which is much dimmer and more representative of your home environment. You will then see that the Panasonic produces a much deeper black than the Sammy. The B650 has pretty good blacks, but it doesn't touch the G10/G15 series sets and its nowhere near as good as the V10 or a Kuro.

Yeah, we do, that's where I recorded the V10 from in my video. They keep all the nice tvs on that special room, along with the Kuro Elite. When I entered that room, that's when I started to notice the deeper black levels on all the Plasmas.
Thankfully, my room is way darker than the special BestBuy room, mine is basically pitch black. If I close the door, and turn off the tv, I can't see my hand in front of my face. I covered all all the windows with black curtains, painted the walls dark gray, and remove the white closet doors and replaced them with black curtains. Feel free to check my gallery.

Oh man, I'm so exited. I should have the S1 very soon.

Originally Posted by CallingMrBenzo

i just watched the video, and was very impressed with the levels he went to investigate his tv purchase going beyond just reading reviews...

Glad you noticed. I always like to research my stuff as much as I can before making a decision. Seems like I made a great choice with the S1, considering I have the appropriate room condition for it.

[Fadi007]

here in my country ( Lebanon , middle east ) we don't have a panasonic plasma named S1 , we have panasonic S10 , is it the same as the american model S1 ?
our full model number is TH-P42S10 ( is TH-P42S10 = TC-P42S1 ? )

so that leads to my problem , i can get the TH-P42S10 ( +gift dvd player ) for 899$ here ( the 42G10 has no THX nor internet connectivity here and it cost 1799$ so i guess it doesn't worth to get it instead of the S series )...
OR i can have one of samsungs lcds ( 40B550 for 1150$ , 40B610 for 1350$ , 40B750 for 1700$ )

so if someone can help me with this battle of 42S10 panny against those samsung lcds in term of quality ( and price maybe ) ?

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by Fadi007

here in my country ( Lebanon , middle east ) we don't have a panasonic plasma named S1 , we have panasonic S10 , is it the same as the american model S1 ?
our full model number is TH-P42S10 ( is TH-P42S10 = TC-P42S1 ? )

so that leads to my problem , i can get the TH-P42S10 ( +gift dvd player ) for 899$ here ( the 42G10 has no THX nor internet connectivity here and it cost 1799$ so i guess it doesn't worth to get it instead of the S series )...
OR i can have one of samsungs lcds ( 40B550 for 1150$ , 40B610 for 1350$ , 40B750 for 1700$ )

so if someone can help me with this battle of 42S10 panny against those samsung lcds in term of quality ( and price maybe ) ?

Ok I did some google searching, and it indeed looks like the S10 is the Europe and Asia version of the S1 in America. However, they have tradeoffs as far as features. The S10 has X.Y.Color, and the S1 does not. So yeah, for you guys, the S10 looks like a way better deal than the G10.

BTW, you are not missing much without THX Mode, which is only available in the V10 in your country. I saw it, and it looks a little too dim for my taste. Then there's Viera Cast. I only got to test the Youtube feature, but It's a little slow compared to a modern PC. Also, it doesn't have the new 1080p Youtube videos that just launched for regular PC users, or at least I didn't see any, so that's another reason to keep using a PC for Youtube instead. The UI is also way too simplified, I didn't like it.
Also, don't make the DVD Player the deciding factor, as most reviews claim the upscaler in the S1 is not that good and can lead to poor black levels. So yeah, dish out that DVD Player, and get yourself a PS3, a PC, or a Blu-Ray Player to do the upscaling instead.

I guess I should of asked you earlier, but how dark is your room? If it's relatively dark, get the S10. It's amazing, and almost unbelievable, how much the blacks improve as you lower the room lights. And the price good too, compared to the Samsungs.

However, if you plan to have this TV in the middle of bright light, then the Samsung is the best. I'm not saying this because of the reflections, because you can still reflections in the Samsungs, but because they perform better in bright rooms.
If you consider Samsung, get the B630. It sacrifices a tiny bit of black depth compared to the B650, but you get a less reflective screen. Don't consider the B750, as the difference that 240HZ makes is not noticeable. I wouldn't get the B550 either, as I think 120hz is important for LCDs. Samsung is about the only bland that lets you separate De-Blurring and De-Jutter, so I think getting the Frame-Repeat is a great feature to have. But hey, keep in mind this is my view regarding the American models, but I think Samsung gives all countries the same features, except for the refresh rate (120hz vs 100hz).

So yeah, I would say go for the S10, as everything about it seems to be better than your Samsung options, including better price. But you really need to make sure to have it in a dark room, or it will look like garbage. I personally have the room for it, that's why I chose the S1 this past Friday. It will arrive in about 3 weeks, as I'm doing the lay-away payment method, where I can pay the tv in parts, and get ti when I'm done paying.

If you have a bright room, then get the Samsung, either the B650 or B630. If you have a window reflecting right in front of the screen, get the B630 as it has a mette screen. If you don't have lights directly at it, but you still have a bright room, then get the B650 that has the glass screen.

Ok, hope that helps. =)

[Fadi007]

Originally Posted by Odin75

Ok I did some google searching, and it indeed looks like the S10 is the Europe and Asia version of the S1 in America. However, they have tradeoffs as far as features. The S10 has X.Y.Color, and the S1 does not. So yeah, for you guys, the S10 looks like a way better deal than the G10.

BTW, you are not missing much without THX Mode, which is only available in the V10 in your country. I saw it, and it looks a little too dim for my taste. Then there's Viera Cast. I only got to test the Youtube feature, but It's a little slow compared to a modern PC. Also, it doesn't have the new 1080p Youtube videos that just launched for regular PC users, or at least I didn't see any, so that's another reason to keep using a PC for Youtube instead. The UI is also way too simplified, I didn't like it.
Also, don't make the DVD Player the deciding factor, as most reviews claim the upscaler in the S1 is not that good and can lead to poor black levels. So yeah, dish out that DVD Player, and get yourself a PS3, a PC, or a Blu-Ray Player to do the upscaling instead.

I guess I should of asked you earlier, but how dark is your room? If it's relatively dark, get the S10. It's amazing, and almost unbelievable, how much the blacks improve as you lower the room lights. And the price good too, compared to the Samsungs.

However, if you plan to have this TV in the middle of bright light, then the Samsung is the best. I'm not saying this because of the reflections, because you can still reflections in the Samsungs, but because they perform better in bright rooms.
If you consider Samsung, get the B630. It sacrifices a tiny bit of black depth compared to the B650, but you get a less reflective screen. Don't consider the B750, as the difference that 240HZ makes is not noticeable. I wouldn't get the B550 either, as I think 120hz is important for LCDs. Samsung is about the only bland that lets you separate De-Blurring and De-Jutter, so I think getting the Frame-Repeat is a great feature to have. But hey, keep in mind this is my view regarding the American models, but I think Samsung gives all countries the same features, except for the refresh rate (120hz vs 100hz).

So yeah, I would say go for the S10, as everything about it seems to be better than your Samsung options, including better price. But you really need to make sure to have it in a dark room, or it will look like garbage. I personally have the room for it, that's why I chose the S1 this past Friday. It will arrive in about 3 weeks, as I'm doing the lay-away payment method, where I can pay the tv in parts, and get ti when I'm done paying.

If you have a bright room, then get the Samsung, either the B650 or B630. If you have a window reflecting right in front of the screen, get the B630 as it has a mette screen. If you don't have lights directly at it, but you still have a bright room, then get the B650 that has the glass screen.

Ok, hope that helps. =)

well thanks for this reply i really appreciate it , about the S10 here I've made some research and i guess it has not the so called NeoDPD that the S1 have ( and maybe nor the anti-glare screen of S1 ) and it is 550hz not 600hz but it have a pc input unlike the S1... well i don't know if these differences are a deal killer

about samsung , here the only 40 inch series 6 we have is the B610 ( we don't have B630 nor B650 ) and that's its specs
http://www.samsungctc.com/specification1.php?cid=378
does the B610 have a matte or glossy screen ? and does its usb input can read ripped movie files ( avi format ) ?

well I'll really appreciate the TV that can give the better SD picture ( HD channels here still a dream )

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by Fadi007

well thanks for this reply i really appreciate it , about the S10 here I've made some research and i guess it has not the so called NeoDPD that the S1 have ( and maybe nor the anti-glare screen of S1 ) and it is 550hz not 600hz but it have a pc input unlike the S1... well i don't know if these differences are a deal killer

about samsung , here the only 40 inch series 6 we have is the B610 ( we don't have B630 nor B650 ) and that's its specs
http://www.samsungctc.com/specification1.php?cid=378
does the B610 have a matte or glossy screen ? and does its usb input can read ripped movie files ( avi format ) ?

well I'll really appreciate the TV that can give the better SD picture ( HD channels here still a dream )

Ok, I went to the official Panasonic website, but found some contradictions.
Here's the link: http://panasonic.com.sg/web/pid/8009/Spec

It says it has the G12 panel, which is the NeoPDP panel, but yet it says 30,000:1 contrast, instead of the normal 40,000:1 for NeoPDP. But I did noticed that site says S10S as the model, so that might be it.

I later checked the CNET Asia: http://alatest.co.uk/apps/reviews/21...972539%2C33%2F
The site says S10, so that might be the model you want, but I can't find what's the difference between the S10 and the S10S. Anyways, CNET says it has EcoPDP, so it definitely is the new 2009 models, but maybe not the same as the S1.

To be honest, the more I research it, the more confusing it gets. There's so many different versions. I think the best option at this point, is to call Panasonic directly, or for you to go directly to a local store and check the features for yourself. This is one of those things that Panasonic needs to work on, as it confuses it's costumers.

BTW, Asia and Europe gets 550hz because your country broadcasts at 25fps, instead of 24fps like America. Same reason regular TVs in America are 60hz, but they are 50hz over there. They are both the same technology, it's just they change the number so it could be a even multiple, so don't worry about it.

Also, about the screen, I think the B610 uses the matte screen as all the other models in the B600 Series. I think the B650, which is the highest end model, is the only one with a glossy screen. That also explains why all the screen in the B600 series have a Dynamic Contrast of 80,000:1, and the B650 has 100,000:1. The extra contrast comes from that glossy screen. The rest of the difference between those models are features.

Also, you never answered me what type of environment you plan to have your TV on. I ask this because there is also the Plasmas from Samsung, they are good too. They have proper 24p Mode at 96hz, unlike the Panasonics that flicker. However, they have problems too, as the calibrations reset when you enable it. I'm not sure it it's possible to re-adjust the settings afterward, but that might be too much hassle for some. I know my current LCD resets calibration if I get a power outage. I don't mind since I already know the settings by heart, so it takes me 10 seconds to dial them in, and I wrote them in a paper just in case I forget.

You mentioned something about having great SD quality. Can I ask, what SD content do you plan to watch on SD?
If it's free air channels, then you should check if they broadcast in SD or HD in your area. Here in the US, most channels are slowly switching to 1080i for local channels. However, if you have a service like DirecTV, but only have the SD package, you might consider upgrading the Set-Top-Box. Some HD STBs allow you to upscale the signal to HD friendly resolutions for the SD channels, using the HDMI port. That way you don't have to pay for an HD package, nor have the TV do it. I think your other SD content would be DVDs, but you can get an upscaler for that, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Either way, I think the general consensus is that Samsung is better at upscaling. I think this is because Panasonic only puts the good chips in their higher end models, like the G10 and V10.

OH, almost forgot. Don't worry about the TV not having a computer (VGA) port, as those are not idea. The best way to connect a computer is using a DVI-to-HDMI cable, like this one: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
As you can see, you can plug that from the back of your video card, to the HDMI port in your TV. This is better than VGA, as the signal remains digital.
I currently use a DVI-to-DVI cable for my LCD as I was lucky enough to get a DVI port in my Tv. However, I'll using the DVI-to-HDMI cable as soon as my Panasonic S1 arrives in a couple of weeks.

[Fadi007]

Originally Posted by Odin75

Ok, I went to the official Panasonic website, but found some contradictions.
Here's the link: http://panasonic.com.sg/web/pid/8009/Spec

It says it has the G12 panel, which is the NeoPDP panel, but yet it says 30,000:1 contrast, instead of the normal 40,000:1 for NeoPDP. But I did noticed that site says S10S as the model, so that might be it.

I later checked the CNET Asia: http://alatest.co.uk/apps/reviews/21...972539%2C33%2F
The site says S10, so that might be the model you want, but I can't find what's the difference between the S10 and the S10S. Anyways, CNET says it has EcoPDP, so it definitely is the new 2009 models, but maybe not the same as the S1.

To be honest, the more I research it, the more confusing it gets. There's so many different versions. I think the best option at this point, is to call Panasonic directly, or for you to go directly to a local store and check the features for yourself. This is one of those things that Panasonic needs to work on, as it confuses it's costumers.

BTW, Asia and Europe gets 550hz because your country broadcasts at 25fps, instead of 24fps like America. Same reason regular TVs in America are 60hz, but they are 50hz over there. They are both the same technology, it's just they change the number so it could be a even multiple, so don't worry about it.

Also, about the screen, I think the B610 uses the matte screen as all the other models in the B600 Series. I think the B650, which is the highest end model, is the only one with a glossy screen. That also explains why all the screen in the B600 series have a Dynamic Contrast of 80,000:1, and the B650 has 100,000:1. The extra contrast comes from that glossy screen. The rest of the difference between those models are features.

Also, you never answered me what type of environment you plan to have your TV on. I ask this because there is also the Plasmas from Samsung, they are good too. They have proper 24p Mode at 96hz, unlike the Panasonics that flicker. However, they have problems too, as the calibrations reset when you enable it. I'm not sure it it's possible to re-adjust the settings afterward, but that might be too much hassle for some. I know my current LCD resets calibration if I get a power outage. I don't mind since I already know the settings by heart, so it takes me 10 seconds to dial them in, and I wrote them in a paper just in case I forget.

You mentioned something about having great SD quality. Can I ask, what SD content do you plan to watch on SD?
If it's free air channels, then you should check if they broadcast in SD or HD in your area. Here in the US, most channels are slowly switching to 1080i for local channels. However, if you have a service like DirecTV, but only have the SD package, you might consider upgrading the Set-Top-Box. Some HD STBs allow you to upscale the signal to HD friendly resolutions for the SD channels, using the HDMI port. That way you don't have to pay for an HD package, nor have the TV do it. I think your other SD content would be DVDs, but you can get an upscaler for that, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Either way, I think the general consensus is that Samsung is better at upscaling. I think this is because Panasonic only puts the good chips in their higher end models, like the G10 and V10.

OH, almost forgot. Don't worry about the TV not having a computer (VGA) port, as those are not idea. The best way to connect a computer is using a DVI-to-HDMI cable, like this one: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
As you can see, you can plug that from the back of your video card, to the HDMI port in your TV. This is better than VGA, as the signal remains digital.
I currently use a DVI-to-DVI cable for my LCD as I was lucky enough to get a DVI port in my Tv. However, I'll using the DVI-to-HDMI cable as soon as my Panasonic S1 arrives in a couple of weeks.

hey thanks again . well check these 2 links out
http://www.panasonic.net/avc/viera/a.../s_plasma.html
http://www.extranet-panasonic.ae/PMM...2065&CatId=221

the first is the s10 model in asia on panasonic global site and the other is the middle east version of the site and both doesn't mention a NeoDPD or anti-glare screen so dono maybe you're right i should go and ask myself...

and u didn't answer me about the USB input in samsung B550 and B610 models if it does run avi files...

about my room lightning condition here's a pic of my room , the red cross is where am gonna put the tv , and the black dot is the only lightning source in the room , I'll turn off the light when I'll watch , but while am on the pc (70% of the time ) i'll watch with the lights on , so i dono if this sort of light is a plasma killer...

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by Fadi007

hey thanks again . well check these 2 links out
http://www.panasonic.net/avc/viera/a.../s_plasma.html
http://www.extranet-panasonic.ae/PMM...2065&CatId=221

the first is the s10 model in asia on panasonic global site and the other is the middle east version of the site and both doesn't mention a NeoDPD or anti-glare screen so dono maybe you're right i should go and ask myself...

and u didn't answer me about the USB input in samsung B550 and B610 models if it does run avi files...

about my room lightning condition here's a pic of my room , the red cross is where am gonna put the tv , and the black dot is the only lightning source in the room , I'll turn off the light when I'll watch , but while am on the pc (70% of the time ) i'll watch with the lights on , so i dono if this sort of light is a plasma killer...

I'm sorry, I don't know if the the B550 or the B610 will play AVI files, I don't have that TV and they don't let anybody test anything in stores either. I can only speak of how the image looks from when I saw them. However, I'll post a message if I find the answer.
Just keep in mind, AVI is only a container, it doesn't specify what the codec are in it. XVID, DIVX, Microsoft AVI, Uncompressed AVI, MP3, MP3 Pro, WMA, AAC, AC3, DTS, are just some examples, and the list goes on. Just because it supports AVI doesn't mean it supports all codecs inside it.
What if you play the movies from your computer, like I currently do. I see you have a PC there, so what's the problem of running a cable to it.

Also, that picture you took, was that with or without flash? A flash will make any room bright, so I need to know. If you took the picture without flash, then I would say that's a very bright room, and you might be better off with an LCD.
For example, look at where you placed the X. If I look closer, I can tell there is a big window behind it, because I see it reflected on the wall. Then when I look at your computer, behind it, I can see well defined shadows. When shadows are that dark and detailed, it normally means there is a bright light in front of it.
So yeah, from the looks of it, it seems like an LCD is better for you. Maybe a B610, because the B550 might have the glossy screen too, and the B600 series are the ones with the good 120hz.

[aramis109]

Uh, hey Sherlock, couldn't the "reflected light" just be from the light source to a mirror on the dresser?

Unless you have a lot of windows or an especially bright room, most plasma sets with a decent filter (like current generation Panasonics) would be fine. There are some LCD's that have glossy screens as well, and both are equally bright in terms of the potential picture output. Go with what you want, but don't go LCD just because someone in a forum said so.

[Fadi007]

Originally Posted by Odin75

Also, that picture you took, was that with or without flash? A flash will make any room bright, so I need to know. If you took the picture without flash, then I would say that's a very bright room, and you might be better off with an LCD.
For example, look at where you placed the X. If I look closer, I can tell there is a big window behind it, because I see it reflected on the wall. Then when I look at your computer, behind it, I can see well defined shadows. When shadows are that dark and detailed, it normally means there is a bright light in front of it.
So yeah, from the looks of it, it seems like an LCD is better for you. Maybe a B610, because the B550 might have the glossy screen too, and the B600 series are the ones with the good 120hz.

i took it without a flash... and it's not a big window it's the mirror reflection of the light

[Odin75]

Originally Posted by aramis109

Uh, hey Sherlock, couldn't the "reflected light" just be from the light source to a mirror on the dresser?

Unless you have a lot of windows or an especially bright room, most plasma sets with a decent filter (like current generation Panasonics) would be fine. There are some LCD's that have glossy screens as well, and both are equally bright in terms of the potential picture output. Go with what you want, but don't go LCD just because someone in a forum said so.

I'm just trying to help him the best I can. If you have something useful to say, then say it, so he can have different opinions and make up his mind on his own. Bashing me is not the way to go.

BTW, you are simply giving him a generic answer. Give him a specific model number, so he can check if they sell it in his country, and is within his price range. I already mentioned before that models like the B630 or B610 have the matte screen, while the B650 have the glossy screen. The main reason I said LCD is not because of the reflection, but because of the black levels, which look terrible in bright rooms for Plasmas. I'm not making this up based on reviews, I saw it with my own eyes, and you can see some examples if you check my youtube video. But again, I already talked about all this before.
I really don't see how your comment is helping.

[Fadi007]

ok i can get the samsung lcd 40 inch B610 for 1350$ or panasonic plasma 42G10 for 1800$ ...

so does the extra 450$ are worth it ?

[djm3801]

this is the place to be for Blu-ray discussion. For video display I like AVSFORUM.COM. I got the Panny 50g15 i October. Great set. Samsung 650's sometimes suffer from a buzzing sound. I did my research and went with Panasonic. Samsung set a tad brighter. Blacks on Panny are better. Anti reflection on panny better. Reliability a tad better for Plasma. If I was getting LCD I'd go with Samsung. For Plasma, the research I did says Panny has the edge. Visit the site and you decide. I like this forum better for Blu_ray discussion.